The shimmering purple threads continue to flow out from the crystal and bring reality into existence all around me as I think about her last question.
"What do you mean? The Demons are trying to take over our world? All they do is guard labyrinths. If anything they're growing the economy of large cities and helping our world thrive... no?"
All of the times I've conversed with demons in the past flash through my mind.
They've all been hostile and human-hating, but I just assumed that was because I was invading their fortresses and trying to kill them. It's only natural they'd try to kill me in return.
Even recently, with the labyrinth that I managed to create myself, the demon that spawned in was ready to make a deal with me. I whisper aloud as I remember our agreement.
"Well... he was adamant about bringing the captured mana back to the Demonic Realm.."
As I'm deep in thought, the purple energy form starts to walk around me again, and the familiar aura of curiosity spreads out as she interjects.
"So they're only on the initial farming phase? Dungeons and Labyrinths spawn, but they haven't taken control of enough of your world's mana to spark a stronghold yet, have they?"
I raise an eyebrow and turn my head to lock my eyes on her form as she continues to dance around.
Her words of a stronghold make the image of the abyss in the center of the Dark Continent flash in my mind. Ember's explanation of dungeons, labyrinths, and this phenomenon are similar; however, the fact that he's a dragon, and a divine beast may give him a strong bias on the matter.
"You mean a Demon Lord's Throne awakening? Is this what you mean by a stronghold? If so, there's definitely one forming..."
She nods slowly, and the emotions of shock, dread, and a small amount of hope trickle out of her.
"Yes, that is one of the names they go by. It's because they often only form in the Demonic Realm. Mostly used as a competition for worthy Arch Demons of the new generations to compete to become new Regional Lords..."
She pauses.
"Of course, they still expend lots of energy to create. Usually, the formation of a Demon Lord's throne will use a large amount of an entire world's energy. Demons are notorious for siphoning energy from young worlds to power their own throne awakenings, especially those that are newly connected to the system."
She gets very close to my face again.
"It is uncommon for them to trigger a throne awakening on other worlds. There is always a series of trials, once the throne is ready, anyone can challenge it. They're risking a lot of energy to spark one anywhere other than their realm or worlds they've already conquered, even if they're confident in their victory. There must be a reason why they want a stronghold on your human world rather than using this power to strengthen their own."
An aura of deep thought, distress, confusion, then boredom flood out of the woman before she turns away to start gracefully walking back toward the purple crystal.
To my surprise, the gem pulses and becomes a shade darker than it was moments ago.
She turns and speaks again.
"The fallen one granted me a wonderful gift, enough energy to converse with you here, but not nearly enough to say everything I want... It takes enough power for me to hold this construct together on autopilot, having intelligent conversation won't last much longer. I only wish I could stop history from repeating itself."
I take a step forward and she does the same, but her right arm dissolves into millions of tiny threads.
They collide with my forehead as she speaks again.
"It will be easier if I just show you..."
My vision and perception of the world around me cease the moment the strands touch my forehead, and it feels as if I'm spectating the perspective of someone else, floating high above a planet in deep space.
Half of the planet is filled with green and blue, while the other half is completely black. There is a dreadful aura of Demonic Energy spreading quickly all over the globe before my eyes.
The perspective I'm viewing from shifts left and right to see multiple other glowing green and cyan-colored entities hovering high in the sky, then turns back to the planet as it's completely enveloped.
The perspective speeds up, and it looks as though years are passing, traveling through space, passing other planets covered in black Demonic Energy.
The lifeforms travel further and further away to find unaltered planets in faraway systems spinning around stars, but the timelapse I'm watching speeds up more and more.
Hundreds of years pass as planets without life are completely ignored. Weaker planets are drained of mana very quickly and obliterated into dust, and those that have intelligent life, use mana, and are so-called awakened by the system are soon met with the same force that took over the first planet I witnessed.
One by one, the planets and entire local solar systems are either sucked dry of mana and obliterated, or if their mana signatures are strong enough, the planets are taken over with the dark energy. It always starts from a single point, and spreads out in a series of pulses that feel eerily similar to surges and the abyss spreading in the desert of the Dark Continent.
Hundreds of years pass and I watch the entities run from these planets over and over again.
Some of them change their forms and colors, moving from green to cyan, to dark blue, and eventually purple.
