For the rest of the day, Jarren remained absent to the public eye as he chose to reside in his room. The fights Thay followed weren't as high octane as his. Some wondered as to why he chose to manipulate fire and not shadow.
[{Good match and great for your victory}]
A message shot to him by Orissa through his phone.
[{I hope you're still training}]
A few minutes passed with no response. It was clear that she was still sour of what has happened back at the hall. Placing his phone aside, he made his way towards the shower to rid himself or the sweat that he had built up during the fight.
He inspected his body in the mirror, his abs sculpted, his obsidian starry eyes sharp in the mirror and his breathes slow and steady as always. He paused for a moment, taking a closer look beyond the veil of reality before giving a heavy sigh as he looked towards his bed. On it a body appeared, a horror like him.
"So playing with mortals huh? Never thought that you would be this bored." Her tone monotone as she glanced at his figure, unfazed by his starkness as she sat at the edge. "Well I have to keep myself busy somehow." Without looking back he retorted.
The pause that lingered seemed to suggest something more. "You know those above won't be pleased with what you're doing here. It's an act of blasphemy to birth a horror in such a weak and fragile plane of existence." She went on as Jarren now looked back. There she was, a lady who was shorter than him, petite to be more accurate with bare assets on her as her hazelnut eyes and brown hair wore the mask of average.
It was clear that she tried to wear his mask however fell short as the air around her gave an ominous twist that failed to resonate with reality. "So what? Do they think that death is a concept they can evade so easily? Or will you have them go for me? If you planned a rebellion that would be so cute though."
She paused, her facials darkening as she looked at the floor. When she met him, it was anything but pleasant as he wore a different name. It wasn't solon or Jarren but as the pale sovereign. His name capable of making realities shatter and horrors pause in fear hearing as much as his name.
She remembered it vividly, shattering through the halls of divinity and eternity, her people offering what he pleased and yet they all met the same fate. He didn't kill her but let her be, giving her to higher beings that trained her per his commands and killed them as well leaving her as a witness.
From there she withstood and watched as pantheons of civilizations fall into ruin be it within their own ranks or through unreal means. All in the name of boredom , experiment or reasons that felt way too ludicrous to make gods weep in purgatory and horrors unravel.
She managed to form a rebellion allying multiple beings across different places to fight the horror that was now dressed as Jarren however to her they all met the same fate. It wasn't death but purgatory inside his world that he let her venture and greet them but liberation was out of her league.
At one point she wished to cease her existence and succeeded. Reincarnation, mind reset or time regressions but in the end the result was the same. Every reincarnation somehow resulted with her meeting him and giving her what she had gone through in her past life.
Mind resets worked for eons before it all came back to her and each time bitter than the last. Regressions would be pointless as he would change his actions. Regardless of how much strength she accumulated she would never escape the plague that was Solon.
At one point she asked him the point of it all. He feigned loneliness with the amount of power that he had. Overtime she grew hopeless to any form to salvation from her hell and embraced it. Alongside him she brought as much death and destruction and the pair grew to be feared in all of existence and beyond.
But that too grew stale for her and chose to wonder in isolation in the void. Checking what he would be up to and casually bringing ruin to reality and logic. Her figure shuddered recalling the last rebellion she had formed to combat him. "No, but I guess even I have grown bored of it all."
When it came to matters of human emotions, she was far above them all. Noting her bored demeanor, he posed a question that she thought that she would never hear. "Do you wish for death? To be liberated from me completely?" Her eyes barely flinched. He had played games like these for eternity to the point that she grew numb to them.
"Yes." Her response flat as her eyes locked with his. "Then offer yourself to one of the two." Unsure whether he was playing or not, she hesitated. "What if you bring me back like you always do?" She had seen heaven and hell crumble thanks to him. "Well if I'm playing it would be beneficial to help elevate you. Plan you a place to settle and live a peaceful life perhaps."
She had been the pinnacle of strength, the logic of dignity and evil all at once. "Very well, I've made my decision." Her tone flat despite an offer for her freedom. "Or maybe it's loneliness that you suffer from. After all I've seen you in the void for fall too long. You can help me with the next world or the one after."
