I Chose This Path, Now the Universe Will Know My Name

We didn't talk for a long time after we left the grave.

Lyssira walked ahead, her pace steady but unreadable. Her hair drifted behind her like stardust unraveling — dimmer now, slower — as if the light in her had dulled with Tairo's heartbeat.

The only sound was snow crunching beneath our boots and distant thunder rumbling somewhere far off in the quadrant.

I didn't know where we were going.I don't think she did either.

Tairo's memory crystal rested against my chest in its pouch.

I hadn't touched it since she gave it to me.Not because I didn't want to.But because I was scared to feel the weight of what it held — his voice, his face, the quiet moments that made him real.

Grief was a pain I wasn't ready for.

So I did the only thing I could:I followed.

And I listened.

"Do you know where we are now?" I finally asked after what felt like hours.

"A burial zone," Lyssira answered quietly. "This part of the quadrant used to be sacred land. Before the map shifted."

"Sacred to who?"

"A race that no longer exists."

Her voice didn't waver. But I heard the hollow steadiness — the kind only forged through endless loss.

Eventually, we stopped at a ruined temple half-swallowed by ice. Twisting pillars, shattered walls, and statues with too many arms clawed through the frost like frozen screams.

"We can rest here for the night," she said.

I nodded and started helping rebuild a protective ward — not as strong as Tairo's, but enough to keep the cold and danger out.

Every small thing I learned felt like a step forward. I didn't know the destination yet. But I needed steps.

After the barrier was set, I finally spoke.

"I want to get stronger."

She didn't seem surprised.

"Because of Tairo?"

"Because of this place. Because of that… thing. Because this world doesn't care if you're ready or not."

I looked up at the stars — too many, too alien.

"I want to evolve. Not for glory, or power, but because if I don't… nothing that's happened will mean anything."

Lyssira sat beside me. Her fingers brushed the memory crystal at my neck.

"Then make it mean everything."

That night, she told me about the three great academies — the pillars of this multiverse's evolution system.

The Grand Clinnore Universal Academy —"Knowledge Above All. Evolution Through Mastery."It runs the tournament.Focused on arcane arts, transformation, and unlocking true forms through trials. It values raw potential and adaptability.Zavier's journey was part of this academy's grand design.

The Crimson Apex Academy —"Glory to the Strong. Power Earned in Blood."Warlike and brutal, it teaches domination and survival. Its students are fierce warriors who respect strength above all.

The Umbral Veil Institute —"Truth in Shadows. Knowledge in Secrets."Masters of stealth and forbidden knowledge, they wield curses, illusions, and dark arts that twist reality.

"The winner of this tournament," Lyssira said, "is granted a wish… but also a place in one of these academies. Where they will continue evolving, mastering their path."

"And which would you choose?" I asked.

She looked away.

"We weren't here to win. We were here to understand."

I fell asleep clutching the crystal.

In my dreams, Tairo's voice echoed:

"Make it mean something."

Morning came, and I woke with something new inside me.

Not strength. Not wisdom.

Focus.

Purpose.

We moved east, toward the last known mana stream Lyssira had detected. A place where fragments of ancient breakthroughs might still linger — remnants of lost evolution.

"It's dangerous," she warned. "Time fractures, pressure surges, unstable energy."

"I can handle it," I said quietly.

"Are you sure?"

I met her gaze.

"I have to be."