Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 78 to Epilogue (Patreon)

Chapter 78

The Void resisted Ruwen’s teleport as soon as he left the area of the island. It had worked earlier because he’d traveled toward the island. Now though, he floated in the Void. He could return to the island, but he really wanted to reach the distant mass of energy spilling into the Void.

Rami hadn’t had a chance to tell Ruwen how to navigate the Void so he didn’t have anything to go on. That wasn’t true, and he studied the Sound of Silence that Avatar of Cycles Specialization generated.

The passive ability constantly generated tiny ripples in a sphere around Ruwen and in the silence of the Void, he could hear them. It reminded him of wind rushing through a forest combined with the faint ringing of chimes.

Ruwen switched to Harmony and his Bard ability Harmonic Sight activated, revealing the secrets of the Void’s nothingness. Sound of Silence created a sphere around him and it reminded him of being underwater. Surrounding him single note tones darted around like tiny translucent fish. Harmonic Knowledge flooded his mind with the details and how to create them himself.

 For a moment Ruwen couldn’t think as joy and gratitude consumed him. He’d missed these abilities he’d taken for granted. Now the world once again appeared rich and dense, even parts of the Void.

The matrix that Sound of Silence generated allowed Ruwen to move using the fabric of the spell as leverage. As he walked across this fabric the field continued to generate in front of him. He could run and jump forward, but it was a slow method of travel.

Snap it like a whip, Overlord said.

Ruwen understood and with a mental hand reached behind him, gripped the fabric, and snapped it to create a small ripple.

Perhaps Ruwen overdid it, because instead of a ripple a massive wave formed and struck him almost immediately. It launched him toward the falling energy, but it didn’t appear he traveled very fast.

As Ruwen approached the wall of Spirit that dropped into nothing, he revaluated his velocity. Without anything to judge his speed it had felt slow, but in reality, he moved insanely fast.

Ah, any ideas on how to slow down? Ruwen asked.

Before anyone could respond, Ruwen smashed into the Spirit and his body shuddered from the impact. As he traveled deeper into the energy he felt himself slowing.

Start absorbing, Uruziel said. If you don’t, Darkness only knows how far this will push you down into the Void.

Flashing back, Ruwen remembered the first time he’d Harvested with an empty center. Sitting in front of Madda and Padda in the Black Pyramid. Sift sat next to him and they were laughing about their auras being intertwined.

Instead of a small alchemical flask without air, Ruwen imagined the vast emptiness of space inside his center. He remembered sitting on his Shed with the star Shiny in the distance. The empty expanse had seemed especially lonely as he and Overlord sat there isolated from what felt like existence itself.

Ruwen’s center responded. The small flask had altered the weather around the Black Pyramid as he sucked energy from the surrounding air. The hand-sized flask didn’t compare to the immense emptiness of space, and the results were correspondingly dramatic.

The Void around Ruwen was an absence of anything, but space was only empty, and it wanted to be full. The dense Spirit around him disappeared, sucked into his center to fill the endless black hole of emptiness that he remembered around Shiny.

Ruwen stopped moving as the pillar of Spirit that extended above him dropped into his center and the Spirit below reversed its flow and was sucked up and into his center. He had certainly overdone it and he tried dismissing the image of himself sitting on that lonely Shed. He’d replace it with the tried-and-true empty flask.

The image wouldn’t budge. And in a blink the torrent of Spirit became so great it forced him to deal with it before his center burst.

Ruwen tried compressing the Spirit and twisting it into the one-sided core that had served him so well, but he’d already absorbed so much Spirit, it had become too dense to shape.

Heavens Spirit Maze from Ruwen’s Aspect bled twenty percent of the Spirit into the surroundings, but his center just pulled it right back.

The one-sided shape that had been the answer to form Ruwen’s core before wouldn’t work with this quantity of Spirit. He tried moving away, but his Sound of Silence didn’t provide enough leverage to overcome the strength of the Spirit flow. There was nothing near him that he could latch on to and pull himself out either.

Ruwen needed a core shape that could hold more than his simple one-sided figure eight. His Cleverness Attribute triggered, bringing him memories of Xavier. The Celestial and Tremine had helped Ruwen learn the dimensional math to create portals. That math wouldn’t work in the Void since it lacked everything including concepts like math and dimensions.

But Ruwen’s Cleverness didn’t care about the portals, and his memories focused on Xavier himself, specifically how the Celestial never limited his thinking to three dimensions. More memories crashed through Ruwen’s thoughts and he relived the terrible pain of being locked in a circuit of energy transference while inside Shelly.

That accidental energy loop had unlocked Ruwen’s ability to Fortify his body more quickly. Now though, his memory focused on an overlooked detail. Something he’d never noticed since reliving these memories was something only a psychopath would do and when it had actually occurred, he’d been in terrible pain.

Now though, with no options and a dangerously full center that was in real danger of bursting, Ruwen intently studied the memory. And it only took a moment to understand.

Ruwen had been one side of the energy loop and Xavier anchored the other. Ruwen had never cared about how Xavier handled his side, but he know knew that was a mistake. He should have taken Blapy’s reaction to Xavier’s energy as a clue. Why was Xavier special? What about him made the energy he produced of such higher quality.

Those questions had already been answered by the memories Ruwen possessed, and it might explain Xavier’s attitude toward him. The Celestial had revealed critical clues as he fought to survive the energy loop he and Ruwen had formed.

Ruwen had formed a powerful core by using three-dimensional space to create a two-dimensional shape that only had one side. He’d done this by Condensing his Spirit into a flat strip, half-twisting it, and connecting it to itself.

Xavier had tried something similar but instead of using three dimensions he’d used four. Ruwen’s grasp of dimensions had come a long way since that experience with Xavier, but he clearly understood what the Celestial was attempting in that memory.

In fact, Xavier might have detected the shape of Ruwen’s core and used it as the basis for the attempt. Ruwen’s core had one side and one edge, and Xavier had attempted to remove this edge by connecting it to itself. That was obviously impossible in three dimensions, which was why Xavier had used four.

It was like a bottle whose top curved, passed through itself in the fourth dimension and connected to its own bottom in the third dimension. Xavier had improved Ruwen’s strip by removing the edge. Removing the boundary. A one-sided shape in an endless loop.

Ruwen’s previous core was constrained by an edge. It had a finite boundary. A limit. The Xavier bottle didn’t. Without a boundary, it could hold an endless amount of Spirit.

The dimensional portal practice with Tremine and Xavier made manipulating the Spirit inside him possible. In reality, it was simple dimensional manipulation. The difficulty was in conceiving of the possibility to begin with.

Ruwen pulled the edge of the Spirit mass in his center, stretched it through the fourth dimension to pass through itself without intersecting and then reattached the Spirit opposite the location he’d started.

The Spirit in Ruwen’s center collapsed into the Xavier bottle. New Spirit continued to flood his center and was pulled into the bottle where it became trapped in a one-sided boundaryless flow.

That’s beautiful, Uruziel said.

I know, Ruwen responded. I think Xavier is angry and guilty that this amazing idea required me. That guy’s pride really gets him twisted around for no reason.

Oh oh, Overlord said. Look down and then up.

Ruwen glanced down and didn’t see anything. Hadn’t there been a massive amount of Spirit there? He looked up and cursed.

The Inquisitors in their Chapel shaped ships had guided the flow of Spirit to Lalquinrial from a breach they’d made in the Destruction Realm’s reservoir. Now, the entire flow of Spirit from the Destruction Realm streamed into Ruwen. The Spirit headed to Lalquinrial had stopped which meant in not too long the river of power he wielded would run dry.

Worse, Ruwen’s new Xavier core, channeling the attraction of space and now without any boundaries, violently yanked on the torrent of Spirit. As he took in the situation a bright light appeared in the distance and it quickly spread outward like a blooming flower. A significant amount headed toward him.

Did I just rip open the bottom of the Destruction Realm? Ruin asked.

Uruziel responded. I think you just released the entire reservoir at once.

Chapter 79

Ruwen franticly tried to stop Harvesting the Spirit but his attempts proved futile. It reminded him of how he’d almost killed Fractal so long ago. More and more of the reservoir headed toward him. The thousands of Inquisitors that had guided the energy to Lalquinrial desperately accelerated in his direction.

Willpower didn’t have the same strength in the Void as it did in the Destruction Realm and barely slowed Ruwen’s Harvesting. Harmony revealed incredibly dense chords extending from his core and spreading through the Spirit like tentacles. He gathered the Void essence now integrated with his body and tried to slice through the pillar of energy, but it was like slicing through water. He tried make a shield and while the Void essence vaporized some of the Spirit most punched through. Deflecting had the same result.

Not sure what else to try, Ruwen released the mental counterweight to his Saraph body, and his human form folded into his Mind and Body Meridians and his Saraph body expanded from his Destruction Realm Meridians.

Ruin Val’dor now floated in the Void and while he’d successfully stopped the consumption of the Spirit, it still retained the velocity his Harvesting had given it. The tidal wave of Spirit smashed into his Destruction Body. His Apocalyptic Destruction Core absorbed the energy but at a tiny fraction of the pace. It was obvious blood and Destruction essence worked far better to improve his core.

The Spirit torrent slowed and as the Inquisitors neared they saw his Destruction Emperor Class and fled. To Ruin’s relief the distant glowing mass escaping from the Destruction Realm stopped moving in his direction. After he took care of Echo he needed to see how bad he’d damaged the Destruction Realm.

Ruin’s connection with Echo didn’t sense any danger but he turned toward the distant island anyway. If that Spirit played a critical role in their plans, which it probably did, they would soon be in a lot of trouble. He allowed enough Destruction Essence through to create clothes and a cloak.

Using a surge of Mental Energy, Ruin pulled his human body upward out of the Mind and Body Meridian and his Saraph body folded into the Destruction Realm Meridians.

