Arriving at the square, Wyn patiently waits for Dark Force. The once lively area now stands empty – no one else but him and Cateto. As they wander toward the stage, memories of Hell’s Day flood his mind, recalling how lively the celebration had been. But the image swiftly shifts – he sees Dark Force and Pete standing here as the army marched toward the base of the shalmali tree, which is now replaced by statues of the CATOTO family cats.

  “Say, Cateto. We should have a proper memorial park or garden to honor the Hell army,” Wyn says, his gaze lingering on the statues.

  As he envisions how the memorial should look, a familiar voice calls his name.

  “You guys made it back!” Wyn exclaims.

  The army of elites that had been left on the third level of Heaven has returned. They rush toward him, embracing him, each one offering their gratitude for his and his team’s sacrifices. Tears fall freely from their eyes, but strangely, Wyn finds himself unable to cry. Instead, he smiles, feeling the weight of their emotions, their sincerity evident.

  “You guys saved us,” one of them says.

  “It must be tough for you, Wyn, all alone like this. We owe it all to you and your fallen friends. Anything you need, let us know, or you can think of us as your personal guards!” White Snow adds.

  The survivors have chosen to remain in the tent area, refusing to let the nerds take down the tents that once belonged to their comrades. While the nerds had wanted to remove them so everyone could move on together, the elites insisted they stay – each tent a painful yet necessary reminder of the brutal event that had wiped out nearly five thousand soldiers, leaving only fifty behind.

  The square comes to life again as the souls chat amongst themselves, filling the air with murmurs and laughter. But the moment Dark Force arrives, the chitchat dies abruptly, replaced by an uneasy silence.

  “Ah, the nerds must’ve brought you back. Welcome back,” he greets the elites with a smile.

  The souls exchange brief, faint smiles before awkwardly excusing themselves to their tents. Dark Force tilts his head slightly but doesn't press the matter. Instead, he turns to Wyn.

  “While you were recovering, we made some changes to Hell and Heaven – they no longer exist.”

  Wyn and Cateto stiffen at the announcement. During their days in Wyn’s chambers, they had felt nothing, no disturbance or shift in their surroundings.

  “We’re keeping only this floor, and it’s somewhat separate from the new realm,” Dark Force continues. “It was the nerds who asked me to keep it.”

  The third floor has now become the hidden floor of the new realm, shared by Dark Force, Wyn, the nerds, the remnants of the elites, the non-elites, and the cats. The floor has been vastly expanded, with the original layout making up only less a quarter of the entire space.

  Beyond the onsen area, the nerds have relocated their living quarters, though the Nerds' HQ remains in its original spot. The shalmali tree is gone, with the cat statues replacing it – once the floor’s centerpiece, but no longer occupying that central spot.

  Half of the new floor layout is now dedicated to the non-elite souls, providing them a space of their own. Though it’s their designated area, others are free to visit as they choose, while non-elites can't enter the other areas.

  “Did I really spend that long inside my chambers? How did all this happen?” Wyn asks.

  “I used a lot of my energy for this. I wanted to show you how serious I am,” Dark Force replies with a smile.

  Wyn eyes him carefully – if he wanted to strike, now would be the time. But his curiosity outweighs his resentment. He’s more interested in what comes next.

  “I wonder…if I amplify my power through Cateto, how strong would that be?” Wyn muses.

  “You can’t,” Dark Force says plainly. “Think of yourself as already at max strength. Besides, the poor cat wouldn’t withstand your power. He’d just perish.”

  Wyn quickly scoops Cateto into his arms, squeezing him tightly in response.

  “Come. I’ll show you around.”

  Dark Force opens a portal, and Wyn follows. But instead of stepping into the expected new realm, they find themselves in an abyss of absolute darkness. There is no ground, no sky – nothing. Yet, despite the void swallowing everything else, they can still see each other, as if their existence alone is all that remains. Dark Force, Wyn, Cateto, and a strange, unfamiliar entity stand suspended in the emptiness, their forms the only things visible in the endless black.

  The strange entity is none other than the void warden. Its form resembles a glitch – a shifting mass of deep purple and black, flickering and distorting as though reality itself struggles to define it. A dark glow pulses around it, both beautiful and unsettling.

