The burning sky and falling angels dissolved into a blinding white mist, but the void quickly filled with a completely new palette of vibrant colors. Deep greens and ocean blues swept across Solomon’s vision, seamlessly weaving together to form a lush mountain forest bordered by a sparkling river and distant coastal peaks.

Solomon turned around, watching a small wooden cabin materialize within the clearing. The Paladin stood near the tree line, having traded his pristine armor for simple linen clothes.

He swung an ordinary iron axe into a thick log, while Emilia stirred an iron pot over a crackling campfire just a few steps away. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Solomon watched the peaceful routine unfold, completely fascinated by the drastic change in the timeline. The invincible warrior from the labyrinth was happily performing mundane chores in total isolation.

The foliage blurred as time skipped forward, eventually settling onto the wooden porch where Emilia now rested her hands over a swollen belly. The former knight practically tripped over his own boots as he rushed out the front door holding a steaming wooden cup.

"You must rest your legs," the Paladin insisted, gently offering her the drink. "The water is fresh from the mountain spring, so drink it while it remains warm."

Emilia accepted the cup with a bright, echoing laugh. "You act as if a breeze will shatter my bones, my brave protector. I am perfectly fine."

The painted scenery warped again to reveal a tiny girl with bright silver hair chasing a butterfly across the grass. The Paladin scooped the two-year-old child into his arms and tossed her into the air to hear her joyful shrieks.

Time continuously flowed forward in fractured segments, showing the family growing together through a series of fleeting memories.

The little girl turned three and chased frogs by the riverbed. At four, she rode proudly on her father’s shoulders to pick apples from the high branches.

By the time she turned five, she was swinging a tiny wooden stick like a sword while her parents cheered from the porch.

Solomon leaned against a tree, a genuine smile breaking across his dusty face. He finally understood the absolute resolve of the monster he had fought in the arena.

The Paladin had willingly abandoned his holy title and kingdom just to secure this ordinary, quiet happiness for his family.

Suddenly, the vibrant sunlight faded into a deep twilight, casting long shadows across the tree line. The Paladin stood deep within the woods with his ordinary woodcutting axe gripped tightly in his hands.

A massive, four-armed beast covered in dark scales lunged from the brush.

The Paladin ducked beneath the creature’s sweeping claws and planted his boots firmly in the dirt to deliver a brutal upward swing. The iron axe buried itself deep into the monster’s skull, dropping the massive carcass onto the forest floor.

He wrenched the weapon free, grabbed the beast by its scaly hind legs, and dragged the massive frame through the bushes. Reaching the edge of a steep mountain cliff, he shoved the body over the precipice.

Solomon walked toward the illusionary cliff and peered down into the darkness. His eyes widened in absolute shock as he looked at the deep ravine below. Thousands of mangled monster corpses completely filled the canyon, creating a horrifying landscape of rotting flesh and shattered bones.

The Paladin wiped a streak of sweat from his brow while staring down at the endless pile of dead beasts. "Their numbers are increasing far too quickly, and these attacks have become far too frequent. The corruption of the holy war is finally reaching these distant borders."

He tightened his grip on his axe and turned his gaze back toward the warm light of his cabin. "We must pack our belongings and leave this forest before it gets swarmed by monsters I cannot fight without my sword."

The Paladin marched back toward the cabin with his woodcutting axe resting against his shoulder. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Massive oak trees lay splintered across the dirt path, while deep craters ruined the surrounding soil and uprooted the vibrant green bushes.

Solomon watched the illusion warp around him.

The Paladin dropped his axe and sprinted toward the clearing, bursting through the tree line before locking his boots into the dirt. The wooden cabin lay in absolute ruins. A squad of winged figures floated above the crushed porch.

These angels possessed towering physiques clad in glowing golden armor, and six pristine white wings extended from their backs to radiate a blinding light that scorched the grass beneath their feet. They held long spears dripping with golden divine fire.

Two angels stood in the center of the yard. They gripped Emilia and the little girl by their hair, forcing them onto their knees in the dirt.

"Uriel," the Paladin rasped, taking a step forward.

The lead angel floated closer to the ground and pointed his flaming spear directly at the former knight. "You abandoned your sacred duty and forsook the kingdom of Eden. You defied the direct commands of God Lumina. Your absolute betrayal angered the heavens, bringing divine wrath down upon your people. The entire kingdom sits in ruins because of your sins. I have descended to deliver your rightful punishment."

Solomon watched the Paladin drop to his knees in the dirt.

The Paladin pressed his forehead against the soil. "Take my life! Do whatever you want with me! I will endure any punishment you deem necessary. Please spare Emilia and my daughter. They possess absolutely no connection to my past sins or the holy war."

Uriel tilted his golden head and stared down at the groveling warrior. He lowered his flaming spear and nodded once. "Very well. Your family bears no responsibility for your treason."

The Paladin lifted his head with wide eyes. A genuine breath escaped his lips.

"Thank–" Before the paladin could even say a word, Uriel snapped his fingers.

The angel holding Emilia raised his golden spear and drove the blade straight down through the top of her skull. The divine fire instantly incinerated her brain. Her lifeless body collapsed into the dirt without making a single sound.

Solomon clenched his jaw and looked away from the brutal execution.

The Paladin remained completely paralyzed on the ground. His mouth hung open while his eyes locked onto Emilia’s lifeless form. His hands dug violently into the soil until his fingernails bled.

Suddenly, a piercing wail broke the silence. The little girl screamed and thrashed against the angel’s grip.

"Papa!"

The sound broke the Paladin’s paralysis. He roared like a wounded beast and launched himself toward the angels, stretching his hands out desperately toward his crying daughter.

Before his boots could even cover half the distance, Uriel thrust his spear forward. A beam of golden light shot from the weapon and struck the little girl directly in the chest.

The child exploded in a shower of gore. Warm blood and fragmented organs splashed directly across the Paladin’s face and linen clothes.