Time seemed to stand still as Raziel gazed into those ancient, all-seeing eyes, feeling an overwhelming mix of awe, fear, and a strange sense of reverence.
Before he knew it, he knelt on the cold, rocky summit, his entire being engulfed in the presence of Drakaris.
The dragon's voice, deep and resonant, seemed to reverberate through the very air around him,
"Boy... Did you risk your life coming here to seek my power to help you, just like everyone else has tried?" Drakaris's voice boomed, sending tremors through Raziel's body.
Raziel, momentarily taken aback by Drakaris' imposing presence, gathered his courage and spoke, "O S-Supreme One, as you already know... I seek retribution against those werewolves who slaughtered my people and everyone I loved. I beg you to please punish them—."
"Why should I help you?" Drakaris's tone was calm, but it carried an edge of indifference that shook Raziel.
Raziel's voice was filled with desperation, "Because you are the Supreme One, our guardian, our deity. We pray to you, we worship you..."
Drakaris interrupted him, "I never asked for worship nor proclaimed myself as a deity. The belief in me as a guardian is a creation of your own. My existence is not to serve or protect the whims of people who exist below me."
Raziel's heart sank. He never expected the supreme one to be so indifferent to their plight and that his people's faith might be in vain, was a crushing blow.
It shattered all the hopes and beliefs he had clung to with his life as he tried to climb up here.
Raziel's gaze dropped to the ground, his fists clenched tightly as he struggled to comprehend the enormity of what he had just heard.
"But... my people... they suffered," Raziel stammered, his voice barely a whisper against the overwhelming silence, "They died while still believing in you. They looked up to the skies, praying for your guidance, your protection..."
Drakaris' eyes, glowing orbs in the darkness, remained fixed on Raziel, unblinking and unyielding, "Your pain, your loss, while regrettable, is a part of the natural order. Our world is built on a cycle of predator and prey. It is not my place to intervene in this order."
Raziel's heart pounded in his chest, a mix of desperation and disbelief swirling within him. "Then... then what is the purpose of our prayers? Our sacrifices?" he pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion.
"The purpose you assign to your rituals and beliefs is your own," Drakaris replied, his tone unchanging, "You seek meaning, comfort, hope... but these are creations of your own mind. The universe does not bend to the whims of individual desires. By your logic, if your enemies worshipped me, I should be helping them eradicate you and your race. But no...it doesn't work that way. It never should."
"Then what is your purpose? You hold so much power that just a single glance from you could have been enough to save my people," Raziel cried out with a clenched jaw.
"The balance of our universe demands sacrifice. Pain and suffering are necessary evils, without which there would be no growth or progression. Without them, our world would perish, and that is my purpose…to safeguard the existence of our realm. Nothing more, nothing less," Drakaris calmly explained.
Raziel felt a sense of despair washing over him, the weight of his quest, his losses, bearing down on him with a crushing force.
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he gazed up at the colossal eyes of Drakaris, his voice a mixture of desperation and resolve. "No...even if our faith meant nothing to you, and our lives are not in your interest to interfere...I am still begging you...please help me. I will do whatever you want, I will become your slave or serve you till my last breath. Just...please help me let my people's soul rest in peace," he pleaded, his voice breaking under the weight of his emotions.
Drakaris briefly closed his eyes, letting out a deep, rumbling sigh, "You serve no purpose to me, nor do I ever need anyone to serve me," he declared, his voice resonating with a timeless authority.
Raziel's face contorted with pain as he choked on his tears, understanding the futility of his plea to this supreme being.
But he still couldn't help himself from asking out of despair.
"But...Even if I can't interfere, I can grant you the power to do what you wish for," Drakaris finally said, his words piercing through Raziel's despair.
Raziel's face transformed, his eyes widening with hope and shock, "Really??" he gasped, hardly daring to believe what the supreme one said, especially when it seemed as if he was not going to help at all.