  A void warden will wipe its entire void space clean if the life force it serves perishes. When that happens, the warden becomes free, though it still maintains control over its territory. However, under certain conditions, a void warden can ascend to a status known as the void force – a rare transformation that grants it the ability to create new void spaces and even form additional void wardens.

  In Wyn’s case, because he took over Light Force’s essence, he assumes command in place, inheriting the void warden’s allegiance directly.

  If a void warden is killed – usually by the creatures contained within – the life force loses all access to the void space. If trapped inside, the life force can force open a single, final portal to return to its home planet, but it comes at the expense of a great deal of energy.

  In Earth’s case, two void wardens merged into one, meaning only one life force needs to survive for the void space to remain intact. However, the same cannot be said for Earth itself.

  "You can command it as you wish, but keep me in the loop. It’s best if we work together from here on out," Dark Force says.

  "How do I contact it? And…why are we walking instead of floating in this void?" Wyn asks.

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  The rules of the living realm don’t apply to the void space in its bare state. Movement depends on the entity visiting – some may walk, others may drift, hover, or move in ways beyond comprehension. As for calling the void warden, Wyn simply needs to visit it. In the past, Dark Force and Light Force instructed it to stay in specific locations so they could find it easily.

  "What? If the void space all looks the same, how do I know which one to open a portal to?" Wyn asks.

  "Simple – just imagine the one with the void warden in it, like what you're seeing now," Dark Force replies.

  Dark Force opens another portal, leading Wyn to the nerds’ new home. Unlike before, there’s nothing separating the original area from their living space – if Wyn wants to visit, he can simply walk across the onsen.

  The nerds have named their home "The Nerd’s’s’s’s’s’." Why? No one knows.

  The area itself is nothing extravagant – just uninspiring white high-rises with equally sized rooms. The buildings surround a central floor, where they gather to party and engage in their “favorite activity.” Wyn quickly decides against a thorough visit; the stench of unwashed filth is far too repugnant for his divine nose. Unbeknownst to him, though, the interior of the buildings is out of this world, filled with vibrant lights and extravagant decorations, a stark contrast to the bland exterior.

  Dark Force then takes Wyn through a portal to the new area where non-elites roam. This section is divided into different sections, each one shifting according to the theme, which changes constantly through votes cast via the bands. Elites can also vote, with their choices carrying ten times the weight of non-elites'.

  Currently, the first theme is a serene garden – similar to the Dojo but far more tranquil and lively, free from any creatures. Right now, they stand inside a wooden pavilion where souls gather to drink tea. However, the ones present earlier had scattered at the sight of Dark Force, unfamiliar with him and wary of his entirely red appearance.

  Cats are also allowed to rest here between shifts – though the “less intelligent” ones are banned.

  “Where are the campsite cats now, and what are they doing?” Wyn asks.

  “They’re free to roam wherever they like, but right now, they’re all busy helping get things settled on the other floor,” Dark Force replies. “It’s where we keep other souls and the moderators.”

  Wyn raises a brow. “You and your obsession with floors.” Then, after a pause, he narrows his eyes. “Just to be clear – nothing here is made out of your flesh, right?”

  Dark Force smiles. “Of course not. The bigger changes come from my energy, and the smaller ones come from the creatures’ essence that the nerds collect from their HQ.”

  Wyn once again declines a thorough tour of the non-elite area, reasoning that he has all of eternity to take a stroll himself.

  “Then, there’s one more place I want you to see before I take you to the other floor,” Dark Force says.

  Through yet another portal, they arrive inside a vast hexagonal dome, located in the heart of the non-elite area. The structure is clear, allowing an unobstructed view of the surroundings, while white pillars stand throughout the space, each bearing the names and golden framed photos of fallen souls from the war. Pathways weave between them, and most of the pictures are grouped by team.

  Wyn immediately heads toward the pillar dedicated to his team, scanning the familiar faces. But as his eyes search, his expression darkens – Anish and David are missing. A frown deepens when he spots David’s pillar placed far away from the rest.

  “I’m revamping this place. Right now,” Wyn declares.

  Dark Force had intended to take Wyn to the other floor next, but Wyn refuses to leave. However, Dark Force relents.

  “There’s no real way for us to communicate at the moment, so contact Marcus, tell him to tell Pete, and Pete can tell me.”