Ruwen studied his core with relief. He’d stopped the flow of Spirit and more importantly, his core had survived the transition to Saraph and back.

Snapping the sound matrix, Ruwen launched himself at the island which rapidly approached. Seconds later, he activated his Divine Domain which latched onto the island’s matter and gave him control over his motion again.

Ruwen raced across the island and his connection with Echo allowed him to pinpoint her quickly. He teleported next to her and expanded his Mind Domain to get a better understanding of the situation.

Echo squeaked in surprise, a very surprising sound coming from the hooded form of Death.

“You again!” Echo yelled.

Lalquinrial still had the river of Spirit supporting him and he shaped the power into simple elements that he used to batter and destroy the Angel formations. Most of the Angels were still the weakest white-winged but far more red, orange, and yellow angels fought now than before.

“What’s your plan when the Spirit dries up?” Ruwen asked.

“Why would that happen?” Echo shot back as she sliced her scythe through the air. Black mist shot outward, entangling a group of three white-wings that had rushed at her.

“Let’s call it a hunch. Come back with me. This isn’t your fight.”

“You are dead,” Lalquinrial stated, keeping his attention on the battlefield. “This is a trick of the Zealot.”

“Three yellows on the left,” Echo said, her voice betraying worry.

“Delay them,” Lalquinrial responded, “a green one has almost finished organizing an array on the right.”

Ruwen switched to Harmony and Harmonic Sight and Knowledge flooded him with information. The beauty of the battlefield stunned him. Lalquinrial’s hordes of demons and Inquisitors fought with discordant tones and broken chords. The angels arrayed before them hovered like notes of divine music. Each one produced a pure tone and he immediately understood the point of the arrays. When the angels grouped together their tones combined into chords which the center angel braided into powerful harmonies. Amplifiers for the music that drifted from the blinding light of the Zealot.

The Zealot remained invisible behind the impossibly thick symphonies that he weaved together with perfection. Colored rays stretched outward from the Zealot to every angel, empowering them. The color of the beam matched the angels’ wings. It reminded Ruwen of a glorious sunset.

“It’s so beautiful,” Ruwen thought.

It was only when Echo responded that Ruwen realized he’d spoken out loud. “You get weirder every time I see you.” Then after a moment she added. “Father said you were dead.”

“You almost sound happy to see me,” Ruwen responded. “And your father is wrong about a lot of things.”

Echo pointed her scythe at a pair of rapidly approaching green-wings. “Are you going to stand around or help.”

Ruwen teleported behind the three yellow-wings Echo had trapped and was trying to destroy. He studied the green-winged angels as they launched beams of green light at him. So confident were they in their superiority they didn’t bother to slow.

“Move you idiot!” Echo screamed.

Ruwen spread his four wings and waited. He’d already determined from the construction and density of the green beams that he wasn’t in any danger.

The attack vaporized Ruwen’s clothes since the Destruction Essence they were made from was susceptible to Soul based magic. His skin grew warm as the energy tried to penetrate his Demigod skin. Then in an instant all the power disappeared.

Before Ruwen could investigate the two green-wings crashed into him. Their featureless faces didn’t change but he imagined they were both surprised that he still remained.

A loud explosion, like a crack of thunder, radiated outward from their impact. Ruwen, hovering in the air, didn’t move an inch. This close, he could see the angels were constructed mostly of insanely dense Soul power.

Ruwen folded his top wings around the pair of angels and triggered the destructive harmonies his wings contained.

As they dissolved Ruwen detected a pulse down the thread that connected them to the Zealot. When it reached the dying angels, they detonated.

The explosion vaporized everything in a hundred feet including the three yellow-wings Echo was struggling to kill.

Green liquid coated Ruwen and smoke rose as it charred his skin. He would survive but it would be a very painful few minutes as the liquified Soul power slowly burned away.

This time Ruwen detected what happened, likely because the process took far longer due to the potency of the Soul power. First his permanent buff Soul Well activated.

Name: Soul Well 

Description: Absorb a percentage of soul power based on your level.

Then Ruwen’s Xaiver Core latched onto the energy and despite it being Soul and not Spirit, Harvested it.

This activated the Scarecrow Aspect Hood of Guarding which triggered Heaven’s Spirit Maze due to the density of the power. The hood buffered the dense energy and began bleeding twenty percent into the surroundings to protect Ruwen from bursting his core. This had been the ability that triggered during his fight with Phoenix long ago in the Spirit Realm. It had saved his life back then. This time, completely disrespecting this life saving measure, his core Harvested this power before it could dissipate.

Ruwen’s chest burned and he clenched his jaw at the pain. This was catastrophic. When he’d fought Ceplotryn in the god’s own Divine Realm, Ruwen had been tricked into absorbing a small amount of Soul energy. This had made his core feel like it held crushed glass and he couldn’t use Spirit. That had been just a drop compared to the ocean of Soul power he’d just Harvested. Did his Xavier core want to kill him?

I knew it, Uruziel said.

Ruwen activated Last Breath to give him time to prepare for the incoming pain.

That I’m going to have a useless core again? Ruwen asked.

No. That reservoir of power the Destruction Realm held was vastly Spirit, but not completely. It contained Soul energy as well. And while you panicked about how to stop absorbing all that power, I detected a significant amount of Soul energy being Harvested. I’ve watched carefully since, but you didn’t show a single side effect. Not only that, after a bit I can’t even detect the Soul energy in your core anymore. It’s like it disappeared.

The Soul Well passive activated. Do you think that’s what kept the pain away?

No, I think if you hadn’t figured out a way to advance your core that passive would’ve sucked in all this Soul energy and probably destroyed your entire Spiritual network. You are incredibly lucky. Your new core turned that liability into a massive advantage.

All that luck really paid off.

You have no idea. Do you think in all this time you and Xavier are the only ones to figure out a one-dimensional shape with no boundary might be vastly better than a shape with the limitation of an edge? You literally created the solution the moment it entered your thoughts. I’m still trying to figure out how you did it and I watched you do it.

So you think I can absorb Soul energy safely. Like its no different than Spirit.

Yes.

Can I absorb my own Soul power?

So greedy. No, your Soul is always radiating especially at its new level, but your core ignores it. The energy needs to come from outside yourself.

Ruwen considered the implications. It would give him a massive defensive advantage if he could siphon away Soul attacks. Perhaps he could even face this Zealot and survive.

Ruwen didn’t mention that to Uruziel, but he had another idea. You said it looked like the Soul power disappeared from my core. Remember when Blapy detected whatever Xavier had done with his energy when Shelly dropped us off at the Black Pyramid. That likely happened because of his energy passing through the fourth dimension right. Maybe whatever is happening during that transition is also affecting the Soul energy.

I’ll study it. You just Harvested an incredible amount of insanely dense energy. It should be enough for me to form a hypothesis about what’s happening. Don’t think this makes you invincible.

What? Why would you even say that.

Uruziel didn’t respond. Ruwen wondered if he’d given away his thoughts about fighting the Zealot somehow. Confident he wasn’t about to fall over incapacitated from pain, he released Last Breath.

 In seconds the green liquid sank into Ruwen’s body, drawn inward by his greedy core. His inner chest burned but it felt more like a runaway reaction and less like his core exploding.

“What the actual hell,” Echo said as she appeared beside Ruwen.

“What?”

Echo waved her scythe in a dismissive gesture. “Nothing. I’ve just picked up some surprisingly satisfying curses lately.”

“What the actual hell,” Ruwen repeated. “I like that.”

“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it. Don’t use my stuff.”

Echo looked around. “Where are the greenies? And why are you naked again. You have a problem.”

Ruwen kept the blood from his cheeks and casually recreated his clothes from Destruction Essence. Before he could respond to Echo’s question about the two green-winged angels that now circulated in his core, she sighed loudly.

“Just a hunch, huh?”

Ruwen followed her gaze and watched as the last of the Spirit dribbled into Lalquinrial. The river of power had suddenly run dry.

Ruwen tried to keep his voice level and innocent. “That’s weird.”

Chapter 80

Ruwen followed Echo as she teleported to her father. Lalquinrial stared into the sky as if trying to determine if the power would return.

Hey, Overlord said, get closer to one of those arrays. I have an idea.

Okay, give me a second.

Ruwen placed a hand above his eyes as if shielding them from the sun. “Looks dry. We should go.”

Lalquinrial glanced at the nearby Inquisitor. Ruwen knew this one as the Dark Priest who Blapy had imprisoned in the Black Pyramid. Without any verbal commands the Inquisitor raced into the sky to determine what had happened.

Since trying to convince Echo to leave before she knew how dire her situation was would be pointless, he took the opportunity to help Overlord with whatever he was doing.

“I’ll be right back,” Ruwen said. “Don’t wait for me if you get the urge to head home.”

The green and yellow angels Lalquinrial had been attacking appeared stunned, but they were quickly recovering. Ruwen leaped to their position and landed in the middle of the first group. Overlord and Vex appeared and a moment later Vex raced into the sky toward a distant array.

Ruwen stretched his Mental Domain, funneling ten percent of his Mental Energy into pushing it outward until it covered the distant array. He didn’t want an accident to happen and lose Overlord.

The three yellow angels rose to their feet and all summoned glowing white swords.

“I have one of those,” Ruwen said and produced a sword in each hand. “Two actually.”

The angels attacked silently but in a coordinated fashion. Ruwen guessed one of the nearby green winged angels was controlling them. Ten white-winged angels rushed to help.

Ruwen had noticed Nameless while using Harmony, latched like a black leech on Lalquinrial’s head. Ruwen had ignored the nihilist Narrator that had originated inside his mind. He continued to ignore Nameless as the creature approached and then attacked Ruwen from behind.

Just before Nameless struck the back of Ruwen’s neck, he dismissed his swords, spun around, and grabbed the shadowy creature with a Harmony enhanced hand. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about you.”

