Aphosis.
The Demon of Order.
The central figure of the trio that ruled the Nexus Empire.
A being who's said to be the strong mid rank 2 in all of Eden.
The figure who worked without any emotion, doing everything according to the 'Order'.
If he stomped, half of Nexus would kneel in submission. The other would've died for being too close to the stomp.
"Hm, as I suspected, the slivers did merge. There is no separating them now." Aphosis voice continued to sound from behind, without the slighest hint of emotion.
Varian didn't know what to do. He could not risk asking anyone for help. Implicating Sarah or Sia would only result in their death. There's no way, absolutely no way they could win against a rank 2.
He experienced their power up close. Even a single sub-rank difference in divine realms was vast.
The childish notion of fighting across the realm was impossible in celestial ranks itself. But there was some possibility of fighting across the sub-rank.
In divine realms, that notion was thoroughly squashed. No one, not even the best of geniuses could ever fight up a sub-rank.
If you're a low rank 1, the best hope you had against a mid rank 1 was to escape with your life intact. And even that'd be expected from only the best of geniuses.
From the beginning, Varian held no fantasy of being rescued.
'Alright, calm down. Calm down. I will die here. Fuck. But I can't stop it. Then what next?
He would try to escape but the chances of it were next to zero. Naturally, his line of thought shifted to what would happen after his death.
A small family of four was waiting for him.
Thankfully, he did prepare a 'Will' of sorts.
Even a donkey learns to not touch the barbed wire if it got cut too many times. If he didn't prepare a will after nearly dying for who knows how many times, he'd be worse than a donkey.
He might not have preferred death at all. But if inevitable, well, then he'd at least want an honorable death—an ending where people wouldn't comment that he's as good as a donkey.
'Oob will be able to sense my death. Will not break the news right away. Rather, it'd inform that I'm trapped somewhere and they need rank 2 strength to break in.
With the excuse that it's going to be too long, Hortus' Will would be transferred to Sarah. With the legacy and Oob's help, she should be able to master the world and benefit from its features.
Sia will get the power of slivers I was able to condense. It can keep her origin from destabilizing for at least a hundred million years. By that time, she would be able to snatch the slivers back or find another solution for her lifespan.
Enigma would get the…letters. The plan was to write one love letter every day secretly and give it on a birthday she'd decide. Well, she has a billion letters to read. I guess nearly going insane did have some pay off.
Our love was always heavier from her side. I wanted to make it at least a little more even. Enigma, I was trying to love you as much as you loved me…but it's all going to end before I could shower you with affection. Sorry.
Isadora, I can't give you anything. The years I spent with you, even if they're only ten, they have the echo of a billion. I can only ask you for forgiveness. I promised to love you for eternity. And I'm leaving you so quickly.
But my last gift for you would be the flower I secretly snatched from that timeless world. It won't ever wither. It's the symbol of my love for you. Even if I die, my love will exist.'
Varian's tense shoulders relaxed. He slowly breathed out and a peaceful expression dawned on his solemn face.
On the flipside of all this, at least Aphosis found Varian alone. If he traced them all the way back to Hortus, then everyone would've died. If it had to end with only his death, then it's infinitely more desirable.
"Hm, the slivers have chosen you? Interesting, interesting. Not only do they have a will, they even have a preference? Why would it choose you?" Aphosis asked. Even though his words implied curiosity, his tone remained flat.
"Since you're going to kill me anyway, I want to fight your clone at my strength."
The reply was unexpected and hilarious, especially because Aphosis was behind Varian and the latter kept speaking, as if he was addressing someone in front.
"Why don't you turn around first? Even though I will end your life, it's not the proper 'order' to converse without facing each other." Aphosis commented.
There was a heavy emphasis on 'order'.
"I could overlook this breach of order if we were in a fight. You can't go face to face with some beings in fights. But we are not in a fight. I will kill you when I wish and you cannot defend yourself. Facing me for the conversation is the least you could do to die an orderly death."
"…"
A long silence followed.
"Oh, I've withdrawn all my aura to not trouble you. But I guess even my presence is hard to bear."
Aphosis snapped his fingers and the invisible pressure falling on Varian disappeared.
"Haaa!"
Like a man who almost drowned and barely saved himself, Varian gasped violently, even though there was no air in space or its necessity for his lungs.
His body shook from head to toe, as it struggled to adjust to the sudden disappearance of that monstrous pressure. It felt like he was about to break into pieces and was barely holding himself together.
When he finally turned around, he saw the man. No, he saw the boy.
With a pale golden skin that glowed softly like the surface of a lake under the moon. The red hair was uniform and nearly arranged in a symmetrical fashion.
The pointed ears of the man like that of an elf.
Dressed in a long black coat with golden design, black trousers and an overcoat, he would have looked like a young master at the elite party if not for his emotionless eyes.
Those two eyes.
Just a glimpse into them and Varian felt his blood freeze up. It felt like he was thrown butt naked into an ice chamber.
It was a reminder that the eyes that were looking at him did not belong to a god-like being.
Those eyes had no pupil, no iris. Like the purest of marbles, they were white. And they glowed like a torch in the darkness.
The soft white light coming from the eyes was somehow brighter than any light that an entire star could give.
If Varian did not have the strength of a rank 9, he would have had to shield his eyesto protect himself from the radiance. For normal people, Aphosis would look like a being covered in a pure white light.
"Varian." The Demon of Order narrowed eyes. "Answer a few of my questions and you can die properly. Resist, if you dare."
