"But it doesn't make sense that they'll hunt me down," Kaiden said, frustration twisting his face. "I didn't even do anything. They can't just hunt me because I exis—"
"Trust me," she cut in sharply before he could finish, her tone slicing through the air like a blade. "They can and they will."
He stopped mid-sentence and blinked at her. That tone, there wasn't even a hint of doubt in it. It wasn't something she thought might happen. It was something she knew.
He rubbed his neck awkwardly, scratching his head as his thoughts began to spiral. Why? Why would anyone come after him? What was the point? He hadn't even used the damn power yet.
"Why hunt me down? Why kill me?" he muttered under his breath.
"It's simple," she said, her voice echoing through his head now. "Your power is a threat to every entity in the universe. You don't even understand how strong it can become when it matures. You have the ability to completely erase anything out of existence."
Kaiden froze.
Her words hit him like cold water. He could tell from the way she said it that she wasn't exaggerating. But even as she spoke, his mind refused to accept it.
He understood what she was saying, every word of it made sense, but at the same time, it didn't click. How could that even be possible? How could a single person's power be that dangerous?
"So they'll hunt me down because I can… erase things?" he said slowly, trying to piece it together. "That doesn't make sense. It's just like killing someone, right? What's the difference?"
"There's a big difference," she replied immediately, answering the thought that hadn't even left his mouth yet. "If you kill someone, there's a chance they might be revived or reincarnated. Even if you destroy their body, traces of their existence will still be scattered across the universe."
She floated closer, her tone turning slightly colder.
"But if you use your Void on them…" she paused, and the air seemed to thicken around her, "you completely wipe them from existence. There will be nothing left of them. No trace, no memory, no energy. It's like they never existed in the first place."
Kaiden swallowed hard. His throat felt dry, his palms sweaty.
That sounded… terrifying. Even he had to admit that.
He wasn't stupid, he could already see the bigger picture forming. If what she said was true, then it made sense why they would want him gone. His very existence was a threat to everyone else's. If he ever lost control of his emotions or used his power recklessly, he could destroy someone so completely that even the gods themselves wouldn't know they ever lived.
And that's why they would come for him.
Because as long as he existed, so did the possibility of their erasure.
He bit down on his lip, panic bubbling quietly in his chest. "So… what do I do?"
She stared at him in silence for a moment. It was weird, how even without a visible face, he could tell she was studying him, weighing his reaction.
He sighed. "I mean, there has to be something, right? You're the one who brought me here, so help me out. Or do you want me dead too?"
Her shadowy figure shifted, and her voice dropped a little. "I'll help you keep your soul powers hidden for now. You must not use them unless you absolutely have to. And you must not tell anyone anything about it."
Kaiden nodded quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "Yeah, sure, I can do that."
"Not even your family," she added..
"Not even them," he repeated quietly.
The goddess turned her back to him. Her voice softened slightly, almost like she pitied him, though he couldn't be sure. "Be careful, Kaiden. You've been given something that doesn't belong in this realm. People will sense it, even if you try to hide it. So you need to be smarter than them. If you slip up even once… you'll wish you had died today."
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he sat back down on the floor.
Great. Just great. First, he thought he'd awakened something weak and was ready to die. Now he finds out it's too strong, and he still might die because of it.
He looked up at her faint figure and forced a small grin. "You really have a talent for giving pep talks, you know that?"
She didn't laugh. She just hovered there, silent as ever, while the tension in the air slowly faded.
Kaiden exhaled again and leaned his head back against the wall. "Hide my powers, stay alive, don't trust anyone. Got it," he muttered quietly. "Easy enough."
But deep down, he knew it wasn't easy at all.
He was a walking time bomb and now, every second he stayed alive was going to be a fight against the entire universe.