“I will destroy you,” Nameless hissed.

“You see, that’s my point. You emit a single tone. Destruction.”

The angels attacking Ruwen had almost reached him and he weaved harmonic chains that pinned them all to the ground. When a green-winged angel launched a spell he redirected the energy into a temporary shield.

“Truth must be revealed,” Nameless stated.

“Yes, but your method is just an excuse to avoid the pain of growing. In fact, you demonstrate this fear by destroying everything that is developing all under the guise of finding this hidden truth.”

The angels behind Ruwen, unable to move, cast spell after spell, but his shield held.

“You expose your weakness,” Nameless said. “Protecting everything only gives lies cover to propagate.”

“True, which is why balance is so important. Either end of this spectrum stunts one’s ability to develop. You showed me that Nameless. You were a foil that highlighted the problems of the path I walked. Well, to be honest, Hamma cleverly pointed all this out, but I’d like to think I’d have figured it out someday.”

“I am nothing like you. My purpose is pure.”

“You’re right. We’re nothing alike anymore. The naive idealistic person that created you was forced to face his fears and grow. Now, I choose it. The saddest part is that because you refuse to view the world from another perspective, you create the lies that hide the truth you seek. You are a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

“The truth is stronger than any of us and can survive our feeble methods to destroy it. Your philosophy is weak. Your purpose diluted. That is why you’ll fail. That is why you’ll die.”

“Perhaps, but your fatal flaw is your complete confidence that you’re right. It leaves you helpless against anything that refutes your position. This explains why you wrap yourself in denial.”

The spell shield had almost failed and Ruwen sensed another ten angels approaching through the air toward him. He needed to finish this up.

Nameless squirmed in Ruwen’s grasp. “Flawed, helpless, denial—you project your weakness onto me. My determination gives me strength. Your self-assured babble means nothing. You are scared to face me because you fear the depth of my purpose.”

“I’ll give you your chance, Nameless. Enjoy Purgatory. It’s fitting you returned home. Be careful in the Bamboo.”

Then Ruwen smashed the Narrator into his forehead where it disappeared.

“Thank you for the valuable lesson,” Ruwen whispered.

Ruwen summoned his swords and turned to face the twenty-three angels that struggled against his harmonic shield. He dropped the barrier and for a moment the angels froze in surprise.

Hey, Overlord said, this array is powering up. I need the info from Harmonic Sight and Knowledge.

Ruwen sighed, dismissed his swords and held up a finger. “One second.”

Ruwen teleported to Overlord who floated in front of a massive array. In the middle hovered a green-winged angel. The surrounding array was built from yellow-wings. The two angels closest to the middle, had their wings spread and they touched above and below the green-winged angel. Around these angels, three more angels with spread and touching wings encased the inner angels. On and on this went, each circle gaining more angels. Five, then eight, and finally thirteen.

Ruwen channeled everything Harmony showed him to Overlord, quickly moving over the entire array so nothing was missed.

Perfect, Overlord said. Thanks.

No problem.

Before Ruwen left he wrapped Harmony around the two innermost yellow-wings and smashed them together on the middle green’s head. It didn’t kill any of the three angels, but it ruined their array temporarily.

As Ruwen teleported back to his own angels he thought of something else. Hey, don’t forget the Zealot is part of that array as well. They’re going to send a burst of energy at this middle guy and the surrounding angels amplify it and send it back to the middle, who then directs it. These arrays really increase the energy potency.

Got it, thanks.

What are you doing anyway?

Overlord didn’t respond and Ruwen let it go since the group of angels he’d originally left had become a mob and they attacked as soon as he returned.

Ruwen fought the white-wings with his swords, used Spirit spells on the yellows, and Harmony against the greens.

This drew a lot of attention, and a tidal wave of additional angles moved toward Ruwen’s location. Massive crystal dragons appeared on each side of him. Soul Power struck the one on the right immediately and he paused, ready to save Uruziel if needed.

The multifaceted crystals reflected ten percent of the attack into the surroundings, and another twenty percent bounced internally between the gems. Uruziel snapped her head down and bit the head off the nearest white-wing.

I should be able to increase that internal reflection to thirty percent, Uruziel said mentally as she spit out the angel’s head.

Sivart spoke up as three beams of white Soul Power struck him. Experiment with making these internal gems moveable. That would allow us to redirect some of this power back at the enemy.

Great idea, Uruziel responded.

Two green-winged angels fifty feet away touched their far palms together, clasped their other hands, and pointed them at Ruwen. A green ray of dense power arced toward him, but Harmony verified it couldn’t hurt him.

A white-wing leaped upward into the path of the green beam and self-destructed. This added energy tripled the power of the attack which struck Ruwen an instant later.

The combination of Ruwen’s Demigod Fortification and his two sets of integrated armor protected him from the worst of it, but it still vaporized the top of his shoulder. He sensed a surge from his Soul and power poured outward. It gathered at his shoulder and in a blink the wound had healed.

Ruwen had kind of forgotten about his Soul. He hadn’t been able to use it for a while and before that it didn’t possess near the power of his other abilities which meant using it wasn’t very efficient. It had increased to level four from level two and he wondered what that type of power looked like.

Not bothering to shape any type of attack, Ruwen focused on his Soul and willed its power outward.

Blinding white light caused Ruwen to squint. Like a damn breaking, level four Soul Power rushed outward in a massive wave completely covering all the nearby angels. He let it go wondering how long it would take for his Soul to empty but after five seconds he shut off the flow himself. Despite the enormous amount of power he’d released, his Soul didn’t seem impacted at all.

The white, red, and orange winged angels had disappeared. Destroyed by the dense energy of Ruwen’s core. The yellows were obviously injured and even the greens appeared stunned.

The distant array had recovered from Ruwen’s head smash and he felt the surge of power from the distant Zealot. It struck the middle green whose body smoked from the energy. He studied the flow of energy through the array with his Harmonic abilities and sent the information to Overlord.

To Ruwen’s surprise the target of the array wasn’t him, but Lalquinrial and Echo.

Ruwen opened his core and yanked downward on the beam. It bent to his will and struck him in the chest which promptly melted, exposing his ribs and charred organs. His core struggled to absorb all the energy which caused the power to puddle in his chest. It felt like salt and glass blending his insides.

Tapping all the raw power that continued to accumulate in Ruwen’s chest, he cast Angelic Field Guardian constantly and then channeled Soul Power into the sky where he shaped it into small crystals. These crystals slowly fell, refracting the distant light of the Zealot which covered the battlefield into millions of rainbows. To keep the crystals airborne, he used more power to create thousands of small tornadoes.

This expenditure allowed Ruwen’s own Soul to get ahead of the damage and he quickly healed, providing some relief from the pain. Scarecrow Aspect clones, tens of thousands of them, fought across the battlefield as Overlord took control of them.

Spells were caught in the crystals snowflakes and reflected or refracted into uselessness.

Ruwen stood up straight as he tracked a group approaching from behind him.

“What are you doing here, Ruwen Starfield?” Lalquinrial asked.

Chapter 81

Ruwen turned and faced the Infernal Lord and Echo.

“Me?” Ruwen asked pointing at himself. “What am I doing here? Oh, well, I’m here because of a noise complaint.”

Lalquinrial just stared at Ruwen.

“Also,” Ruwen said, snapping his fingers. “I wanted to drop by and give Echo something.”

Ruwen accessed his Inventory and wondered if he would need to transform into Ruin Val’dor right in front of them. It turned out he could use his Destruction Realm Inventory and access the Val’dor Vault from here. Only his Void Band remained inaccessible. He’d need to give Blapy a hard time about the poor quality of her Dimensional Storage. He quickly fetched the item for Echo and held it out.

Echo stared at the black book. “Why is it sizzling?”

Ruwen shifted hands and displayed his rapidly healing fingertips. “It’s made from Destruction Essence which doesn’t play well with flesh.”

“What is it,” Echo asked clearly interested.

“Take it,” Ruwen said. “This thing gives me the creeps.”

Echo dismissed her scythe and placed her hands in her armpits. “Tell me.”

Ruwen displayed the items info between them instead.

Name: Grimoire of Mourning
Description: An ancient tome filled with forbidden rituals. The pages are bound in flesh, and the ink extracted from the blood of the damned.

Tower: Death

Quality: Rare

Effect (Passive): +25 Willpower, +20 Intelligence, +15 Wisdom
Effect (Passive): Reduce damage to all minions within 500 feet by 15%.

Effect (Passive): Reflect 10% of damage taken.

Effect (Triggered): Fellowship of Unrest – Temporarily reanimate all enemy dead within 1,000 feet to fight for the caster. Duration and cooldown based on caster’s level, stats, and number of reanimated corpses.

Echo hurriedly stretched out her skeletal hand.

Ruwen knelt a little and peered into the hood. “Are you entirely a skeleton in there?”

Lalquinrial cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt but you were dead, and now you’re here for an unknown reason.”

“Not unknown,” Ruwen responded as Echo greedily took the book. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop off Echo’s book.”

“How did you survive?” Lalquinrial asked.

“Now that is a bit more complicated.”

Ruwen believed Lalquinrial craved validation of a truth that contradicted his nihilistic beliefs. The Infernal Lord had admitted as much when he’d thought Ruwen had died beneath the five Towers.

Lalquinrial had told Ruwen: "A small part of me hoped you'd stop me...That you would save this Universe. It would mean I'd lost my way, yes, but it would also mean I'd lived my life in the truth. Now we both know, beyond any doubt, that our Universe is a dream"

“This fight is pointless,” Ruwen told Lalquinrial. “That Zealot will kill all of us. You deserve it, but what about Echo?”

“The truth—”

“Doesn’t exist,” Ruwen interrupted. “Not in the absolute sense you seek.”

“What do you know of the truth? You wish to remain in a dream.”

