830 Natural laws II
Meanwhile, his celestial essence grieved in the tranquil lake teeming with tiny fish of all kinds and a large stone at its center.
It was a place where no one could enter except Kyle whenever he climbed a stage in the Celestial rank. But his consciousness had vanished into the grip of time entirely instead of coming to check the impact of his second major breakthrough.
The other colors in the lake spread further, battling each other for dominance over the space, and the icy color could do nothing but watch and try to protect the one-third of the surface it had previously claimed.
It couldn't believe its host was so greedy, already attempting to control so much. The celestial essence could no longer interfere with whatever Kyle was doing since it had become an integral part of his power, and the tiny wisp of instinctive consciousness it once possessed was also fading away.
The urge to do anything to eliminate or distance its host from every powerful threat that could harm its existence was no longer strong enough to manifest or control Kyle's thoughts. Ultimately, it realized it no longer needed to intervene, as from now on, Kyle would only continue to grow stronger.
If he truly died in the midst, it could do nothing but fade into nature.
After all, the future of a Celestial was something one could predict, yet it often turned out differently than expected, as they no longer required a fate.
***
Grayness, that was what surrounded Kyle, an all-consuming void that felt alive.
It was a different type of darkness than what he had encountered when he broke through to the Celestial rank, a deeper, more profound absence of light.
Around him, he could sense everything dissolving into nothingness, a slow and eerie retreat into obscurity.
Yet, the gray color never changed. It remained constant.
He trudged through that gray world, each step feeling heavier than the last. He could neither feel his heartbeat nor his breath. So, he knew his consciousness had somehow entered this gray world when he attempted to delve deeper into the natural law of time.
"Where is this place? I can't sense anything, nor can I feel any power."
At first, it was fine. He walked and walked calmly, searching for an exit. As always, he thought he would find one if he looked. He walked calmly for what felt like an eternity, blurring the lines of time itself.
But it was as if this gray world had no exit; he couldn't find any. Kyle's composure was finally shaken. A hint of panic surged in his eyes. Questions like, 'What was this place? Where was he? Why couldn't he sense any power or use here? Why couldn't he find an exit?' flooded through him. That's why he started running, desperation fueling his speed, but still, no exit appeared.
"Is anyone here...?! Someone?!"
He shouted, his voice reverberating through the emptiness, only to be swallowed by the oppressive grayness surrounding him.
"Please, answer me!"
The silence intensified the suffocating feeling that enveloped him like a shroud.
The longer he remained in this colorless gray world, the more he felt like he was on the brink of madness, as if the space and land surrounding him were a prison.
An instinctual fear he hadn't felt so powerfully even when his entire body was gawned by the manaless beasts in the No Mana Land, even when he faced Azazeal, even when he plunged deep into the Sea of Consciousness despite the agonizing pain, crawled within him, tightening its grip with every passing moment until he screamed.
Only one thought dominated his mind: he wanted to leave this gray world that offered nothing. At all costs, he wanted to go back.
Yet, as he ran, the ground beneath him transformed into a monotonous path, and he lost track of just how long he had been wandering in this desolate expanse.
His body in the outside world underwent another transformation. The silver color that had always dominated his hair faded, giving way to a deep pitch-black hue.
An aura of time so boundless and powerful that even the Sea of Consciousness began to evaporate surrounded him.
It grew more powerful, so much so that it started to swallow his body the longer he remained unconscious in the dark depths.
In the gray world, at first, Kyle's thoughts raced chaotically, but everything started to dissolve in the gray surroundings the longer he remained in that place. He desperately wanted to leave this place, yet even that desire vanished into the void.
The emotions, the pain, the suffering—all began to evaporate like mist.
He felt as if he were no longer alive, yet he was unable to cross that final threshold. It was as if he were tethered to this existence, unable to let go. Many were waiting for him, their presence echoing in the depths of his mind. Now that his thoughts were stripped bare, devoid of all distraction, he finally recalled the purpose that had driven him. He stood frozen, a statue in the void.
"What is time?"
With that question, he took a step forward, and the space around him trembled as if he had grasped what he had crossed the void to reach, even at the risk of putting his life on the line. He answered his own question with a blank expression and another step.
"It's what keeps everything moving, like a constant flow, ticking away. It shapes our experiences and memories: the past, the present, and even the future. However, one thing is for sure: it always slips away, never waiting for anyone. Yet, I dare to defy that rule. I want to control it entirely."
"Is this punishment for trying to break that set rule of nature when I have just barely stepped into the Celestial rank?"
A deafening echo resounded in the space, and the gray world began to crumble. Not because it wanted to, but because Kyle had come too far for time to overpower him.