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When I pressed my palm against the Gate of Truth, a nauseating sensation spread through my arm and into my entire body, as if I was being swallowed by warm, pulsating entrails.

I wanted to vomit but couldn’t, so I gritted my teeth, squeezed my eyes shut, and endured the revulsion.

“Oh, leaving already, huh…”

The administrator’s voice resonated in my mind, accompanied by the unsettling feeling of mud being poured into my ears.

“I wanted to play with you all a bit more, but it’s fine. I’ll have you owe me one for this.”

Even after we passed through the door and were thrust into the familiar scenery, the administrator’s voice continued.

Hom, who had exited the World of Truth with me, stood beside me, watching the door with evident wariness. Despite my struggle to stay upright, she remained steadfastly loyal.

“I don’t owe you anything. Hom belongs to me.”
“You don’t get it, do you? As long as you meddle with alchemy, you’ll inevitably have to rely on me again.”

The door of the Gate of Truth, having completed its task of expelling us, began to close. As it did, the Administrator’s voice started to fade.

“……”

I wished it would disappear quickly. I was done dealing with that entity.

“Oh? That look on your face tells me you don’t believe it. Listen, this isn’t a prophecy. It’s a certain future.”

The Administrator sneered, as if reading my thoughts. The sound was as grating as ever, and I instinctively covered my ears.

“Well, then, I look forward to seeing you again, Glass.”

The Administrator’s voice echoed clearly, despite my hands over my ears. But that was the end.

The closed door of the Gate of Truth began to crumble as if it had weathered away. The stones that formed the Gate of Truth turned to sand and flowed into the void, disappearing into the night despite the lack of wind.

With the countless gazes from the Gate of Truth gone, I finally exhaled a sigh of relief. Yet, the Darklight that kept the aether in a vacuum here continued to place a tremendous burden on both Hom and me, already worn and weary.

“…Are you alright, Master?”

Hom’s weak voice sounded as if it could cut off at any moment.

“Let me worry about you, Hom,” I said, restraining her attempt to move.

Crawling along the ground, I retrieved the Darklight I had thrust into it. I fought the urge to just lie down and sleep, exhaling deeply as I forced myself to stand.

Reflecting on it, I realized I had been so focused on saving Mother that I hadn’t eaten, drank, or slept.

I never imagined I could muster such strength for someone else’s sake. This realization made the difference between Leafa and Glass crystal clear.

The Administrator continued to call me Glass, but I was no longer him. The current me couldn’t agree with anything the Administrator thought.

“…Rely on you? I don’t need that kind of help.”

Though the Administrator was like a god of alchemy, we were utterly incompatible.

The knowledge the Administrator imparted didn’t necessarily lead to a good future.

Like the perfect homunculus body that Glass desired and was given.

“…Hom, we will never go back to that world. Forget everything you saw and heard today.”
“Yes, Master.”

Hom’s clothes were stained with blood. She was bleeding heavily and needed immediate attention.

“First, let’s get inside and treat your wounds.”
“But if we go inside, I’ll dirty the hou…”

Mid-sentence, Hom’s body swayed and collapsed to the ground.

“Hom!”

I rushed to her side and helped her up, realizing she was more severely injured than I had imagined.

“To think you’d get like this…”

She had kept sacrificing herself to protect me. The resolve to dedicate her life for my sake was something I had instilled in her.

“I’m sorry…gah.”
“Enough, don’t speak.”

I saw the blood in Hom’s breath as she coughed. Shaking my head, I grabbed Ars Magna and stood by her side.

It was strange. Despite thinking I couldn’t move anymore, I still found the strength to rush over, lift her up, and now attempt to perform healing magic.

My own injuries and exhaustion were being mitigated by the endlessly flowing aether. However, the revulsion and mental fatigue accumulated from the bizarre and alien events in the world of truth required time to heal.

“I’ll perform Healing Mist here. I’m sorry I can’t move you to the bed.”

Hom nodded silently, perhaps heeding my command to remain quiet.

Healing magic was the type of magic I struggled with the most. Forming the image of using magic to heal wounds was inherently difficult for me.

The necessary image for this Healing Mist was ‘pouring the water of life to heal wounds.’

When I was injured, I wished for the pain to be removed, but the reality of the wounds and pain hindered that image. Imagination could never surpass reality. Perhaps this was because Glass had only ever lived for himself. But now, things were different.

With the power of Ars Magna, I would heal Hom.

“O pure one—water of life. Wash away the impurities and grant healing… Healing Mist.”

The incantation was a prayer, a heartfelt wish to save Hom.

The part of forming the magical image was replaced by a simplified formula, and I could feel the gentle image of the water of life manifesting, warmly enveloping Hom.

I could see the bleeding stop and the wounds slowly begin to heal. New skin appeared, covering Hom’s painful wounds.

“You’re going to be alright now, Hom,” I said, touching her arm and calling out to her. However, her arm was terribly cold, and she remained unresponsive, eyes closed.

“What’s wrong? Why won’t you open your eyes?”

I shook Hom, but she remained unresponsive, eyes closed.

“Hang in there, Hom!”

Desperately, I turned her onto her back and pounded on her chest.

It’s like with Father. I was able to save him back then.

“Come back! Open your eyes, Hom!”

My anguished cry turned into a fervent prayer, trembling in my throat. The fear of potentially losing her, the same fear I felt when I thought I might lose my father, enveloped me once again.

“You’re important to me, Hom…”

I was Leafa. I needed to love Hom the way it suited me now. And yet, why was I…

“I finally realized it. I’m sorry… Even without an apology, you’d forgive me… because that’s how I made you. But, Hom, you must not waste the life I gave you!”

At my call, Hom’s eyelids twitched slightly. Seeing this sign of life, I hugged her tightly.

“Please, Hom! I don’t want to lose you. You haven’t yet lived for yourself!”

My emotions were all over the place; I didn’t know what else to do. I cried out, holding Hom close. Her body was cold, her clothes blood-soaked, but the faint sound of her breathing reassured me that she was still alive.

“…Master…”

Breaking the long silence was Hom’s voice, so unprecedentedly weak it was barely audible.

“…Don’t say anything. Just nod if you’re alright; that’s enough.”

Hom looked straight into my eyes and nodded. I hugged her in silence. I didn’t know how to express my current state, so for a while, that was all I could do.