“Perhaps we are a dream,” Ruwen pointed behind him at the bright horizon. “But that way is a nightmare. You think they have the answers? The truth? They don’t. The answers were taken from them. The truth hidden. Realms separated.” He stepped closer to Lalquinrial. “And it was done on purpose.”

“How can you know such things?” Lalquinrial asked.

Ruwen closed his eyes and decided how much he should share. Deciding, he stepped closer to Lalquinrial bringing their faces within a foot. The scent of cinnamon filled the air as Echo grew nervous.

Ruwen locked eyes with Lalquinrial. “The irony of your choices would be a comedy if they didn’t produce such tragic consequences. You’re like a starving dog ignoring the steak at your feet as you sniff for crackers. You are lost Lalquinrial. If you’d only stop to look you’d see the truth that surrounds you.” He stepped back and pointed at the Dark Priest behind Lalquinrial. “Did you stop to wonder why they don’t have Souls? Chakras? Why is that?”

Lalquinrial had lost some of his confidence. “A different Realm, obviously.”

Ruwen laughed. “That is a discussion for another time. Let me tell you a secret about the Zealot in your way. They don’t have chakras. Or blood magic. Or mind magic. They only have a soul.”

Ruwen stepped closer to Lalquinrial again and pushed a finger into the Infernal Lord’s chest. “Guess who has all those things. And the possibility of more.”

Understanding appeared in Lalquinrial’s eyes, and Ruwen stepped away.

“You have it backwards. We’re here because we’re special. A treasure hidden away. I’m only starting to understand the possible reasons, but I can tell you none of them are good.”

Ruwen stepped out of Lalquinrial’s personal space. “You and the other deities abandoned the truth when you lost your humanity. Of all the gods, Lalquinrial, you had the chance of finding it again.” Ruwen nodded meaningfully at Echo. “You already possess the truth you seek, and I think you know that.”

Everything froze, including Ruwen.

Status? Ruwen asked.

Paralyzed, Uruziel said from her crystal dragon.

And unable to return home, Sivart added.

I’m fine here, Overlord said from Ruwen’s mind, but I can’t get past Purgatory.

A white disk materialized between Ruwen and Lalquinrial and a moment later a figure appeared atop it. On the horizon the bright sun of the Zealot faded.

The man didn’t appear much older than Ruwen, likely in his early twenties. He had short cropped blonde hair, brown eyes, and a pious demeanor. He had the build of a scholar not a fighter. A black band with ten golden starbursts circled his neck, and he clasped a small prayer book in his hands.

Ruwen had never dismissed the tracking anchor Zylkin had placed on his shadow. And the assassin took advantage of that now.

Zylkin rose from Ruwen’s shadow and immediately plunged a black blade into the newcomer’s back. It was a precise strike, rupturing the spinal cord and causing instant paralysis. Before Zylkin could remove the blade to strike again the man turned and casually struck the assassin with the prayer book.

Zylkin’s body crumpled, the shadows of his form splintering apart. The force of the blow launched the man off the island and into the Void.

All doubt about this man’s identity disappeared. The Zealot had arrived.

Ruwen had mixed feelings about Zylkin but didn’t want to see him die alone in the Void. Ruwen strained against the Zealot’s hold but it didn’t give an inch.

Using Harmony Ruwen understood why. All of them stood in a sphere of solid harmonies. He’d never seen anything like it. They couldn’t move because the literal space around them was packed with energy so dense Harmonic Knowledge couldn’t unravel the intricate vibrational braids.

“You’re not special,” the Zealot said as if discussing the weather. “You’re all abominations.”

That confirmed Ruwen’s worst fears. The Outerverse was as dysfunctional and manipulated as he’d imagined.

 The Zealot stepped closer to Echo and reached for the book still clutched in her hand. Harmony revealed a surge of power through the connection that linked Echo to the Death Tower. Harmonies swirled around the book just before the Zealot touched it.

The Zealot tried to take the book from Echo but it wouldn’t budge. The Zealot looked into the Void in the exact direction the link to the Death Tower traveled.

“There’s no need for such precautions,” the Zealot said into the air. “I only wished to see its title. Not take it from her.”

The Zealot stepped to Echo and stood beside her so he could read the title. “I already have this grimoire. See, no harm done.”

Ruwen assumed the Zealot was speaking directly to the Death Tower somehow. Perhaps the Tower could hear them through its connection with Echo and Ruwen.

“Abominations,” the Zealot said again, as if he’d never stopped speaking. “Worthy of a crusade.”

Ruwen remained frozen but found he could speak. He wanted to unbalance the Zealot by making him angry in the hopes the Luminara would reveal important information.

“Crusade?” Ruwen asked. “You barely look potty trained.”

The Zealot touched the prayer book to his forehead and then dragged his fingers across the starburst pins in a practiced gesture. “Your Universe is blessed to be my eleventh.”

“Eleven is all?” Ruwen asked having no idea if that was good or bad. Well, it was obviously bad since the man had destroyed ten universes already.

The Zealot stepped up to Ruwen and regarded him without hostility. “Are you what Aeonrial hoped to create here? Perhaps you’re the proof we require. The Harmonics will be forced to favor us to protect their precious prodigy.”

“Sounds like you’re jealous,” Ruwen said as he considered his options. All his best attacks would kill Lalquinrial and Echo. He didn’t care about the old god but he didn’t want to kill Echo. Although he did have the resurrection spell Eternal Toil. That only worked on allies though, and was Echo really an ally?

“Jealousy plays no part. Only desire to bring the light to all. Delivering you to the Spire will upend the balance. Our light will shine brighter for it and illuminate the soulless Radiants.”

“Giving away the plot,” Echo said. “Classic mistake. Now we’ll get away for sure.”

The Zealot looked confused and then briefly smiled. “Oh child, I don’t need any of you alive. Honestly, the only reason the three of you remain alive is I wanted to know the title of that book. I was scared I’d destroy it if I acted from afar.”

Chapter 82

They didn’t have much time to figure out a solution then.

Ruwen mentally spoke to Uruziel and Sivart. What do we think the odds of Essence Purge or Minor Prelude of Stillness killing you guys.

Unknown, Uruziel said. But I think you’re going to need to risk it. I don’t see another way out of this.

Buy me a little time, Overlord said. I’m just about done, and then we can test it.

“I’m a book lover myself,” Ruwen said. “I have a coin to prove it if you’d loosen these bindings.”

“Really?” the Zealot asked. “You don’t strike me as a reader.”

“Never judge a pastry by its frosting and all that.”

“What’s your favorite book?”

Ruwen wasn’t prepared for that, and he hadn’t read for enjoyment in forever. The only book that popped into his head was one Lylan always talked about, so he blurted that out. “The Bride of Kled Castle, is good.”

“The Bride of Kled Castle?” Echo asked. “Are you serious?”

Ruwen didn’t know if Echo had caught on to his stalling or was truly surprised. He decided it didn’t matter. “Oh yeah. My favorite.”

Surprisingly, Lalquinrial spoke up. “I have a…friend, who collects rare books. Perhaps we can make a bargain.”

“For what?” the Zealot asked.

Lalquinrial couldn’t nod so he shifted his gaze to Echo. “Her life.”

How much longer? Ruwen asked Overlord. I’m going to come look.

No! You’ll ruin the surprise. I don’t need much longer. Nameless is being a pain.

Nameless? What the actual hell?

What?

Uh, never mind. Just trying out some new phrases. I thought the guardians would kill Nameless.

They almost did. I convinced them to try something else.

This sounds terrible. I should really come look.

Give me thirty more seconds.

The Zealot tapped his chin with a finger. “Why bother saving her? What of your plans to destroy this Universe. She’ll have no place to return.”

Ruwen studied the Zealot. The man gave off zero indication he could wipe out Universe. A being with such power could walk among them and no one would know.

“I lack the power now,” Lalquinrial responded. “My plans were ruined.”

Ruwen wondered if the Infernal Lord had said the last innocently or if he knew Ruwen had messed up his Spirit river.

“Interesting,” the Zealot said. “But I’ll need to cleanse this Universe soon anyway. None of you can remain alive. Aeonrial has crossed many lines by creating such monstrosities.”

“You never told us your favorite,” Ruwen said. “Book that is.”

I’m running out of ideas out here, Ruwen told Overlord.

Almost there.

The Zealot tapped his chin again. “There are too many. We would need to go by genre. I will confess I like puzzles and non-fiction. A real book lover knows any book might hold immense value to the right person. Even topics as seemingly boring and useless as resource surveys might have an audience.”

Okay, Overlord said. Look at Zealot-boy and do your mind spear thing.

Mind spear thing? What are you doing in there?

This time Ruwen didn’t ask and shifted his attention to Purgatory. He stood at the bottom of the mountain at the edge of the bamboo.

“Now it might not work,” Overlord said. “I think it was safer when you just provided the energy.”

Near the mountain top, the golden guardians hovered in the air with their wings spread. They’d created a massive array. In the center Nameless squirmed around in some type of translucent container.

“What the actual hell,” Ruwen whispered.

“What the actual hell,” Overlord repeated. “I like the sound of that.”

“Stop taking my stuff,” Ruwen said. He pointed at the array. “Explain.”

“Self-explanatory really. You do the mind spear thing. It shoots out the shed and into Nameless. The guardians use the geometric array to juice it, and then it’s back to Nameless and out your head.”

“Okay, this is a surprisingly good idea. Nameless?”

“I went back and forth on him. He’s mental poison though and really wants to just destroy things. Especially now that he’s so pissed at getting trapped here.”

“I love it. Let’s give it a go.”

Ruwen returned his focus to the Zealot and took a second to organize his next moves. Then pinged Overlord one last time. Ready?

Do it, came the response.

