Chapter 143 - 2-25
"A past world?"
"Yeah. Futures that might have been. Or rather, worlds that strayed from the natural order."
"Worlds that strayed from the order... does that have something to do with me being brought back to the past?"
"In a way. As you know, the world changes easily based on your daily choices and actions. But have you ever wondered what happens to the worlds you didn't choose? For instance, someone who usually wakes up at a set time happens to oversleep. Or someone takes a different path than usual. Those moments can become turning points in a life."
The worlds I didn't choose. I had never thought about it. But aside from the special circumstance of a Spirit King rewinding time, our lives changed constantly based on our thoughts and actions. A slight shift in awareness or a single choice could change one's environment and self at any time. Just as it had for me.
"A future that might have been... do you mean the world I was originally in?"
"That's one of them. The world you were in was the former main axis. As you know, I govern the power of the past. I can stop the flow of time or return to the past as I please. I can even change the main axis I'm involved with. But once a world is born, it continues to exist."
Main axis? I didn't recognize the term, but more importantly...
"So, all these lights are... the 'might-have-been' futures that changed because of our choices?"
"That's right. I only interfere with the main axis. Everything else is just one of many lights in this space."
"Then what happens to the people living in the worlds we didn't choose? Does another 'me' exist in those other worlds?"
"Of course. But as I said, it doesn't matter if anything other than the main axis collapses. As long as I protect this one balance, the rest are just offshoots. Oh, but see those few large lights? I'm quite fond of those."
Nel-sama's explanation was far too casual for me to grasp immediately, but I strained my mind to organize the information.
"Parallel worlds... they really exist?"
"Countless ones."
It was hard to believe, but Nel-sama nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then again, I was currently in the Spirit Land, standing in the birthplace of the Spirit King. That in itself was a dreamlike reality. I didn't have to fully digest it to know Nel-sama wasn't lying. This must be the truth. And Nel-sama doesn't care whether I believe him or not. That isn't the important part.
"Worlds that stray from the main axis eventually get absorbed and vanish over long periods, while others veer off into completely different paths. I keep the ones I like over there. Sometimes they give off interesting light, like this one."
Nel-sama reached out and playfully grabbed the blue light that had been floating between us. The light seemed to protest, its blue glow intensifying.
"Other than that, I just do a bit of periodic cleaning to make sure the world doesn't collapse."
"Cleaning?"
"Actually, I'll show you! Look at that cluster of lights over there!"
Nel-sama pointed toward a distant spot, his eyes filled with anticipation as if he had just come up with a great idea. He snapped his fingers to summon his staff and swung it toward the area. I followed his gaze to see countless tiny lights twinkling in the distance. With a single flick of his staff and a smirk, the countless glimmers lost their luster and vanished without a trace in an instant.
What? They're gone... What just happened?
I stood there, speechless and wide-eyed, utterly stunned by the scene. Amidst the sea of shimmering lights, a single patch of unnatural darkness now stretched out. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. A chill crept up from my feet, and I couldn't stop trembling. Nel-sama, oblivious to my state, turned back to me with expectant eyes. "Well? What do you think?"
The image of the lights vanishing in an instant was burned into my mind. I looked down, unable to find the words.
"What's wrong?"
"...Those lights that just disappeared were the same as these. Those lights were worlds... and there were people living in them, weren't there?"
My voice trembled as I spoke, and Nel-sama knit his brows in confusion. "Hmm? What about it?"
What about it? I suppose that was his perspective. To Nel-sama, he had simply organized the countless worlds. But if they vanish in an instant... what happens to them?
"Where do the people in those worlds go? Where does the world itself go?"
"Where? They just cease to exist. Besides, there are infinite worlds just like them. I don't know what's bothering you, but those were worlds far removed from the main axis. I was just throwing away trash that didn't need to be kept."
"Trash?"
To Nel-sama, those countless parallel worlds were nothing more than a collection of trash. It didn't matter that so many lives were desperately trying to live within them. Nel-sama frowned at my whispered question. "You throw away trash when it piles up, don't you? My periodic tidying of space-time is just like making sure the trash can doesn't overflow."