FLASH BACK - DURING DAVEY'S 5TH BIRTHDAY
The grand halls of the Avalon Imperial Palace glittered with light, echoing the majesty of its inhabitants. Within the private chambers of the Empress, the atmosphere was warm yet solemn. Lady Dahlia Avaleon, the Empress of Avaleon and Disciple of Nyx, God of Night, gazed down lovingly at her son, Prince Davey. Yet behind her calm demeanor, worry clouded her heart. The boy standing before her was not truly her son—not yet.
"Davey," she whispered softly, her hand gently brushing his hair. "You're growing stronger every day, but I still see it... Maharis' influence grows more evident."
The figure in front of her—Prince Davey—nodded, though the light in his eyes was not that of a young boy, but of something far older and more powerful. The soul currently housed in Davey's body wasn't his own. It was **Maharis**, the God of Order. His divine presence was so great that even Dahlia, as a disciple of the Goddess Nyx, could feel it permeating the room.
"He's safe, your son," Maharis' voice spoke through Davey, though it resonated with a deep, commanding tone far beyond a child's capabilities. "His soul is in my domain, where he grows and trains, waiting for the day when his body will be strong enough to bear the full weight of his divine essence."
Dahlia nodded, though sadness flickered across her features. "I know, Maharis. I know he's safe with you. But still, a mother yearns to see her child grow with her own eyes. How long will it be before his body is ready to carry his soul again?"
Maharis closed Davey's eyes for a brief moment, as if contemplating the future. "Not long. His body grows in strength with each passing day, thanks to my care. When the time comes, his soul will return to its rightful place. But for now, if he were to reenter this vessel, the divine prowess he carries would burn through his mortal shell."
Davey's real soul, though older than his physical age, was far more powerful than any mortal child could sustain. Even from birth, the overwhelming divine energy coursing through him would have torn his fragile body apart. **Maharis**, the God of Order, had intervened when Davey's soul reached out—an older soul, one that already carried the memories and potential of a divine being. The infant prince had subconsciously called to the celestial realm, sensing the fragility of his mortal form. Maharis, answering the call, offered Davey a pact: **Maharis would take over his body, nurturing it until it was strong enough to bear the full brunt of his divine power.**
In exchange, Davey's soul would be temporarily removed, placed within Maharis' celestial domain to undergo rigorous training and preparation. It was a deal born of necessity—an alliance that ensured both the survival of the boy and the continued growth of his immense divine potential.
Dahlia's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she recalled the early days. The night Davey was born had been the happiest moment of her life, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Davey, though a mere infant, had radiated a divinity so intense that it cracked the very foundation of the palace. The Emperor, the ministers, and even the High Towers had been powerless to contain the energy. That was when Maharis made his presence known.
"You saved him," Dahlia whispered. "I will forever be grateful to you for that, Maharis. Without your intervention, he would have died before his first month."
Maharis inclined Davey's head in acknowledgment. "It was necessary. His soul is unlike any other. The amount of divine energy he possesses is beyond what any mortal body could endure, even if trained from birth. His potential is greater than that of the Emperor, greater than any other sovereign before him. I could not allow that to be wasted."
"Why did you choose to help him?" Dahlia asked, her voice quivering with curiosity. "You are the God of Order, not a guardian of mortals. Why him?"
"His soul..." Maharis began, his voice reverberating with ancient wisdom. "It called to me because it belongs to something far older. Though you may not remember, your son's soul has walked the celestial planes before. His very existence is tied to the order of the universe. There is a prophecy among the gods about a being who will restore balance, one who can harness both light and darkness, order and chaos. Davey carries the remnants of that being's essence. If he is not nurtured correctly, the world itself could unravel."
Dahlia's breath caught in her throat. She had suspected there was something special about her son—something more than just royal blood. But this... This was far beyond what she had imagined.
"His destiny is bound to the fate of the realms, mortal and divine alike," Maharis continued. "And when the time comes, he will need the strength of his body, the wisdom of his soul, and the power of the gods to face what lies ahead."
"So, you train him in your domain," Dahlia murmured, "while you use his body to prepare it for his return."
