There was a sudden shift in temperature. Isabel shuddered as the burning heat stopped eating away at her lacking resources. Her eyes followed the figure of her girl.

It felt… Disgusting. Isabel hated it. This Aaers had taken over her love’s body. It felt like Mila’s temple was desecrated by some filthy intruder. She wanted to rip away this spirit. Remove it from Mila’s sacred figure.

Isabel could not help it. She hated Aaers. Despite just learning the name, she felt like the enmity between them had been long since sown.

Aaers also seemed to notice it, glancing at Isabel, acknowledging her emotions but dismissing them as ultimately unimportant.

It made Isabel even madder. She hunched over, relying on her bracelet to reign in the righteous fury she experienced. Her eyes didn’t leave Mila’s body.

Isabel watched Aaers do the same to the flames he had done to the heat. He ripped them away, leaving nothing behind. She didn’t understand how or why.

Only a moment later Isabel noticed the absent heat and fire had been thrown at the alien figure that had once been human. Not that there was a visible effect. It didn’t seem bothered by the attack.

It did, however, allow Isabel to see better. She shuddered upon getting a clear line of sight on the gnarled, wooden figure that wore a human face. Her mind reeled from what she was seeing and understanding came a moment after - she wasn’t capable of seeing ‘It’ for what it truly was.

This was just a part - an incomplete piece and it still contained more than Isabel could ever comprehend. It was what she imagined looking at a god would be like.

Isabel didn’t get the same feeling from looking at her girl. She felt her worry grow. How could Aaers compete with the sinful existence? She couldn’t imagine.

Yet, as Aaers, in Mila’s body, stood before the evil being, it was the horror that appeared to be cautious. It didn’t throw attacks against Mila as It had against Isabel. It didn’t make demands or approach carelessly. It didn’t leave Its body open, wrapping countless small branches around Its body, making a sort of fence.

It was Aaers who spoke first. “A sacrificial pawn.” He studied the preparations. “Watch, Isabel. It is smart. It doesn’t hope to win. It is here to learn.”

Isabel hesitantly nodded, wanting to close her eyes to not see the mutating, nauseating form.

“No one here can hope to hurt it. All of this amalgamation potency has been put into survival.” Aaers continued to explain. “Learn. Then convey what you saw and heard to your soulmate.”

“You have grown in strength.” The old man’s lips moved, producing sound despite the body likely having no lungs. “How? Why? What are you? Who was the other presence?”

“See, Isabel.” Aaers snatched something out of the air, making it clearer. “It is not from this world. Never was. It doesn’t belong and is rejected. It yearns to take what is here and absorb in Its whole.”

“Not a god. A memory?” It spoke over Aaers. “But the power and depth do not make sense. An impossibility.”

“It doesn’t understand. It tries, but all Its realisations only serve to become part of his neverending change and growth. Those ideas then lose their singularity and purpose.” Aaers spoke with conviction, and it earned Its attention.

“A succinct summary, but not wholly correct.” It creaked. “Knowing and absorbing is just a byproduct. All that I am elevates that which is not me.”

It didn’t make sense. Isabel didn’t even bother understanding their words. While she committed everything to memory, Isabel would leave the thinking to Mila. She knew too little to guess at what was happening.

All Isabel cared about was surviving and getting Mila out of this place. If Aaers could grant that wish, she would listen to his words and tolerate his presence.

“It cannot be killed.” Mila’s voice overpowered ‘It’s’, making suddenly vanish. “Only erased and severed from the whole.”

“Is that what you did previously?” The terrible parody of humans drawled. “It couldn’t be just that.”

Aaers looked at Isabel again, making sure she was listening. “Remember. You cannot kill it. You have to strike at that which connects Its parts to the whole.”

Under Mila’s beautiful eyes, Isabel nodded. “...Can… I… or Mila…”

“Yes!” Aaers nodded. “You and Andrew, even the boy who uses the emotions, can by yourselves. It will come with time. I will teach Mila.” He reassured. “And if all else fails, the servants of Gods will cleanse everything. They can use the higher forces to achieve the same.”

“Annoying,” The wooden frame nodded along. “And doomed to fail. The pantheon is broken. Their unity shattered. With emptiness and refusal to compromise, they cannot stop me.”

Isabel felt a flash of grief passing Mila’s face. She blinked, and the moment was gone. In addition, she realised something else. Hadn’t Mila always warned-

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Correct.” Mila nodded. “You now know things that are bound to bring the world's attention to you and those around.”

“Aha, we ruined her mind.” It made a sound that was just tangentially near laughter. “Why, why, why?” It then tried to understand while making a gesture with one of Its limbs.

In response, Aaers snatched at the air, intercepting whatever It was doing.

“Sin. I see. You are sinful.” It laughed again. “They hate you. They hate you more than me!”

