His footsteps echoed with a solemn sound, breaking the whispers of the winds urging him to depart. The envoy initially advanced with seemingly confident steps, but hesitation soon crept in. He stood before a place that concealed stories and secrets from all eras. It instilled an irresistible sense of awe, but the task at hand left no room for hesitation. The throne loomed before him, filling the space, lending an eerie grandeur. His mind became awash with thoughts, another voice emanated from the throne.
"If you seek to end your life, rest assured!"
A mysterious figure, seemingly massive, addressed him with an unwavering, confident voice devoid of hesitation or doubt, shaking his very core. Before he could gather any thoughts or words from the thoughts he had come to shape, he heard a hint of mockery in the voice.
"Your black world is not a suitable place for me to dwell. I chose my place amidst those veiled in the specter of oblivion, departed, reduced to a pile of bones beneath the earth. I remain; I am the one who endures."
Fear seized his heart as he listened to the words and the majestic voice. His tongue stumbled, attempting to comprehend. His blood ran cold as he pondered naïve questions he alone didn't know the answers to. He asked himself, "How does this mysterious shadow know everything?" But his human pride bolstered his confidence, leading him to ask questions, wondering about the audacity of this stranger addressing a man of great authority. Bodies shivered, and tongues stammered to hear his name being echoed.But the shadow on the throne continued speaking before the envoy could regain his thoughts, before he could regain his composure or even string together coherent words that echoed in his mind.
"Do not tempt me with all your power and influence, with all your valuable offerings that you came to present. I possess more. In my dominion, I have more power than your ailing mind can imagine. Return to the headlines and reports, for I have changed everything. This is what you are trying to tempt, the decision-maker. So far, it is enough for me to move my finger for the deed to be done."
He had no moment to feel fear, anger, or any other sensation. The envoy felt his body crumble, and he knelt in submission before the magnificence of the throne and the being upon it. He surrendered to hearing what was destined to be his last moments.
"There are secrets that beings like you are unaware of, and it will remain so!"
It felt as though clouds were swirling around him, and his vision gradually faded. Even his hearing began to fail him, as the voice seemed to utter incomprehensible phrases. He was no longer capable of doing anything but collapsing before the throne and listening to the voice addressing him. What he could make out was a profound echo continuing its speech, and he glimpsed the silhouette of a giant man standing with unparalleled dignity, raising his head. He stared at the lifeless body before him, pointing with a movement of his finger. As his hearing faltered, a resounding echo continued his discourse, and upon a body losing its soul.Now, you stand upon the precipice of your demise, before me. 'Enjoy the moments of your death in my presence. Take pride in having spent a minute and a half beside the Lord of the Cosmos. Know that every thread of your lineage shall perish. Congratulations, for I have become merciful towards mortals. If you had come to me a decade ago, you would have endured a lifetime of torment, your body withering until your soul begged for respite, learning the true meaning of suffering.'"
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In those moments, the atmosphere grew eerily calm and stable. Foreboding the arrival of an impending storm, streets emptied, and silence embraced the alleyways. In a mere second, nothing remained. Buildings and alleys vanished, replaced by smoke and rubble that filled every inch. It appeared as an illusion, something deemed impossible, yet it happened. No one noticed until souls departed their shattered vessels. The man on the throne's promise was fulfilled, and the envoy's lineage met its end.
"Allow me to applaud you. For the first time in my life, someone comes to me believing he possesses influence. I'm incapable of thanking you." He chuckled. "I'd have thanked you by ending your life without retribution. For the first time in years, I laugh. I've truly taken a liking to you. That's why I settled for extinguishing your lineage. Otherwise, I would have obliterated your entire country." The shadow advanced towards the lifeless body, and its calm features revealed a colossal figure, exuding an unmatched presence, raising his head high. He contemplated the lifeless body, gesturing with a single finger.
"Take this thing away, immerse it in acid until its body disintegrates, and water the Yard of Oblivion with it."
The land that had witnessed all the bodies now resembled hell. This strange place, unknown to the people of the earth, remained a secret kept by only a few. All who dared to tread upon it departed, and so did their descendants, and those who heard his name...
On his throne since the dawn of humanity, a great man, whose body's sheer size nearly concealed the throne that covered a significant portion of this vast expanse, Now he gazed without feeling at the man who had been dragged and was lying prostrate before him. He placed his left hand on his chin.
Did he think, or was he simply contemplating this event? Few knew of this man's existence on Earth, not even he knew how he had arrived. All he knew was that he had begun alone.
Great civilizations throughout time had tried to breach his fortress but had failed. Today, they were nothing more than stones and some stories in books. What humans thought were secrets that would never be revealed; he was the one who carried them out. He looked around and began walking toward the gate, the light shining ahead. With steady steps, he beheld the stretched-out land and recalled his earliest memory of this place.