Ruwen didn’t call attention to himself or make any indication he planned an attack which included not placing bad luck on the Zealot. He couldn’t use all his Mental power either because he didn’t want to incinerate the bamboo guardians. If this didn’t work, he’d bypass the shed and attack again with all his Mental energy. Although he’d probably need to shift into his Saraph body to regain all the power he was using staying human. And that body was susceptible to the Soul magic of—

Do it! Overlord screamed.

Ruwen stopped procrastinating and committed. They would either die immediately or not.

Ruwen punched outward with a Mental lance. He could feel the contamination of Nameless as it left his mind. He triggered last breath and watched the mental spear ripple through the dense harmonies. To his shock, even in Last Breath, Lalquinrial move to dodge was visible. He obviously was connected to the structure pinning them in place.

Dodging though had reduced the Zealot’s attention a fraction, and Ruwen used the break to smash Harmony into place around himself and worm it into the surrounding harmonies. He couldn’t do much, but if he didn’t speed his mental attack, Lalquinrial would dodge it.

Ruwen threaded his Harmony through the Zealots construct. He wrapped the thin harmony around the man’s neck and attached the other end to the spear. Then he yanked with all his mental strength, using the Zealot’s neck like a pulley.

The thread snapped. The Zealot’s neck began bleeding. And the mental lance, accelerated by the harmony, surged forward and smashed into the Zealots head.

Ruwen accessed the gem Fate’s Balance, released Last Breath, and cast Fate Weaver placing all the bad luck he’d collected onto the Zealot. Ten thousand nine hundred sixty threads.

An automatic lifesaving item triggered, and the Zealot disappeared.

Uruziel and Sivart returned to Ruwen’s mind and he summoned Vex.

Ruwen pointed into the Void. “Zylkin was thrown that way. See if you can find him and get him to safety but don’t risk your own life.”

Vex neighed and teleported away.

“What happened?” Echo asked.

“I hit the Zealot with a mind attack and some bad luck, but I don’t know how long it will last. You need to run.”

“What are you doing?” Lalquinrial asked.

“Acting like an idiot of course.”

“You’re going after him?” Lalquinrial asked.

Ruwen looked at the horizon where the Zealot had previously been. It still remained dark but all the angels remained, easily visible because Ruwen’s crystal snow had been destroyed. They were all vibrating and glowing. Probably another defense mechanism that made them all stronger. Getting to the Zealot might not be quick.

“This is my best chance to kill a terrible danger to our Universe. You should return with Echo. No offense, but your abilities are useless against him.”

Lalquinrial turned and studied the horizon again, and the Inquisitor that had shepherded the Infernal Lord stood a safe distance away, waiting for Lalquinrial to join it.

“I’m not sure how to get back,” Echo said, “and my Aspect’s recall doesn’t work from here.”

Ruwen frowned and pointed behind Echo. “You don’t feel that connection?”

Echo turned, her confusion obvious. “What connection?”

Ruwen wanted to get moving but the whole point of coming here had been to save Echo. “One second, let me see if I can do something.”

Why couldn’t Echo see it? Maybe the recent close interaction with the Death Tower had left a mark on Ruwen that made him more sensitive. Or maybe Death had done something to Ruwen.

Taking inspiration from the Refinement Cocoon, Ruwen stepped up next to Echo and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tensed at first and then relaxed. He used Harmony to enter the thread that drifted back toward the Destruction Realm.

The connection consisted of somber tones and occasional depressing chords. It had a certain type of beauty, but it mostly made Ruwen sad. Beginning at Echo, he braided the chords into melodies, careful to keep the same subdued and serious theme. Once he’d created the braid, it replicated itself across the connection with shocking speed. As he’d hoped, the connection widened.

“I think I feel something,” Echo said. “Or maybe hear it. It sounds comforting.”

Ruwen took that as success and leaning into what he’d learned from his short time with the Death Tower Avatar, he constructed three harmonies from the chords, and wove them together into something he almost didn’t mind.

Echo gasped and Ruwen could see the connection visibly swell and expand. She turned and looked into the Void.

“I see it,” Echo whispered.

“The connection?” Ruwen asked.

“No. The Tower. Its welcoming me home.”

“Then go. Staying around here only risks your life.”

Echo held up the book Ruwen had given her. “I can help. The Tower upgraded this somehow when the Zealot tried to take it. It’s called the Book of the Dead now.”

“I’m sure you can help, but you just got it. You’ll need time to figure it out. I don’t plan on sticking around. I’m going to move fast and at the first sign of serious danger I’m retreating. I probably won’t even get past those angels.”

Echo looked down for a moment and then pulled the hood of her Aspect back. Her white hair and beauty coupled with the sincere expression caused him to flash back to the Echo he’d met during the Journeyman’s Trial.

“Thanks for coming. I know you saved us.”

More memories of Echo flooded Ruwen’s thoughts. This time of Savage Island after the death of almost their whole class. “I owed you one.”

Echo’s eyes glistened and she shook her head a tiny amount. “You’d have come anyway. It’s who you are.”

Echo pulled her hood forward again and her face disappeared behind an impenetrable blackness. “And by who you are, I mean an idiot.”

Ruwen smiled, placed an open palm over a fist and bowed. “It was good to see you again, Sister.”

Echo returned the bow and then faced her father. “Are you coming?”

Lalquinrial stared into the distance. Without the blinding light of the Zealot, the bridge to the Outerverse was just visible. He shook his head. “I can’t.” He turned to face her. “Please come with me. The truth is over that bridge.”

Echo’s shoulders slumped. She raised her head as if to speak, but didn’t, and shook her head instead. She turned and strode away. A pale horse appeared, and Echo summoned her scythe and used it to vault onto her steed. Then she raced away.

“What you seek isn’t past that bridge. Did the single mindedness of the Zealot remind you of anyone?” Ruwen paused, not sure if he should continue, but he couldn’t help himself. “Echo deserved better. You took everything from her. I’d hoped removing Nameless and his poison from your mind might allow you to see clearly again, but perhaps it was already too late.”

Ruwen took five steps and then turned again. “You’re lying to yourself. As I died under those Towers you said my death proved our Universe was a dream.” Ruwen spread his arms. “But I’m not dead. And this Zealot’s eleventh crusade ends now.”

Ruwen’s Divine Domain lifted him from the ground. He turned, and raced toward the distant bridge and the Zealot he knew still guarded it.

Chapter 83

The angels had experienced some type of leveling, because they all contained far more power and it appeared to be destroying them. Ruwen guessed in another day, they’d all be dead.

Ruwen had crossed half the island and now stood on the scorched sand, staring at the church blocking the path to the bridge. From the energy density Ruwen new the Zealot had taken shelter there.

The island felt like a graveyard of shattered stone and broken pillars, most jutting from the ground in odd angles. Ruwen wondered where these memories had originated. Did the Void Wyrm actually see this place in the past or had it read about it in a book. The idea of physically manifesting information seemed unreal. Although, that had been going on in his head for years.

Above Ruwen the grey Void promised death to those who ventured too close. He’d noticed Echo, Lalquinrial, and all the rest had avoided looking at the vertigo inducing wrongness of the sky. It didn’t bother him anymore.

The faint hum of Soul power radiated from the angels blocking his path. The one’s here had wings that ranged from white to yellow, but there were far more of them than he’d realized. Either the Zealot had created more, or they’d been passively waiting to activate against a threat.

The white-winged angels hovered in a perfect square, forming a shield to block him. Beyond them, red, orange, and yellow waited. Halfway to the church green and blue stood ready. And near the church itself a few purple, and possibly a new color, black.

With every moment the Zealot either nullified or healed Ruwen’s mental attack. Delaying only hurt himself. Uruziel was managing his Core Velocity and it felt like she’d forgotten to spin up his core. When he checked however, he couldn’t believe it.

Core Velocity: 1,000/12,000

The core didn’t appear to be rotating at all. It would shimmer sometimes like water moving over a sphere. Ruwen entered Last Breath because time was precious, but he also wanted to understand what was happening.

Uruziel noticed Ruwen’s focus and spoke up. This new core shape doesn’t have boundaries or a top or bottom. I’m calling one side the top based on the flow of your Spirit but I’m not sure that direction is strictly necessary. I don’t know what would happen if you reversed the flow. Probably nothing, but let’s please not try that right now.

I can’t sense the Core Velocity.

That will come in time. The Refinement Cocoon removed all the imperfections, so everything flows with maximum efficiency. There’s no internal friction left to give you an indication of velocity.

What about all the Soul power I absorbed?

Gone, but the Spirit noticeably increased in energy density. I’ve never seen a value in your displays for that, but perhaps Rami can find it in the System ones and activate it in yours. I think because your core doesn’t have a boundary there’s nothing for the Soul power to strike and cause pain. Then it passes through the fourth dimension on its way back to the top of your core but it never exits. Instead the Spirit that emerges is denser.

The fourth dimension is breaking down the Soul power?

Looks that way.

I’ve been thinking about that core structure. Yes, Xavier was the inspiration, but I think Io was shepherding me down that path.

Io? Really?

Yeah, he described how magic flows into the Creation Realm, drops into the Material Realm, and is collected in the Destruction Realm where it then returns to the Creation Realm. I’ve been going over my diagram of all the magics and trying to incorporate the Realms, but I couldn’t figure out how the energy could return to the top once it was at the bottom. It didn’t make sense to me. Except I’m staring at a solution right now.

Uruziel gasped. You think the shape of the Realms, of the Universe, is a Xavier bottle?

If we are truly in a Realm of Bones and everything is connected, it makes perfect sense.

But if it only has one side and no boundary, how did they stop the flow.

I don’t know, but if I wanted to do such a thing, I’d build something like a dam to hold the power back.

The dam would work best if the flow of power slowed enough to not overwhelm the dam.

Which is exactly what happened when Pen stored all the Spirit in his Divine Realm.

I don’t understand the logic for all this.

