Ank lowered his head.
He now found himself seriously considering it.
Because on a planet like Duskwild, where even stepping outside the village could mean death for him?
If the old man’s words were true, then the situation was far worse than Ank had imagined.
The book had already made one thing clear.
His time was limited.
His power was gone.
He was weak, and he needed someone to train him.
He still remembered what his Master had told him.
He once carried the pride and arrogance of the First Emperor of the Universe.
But he no longer wanted that version of himself.
He wanted to start over.
To live a life free from conquest, power, and endless battles.
This time, he wanted peace.
He understood very well that power would corrupt him once again.
And now, the one who could help him achieve this had rejected him.
But as his Master had said: “There will come a time when another person will teach you something I cannot.” “When that day arrives…” “You must acknowledge them.” “Only then can you continue moving forward.” “How…
how can I find someone like that here?” he muttered.
The old man closed his eyes, unwilling to answer further.
After some hours, Ank was still thinking about how to find a master.
If this old man did not want to help him,he had to find someone else.
And if he could not find a master, what would his next step be?
Old man was watching television in front of him.
He rarely watched TV.
Most of the time, Maya watched it.
Maya was cooking dinner for Grandpa, Ank, and herself.
A cheerful voice called from the kitchen.
“Grandpa, the food is ready.” It was Maya calling them.
The old man stood slowly.
“Let’s go.
We cannot let her wait.” Ank followed him into the dining room, his mind heavy with tension and uncertainty.
He still had to solve the issue related to the book.
Inside, Maya was already setting the table.
When Ank entered, she glanced at him with a hesitant expression.
“Sorry, Ank,” she said quietly.
Ank paused.
He simply stared at Maya before lowering his gaze.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
This was the change he had wanted.
And this was the first step toward it.
In the past, the word “sorry” had never existed in his vocabulary.
The Waestor- First Emperor of the Universe never apologized.
Others apologized to him.
Others lowered their heads before him.
Never the other way around.
But that Emperor was gone.
At least, he wanted him to be.
Taking a slow breath, Ank forced himself to speak.
“I’m sorry.” To Ank, those words felt heavier than losing a thousand battles.
His voice was calm, but inside, it felt as if countless invisible swords were striking his chest.
He was apologizing.
To a fourteen-year-old girl.
Something the old Ank would have considered impossible.
When he apologized to the old man, it had not been difficult.
He had genuinely been at fault,he had broken the wall,he had spoken rudely.
Accepting that mistake was easy.
But this was different.
Deep down, Ank still believed he had done nothing wrong.
He had only responded to her insults.
Yet he still forced the words out.
Because he knew something.
If he wanted a different future, he could not keep thinking like the Waestor.
His pride screamed at him.
His ego resisted with everything it had.
Every instinct within him told him to stop.
To stand tall.
To never lower his head.
But Ank ignored it.
Slowly, he bowed his head.
And for the first time in countless years, the Waestor rejected his inner pride.
Maya’s eyes widened slightly.
She could not understand why a simple apology looked so painful for him.
It was as if every word had been torn from his soul.
But Ank did not explain.
Because only he knew what he had just fought against.
Not Maya.
Not the old man.
But the Waestor that still lived inside him.
Dinner passed in silence, broken only by the clinking of spoons and the faint crackle of the fireplace.
Ank barely tasted the food as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He had no master to guide him, no power to rely on, no knowledge of this era, and only a cursed book that raised more questions than it answered.
How was he supposed to rise again in a place like this?
After the meal, Ank excused himself and returned to his room.
His body was exhausted, and his mind was heavy.
He collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling once more.
“I will rise again,” he whispered to himself, his eyes burning with determination.
“No matter what it takes.” And with that vow lingering in his heart, his eyes drifted shut, and sleep claimed him once more.
When Ank fell asleep, a cosmic being made of pure white approached him.
Her eyes were filled with affection and sadness.
Slowly, she placed a hand on his forehead as if comforting a child after a long nightmare.
She leaned closer and whispered something into his ear.
Her voice was gentle ,warm and loving.
The kind of voice Ank had not heard for a very long time.
After one last look at him, her body slowly dissolved into countless particles of white light.
Yet even after she disappeared, the warmth of her touch remained.