My vision descends into a blinding sea of total whiteness. The abrupt shift is disorienting, and the lingering danger I was only just withstanding is erased, replaced by an overwhelming sense of bewilderment. The white expanse stretches endlessly, leaving me suspended in a surreal void.
The whole place is utterly opposite to The Cabin or anywhere else I've ever been. It's simply... nothing. I stand without much to do as my Ether won't respond to me. Here, I am powerless.
Nevertheless, as the whiteness persists, it begins to distort, taking shape to form a large, featureless room. The transition is seamless yet unsettling, as the blank canvas of white transforms into an environment that seems almost too perfect in its lack of defining characteristics.
Across from me, emerging from the void just as the room did, stands the old man I was just battling. However, the transformation is uncanny; Elil Weiss appears unwounded, his vitality fully restored. In contrast to the haggard figure I stared down moments ago, the old man doesn't even need that cane anymore. He is young. He is... pristine.
Without a slouch or stumble, the old man confidently steps forward. I raise my lone arm to meet his movement, the other gone in this place, clenching my fist in preparation. But in response to me, his lips curl into a twisted, knowing smile, an expression that speaks volumes of an anticipated victory. It's a smile that suggests he holds all the cards, as if the outcome has already been decided in his favor.
That smile rouses unending rage within me. The idea of spiting the man fuels me with desire as I stride forward to meet him. There is little else I can do here, and I'm not going down without a fight. Still, Eli Weiss grins with a laugh.
"This is my Dominion, Wyatt. Icarus. Here, I will take your Power until I no longer have a need of it. But seeing as how broad in application yours is... I may have it for quite a while. Truly, you were naive. Use such a thing for mundane strength? Oh... there are so many avenues of limits, not just strength."
I practically growl in denial as I swing at him with a left hook, seeing as my right arm is missing in this faded reality. Eli lunges back, dodging the strike easily. I follow up with a twisting kick to leverage my momentum, but Eli demoralizingly catches my heel.
The old man holds it with a tsk.
"I am God here. Though, there are rules. I cannot kill you if I want your Power. Some tether needs to exist. It is all so interesting. I must say, I do wonder what your Dominion will become."
"What?"
I can't help but sputter out confusion as my enemy outright acknowledges that I will not only live this encounter but grow more powerful.
"What do you mean 'what'? I already told you I can't kill you. And I'm confident that you will eventually reach this same point. The other, alongside you, however, has to die. Lennon's Power has no use for me. Simply using it would shatter every bone in my body, and he's far too much of a threat."
I contemplate his answer quickly, realizing that he's likely telling the truth as he tosses me back like a doll. I stagger on my feet, hardly managing to regain my footing before asking another question. Though, that question cascades into many more as I've already lost.
"Was he right? Is five your limit? Are you going to go for Blodwyn, too? What about Virgil?"
Eli's lips twist in annoyance before he shakes his head. The old man steps forward toward me with a short response as I backpedal with all I can.
"Naive. I thought you knew better. Enemies. Why would I give you any of my plans now that you are a genuine threat? Do you take me for a fool, Graves?"
I swing for him again, but my arm is caught by a motion a thousand times faster than mine. Then, a hand grips my neck while another places my hand behind my back. Eli Weiss grumbles, annoyed, into my ear.
"Let's just get this over with. I want to grab my 9th as soon as possible."
His words only manage to make me struggle harder. I thrash, contort, twist, kick, bite, and headbutt the man. Yet, nothing fazes him. Only when I eventually stop, finding nothing to work, does he release me.
Confused, I turn around with a readied hand, only to find him just as bewildered. His eyes look at me in horror, as if gazing at something that shouldn't exist. He sputters out nonsense while stepping backward from me.
"What? No soul? Ho..."
We meet pupils as Eli seems to reach some conclusion. He squints his eyes, finding me to be some kind of monster.
"So it is true. Graves do not have souls. Or at least not traditional souls. Even Arca have souls that I can grasp. But yours... it is slippery. No, it is impossible even to find. I have you here, but I cannot grasp it. It simply slides right through my fingers."
I open my mouth, but I find no words. I don't know how to respond to him as I consider for a moment that he is lying to me. Perhaps he's trying to trick me. Yet, his next course of action changes it all. His eyebrows sink as the man seems to genuinely feel bad. His lip quivers as the old man shakes his head with sadness and despondence.
"As a father... how could he? How little has your father taught you of your family, Wyatt Graves?"
I shrug, latching onto a possible chance of learning more from a man who has already promised not to kill me. Though, I don't know for certain if that still stands after what just happened.
"He has taught me nothing other than that we are born with heavier shoulders."
