Codex Null: Simulation Through Madness

In a fortress-like mansion, beneath towering ceilings draped with dark banners, the entrance hall was crowded with people. They stood in uneasy silence, every gaze fixed on the argument breaking out between a man whose presence radiated cold authority and menace, and a woman whose beauty was sharp enough to command the entire room.

"Time is running out. Are we not going to Noel's aid? To bring him back?" Elaine asked, her voice trembling with both urgency and anger, the same question she had repeated countless times already.

And Derek, his presence heavy and unyielding, answered without even a flicker of expression. "I already told you my answer. I'm not going. With so many eyes set on us, we would only suffer a loss were we to step out now."

His words cut through the silence like steel. "He needs to come back on his own… if he wants to continue being the Cross heir."

Elaine's fury, long suppressed, finally erupted. "My son never gave a damn about being the Cross heir, you know that, don't you?" Her voice rose, sharp and unrestrained. "His worth is not something this mere Cross house could ever contain."

"He is meant for something far greater than being chained to this fucked-up family!"

She stepped forward, resentment blazing in her eyes. "So take that cursed title and shove it. What matters now is saving him!"

But Derek remained unmoved. Not a single trace of emotion crossed his face as he shook his head. "Then my answer is even clearer. If he were nothing more than an ordinary member of the Cross house, why would I, the head of the family, need to risk myself to rescue him?"

"What do you mean an ordinary member? He's your son, for fuck's sake!" Elaine's voice cracked, her anger spilling into desperation. "He is the most talented person in the world, and no one can argue against that!"

Her words landed like blows, trembling with the force of her conviction. "Are these two facts alone not enough?"

And Derek's reply was immediate, merciless, and final. "No. They are lacking."

The argument only grew heavier, tension spilling into the air. Blue Aura began to stir faintly around Elaine, her anger flaring despite her modest strength. If Derek would not yield to words, she looked ready to force him with something else.

But before her emotions could erupt further, a softer sound broke through the hall. Watching everything from nearby, little Lilith sobbed quietly, her small voice trembling as she asked, "Is brother not coming back?"

Elaine froze, her boiling anger faltering at the sound of her daughter's cry. Slowly, she turned, squatted down in front of Lilith, and gently brushed the girl's hair aside. "No, sweetheart," she said softly, her voice tender despite the storm raging inside her. "Your brother is naturally coming back. There's nothing in this world that can prevent him from coming home."

She held Lilith's gaze, her tone gentle, but her mind never strayed from Noel. And then, as though forcing calm into her own heart, she smiled faintly at her daughter. "Your brother can return on his own, but… he might be late if I don't go bring him. So, I'll be going out."

Lilith swallowed her tears and gave a small nod. And Elaine rose to her feet again, shooting Derek a look filled with nothing but disgust before turning her eyes to Hilda, who stood grim-faced at the side, and Nadine, her maid, the only two she could rely on to accompany her.

Without hesitation, she called them to her side and walked out on her own.

She hadn't gone far when the air itself shuddered. The space rippled faintly, trembling as if someone was forcing their way through. Elaine froze in her tracks.

And then — he appeared.

Her son.

Bloodstained. Half-broken. Barely holding on.

"Noel!" Elaine's tears spilled as she rushed toward him, her arms instinctively reaching out, desperate to hold him, to bring him into her embrace.

But.

"Stop!"

The single word halted her.

Her eyes wavered, searching for an answer, and in that moment she sensed it — something within him, unstable and dangerous. Still, she didn't want to believe it.

Then Noel's voice broke the silence, ragged but steady. "I can't suppress the relic inside me anymore… so it's best you don't touch me, Mom."

Hearing it, Elaine's heart seemed to crack open. She had felt it already, but to hear her son confirm it left her powerless. She tried to form words, something — anything — that could reassure him he would be fine. But none came.

Her brilliant son, someone even she couldn't reach in this moment. If he was helpless before this, what could she possibly say?

Even so, Elaine stepped closer, careful not to touch him, and began healing his physical wounds. Under her efforts, Noel's broken body seemed to mend quickly, his outward injuries vanishing as if they had never been.

Yet inwardly… she couldn't tell. Only Noel knew the truth of what was happening inside him.

But he didn't explain. Instead, his voice came quiet but firm: "Let's go see Father."

At the mention of Derek, Elaine bit her lip, her silence heavy with resentment. Without a word, she walked at her son's side, with Hilda and Nadine following close behind.

In the mansion, outside their dimension, Noel finally stood before his father. Lilith was beside Derek, and the moment her eyes fell on her brother, she rushed forward, her face paling at the sight of blood still staining him.

"Brother…" she cried, her steps unsteady.

But Elaine stepped in quickly, intercepting her daughter and gathering her into her arms. Her tears fell freely, soaking Lilith's hair.

Noel, watching them, gave his sister a faint smile before his gaze shifted to Derek. His eyes lingered there, steady and unreadable. He seemed to understand much without a word, yet chose silence before the crowd. Instead, he moved to walk beside his father, and together they stepped into the family's dimension.