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“I understand it is not,” added Grostian, “-such is the way the cookie crumbles.”

“I see the Great God knows the other worlds, yes?”

“I do, I’m a traveler by heart. What say you, Igna, where do you fit in the story, what are you made of? I know of my son, but what about you, you’re not exactly him, are you?”

A cigarette puffed into reality, he leaned and lit using void’s flame, “-I’m the current incarnation of Alfred. We share the past, the present, and the future. As is seen, I have solidified what my other selves have built. Alfred’s presence is gone, I don’t feel him,” he touched his chest, “-did he find salvation, was he freed?”

“I wouldn’t know,” added the Great God, “-I can say this, I’m free, and for that, I am grateful, very grateful. In fact, I want you to have the powers that brought me much of my invincibility and strength. Do you, Igna Haggard, accept my offer?”

“An offer for the Great God’s power,” he puffed, “-it would be wrong not to accept. I have doubts,” he narrowed, “-the world you command is no longer hospitable. The war did its due and there’s but this floating isle representing what was. Not exactly exciting.”

.....

“I see your point. There’s nothing else I can offer.”

“But you see, Great God, you have much to offer. Angela’s soul, Engratse’s location, and your world’s core,” came a cold smirk.

“You want everything?”

“Were you not excited to be freed?”

The muscular build shot up suddenly, a pensive air crossed his face, and the man watched deeply at the distant waterfall. Little of the lake and forestry was pretty and soothing, just so very little. Past the isle laid a nightmare, a place where reality’s whims turned to nothing’s might. A land plagued by falseness; it wasn’t such a great thing. Thus, with a courageous inhale, Grostian turned and stared, “-rumors of the Devil have long piqued my interest. I heard stories from the mouths of my visiting children. Are you that Devil?”

“Why the question, I ought to know more about how you got said impression.”

“Very simply,” he slowly articulated, “-Alfred’s physical features and your hair. Tell-tell signs of the one spoken in legend. Destiny and her followers love to speak of one abled to wipe existence,” he paused, “-Angela,” and resumed, “-she kept chanting a prophecy, speaking of the three in one, the birth of Nothing. You’re already here,” he smiled, “-and have been here since the third incarnation, is that not right?”

The sun’s ray dipped, casting a shadow across Igna’s lowered line of sight. A sinister smile, the confidence and radiating aura to prove the words true, he looked up nonchalantly and tilted the fixed regard, “-Great God, you see through me?”

“I was right.”

“Yes,” he puffed, “-all from the start was orchestrated. From losing my memory to entering the adventuring academy, my escapade in the culinary world wasn’t a whim, it was a carefully constructed plan to avoid being detected. Meeting the Haggard dynasty is a hard task, anyone unreliable would be killed mercilessly. Cooking, be good enough and one can be thrust into the limelight without much effort. I met who I needed, established myself, and began the journey anew. Persephone, my adventures are long distant memories – I admit they were done to influence Orin and not the greater world. I know we’re virtually undefeatable, my presence is no longer required. Time’s nigh for a shot at the real challenge, to climb the real ladder. My goal is unchanged, Nothing is my power and no one will ever defy my will.”

“I see,” the smile fell, “-you were after me all along?”

“Obviously. Alfred didn’t free himself; they can’t leave without my permission. I allowed the Cursed King’s rest. He resides peacefully in the Shadow Realm as an avatar. Grostian, I want you as an ally. Join me, join my faction,” he extended a hand, “-you will join me.”

A tingling sensation ran up and down the body. He shuddered at the thought – the cold breeze of the lakes didn’t help for it chilled his spine and froze the fingers, “-what do I get?”

“Freedom,” he offered, “-I offer freedom and a place to reinvent one’s self.”

“Could I surrender my powers and still live?”

“Normally, no,” he fixed the god, “-yet, thee didn’t blink twice when offering the symbol and guaranteeing thy death.”

“...”

“No need for replies. I can assure you, Grostian, you will have a new life in a new world without your powers. What is freedom without being released from the shackles? Such is the nature of dealing with the devil,” he flicked the cigarette and stood, “-what say you, Grotsian, or shall I refer thee as Dad?”

“Igna,” he dropped on one knee, “-I accept your terms.”

“Then,” the Devil extended his hand, a convoluted contract hovered, “-as the one commanding the terms and conditions, I guarantee your satisfaction, Grostian.”

“I accept,” they sealed the deal, a whirlpool of energy darted skyward, shredding the isle into discarded pieces until nothing remained save dust – Grostian’s body churned similarly and snap, ‘-gone,’ he hovered, ‘-Grostian, you’re the definition of what it means to be a God. Truly you deserve the title of Great God,’ specks of dust fell onto the land surrounding the furnace. He landed, ‘-the power of Nothing,’ he smiled, ‘-it’s finally mine,’ a circle inlaid by complex writing surrounded the symbol of death, it seemed to swallow the previous symbols, and a sharp glow settled the symbol as nothing but a circle. ‘-the symbol of death’s been swallowed. It resides amongst the other writings,’ the short walk paused, ‘-don’t tell me,’ a realization hit, ‘-the circle’s filled with complex symbols,’ a heavy pressure dropped, he fell onto his feet and pinched his forehead, “-what is this!” the brows crinkled in annoyance, “-so loud,” screams thundered, the symbol burnt, “-STOP!” a shockwave bellowed, ‘-it’s like when I draw Orenmir. Grostian, you’ve killed gods by the hundreds – he was right... travels and challenges, the man had no equal.’ The furnace howled; molted liquid dropped onto presses that slammed together. Each thrust shook the very ground. ‘Better stand,’ he clambered to a shaky stance, ‘-who knew my goal would be reached so soon.’

