FSE

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I sank into the darkness like a block of lead. The icy, bone-chilling ocean, much like an overwhelming wave of guilt, tightly gripped my neck, covering my mouth and nose, suffocating me.

I struggled desperately, trying to swim upwards, but it was all in vain.

It was the collar.

Even though I had already removed the collar, I still wasn’t truly free.

Furiously, I tugged at the fur on my neck, cursing this thing that bound me — I was my own captor.

I was born shackled, bound by chains, reduced to a series of numbers, treated as something I wasn’t.

Like some kind of counterfeit.

The sensation of sinking to the ocean floor gave me a foothold, but after several failed attempts to push myself up, I came to deeply realize how weak I truly was.

In the dark waters, the illusion of light made me think I saw a figure.

Wait, where’s Burt? He fell into the water with me, he should be nearby!

Panicking, I tried to paddle, wanting to find the crossbreed, but my waterlogged clothes only made my movements more clumsy, causing more seawater to rush into my mouth and nose, choking me painfully. Countless bubbles escaped from my mouth, and my lungs burned as if they were on fire.

I wanted to rid myself of these bothersome clothes, but the water’s resistance made even such a simple action incredibly difficult. Moreover, the accumulated exhaustion finally surpassed the limits my body could bear.

I can’t go on.

At the bottom of the world, I was about to drown.

To die, accomplishing nothing.

As if I had never existed, with no one to remember me.

But at this very moment, when I, forgotten by all, was about to fade away, I faintly heard it. A soft, tiny whisper murmured in my ear.

“Help me... keep watching, alright?”

Clutching my chest pocket, I could clearly feel the outline of the two chips inside — firmly grasping them, a tangible proof of existence.

Perhaps, to this terrifying and overly distant world, I was utterly insignificant. Without me, the sun would still rise tomorrow, and the world would carry on as usual. I was merely so small and inconspicuous, drifting along with the tide, leaving my fate to chance. But I could still scream with all my might — not for anyone else, but for myself.

I refuse to give up like this.

For me, for us.

I will keep moving forward, for us!

Though it may seem foolish for a drowning fox to make such a bold declaration of mental victory, upon reflection, does it really matter? I’ve been living so timidly for so long, and it hasn’t made me any happier, has it?

At least at the end, shouldn’t I show a bit of courage?

Thinking this, I couldn’t help but laugh — it turns out, farewell is far shorter than I imagined.

As my vision narrowed and the numbness in my limbs grew more intense, I used the last of my strength to lift my snout, gazing at the faint, almost nonexistent flickering light above the surface.

After the image faded to black, the sky only seemed to grow brighter.

Wait... the sky?

Perhaps due to the near-fainting state, I hadn’t even noticed that I was breathing.

Blinking, I became slightly more certain that I wasn’t lost in some death throes-induced delusion — the seabed lay exposed, with some seaweed and small creatures I didn’t recognize scattered on it. On either side were... walls of water, towering walls of water as if held back by an invisible force, surging and retreating but unable to cross some boundary.

Too shocked to think, I easily accepted the fact that I was being lifted by some kind of force, and the water was even draining out of my soaked clothes and fur.

This wasn’t an illusion because my imagination couldn’t create a supernatural scene like this.

Once I had floated to a certain height, the force maintaining the water walls vanished, and without the barrier, the sea surged into the previously empty space with tremendous force, causing waves several stories high to crash together.

But the water splashing toward me was blocked by an invisible barrier and then slid back into the ocean.

At that moment, I was gently set down, and as the instinctive feeling of falling made me scramble to grab onto anything, I landed on some kind of unseen platform, hovering just a few centimeters above the sea, as if walking on water.

Cautiously, I tapped the platform with the tips of my toes a few times, trying to determine its boundaries. But then, a flash of yellow at the corner of my eye caught my attention.

“Bert!” I called out to the crossbreed dog, waving my hand as I ran over.

Bert, like me, was also standing on that invisible plane, looking exhausted. Interestingly, I noticed that his clothes had dried as well.

