The Darkness shuddered.

It tried to pull away. It tried to stop him.

But he simply smiled and held her, taking her insanity and her crimes into himself without hesitation.

There was no judgment in him.

Only acceptance.

Time passed.

How much time, no one could say.

Eventually, the World of Darkness collapsed inward. The Horrors dissolved. The Abominations vanished as if they had never existed.

What remained was a woman.

She was kneeling on the ground, clinging to Neo, crying into his chest like she had been holding her breath for an eternity and had finally been allowed to breathe.

Neo cupped her face and lifted her head.

He was smiling.

She was crying.

"I missed you."

"I… sniff… I too…"

She broke down again and hugged him tighter, pressing her face against him.

"I thought… I would never be with you again."

Neo chuckled softly and rested his chin on her head, one hand rubbing her back in slow circles.

To the side, Elizabeth and Morrigan were watching.

Elizabeth's posture was stiff.

She had seen Neo absorb an unimaginable amount of Negative Karma, and the sight had shaken her to the core.

Neo looked at her and smiled.

Then he turned toward Morrigan and extended a hand.

She looked at it for a moment before stepping forward and taking it.

"Are you sure? If you want to stay separated, this is your last chance to tell me."

"I would rather share you with only one more person than two more," Morrigan said calmly.

Neo laughed at that, genuinely amused.

Morrigan smiled and squeezed his hand.

Neo turned his attention back to Moraine.

"What about you?"

"I think the same." She sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve.

Shaking his head, Neo summoned a Technique Spirit and gently fused the connections between them.

Moraine stayed in his arms for a long time.

When she finally separated, her face was red, swollen, and covered in tears and snot.

"Now… sniff… let's go home…"

"…."

"Let's… sniff… go…"

"…."

Moraine raised her head slowly and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Why are you not saying yes?"

"I still need to go bring Jack back."

"No!"

Moraine's body trembled violently.

She did not understand the Dao. She did not understand the True World.

But she understood Neo's [Fate].

And her instincts were telling her.

If Neo left, he would never return.

"Moraine, look at me," Neo said gently.

"No! No! No!"

She hugged him tighter.

"Moraine."

"No! I said no! We are finally together again! I don't want to lose you again!"

Her voice broke completely.

Neo smiled helplessly, about to speak again—

When a cold voice cut in.

"Neo."

He turned his head.

Elizabeth was standing a short distance away, holding her weapon.

Her hands were shaking.

She was biting her lips so hard that blood was already running down her chin.

"I don't want to do this. I really don't. But if this is the only way to make you stay here—"

Her words stopped abruptly as Neo moved his hand.

The Concept of distance was manipulated.

Before she could react, she was pulled into his arms.

He kissed her, then gently licked the blood of her lips, healing the wound instantly.

Elizabeth froze, momentarily flustered, her anger short-circuiting completely.

Neo smiled at her.

"He is my friend. I can't leave him in the hands of someone like Zerek."

"But—"

"I will return. I promise."

Elizabeth closed her mouth.

Her expression twisted.

She looked like she was about to cry, but she forced it back.

"Now, would you please let me go?"

Moraine shook her head and refused to loosen her grip.

Elizabeth did not say anything. She simply held onto him from the other side.

Neo let out a slow breath.

Then he looked past them.

Toward his parents.

His gaze lingered on his mother.

Persephone was watching him with a saddened expression, but there was no attempt to stop him.

No pleading. No command.

Almost everyone there could tell that if Neo left, he might never return.

But…

A parent's duty was not to chain their child.

It was to help them grow until they could spread their wings and fly away to fulfill their dreams.

That was why Persephone stepped forward and gently pried Moraine and Elizabeth away from him.

They resisted at first.

Seeing that they would not stop, Neo smiled wryly.

"Alright, I wanted to say this later, but I'll say it now."

There was no reaction until he said his second words.

"Let's get married when I return."

Moraine and Elizabeth froze.

"…Really?"

"Yes. So don't worry. I won't break my promise. I will return."

That finally did it.

Moraine and Elizabeth loosened their hold.

Neo stepped back.

Then he met with everyone, one last time.

Even though he said he would return, the way he spoke to each of them and met them one by one felt like a farewell.

And that hurt more than anything else.

Many told him they would come with him.

Neo refused.

He removed everyone from his Cosmos' and Nine Heavens, placing them back into the Elemental Cosmos.

Bringing them to True World could put them in danger.

Besides, this would not weaken his strength.

With the Shadow Core Firmament, he could create anything he needed. As long as others were connected to his Path, that was enough.

Before leaving, he reshaped the Elemental Cosmos.

Nine layers of Planes were created, stable and peaceful.

A new system was established so that people could leave the world quietly, without fear or struggle, when their time came.

After that, Neo began meeting his friends.

Velkaria. Try. Paul. Arthur. Felix. Nico. Daniel. Chronos. Gaia. Nyx. Kevin. Witch of Time. Francis. Henry. Amelia. Clara. Zera. Celestra. Kane. Barbatos. Paimon. Ares. Apollo. Athena. Mars. Leonora. Yaleth. Charlotte. Veldora. Gremory. Venyth. Beelzebub. Vornaz. Severant. Typhaon. Senator Nicolas. Olivia. Asmodea. Surtur. Illyana. Ultris.

And lastly, Layla.

He patted her head.

"I'm going to bring him back. So this time, do everything right, okay?"

She nodded, unable to tell him not to go, but still wanting him not to go. Tears kept falling from her eyes.

Neo turned around, about to leave.

Just then, Layla called out to him, "Brother!"

He looked back.

"Stay safe!"

Neo smiled and moved toward the tear he had created.

Then, he stepped beyond.

Into the True World.

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