Amidst the dichotomy of perfection and utter depravity, the capital consisted of, Alex found himself crawling away like a dog, making his way toward what he considered to be the exit to this horror house.
Once outside, he was t with the sa tapestry that seed confused about what it wished to be On one side, buildings stood tall with humans going about their business while on the other side were ruined structures covered in dried blood and littered with corpses.
His breathing erratic, Alex struggled to take out a bottle of NiNe before downing its contents, allowing him to regain so energy though compared to the drain he was experiencing, it was almost too little to make a difference.
Regardless, he clenched his teeth and took out even more vials, downing it with renewed vigor.
By the ti he was past his ninth bottle, Alex gasped almost like he’d been underwater for too long and so wished to air his lungs.
Then he moved towards a broken pillar and leaned against it while taking deep breaths.
Closing his eyes, he snapped his fingers, utilizing Mindscape to connect to his subordinates.
Then he inquired. "What’s going on?"
Monts later Douglas was the first to respond. "I have Ashtyx and I’m leaving the cavern now. But Alex... Victoria... Sothing happened."
Alex sighed. "Take her and leave, return to Evernight for now."
"Understood."
With Douglas heeding his commands, Ana was the next to speak.
"We are fine on our end, we managed to deal with the Gryphon loyal to the Crown."
"That’s good. You should head back as well."
"What about you?... Where’s Elena?"
Alex clenched his jaw, unwilling to let them know that he had left his subordinate alone to battle against that monster calling himself the Emperor.
Of course, they wouldn’t outrightly judge him but respect... the awe.
It would all be gone.
Who knew if they’d be willing to go through with sothing like this ever again?
So ultimately, he replied. "We are working out a plan of escape. You lot should head back for now."
"Alex..."
"Just do as I say."
"... As you wish. When you return, we need to talk. I read the past of the Gryphon... Alex, the capital is a dead city."
Just as Ana withdrew her consciousness, Alex muttered "Wait."
"Yes?"
"What did you see?"
"... What would you like to know?" It was evident from Ana’s tone that whatever she wished to say was rather difficult to articulate.
"Everything." But regardless, Alex remarked. "Tell everything."
***
7 minutes.
That was all the ti Elena could buy utilizing the Blessings of the Dark Moon which allowed one to tap into their future potential.
The ti fra seed small but considering who she was up against, it was already quite a notable feat.
Enoch sat across from her, his expression unreadable as he stared at the board between them.
"You won." He remarked calmly, all traces of his childishness gone.
Elena pursed her lips. "I did."
"... Why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself for him?... I know you are just a copy but still..."
"Because he showed a different path, one that doesn’t involve becoming just another clone of Princess Berenice. Without him, I’d be dead... or languishing in Thebes. Either way, I owe it all to him."
"And so you do this?... You trap here while he runs away without batting an eyelid?" Enoch seed vexed as he added. "Did it occur to you that he only considers you as expendable?"
"Perhaps," Elena replied.
"Yet..."
"Yet I did it... and I have no regrets."
Enoch snorted. "Just as I said... a cheap fucking copy."
"... No," Elena remarked. "I’m not."
Then taking a mont to gather her thoughts, she added with a sad smile. "I am Elena, last of the Dust people and mber of Constellations."
With that declaration, the last of the dinsion she created faded away after which she slowly turned to gold dust that drifted upward into the atmosphere.
Enoch watched the surreal sight with nary a flinch, his gaze tracing the line the dust drew in the air until...
Pa
Tangible darkness that pulsed with resplendent white light erged at so point and began to wrap around the dust, ensuring it didn’t escape.
Once the last of her body turned to dust, the tendrils gathered it together and took the shape of a human body before disappearing back to sowhere far away.
"You can’t save her," Enoch remarked calmly as his gaze landed on Alex standing at the entrance of the throne room with his hands in his pockets.
"Never say never." Ca the response as he took steady steps, slowly approaching Enoch.
"I thought you ran."
"I did."
"Yet you ca back."
"I did."
"I could kill you. You stole Ashtyx."
"I know."
"Yet, you still ca back?"
"... Indeed."
Enoch rose to his feet, his gaze turning a bit sinister as he remarked. "Burn."
Imdiately, Alex was engulfed in flas.
He scread as he fell to his knees, enduring as the flas ate away at his flesh.
Then suddenly, the flas yielded, disappearing as quickly as they ca.
"Feel pain." Enoch intoned and yet again, Alex was forced to scream.
"Suffer broken bones.
"Be struck by lightning.
"Go blind.
"Your insides are liquid.
"Lose your pneuma."
Alex suffered through it all, his body sprawled on the ground as what looked like an illusory version of his face tried to escape his body.
Then in a casual tone, Enoch remarked. "Nothing happened to you."
Just like that, Everything stopped and Alex was back to normal, with nary a scratch or source of pain on his body.
"As you should have deduced by now, Alexander. I am a god, one capable of determining what can happen to you. So tell , what gives you the right to stand before despite knowing this."
Enoch waited for an answer and though it soon ca, it was hardly what he expected.
There was a peal of laughter as Alex got back to his feet while clutching his stomach.
Pleading for rcy could be understood.
Trying to fight back against the inevitable would be foolish yet still understandable.
But mocking laughter?... Enoch’s expression couldn’t help but falter as he gained a new understanding of the man standing before him.
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