[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-power-of-runes":3,"chapter-power-of-runes-power-of-runes-chapter-124":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Power of Runes",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1106239,1443,"Chapter 124 124: The Truth","power-of-runes-chapter-124",124,"\u003Cp>It's my soul...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash thought, as his gaze lingered on the swirling fragments of memory he had long tried to bury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hovered there in silence, like fragile glass shards spinning through the void, each one a moment he had wanted to forget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he couldn't look away. And with every passing second, they dug deeper into his chest, sharp and merciless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw himself as a child, far too young to understand the weight of loss, yet old enough to feel the world collapsing around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his parents died, it wasn't just their lives that vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything they had left behind—the house, the savings, even their warmth—was taken away by his own relatives without a second thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And back then, he was just a kid who couldn't do anything about it, no matter how much it hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day after that felt like a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones with the power to lift him up chose instead to look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He faced bullying from those around him, again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every bruise on his skin, every insult hurled at his back, reminded him that he was alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one stood with him. There were no hands reaching out. Just him—only him, always alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would return to an empty room in the orphanage each evening, sit in the corner, knees tucked against his chest, and whisper to the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes he cried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes he didn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But every time, it was just him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just him and the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, when the silence had almost swallowed him whole, then like a gentle light cutting through the darkness, Nancy appeared in his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't fix everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't make the pain disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he felt like breaking, she was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time the world turned cruel, she faced it with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever someone tried to hurt him, she stepped in, even when it meant getting hurt herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't strong, but she never backed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she never asked for anything in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As those memories shimmered in front of his eyes, a soft smile pulled at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bitter one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hasn't changed at all. She's still the same. Still so kind. And that kindness... that's the one thing I've always liked about her more than anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had grown up seeing how twisted people could be. How easily they turned on each other. How fake smiles covered greedy intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How kindness was offered only when it served a purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had lived through betrayal, through hunger, through watching people smile while stealing from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that world, Nancy felt unreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of something pure in a place where purity had no place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew she was still just a child. He knew life might change her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew time had a way of turning even the brightest stars cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And one day she might become like the rest of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even with that fear, a voice rose from deep inside his heart. A voice that felt more honest than anything he had ever known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protect her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protect that kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never let the world touch her with the same cruelty that shattered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never let her cry the way he once did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never let her feel alone, like he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never let her become what this world made of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, he truly fell for Nancy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right… I will protect her,\" Ash murmured quietly, almost as if he were making a promise to himself rather than saying it out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes softened with a warm gaze, and a small, peaceful smile appeared on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as that moment settled, a voice echoed through the still and silent space around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't agree with you at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was sharp, dripping with mockery and layered with a strange, unsettling contempt that made Ash's spine stiffen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Ash instinctively jumped back, his feet skidding slightly over the reflective water-like surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing a short distance in front of him, not too far, but not too close either—was himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the figure. Every detail was familiar, yet the aura he gave off felt entirely wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This version of Ash had features that were the exact opposite of his. His skin was pitch black, darker than even the shadow of the solitary tree behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes, though the same pale blue, looked empty and hollow, as if all the light inside them had long since died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hair was a wild, burning red, completely unnatural, and it flared slightly as if alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore the same clothes as Ash, but they looked twisted on him, almost like a mockery of Ash's real self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most unsettling of all was the expression on his face—a wide, twisted smile that stretched too far, revealing bloodied teeth, while his bloodshot eyes stared unblinking, filled with a sick sort of amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who… who are you?\" Ash asked carefully, his voice low but firm, taking a step back as he watched his twisted reflection closely, trying to stay ready for anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? You seriously think I'm just a doppelganger?