Awakening of the Mind Sovereign
Chapter 67: The Final Choice

Chapter 67: The Final Choice

Echo stood motionless, his eyes locked with the entity’s. The words that had just escaped his lips felt as if they had come from someone else. The sheer weight of his request, the raw desperation in his voice, hung heavy in the air like a storm on the verge of breaking.

"Kill me," Echo repeated, his voice hoarse but steady. "Send me to a new world. I want to live a new life. A new page. This life—this existence—it means nothing to me anymore."

There was a sharp, painful tug deep within his chest as the words left him. The battle raging inside him, the internal war of truth versus power, had been too much to bear. The revelation that everything he had fought for, everything he had bled for, might be nothing more than an experiment, a system designed for an unknown purpose—it was too much. The very ground beneath him felt unsteady, as though the world itself might collapse under the weight of the truth.

The entity before him regarded him with a calm, almost empathetic gaze. But there was no immediate response. Echo’s chest tightened as he waited, his pulse hammering in his ears. Had he made a mistake? Was there no way back? Was he truly ready to abandon everything, to let go of the life he had fought so hard to carve out?

The entity’s eyes narrowed slightly, a glimmer of something—was it understanding?—flickering within them. It remained silent, contemplating the request, its face unreadable.

Echo’s fingers twitched. He had known this moment would come. The pressure, the pain, the crushing weight of the past—it had all led to this. But now that he was here, now that he had spoken the words aloud, doubt began to creep in. Could he truly leave this life behind?

"Do you understand what you are asking?" The entity’s voice was calm, but there was an underlying sadness there. "To erase everything you have built, everything you have become, is not a small decision. You will be cutting ties with this existence forever."

Echo swallowed hard, his throat dry. The truth was, he didn’t know what he was asking. He only knew that the pain of his current reality—the torment of not knowing who he truly was, the suspicion that his entire journey had been a lie—was too much. He wanted to escape it. He wanted peace.

"I don’t care," Echo replied, his voice trembling with the rawness of his emotions. "I don’t care anymore. Just... make it stop."

The entity stared at him for a long moment. There was a flicker of something in its eyes, an emotion that almost resembled pity, before it nodded slowly.

"As you wish," it murmured, its voice resonating with an ancient power that seemed to ripple through the very air around them. The entity raised its hand, and a floating screen appeared before Echo, displaying a series of worlds, each one more distinct than the last.

The screen flickered as it presented Echo with a multitude of options. Worlds filled with terrifying beasts that could obliterate entire cities with a single roar. Worlds under oppressive regimes, where dictators ruled with an iron fist, subjugating the masses beneath their boots. Worlds where magic reigned supreme, where every individual was part of an endless struggle for power and dominance.

But Echo didn’t look at those. He didn’t need to. His eyes were drawn to one simple world that appeared last, almost like an afterthought. The world was peaceful—an idyllic landscape of rolling hills, lush forests, and tranquil villages nestled under clear skies. There were no towering fortresses or endless battles. It was a world where magic was a part of everyday life, but it wasn’t a weapon. People lived simple, untroubled lives, using magic to enhance their daily routines, not to fight or conquer.

Echo’s heart beat faster. It was what he wanted. It was the life he had yearned for ever since the pain of his past had started to tear him apart. A life free from the constant bloodshed, free from the weight of power, free from the uncertainty of who he was.

He stared at the world on the screen for a long time, his gaze fixed on the image of peace. A life where he could simply exist. No more torment. No more questions.

The entity watched him, its expression unreadable, as if it were waiting for him to make his choice. Echo hesitated, then pressed his finger to the screen.

"This is where I want to be," he said, his voice firm. "A life without complications, without pain. A world where I can live in peace."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of the entity’s lips. It had expected this response, Echo realized, but there was no judgment in its eyes. Only a quiet understanding.

"Very well," the entity said softly. "As you wish."

With a single motion, the entity gestured, and the world around Echo seemed to distort. The ground beneath his feet shifted, the very air around him warping as though reality itself was being peeled away. A brilliant light enveloped him, and for a moment, Echo thought he might suffocate in its intensity.

He felt himself being pulled—no, ripped—away from the reality he had known. The cold air of the world he had fought to conquer, the oppressive weight of the truth he had just uncovered, all vanished. In an instant, everything was gone.

Echo gasped for breath, his lungs filling with the clean, sweet air of a new world.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in a lush meadow. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long, golden beams of light across the rolling hills. A peaceful breeze swept through the tall grass, the scent of wildflowers filling the air. Birds chirped in the distance, and the sound of a stream gurgled softly nearby.

Echo blinked in disbelief. He was here. He had made it. The world he had chosen, the simple, peaceful world, was real.

But as he stood there, taking in the serenity around him, something gnawed at the back of his mind. A feeling. A sensation that something wasn’t quite right.

He reached out with his senses, feeling for any traces of magic, any indication that this world might be more than it seemed. To his surprise, he felt nothing. No magic. No system. No invisible force guiding him, no lingering weight of an unseen hand controlling his fate.

For a brief moment, Echo allowed himself to relax. He had found his peace. He could finally breathe without the constant weight of the system bearing down on him.

But then, just as quickly, a shiver ran down his spine. A new feeling washed over him—an overwhelming sense of being watched. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something.

Echo stiffened, his instincts flaring. The silence around him was too perfect, too still. And then, a voice echoed in his mind.

"This is only the beginning."

Echo’s heart raced. The voice wasn’t the entity’s. It wasn’t the system. It was something else. Something... more.

He glanced around, but saw nothing. No figures. No threats. Just the peaceful meadow. And yet, the feeling remained. The weight of an unseen presence pressed against him.

He wasn’t alone.

The transition hadn’t been as simple as he thought.