Liffel walked at a fast pace through the deserted streets of the city of Markkus. The shadows of the buildings, lengthened by the sunlight, created an oppressive atmosphere. He had managed to dodge the mercenaries patrolling the area, but he could not relax. Something in the air told her she was being watched.

That's when she saw him: a shabby-looking man, wrapped in a shabby cloak. It was someone from Veztuo.

-You're looking for the hero, aren't you? -The man asked without preamble, as if he could read her thoughts.

-Yes, and answers about what happened there,” Liffel replied, measuring every word.

The man shook his head.

-I don't know anything about the hero, but... there is a being who might be able to help you. -His voice became quieter, almost like a whisper. They call him the God Eater.

Liffel felt a shiver run down her spine.

-What is it?

-A monster,” the man replied, with a grim look on his face. It poses as a god, but it is not. It was created by an ancient wizard, the same one who sealed the Noble Witches during the long war of the Old Kingdom, now called Alik against the Kingdom of Arcaladia. With his power, this monster exterminated the gods and petrified some of them to keep them as trophies. It is said that his cruelty has no limits and that he finds pleasure in the suffering of others.

Liffel instantly recognized the reference to the ancestral wizard. Celestia had spoken of him in her teachings, a figure shrouded in shadows and legends.

-Be careful, Girl,” the man warned. He is not someone you can reason with. -With a slow gesture, he pulled out a strange object, a shard of crystal that glowed with a pale light. He held it up, muttered a few words, and a portal opened in front of them, vibrating with dark energy.

Liffel, with the Fairy Eye, checked that the man was not lying. Still, she hesitated. The portal emanated an eerie aura, as if inviting the abyss. But there was no turning back now. She took a breath and crossed with distrust.

On the other side, Liffel felt time slowing down. The air in that strange place was heavy, as if every particle was charged with despair. The reddish sky stretched infinitely, and the silence was broken only by the crunching of corpses beneath Liffel's feet. Statues of ancient petrified gods were strewn across the ground, majestic figures now reduced to inert trophies.

Everything there seemed to exist in a loop, as if time itself were trapped in an invisible prison.

In the center of that grotesque landscape, on top of the tallest pile of corpses, stood a worn stone throne. Sitting on it was the presence.Dark, deformed, a shadow that tried unsuccessfully to assume human form.Its shadows writhed, and red markings in the form of runes ran across its body.

The creature's yellow eye fixed on Liffel with an intensity that made her shudder.There was no emotion in that gaze, only cold contempt, as if Liffel were nothing more than an insignificant intruder.It rested its face on a fictitious hand, watching her with boredom mixed with curiosity.

The voice of the False God resounded, deep and steady, like an echo in the void:

-Why have you come, little mortal? Do you seek a quick end or worse?

Liffel clenched her fists, reminding herself that she could not show fear.

-I seek answers,” she replied firmly.

The False God let out a bitter laugh, a laugh that seemed to tear the very air.

-Answers? -he repeated, mockingly. Here you will find only pain. But go ahead, ask. Perhaps you will amuse me before I decide your fate.

Liffel felt the weight of her surroundings, as if the monster's every word had made the air thicker. But she would not back down. Not now. Not when she was so close to the truth.

The monster slowly sat up, climbing down from the throne with awkward movements.

-My name is Magnium,” he said, his voice full of commanding authority. I am the Lord of these Heavens, or should I say, of this prison. If you have entered here, little witch, it means you are trapped. -A sinister smile came across his face. Will you be my next meal?

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Liffel felt a shiver but did not look away. Her mind, however, was elsewhere, on someone else: Marze, the hero she had been searching for.

Magnium laughed, a dry, cruel sound.

-You don't need to speak, I can read your thoughts,” he said, his tone dismissive. You haven't developed your full potential. You are weak. Tell me, what are you offering me in exchange for the hero's location? Information? Love? Entertainment? Although... the truth is, I don't need any of that. -He straightened up, his figure casting a shadow that seemed to devour the light. I am the only god that exists right now. I see everything, I know everything, I have everything. What could you possibly have to offer, witch?

Magnium's voice echoed in every corner of the space, powerful and absolute.

Liffel felt the weight of that overwhelming presence.Yet something in that voice made her sense something else: weakness, a slight crack in that omnipotent facade.

Liffel, with a forced but determined smile, looked him straight in the eye.

