The Journey Beyond The Absolute
A Deal With Shadows
Aeona Axioms voice resonated with the weight of ages as she concluded her mission, an echo from a time long past. "My mission is complete," she proclaimed, her tone imbued with a resonance that suggested finality. "Feel free to call me if you ever need anything." In an instant, she dissipated into the air, vanishing as stealthily as a whisper carried off by the wind.
Frowning into the shadows she left behind, I muttered darkly, "Well then, all that remains is the memory of her presence."
From the depths of the obscured corner, another figure emerged, stepping into the soft glow of the ambient light. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" came a voice with an air of nonchalance that exuded neither malice nor haste. The man who appeared bore long, flowing green hair and penetrating silver eyes that gleamed with an uncanny sharpness. His attirea dark, weathered trench coat coupled with elegant, flowing silk pants gave him an air of enigmatic sophistication.
With scrutiny etched on my face, I asked darkly, "And who do you think you are?"
He responded with a sly grin, his voice holding an intriguing lilt. "You can call me Varis Ebonhart. More interestingly, though, Ive heard quite a lot about you from Kael Ryn. He had much to say."
My eyes widened in incredulity. "How do you know my sensei?"
Varis Ebonhart chuckled softly, amusement flaring in his silver eyes. "Ah, I see he trained you before his untimely death then," he replied, as if the concept itself was part of some morbid jest.
Shocked and feeling misgivings, I retorted, "You truly possess a keen perception. Nevertheless, give me one compelling reason not to end your life right here, right now. Im not exactly in the best of moods today."
Varis maintained his collected demeanor, as though he were reciting lines from a wellrehearsed play. "The first reason ought to be evident I hold information regarding revival, and I am acquainted with someone who possesses even more insights. The second reason is that I know precisely where this individual resides. Lastly, and perhaps most crucially, I am aware of your true ambitions. I could reveal everything about your goal to every living person in this world with just the press of this button here. Would you really want to extinguish your only lead?"
I scowled darkly but acknowledged, "It pains me to admit it, but you are right at this moment, you are my sole lead. More importantly, how did you so accurately discern my ambitions?"
Variss calm reply flowed smoothly. "I heard it in your discourse with Aeona Axiom," he stated, chuckling lightly, as if sharing a private joke.
A dark realization dawned on me. "So you were tailing us all along, were you?"
His cool demeanor didnt falter as he replied, "And what of it? Does it concern you?"
I felt a surge of irritation rising within but held my ground. "I ought to kill you for your insolence, but you may have the information I desire. Speak first."
With a sly shake of his head, Varis countered, "Nuh uh uh, not so fast. Youll need to earn what I know. I have a proposition for you."
With a frown, I asked darkly, "And what would that entail?"
Varis Ebonhart replied, eyes glimmering with mischief, "If you can eliminate Azrael Thorne, Ill grant you any information you seek."
"Where can I find this Azrael Thorne?" I pressed, eager to know more.
He gestured broadly to a distant peak, its summit obscured by clouds. "He resides at the very top of that mountain, waiting for challengers once you have managed to make the ascent."
A wry smile crept upon my face. "Why bother climbing when I can simply take to the skies?" With that, I summoned my powers and soared upward, the air rushing past me.
Varis Ebonharts eyes widened in astonishment as he watched me ascend. "Its been eons since our world has seen someone with the ability to fly!"
I cast a sideways glance down at him, amused by his reaction. "So Im not the first in this world to wield such power who then is?"
With an air of calm assurance, he replied, "That would be Azrael Thorne himself. Hes become the king reigning above other kings."
A fierce determination ignited within me. "Then I shall be the storm that sweeps him away." I rocketed toward the mountain, reaching it in the blink of an eye and landing with a resounding thud on the Omnistratum.
The Omnistratum was no ordinary place it was a realm where the very fabric of reality was woven through layers of destruction, causality, and creation. In this chaotic tapestry, countless concepts coexisted, forming intricate strands that connected every layer. The Omnistratum can trancend Beyond Absolute Ininite itself if it wants to, each stratum represented a level of transcendence far beyond the last, a beyond absolute infinite number this elaborate web of existence intertwining beneath me. And even contains The Precursor Absolute.
Atop this peak, I found Azrael Thorne, his striking figure adorned with long, fiery orange hair and mesmerizing silver eyes. Clad in a short orange shirt that revealed his well defined muscles and blue pants, he projected an aura of confidence. A grin spread across his lips, filled with both challenge and anticipation. "Its been a while since Ive faced someone capable of flight," he taunted, raising a finger in a teasing challenge. "But come at me if you dare."
"Very well," I replied darkly, launching straight toward him with all my might.
With an effortless air, Azrael Thorne remarked, "Is that your best? Pathetic." In an unexpectedly display of power, he halted my advance merely by extending a single finger.
With unyielding resolve, I replied, "Not even close." In a swift move, I swept his legs from under him, seizing his neck and hurling him beyond the even grander absolute infinite layers of the Omnistratum.
He landed gracefully on his feet, an amused expression plastered across his face. "Not bad at all. But you lack the will to be relentless. Now, I believe its my turn?"
The palpable tension hung thick in the air, a prelude to the battle that was about to unfold.
To be continued…