The shriveled thing and the half-face both vanished, leaving only an old boot sitting alone in the middle of the altar. At the same time, as though the altar had fulfilled its final purpose, all its radiance faded in a blink. Several of the thinner bones inexplicably caught fire and turned to ash, while the remaining thick, bulky bones and crimson stains all began to crack, crumbling into debris in the space of a breath.
In the end, only the boot remained intact, lying on its side amid a heap of rubbish.
The previously still castle suddenly shuddered, like a person struck by a chill.
Ruger looked at the handsome youth.
"Our world is gone, and the father I relied on has vanished too. Just like this castle," the youth said, regaining his composure after his failed attempt. "It looks sturdy, but it can collapse in an instant. We are insubstantial things with no roots, surplus to this world. Whatever peace we find and whatever beauty we preserve while we are weak are fragile beyond measure. Our world was the same. Many people never knew that it was really just a vast, vast refuge."
Ruger had heard the Succubus speak of their planar world's past.
"I truly envy you, Wizard. You can choose your own path and live the life you choose..."
At that moment, the handsome youth showed undisguised envy toward the little Kobold before him, with his disheveled clothes and patchy fur.
"I can hold on for a while longer and give you time to leave without rushing. I simply never imagined that my corpse would make one last journey across worlds to somewhere so far away."
As he spoke, the youth began walking out. His illusory body moved like that of a real person now. Though his