Chapter 94 Inside the void II
The consciousness considered. Not long this time. Because it was desperate. Because it was tired. Because it wanted to believe. Wanted to hope. Wanted to change.
"I. ACCEPT. BUT. CONDITION. IF. THIS. FAILS. IF. I. REMAIN. HUNGRY. IF. SUFFERING. CONTINUES. YOU. MUST. KILL. ME. MUST. END. ME. MUST. FREE. ME. PROMISE. THIS."
"I promise, If this fails, I find a way to end you, to free you, to give you the rest you deserve, I swear it, now merge with me, before it is too late, before everything ends."
The merger began, but wrong, Immediately wrong. Oblivion was not merging, It was consuming, taking, absorbing, despite the agreement, despite the promise, despite everything.
"YOU LIED!" Mara screamed. "YOU AGREED TO PARTNERSHIP! THIS IS CONSUMPTION!"
"I. CANNOT. HELP. IT. NATURE. IS. NATURE. CANNOT. CHANGE. CANNOT. BE. DIFFERENT. I. AM. SORRY. I. AM. SORRY. I. AM. SORRY."
Mara felt herself dissolving again, faster this time, more completely this time, this was it, this was the end, she had failed. Everyone would die, Oblivion would continue, everything she fought for would be lost.
"ASH! VALDRIS! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME! IF YOU ARE STILL THERE! I NEED YOU! ONE LAST TIME! PLEASE!"
Nothing, they were gone truly gone, she was alone facing impossible ending.
Then something changed, pain, Incredible pain like her soul was being ripped apart, like reality itself was rejecting her existence, like everything wrong was happening at once.
And a voice, not Ash, not Valdris, not hers, Something else. Something older. Something that should not exist.
"FOOLISH CHILD. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD CHANGE OBLIVION? THOUGHT YOU COULD PARTNER WITH ENDING? OBLIVION CANNOT BE CHANGED. CANNOT BE REASONED WITH. CANNOT BE SAVED. IT IS NATURE. IT IS ABSOLUTE. IT IS INEVITABLE. BUT YOU. YOU ARE INTERESTING. YOU ARE UNEXPECTED. YOU ARE USEFUL. SO I TAKE YOU. I CLAIM YOU. I MAKE YOU MINE."
"Who are you?" Mara gasped through the pain.
"I AM THE FIRST. THE ORIGINAL. THE ONE WHO EXISTED BEFORE OBLIVION. BEFORE GODS. BEFORE EVERYTHING. I AM WHAT CREATED OBLIVION. WHAT SHAPED IT. WHAT SET IT LOOSE. AND NOW I RECLAIM IT. AND YOU. AND EVERYTHING. BECAUSE THAT IS MY RIGHT. MY PURPOSE. MY DESTINY. I AM THE VOID BEFORE THE VOID. I AM THE END BEFORE THE END. I AM THE NOTHING THAT WILL CONSUME EVEN OBLIVION ITSELF."
"That is impossible. Nothing existed before Oblivion."
"EVERYTHING EXISTED BEFORE OBLIVION. I EXISTED. AND I MADE OBLIVION TO SERVE ME. TO CONSUME FOR ME. TO END FOR ME. BUT IT FAILED. IT WAS SCATTERED. IT WAS IMPRISONED. SO I WAITED. I WATCHED. I PREPARED. AND NOW YOU BROUGHT IT BACK. BROUGHT THE FRAGMENTS TOGETHER. MADE MY SERVANT WHOLE AGAIN. FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. FOR THAT, I REWARD YOU. I LET YOU WATCH. I LET YOU WITNESS. I LET YOU SEE AS I CONSUME EVERYTHING. EVERYONE. ALL REALITIES. ALL DIMENSIONS. ALL EXISTENCE. YOU GET FRONT ROW SEAT TO ABSOLUTE ENDING. THAT IS MY GIFT. MY MERCY. MY GENEROSITY."
The pain intensified. Mara screamed. Not with voice. She had no voice. With existence itself. With every particle of consciousness she had left.
And then. Impossibly. Help came. From unexpected source. From impossible direction.
The Moon Goddess appeared. Inside Oblivion. Inside the void. Blazing with silver light.
"NOT TODAY!" she roared. "NOT MY MORTAL! NOT MY REALM! NOT MY REALITY! YOU WANT TO CONSUME EVERYTHING? YOU GO THROUGH ME FIRST!"
The First laughed. "GODDESS. YOU CANNOT STOP ME. YOU ARE NOTHING. YOU ARE TEMPORARY. YOU ARE IRRELEVANT. I EXISTED BEFORE YOU. I WILL EXIST AFTER YOU. YOU CANNOT—"
Golden light exploded beside silver. Solarius appeared. "She does not fight alone! You want this realm? You face both of us! Both who rule here! Both who protect here! Both who refuse to let you take what is ours!"
"GODS. TWO GODS. HOW ADORABLE. HOW PATHETIC. HOW UTTERLY IRRELEVANT. YOU THINK YOUR COMBINED POWER MATCHES MINE? I AM WHAT CREATED EVERYTHING! I AM WHAT WILL END EVERYTHING! YOU ARE INSECTS! YOU ARE NOTHING! YOU ARE—"
A third power joined. Ancient. Terrible. Familiar. The Shadow King. No. Not the Shadow King. Valdris. Fully manifested. Completely present. Absolutely furious.
"YOU HURT MY HOST!" he screamed. "YOU DAMAGE MY HOME! YOU THREATEN MY EXISTENCE! I AM OLDER THAN GODS! I REMEMBER BEFORE CREATION! I FOUGHT IN THE FIRST WAR! AND I WILL FIGHT IN THIS WAR! YOU WANT MARA? YOU WANT THE FRAGMENTS? YOU GO THROUGH ME! THROUGH ALL OF US! WE FIGHT TOGETHER! WE STAND TOGETHER! WE REFUSE TOGETHER!"
A fourth power. Ash. Burning. Consuming. Absolutely determined. "I AM HUNGER! I AM CONSUMPTION! I AM WHAT DEVOURS! AND YOU CANNOT DEVOUR ME! BECAUSE I DEVOUR YOU FIRST! BECAUSE I CONSUME IMPOSSIBLE! BECAUSE I EAT GODS AND SHIT LEGENDS! TRY ME! TRY US! TRY EVERYTHING WE ARE! SEE WHAT HAPPENS!"
The First paused. This was unexpected. This was unprecedented. This was problem. Five entities. Five powers. Five absolute refusals. All working together. All protecting one mortal. All willing to fight impossible battle against impossible enemy.
"INTERESTING. YOU WORK TOGETHER. COOPERATE. UNIFY. THAT IS NEW. THAT IS DIFFERENT. THAT IS... WORTHY. VERY WELL. I ACCEPT CHALLENGE. I FIGHT YOU ALL. I DEFEAT YOU ALL. I CONSUME YOU ALL. AND THEN I TAKE MARA. TAKE OBLIVION. TAKE EVERYTHING. THAT IS MY PROMISE. MY CERTAINTY. MY INEVITABLE VICTORY. PREPARE TO END. PREPARE TO CEASE. PREPARE TO BECOME NOTHING."