"I have lived too long in this world, and I believe my time will soon come. But before that, I want to choose a worthy successor to carry on my bloodline and my will so that this world would never perish in my absence," Drakaris said with a hint of weariness in his voice.
Raziel's eyes were blinking, shocked at the fact that the supreme one was looking for a successor. And most of all, to offer an insignificant person like him the chance to become one.
Did the powerhouses of this world already fail? Or did the supreme one not offer them the chance? Raziel could only guess, though he didn't really care since this was like a dream come true.
Drakaris observed Raziel's reaction and continued, "Don't get relieved already. I am not simply going to grant you my power. You have to prove yourself worthy of wielding it, and it is not going to be easy. For thousands of years I have tried to look for a successor but everyone failed."
Raziel's demeanor shifted from desolation to fierce determination despite hearing the odds, "Yes! I will do whatever it takes to prove myself to you...anything!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing with newfound energy and resolve.
If he could truly gain even a fraction of Drakaris's power, he knew nothing could stand in his way.
Drakaris looked down at Raziel with an inscrutable expression, "Very well. But know this, boy, the trial I will set for you is unlike anything you have ever faced. It will push you to the brink of your existence, test your will, your strength, and even your sanity."
Raziel nodded vigorously, "I'm ready for anything, Supreme One. Anything to avenge my people."
Drakaris's eyes glowed darker as he said, "Then you will prove it with your actions. I will send you back to live through the same day, the day you lost everyone, again and again. You will wake up each morning with the knowledge of what is to come and remember everything that happened, and your memories will carry over. But the day will reset each time you lose everyone."
Raziel's heart pounded in his chest. Reliving the most painful and horrifying day in his life seemed like a cruel and unusual punishment instead of an opportunity to prove himself.
"Wait…how can I prove myself by doing this? What is the purpose of making me go through what happened again and again?" Raziel asked with a grimace.
"That isn't for you to know. I told you it won't be so easy and you don't have to accept it. You can go back and forget we ever had this conversation. But once you accept…then there is no going back, no matter how much you beg for it."
Drakaris continued, "With each reset, you might lose a piece of yourself. Your memories, your emotions, even your soul may begin to fade if you aren't strong enough. And if you aren't, you lose yourself completely, you will remain trapped in that cycle forever. You may think it is an illusion, but it very well might not be. It will be real for you."
Raziel swallowed hard. The stakes were unimaginable, and he couldn't understand the true purpose behind this other than being a form of most cruel torture.
But then he asked with a look of hope in his eyes, "Since you said I get to live from the beginning of the day…wouldn't it mean I can change what happens to my people? Is that what you are looking for? To see if I can change the outcome? Would I be able to continue living with them if I am able to save them?" Raziel didn't know the extent of Drakaris' powers, but since he was like a deity to him, he felt this may not be too far-fetched.
"You underestimate the power of fate. Not even I can change my fate, let alone you. No matter what you do, your people will die. You can change how it happens, but the outcome will always be the same. Your struggle would be futile. And you will keep living that day until I say so, and it very well could be never. So think carefully if you are ready for this," Drakaris warned.
Raziel's hands trembled, but then he clenched his fists and asked with a hardened expression, "I don't want to believe that my fate can't be changed. As long as I have knowledge of what's going to happen, then I have the power to prevent what might happen. So if…by some miracle, I managed to save everyone, would I be able to continue living with them?"
Drakaris briefly closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh, "It seems like you still don't understand. But if you believe you can achieve such an impossible miracle, then yes…you can continue living with them."
Raziel's eyes widened, and his heart shook with newfound hope, realizing he underestimated Drakaris' power. Maybe he can really turn back time.
He can save them before anything bad can happen.
And the burning desire for vengeance spurred him on even more, "I understand the risks. I accept!"
Drakaris nodded, and a powerful energy surged towards Raziel, enveloping him, "Then I will see you the moment your day gets reset."
"Thank you for giving me this chance, but...I am not coming back…" Raziel mumbled with a steely determination before he felt his vision filling with darkness.