“Listen, Isabel. Your barriers will protect you. You can make boundaries against anything foreign trying to influence you.”

“Is that right?” It questioned.

“If your mind wanders, build around it. Use your talent to defend against any praying presence,” Aaers instructed. “Mila didn’t know, but I do. You can protect yourself and her. With this, you both will have no secrets left between the two of you.”

Isabel was surprised by the sudden smile Aaers sent her. It was so familiar to the rare ones Mila gave her. She listened to the strange possessor's words, trying to create lasting defences around her mind and thoughts.

The first few tries were failures. Isabel didn’t really know what counted as mind and thoughts. She tried to form a barrier around her head. It didn’t work, then she tried doing the same around her brain - but it felt terrible and wrong.

It didn’t help that the conversation between the two incompressible beings continued. Nothing of importance was said. They both just prodded each other for information.

Mila’s voice distracted Isabel, while the alien cadence of the other being made her sick. She tried again, then once more.

Nothing stuck as right. Aaers had said she could do it, so Isabel didn’t give up. He… Isabel paused… It better be a he, not a she.

Had Mila referred to Aaers by a genre? Isabel thought back but only found nondescriptive almost-curses. “...urgh…”

The bout of jealousy rattled Isabel’s mind. Despite the pain moving caused, she slapped her cheek with all the strength she could muster.

It helped. It also gave Isabel an idea. Instead of focusing on the physical, she tried to build her bulwark around her mana and the place it came from. It was a nebulous place - never quite clear of where it was.

All Isabel could tell it was inside her and existed - nothing beyond that. And somehow… She managed to form the necessary barrier on the first try.

Isabel felt the boundary snap around her inner core, protecting her from the world in a way she didn’t understand. Now, she could also extend her ability to stretch around her mind as well.

It was a profoundly confusing feeling. Still, Isabel’s instincts told her this was right. She cringed at the thumbs-up Aaers gave her and wished it had been Mila instead.

“Now. I can show more.” Mila’s voice almost sang. “Do pay attention, even if you won’t understand what will happen.”

Isabel nodded. She sat back, not having the strength to stand. With every passing moment, her body found a new place that could hurt. This was by far the worst condition she had been since… Well, since the fight against the boy.

“Remember to tell everything to Mila.” Aaers reminded. “My attack will remove the main threat, but the remain… You have already seen it. It will continue to exist and kill you both.”

All Isabel could manage was a nod. She looked at what had once been a human. Only the head remained somewhat intact.

The rest was a mix of human-like limbs, branches, bark and seared flesh. Isabel swallowed hard to keep herself from puking.

Aaers wasn’t done. “It will be stronger than Silinth. The boundaries between here and outside are weak here. But you both have grown. I trust you will manage.”

Isabel wished she could share the confidence. She was spent and bruised and hurt. And Mila… Even if her girl was healed, she had been in a terrible state.

Could they do it? No. They had to. Isabel sighed, letting her trembling breath out together with the turbulent emotions. Her eyes now followed the slight movement of Aaers.

The person inside Mila had somewhere acquired a sword. He raised it in preparation. Isabel waited for the enemy to attack, to escape, to do something…

But ‘It’ just stood in the same spot, studying Aaers. ‘It’ continued to increase the number of defences around it, but otherwise was simply waiting.

“...why…”

“The Corruption wants to learn,” Aaers explained. “We all do. It studies us, and we do the same in return. So learn. It is why I allowed you to be here. And…”

This was hard to swallow. This asshole had done it for Isabel to learn? She groaned as her side experienced an explosion under the ribs. It hurt a lot.

“And… Do try to keep Mila’s anger against me in line.” Aaers finally finished. “She will be very, very angry at me.”

“... deserved…”

“Hah,” Aaers laughed. “Mila is too gentle on you and too harsh on herself. Tell her that.”

At least on this point, Isabel could agree with Aaers. She hated how Mila always tried to do everything by herself. Even just a short while ago, Isabel had been sent away.

“Now, look. The skill that made me the most feared man under the sky.” Aaers struck.

Isabel didn’t know what she had expected. The sword in Mila’s hands was in one place, then another, as if it had been swung. She didn’t see any movement nor feel any attack happening.

There were no wounds on the enemy either. Not even ‘Its’ defences had been chopped through.

Yet…

Isabel felt something had changed. The foul presence was gone. She blinked. All that she could tell was that something had been severed.

The terrible figure stood still before beginning to cry. “My ritual…” It sobbed. “My experiments…”

As for Aaers… He looked at Isabel. “Remember. Appease Mila’s anger for me. I still need to teach her.”

Then, Aaers was gone. Isabel saw the usual light return to her girl’s eyes and sighed in relief. Their gazes met, and both exchanged tired smiles.

Isabel couldn’t move. But her girl… Mila appeared to be full of energy.