“Did you do this?” I asked while lightly tapping my feet twice, trying to confirm if what was beneath me was some kind of extremely transparent solid material. But the strange sensation had already indicated that I probably couldn’t identify a similar material with my limited knowledge.

“No, this is far beyond my abilities.” The crossbreed dog gave a bitter smile, scratching the one ear he had left. “Let me introduce you—this is Richter, the gray wolf,” he said, gesturing toward the figure beside him. “Our savior.”

I had been too worried about Bert’s safety earlier to even notice the gray wolf standing beside him. This was probably my first time seeing a member of the royal family in person, so I lowered my gaze and cautiously observed him.

He was a pure white wolf with sharp brown eyes. His snowy fur looked even more striking in the tailored black uniform with a standing collar. I vaguely remembered watching the emperor’s coronation broadcast with Alexander a few years ago. I wasn’t sure if it was a mere illusion or just because all wolves looked alike, but I felt like he resembled the emperor.

“Senpai, this is the fox I just mentioned,” Bert introduced me to the gray wolf, and I noticed he used a submissive posture.

The gray wolf silently studied me and then gave a slight, expressionless nod.

I could only respond with the same gesture, wondering if I had done something wrong. Could it be that he expected me to kneel?

When I glanced at the crossbreed dog for help, the gray wolf had already shifted his gaze away, narrowing his eyes slightly, with his ears pointed forward.

Truly, a species with rich body language…

“Hope you don’t take it the wrong way,” Bert whispered near my ear. “Richter is actually a good person; he’s just… a bit distant with strangers.”

Where I come from, when someone has to add “actually” in a description, it’s usually a red flag.

I turned around, curious to see what had caught the gray wolf’s attention. But before I could figure it out, Bert stepped in front of me, blocking me from… the golden retriever.

“Elder brother,” the pedigree said in an exaggerated, sickly-sweet voice, bowing dramatically to the gray wolf. “What brings you to such a remote place? And dressed so… plainly?”

The malicious glint in those silver eyes was fleeting, but from the brief exchange of looks, I understood quite clearly—the golden retriever wasn’t here to offer fashion advice.

“And the color contacts—role-playing, perhaps?” Seeing that the gray wolf didn’t respond, the golden retriever continued speaking, as if he loved the sound of his own voice. “Also, that’s the uniform of the German military, right? Even with the rank insignia! I know you care about details, elder brother, but I didn’t expect you to have such a hobby.” His voice trailed off, eyes narrowing as his expression shifted. Wrinkling his nose, he spat out a question through clenched teeth. “Or is it because of ‘Empire's Heart’…?”

“Is what Bert said true, Edward?” The gray wolf, seemingly uninterested in playing along with the golden retriever, asked calmly. “I am not doubting Bert, but I wanted to give you a chance to explain.”

His voice was deep, resonating through my chest as if it came from within.

“Oh, you know us dogs—we love baseless rumors and stirring up trouble behind others’ backs.” The golden retriever waved a hand dismissively while shooting a glare at Bert, baring his teeth.

“You broke the rules. There will be consequences,” the white wolf said blandly, showing no other reaction.

“I appreciate your concern, elder brother. I’ll be more careful.” The golden retriever’s tone was respectful, but his expression said otherwise. “Enough with the pleasantries—there’s business to attend to.” He glanced in my direction, his face darkening. “Return what’s mine, thief!”

“He’s not yours, you petty bastard!” Bert barked, standing tall.

“Oh, really?” The golden retriever clasped his hands over his chest, eyes wide in mock surprise. “Elder brother, could you kindly explain the rules to us?” He gestured toward the gray wolf, signaling him to speak.

“Bert,” the gray wolf said in his unchanging, flat tone. “You know the rules.”

The crossbreed dog stiffened as if wanting to argue, but under the gray wolf’s silent gaze, his body slumped. Meanwhile, the golden retriever flashed a smug smile, showing off his single canine tooth triumphantly.