Some of them leave the group of travelers, while other times new beings join.
The final memories I see are this being flying far away, further than ever before in any of the past world destructions. Every local solar system she passes, the being drops a large cyan-colored orb down to every planet.
Even those infected by the Demonic Energy, every planet gets an orb. Even those without any mana present on them at all.
She continues flying out into the endless empty vastness of space, then everything goes black before I can see what happens next.
I take a gasp of fresh air as my eyes open and purple tendrils of energy retract from my forehead.
It feels like I woke up from a very real dream. All of the images shown before me feel as though I witnessed them myself, but are also a bit foggy and foreign.
I see the purple woman standing before me, now about ¾ the size she was before she showed me what I can only assume to be glimpses into her memories. The large floating gem is even darker behind her, and less and less tendrils of energy stream off of it.
She speaks in the same soothing tone.
"The process continues, history always repeats itself. They have infected your world, and what's to come is inevitable. As you now see, no matter how far one runs, if there is mana to devour, the demons will follow. They may spare your world and allow you all to live under their rule, or they may drain your mana and destroy all hopes of becoming a powerful race to oppose them."
She looks up at me.
"However, I have been asleep for decades. The presence of a Divine Beast, and a powerful human who can challenge the throne may be what creates a change. There have been rare events where worlds fight back in order to battle the Demons. Sometimes other races even challenge the throne to claim energy rich planets as their own when the Arch Demon generations are weaker than usual."
The woman shrinks again and a rush of a tired aura ripples through me as the gem gets darker again.
"I don't have much time left... If you would allow me to search your memories, I can grant you what you need the most with my remaining power. I cannot promise much, but if I can help a human that is bonded with the fallen one; I'll be directly leaving my mark on history as intended. In my last breath, I will have achieved my final goal."
Her mouth disappears, and the energy figure looks even more transparent than it was moments ago.
I nod and begin to reply.
"Yes, if this is your wish—"
The second I agree, I feel the purple threads hit my forehead again, and a rush of the woman's emotions instantly transmit through me. Almost instantly, she removes the strands and steps back with a smile.
"What a simple world... and what an interesting race... and—what a greedy government... I understand now how my rift in this world was monopolized and cut off from the other worlds. You aren't on good terms with them either, yet you decide to stay so close to your enemies... Again, what an interesting situation."
A flutter of excitement and curiosity vibrates through the atmosphere as she looks toward me.
"I've decided I will finally collapse my realm. I will help you and your familiar Ember to be victorious in your upcoming battles."
I raise my hands and reply in a worried tone.
"Hey—collapsing the realm—what do you mean by that? I'm still inside this you know!"
An amused aura spreads out from her still fading and shrinking form.
"I know. It won't be instantaneous. The collapse will take enough time for you to use your teleport crystals and leave. I will convert my remaining life force into a powerful artifact that will contain the remains of my living soul. While I won't be fully conscious, I will still be technically extending my life. It is quite selfish of me to continue on living, but it will help you in both your short-term predicament of concealing your power, and in time your long-term needs, I will help you again once it is time to challenge the throne."
A final aura of gratefulness mixed with a light bit of joy and sorrow flows through me as her energy form fades completely away.
The threads of purple light that were connected to her all fall back into the dark purple gem in the center of the crystal platform, and I'm left all alone in silence.
The only thing up here to keep me company is the whistle of the wind.
A slow and steady flow of purple threads continues to come out of the top of the gem to create the dome-like walls of the construct, but they start to slow down too.
In less than half a minute, the threads begin to stop flowing entirely.
The purple stone floats down to touch the reflective surface of the platform and stops spinning too.
It pulses brightly one time, then compacts in on itself as if it's compressing its energy and forming into a tight ball.
Without even realizing it, I'm moved closer to the shrinking crystal and it is also moving closer to me.
It flashes bright, covering my entire vision, and I feel something hot touch one of my fingers.
In the next moment, the flash ceases, and a new bright purple ring appears on my finger.
Its purple divine threads start to creep down my arm, and at the same time I look up toward the central point of the construct's dome top, and it begins to fade away.
Without the constant stream of purple energy to continue weaving reality, there is nothing at all behind it.
I stare off into infinite darkness where I see the construct starting to fade away. It spreads quickly, all from the central point, a large circle of darkness begins to descend down on me from above.
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Author's Note:
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