Chapter 18: Truly Perfect

“What do you mean by a merger?”

“You know what I mean.” Daragura replied coldly.

“We are not ready.” Panic settled as the realization hit. “My world is not ready for that kind of change. You would destroy us.”

“It wouldn't be destroyed, you'd be there to protect it.”

“i am not a protector.”

“You are now.”

“I never wanted to be!” His loud voice sank into the mirage, no echo just a single cry. “All I wanted was to play a game and have fun, you don't get to straddle me with this responsibility. ITS NOT FAIR!!”

Daragura matched his tone and replied. “It is not about fairness, it is about saving my world.”

“At the cost of mine?”

Without hesitation he replied. “At the cost of anything.”

Rylan took a step back as Silence fell over them, dragging on in the void as they stared frustratedly at each other till Rylan quietly said.

“You'd ruin my world for yours.”

“Your worlds Ruin was inevitable.” Daragura justified and the mirage cleared, bringing them back to the Reverie of Unending dreams.

“No.” Rylan unintentionally rose his voice. “It was our choice to make.”

“What difference does it make, if it happens now or in a hundred years.” Daragura responded, walking past him, up the steps, he sat in his throne and went back into his relaxed posture.

His jaw ticked. “Because it would be our choice!! Because we deserve to make that choice.” He didn't know he cared this much, he'd thought he wouldn't care but that was just another thing added to the list of things he was wrong about.

“I truly I'm sorry. But there is no use arguing about something that cannot be changed.”

Rylan sighed, he wanted to argue but back in his form divine form an argument felt Like overstepping and if he was being completely honest, he had nothing to say because Daragura was right, there was no use arguing about what cannot be changed.

“How much time is left until the merger starts.”

“Not until everyone in the game has a resonance stat. So….not long.”

Rylan sighed defeatedly. “Is there a way to avoid getting the resonance stat?”

“There is Not.” The finality of the words made Rylan uneasy, the feeling of not having even an iota of control was something he could definitely do without.

A sigh escaped him and he began to pace, He'd gotten all the important information he needed, but since his imagined clock hadn't run out, he'd get the answers to as many questions that popped into his mind in order of the probability of him being able to answer them on his own, so in accordance with that he took a seat on the polished marble floor, crossed his legs and leaned forward.

“What happened to the remaining four after the bridge was built?” He asked.

“They are the bridge, the power behind the system that guides you all come from them.”

“Is there a possibility of them coming back?”

“I highly doubt it.”

Not a straight “No” Rylan noted but let it go, whatever happened in the future would be solved in the future. “What happens to the people of earth who didn't play the game?”

“I wish I had an answer for you but in truth we are not in control of what happens, It is all decided by Arkana.”

That answer pissed Rylan off but he kept a straight face, words were useless in the face of something that was already in the process of. “What happens to you when you transfer your power to me?”

“I would cease to exist.”

“Will that happen to me If I pass it on?”

“No, it will only happen to me because I have weakened to an extent where I cannot exist without it.”

“And yet you give it up?”

“Like I said, I would do anything to ensure my world lives.”

“How exactly is your world living on like this, According to you, your people are already gone, the only thing left are mindless beast and literal creatures of destruction. If this is gonna make Earth another axiom, I don't think it'll be in the way you think.”

There was a short pause that was only broken by Daragura's sudden request. “Can you answer this question?”

Rylan nodded.

“If your house was on fire, Would you just leave it burn to ash—or would you try and save even one thing, no matter how small.”

His silence was the answer.

“This merge was a last ditch effort, and like you're right….it might fail, but as far as the odds of it succeeding aren't zero, then that's enough for me.”

Selfish, a completely selfish reason, The sacrifice of people who had nothing to do with your misfortune to try and save an actively sinking ship. No consultation, no warning, just a reality forced upon them by these beings.

Rylan couldn't properly articulate the emotion he felt, A blurry line between anger and unrelenting helplessness brought about by his situation, but he kept a brave face because panic would solve nothing, no matter how much he wanted to scream his lungs out, No matter how badly he wanted to pull at his hair, How badly he wanted to strangle Daragura for forcing this situation on him.

“It's time.” Daragura said, He rose from his throne and walked down to Rylan who refused to move from his position, A crooked hesitant smile forced it's way unto Daragura's lips as he realized what Rylan was doing—forcing him to his knees, He obliged and Knelt before Rylan, a smug smile curved his lips. “Really.”

“You're taking so much from me, the least I can do is pay you back.”

A chuckle escaped from Daragura, loud and melodious, and as if reacting to him, the room glowed and vibrated. “You really are the perfect choice.” He said then placed a palm on Rylan's head. “Do me proud—Rylan cross.” And without

another word he vanished.

\[Transfer complete : Vessel of the Mothlight—Rylan cross\]