“I’ll make sure this is fair,” the gray wolf said, raising his hand and signaling with a few gestures.

“There’s no way this can be fair…” Bert muttered softly, but he stepped aside, lowering his gaze to the ground—or rather, the sea. I gave him a questioning look, but the crossbreed dog avoided my eyes.

“Come here, fox!” The golden retriever barked, making me look at him involuntarily.

A flash of red appeared in those silver eyes, followed by a strong force pulling me toward the golden retriever.

It felt like… I was tethered by an invisible collar, with an unseen chain tugging at me.

What’s happening? I struggled against the disturbing sensation, but my feet seemed beyond my control, moving toward the purebred dog.

What is going on?

“Because you’re mine!” The golden retriever’s mouth didn’t move, but I clearly heard his snarling voice.

And Bert whimpered softly beside me, his sound almost inaudible.

All my life, I’ve been nothing but a burden. Only by leeching off others have I barely managed to avoid being swallowed up by the unforgiving torrent of reality, roaring and raging. I’ve tried so hard to fit in, smooth out my edges, and do everything within my power just to survive—just that simple wish. But in the end, everyone still sees through the disguise and realizes I’m just the extra. Like a weed growing in a field, or a stubborn smudge on a screen that won’t come off.

Alexander, Abel, and now even Bert—everyone—has decided to leave me behind.

Because I’ve never been needed, just… useless—a defective product that doesn’t match the instruction manual.

My uncontrollable legs finally stopped once I reached the golden retriever. I couldn’t feel myself crying, but the warm, wet sensation in my fur confirmed it.

The golden retriever laughed heartily, clearly pleased with himself. “Time to go home, little fox,” he chuckled, turning to leave.

“You… made… a… mistake.” Get out of my head, you filthy mutt.

“What?” The golden retriever immediately turned back to face me, barking in shock and disbelief.

“They… never abandoned me.” Finally, accepting this fact, the sense of helplessness that had long troubled me disappeared. “Because I’m responsible for myself, I don’t belong to anyone else.” I stared into those silver eyes, making sure he heard me clearly. “And I definitely don’t belong to you.”

“Impossible!” The golden retriever’s frustrated barking was so satisfying, I almost wondered if I’d grown wings and flown away. “Impossible!” he shouted again, his eyes flashing red once more.

“He has made his choice, Edward.” The white wolf, who had somehow moved to stand beside me, spoke in the same even tone.

The golden retriever froze with his mouth open for a long moment, but the red in his eyes quickly faded, leaving only disbelief.

“Uh… so…” I didn’t want to ruin the delicate atmosphere, but I needed to understand the situation, so I awkwardly scratched my ear, trying to formulate my question—there were too many, and I didn’t know where to start.

“He can’t do anything to you now, no one can!” Bert gave me an excited hug, stepping back with a bright smile. “The territorial clause is nullified—you declared your rights!”

“Uh… okay?” Honestly, if psychics have so many complex and obscure rules, they should really write them down and publish a guidebook or something.

I stole a glance at the golden retriever, who was still frozen in disbelief, and felt a bit… underwhelmed by the fact that I had gained freedom in every sense.

But I suppose, freedom is kind of like breathing, isn’t it?

So ordinary that it’s almost unnoticeable, yet crucially important.

Only when you’re trapped in the pitch-black depths of the sea, on the verge of suffocation, do you realize how precious that seemingly simple act really is.

At that moment, I realized something was missing.

“Where’s Abel?” I instinctively grabbed Bert’s arms, looking around. “Can he also gain freedom from that clause and stop the pedigree from pestering him?”

“The territorial clause only applies to psychics. But that’s a form of bondage, not a condition for gaining freedom. Non-psychics already have the right to migrate freely—that’s why the railroad was established in the first place.” Bert spoke in a soothing tone, and I noticed the overly cautious expression on his face. “Now, calm down and listen to me. Abel… he…”

I stopped listening. The hesitation in his voice already made it clear what had happened.

And I saw it.

Even from a distance, there was a faint figure by the shoreline… a bloody, mutilated figure.

