After a few seconds, Zero calmed his 'unique nature' and took a confident step forward, only to be met with a trail of unimaginable difficulty.
Every trial that was previously passed bore down with multiple times the intensity.
The stair became thousands of kilometers in size, populated with gravity that reached 25,000G, mental attacks strong enough to turn even a saint insane, energy fields so dense that neutron stars would blush, and two sentient inky shadow clones.
Zero's body disintegrated under the heat and pressure that gravity of that intensity entails. Unlike last time no amount of careful movements would save such a weak body from this level of gravity.
Unable to reform their body, Zero was sucked into Adrian's pantheon.
******
Earlier…
Coming too Adrian felt three sets of eyes watching him, while they murmured something he couldn't quite understand.
Just as Adrian was about to attack them he realized that their gazes held no malicious intent, only tenderness.
Shiftily opening his eyes Adrian saw three familiar silhouettes, one a small bird, another in the shape of a fox, and the final one was a child. Noticing Adrian's eyes open the three jumped on him giving their best hugs.
Looking down at the loving trio, Adrian hugged back remembering their time together back on Earth.
In such a warm atmosphere Adrian called out to Sakura hoping to talk with her only to remember what had happened for him to wake up in this place.
Pushing the trio off, Adrian stood up asking, "Where… is this place?"
Looking around, Adrian saw a small stream flowing beside him into an ancient-looking Mayan-esc temple covered in dull gray weathered stone.
The three chose to stay silent walking towards the temple and motioning for Adrian to follow.
Watching their oddly distant behavior Adrian questioned once again if the two animals were really Fue and Qi, however, he knew that Dee was real so he chose to follow them… for now.
After a few minutes of awkward silent marching the trio and Adrian arrived at the base of the temple.
Dee soon spoke up saying, "Deddy, this place is our home and your 'pantheon,' or at least that's what you called it before. This temple is… well… um, you."
Adrian started to ask something, but was quickly cut off by Dee as he continued, "Deddy, do you remember who you are? I mean do you really remember?"
Silence overtook them once more as Adrian contemplated Dee's question.
The first thought that came to his mind was Adrian Scolvof, but he immediately shot that name down as he had not been the same Adrian Scolvof since the prison.
Thinking further the name Adrian Walker appeared but once again that wasn't him either.
The same applied to most of his other monikers; Humanity's Savior, he never thought so, Evo was not him it was only a title, neither a good nor evil person fit him.
The more he thought the more he noticed something was missing from his memories especially when he thought about how he knew what and who Zero was.
While he thought through his answer Adrian felt his link with Sakura being completely severed causing him to shiver and become overwhelmed by his repressed emotions.
What Zero could have never known was that Adrian knew about the influence Sakura was subconsciously using on him and decided to keep it intact as it allowed him to keep Sakura with him at all times.
And to Adrian, that was worth infinitely more than being able to have negative opinions about Nexus as he knew the influence was not something Sakura wanted to use.
The influence was not Sakura's to command freely it was the original Nexus assistant's, and all that Adrian cared about was Sakura's use of the power.
With their link no longer intact Adrian's very soul started to crumble into itself as he was consumed by emotions and loneliness.
Even if something similar had happened before this time Adrian was fully conscious of the loss, feeling the intense pain that was inflicted on Sakura right before the connection was severed.
Under intense emotional distress, Adrian completely forgot the question that Dee had asked.
In seconds Adrian felt almost every emotion possible only coming to an end when Dee ran up to him hugging his knees while comforting Adrian saying, "Deddy it's gonna be ok. Did you lose connection with mommy where did your glow go?"
"Yeah… I can't feel mommy anymore, but it'll be ok. When I get out of here I'll try to reconnect with her." Feeling the care and warmth in Dee's words Adrian tried to calm down putting on a tearful smile as he spoke
Meanwhile, Fue and Qi circled Adrian as if checking to see if he was ok.
Sniffling, Adrian asked Dee about his previous question, for Dee to respond, "You've been cut off from who you are/where I'm not sure, but parts of you are sealed away. Try touching the temple and you'll understand."
Dee's answer only gave Adrian more questions, but trusting Dee he decided to touch the temple, as he did more memories flooded his mind.
Memories of a sick and lonely child who couldn't go outside having to instead listen to his parents bickering and fighting over his safety.
Memories of that kid making his own friends to keep away the loneliness and deal with the pain of his senses.
Memories of the seven personalities that kept him company and what each of them was created to do for him.
Soon the memories started to age as he watched everything he had forced his other personalities to endure under the guise of not wanting to hurt.
Pushing every horrible thing he did to the others blaming them for his actions all the while hypocritically taking on regrets that he felt he caused.
However, never once in all of these memories did any of them resent him as each of them felt they were him feeling like they were helping their best friend.
The memories soon arrived at his final moments as Adrian took his own life ignoring their words and worries, blocking them each time they tried to take control.
The memories ended with the sound of bones breaking and cold consuming each of them as they faded into sleep for what they truly believed was their final time.
As the final memory ended, tears started streaming from his eyes once more as Adrian answered Dee's first question looking up at the top of the temple, "I am no one… yet, I am also all of them."