"Yes. In my realm, time flows differently. What may feel like years to him will only be days here. He grows stronger, more disciplined. His mind sharpens. When he returns, he will be ready for the burden he must carry."
Dahlia closed her eyes, taking in the enormity of Maharis' words. Her son's future was bound to something far greater than she had ever imagined. Yet, she took solace in the fact that, for now, his body was being protected and nurtured by the very god who had taken him under his wing.
"Thank you, Maharis," she said softly, her voice laced with both gratitude and sorrow. "For watching over him."
"Thank me when he returns, Empress. When he walks in this world once again, he will be far more than a prince. He will be an embodiment of the gods themselves."
With that, Maharis turned, his divine essence retreating inward, though still radiating through Davey's small form. The Empress watched her son's body move away, knowing that though he walked in her palace, his true self was far from her reach—for now. Yet, she trusted that when the time came, Prince Davey would return, not as the fragile child she had once feared for, but as the ruler the Empire needed—a vessel of divine power, an embodiment of the God of Order's will.
END OF FLASHBACK
"We've been facing each other for the last three years, and yet, you've never once engaged in battle within this fabricated domain of yours," the Empress said, her voice calm yet edged with frustration.
A figure cloaked in shadow stood across from her, their features obscured by the strange, pulsating light of the domain. "There's no need for me to fight you, Empress. You are bound to remain imprisoned here forever," the unknown being responded, its tone dripping with malice.
Dahlia Avaleon, Empress of the Avaleon Empire, narrowed her eyes. "I may not know which god is responsible for this, but I know you. You're nothing more than a former apprentice of the evil gods," she said coldly. "The fabric of this false reality is impressive, I'll admit. But it would be impossible for your true body to maintain four separate domains and still place a clone to oversee each one!"
The unknown being flinched, visibly unsettled by her words. It had not anticipated the Empress unraveling its secrets. "Ahahaha! So you've known all along!" it laughed, though there was a nervous edge to its voice. "Here I thought I had played my hand perfectly. Never would I have imagined that you'd see through my ruse."
"It wasn't difficult to deduce," Dahlia replied sharply. "If the four of us trapped here combined our strength and attacked your clones, your real body would crumble under the strain. But what's more interesting are the things you've shown us through this domain."
The Empress glanced around at the fabricated reality they had been confined to for years. In this false space, the unknown being had unwittingly revealed key pieces of information. Through the cracks in its control, the Empress and her companions had witnessed events from the outside world—plans, schemes, and now, the preparations for the Crucible of Sovereigns at the Abyssal Maw.
"You've shown us your plans, and even the movements in the real world," Dahlia continued. "Perhaps you believed it would break our spirits, but instead, it has given us the insight we need to escape."
The unknown being sneered, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in its eyes. "It no longer matters what you see. You will never escape from this domain. Even if you somehow found a way out, you wouldn't survive long enough to make it back to your reality."
Dahlia raised her hand, tracing the air around her with delicate precision. Dark, condensed mana gathered at her fingertips, forming a swirling vortex of power. With a sharp motion, she sliced through the very fabric of the domain, creating a small but visible tear in the false reality.
"I can leave if I will it," Dahlia said, her voice resonating with the power of the Goddess Nyx. "It wouldn't be hard to destroy this domain and tear open the veil of this fabricated world."
The unknown being staggered backward, alarm flashing across its face. "You…!"
"You underestimated me," the Empress said coolly, her fingers gently brushing the tear she had created. The Empress undo the mana in here hand and the cut was also undone
The Empress gazed sharply at the unknown being, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere like a blade. "We won't make our move—yet," she declared, her tone firm. "For now, we'll watch how this plays out. If you so much as twitch, your entire plan will collapse. So behave yourself while you continue showing us this whole charade."
The unknown being recoiled, realizing the precarious position it now found itself in. The confidence it had displayed earlier was fading, replaced by unease. The Empress's calculated words had pierced through its facade.
"You think you still hold the reins, but you've already lost control," Dahlia continued, her gaze never leaving the being. "Even within this domain, the Emperor and the ministers won't sit idle. They'll react, and when they do, your little game will crumble. You might have thought you were the master of this domain, but now the tables have turned."
