"Do not behave like a teenager, Mr. Wren!" bellowed Zarkhan.
Space grew heavier, light started warping towards the suddenly incandescent figure like a spatial kaleidoscope. Aaron's chest seized; an EMP had gone off inside his head. Light was shining from the eyes and mouth of the ebony messiah like some celestial nuclear reactor had just whirred to life.
And it went away just as quickly. Calm.
Ragged breaths left the chest of the deeply frightened space refugee.
"The reality you find yourself in is not one of civilized existential angst. This is an interdimensional cesspool of horrors that personify entropy, and they exact their metaphorical unravelling upon the sentient in the vilest ways possible. Do you understand? Do you? If those shadowy figures you fought had successfully taken you away, you would have been subjected to an infiltration and mutation of your deepest self. And that would only be the start," a visibly angered Zarkhan continued calmly. "Make no mistake, while we may think that you have no power currently, we do not believe it. Heralds have a way of upending order, and you, dear Mr. Wren, will be a prisoner, albeit in a gilded cage, until you show us who you truly deeply are. Pubescent delusions of heroism mean nothing when you are fighting for your life in a muddy swamp with your intestines hanging out. We will soon know who you are. I advise you to find out as well."
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Aaron looked at the being in front of him. Breathing calmed. Anger swelled. Mouth shut, Aaron continued his contemplation. The injustice of it all. The sheer nonsensical shittiness of it all. The V12 in his chest was belching out wrath, and he could barely contain it. It was not fair. It was not fair. IT WAS NOT FAIR. "So," continued Aaron, not betraying the maelstrom of rage within him, "what is to happen to me now?"
"We will trek beside the Army along with General Vitor and Princess Andross until we reach the IMMORAL capital where things will become clearer. Until then..."
Zarkhan suddenly stopped. The space shook. Books started falling. A loud thud echoed. "Visitors," he said, looking distracted.
"We shall continue this in the Materialum." And he snapped his fingers.
The world shifted. Aaron was still sitting on the strange alien chair. The people beside him were not seated like before. Zeva and the Lion stood covering his flanks, with Arjun in front of him holding a large water barrier that kept shifting and swirling.
The beautiful nine-foot-tall lady was floating in front of him, arcs of lightning swirling around her. Zarkhan stood to her side.
In front of them stood a solitary horned figure made of shadows.
"Malkaleth," growled the lightning lady.
The figure started chanting.
"Irule Va Oliye Po Ulagam engum dhustam paravattum."
Darkness blotted out the sky. Aaron could only see a grim red smile with needle-like teeth. Lightning struck. Light and Shadow danced.