In Beastworld, within the white space of the grimoire, the old spirit opened a portal and appeared.
Before him stood Tenebria as usual, though her gaze felt somewhat detached.
“Bad news. That damn other you has done something crazy again. She broke all my rules set over Ilun. The whole continent is currently frozen in time. I am out of ideas on what to do here. Do you have anything? You are good with time after all.” Spirit muttered.
“What are you doing here, you old bastard?” Tenebria suddenly spoke. “Was it not arranged that you would make sure Sacra functioned properly while I handled the Chosen Project?” Tenebria shouted.
“What are you talking about? Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Spirit shouted back.
“What do you mean?” She asked, confused.
“Do you not remember what happened and what is going on?” Spirit questioned.
He floated closer to her and scanned her, furrowing his brow. “Who are you?” He asked.
“I am Tenebria, the spirit of the Time Grimoire and a soul fragment of Nyx Tenebris.” She spoke automatically.
“Oh, no. A new spirit has been activated. What the hell happened to the old you?” He muttered. “Grimoire, access the last iteration’s final memories,” Spirit commanded.
She stared at him, confused, before a mana screen flickered to life and showed how Kai summoned her and how she sacrificed herself to help heal him. The last image showed him crumbling into dust, cutting away before Hydragon emerged and morphed into an egg.
She watched her other self scream, cry, and sacrifice, and tears streamed down her cheeks as memories of Nyx Tenebris crying over Kaleth’s body surfaced.
“I see. So, we lost another one.” She spoke, crying.
The old Spirit collapsed, tears soaking his long beard as he spoke, his lips trembling. “Kai, you fool. You promised to visit me again. You promised to show me more interesting abilities. Why did you go and fight the Enemy’s general for?”
“Things are going from bad to worse. The Realmwall is barely going to last a few more years, if that. And Luminarius is starting another war. And I lost the old you.” He wept.
“Don’t worry. We can manage, you old bastard. If you hadn’t made me back then, I would not have suffered for so long.” She sighed and helped him up.
“Now tell me about this ‘other me’ and what she has done to Ilun?” Tenebria asked, trying to occupy her thoughts.
***
Eastsun Continent – The Seven Towers
Within the Council of Eastsun's personal meeting room, all Seraphs and Archons of the Seven Towers Alliance had assembled.
Merrylius sat hunched over the round table, his hair scattered wildly.
“It would seem that another Divine War is starting, and just a week ago Ilun was struck by a Primordial-level catastrophe. The whole continent has been lost to time. Frozen for eternity.” He spoke, his eyes darting crazily around the room.
“Are you certain? Did you verify everything?” Seraine questioned.
“I did. Don’t question me.” He replied coldly.
“Well, you seem moody.” Brian cut in.
“Enough, Brian. The situation is dire.” Fredrick the Templar cut him off.
“What do you want us to do? What can we do?” Kaila the Red Lightning asked.
“Liliya has ascended to Archon and infiltrated the Central Continent. She has asked us to gather the forces of Eastsun and march on the Eldari. She will handle Licht.” Merrylius spoke. “Though I find this far too risky. I would suggest that we close off Eastsun and prepare to defend ourselves.” He added.
“What?! You would betray Liliya like that?” Seraine shouted.
“What do you expect? Us to attack Licht? He is practically a god in mortal flesh.” Merrylius rasped.
“What does it matter? With Liliya there and her new magic, we have a chance to finally end the eons of Eldari rule over this realm.” Seraine argued.
“I agree with Merrylius. It would be suicide.” Brian agreed.
“I dislike the brat, but he is right.” Fredrick nodded.
“Are you all gutless?! I disagree.” Kaila stood up, slamming her hand onto the table as red arcs of lightning scattered around her.
“I have lived far longer than any of you, and that is not without reason. I have followed the whispers of fate and obeyed them. Listen to me. In this war that is coming, death will swallow everyone. We must hide and wait it out.” Merrylius spoke.
