Zion awoke to a shroud of prevailing darkness, a pitch-black void devoid of all light. True darkness is terrifying, an existence that few ever truly see. Be it the sun, moon, or stars, something is always giving light. In this place, none of that existed, and it scared Zion to his very core.
Had he been so terrible that Creation had rejected him? Had his failure to clear the dungeon come with the price of being sentenced to the depths of Devastation? Would this darkness be his companion for the rest of eternity?
Then the nothing began to move and squirm, and he felt it brush across his skin. It touched him like one might check to see if their food was properly cooked, with the goal of consuming. He could feel it crawl across him like a plague of insects, engulfing him entirely.
It didn’t hurt, not at first, the darkness seeming just to be tasting him right now. Then he felt a small pinprick, then another as the Void began to sink its ravenous teeth into him. His skin tore as the teeth ravaged him, shaking him like a dog shaking its prey. Blood spilled from the countless wounds, the teeth leaving his body an utter crater. Abruptly, the darkness withdrew with the whimper of an injured animal.
“It doesn't have to be like this, Herald. Embrace freedom from torment and pain,” a rich voice, dripping with honeyed persuasion, called out. “Join us and reunite with those you've lost, betrayed by the path you blindly follow.”
Betrayed? Was he betrayed? It was hard to think; his mind felt like it was coated in a thick layer of molasses. Each idea and every image took that much more effort to retrieve. Wait, what was he doing here again?
“You poor thing, of course, you're struggling. The Weave wants to take that which is yours away,” the voice whispered to him condemningly. “The same Weave that asked your mother to sacrifice herself in a vain attempt to buy time? What made your father give up the power that could have saved thousands just because he was in love with another? Because he was too dangerous, even with such a generous heart.”
The words invoked deep-seated feelings from his very core. This voice was right; his parents had been such amazing people. They had given everything for the Weave, and it rewarded their dedication with horrific deaths. A hazy image came forth, showing his mother wasting away to nothing, her dazzling smile still radiant regardless of the unbearable pain. Images of his father breaking down when he thought he was alone, the tears framing the heartbreak spreading like cancer. It was the Weave's fault all this happened.
“Yes, it was the Weave's fault,” his friend's voice affirmed, a beacon of trust. “But it need not get away with all this injustice! We could bring it to heel and show it that people's lives aren't just playthings to be discarded. Together, we could stop its wretched plans and help those who truly need it.”
That's right! He and the voice could change things for the better. They could spread the Void of freedom to everyone in Nifell and destroy the shackles of the Weave before it was too late. Together... a vision of his father teaching him how to use a sword to face monsters flashed before his eyes. A picture of his mom curing Void taint from young children, their faces contrasting between the happiness of healing and the despair of torture. He saw two girls, one with hair black as night and the other white as snow, fighting beside him, always watching his back.
Silver light blossomed before him, and he watched in fascination as two silver hands appeared in front of him, clasped together in a tight embrace. Slowly, they opened, letting beautiful azure pour into the room, like the sun bathing the land in its glory. In that light, his memories flashed, bright and brilliant, a kaleidoscope of all the things he had ever experienced.
A gut-wrenching cry tore through the air, shattering the once comforting tones into a cacophony of twisted arrogance that clawed at Zion's very soul. "HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS IN MY DOMAIN, YOU VILE WOMAN!" The voice spat venom, its hatred sinking deep into Zion's bones.
Tremors rippled through the darkness in response to the voice's fury, its malevolence sinking its teeth into Zion once more, gnawing at his skin with a relentless hunger.
Silvery hands stretched wider, tendrils of blue light weaving into Zion's essence, cocooning him in a protective embrace. "Embrace the mana, Zion," Ki's voice resonated, a symphony of power and grace. "Let it seep into your core, infuse every fiber of your being. Accept your potential."
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He didn’t reject her or question her this time. He grasped the intoxicating mana, absorbing it first into his skin, feeling his wounds heal. Then he drew it down further, covering his muscles and bones like one would drape a thick cloak over chilled shoulders. It warmed him like the heat of a thousand fires and made his body feel more sturdy, like a steel wall. Not done yet, he brought the mana into his organs, saturating them until they beat with the melody of the mana, like a band harmonizing. Finally, he drew it deeper into his heart, each beat melding with the two, a perfect hybrid of magic and reality.