Eli Weiss sighs, sitting upon the stark white floor. He motions for me to join him, providing some reassurance.
"Time does not flow in this realm. Do not worry. Sit. There is time for a story. Not all violence must continue without breaks. I cannot take your Power. It is hidden from me, just as your soul is. My Dominion cannot find your soul, only your body. And as you are not a God or a Demigod, your body has not yet begun to meld with your Sigil, making even that connection near-useless."
The Underground Tree spouts truths to me without pause. Now, whether they are laced with lies or false sources is unknown. I can only take what he has to say with many grains of caution.
Nevertheless, I listen, prodding for him to continue as the old man seems to really like me for some reason.
"But before we get to all that, I would like to simply speak to you. Man to... man. Why? Why have you come this far, Wyatt Graves? What... drives you to such lengths? What ignites that fire beneath your feet?"
Eli's questions echo into the void for several moments with a bizarre tone. For a thought, I dismiss his inquiries, but as I look to his face, I gradually fall to recollection. He seems genuine in this. Perhaps I should be the same. After all, he is being peaceful right now, and we have the time to spare.
"I..."
I begin to speak but lose my words. What am I fighting for exactly? Why am I here? Is it to kill him? No. That's not the core reason. Weiss merely nods slowly as if deferring for me to continue. As if he'd linger here for eternity for an answer. As if his patience is limitless. Gradually, my feelings fall to an old memory. When Ma—Aniwye's clone, read to me often. One of the stories was about a man living in a cave for all his life. He was scared to ever leave, but when he was forced to in an effort to find food, he found the most beautiful vista there for him. The man fell in love with the sights, the sounds, and even the animals. All the things were peaceful, lovely... perfect.
But that was only on the surface. When night fell, the monsters would emerge, killing the beautiful atmosphere and much of the wildlife. The man... he felt useless in his cave while hiding. So... when the day came back around, he set himself on an impossible goal. He'd kill the moon to give the sun more time in the sky. It was ridiculous even to me as a child, but the current me has to wonder.
Vincent Harvey made the God of Night fall. And the one of Hearth. In both cases, night and day were tangled up, messing up the regular cycle. Even now, months later, night and day are in a constant war. Every day the sun has differing lengths, some up to sixteen hours, some down to as little as four.
So what is it I want to do?
I think, just like that man, I want to remove all the monsters. I want to... I want to live freely in a world without monsters.
And that is my answer to him. Weiss nods deeply to my words, smiling profoundly above us for a moment before having his attention sink back to me. The older man clenches a fist, pointing it at the ground.
"Then we are in alliance, in at least something. I, too, want to remove all the evil in the world, all the danger to humanity, whether it is demon, Nahullo, Pygmy, or God. I want to do more, though. Sigils... they have no place in our world. Things would be much more... fair if any being could die from a bullet. Croak from a simple eighty years. Fall from any height, no matter how grand. I want to remove all the monsters and all those who slay those monsters, for if we do not, those blades will turn inward. You've already seen it before. We gain a little bit of comfort and... we kill each other, we scheme, we backstab, and we push each other down. But... just as your goal is, it is impossible."
My tongue rolls over my teeth as I quickly find a response to Eli, surprised by his belief. I wouldn't have thought such a thing to be his grand goal. It just seems so... pure.
"What is the point of our power if we can't do something impossible? Isn't strength meant to do the impossible? To reach such heights that any could wonder how any of it ever happened? Nothing is impossible, Eli, not if you think you can do it. Look at Lennon. Look at me. Look at... Look at Desolation."
The old man smiles with such a wide grin that I worry it'll burst as he lets out a small bit of laughter. He nods before shifting the subject.
"You think just like a Graves... I like it. Nothing is impossible if you refuse to hold faith in that fact. Thank you for your wisdom, I will do my best to incorporate it into my way of thinking. There is always something to learn from someone. Now, let me do my part as thanks. Your father is an odd man. He is vehemently lonesome yet positively vengeful to those who do the few he cares for wrong. He is also... awful at speaking to people. You two are not dissimilar. I am, however, surprised he taught you so little of your lineage despite his love for solitdue. Even I only know a shambled-together story. Whether it's the truth, partial truth, or utter dogshit is anyone's game."
I nod, telling him to persist in his words, and he does so. I don't know how to feel about him thanking me, though. It is an... odd thing. I don't dislike the appreciation, but I do hate who it comes from. My head tilts as my interest only multiplies.
"I've had many theories about these Tombs of your family. The bits you are missing. I believe that for the majority, they are physical things that are easily noticed, like pain, bones, blood, eyes, etc. But there were a few that actually seemed to have nothing wrong with them in history, despite a few odd circumstances. And all of those circumstances had something to do with a Power, Virtue, or Dominion, things that touch upon the soul directly."