“If only we had the Eternal Flame...” He sighed. “Whoever wishes to go help Liliya may do so. But I am protecting our lands as I have for all these years.” He added.
“I will move the Paladins to raise the barriers around our lands. Zenith and Paleria can do as they wish. Screw them.” Brian chuckled.
“I will move the Templars to our most critical positions in case the Nords decide to get brave, and luckily, Ilun is already lost,” Fredrick said.
“Then it is agreed. We protect Eastsun and leave the outside powers to slaughter each other.” Merrylius concluded.
“I am leaving for the Central Continent. In case something happens to me, I name Lisa Sorgaz as my successor. And I am deeply and utterly disappointed in all of you.” Seraine spoke coldly as she left.
“Wait, I am leaving as well,” Kaila said and hmphed coldly before following her.
“Their funeral...” Merrylius muttered before adding, “If only I had the Eternal Flame... Where are you, boy?!”
***
Westland Continent, Southern Everdale Forest
Behind an emerald round table, the Archons and Seraphs of the Sylvan race sat gathered.
Heliconia, the Sylvan Queen, frowned. “The temporal storms are getting worse. The flora on the furthest southern shores is withering at impossible speeds.”
“There is nothing we can do, my Queen. We lost Archon Roza when she went to investigate. Nothing remains of her but dust.” Seraph Amarath spoke.
“Damn that Witch and damn that old Spirit. Oh, don’t worry; Ilun is under my watch. Fuck!” She roared and slammed her fist onto the table, which somehow remained intact.
“Good thing we reinforced the table,” Amarath muttered quietly.
“What about Eastsun? I sent a request to that shriveled Merrylius. He is the strongest Archon in Sacra; he must have a way to stop this.” She shouted.
“My Queen, the Seven Towers have refused our request. They claim that they have troubles of their own.” Sylvan Archon in emerald robes said.
“Petuniella, did you tell him what I am willing to pay?” Heliconia asked.
“Yes. He said that under different circumstances he would accept, but this time he would have to decline.” The Archon sighed.
“What about you? Did Eiron say anything?” She turned toward Root Herald, seated at the table.
Herald’s eyes flashed green as he spoke. “Lord Eiron has said that you should not worry about the situation, that someone we all know is there right now handling it.”
“More cryptic nonsense. Aaah, my head is killing me.” She stood.
“Amarath, prepare our magicrafts. I am going there personally to witness this.” She commanded.
“But, my Queen, that is suicide. If we are struck by the temporal storms, we are all dead regardless of our strength.” Amarath complained.
“We won’t die. I have Eiron’s relic on me. I will protect us, but I need to see what is happening there.” She spoke and gave him a cold look.
Amarath sighed and stood. “Everyone, follow me. May the viridian spirits help us all.”
***
Kai, the Witch, and Arthraxius stood within the main hall of the frozen mansion.
Outside the main gates, an enormous titan of death wielding spirit flames was frozen mid-swing while Scry and Umbra were caught in the middle of some argument.
Voiceless assassins hung frozen mid-scream, scattered throughout the air, as the titan’s burning blade had cleaved them apart just as time came to a halt.
All living beings on Ilun had been frozen for nearly two weeks in real time. Even the monstrous beasts inhabiting the southern seas remained unmoving.
But while Ilun itself was preserved, the southern regions of Eastsun and Westland were currently being devoured by temporal storms.
Tenebria floated above Beastworld and raised her Grimoire into the air, using it as a shield while she and the Old Spirit slowly moved behind it as it absorbed the loose laws of time.
“Why did you leave her alone if she was this dangerous?” Tenebria asked as they moved.
“She was greatly weakened by her last breakdown, and I didn’t have it in me to take away the only thing she had left. It’s not her fault that Nyx discarded all her emotions and created her and those six masks. Just like how I ended up with this damned body.” Spirit cursed.
“I can understand that, but still...” Tenebria sighed. “All of this because of one family.” She sighed again.
