Upon hearing Brynlee's words, I stopped dead in my tracks. It felt as though the very ground had seized my feet, rooting me to the spot.

In reality, this wasn't the case at all. Shock was the true culprit.

Just then, a child darted past, laughter trailing behind him as he fled from some unseen pursuer. A moment later, a woman — likely his mother or guardian — hurried after him, calling out a name I couldn't quite catch.

But their sounds, like everything else, seemed to fall into silence. The chatter, the footsteps, the life of the district; all of it slipped away, leaving only the echo inside my head.

Arcadia is part of Earth... Arcadia is part of Earth... Arcadia is part of Earth... Arcadia is part of Earth...

The phrase repeated on a loop, drilling itself into my thoughts as though I'd been hypnotized. Each cycle felt heavier, more impossible, and even more ridiculous yet undeniable.

Arcadia is part of...

Eventually, I managed to snap out of my reverie, only for my brows to knit together a heartbeat later.

"Wait… how does that even make sense? How can Arcadia be part of Earth? Are you saying there are two Earths?"

Brynlee studied me for a long moment before letting out a quiet sigh. Rather than answer, she turned toward a nearby stall and addressed the elderly vendor.

"Two of those, please."

The old vendor gave her a toothless smile and began preparing something behind the counter. I blinked, still reeling from the bombshell she'd dropped, and watched in confusion as Brynlee calmly accepted two steaming cups from the man.

She handed one to me.

"Here."

I stared down at the cup, the faint wisps of steam curling upward. The aroma was earthy, rich, and oddly grounding, though I had no idea what the drink actually was.

"Are you dodging the question?" I asked flatly, narrowing my eyes at her.

The succubus took a careful sip from her own cup.

"Some things are better digested slowly. Like this tea for example," She raised the cup slightly for emphasis. "If I give you the whole thing at once, you'll choke."

Her eyes shifted toward the bustling street, where laughter and conversation had returned to my ears once more. But to me, everything still felt muted, like a dream I couldn't fully wake from.

I shook my head.

"Thank you, but I'm not that weak-minded. I should be able to handle a few heavy truths."

Brynlee's lips curved into the faintest smile, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Aren't you a confident one? Confidence is admirable, but it can also be dangerous."

She swirled the tea in her cup, watching the ripples shift and settle before finally speaking again.

"Well, it isn't all that complicated. For starters, how familiar are you with the concept of Domains?"

I frowned before replying, "Not very, though I do know they're connected to the Mind Body. Yes?"

Brynlee nodded. "That's correct. In a way, you could call it the Reality of Oneself."

"Please elaborate."

"Fine. A good model to use would be Schrödinger's cat… though I doubt you know about that."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Schrödinger? You mean that famous experiment with the cat in the box? Alive and dead at the same time until observed, was it?"

Her eyes lit faintly with surprise.

"So you do know about it. That makes this easier."

She continued easily from there.

"Simply put, everyone has their own perception of the world. Everyone is unique, and as such, the way they see the surrounding world differs as well. For example, if two people look at the same cup of tea, one may focus on its warmth, while the other fixates on the bitterness of its taste. Neither is wrong, yet both are incomplete."

She lifted her cup again, letting the steam brush against her lips before she spoke.

"A Domain is what happens when that perception becomes absolute. It is the moment when possibility collapses into certainty, not just in your mind, but in reality as a whole. Like the cat in Schrödinger's box, existing both alive and dead… until you decide which truth will remain."

"…So you're saying a Domain is like forcing reality to take sides?"

Brynlee inclined her head.

"Exactly. Most people live with their perception limited, bound to the 'majority outcome.' These includes; a fire will burn, everything that falls down will be influenced by gravitational forces and death is inevitable. But Blasphemers who have advanced into a higher progression will be able to manifest their dormain and impose a different outcome. Even a one-percent chance can become the hundred percent plausibility."

Her gaze turned distant, as though recalling something far beyond this lively district.

"But remember this, Domains are not limitless. Just as in Schrödinger's thought experiment, the possibilities are confined to what could exist inside the box. If there was never a chance for sweets, no amount of willpower could make them appear. To put it simply… your Domain can only enforce a possibility that already resides within the world's framework."

She looked back at me.

"That is why Arcadia and Earth overlap. They are not two separate worlds, as you imagine. They are two possible outcomes of the same box, coiled together, existing simultaneously. The fact that you perceive them as distinct… is only because you're yet to step fully into the territory that can observe them. Or rather, it was simply made this way."

"..."

In summary, the strength of one's Domain depended on perception. To one person, this festival might feel joyous; to another, irritating; and to yet another, distasteful. There was no universal absolution, only perspectives, and these perspectives could be projected outward, shaping the world in turn.

The limitation, however, was that a Domain could not conjure possibilities that did not exist within the World (宇宙). Luckily, the existence of the Hadou Gods had birthed countless latent possibilities, ensuring that nothing was truly absent.

Thus, the immutable rules of reality could be overturned and rewritten with new laws. You could make 1+1=3, cause a fallen apple to rise instead of fall, or even decree that the living were undying.

Such beings were known as the Gods of Magick.

The Progenitors of Glory.

The Sovereigns were able to create a Unique World of their own. No, they were simply able to manifest their domains and shaped their Inner World into reality.

If that is the case, does this mean that if they die, then their domains will be destroyed as well?

Naturally, this should be the case. After all, a Domain was just a organ housed within the Mind Body. If the owner of that Mind Body is killed, then the Domain would be destroyed in turn.

With that in mind, I turned back to Brynlee and said,

"I see. I think I get the gist of it. Could it be that the Nine Sovereigns were summoned into the Spirit Realm and then killed, causing their respective Domains to collapse in on themselves?"

Brynlee grew thoughtful.

"Hmm. That's an interesting theory. After all, one is at their weakest outside their Domain. And since no one knew anything about the Murmur at the time, it's safe to assume they fell to an unspeakable horror. The monsters back then would have been unbelievably fierce, so yes. This outcome is quite plausible."

In a fistfight, the Old Sequence Blasphemers would surely lose. Now imagine the so-called Supreme Sorcerers stepping into unknown territory, only to suddenly face a Great Leviathan. The result was obvious.

For that matter, it was entirely possible they might even have been overwhelmed by an army of Waking Terrors.

"But it's useless to dwell on how they died." She shook her head. "Unfortunate as it is, the Nine Sovereigns are gone. Speculating on the details changes nothing and sometimes, knowing too much can be just as dangerous."

I gave a wry smile.

"You might be right about that… though I was curious to learn more about the Gods and the cause of their deaths."

She only shrugged.

"Then I'd say you're simply unfortunate."

My mood sank.

"Did you really have to use the word unfortunate?"

"Eh?"

Brynlee blinked in dumbfoundment by my sudden change in demeanor.

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