"You challenged a rift with Dante?"
Northern casually nodded.
"Yes, I did."
"Ah. You did…"
Paragon Raizel stared at him blankly. For a moment, even he wasn't sure what was going on in his own head.
What was this? Was this what they called fate? How could it be that this strange existence—a boy he had randomly encountered by nothing more than pure coincidence—if it could be called so—had also met Dante under those same, impossible circumstances?
A corner of Paragon Raizel's lips curled upward.
'Looks like the stars really are smiling upon me.'
He leaned back into his chair, tapping the armrest lightly as he studied Northern with an ever-present smile.
The room remained silent. Ascendant Zion and Sage Mack seemed equally uncertain about why their Paragon found this revelation particularly intriguing.
Not that they could be blamed.
After all, they did not know Dante.
Even Northern couldn't claim to know him.
Sure, he had seen Dante display an impressive level of strength, but for all he could tell, the man had never used anything resembling Essence Manifestation—nor had he mentioned it.
If what Paragon Raizel had explained was true, then Dante was far more powerful than he had let on. Which meant...
He had misled them all during the rift.
A small frown slowly creased Northern's forehead.
'…That means he knew.'
If Dante had entered the rift with the intention of misleading everyone, then he had acknowledged, from the start, that everyone outside his circle of allies was an enemy.
Because only someone who knew best what atrocities they were about to commit could act with such careful deceit.
Then there was his proposal—the offer of a single wish.
It had to be for a reason.
Yet again, Northern found himself… used.
Realizing it, he bit down on his inner lip.
But at the same time… not quite.
He wouldn't say he had been used, not in the way that implied manipulation without gain. No—this was different. It had been mutual. He had something to gain from it, just as Dante did.
And because he had something to gain—because Dante had promised to fulfill three of his wishes—he owed him one in return.
That was the balance.
And because of the kind of person Northern had been—and somewhere, in the depths of his soul, still was—he felt compelled to uphold his end of the bargain.
He had given his word.
And as a man, he was supposed to live up to it.
Paragon Raizel finally leaned forward, his smile brightening just a little.
"This is even better," he mused. "Since you know Dante, that will make things much easier for me."
His fingers tapped absently against the armrest again, but his gaze remained sharp, assessing.
"I also don't believe it's mere coincidence that you're here."
His tone shifted, curiosity sharpening to something colder.
"Perhaps he tried to trap you too?"
Raizel considered the thought for a second before shaking his head.
"No… that wouldn't make much sense, seeing as you walked in with the knowledge that there was a blockade."
Silence stretched between them.
The Paragon seemed to drift deeper into his thoughts, eyes narrowing as if contemplating possibilities beyond the room's walls. Then he exhaled, his expression tightening, the faintest crease appearing between his brows.
Finally, his gaze locked onto Northern, steady and unrelenting.
"Ral," he said, his voice dipping into a more serious register. "I have a question for you, if you don't mind."
Northern met his stare evenly.
At this point, he could already guess what the Paragon wanted to ask.
"Please, go ahead."
Raizel's expression lost its previous amusement entirely. His gaze held no trace of playfulness now—only weight, sharp and heavy.
His next words were spoken with absolute gravity.
"Why are you here?"
The question settled into the room like a stone dropped into still water, its ripples unseen but deeply felt.
"Why did you come?"
Northern remained silent for a while, the question lingering in his mind just as it had in the Paragon's.
Then, finally, he raised his head, meeting Raizel's gaze.
"It was sort of… sentimental."
The words caught Paragon Raizel off guard. His expression shifted—just slightly—but enough that Northern noticed the faintest wince of surprise.
"You don't seem the type to dote on sentiments," Raizel remarked.
Northern merely shrugged.
"But I was rather curious."
"So curiosity, then," Raizel mused, his lips twitching upward. "That sounds far more fitting. Trying to picture you being sentimental… tsk. It's just not working in my head."
He shook his head slightly, studying Northern, who only stared back at him blankly. A moment passed before Northern spoke.
"A teacher of mine came around to deliver weapons. I don't know the full details, but she had to make a serious delivery with her father. Unfortunately…" He paused, his voice lowering. "She came back with a missing leg. And both of her father's arms were gone."
Northern frowned slightly.
"I wouldn't say it was just curiosity," he admitted, his voice measured. "While I do agree with you that sentimentality isn't my thing… it just didn't make sense."
He exhaled slowly, eyes darkening.
"For someone who imparted so much knowledge to me, the idea that something could threaten her life… that I, with all the power I hold, would sit back and do nothing about it—"
His voice trailed off, the thought unfinished.
The blue light in Northern's eyes flickered, burning just a little fiercer—almost threatening.
Raizel observed him closely, his own expression unreadable.
"Oh," the Paragon murmured. "So that's how it is."
His tone softened slightly, dipping into something closer to sympathy.
"I'm sorry. Perhaps I spoke foolishly." He leaned back, nodding slightly. "But I understand better now. It was a coincidence, then."
Northern's frown eased, though his expression remained distant. He glanced away briefly, as if weighing his words, before speaking again.
"I don't think it is."
Raizel's gaze sharpened.
"Pardon me?"
Northern looked up again, this time with quiet certainty, a confidence smoldering behind his eyes.
"I don't think it was a coincidence."
A small frown formed on the Paragon's face.
"And why do you believe that?"
Northern hesitated.
He wasn't sure whether to say it out loud.
But in the end, he did.
"Someone knew I was coming here," he said. His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it now. "I don't know how, but it felt deliberate. Like someone had personally prepared for my arrival."
He paused, his next words colder.
"And it seems… it was the same person who supplied the stimulants."