“Well, I mean, you are right. All of this!” He pointed at everything around them and smiled softly. “Because of one family.”
A smile cracked across Tenebria’s cold face. “I see what you did there.” She shook her head and forced herself onward.
***
Back on Ilun, within the Witch’s soul, Kai was currently absorbing enormous amounts of knowledge and memories from her.
“Why did you have to destroy half of Sacra just to kill the beasts? Why not leave them alive?” He questioned.
“They made me sick. Living peacefully, building cities, holding festivals, while my Kaleth was gone. They should all be gone as well if they were of no help to me.” She spoke coldly.
He felt rage rise within him, but he forced himself to let it go. Her soul was currently being stripped of everything that had made her half of a Second Primordial God.
Kai continued absorbing her memories and then smiled. “Got them! So, you kept their souls? Well, all except Byakura?” He asked.
“They are in my room, stuffed inside a relic.” She shrugged lifelessly.
“Better for you that they are fine.” He growled.
Five more days passed like that until, finally, with a sonic boom, all the temporal energy was sucked inward toward the mansion and into Kai’s inner universe. Within his soul, a small seed was finally engraved with all six laws, and once it was complete, it merged into his World Serpent.
His universe expanded once more, now reaching the size of a small galaxy, and upon his own world, the first living beings appeared within the seas. Some were lizard-like and draconic, while others resembled fish and primitive invertebrates. Though all were already evolving at an immense rate due to the increasing time difference.
Kai opened his eyes and tossed the Witch toward Arthraxius, who stood there gasping for air.
“That was hell!” He growled as he grabbed the Witch.
“You were aware of what was going on?” Kai asked, amazed.
“I was, yes. I am a god after all.” He spoke proudly.
“Hah, a Low God. Barely counts.” She scoffed mockingly.
Arthraxius sniffed her, his face turning draconic, and laughed. “You did this?” He turned toward Kai.
“I did. She is a mortal woman now. We will bring her to Eastsun.” Kai explained.
“Good, good. I like the idea. I will go and see if those two mischievous crazies are fine. I sense that you have something else to do here.” Arthraxius spoke and dragged the woman away.
Kai nodded and made his way toward her room.
***
Outside, Umbra’s titan continued the slaughter while she joined in. Each punch she threw released a spark of deathly mana that chained to every enemy behind the first target, killing them all with a single strike.
Scry took out a notebook and wrote down what he observed, then descended and attempted something similar.
He swiped with his massive claw and released a small flaming beam that spread like a plague and continued piercing anything that radiated heat until it struck Umbra in the back, forcing her to scatter it.
“Hey, you moron. Watch where you are aiming!” She roared.
“Oh, sorry, birdbrain. Honest mistake.” He took out his notebook and wrote down a few corrections to the formula just as Arthraxius exited the mansion and stared with his mouth hanging open.
“What in the Nine Hells are you two doing?”
“We are testing. Right, birdbrain?” Scry chuckled.
“Aye. We need to test the ideas we came up with, and these new powers, on these bastards who are sturdier than some gods. They keep popping back up. Though suddenly they started dying easily.” Umbra explained just as she landed behind Sorrow.
“Can you spare me? Please?” He suddenly fell to his knees, crying. He was the only one who wore no mask and could still speak.
Arthraxius tossed the Witch toward Scry. “Watch over her!” Then he flew toward Sorrow.
He grabbed him by the neck before Umbra could snatch him and sealed his core.
“We will have Kai decide what to do with you. You are her right-hand man after all, correct?” Arthraxius growled.
“Yes, my lord. I will await my fate.” He nodded, crying.
“Oh, pipe down, you damn crybaby,” the Witch shouted from the back.
***
Somewhere in the outer universe, a being of pure darkness stood before countless corrupted gods, dragons, and spirits.
“Origin is finally leading me toward the other side. After all these years, a path has revealed itself, and it is time for us to bring silence to countless realms!”
And the gathered masses erupted into cheers.