The land of shadows, the altar of heaven.

Standing atop the cliffs of the coast, Scáthach gazed south and murmured, "Todd is dead."

A massive shadow rose from the seabed, slowly drifting to the surface, and a deep voice pierced the water: "It's all over."

Scáthach closed her eyes: "Nightmares never fade away, and tragedies always repeat themselves."

Leviathan in the sea was silent for a moment, then said, "At least we still have heaven."

Scáthach interlaced her fingers and clasped them tightly together: "Watching Todd's journey, I thought this time would be different."

Leviathan: "Pessimism won't change anything. Todd's life may be over, but his next cycle will begin soon."

Scáthach looked up at the blood-red sky and sighed, "The apocalypse is intensifying... Soon, most things in this world will turn to dust in time and never appear again."

Leviathan: "I understand your concerns, but... Heaven can only accept the souls of the dead. As for Muxi City and the other living, we have the will to protect them but are powerless to do so."

"Moreover, with the apocalypse intensifying, the island where Heaven is located will soon suffer a devastating blow. We must close the entrance to Heaven and sink the Shadow Kingdom to the bottom of the sea before things get worse."

Scáthach looked at the pale blue particles drifting towards the Shadow Kingdom from the sky and said softly, "This is all we can do."

At that very moment.

A sudden voice came from behind Scáthach: "Perhaps, we can do more than that."

Upon hearing this voice, Scáthach, whose emotions had remained undisturbed for thousands of years, showed a look of surprise for the first time.

Scáthach turned her head and saw an old woman in a robe, leaning on a cane, standing behind her with a smile.

The old woman walked slowly to Scáthach's side and said to Leviathan in the sea, "You two are still the same as before."

Leviathan's tone held a hint of resentment: "Kolitigchen! What are you doing back here?!"

The old woman, called Coritiger, waved her hand with a smile: "I haven't used that name for a long time. In this day and age, I prefer to be called Minnie."

Scáthach: "A title is just a code name. We can't even remember how long it's been since we last saw you. As far as I remember, after Salazar's self-destruction, you chose self-exile. Leviathan and I always thought you went to another dimension."

Minnie: "The demise of Salazar is a tragedy, but the journey of us pioneers continues. I have been to many places and used many names, but I have finally chosen this place."

Leviathan: "You've always chosen to live in seclusion and hide, avoiding everything related to creation. I don't understand why you've returned this time."

Minnie looked south, a look of nostalgia and wistfulness on her face: "I want to try and hold onto some things."

Leviathan said, "Trying to keep me? That doesn't sound like something you'd say."

Scáthach stared at Minnie's face and said, "Is it related to Todd?"

Minnie nodded slightly.

Scáthach frowned and said, “You should understand the role of the pioneers. We can only observe, record, and analyze... while directly participating in and influencing this world will have disastrous consequences.”

Leviathan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I've wanted to remind you for a long time that establishing a heaven to house the souls of the dead is a way of indirectly influencing the world. Perhaps we really can help Todd..."

Scáthach roared angrily at Leviathan, "Shut up! Heaven is the limit of my tolerance! Do you want to see Salazar's tragedy happen again? If he hadn't insisted on protecting that candidate and that world, the great cataclysm that followed would never have happened!"

Leviathan fell silent.

Minnie shook her head and smiled at Scáthach, saying, "Don't worry, I won't directly interfere in this world, nor will I persuade you to do the same."

Scáthach asked, puzzled, "So what exactly do you want to do now that you've come back?"

Minnie didn't answer her question directly: "In this life, I first met Todd about ten years ago."

"Froststone Tribe, the Northern War, Twilight City, the establishment of the Dragon Kingdom, the Necromancer War... Along this journey, I have seen and heard a great deal. All of my experiences combined are perhaps more fulfilling and interesting than the days I spent in self-exile."

"So, I've always wanted to see what the future would look like if Todd continued down this path."

Scáthach said, "Todd is dead. His next journey will begin after he is reborn. In his next life, he may remember everything he has now much earlier, but he may also live a muddled life and never remember anything from the past."

Minnie nodded and said, "I know, so I can't wait for his next rebirth. If possible, I want to see him continue living."

Scáthach sighed and covered her forehead. "Kolitigchen, I'm tired of repeating myself. Todd is dead. We Forerunners can't interfere with how this world works. Actions like rebuilding bodies, granting powers, or reversing time are forbidden. There's simply no way..."

Minnie interrupted Scáthach: "When did I say that we needed to rescue Todd?"

Scáthach paused, then said, "You must have seen the scene of his death. Besides us, do you think there are any other ways to bring him back to life?"

Minnie smiled and said, "A tyrant with a soul space does indeed have a less common method to return to this world."

Scáthach stood there, eyes wide open, clearly remembering the method Minnie had mentioned.

“That’s simply impossible!” Scáthach thought for a moment, then added, “Nobody would do that!”

Minnie tapped her cane: "How will we know if we won't succeed if we don't try? All we need to do is build the bridge, and leave the rest to them."

Leviathan, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn't help but ask, "What are you talking about?"

Scáthach's face showed hesitation and struggle as she asked Minnie, "How confident are you?"

Minnie nodded and said, "I have confidence in Todd, and even more confidence in his kingdom."

Scáthach exhaled and turned to face the island.

She slowly raised her hands, and the once silent shrines of the souls on the island began to glow and hum.

Scáthach nodded to Minnie, indicating that they could begin.

Minnie bowed slightly, then slowly walked toward the altar of the soul.