Rex Violet couldn't quite understand why his disciple, Elurian, seemed so unsettled by today's date. Lately, he had been pondering Elurian's peculiar behavior.
Despite interacting with the other residents, Elurian had no family or friends who recognized him. It was as if he had materialized from thin air, with no known identity or origin.
Rex Violet had planned to question Elurian about his past, but now was not the time. Their relationship wasn't close enough for Elurian to reveal such a secret. A boy without family, friends, or anyone who knew him was highly suspicious.
Other than seeing him in the Sanctuary square, Rex Violet had never encountered him before. Setting his suspicions aside for now, Rex decided to observe what his enigmatic disciple would do next.
Meanwhile, Elurian was debating whether to tell his Master about the impending disaster in the Sanctuary. If he revealed it, he'd need to explain how he knew such information.
After weighing the consequences, he decided to inform his Master. After dinner, as Rex Violet remained in the dining room sipping his wine, he told Elurian to go to bed.
Elurian rose from his seat and approached his Master, who sat at the far end of the table.
"Master, there's something I need to talk to you about," Elurian said, lifting his head to meet Rex's gaze.
Rex glanced at the servants in the room, then at his disciple, surprised by Elurian's sudden initiative.
Setting his wine glass down, Rex said, "Alright. Let's talk in my study."
...
They made their way to the study where Rex Violet usually handled Sanctuary affairs. Rex settled behind his desk, while Elurian attempted to climb onto the chair opposite him.
Realizing the chair was too high for his small disciple, Rex got up, lifted Elurian, and placed him on his lap.
"You're too small to sit on the other side of the desk."
Elurian flushed slightly with embarrassment. While his Master's logic was sound, it felt odd to be treated like a child.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Rex asked, casually playing with Elurian's silver hair. It was the first time he had allowed anyone to sit so close to him.
"I... I can see the future. Or, rather, I dream of it. It's as real as reality," Elurian explained, offering a vague excuse. He couldn't reveal his pact with a certain entity. It was forbidden by the contract, and besides, would his Master even believe him—or worse, kill him for speaking nonsense?
Rex's expression sharpened. "Prophecy?"
Something shifted in his gaze as though he remembered something long forgotten. His eyes bore into Elurian. "Explain."
Elurian took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever reaction would come.
Looking up at his Master's heterochromatic eyes, Elurian delivered the prophecy: "Tonight—no, at precisely midnight—a terrible disaster will strike. It will destroy the three Sanctuaries in the Liyun region."
Rex raised an eyebrow when he saw a fleeting change in Elurian's gray eyes as he spoke.
"Master?" Elurian asked, confused by his Master's sudden silence. Did he not believe him?
Rex closed his eyes briefly before responding calmly. "How do you know this dream will happen tonight?" Elurian hadn't mentioned the timing earlier, so Rex wondered if his disciple instinctively knew—or was lying.
Is he lying? Why? Rex couldn't understand why Elurian would fabricate such an important claim, but for now, he decided to believe him and address any lies later.
Elurian, having prepared for this question, answered, "The dream showed me the time."
There were holes in his explanation, and Elurian knew his Master must sense the deceit. But the prophecy itself was no lie. He memorized the date because his brother mentioned it repeatedly for no apparent reason. His brother even used the date as his home password, showing how important it was. Other than the plot of the Mutation Disaster, Elurian felt that there was something deeper than that and it was the turning point of this world.
Something felt off. Elurian could feel himself acting inconsistently. He was becoming someone unfamiliar, influenced by something he couldn't grasp.
What's happening to me?
"Alright," Rex said, lowering Elurian from his lap. "If there's nothing else, I'll deal with this immediately." He handed Elurian a magical red crystal pendant.
"Use this to contact me. Since you can't yet sense aether, you'll need to use your blood to activate it." Rex frowned slightly—he didn't like the use of blood—but there was no other way.
The journey back would take time. If the prophecy was accurate, chaos awaited the Sanctuaries. But Rex wasn't worried about his own Sanctuary; he had put large-scale protections in place. Only a being of his caliber could breach them.
Elurian was taken aback by the pendant, gripping it tightly, promising himself not to lose it. He wondered why his Master hadn't asked more questions.
Rex patted his head once more. "Take care of yourself."
With that, Rex disappeared in a flash of red light, just as he had when he saved Elurian in the Twilight Forest.
Rex would reach the other Sanctuaries quickly, having already marked their coordinates. But Elurian wasn't sure if the Mutation Disaster would unfold as the novel described.
A chilling thought crossed his mind: the butterfly effect. His very presence in this world, his becoming Rex Violet's disciple—everything might have changed the course of events.
Even though it was all part of the entity's plan, Elurian couldn't shake the feeling that he was being controlled, like a puppet. His body, thoughts, intentions, and even the events around him felt orchestrated.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through his head, as if something was trying to burrow into his brain. He collapsed, the pendant slipping from his grasp.
"Ugh!" he groaned, clutching his head.
His gray eyes turned violet as the familiar voice of the entity echoed in his mind.
[You're losing control. This isn't you! I should have warned you sooner—you're starting to assimilate the remnants of the original owner's personality.]
Elurian froze. His pupils trembled as he tried to comprehend the entity's words. He had sensed an inconsistency within himself for some time, as though he were merely following a script, unable to act on his own.
"What's happening to me?" Elurian repeated. "Isn't this reincarnation? Does this body actually belong to someone else?"
[Yes, this body once housed another soul. It seems that remnants of that soul still linger.]
Elurian gritted his teeth. "Then why did you tell me this was reincarnation? That this body was made for me?"
[... I can't answer that. You're not allowed to know. But for now, the priority is separating yourself from the original owner's remnants and focusing on your task. Everything you need is already within you.]
Elurian was silent for a long moment, trying to distance himself from the foreign personality that had been influencing his actions. The original owner's presence had clouded his mind, made him think and act in ways that weren't his own.
"Who's controlling me?"
His mind began to clear. He wasn't Elurian. He was Ahn Seohyun.
He had merely assumed Elurian's identity, but he was not, and never had been, Elurian. After suppressing the remnants of the original soul, Elurian regained full consciousness, and the sense of control began to slip away.
[As long as you resist assimilation, you won't be controlled.]
The entity's voice was now unmistakably that of a woman.
Frowning, Elurian picked up the fallen pendant and slipped it around his neck. He understood that the entity would avoid answering any questions related to matters he wasn't meant to know.
"Good thing my Master left before noticing my abnormality," Elurian muttered, relieved.
Now, he had to reorganize his thoughts and plans—the ones he had meticulously crafted before arriving in this world.
***