I don’t either and I don’t think it matters. This experience in the Destruction Realm has really opened my eyes to the complex politics. All the factions are fighting. Realm politics are cutthroat between Realms but just as vicious internally considering what happened to the Val’dor. I’m not sure how the Void fits into it all, but there are definitely secrets there. Bottom line is I don’t care why all this happened anymore. I only want to get it working again so our Universe can return to normal.

Probably for the best.

After we take care of the Zealot, we need to check how badly I ruptured the bottom of the Destruction Realm. Io warned me about the Fourth Secret. He said a sudden influx of energy into the Destruction Realm would risk rupturing the bottom of the Destruction Realm due to his blockage. He said if it was bad, the Destruction Realm could collapse into the Void which would pull the Material and Creation Realms down with it.

When are we ever going to get a break?

I’ve been thinking the same thing. Okay, I’m going to let you handle the Core Velocity. Let’s try and factor in this efficiency and core shape and come as close as we can to how it worked the old way.

I’ll do my best.

I know you will. Thanks, Uruziel. Oh, if you get a chance can you check the safety of Overlord’s array. His ideas are as unsafe as they are effective.

Eggs in a nest.

What?

I was saying I usually observe what…Overlord is doing to head off catastrophes.

Great, he really needs that.

Yes, he does. Take it easy on the Spirit initially so I can get a feel for how this will all work together.

Will do. Thanks again.

Ruwen left Last Breath, switched to Harmony, and strode forward.

The white-winged angels rushed forward to meet him. Harmonic Sight changed their appearance. Their wings looked small, their bodies thin, and they lost much of their luminosity. Harmonic Knowledge revealed trembling, high-pitched tones with little depth.

Each white-wing carried a spear of condensed Soul power, but the density posed no threat to Ruwen. He raised his right-hand palm facing down and strands of Spirit appeared swaying slightly.

Ruwen gently ran his left index finger through the strands, and they chimed as they struck each other. The sound slammed into the front rank of thirty white-wings, shredding them into flakes of Soul power that drifted toward Ruwen’s hungry Core.

Nine red-winged angels formed a triangle above the front ranks of white-wings. Harmonic Sight revealed shaping chords redirecting waves toward a focal point in the center. The triangle rotated quickly as a beam of scorching light passed through it. The ray flared brighter as the array condensed it.

Ruwen dismissed the chimes and raised his arms. Sand erupted upward in a fifty-foot semicircle in front of him. He saturated the grains with Spirit and created a shield. The ray struck the barrier turning sand into glass but not penetrating.

Waving a hand, Ruwen propelled the shield forward, mowing over the white-wings and smashing into he red array.

Sand and glass rained down as Ruwen strode through the mayhem. He increased his Harvesting pressure and most of the stunned white-wings disintegrated as his Core ripped them apart. Those that succeeded in keeping their forms intact met his fists as they attacked.

The red-winged angels had regrouped on the ground and formed another array. Harsh, low-pitched notes reverberated uncomfortably in Ruwen’s ears, and he guessed they’d triggered some type of self-destruction.

Ruwen leapt the hundred feet that separated them, arriving before the angels expected. He summoned his Wrathful Crow Beater and swept the bo staff through the red-wings ranks before their self-destruction activated. Soul power hung around him like a mist and his core consumed it in a blink.

Twenty orange-winged angels swooped down, each wielding a heavy Soul hammer. Their wings produced a sharper, more resonant note than the reds. Ruwen detected the swirling lines of power around the hammers and recognized the dense layering of Soul energy that would make these devastating weapons.

Ruwen met their attacks with his staff, the impact of the collisions jarring him a bit, but proving fatal for the angels. Their bodies vibrated apart, unable to withstand the force of his bo staff. Since the destruction didn’t occur immediately, he created a net that spanned the area and dragged the Soul fragments of the angels close enough for his core to consume.

A trio of yellow-winged angels to Ruwen’s left had formed a new array behind a brick wall. Their movements through his Mental Domain revealed everything they thought remained hidden. The yellows linked themselves to a pentagonal shape with five orange angels.

Overlord, are you seeing this?

Overlord appeared in Ruwen’s peripheral vision as Ruwen teleported directly in front of the yellows. Shocked by his sudden appearance, the distant oranges released their burst of power. The yellows didn’t have time to react before the energy hit their array. He studied everything with Harmonic Sight and Knowledge, passing the information to Overlord.

The yellow-wings’ bodies melted, as they released the enhanced pulse directly into Ruwen’s chest.

Ruwen’s Destruction Essence clothes vaporized, and the layered attack created a six-inch hole completely through his chest.

Overlord whistled. I need more arrays. How many people do you think Purgatory can handle?

That place is a no-man’s-land. I didn’t intend for anyone other than the golden guardians to be there full time.

The melted yellows collapsed to the ground as Ruwen’s organs and ribs reformed. He clenched his hand and the area under the distant orange-wings erupted into a giant hand that smashed the angels into the ground.

Ruwen jumped upward and hovered a hundred feet off the ground. Angels marched toward him in neat rows. Thousands if he added the ones on his left and right. It made him suspect the Zealot remained injured and using this horde to delay him.

Ruwen spread his arms wide and uncovered his Soul. Completely unveiled it blazed fiercely. The sand under him and for a hundred feet radius turned to glass. Yanking Spirit from his core he flooded the surroundings with power. Uruziel increased his Core Velocity to six thousand and the torrent became a tidal wave that spread outward until it nearly reached the chapel.

The Soul power caused the Spirit lake Ruwen had created to boil and churn.

Ruwen spread his four wings. With a massive mental hand, he slapped the Soul infused Spirit, and the entire lake vaporized into a mist that covered the entire island in front of him. He snapped his upper wings forward and released the discordant harmonies they contained.

The destructive energy from Ruwen’s wings raced through the mist. Using the droplets of Soul and Spirit as fuel the wings propagated their musical death. Nothing survived.

With a wave, the mist cleared, and Ruwen teleported to the church gates.

In the courtyard stood six angels: three blue-wings, two purple, and one with wings as dark as a shadow.

Chapter 84

A six-foot tall stone wall circled the church. Ruwen stepped up to the metal gate, lifted the simple latch, and gently pushed it open.

Sivart, can you scout around out here and let me know if any surprises arrive.

Sure.

Stay within my Mental Domain.

Understood.

Sivart appeared as a small bird high above and Ruwen stepped into the courtyard.

The blue-wings each held a staff, the purples had spears, and the black a long sword. An invisible dome protected the area from the Void which was much closer here so close to the bridge.

Behind the angels the church loomed, much larger this close than it appeared earlier. It was constructed with dark weathered blocks, and narrow stained-glass windows stood like guards around a plain wooden double door. Light flickered from within visible as shifting reflections in the glass.

These angels contained complex harmonies that vibrated in deep layers. The black-winged angel in particular warped the space around it and its wings seemed to swallow what little light existed so close to the church.

The church itself resisted both Ruwen’s Divine and Mental Domains. He didn’t push the Divine Domain but continued trying with his Mental one. He wanted as much information as possible before opening those doors. He needed to buy a little time trying to sneak the Mental Domain inside. If that failed, he’d just brute force it like usual.

“One on one?” Ruwen asked. “Brackets? Round robin? We can’t do teams because my chickens are at work.”

The angels moved into a semi-circle blocking the door.

“You want to try a free for all? Do you guys have sponsors?” Ruwen jumped up and down in place and shook his arms. “Just so you know, I’m kind of a big deal. Made it to the semi-finals and everything. Sisen thinks I’m going places. A real bright future he says. He also wants to fly around crapping cupcakes so there’s that.”

The silence of the faceless angels gave them an even more sinister aura. Ruwen had managed to seep his Mind Domain under the door, but it was taking a lot of Mental energy. This attack wasn’t something he could keep up much longer, not if he wanted to also keep his human form.

Ruwen considered using Minor Prelude of Stillness but decided against it. The Zealot might be in some dimensional pocket or something else that protected him. Ruwen didn’t want to waste such a powerful ability without being sure it would work.

“I get it, you’re the silent type. Talk the walk. Wait, that’s not right.”

Ruwen exhaled slowly, preparing himself. Whatever barrier the Zealot had put in place would take too long to get through the nice way. So he needed to take care of these six and risk opening the door without knowing what waited for him.

The six angels, as if sensing Ruwen’s transition spread their wings which now glowed like shards of colored glass. Harmonic Sight revealed their forms pulsed with layered, resonant chords, tightly woven and densely packed.

The three blue-winged angels moved first, stepping forward in unison, their staffs vibrating with Soul power. They struck together, their movements precise. One thrust its staff forward, releasing a ripple of Soul energy that aimed to shatter Ruwen’s feet.

Sidestepping the spell, Ruwen stepped into the attacking angel’s range. The other two blues closed in from either side, their weapons sweeping in arcs meant to trap him.

Ruwen shifted his left leg back as the angel on that side swung their staff at his knee. The weapon brushed past, missing by a fraction of an inch.

Leaning forward Ruwen drove his palm into the first angel’s chest. The energy of its outer layer faltered, and its form rippled.

Ruwen rotated on his left foot, sweeping his right leg around and catching the second angel mid-step. It stumbled but recovered, spinning its staff in an uppercut.

Ruwen shoved himself upward with his left arm, and launched into the air, his chin staying just ahead of the rising staff.

The third blue swung at Ruwen’s airborne legs, and he spread them. The weapon whistled past his groin. Clenching his diaphragm he twisted his body, delivering a sharp kick to the third blue’s ribcage. It fell to its knees, its blue wings flickering.

The first blue angel thrust its staff at Ruwen as he landed, aiming for his chest. He shifted his weight to the rear and leaned back. As the staff passed over his body he flipped backward, brining both feet into the first angels chin with such force the head exploded.