\" the black-skinned version of Ash responded, laughing lightly, but there was no real humor in his voice—only ridicule and venom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash's mind spun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can he really read my thoughts...? But how...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't waste time overthinking it,\" the other Ash said, interrupting Ash's thoughts as if he could hear them word for word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're standing inside my body right now, after all. Reading your thoughts isn't even a challenge. It's like breathing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment those words reached him, Ash froze completely. His body went still, and his thoughts stopped swirling, now trying to piece together what this could mean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought carefully, going through every possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then the pieces clicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes slowly widened with the weight of the realization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you… the real owner of this body?\" Ash asked slowly, his voice almost trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cruel grin spread wider on the Dark Ash's face, his bloodstained teeth gleaming in the soft light of that strange, skyless world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You finally guessed right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then that means…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, you are thinking correctly,\" the Dark Ash spoke calmly, his voice carrying a weight of bitter truth as he began to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I died during my awakening process, but somehow, even after death, my soul did not leave this dead body. I was confused and perplexed, unable to understand why I remained trapped like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But when you woke up in my body, I lost consciousness completely. And when I finally awoke, do you know what I discovered? As I tried to take back control of my body, something was stopping me. I sensed it was connected to you, and when I read your memories, I came to a painful realization.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Rune of Stability trapped me, binding me within all your negative and Dark thoughts—every shred of hatred, every piece of vengeance, all the depression, guilt, and sadness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was overwhelmed by nothing but those feelings, left alone for who knows how long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You might think it was a short amount of time, but time flows differently here. One day in this place is just one minute in the outside world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You transmigrated around five months ago. Do you realize what that means? I was trapped within those memories, drowning in those dark, suffocating emotions for two hundred and nineteen thousand days\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For FUCKING 600 years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And not once did the pain lessen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And even after all that time, your negative emotions didn't stop. They just kept pouring in, endlessly, like a relentless storm, until one day there was a tiny crack in that cruel prison.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I escaped through that crack. But do you know what my reaction was when I learned what caused it? It was utter disbelief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For 600 years, I was forced to live through your memories like a broken radio stuck repeating the same painful song again and again. At first, I cried. I felt sympathy for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But as those memories kept looping without end, do you know what I truly felt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dark Ash moved towards Ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he moved forward, the bright sky inside the soul space slowly darkened, fading into a quiet night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clear water beneath them began to rise and fall gently like large waves, turning pitch black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything felt heavy and still, except for the tree—it stood firm and untouched, maybe already scarred before the darkness came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark Ash came dangerously close to Ash, leaving only a thin, shaky space between them. The surrounding air seemed to tremble, like the soul space itself was holding its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the midst of this shadow, Ash did not retreat. His eyes, though heavy with a trace of guilt, remained locked on the cold, bloodshot eyes of the Dark Ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if he silently wanted to say that he was listening to every word—that there was no need to feel alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps this was his quiet way of expressing understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Dark Ash didn't care about any of that. Mercy was a stranger to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew Ash better than he did. After all, he had lived as Ash for hundreds of years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even Elysia could understand Ash as deeply as the Dark Ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I felt disgust,\" the Dark Ash confessed with venom lacing his voice. \"I wondered what the hell you were even doing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After deciding to protect her, you changed—and that was the only part of you I actually liked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You became violent, didn't you? And I liked that. That was what should have been the real you—not this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So why did you change again? Because she said so, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did you forget the rage that made you real?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up,\" Ash muttered softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dark Ash laughed—a cruel, harsh sound that echoed sharply between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"HAHAHAHAHA… and who is going to stop me from saying all this… you?\" he shouted, his eyes burning blood red as he pointed an accusing finger right at Ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"YOU, WHO BECAME AS DOCILE AS A CAT THE MOMENT YOU HEAR HER VOICE.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"ARE YOU HUMAN, OR ARE YOU JUST AN ANIMAL?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"EVEN CALLING YOU AN ANIMAL FEELS LIKE AN INSULT TO ANIMALS.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"AND DON'T YOU DARE FEEL SYMPATHY FOR ME. I CAN READ YOUR THOUGHTS LOUD AND CLEAR.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I DO NOT NEED YOUR SYMPATHY. NOT NOW. NOT EVER.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1749,"2026-06-03T11:25:58.306Z","2026-06-03T11:26:07.673Z",1,"novelbin.me","f2e805f6d7cedfd0b06631be7c954ff7d80dfa8e22d649591f276e47eec0f9b7","power-of-runes-chapter-125","power-of-runes-chapter-123",452,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpower-of-runes-cover.jpg"]