The workshop, ‘-I have imagined Grotian to still be hammering,’ he entered the doorless shack and motioned to the glass cage. -”-Angela, dear ol’ Angela,” her purple hair and look of distress seemed stuck in time. Igna pressed the surface, the circle lit and the glass shattered, thrusting her unconscious body forward, “-got you,” he caught her arms and in turn drew her whole body into his arms. *Snap,* warmer clothes covered the otherwise nonexistent clothing, “-rest a while,” he lit another cigarette and placed her upon a chair as if an inanimate doll.

Time passed, and a cycle of day and night followed. Crack of dawn bellowed orangish hues so as catch part of the furnace. *To the mighty and to the weak, the sole inheritor of much beckons power foreign to the world. Left unseen and made unfelt, the slip between worlds begins to shatter. The border of true and false grows exposed – and swiftly enlarges the disturbance. Break – Shadow Realm: Conditia.* Time froze, the furnace deadened, the colors drained, and a freezing cold settled. Massive portals opened, and shadowy figures ambered forth – a powerful entity led the walk, her unblinking eyes and viperlike stare matched his own with neither fear nor intimidation.

“Demonlord,” she hissed, “-it has been a while, my king.”

“Vesper, I apologize for not checking in any sooner.”

“Fret not my king, we of the monster race know well about the whimsical nature of our ruler,” dragons and flying beasts cast their imposing figure onto the dullness, “-what have thee summoned us?”

“For this,” he looked at the furnace, “-here are the remains of Grostian’s world. The surface is destroyed, nothing much to salvage aside from that,” he pointed at Gieol, “-the core of an ancient world.”

“Rare,” excitement filled her speed and hiss, “-very rare. It will do nicely in the Shadow Realm. My king, after lord Julius finished completing the other cores, our world has begun evolving on its own. We’re no longer required to check in regularly. Be certain, our people are constantly on the watch for any signs of disturbance. Would take something grand to shatter what protection the cores have. No matter,” she gleamed, “-shall I take the world now?”

“Yes,” he turned, “-start the process. I will see you in the Chambers of Cores.”

“As you wish, my king,” her arms rose, and many priests joined the chant. A terrifying rumble marked destruction, Apocalypse.

Angela’s mind came too, ‘-where am I?’ her vision no longer remained, ‘-I don’t see anything,’ her heart sank, “-I CAN’T SEE!”

“Calm down,” stronger hands lifted her in a princess carry, “-you’ll see again, just drop the act.”

An explosion of white wiped everything. No one remained, no one, there was nothing. Consider a place without feature, without land, and without much – now, having wiped matter, one ought to imagine water at a standstill. Take that and remove the color, and any reflection it might have – one is left with transparency; however, the latter is empty for there’s nothing to see onto. Take color, wipe black, wipe white – after having removed everything, such is the end product. Simply, nothing.

Chambers of Cores; the same room whereby many worlds laid on pedestals. Torches lit the way forward, ‘-what is the master after?’ pondered Vesper. A thick engraved mirror held her reflection, she leaned, a hand reached and pulled, and her body thrust into a white room with a single chair. Windows gave into space – stars and distant orbs.

“Master?”

“Vesper, welcome to the true Chambers of Cores. You haven’t been here, have you?”

“No?”

“It’s the place Julius and I built to house the many cores governing stability. The white room is important for your safety.”

“Why?”

He summoned a puppet, opened a window, and pushed one hand through. Her expression said all, ‘-disintegration.’

“Those without my express permission can never truly enter the plane where the cores reside. It’s a safety measure. Your people have done good keeping watch and for that, I ought you a great deal. Thus, Vesper, as leader of the Monsters, what is your wish?”

“Our wish?” she leaned in thought, “-master, why spring said question?”

“Service ought be rewarded. Consider it my way of saying thank you. You can have anything within my capabilities.”

“Then, there’s only one thing I want. We want answers about what happened to our people in the Tower of Aria. Monsters we send don’t return – it has our people in complete anguish. We love to battle, fighting adventurers is our work – we need to get back what was taken. Master, please, look into what happened to Kanad and Kylsha, the other floor guardians too, they’ve disappeared. Also, lady Lilith and Miira have stopped sending their reports. Formle and I are quite worried. The valkyries have dawned their armor... a feeling of war has engulfed the Shadow Realm, my lord.”

“I see,” he looked onto a newly added core, “-Gieol,” came a smile, “-a core to keep the Shadow’s invincibility,” a cold side-glance landed, “-Vesper, I apologize for not knowing about the disappearances. If they’re gone, I fear only one is responsible, my step-brother.”

“You have a brother my lord?”

“Yes, I have many siblings from what Grostian said. Speaking of him, I want you to look after the man. He’s forsaken most of what makes him a god and will be reborn as one of the Shadows. I trust you know what comes, Vesper?”

“No problem my king, it will be done.”

A flash closed the realm. Vesper turned left, Igna moved right, and the Chambers of Cores laid as the backdrop.

‘What did I do to deserve this? I tried to be a hero, I didn’t want to be at his mercy. The prophecy can’t come to pass. I have to act, I must, for the safety of life, I have to try!’

*Clop, clop, clop,* footsteps rang, “-Angela, care for some tea?” echoed a snicker, her heart sank and the hands trembled, “-we have much to speak on, like how you tried to kill me... ha-ha-ha.”