Ravaz stepped toward Stephanie, heavy with grief and questions. He knew there might be versions of her… but they were not her. There was no future anymore—only memories spinning in an endless loop.
He carried her in his arms as if time itself were collapsing beneath his feet. Every step was heavy, and every breath felt like death. He carried her toward the garden, specifically to the mulberry tree she had always loved, so it could witness the end just as it once witnessed the beginnings. He cradled her body as if holding his own shattered heart.
The universe came to a standstill.
The winds grew still.
And the stars watched in silence, unable to weep.
He did not utter a word. He did not scream. Only his eyes wept tears of sacred light. They dampened nothing, yet they burned deep. The earth split open of its own accord. He kissed her forehead one last time, then lowered her gently into the grave, which closed on its own as if it knew its duty.
He whispered to her, gazing at her resting place:
"I will always visit you… in the past. And I will live on every memory you gave me."
Then he walked away, his steps weighted by loss, leaving behind the greatest wish of his heart… as it came to an end. He turned toward little Elena. For the first time, he looked at her with honest, exposed eyes. He felt something strange; she was a part of him, and he did not want to let her go.
But he was forced to fulfill his promise to Stephanie first; secondly, because her body compelled her to remain on Earth; and thirdly—most importantly—to protect her from the End.
He swapped Elena, his daughter, with Rosie's daughter in the hospital. He buried Rosie's daughter beside Stephanie, then vanished. First to China, then to Russia, where he hid two of the inscriptions of fate. Finally, he returned to Azaveria, to the Dimension of Birth, where he hid the final inscription.
Thus, the inscriptions were distributed and sealed across the world.
The world formed from the letters of the Book of Truth began to fade, returning to its origin… a whiteness swept over everything. No sky, no earth, no time, no place—only absolute silence and a whiteness swallowing existence.
Elena was still inside the "Womb of Azaveria," but this time her body began to convulse, as if preparing for a second birth. Her tears were a cry of agonizing pain; her chest heaved up and down, pleading to get out, writhing like a fetus longing for the light.
She screamed within herself:
"I... I am that girl! I am the one who caused my mother's death! Get me out of here! I don't want this! I want my world as it was!"
Then suddenly... she remembered:
"Ryo! Where is Ryo?"
He was the only one she felt safe with, the one who listened to her fears and dreams in silence... but now... he wasn't here.
A familiar voice pierced through her thoughts... the voice of the Book of Truth. But this time, its image was clear in her mind. She recognized every whisper, every smile, every tear. Every truth.
It said in a deep, calm voice:
"To understand the full truth... there must be suffering. I have planted the full truth within you and allowed you to see a part of it. With every step, you will discover that what was planted inside you is deeper. There are things that cannot be controlled, like fixed destinies. There is always a higher will."
It paused for a moment, then added in a tender tone, as if consoling her broken heart:
"If Stephanie hadn't died during your birth, she would have died for another reason. It was an inevitable fate, not a coincidence. You are the result of the most beautiful and pure relationship existence has ever known—a relationship that was planned, and not forbidden as everyone thought."
Elena's body calmed, but the light within her began to glow, demanding liberation.
The voice of the Book continued:
"You are Elena... daughter of Ravaz and Princess of Azaveria. Your existence was planned from the beginning."
Then its voice suddenly rose, becoming deeper:
"The moment is approaching... the moment of your true birth. What you once buried inside you and called 'The Shadow'... here it is, emerging into the light. Your side of the Shadows of Light is inscribed upon your skin, and your light mingles with your body and blood."
"You are the Rarity... born of a blend of light, shadow, and humanity. You will meet friends and enemies... but your enemy now is 'Tebar.' He knows you are the Prophecy... the Prophecy that will achieve true justice—not the justice of shadows, nor the justice of greed and cruelty. He has searched for you for a long time... but the Prophecy has now become reality."
The Womb of Azaveria began to tremble, and golden dust danced in the air. The womb opened slowly... and finally, after 45 days of formation and merging, the scene was complete.
Elena was born anew.
The ancient prophecy was fulfilled, which says:
"From the Womb of Azaveria, a shadow of light shall be born, the likes of which has never been born before, to be born again, and achieve the long-awaited justice—the justice that will destroy Asumia."
Light exploded from within her. She opened her hazel eyes, which leaned toward gold, the light dancing inside them... exactly like Ravaz's eyes. Her skin remained as it was, but it was covered in glowing inscriptions like rays of the sun. Three marks appeared on her lower back—the Inscriptions of Fate—and in the center, a pulsing disc appeared, expanding and contracting like an iris receiving light.
She leapt into the air, and a beam shot out from her energy center, lifting her with an immeasurable, superhuman speed. The shadow that had formed her light from the beginning reunited with her after a separation that lasted twenty years.
Elena looked at herself, observing that glowing white dress adorned with pearls, covering her body as if sculpted from light.
The Book of Truth whispered to her:
"Feel the universe around you."
Elena asked:
"What should I feel?"
The Book said:
"You are now complete. You have abilities you will discover. Some are linked to your consciousness, and some to your body. You are now a master of both. Close your eyes and adjust your body's frequencies to match the frequencies of the place you wish to go... then jump."
Elena felt her surroundings and said:
"Yes... I feel it. I am in Azaveria, in the Dimension of Birth."
The Book replied:
"Well done... now you must move to the Dimension of Life in Azaveria."
She said with excitement:
"Yes! I found it!"
The Book added:
"Transitioning is not an ability... it is something you were created with. It is like breathing... no one teaches it to you."
Light exploded from her back like a great vortex of energy surrounding her... then she vanished into the white void, only to reappear in Azaveria, in the Dimension of Life.