  “...Are you serious?”

  Before Dark Force departs, Wyn fills him in on Damien, insisting that he and his army of one hundred should be honored here as well. Dark Force listens, then gives Wyn a small nod, silently granting him free rein over the dome.

  Right away, Wyn contacts Marcus, and a large group of nerds appears inside the dome. Soon, life-sized statues are scattered throughout the space, which expands to accommodate the changes. The nerds do their best to group the statues by team, placing each team in its own circle where the weaving paths intersect.

  Wyn sets aside one large circle, not in the center, but rather tucked away in a more secluded area. He watches as a group of nerds carefully places statues of his friends – this time, Anish is included, and so is David’s entire team – each materializing below mini flying drones. His eyes well up with tears, but he doesn’t cry.

  When all the statues are in place, Wyn gets teary again, but the tears still don’t come.

  “Don’t you think it’s missing something?” Cateto says.

  “That’s everyone. Did I miss someone?” Wyn asks.

  “You! You should be in the middle of them all!” Cateto replies with a bright, genuine smile.

  Wyn trembles, but the tears still won’t fall. At first, he’s reluctant to ask the nerds, not wanting to trouble them further. But Cateto pleads with them, and the nerds happily comply.

  Now, the statues of his team are complete: Wyn stands in the middle, staring ahead with both hands making the victory sign, smiling. To his left, Yu wraps both arms around Wyn’s and Anish’s necks, laughing. Mira stands to Wyn’s right, one arm around his neck and the other holding Lisa’s hand. She’s laughing too, though it seems directed at Anish. Anish, next to Yu, looks down at his paunch with a smile, one hand holding it and the other poking it. Behind Wyn and Mira, James stands in the center, grinning as his gaze is fixed on Mira. Lisa, next to Mira, holds her sister’s hand, smiling with her eyes closed. David stands behind James, leaning forward with a big smile, one hand resting on Wyn’s head and the other on Yu’s back. David’s team stands with him and James, smiling and laughing, with the three lovers sharing a group kiss behind Anish.

  The sight of the statues leaves Wyn utterly speechless. A wave of emotion crashes over him, but his eyes remain dry. Cateto, unable to hold back any longer, starts to cry, and soon, the nerds who had worked so tirelessly on the statues join in, tears streaming down their faces. The weight of it all hits Wyn, but still, the tears refuse to come. A strange emptiness fills him, and though unsettled by it, an idea sparks in his mind.

  Without a word, he steps out of the dome and returns moments later, clutching a handful of bands. His hands shake as he walks toward the statues, the silence heavy around him. He approaches each one slowly, tenderly, as if the simple act of placing the bands on them will somehow bring them back.

  When he reaches Yu, his breath hitches in his throat. He presses the band against Yu’s statue, feeling the weight of their friendship. One by one, he places the bands – Anish's, a replica, Mira's, James's, Lisa's, David's, and David’s team. His fingers brush against the cool stone as he attaches each band, the silence between him and his fallen friends more suffocating than he expected.

  Finally, with trembling hands, he removes the band from his own wrist. It feels heavier now, more real than ever before. He walks back to his own statue, stands before it, and for the first time, he lets himself feel the enormity of the moment. With a quiet sigh, he places his band on his statue, his hands lingering there, as if waiting for something – anything – to happen. But nothing does. His thoughts swirl, but the tears still won’t come.

  At this point, Cateto and the nerds are overwhelmed with tears. The nerds, still sniffling, call out to their friends, urging them to witness this sacred moment. Together, they stand in quiet unity, feeling the weight of their collective grief. For them, too, have lost elite friends.

  To honor Yu’s playful spirit, Wyn, with a bittersweet smile, names the memorial dome “Domey McDomeFace.” The absurdity of it causes a few nerds to chuckle through their tears, momentarily lightening the air, even as the sorrow lingers.

  The nerds move forward, carefully placing the bands on all the remaining statues. While Damien and his army had no bands of their own, the nerds create replicas, tying them to the elements they wielded – just as they did for Anish.

  Wyn and Cateto remain in silence, standing together in front of the group’s statues. Even when the nerds quietly leave, the stillness between them lingers. Wyn grips Cateto tightly, his chest tight with the weight of his emotions. He doesn’t want to leave this memorial.