Circe couldn't believe her eyes—a cosmic entity was blown away. 'That makes no sense! Even with my magic, she shouldn't be capable of doing that.' Her mind started racing for an answer before she heard the Monitor stand up.

He gazed at Circe, in a calm yet commanding tone. "I detected your magic power assisting Enchantress. I know not how you overcame my aura, but you will reveal all you know or suffer the consequences." the Monitor warned as Circe backed up slowly before panic settled in.

'Fuck! Damn Enchantress, that sly-' Circe stopped her train of thought.

"Ah, I assure you, it was not my intention. Before your timely arrival, she had already bested me and spirited away with my magic. Surely, even in my current state, you possess the ability to discern the truth from falsehood." Circe explained. She had no choice but to hope telling the truth would turn this terminator away from her.

The Monitor stared at her as if weighing her words and burning away all deception with his cosmic power. Circe could quite literally feel her mouth and forehead heat up tremendously. However, she never felt any pain; she felt some discomfort, but she tried to hide it as best she could.

"The intense flames of my Gaze of Fire reveal the truth to The Monitor. You have succeeded. Yet, your evident unease suggests concealment. Nevertheless, as you remain unscathed, I shall depart." The Monitor said. He was about to turn away when a being appeared. The Monitor stopped before speaking.

"Angel Vermont... It seems my altercation with Enchantress has drawn your focus, unbeknownst to me." he stated as the Angel just smiled before shaking his head.

"You forget, Mar Novu, you radiate like billions of suns. I'd have to be blind to not notice you enter the 21st universe," Vermont explained as the Monitor took a second before agreeing.

"Your evaluation is precise. Might I be of assistance in any manner?" the Monitor asked, surely the Angel stopped him for a good reason.

"Indeed, I am here to ask you to momentarily halt your hunt for Enchantress," the Monitor fully turned and faced the Angel.

"Is this the decree of the King?" The Monitor asked as Vermont shook his head.

"The Grand Priest recently warned us of a looming catastrophe if the King finds out. To keep you safe, and all life in creation, I need you to minimize your chances of crossing paths with him. My elder brother Merno has returned with intentions to disrupt creation. Though we're still unsure of his goals, my father has managed to keep him at bay. But it's only a matter of time before he breaks through." Vermont explained.

"Do you refer to the ancient elder, Merno?" The Monitor seemed to be concerned as his eyes flickered lightly.

Circe sat in silence, praying that these two had forgotten she existed. 'Great, now I'm actually fucked.'

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

She had no idea what sort of sick joke this was, but that sounded pretty damn concerning. The better question was why she was allowed to listen in on the conversation— they were obviously both aware of her presence.

'An Angel and a cosmic entity, both at the same time. Something is wrong today. What else could go wrong?' Circe dreaded the thought. She just wanted to escape in peace, but any movement would most certainly be a death sentence.

But soon she realized something. 'An active Angel... that means there should possibly be a destroyer god around... but if Enchantress killed the creation god, then why is an Angel active in the universe?'

'Either Enchantress lied, or she just failed in some way... wow... If I survive this, I'll definitely need to find a nice island and watch what happens to Enchantress,' Circe mused, until she noticed both the Monitor and the Angel were staring at her.

"You are Circe, daughter of the sun god Helios?" Vermont asked.

"Aye, that would be I..." Circe answered. She didn't want to show fear, but it also helped to realize that whether she lived or died at this point wasn't up to her.

"I shall require your aid in the near future, should you be willing to lend your assistance." the Angel asked, although Circe knew she probably didn't really have an option.

"Very well, but my current state is pretty dire. The wound I got from the stab persists, and my strength wanes. I may lose consciousness before long." She explained as Vermont nodded before approaching her, a staff materializing in his hand, tapping her gently with it.

Circe felt all the pain wash away as if she had taken some miraculous magic that healed all forms of ailments. 'Even the curse Enchantress placed on my stab wound is gone...'

Suddenly, she felt her magic rush back into her, as if an empty tank was being refueled. "W-What have you done to me?" she asked. Her magic was primordial, innate to her. Enchantress stole most of her very essence too, so this sort of recovery should be impossible.

"I've restored you. You were severely injured. The sorceress didn't drain all of your power, so I simply reconstructed your essence using what remained and enhanced it. Surprisingly, I didn't need to restore much; once it reached approximately forty percent, your natural healing accelerated." Vermont explained before spinning his staff.

Circe watched in disbelief as the staff vanished from her sight. "Could that be the Rod of the Angels?" she asked in surprise. She had only heard rumors and read ancient texts explaining it, but even those translations were probably wrong about quite a few things.

"It is my staff, yes, but to the Angels and Gods, they are called Rods of Elysium," he explained. Circe just listened in silence before realizing the Angel was waiting for her to respond.

"What assistance do you need from me?" she asked. "If you possess such a treasure, then surely my aid is unnecessary." Vermont chuckled and shook his head.

"My staff has its limitations. It's incapable of tracking Enchantress beyond the confines of this universe. The Monitor could pursue her, but he might cross paths with my elder brother." Vermont explained.

"Even Mar Novu would be extinguished like a mere candle. In such an event, the King would be promptly alerted. He shares a closer bond with the King, unlike the destroyer gods and other combat deities." Vermont explained.

"When you say 'King,' are you referring to..." Circe asked, waiting for the Angel to clarify.

"The Grand Sovereign of the Multiverse, within which you currently exist." The Monitor finished for the Angel. "I comprehend the Grand Priest's rationale. I will postpone my pursuit of Enchantress for three years. It is the maximum duration I can delay fulfilling my duty."

Vermont smiled. "Thank you, Mar Novu. I appreciate your assistance," Vermont explained. The Monitor nodded before turning and walking away, disappearing into nothingness.

'What did I get myself into...' Circe thought nervously. 'I feel like I am flying a little too close to the sun. Damn, I hate Enchantress so much.'