The Visitor from Chaldea

I believe if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way. If I knew where I was headed, I would probably lose my way, wouldn't I? That the darkness reminds us where light can be. And yet darkness will always remind us of the light... Whether it's you or me, if the rules of this world demand equivalent exchange, then anyone who hopes to gain something should also be prepared to pay the price, right? So, if the end of our hopes is to save the world... can a path like that really be completed with just a snap of the fingers?

"...What could possibly be stupider than saving the world?" he muttered, then stood up.

Behind him lay a snowy plain where endless snowstorms had once swept through the long night. Now, sparse snowflakes drifted gently down like fallen feathers, and light shone between them. The plain had once been desolate, but somehow a cherry tree had taken root there, blooming quietly.