A strange silence fell. It seemed Schrödinger was too stunned by what he’d heard to say anything in reply.

Something began to stir in his eyes — something Mr. Nobody desperately wanted to avoid.

To avoid any misunderstanding, he had to explain in detail what he’d discussed with Paymax and the cat — his idea.

And Schrödinger’s first reaction was clearly not what he had expected.

"...But aren’t you already on the First Step?" the old man replied.

"What? Of course not. What on earth made you think that?"

"Strange. From the outside, it seems like you’re already a level above ordinary people." He touched his chin thoughtfully. "I thought you’d long since been on some mysterious Path... To be honest, I thought you were on the First Step of Solitude."

"What kind of nonse..." He fell silent before finishing his sentence.

Of course, the old man’s words were mere speculation, with no connection to reality, but in a strange way, they struck a chord with him.

It seemed to him that there was something in, them that he simply couldn’t deny. Was it possible that there was some truth to them?

’Half a Step... I’ve always considered myself one of them, thinking that level was just arbitrary, but could it really exist? And does that mean I’ve already done half...’ He didn’t finish the thought, so as not to stray from the main topic.

Whatever the truth might be, he didn’t yet have enough grounds to deny or accept it.

He laid out his thoughts to the old man in full, along with the main idea of what he lacked in order to move forward.

"Please, padre, my life depends on this... and perhaps not just mine."

In those few minutes, the old man seemed to age even more. Apparently, talking about this brought back some unpleasant memories for him.

"...Boy," Schrödinger said. "I know you’re smart, but... I’m afraid I don’t have the answer you’re looking for."

Mr. Nobody felt doomed. Everything around him seemed to lose all meaning, but he forced himself to stop thinking that way.

"No, padre, you must know this. After all, you were..." He sighed heavily. "Please... I have to know."

With a strange, fearful look, Schrödinger shook his head.

"But...!"

"No one must know this, boy... Not because I want it that way, but because such a person wouldn’t be able to exist."

"...What?"

With the horrors of the past flickering in his eyes, Schrödinger found the strength to answer.

"Let me tell you a story."

...

A nine-year-old boy with dark, sun-tanned skin was making his way through the dense crowd. It was the central square of Southville.

After a long time, people had left the dark basements of the underground, and the sounds of prolonged battles had died down.

The boy squeezed past old men in dark robes draped over their shoulders and wounded men in black military uniforms, weapons still in their hands.

Their faces were filled with grief and despair, but there was also a sense of sacrifice in them. Some of them were crying so loudly, as if they had lost their only hope.

The smell of sweat, blood, and treated wounds gave way to fresh air. The boy saw a group of older children wearing glasses and suits that looked almost formal, and he walked over to them. He was the smallest among them.

Spotting a skinny boy in the group — one he desperately wanted to be like — he grabbed his hand, and his fear finally eased. It was his brother.

While the women and children hid inside their homes, more than half of Southville’s population gathered in the square.

All eyes were fixed on the man standing atop a massive stone.

"We all knew what we were getting into, and we all accepted this deal!" the man on the stone proclaimed loudly. "It was a sacrifice, but also a chance! And now the battle is over!!!"

The boy exchanged a glance with his brother. Smiles broke through the fear still lingering on their faces.

The man addressing the people was a powerful servant of the Iron Heart. The Third Step of Knowledge.

He had been chosen to remain with the people and protect them.

The fact that he was still alive was the main proof that they still had a chance.

"Yes, the war is not yet over! But rest assured, no one will be able to defeat the Iron Heart on his own territory! The Abode of Knowledge—the place where it all began—will become the grave of the invader and the wayward son! There is only one Peak of Knowledge!!!"

The crowd erupted in war cries.

The boy looked at the jubilant group of teenagers, thinking that his dream of one day standing among them might still come true.

The Iron Heart is bound to win, and in a couple of years, he’ll definitely reach the First Step of Knowledge, just like his brother!

"Brother?"

The tall, slender teenager adjusted his glasses and smiled at him. He reached out to ruffle his hair, and then...

"..." A shadow fell across the boy’s face. Literally.

His brother’s hand didn’t touch his head. Looking around, he saw the cheering crowd, but he couldn’t spot his brother.

He was standing right here—had he suddenly disappeared?

The boy’s gaze dropped downward, where he saw only a strange shadow sprawled on the ground.

A strange unease washed over him, and he turned his gaze to the speaker.

"The place of Knowledge is for one alone!" He continued to shout, stirring the crowd with his fervor. "Only..."

His speech abruptly stopped.

There was no sound.

The most powerful man among those present suddenly vanished, and a long shadow spread across the stone.

The boy looked away, toward a group of teenagers. This group was called Future Hope and consisted of the most outstanding children who had already advanced along the Path of Knowledge.

Without a sound, one after another, each of them began vanishing, and another shadow appeared beneath them.

A wave of alarm and shock swept through the crowd. Old men in robes, powerful soldiers...

Step by step, person by person, shadows on the ground began replacing the strongest people in the crowd.

In a panic, they began to scatter, but even that did not save them. Everyone who had stepped onto the Path of Knowledge began to disappear in an instant, and shadows appeared in their place.

With trembling legs and hands, his face streaming with tears, the boy stood rooted to the spot, looking down. The shadow of what remained of his brother fell over him...

And the speaker’s final words rang in his ears.

The place of Knowledge is for one alone.

...

"Haven’t you ever found that strange? Even in Concord, you can meet representatives of all the Paths. Surely even Solitude." Schrödinger sat facing the window, but his gaze was lowered, toward his feet, upon which a shadow fell. "All of them... except Knowledge."

"..."