“YOU DISGUSTING BITCH!” the voice thundered, darkness starting to collapse from the strength of its anger. It fell apart like the shattering of a mirror, shards falling in a series of deafening crashes.
The dark faltered in its attempt to devour him as its world broke apart, revealing two eyes, each the size of a house. Their sheer size baffled Zion's mind. If that was just its eyes, how big was this monstrosity?
Those eyes seemed to notice him and turned in his direction. That gaze shattered more of the darkness, some of it piercing him as it fell as if the power in his eyes alone could destroy reality. “PUNY LITTLE HUMAN, YOU WILL KNEEL BEFORE DEVASTATION, EITHER IN DEATH OR SERVITUDE, I CARE NOT WHICH.” His ears started to bleed from the volume of the words, from the heat contained within each syllable.
He wasn’t afraid, though, as something within his heart began to spread throughout his whole body. A feeling of being whole, a caressing warmth that filled him with hope. Zion would not back down willingly from this bully; he would stand and fight until he was unable to. “I’m a Manakin, bitch!” As he uttered those words, he felt Ki’s pride wash over him, bathing him in her unearthly light. He unleashed a mana burst, launching towards those hovering orbs of loathing.
Instead of watching his attack pierce those eyes, he found himself falling as the space around him began to collapse. He was horrified because he was going to fall into the true Void, and no one would be here to save him. But no, he would save himself; he would fight this! He cycled his mana through his body, something he had never heard of, but that just came so naturally now. Faster and faster, the mana circled through his body in figure eight, rotating and rotating till his head was almost spinning from the effort.
Then, his body flared a vibrant blue as the cycled mana filled every single part of him. Everything was immersed in that amazing color, and he grasped the power it supplied, holding it firmly in his inner self. He flexed his fist, and the world around him shone as the darkness faded and dark cathedral walls graced his vision.
Ultimate Acquired:
Avatar of Aether (Active) - You embrace your heritage, surrendering yourself to the purity of mana and becoming one with the Aether of Creation. Aether surges through your entire being, transforming you into the ultimate embodiment of magic. While in the Avatar of Aether form, your connection to mana becomes boundless, granting you unparalleled power. Effects: Unlimited mana reserves and doubled magical stats. To activate the Avatar of Aether, you must first absorb 20,000 mana from mana channels exclusively. This process ensures the purity and potency of your connection to the Aether. Upon the conclusion of the Avatar of Aether transformation, you are rendered immobile and unable to use any abilities for 5 minutes. This period of vulnerability reflects the immense strain placed on your body and mind during the transcendent state.
A wide grin spread across Zion's face as the notification blinked into view before him. His amusement deepened into smug satisfaction as Odalin recoiled in sheer horror. Glancing down at himself, he was astounded to find his form gone, replaced entirely by a shimmering cloak of pure aether, as though he'd been drenched in a cascade of mana potions, the substance magnetized to his very skin.
Even Onyx, his faithful companion, was transformed by his new state, its once ebony hue now suffused with the same iridescent liquid. With a swift motion fueled by his newfound power, Zion executed his final Kinetic dash, materializing behind Odalin before the boss could react. In a blur of movement, he seized the creature by its neck, Onyx plunging into its back as Zion's mana-infused blade wrought havoc upon the Void-born entity.
"Enjoy your time in the Void, you bastard!" Zion's voice reverberated, distorted by the sheer force of his mana-fueled rage, as he unleashed a relentless barrage of mana bursts directly into Odalin's visage. What began as a trickle of power soon escalated into a tempest, engulfing the surrounding area in detonating streaks of azure energy. Dust billowed beneath them as the very ground trembled beneath the onslaught.
As Odalin disintegrated under the relentless assault of his pure aether, Zion refused to relent, channeling all the pent-up emotions of his ordeal into his final strikes. Only when he could no longer muster the strength to unleash another mana burst did he allow himself to falter, his body sagging as the aether dissolved away like a passing shower. Through bleary eyes, he glimpsed Beth and Camila approaching, their concern palpable as they drew nearer. With a weary smile, he succumbed once more to unconsciousness. He really needed to stop doing that.