Bronya returned to the Sea of Quanta.
The familiar, endless Space surrounded her once more. For a brief moment, she stood silently, searching the vast space around her.
Bronya: "The world… has been rectified. Where is Seele?"
Bronya looked around.
The glowing diary she carried in her hands gave off a faint, gentle light, and its warmth somehow calmed the uneasiness in her heart.
Joachim: "Welcome back. You look far less anxious than before."
Bronya turned toward the familiar voice.
Joachim: "I'm a part of this maze… I can already sense it collapsing…"
Joachim: "You are powerful. I believe I must tell you the truth."
Bronya's expression became serious.
Bronya: "What exactly happened in the Sea of Quanta?"
Joachim fell silent for a moment.
When he finally spoke again, his voice carried a sorrow that Bronya had not heard before.
Joachim: "…Welt Yang fought till his final breath in the Sea of Quanta."
Joachim: "He faced an enemy with power far beyond his… He fought valiantly but vainly…"
Joachim: "Before he fell, Welt used his final strength to create a barrier separating the Sea of Quanta from the real world."
Bronya: "A barrier?"
Joachim: "This barrier imposes a trial on any sentient being trying to pass through."
Joachim: "That's right, Bronya. It is the great labyrinth you're in right now."
Bronya looked around at the seemingly endless darkness.
The world she had experienced. The people she had met. The pain, memories, and struggles she had witnessed.
Everything suddenly began to make sense.
Joachim: "Welt's physical form is gone. His existence in the Sea is this labyrinth itself."
Joachim: "Everything you see here… is a part of his past… the confusions and struggles he had…"
Joachim: "…And his yearning for hope."
Bronya lowered her gaze.
Bronya: "Welt… sacrificed himself to prevent the Serpent from entering the real world."
Joachim gave a faint nod.
Joachim: "Come, I shall open the final path for you…"
The darkness before Bronya slowly began to shift.
A faint light emerged in the distance.
Joachim: "This is the final world."
Joachim: "Pass through it and you'll pass through this labyrinth."
Joachim: "I will become your power and lead you to the Core of Reason."
Bronya tightened her grip around the diary.
Joachim: "The Core will let you enter the Sea itself."
Joachim: "But do not hold it for too long… for it will destroy your physical form."
Bronya: "The Bronya understands."
Joachim remained silent.
Then his expression changed.
For the first time, there was something almost pleading in his voice.
Joachim: "…Promise me, Bronya."
Bronya looked directly at him.
Joachim: "No matter what you see or hear, do NOT let the Serpent escape this place."
Bronya: "The Bronya understands. The World Serpent is the Bronya's enemy."
Bronya: "The Bronya shall not let Welt down."
For a moment, Joachim simply looked at her.
Then he smiled.
Joachim: "Godspeed, Bronya."
Bronya turned toward the path ahead.
Beyond the darkness, the entrance to the final world waited for her.
She took a step forward.
Bronya: 'The final world lies ahead. Solve its puzzle and the Bronya will be granted passage into the Sea of Quanta…'
Her fingers tightened around the glowing diary.
Bronya: 'Seele and the Gem of Desire await the Bronya there…'