One-Eyed Monster

Igor is very excited now, as his previous speculation has been confirmed in Pete Kangen’s narration.

The unknown is the first major problem they face.

Faced with these unknowns, they have no good solution. Waiting or continuing to explore are the choices they can make.

No matter what, Igor has gained a new understanding of that unknown enemy.

This enemy has long been lurking in this world, hiding all the time because he felt the timing wasn’t right. His recent frequent activities are likely related to the destruction of the Border Realm.

Additionally, the collapse of Twin Peaks on Guru Mountain might also be involved.

Though the speculation has been confirmed, these guesses are still just that - guesses, and cannot be considered facts.

Facts require them to continue exploring.

The shock on Will Kangen’s face is still somewhat evident, but as the head of the family, he knows to control his emotions, quickly regaining calm after the shock, and then starts to ponder the whole scenario of the situation.

”Uncle Pete, are you saying that Willem’s secret is actually a blank paper, with absolutely no content?” Will Kangen has always called Pete uncle. The Kangen family is huge, with many uncles for Will and many nephews for Pete, they are all linked together by blood relations.

”It’s a blank paper, with no content at all.” Pete Kangen replied, without any hesitation.

This statement made Coban and Will continue to ponder.

”You guys are hilarious, why would a blank paper need to be guarded as a secret? It’s like having nothing better to do!” Kadi interjected suddenly. He’s always been this blunt, often leaving people a bit unprepared.

”You’re right, a blank paper shouldn’t be guarded as a secret. However, if we hadn’t guarded this blank paper back then, things might be even worse.” Pete Kangen said.

”A blank paper causing trouble? You guys are hilarious.” Kadi continued to dismiss it contemptuously.

Now, the excited Igor finally calmed down, as he slowly pondered the words of the elder patriarch of the Kangen family.

Hiding this non-secret secret must have been a forced decision.

The predecessors must have had a very important reason for doing this, though the reason has yet to be realized by Igor, who can only listen quietly for now.

”A blank paper appears differently to different people, and that’s what makes it truly terrifying.” Pete Kangen said.

”It’s just a blank paper!” Kadi’s emotions were stirred, leaving him as the only one who felt the whole situation was unnecessary.

”This is a matter of possibilities. Because it’s a blank paper, it gives rise to endless possibilities. You never know what picture will unfold from this blank paper.” Pete Kangen explained.

”Blank paper is just blank paper!” Kadi was increasingly confused, feeling that the group was overly complicating a simple issue.

”If everyone had doubted Willem’s death back then, would this secret have never existed?” Coban Kangen asked.

”There’s no such thing as if. What has happened has happened. The only way to correct past mistakes is through subsequent decisions, although sometimes it doesn’t help even if you try to fix them.” Will Kangen said. As the patriarch of the Kangen family, he knew he had to be decisive and could not afford any hesitation, as a leader’s indecisiveness might lead the whole team into hopeless situations.

”Will is right. Regretting the past events is useless. We thought we made the right decisions back in those days, but our lack of experience led us into great embarrassment.”

”What are you people talking about? I can’t understand a word now.” The leap in conversation left Kadi feeling a bit uncomfortable. It started with a discussion about blank paper but now has risen to grand terms like decisions, making Kadi quite bewildered.

”Now, the blank paper has been unfolded, yet we still don’t know what pattern lies on it.” Will Kangen said, feeling a tinge of confusion at that moment.

”Will the Willem incident lower its secrecy level then? In that case, the whole family, no, the entire profession will be shocked.”

”Years ago, we already revealed the truth to the world that the traitor Willem from the Kangen family had died, but no one believed us.” Pete Kangen said softly, still remembering vividly the events that had transpired so long ago.

”Therefore, this secret won’t cause them panic, since the terror they’re facing now is not just about Willem, is it?”

”Back then, no one wanted to believe the truth, not even our own people, causing suspicions within themselves. A person who comes back to life - in our family of Wizards, we all know this sort of thing is impossible, dead is dead, no rebirths.”

”However, external voices continued to affect people’s judgment. This inexplicable phenomenon grew larger and larger, facing more situations within the entire family. Transcendence, secret techniques began to become topics of discussion outside, but these things remain illusions.”

”Our Kangen family doesn’t possess such a power of transcendence nor do we guard it; everything arose because Willem reappeared in people’s sight. We couldn’t change the happenings, nor could we silence others’ mouths. What we could remedy was feigning to hide Willem’s incident so that this unknown mystery could counter the original unknown.”

”It was the only method we had, although a bit underhanded and deceptive to many, yet the only way to counter that unknown.”

”Because to them, we too seem like an unknown force.”

Pete Kangen explained the reason behind their decision, stating they did it all to battle against the unknown power controlling Willem.

At this moment, Igor had a sudden realization that the non-secret secret is indeed an expanse of unknown.

People’s fear of the unknown stems precisely from the unfamiliarity.

Yet the unknown works both ways, with mutual influence sustaining itself for a period.

Once that blank paper is unfolded, what emerges is pure unknown, and spreading this unknown might lead to even greater panic.

It’s akin to the current situation, faced with a multitude of unknowns, at a loss for what to do.

Igor now understood the painstaking effort Kangen family took in hiding this blank paper, a decision requiring tremendous courage.

The blank paper is an expanse of unknown, which is what they are facing, along with various misunderstandings from others, and perhaps those misunderstandings are the most terrifying aspect.