Eli Weiss points a wrinkled and wizened finger at my forehead as if directing my attention to something far more profound. I can't look inwardly as he wants me to, but I pay extreme attention regardless.
"Something is wrong with your soul, but based on your reaction, you already know that. I think... I think that your soul possesses no aura, no substance, maybe? It's hard to place the feeling. Souls aren't easy to describe or even touch. Bestowing Strand is the minimum to really make use of one's soul, with Plasmic Ether taking hints from it. Now, I'm not optimistic about this, but from what I can garner, your soul is invisible and impossible to grasp. Blodwyn, your artifact's soul is a piece of cake in comparison."
The mention of Blodwyn brings my vengeance and focus to bear once more. I glare at the man across from me with revulsion as he lets out a deep, surrendering sigh.
"You Graves. So, so, so stubborn. Go ahead. Try and stop me from taking his Power. It's a good one, I won't lie. Hiding Ether in such a way is genius, even if impossible for all but him. I want to help you, but you make it so damned difficult to do so."
"I don't want your help."
I retort instantly, and I am rebuffed just as quickly.
"Didn't seem that way just a few minutes ago. Your own last supper, I suppose. So, go on, try and stop me from taking his Power. Perhaps you'll actually succeed. If you do, I'll only manage to learn more about how my Dominion functions."
The next moment, my vision shatters into a thousand panes of glass as Eli Weiss snaps his fingers like a God deciding to end the very world. Then, I reappear inside another white room.
However, this time, I am not alone.
Instead, there is another me. They appear identical to me, save for the unnaturally pale skin, red eyes shaped like four hearts placed together, and how they are missing a left arm, not a right.
Blodwyn lifts that arm in confusion, finding it to move at his beck and call. I move to reassure him and settle the artifact down before Eli appears.
"Hey, buddy—"
But I'm not fast enough.
"How intriguing. A creature so close to their artifact that they share the very same form. Like two sides of a coin. Perhaps that is simply what is needed to become an Angel as a Wendigo, but I don't think it is. You two are... mirrors. Both are inborn monsters, gradually taught to be good. What a conundrum."
Eli Weiss's words and smug form immediately earn a burst of action from me as I pounce upon the man. I dive at him, swinging my arm with all the force I can muster, before following it up with a low kick and a twist to deliver another kick.
My speed is far greater than in my 'realm' where I faced him earlier. Yet even then, the old man deflects and easily blocks each and every attack of mine. But I don't stop, and the flurry only grows more and more frenzied.
Blodwyn can only watch as the artifact knows nothing of fighting with his actual body. Me?
Marshall would not have it any other way.
And so, I brawl against the old man, my right arm missing like it used to but with determination fueling every move. Punch after punch, I unleash my left arm, focusing on kicks and transitioning from one piece of momentum to the next. I never stop moving, not even for a moment, as exhaustion and the need to breathe don't exist in this realm. Inside Eli's Dominion, I don't have any normal restrictions. The 'God' of this realm, however, merely follows along with my force as if watching me like an experiment.
I don't let his intentions faze me. With each strike, I grow faster, the rhythmic flow of motion ingrained in my muscle memory. But the old man is a specter of speed, always surpassing my efforts. No matter how strong or swift my attacks, he effortlessly outpaces me, a perpetual blur of agility.
Time becomes a concept that already didn't matter into something that never did as our back-and-forth intensifies, the volume of our clashes rising to a crescendo. The sheer speeds we reach defy anything I've ever seen before, and yet, I refuse to yield. If this was in the real world, each and every motion from the two of us would leave shockwaves in their wakes.
No matter what I do, though, the 'God' refuses to be touched. A glance of Blodwyn in the side of my eye, however, reminds me of what I'm fighting for here.
Even if it's pointless, I won't give up on him. Blodwyn deserves to see that I am willing to fight for him. Eli might have been mocking me when he mentioned being taught to be good, but I do not take it lightly. I believe that we are both not only born good, but born with the potential to be far more than that.
This artifact, this soul, this being, it has the potential for greatness, for kindness, despite its origin. I know it can be caring. I know it can be thoughtful. I just have to show it how.
I dig deep into my reserves, drawing upon every ounce of strength and agility I possess. Yet, the reserves appear to be endless. I pull, pull, and pull, and there seems to be no end. Still, the old man outpaces me with every step.
That is until his eyes widen in surprise as if he realizes something. Eli Weiss leaps away from me, finally retreating from my attacks for the first time in this realm. The old man tilts his head in bewilderment.
