Future Ethan Zhang let out a cold snort, remaining silent, his eyes filled with intense sorrow. At last, he looked at me. I was at a loss, but in the end, I reached out and hugged him, hoping to comfort him. Though I am not his deceased wife Rachel Lan, we are, in essence, the same person.
"You truly are the same person, just existing at different points in time."
Future Ethan Zhang said this, then thanked me and gently pushed me away.
"There were two conditions required to save Sylvia Blue. The first was met after I encountered Tan Tian."
Past Ethan Justice and I listened quietly as Future Ethan Zhang tilted his head back, sorrow still lingering in his eyes.
Only a zombie would suffice. If Sylvia Blue were to be born safely, only the body of a zombie could guarantee her survival without danger.
When Tan Tian was about to die, he took Future Ethan Zhang to a certain place—the resting site of Luna Quay, who had long since passed away. He handed over Luna Quay's silver corpse jade to Future Ethan Zhang and told him to find a way for Rachel Lan to absorb it, using her Genesis Instinct to construct Sylvia Blue's body with its power.
Having found a solution, Past Ethan Justice returned overjoyed, only to discover that Rachel Lan now carried two children in her womb. The second child had appeared due to the destructive power and malice of this world. That child began to drain Sylvia's strength, desperate to survive. Furious, Future Ethan Zhang planned to find a way to execute the second child within Rachel Lan.
But in the end, Rachel Lan stopped Future Ethan Zhang. Although the other child in her womb was tainted by the world's malice and destructive power, both were her children. Their souls were identical, sharing one soul between them. However, it was impossible for both to be born—if one lived, the other would die.
It was an agonizing decision. Rachel Lan could not bear to lose either child, and Past Ethan Justice, powerless, could only cry out in anguish.
In the end, after weighing all options, Past Rachel Lan made her decision: let her younger sibling be born first—that is, Sylvia Blue. She continually comforted the older brother, hoping that as the elder, he could give way to his sister. Finally, Future Rachel Lan used the last of her Genesis Instinct, spanning her past, present, and future, to preserve the boy's soul. But he could only exist in the dreamscape of the Future Endpoint.
At that time, Future Ethan Zhang was absolutely against it. But after so much time, Sylvia Blue in the womb had already experienced many Fetal Dreams, which finally gave rise to a dream world in the past. Yet it required Future Ethan Zhang to use one of his hundreds of instincts to connect to the dream world, sending the boy into it and allowing his daughter to be born.
Time was running out. As Future Rachel Lan's life faded day by day, Future Ethan Zhang finally agreed to her wishes. He opened the dream passage in the world of the past, allowing the other soul in Rachel Lan’s womb—who had no physical body—to enter the fetal dream created by Sylvia. He then sacrificed all his time—past, present, and future.
"Since the problem comes from the child in The Unreal, the only solution is to enter The Unreal, find that child, and try to solve it, right?"
Past Ethan Justice looked at me, and I gazed at him in confusion. He explained.
"It's not easy to enter The Unreal, and besides, we're at this place right now."
I murmured in response. Past Ethan Justice sighed.
"Only light can dispel darkness. The Unreal exists at all times; there is no time there, and all space is shattered, unaffected by anything. But The Unreal is hidden behind darkness, and your power can't penetrate it because you are already a ghost. But I am still human."
I swallowed hard, but I could understand why Future Rachel Lan made this choice. If I were in her position, I would do the same. Though I feel sorry for Ethan Zhang, if forced to choose, I would give up everything to save my child.
"If you can do it, give it a try. Sylvia Blue should also be in The Unreal now."
Future Ethan Zhang spoke, his voice tinged with sorrow.
"It's alright. I'm still here, and I will definitely find a solution."
At that moment, Future Ethan Zhang glanced at me and then shook his head.
"Perhaps you ended up this way because Ethan Zhang once gave half of his instinct to that child. I should have killed him long ago."
I stared at Future Ethan Zhang in disbelief. He immediately realized something.
"So that's it. No wonder the instinct for coexistence feels so unstable—half of it has already been taken away."
Then Future Ethan Zhang told us that in the darkness, the boy used the dreamscape of the future to connect to the correct timeline, seeking help. Since Sylvia Blue had long stopped dreaming, the future dreamscape began to shrink, and he too would disappear. So he left the dream of the future and entered the correct dreamscape of the present.
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All of this happened because Ethan Zhang once traveled to the Endpoint of the future, so the boy chose to come to the correct time in the present.
"When he first arrived, he actually wanted your life as his birth mother. Because Future Rachel Lan saved him, he thought you could save him too. But what he didn't know was that you had already exhausted everything. He should have been satisfied. That's why I wanted to end him myself, but Ethan Zhang stopped me and even gave half of his instinct to that child. At that time, we left him in The Unreal. As you said, he may already have a physical form, relying on the instinct of coexistence to continuously drain your life as his mother."
I stared wide-eyed as Past Ethan Zhang looked at me in shock, his brows furrowing slightly. I smiled and shook my head, my emotions tangled. If things were truly like this, maybe I could save that child, but if I really disappeared from this world, Ethan Zhang would never return.
For a moment, we all fell silent, not knowing what to do. This kind of choice is unbearably painful for anyone.
Then Past Ethan Zhang floated up, tilting his head back and laughing loudly at the sky.
"Since the problem comes from that child in The Unreal, then the only way is to enter The Unreal, find him, and try to resolve it, isn't it?"
I immediately nodded with joy. Future Ethan Zhang looked at Past Ethan Zhang in surprise.
"Entering The Unreal is easier said than done, especially while we're here."
Past Ethan Zhang smiled and swiftly drew the sword from his back—a blade as bright as the stars.
"Only light can break the darkness. The Unreal exists at all times. There is no time there, and all space is shattered, unaffected by anything. But The Unreal hides behind darkness. Your power can't pierce the darkness, because you are already a ghost. But I am still human."
Future Ethan Zhang stared at him in astonishment, then grinned.
"If you can do it, then try. Sylvia Blue should also be in The Unreal right now."
With a rush of wind, Future Ethan Zhang pulled me up into the night sky. Past Ethan Zhang held aloft his blade Starry Night, smiling gently as he spoke.
"No matter how deep the darkness, light will always exist. Even if it's just a sliver, I will find a way. For this, I will give my all."
Future Ethan Zhang replied with a cold laugh.
"Indeed, I haven't seen the full extent of your power. Let me witness it now—your strength that surpasses both Buddhism and the Human Path. Show me what it truly is."
Past Ethan Zhang raised his sword, his entire body surrounded by a swirling white aura. In an instant, I felt the whole space tremble.
"Just protect Rachel Lan. Leave everything else to me. Nothing can block our path."
With a thunderous roar, Past Ethan Zhang swept me up and we moved at incredible speed. Suddenly, a rift appeared in the sky. We followed after Past Ethan Zhang, now completely enveloped in white light, plunging instantly into the darkness.
Strange disturbances arose. All around us, giant monsters with only white mouths appeared. But as Past Ethan Zhang flew past, they all turned to dust.
"Hold on tight, Rachel Lan."
Future Ethan Zhang said, and I replied with a soft 'mm,' clinging tightly to his shoulder.
More and more darkness gathered around us. I felt a force pressing down. Beside Future Ethan Zhang, there was a constant creaking sound, and twisted phenomena appeared one after another.
"I can feel it."
With a thunderous sound, a brilliant white light appeared before my eyes, instantly slicing through the darkness.