-I offer you... to travel with me,” she said, letting her words float in the air. And a smile. -The curve of her lips widened, though it was far from genuine. Besides, if this is a prison, as you say, I doubt you can get out on your own.

Magnium arched an eyebrow, surprised by her response.Then he began to laugh, a deep chuckle that made the ground beneath his feet vibrate.

-"Travel with you?-he repeated, amused.That might be interesting... to see how you evolve.-Her eye twinkled with a mixture of curiosity and mischief. And that smile... I wasn't expecting it.

Magnium looked at her in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then, with a grandiose gesture, he extended a hand towards her.

-Well, it's a deal!

Liffel didn't respond. She didn't care about his words. The only thing on her mind was to get out of that place and find the answers about Marze. Everything else was secondary.

The atmosphere became more oppressive as Magnium spoke. His voice echoed like an evil echo, permeating the air with a mixture of menace and temptation.

-To get out of here you must make a pact with me. Otherwise, you will not leave and you will become my food,” Magnium said, his sinister smile widening. First, you must give me half of your current magic. That will cause you great fatigue. I also want your Fairy Wings, those you will have in the future. -He paused, enjoying the bewilderment on Liffel's face. The pact won't be broken until you fulfill the conditions or kill me. But you have light years left to achieve it even if I don't have the power I had before.

Magnium closed his statement with a crooked smile, an expression that made it clear he was playing a game to which only he knew all the rules.

-“Furthermore,” he continued, “I pledge to help you for two days in any conflict you may have. And, as part of the deal, I will bring you to the hero you seek.

Liffel, though surprised, did not let fear overpower her.

-How do you know I'll have Wings? -she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Magnium laughed softly, with an expression of wisdom mixed with mischief.

-The seal of the Ancestral Mage can have effects such as not developing some characteristics of the race. -His words seemed to contain deep secrets, kept for centuries.

After a pause, he added:

-The hero you seek is in the Tower of Lament, south of Arcaladia.

Liffel used the Fairy Eye to check the veracity of his words. Confirming that he was not lying, she made a decision.

-I accept the deal,” she said with determination.

In an instant, Magnium teleported to Liffel's side. A shadow in the shape of a human arm rested gently on her shoulder. But that touch was not gentle for Liffel; the chill of death and the weight of the souls Magnium had devoured pierced her like blades. Liffel began to tremble as a surge of dark energy enveloped her, feeling the weight of the countless souls that monstrous being had annihilated. Suddenly, without warning, her mind shut down and in its place, the dark aura within her emerged, confronting the False God with an imposing and lethal presence. The presence, powerful and ancient, emerged with such an intense aura that the atmosphere became tense. Magnium felt a mixture of respect and fascination.

Liffel's Dark Aura spoke, its voice resonating with soul-chilling authority:

-Who do you think you are to touch my future body, you loathsome monster? -she said with a look of utter contempt.

Magnium maintained his smile, but the tension was palpable. He knew he was facing a far more dangerous entity than he had anticipated. Before he could respond, the Dark Aura raised a hand, releasing a gravitational pressure spell.

The ground cracked beneath his feet as Magnium fell to his knees, crushed by the overwhelming gravitational pressure that held him immobile, as if the weight of the world itself was pulling him under. Despite the pain, Magnium was still smiling as his aura slowly shattered.

-Oh, does it hurt? -said the Dark Aura, its tone cruel and cold. Next time, I'll disintegrate you. And here... nothing happened.

The terror in Magnium's eyes was evident, but his smile remained. In a barely audible whisper, he whispered:

-Ah... it's you...

My creator's wife.

The pressure disappeared, and Magnium slowly stood up, breathing heavily. Just then, Liffel regained consciousness.Everything seemed to have stopped, as if time had been manipulated. However, she felt an emptiness inside her, as if she had lost a part of her soul and emotions for a brief moment.

Liffel, although she did not understand what was happening, offered her sacredness to make the pact and get out of there as soon as possible, marking the beginning of the pact.

Magnium accepted, observing with some satisfaction the sealed pact.Before the portal opened, he gave her one last warning:

-Remember, when you develop your Fairy Wings... I will return to collect them.

Liffel did not respond. Her only goal was to reach the Tower of Lament. With a last glance at the throne and the red sky, they both crossed the portal that Magnium opened with a snap of his fingers. Magnium, now disguised as a common-looking human, walked beside her as they headed south, toward the destination that might finally reveal the answers about Marze.