Ruwen landed on his feet and tossed the staff that he’d trapped between his legs on the unmoving body of the first blue.

Not waiting for an attack, Ruwen stepped closer to the third blue and struck its forearm with enough force that the angel released its grip on the staff. With a savage elbow to the temple, Ruwen held the staff like a flag while the third blue crumpled to the ground, its head pulverized. He spun the stuff and jammed it into the fallen angel’s chest.

Ruwen darted forward toward the last blue, feinting to the right, before shifting his weight abruptly to the left. His fists lashed out in a flurry of strikes, targeting not the physical joints, but the locations where the creature’s harmonic chords met.

 The last blue convulsed before falling into hundreds of pieces as it unraveled.

The two purple-winged angels moved in next, their spears glowing with Soul power. They flanked Ruwen, their wings spreading wide as they circled him. The right one lunged, its spear aimed at his chest.

Ruwen pivoted, brushing the spear aside with a quick motion of his forearm, and retaliated with a snap kick that sent the angel twenty feet into the air.

The second angel used the opening to thrust its weapon low, aiming for Ruwen’s hamstring. He jumped, twisting in midair, and brought his heel down on the angel’s head. It raised its spear to block, but not quickly enough, and staggered backward from the blow.

The two angels resynchronized their movements and struck from opposite directions. Their spears created an overlapping attack and produced arcs of Soul energy.

Ruwen turned sideways and stepped closer to the spear approaching from the rear. As the tip of the weapon neared, he snapped his cloak up and around the tip, before twisting his body and ripping the spear from the purple’s grasp.

Ducking the second spear Ruwen brought the haft of the spear he’d captured into the second purple’s knee. This caused the angel to buckle and as Ruwen completed his rotation he released the spear from his cloak and drove it through the head of the purple who hadn’t even hit the ground yet.

The dead purple’s spear slowly fell and Ruwen snatched it and then flung it at the first purple.

It struck the Purple under the chin and threw the angel with enough force that when it struck the cathedral wall it exploded into a shower of blue tinged Soul energy.

The black-winged angel stepped forward, its sword emitting a deep, resonant hum that vibrated the surrounding air.

It snapped its wings forward, sending six shards of Soul energy toward Ruwen.

While invisible to normal eyes, the Soul attack blazed in Harmonic Sight and Ruwen dodged the six projectiles.

The final angel moved with precision, its sword slicing in short, deliberate arcs. Each slice produced a Soul fragment that didn’t dissipate creating a dozen floating traps.

Ruwen avoided the slashes, surprised at the speed of the black-winged angel. The angel pressed harder, the flurry of swings an offense that made a counterattack dangerous.

Focusing on the rhythm of its movements, Ruwen analyzed the patterns Harmonic Sight displayed. He detected a slight hesitation in the angel’s follow-through, a gap where its energy faltered.

On the next attack, Ruwen stepped inside the arc of the blade. His palm struck the angel’s wrist, forcing the sword downward. He smashed an elbow into the angel’s jaw, and followed with a knee to its side. The black wings rippled but the angel held firm.

The angel retaliated with a blast of Soul energy, dissolving his clothes and the first two layers of skin.

 Ruwen’s eyes had melted from the concentrated power, but he hadn’t needed his eyes to fight for many years.

As the angel charged it spread its wings. A vortex of energy formed above the angel pulling in the surrounding air.

Ruwen flipped over the charging angel, summoned a tiny amount of Void Essence from his body, and touched whatever the angel planned on casting.

The spell forming above the angel’s wings disappeared, snuffed out like a candle. The close proximity of even this minute amount of Void caused the angel to stumble as it convulsed.

Vision returned as Ruwen’s eyes reformed.

The black-winged angel cast some type of cleansing or strengthening spell that caused it to glow brightly. Then it charged.

As the angel’s sword fell in a powerful arc, Ruwen sidestepped, the blade passing a hairsbreadth from his shoulder. He rotated his hips, his movement appearing casual, and drove a fist into the angel’s side.

The impact sent shockwaves through the angel’s form, and Harmonic Sight revealed the internal bindings the angel created to hold its structure together.

The black-wing struck again, this time swinging its sword horizontally. Ruwen ducked, the blade whistling above his head. He swept the angel’s feet as he rotated upward. It stumbled but didn’t fall, its wings stabilizing it midair.

Ruwen pressed the attack, his strikes coming faster. Each blow targeted the braided ends of the angel’s layered harmonies, disrupting its ordered structure. Its movements slowed and the black wings flickered.

The angel stood across from Ruwen and raised its sword in a salute. Hamonic Knowledge detailed the cascading discordance the angel had triggered within its body. In just a moment the angel would self-destruct, and it would cause a lot of damage.

Ruwen stepped forward faster than the angel could react. He wrapped the angel with his top wings.

“Go in peace,” Ruwen whispered, and triggered the destructive harmonies of his wings directly into the angel.

When Ruwen opened his wings the angel had disappeared, broken down into particles too small to detect.

Sivart? Ruwen asked.

No danger visible. Lalquinrial and that Inquisitor made it to the bridge. They found where Vex dropped off Zylkin, and they took the assassin with them.

Are they all leaving?

Yes.

Ruwen sighed. He was thankful that Zylkin had lived. Ruwen didn’t hold strong feelings one way or the other about the Inquisitor, but he worried a little about what the Dark Priest would tell those in the Outerverse. Lalquinrial made Ruwen angry and frustrated and disappointed. How could a father treat his daughter like that?

I might be able to push them off the bridge, Sivart said.

No, it’s not worth risking your life. Come on back. And thanks.

You’re welcome, Sivart responded from inside Ruwen’s head.

Ruwen concentrated on Vex. Come on back, I’m about to open this church door. And great job saving Zylkin.

Standing before the double doors, Ruwen prepared his Minor Prelude of Stillness and his Void Purge. The prelude he could use from a distance as soon as he verified the Zealot couldn’t nullify it, and if he could get close, Void Purge should certainly cause a lot of damage and hopefully kill the Zealot.

Ruwen focused on his friends. No one come out unless you think it’s life or death. I’ll have my Mental Domain out, but this door is proof the Zealot has some way of resisting it. That means I might not be able to push it out very far and I’m not willing to sacrifice any of you to kill this guy.

Everyone agreed and Ruwen verified Vex had returned.

Ruwen studied the door with Harmonic Sight and Knowledge, but they looked like plain doors. No traps or anything dangerous.

With nothing left to wait for, Ruwen lifted the latch and pushed the door open.

The first person Ruwen noticed was the Zealot, in obvious pain, staring directly back at Ruwen from a hundred feet away.

The second person was held in the Zealot’s firm grip desperately and ineffectively trying to wrench the man’s hand away from her neck.

Echo had beaten Ruwen to the church.

Chapter 85

“Take out whatever you stuck in my head,” the Zealot said.

The intent was clear. Ruwen did what the Zealot asked, or he’d kill Echo.

Worse, Echo’s presence meant Ruwen couldn’t use either of his two best options without killing her.

Ruwen forced himself to consider the option he’d already pushed away fifty times in the last second.

This represented the best opportunity Ruwen would likely ever have to get rid of this danger to his Universe. The Zealot had made it clear he was here to complete his eleventh crusade. Was Echo’s life worth sacrificing. With an immense force of Will he considered it.

“Do it,” Echo said, her voice rough from being squeezed.

The Zealot studied Ruwen but didn’t interrupt his thoughts. Did that mean the Zealot didn’t care what Ruwen did? Maybe because the Zealot had an escape plan or trinket that would save him no matter what Ruwen did. Then Echo would have died for nothing.

“Do it!” Echo said as loud as she could. “Do it you coward! I would! You’d already be dead!”

Ruwen stared at the shaking Echo. He could hear her crying now. Slowly she raised her hands and pulled her Aspect hood back revealing tear-streaked cheeks.

This time Echo’s voice sounded much smaller. “Do it, Ruwen. I have nothing left. My life doesn’t matter. They’re both gone.”

Ruwen thought his heart might break.

The Zealot spoke. “Remove this parasite you put in my head and you both can leave. No one needs to die today.”

The church had candles spread throughout to help what little light made it through the narrow stained glass windows. The vaulted roof was a hundred feet above and the Zealot held Echo in the middle of the church. A hundred feet past them were three altars, one higher than the other and covered with books and religious items Ruwen didn’t recognize. Long pews lined both sides of the church leaving a six-foot path to the distant altars.

“If he doesn’t kill us now,” Echo said, “he will later.”

The Zealot didn’t argue the point and Ruwen’s thoughts raced. He was paralyzed. How could he kill the person he’d come here to save.

Echo’s face filled with rage. “Kill me! I’m already dead!”

With those words, Echo went limp, as if all the fight had left her. Ruwen’s Demigod hearing could still hear her voice though. She whispered the same thing over and over like a chant. “Why did he leave me?”

Ruwen had never hated Lalquinrial more than he did in that moment.

The sound of a latch lifting caused both Ruwen and the Zealot to focus on the back of the church. From a hidden door a figure emerged. They stood tall and walked with purpose.  Ruwen recognized him before he stepped into the candlelight.

“Cin,” Lalquinrial said softly.

The church instantly filled with the scent of cinnamon as Echo turned her head to see her father.

Lalquinrial didn’t move any closer. “I came back because I forgot to tell you a few things.”

It felt like all the air had been sucked from the vast room. A silence so pure Ruwen held his breath.

Lalquinrial looked down and when he raised his head, tears glistened in the candlelight. “I’m sorry about your mother.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I wasn’t myself, but that is no excuse. Nothing can forgive my sin or what I took from you. From my heart, I am sorry.”

Lalquinrial laughed and leaned to the side to get a better view of Ruwen. “I have a lot to be sorry for. Remember Nymthus and her planet. That’s not something you can just drop in a Void Band and forget about.”