"How mighty is your soul? It has no discernable form, yet you can contend against my Dominion. If you grow any stronger in this realm... No. You aren't growing stronger. You are learning how to use it. Interesting... interesting... too bad I've run out of strength myself..."
Weiss doesn't finish his words, and I latch onto his rambling by diving toward him. I soar across the white canvas surrounding us before abruptly finding his hand wrapped around my skull. My thoughts stutter for a second before I realize we are back in reality.
What? Why? Why did he cease his Dominion? Is my soul really enough to resist it? Damn... the Philosopher really doesn't mess around, then.
Not that I'm in any less danger now, though, seeing as Eli Weiss has no reason not to kill me beyond his own personal interest in me. And I know the man is willing to disregard any and all attachments for his end goal. I raise my hand, still feeling that overwhelming might as I tear his to the side. Weiss groans in agony, and I kick out at his knee, breaking the feeble thing inwardly. Satisfaction runs through my whole form as the old man falls down.
Before he can, though, Lennon cuts a gash alongside the man's side, nearly bisecting him horizontally. I raise my hand to bash his skull in with an Explosion, but a burst of Shift sends both Lennon and me sprawling away.
The old man kneels with an outstretched palm facing the both of us even as we come to.
With adrenaline still rushing through my veins, I push through the pain of Shift, even as the mental force wreaks havoc on my body. The pressure grinds down my bones, having them creak and groan in ways I didn't think they could. Nonetheless, I stride onward.
On the other side of Eli, Lennon does the same. His trudge, however, is far more soldier-like. I'm groaning, gritting my teeth, and practically crying out in pain, but the Bladeless Monster?
He is emotionless.
Not a frown or hint of pain. In fact, I think I see hints of a smile on his face as his wounds reopen and bones break under the weight of Weiss' stolen Shift. And he doesn't even have Blodwyn beating his heart to crazy speeds, delivering inhuman levels of strength.
That means... Lennon Hull trained his body to reach these levels of endurance all on his own. No artifact. No crazy combination of skills. No racial advantage. Just... a single man's pure determination and grit.
That very same feat of effort gives me the knowledge that I can break through this myself. I know I can. I've done worse.
Seconds pass in strained silence, denoted only by Eli and my struggles. But the old man's Power is not enough when split two ways. Slowly, ever so slowly, we both converge on Eli Weiss. And as we get closer, I notice a flash of pain through Eli's face, the man slapping a hand to his skull in agony. He nearly falls onto his face, groaning in psychic pain as he stumbles from whatever is affecting him. My heart skips as I know who it must be. Lennon and I take advantage of this slight instant, both of us converging at once without Shift to hold us back.
Lennon shoves an invisible blade into Weiss' back while I punch a hole through his heart. The organ is crushed simply due to my momentum of breaking his ribcage while Lennon rips that formless blade out, cutting the man in half from just above his hips.
I fall on my ass as my 'friend' collapses to his knees, positioning his hands in his lap with downward-facing palms as if worshipping a sword. Exhaustion overwhelms me and leaves my vision spinning as the Underground Tree spits out words of denial.
"A life of turmoil and preparation will not end like this. It will not. All beings have their own wills. They are their own masters. I… will… not… succumb."
My eyes widen as the old man's hand reaches forward, tapping upon a wall I didn't realize we had arrived at during the fight. The wall is made of timeless stone, and the notion of what he is touching worries me to no end.
The Gate Of Death.
But just as the door opens in accordance with his call, answering the plea of a dying man, Weiss' hand falls. Still, his other hand grasps something on his belt, but before he can do anything with it, a formless blade punctures his skull. Blood and brain matter stain the gate with a faltering trail as I heave a sigh of relief.
He's dead.
Finally.
I don't even really know what emotions to feel other than relief. A fit of laughter births itself from my core as Lennon quickly joins in. Both of us lie on our backs as the old man finally succumbs to our efforts, but a single footfall halts our laughter utterly. Alongside that footfall is a soundless howl of danger. Thinking there is another enemy or one last trick, I rotate my body in a hurry.
Looking up, I find a towering ogre with a broad smile, covered in blood from cleaver to single-eye. She drops a rolling head beside Lennon and me as she smiles, congratulating us on our victory but with a warning.
"Hope that helped. This little rat! He lied about Richard. The bastard was here all along. The blind old fool was hard to finally kill, but he died like all the others. Eli, though... his soul is still around, even if his body is dead. One Vessel remains. We better keep an eye out, though I cannot sense it as of now. And... sorry I took so long, but Lang would have changed everything if I let him run here."