A dark chuckle escaped the lips of the shadowed figure. "You talk as though you've already won, Empress. I still have—"
"Nothing!" she cut in swiftly, her eyes gleaming with the cold brilliance of Nyx's divine energy. "You have nothing left. This domain, this false reality of yours, is no longer under your control. We've seen through your plan from the start, and now we've gathered the key pieces of information that matter. For all your boasting, you've underestimated us far too much."
The unknown being's face twisted in fury, the air around it rippling with frustration. It tried to reassert its dominance, but the Empress wasn't done.
"Let's not forget who you are," she continued, her voice low and dangerous. "You were once just an apprentice—an errand boy for the evil gods. You think becoming the so-called 'Pillar Master of the Emerald Flame' changes anything? No title or power you've stolen can erase your origins. The reckless display of information you've given us only proves how desperate you are. You've shown us your hand, and now we know more than you ever intended to reveal."
The being shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the Empress's words pressing down on it. It had hoped to break their spirits with visions of the real world, flaunting the empire's struggles and the looming danger of the Abyssal Maw. But now, it saw the fatal flaw in its arrogance.
"You underestimated the will of those you imprisoned," Dahlia said, her voice softening into a chilling calm. "The Emperor, the ministers, myself—we're not mere mortals caught in your web. We are connected to forces far beyond your comprehension. Even your carefully constructed plans will unravel. You might have isolated us here, but you never broke us. And now, your recklessness will cost you everything."
The Pillar Master tried to interrupt, but Dahlia's gaze sharpened once more. "You've lost control of the situation, and the moment we decide to move, it's over for you. You're holding on by a thread in your own domain, and you know it."
There was silence as the being struggled to maintain its composure, but the Empress could see the cracks forming. It was on edge, its aura flickering with uncertainty. It had been exposed, and there was no turning back.
"You were never as invincible as you believed yourself to be," she said, her voice a final blow. "So go ahead, show us whatever you want. Reveal more of your plans. But know this—everything you do now only brings your downfall closer. We've seen through your illusions, and soon, we'll break free of them."
The unknown being's face contorted with frustration, but it had no choice. The Empress had seized control of the situation, and it was powerless to stop her now.
"Watch carefully, Pillar Master," Dahlia said, her eyes glinting. "Because when we make our move, not even your gods will be able to save you."
As the Empress stood, her thoughts drifted back to the moment they had been caught off guard by the Pillar of the Emerald Flame, imprisoned within this fabricated reality. It had been a perfectly timed ambush, one she still found hard to believe had succeeded.
They had gathered in a secluded part of an unknown forest, deep within imperial territory, each on separate missions. The Emperor, Grand Minister Luke Vangard, Prime Minister Sima Hui, and herself had all met there by coincidence. They hadn't anticipated a threat at that time, especially when their combined strength was unmatched by any known force in the empire. But that was when the Pillar of the Emerald Flame made its move.
The attack was swift, subtle, and so intricately planned that it took even them—four of the most powerful beings in the empire—completely by surprise. They hadn't sensed any immediate danger because the Emerald Flame had masked its presence within the very essence of the forest, blending reality and illusion so seamlessly that the trap was sprung before any of them could react.
"It happened the moment we let our guard down," the Empress thought bitterly. "I underestimated their mastery of illusion and fabrication—abilities honed not just by dark magic but by a force ancient enough to challenge even the gods themselves."
The ambush had split them into four separate domains, each tailored to imprison them individually. The Pillar Master had conjured illusions that disoriented them, disintegrating their bond as a group, making it nearly impossible to communicate or plan a counterattack. Every time they thought they were fighting back, it only solidified their imprisonment.
"But it wasn't just power that defeated us," Dahlia reflected. "It was our overconfidence. We thought we could handle any threat together, and for a moment, we didn't consider the possibility of being manipulated from the shadows. That was our mistake."
Yet, even in the midst of being trapped, Dahlia had sensed the danger early. The moment the barrier began to form around them, she acted quickly. While the others were distracted by the illusions, she used a fragment of her divine energy, cloaking it in a stone that would be invisible to the domain's watcher. She carved intricate markings into the stone—inscriptions that told the story of what she had learned during her investigation of the Abyss Maw.