I was once again covered in destruction. This time, rather than them being flames, they were my armor.
The violet flames shone with a transcending glow. Mesmerizing in its beauty and horror.
I looked around. There weren't any flames reaching towards the sky. There weren't corpses strewn about like they were toys. There was nothing. Just a wasteland. Empty. As if all life had been purged from existence. After a few minutes that felt like eternity. I saw it. Snow. Gliding gently towards the ground.
A Mesmerizing sight. It also gave me information on where I most likely was. That being Antarctica. Or the hollow mountains. But the mountains were colossal. I doubted they would have been destroyed to such a degree.
But it was an option nonetheless.
I stared at the ground slowly being covered by snow. The sight was so peaceful, so normal..
I hadn't seen peace in what felt like decades. Always fighting. Always planning. With no rest.
Now? I had time to enjoy this. This peace. This is what I strived for. What I struggled for. What I bled and sweated for. This peaceful moment. The feeling of having no worries in your heart, thinking you might become a meal for a creature you never saw coming.
Then I heard a voice. A voice I knew well by this point.
"You have not been training." A statement, not a question.
I stared towards the sky, where Grey's presence would ussualy manifested.
"I don't believe I can learn much more, I need to wait for my next boon," I answered, not missing a beat.
There was silence for a long moment. Then a chuckle rang out.
"What makes you think you will receive a boon, without the spell's authority over you?"
Time seemed to freeze. And for once, it wasn't static void. It was my own mind. The answer seemed so obvious. Of course, how would he receive a trial, let alone a boon? When he lacked the proper connection to the spell. I couldn't even receive memories from kills anymore. How would I even receive a boon?
I looked towards the sky once again, a question leaving my lips.
"Well, what should I even train? I don't even know how!"
There was another chuckle. Then, Full-blown laughter.
"You? Don't know? Don't make me laugh."
There was another soft chuckle, before Grey spoke again.
"You created an ability I couldn't even comprehend at first, you know how." A sentence so simple, yet so complex rang out through the space around us.
"You mean the domain?"
I couldn't see it, but I got the feeling that Grey had nodded.
I scoffed, "That was a desperate attempt that worked. And the consequences of using it too much are obvious."
There was another chuckle, it seemed Grey was livelier than usual.
"The idea is magnificent. You just need to refine it. As for training? Trial and error."
Then Grey's presence vanished as if he never was there to begin with.
A scowl graced my lips. Of course, I couldn't get a proper answer out of him. I rarely could.
But this also opened my eyes to my own stupidity. And the path to mastering my abilities. Godstep was as good as it would get without enhancing my aether.
Static void and Destruction as well.
That only left my own ability that I had created. The domain.
But Grey had confirmed my suspicion. I could create abilities to an extent. A truly fearsome ability.
An ability to create abilities. Even if to an extent, it was overwhelming. And the extent was huge. The power of the domain proved it. Even if it came at the cost of my own soul.
The world started darkening around me. And I realized, I was waking up from this "vision".
However, my mind stayed on the topic of training. What sort of ability could I create? What was I even missing? I had the raw power. The versatility. The utility. A trump card. I could only further these fields. Not unlock new ones.
The real question was. Which should be the priority?
My power? Or another trump card?
And as darkness surged towards me. My mind was already awakening, and I came to the realization of "why not both?"
And as the words left my lips, I awoke.
***
Arthur's eyes fluttered open. The golden feline-like eyes focused on the ceiling with something dangerous. Sunny watched him from the side. It had been a while since he saw Arthur actually sleep while not being in a "nightmare".
But Sunny was now sure. From the look in Arthur's eyes, he wasn't sleeping. He was most likely dragged in by Grey.
Sunny let out an amused chuckle. He was sure one day Arthur would just awake and randomly become a Sovereign.
Not that he would oppose such. The world needed more people like Arthur. Not like himself, a "destroyer". Not like other people, the "builders". Arthur was both yet neither at the same time. He created and destroyed. Killed and saved. If Arthur decides something, he will do it. No but's, no questions. No hesitation. And for that. Sunny respected him. Not only as a friend, but a comrade as well. And now that he had joined, he would see what sort of leader Arthur truly was.
***
Layla stared at one of her saviors silently. She could see he had changed. Not physically. Not in power. But in something else. Perhaps it was purpose. Perhaps his goals had shifted, perhaps grown. She didn't care much. As long as he didn't go on a killing spree on innocents. She wouldn't mind him finding and slaughtering the ones who attacked her squad though.
At the thought, Layla's face morphed into a sadistic grin. That vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Silas stared at her from the side. A few droplets of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.
He had almost forgotten how scary the woman could be.
He didn't mind it too much. As long as it was directed at the creatures. But her wicked grins and smiles were visibly more sadistic when it involved humans. And Silas had learned how to differentiate those expressions long ago.
[A/n: Drunk. Exhausted. Sick. Nothing but annoyances. Annoyances that try to stop me from writing with their weak attempts of weakening me.
Ahem. How are yall?]
Thanks for reading and support!