"Loneliness?" She looked at her fists, recalling the happiness that she experienced before falling into the madness that was her new existence. "Maybe but I'll have to consider." With a flash, her presence ceased to be.
He had long forgotten her name, only knowing her as the Queen of Divinity and Evil. The one that walked with the maw, the suffered horror and such. Remorse was a concept he knew far too well but never embraced it. Donning his clothes, he wore a pair or shorts and light shirt as he readied himself for a sweet afternoon nap.
*Ding*
Taking a glance at his phone, he noted a new message.
[{Meet me tomorrow for a day. Not a date.}]
It came from Callista who was absent for his match, absorbed in getting the bare basics. Tossing his phone aside, he crashed hard onto his bed and fell fast asleep.
***
Fixing his shirt, he made his way towards the silver gates of the academy where Callista was waiting. Her demeanor cold and callous as she barely reacted seeing him. Without exchanging pleasantries, the two made their way to Bolyres. Each other understood each other very well and understood that silence was what the other preferred.
With the tournaments still under way, they had the privilege to head outside of school grounds between weekdays. Taking the tram, the two sat next to each other not in a romantic manner. "Congratulations on your victory." Her voice melting the atmosphere between the two of them.
"Thanks, I've heard that cheesecake, a bakery from the fallen world is pretty good." She paused for a moment, her transparent eyes gauging his. But the eagerness that she was waiting for was lacking. "I don't mind having it as our first stop."
Jarren knew that this was an act of reciprocation for him showing her insight to his glyph. She hadn't fully mastered it but she knew value when she looked at it. "It's a shame that I was attacked when I came to the academy, can you believe that?" His statement out of place making her wonder.
'Why would he say that or does he think that I would be behind such an act?' Her mind preoccupied with the muse was shocked when they arrived at the bakery. The air warm as the two made their choices, sampling the goods present. Be it cupcakes, cakes or cookies.
They were all delectable in their own way that fancied her. With a lot of students interested with the fights that had stared to heat up between fourth year students, there weren't as much eyes as usual. "You're a member of the Aurex Sanctum and yet you don't wear your badge in public, are you afraid?"
A taunt that she brushed off. "It's too much for me. Besides Lirale doesn't have a problem with it." Jarren let out a low hum for satisfaction as they started off their shop hopping. From luxurious clothing stores to modern technological ones the brought new trinkets the the two showed interest in before the sky was painted with orange hues.
Making their way back to the academy, they had no doubt caught traction and rumors circulating started to move around like air. However neither side seemed bothered with the gazes cast in their direction. "I was wondering whether it would be better to give you a gift or not."
Walking past the tram, the two enjoyed the picturesque image of the sun setting. "What made you hesitate?" She already knew the answer. "Well for a person like you I doubt that I would give you something that you hadn't seen before but upon further introspection there should be something to help you."
She asked for things not to escalate to quickly and that was how he kept it. Sure there were times where he would have taken the chance for a romantical pursuit and yet he turned down every chance he got and she respected it. "A gift from the demon Jarren Velros? Isn't that something new."
A light chuckle escaped her lips however it didn't last long before it passed away. "Well is it wrong for change however I won't give it to you today. Preferably tomorrow." She paused, her mind appreciative of his choice as the two finally came to the school gates. "I guess it was fun. I wish you luck with your training."
There was no goodbye that came with it as a he took his leave and so did she. Two smart people that knew what the other party wanted. As for the rumors, they wouldn't be bothered with such mindless banter circulating the academy walls.
"You're back Callista, I hope that he didn't try to assault you." One of her friends commented putting a look of worry however she brushed past them. "I'm fine, also I no longer need any of you so I might as well end out friendship with you two." And just like that her figure vanished from their sights.
The girls were still stunned with what they had heard. They had heard about the rumors that had started to spread hoping that it was mindless chatter or small talk but it would seem that they wouldn't get to get the truth so easily.
"Did she fall for Jarren for her to sever us like that?" One of them mused however no answer came. Bitter, they could only accept her words and take their leave.