The long trail of blood on the ground showed that he had been dragged from afar and dumped there.

My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the invisible surface. A deep yearning filled my heart—I wished I could just sink into the sea.

The seawater flowed beneath me, indifferent to the pain of someone as small and insignificant as me.

“What’s wrong, fox?” The golden retriever’s laughter seemed to come from a great distance. “Do you like what you see?”

I can’t even feel sadness anymore, only an overwhelming numbness, so I didn’t react at all to the golden retriever’s mockery.

All I could do… was watch from afar, unable to do anything.

The ticking sound was from my tears, falling into the sea.

The invisible surface didn’t stop my tears. They passed straight through, as if it wasn’t even there, and then ripples formed on the rough sea.

Ripples, creating more ripples…

I wiped away my tears and stood up.

The golden retriever was still gloating about something, but I didn’t keep listening. I just stared straight into those silver eyes, realizing deeply that I wasn’t just numb.

“Argh!” The golden retriever stepped back several paces, letting out a yelp of pain, shocked as he covered his nose with his hands. Bright red liquid trickled down his jawline.

I was relieved to know that I could still feel anger.

“You’ll regret this, you reckless little…” The golden retriever’s eyes gleamed red, and all his fur stood on end as he bared his teeth, ready to lunge at me. But suddenly, he froze, unable to move. Only the tip of his tail, tucked between his legs, twitched slightly.

“Stand down, Edward.” The white wolf’s voice remained completely calm, yet I could sense the peculiar scent in the wind, like the one before a storm. “Or I swear by Mother’s name, I’ll use my ‘Right of Correction’ and erase the Golden House from the face of the world.”

Whatever the ‘Right of Correction’ was, it was clearly enough to terrify the golden retriever. Without a word of protest, he turned and left, tail still between his legs.

I was still riding the aftermath of an adrenaline rush, trying to steady my breathing and calm my racing heart.

Unconsciously, I found myself staring at Abel’s remains. It felt surreal, but I thought, life is just like that… fleeting.

I tried to recall memories of Abel, to prevent myself from feeling so empty. But I found it very difficult. The time we had known each other was so brief, and most of our efforts had been spent on the practical matter of survival.

Perhaps we were always more optimistic than we realized, so sure that when the journey ended, there would be plenty of time to talk.

In the end, I had reached the finish line, but no one remained to hear the new world I saw…

I didn’t know how long I had stood there until the white wolf next to me sneezed, snapping me out of my thoughts. Together with Bert, the three of us had been standing there, buffeted by the cold sea breeze.

“You know…” The white wolf cleared his throat, sounding slightly awkward. “If you want, I could…”

I followed his gaze and saw that repulsive golden retriever standing at the shore, glaring at me with malicious eyes.

Behind him, at some unknown point, a tall scaffold had been erected, with a chain at the top, suspending Abel by the collar around his neck.

It was as if he was trying to show off something.

A sourness welled up in my nose, and Abel’s lifeless, broken body blurred before my eyes.

“No,” I blinked and said firmly. “Let him do his worst.” The golden retriever thought he was displaying a trophy, making an example of anyone who dared to defy him. But such creatures could never understand that this only highlighted their own impotence—he could never truly take away anyone’s freedom, nor imprison those who would no longer be enslaved. No matter how vivid the illusion, it was still just an illusion.

In truth, it was more like a banner, a banner fluttering in the wind.

“I think he would like the view from up there.” I smiled, letting the unstoppable tears flow, no longer hiding my emotions. “It’s closer to the stars.”

Though my vision was blurred beyond recognition, I was certain I could see it clearly.

I saw Abel raise his head high, looking off into the distance, for the chain and collar no longer bound him. It was an expression of knowing and seeing hope.

Following his gaze, I lifted my head too, wanting to know what kind of world he saw.

The sight that greeted me made me smile. Yes, this was it—this was the view that perfectly complemented our journey after overcoming countless hardships and finally reaching the other side.

It was an endless expanse of blue sky.