The fragment of Miros that had been following Zafira around looked at the sleeping little witch. It had been some days since their talk with Deegan, but strangely, they just couldn’t let it go. Starting the cycle of life, but letting it play out on its own was their way. However, something about this girl made them want to help her. Not too much off course, life should always find its own way. But if Deegan was right, outside forces were already interfering, they would only be balancing things out. She had already decided how she would act, and now was the time. They’ll enter her dreams, and show her the possibility of betrayal from her intuition. What she would do with that prophetic dream would be up to her.
As they enter Zafira’s dreamscape, they find her laying down on a comfortable fluffy mat before Ruby’s bed. The simplicity of her dream brings a smile to their face. A magical world with untold possibilities, treasures and dangers; and this is what she dreams about. Laying on the floor before her madam. Their eyes turn sad, as they reshape the dream to suit their intentions. To give the naive witch a cold shower about the harshness of reality.
The witch is old now, ascended to become the most powerful space/time magic user that the myriad worlds have ever seen. Working on a grand ritual that would be the magnum opus of everything she had ever done. Her intuition is guiding her even more than usual, filling in the gaps where her extensive knowledge is lacking.
Zafira completes the ritual, and with a feeling of pure joy and ecstasy, channels more power than she ever has before. Reality shatters, like a prince rupert’s drop, what had been completely solid before, are now countless little pieces. Pieces that quickly disintegrate, till only she and the void remain. She screams in terror, and a laughing voice speaks inside her soul. You have my gratitude, your willingness to follow our guidance has finally brought an end to the war. Finally, we are free from the burden of existence. Finally, everything has returned to how it should be, as it was before the dawn of time.
WHY, Zafira screams into the void. Because this is our nature, the voice replies. I’m not talking about that, Zafira yells. If you were sentient all along, if you had a will and desires of your own. Why didn’t you talk to me? Why didn’t you trust me to hear you out? Why didn’t you trust me to help you? Why did you have to do this on your own?
You would never have helped me destroy the world you love so much, the voice says. That is true, Zafira replies, but I would have listened to you. And together, we would have come up with another way to end your suffering. The voice laughed at that, nothingness and creation have always been at war. You believe that you would have found a way for us to coexist? Preposterous, known your place witch, you only reached the heights you have because we guided you to them.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Zafira smiled in reply, you are right, I owe everything that I have become to you. Your achievement is amazing, creating a being able to grant your deepest wish. Powerful enough to destroy all of reality in one great strike. But why stop there? You did all of this on your own, now, let us see what we can do together.
Time had ended, and the universe had returned to the true void it was before creation. The only thing still existing beyond the void itself, was the being who had made their victory possible. Have you forgotten? She speaks into the void with a smile, I was always better at creation than destruction. As she closes her eyes, and reaches deep inside of her.
From the source of destruction,
to the source of creation.
by my decree,
let there be time.
As soon as she feels the flow of time, she grabs hold of it, and pulls herself backwards through it, ignoring the voice raging inside her head. She travels back to the moment where her intuition had first pulled her towards the ritual that would end everything. And sends the memories of all that has happened to her past self.
Zafira is about to start on a new project, when she is assaulted by something trying to invade her mind. Her intuition is screaming at her to defend herself, but she isn’t fast enough, and a stream of memories enters her mind and knocks her unconscious. It doesn’t take long for her to wake up again, and when she does, she immediately directs her full attention inwards. Sending her thoughts towards her intuition, I know that you are sentient and what you are trying to do. I won’t allow the destruction of all I hold dear, but I also will not sit by knowing how much existence itself is hurting you. Let’s talk, and brainstorm on how we can end this war together.
Miros exited the dream, unsure of what to make of it. They had thought to warn the young witch about a hidden danger. But instead, she had been the one showing them their resolve. They laughed, as they recalled the tipping point, where the witch had wrestled control of the dream from their hands. Shaping it from a message of destruction and despair, to one of confidence and cooperation. A foolish dream, but then again, Miros smiled, time would tell.