The Zealot spoke. “Lalquinrial, convince the boy to undo this poison, and I’ll let your daughter go.”

“What happened?” Lalquinrial asked Ruwen.

Ruwen didn’t know how to react to all this. Had Lalquinrial lost his mind? Why was he talking about Nymthus of all people?

After a moment Ruwen collected enough of his wits to respond. “An old friend of ours found a new home.”

“Ah, a most unfortunate friend,” Lalquinrial said. “It’s a reminder of how important family is. Some we choose and some are bound to us by blood. Sometimes we even get to choose when that happens.”

Had Lalquinrial emphasized the word blood? What was wrong with the god? He was talking nonsense.

Lalquinrial turned his attention to the Zealot. “If I help do you promise to let them go? Or do you plan to keep us all imprisoned here? Our bodies trapped.”

Lalquinrial’s responses seemed so random, but his last comment had confirmed a growing suspicion Ruwen had, and it made his stomach clench. His emotions whipsawed so strongly he had to close his eyes. When he opened them, he knew they glistened, just like Lalquinrial’s did.

“I am a man of my word,” the Zealot said. “I’ll release you all if you tell me how to fix this. Or you can all die now, and I’ll figure it out myself.”

Ruwen cleared his throat. It remained tight with emotion, and he cleared it again. He made sure to focus on the Zealot when he spoke, not wanting to give away that his response was meant for Lalquinrial. “A word can hold great power. I trust you’ll keep yours.”

The sudden appearance of Lalquinrial had shocked Echo into silence. She hadn’t taken her eyes off her father since he’d arrived.

Lalquinrial turned his attention back to Echo and fresh tears dripped to the cathedral floor. “It seems our departure is all in order. Before we go, I need to tell you some things that can’t wait. First, I love you. I always have, even when it didn’t look like it. You are the most valuable thing that has ever been a part of my long life. I treasure you.”

Before Echo could respond, Lalquinrial focused on the Zealot. “The leech that is trying to poison your mind is called Nameless. A creature of singular intent. I think the only antidote lies with the young Grandmaster. Perhaps he can create an elixir for you. He has done wonders for me. Provided me, without charge, an elixir of truth. Hard to swallow, to be sure, but one can’t argue with the effects.”

The Zealot looked confused and more than a little frustrated. Ruwen guessed the incomprehensible amount of bad luck the man had likely thwarted all his attempts at removing Nameless.

Two things worked against the Zealot. Ruwen’s mental strength had pierced though the Zealot’s defenses and lodged deep within his mind. And second, Nameless wasn’t some normal poison but a living thing. Although Ruwen had to admit this attack had seemed far more effective than he’d expected, bad luck or not.

Ruwen slipped into Last Breath and the outside world froze.

Overlord, you’ve been really quiet. I assumed when you put Nameless in the middle of that Array it worked like the Zealot’s arrays and the middle figure acted like a focal point and added a little bit of flavor. I assumed Nameless would be like coating an arrow tip with poison.

Exactly how I pictured it, Overlord responded.

Overlord didn’t continue, so Ruwen pushed on. Is the Zealot just more susceptible to Nameless then? Like he’s allergic to nihilism or something?

Overlord sighed loudly. Fine, I’ll tell him.

That response had been to someone else. Likely Uruziel, Ruwen thought, as he got a bad feeling.

Tell me what.

A piece of Nameless didn’t leave with the attack, Overlord said. Instead of coating the arrow tip so to speak, we kind of drenched the whole arrow. And then set it on fire.

Ruwen released Last Breath and studied the Zealot. Is Nameless in there? Like all of him?

Yes, Overlord said.

That certainly explained the Zealot’s symptoms.

“Can you make an elixir?” the Zealot asked. “What do you need?”

As if Echo had spent this whole time trying to speak and only now found the courage, her voice rang out, booming in the grand space. “I love you, too!”

Lalquinrial beamed. He closed his eyes for a few moments as if basking in the feeling. Then he opened his eyes, and his face turned serious as he locked gazes with Ruwen.

Lalquinrial had brought up Nymthus and her planet.

Then mentioned a Void Band to bury a problem.

The Infernal Lord had stressed the importance of blood.

Then spoke of bonds.

Finally, Lalquinrial had finished with a reference to being trapped.

The god could not have been clearer.

Ruwen knew, from Lalquinrial’s own words, that the Infernal Lord had intended to wreak enough damage to destroy the Universe he considered a lie. A dream. Ruwen had wondered about that, but now, in hindsight, it was so obvious.

It also meant the Infernal Lord had made his decision to not harm their Universe before he’d ventured onto the island. In reality, he’d already made it halfway to the truth before coming here.

And now, Lalquinrial had embraced the truth. Finally.

Ruwen’s heart broke for Echo.

Ignoring the tears Ruwen couldn’t stop, he made a fist and placed his palm atop it. Then he bowed deeply.

Lalquinrial returned the bow.

Then, with a chest that wanted to explode with grief, he gently touched the blood oath on his right wrist.

“Echodriel,” Ruwen whispered.

The Zealot looked confused as Echo disappeared from his grasp. Ruwen had already wrapped Echo with Harmony and crashed through the cathedral ceiling by the time the Zealot turned toward the door.

Ruwen raced directly into the Void with every ounce of his power.

The Void was the only thing that could slow what came next.

Ruwen didn’t turn when the blinding white light appeared. He had seen Crossing Ring explosions twice before. Once in the cavern under Savage Island and once as he carried away an entire city in his soul vault as a planet disintegrated.

Ruwen didn’t want to see this third one. Or think about the sacrifice that triggered it. He would of course need to in the future. Echo would spend the rest of her life dealing with it.

But, thanks to a father that had come to his senses, Echo would survive. Thrive maybe.

Seeing the truth, after all, possessed great power. And who better to wield it than Death herself.

Epilogue

Lalquinrial stood alone at the front of the church, three altars just behind him. He wasn’t here to give a sermon to packed pews full of the faithful. In fact, only three others occupied this vast space with him.

Two hundred feet away, Ruwen Starfield finished a deep bow. Lalquinrial returned it, immense gratitude filling him. It was hard not to think of the Demigod two hundred feet away as anything but a child. And yet, Ruwen Starfield did the impossible. Over and over again. How had he survived the Destruction Realm? Lalquinrial would never know. It didn’t matter now anyway.

The only thing that did matter was Echo. Lalquinrial wanted to collapse in guilt and self-hatred for the mistakes he’d made. He prayed to whatever entity listened to such things, that she would forgive him for this last act of betrayal.

Lalquinrial knew Echo would be okay. Ruwen would see to that. How would Pen put it…Ruwen would walk heaven and earth for his friends. Yes, Echo would be fine.

Two hundred feet away, Ruwen touched his right wrist and whispered Echodriel’s name. Lalquinrial hadn’t had any doubts that Starfield would figure out the plan. The man had an intellect that defied belief.

Time slowed for Lalquinrial as the final moments of his life played out.

Lalquinrial’s journey to this spot had started only a handful of minutes ago and had begun with a suspiciously smart horse. It had nearly pushed him off the bridge and into the Void before he’d understood the steed had wanted him too look at something and wasn’t trying to kill him.

That’s when Lalquinrial had seen the Zealot take Echo into the cathedral.

The black horned steed had stared at Lalquinrial then as if waiting to see what he’d do. He’d just abandoned Echo which had made every step along this bridge torture. Why was leaving this dream so hard?

The truth. Lalquinrial had searched for it for so long. Now that he was on the literal bridge that led to what he’d always wanted, all he felt was regret.

The horse suddenly looked from Lalquinrial to the island as if someone had called its name. It turned its gaze back to Lalquinrial though instead of leaving. It was waiting for something.

Lalquinrial was in crisis. He’d committed to his beliefs and left Echo behind. Well, half committed. In the end, he’d kept the two fully charged Crossing Rings that were meant to rip apart the Destruction Realm. This would’ve collapsed the other Realms and drug the entire Universe into the Void.

The will to destroy a Universe built on lies hadn’t overcome the possibility his daughter might remain behind. There was a big difference between leaving your daughter behind and killing her.

Which brought Lalquinrial right back to his current crisis. He sighed.

“Damn you for being right, Starfield.”

The black horned steed neighed loudly, reared up, and pawed the air. As if waiting for such a summons a pale horse appeared from hiding.

Lalquinrial recognized Echo’s horse and understood what he needed to do. He bowed to the black horned steed. “That kid’s lucky to have you.”

The horse neighed in agreement. It turned and nuzzled the pale horse and then leaped into the sky where it disappeared in a blink.

Lalquinrial returned to the present and watched as the blood bond worked its magic. Echo disappeared from the Zealot’s grasp and appeared next to Ruwen.

With a thought, Lalquinrial summoned two massive Crossing Rings from his personal dimensional space. He made sure the explosion angles would catch the Zealot but not destroy the bridge and the two that raced across it.

Lalquinrial had created these Crossing Rings and didn’t need to do anything as brutish as breaking them. Instead, he triggered their self-destruction with a thought.

Ruwen had disappeared with Echo, destroying the ceiling in the process. Lalquinrial smiled as the pair raced into the Void, they’d be safe from the explosion now.

The Zealot had initially turned toward Ruwen but now faced Lalquinrial, fear in his eyes.

As the white light engulfed the cathedral, Lalquinrial thought of Echo. She still loved him. Despite all his failures, in the end, she loved him. It was more than enough.

Pen had tried to explain it to Lalquinrial long ago. Pen had said “Happiness is found in the courage to love and lose, over and over, despite the pain.”

Lalquinrial had worried for too long that he existed in a dream. He’d become desperate to escape it. Only now did he understand. The dream didn’t matter.

The love he’d offered…the joy he’d felt…the pain he’d braved…that’s what mattered.

Lalquinrial smiled, content, and whispered his final words. “Goodbye, Cin.”

And then the white light embraced him.