{ELEONORE POV}
{REALM: THE SEA OF STARS}
{DEPTH 20}
On the other side of the planetarium, one singular Champion was currently making her way through the same shooting stars that have made it difficult for others to navigate the place. Modulating her voice with picturesque precision, Eleonore erected a sonic barrier around her, her soft hums protecting her from the shooting stars that dared to stop her from achieving her goals.
"I'm telling you now, my Champion, you should try and relax a bit~"
"And I'm telling you that I don't care about any of that."
Eleonore hissed at her own goddess even as they walked side by side through the onslaught that were the very stars trying to silence her song. While Ragnarok was the one that gave her her voice back as well as power beyond anything she could ever dream of, the goddess's cheery attitude constantly grated on her with how much it stood contrast against her own worldview.
The world was a cruel and unfair place. She had been at the peak of her career. Lords and Kings flocked to her performances, her name plastered all over Roma with how her soft and lilting songs soothed and cared for even those that were unfortunate to pay for her shows. She was naive back then, a bleeding heart that sang for free at every corner whenever her whims struck her fancy. Artists wanted to paint her, seamstresses wanted her to wear their gowns and dresses. It really felt like she had all of Italia at the palm of her hand... But then...
"You're thinking about your accident again, aren't you," Ragnarok interrupted her, her worried tone clashing against her own. "What's done is done, you know? You have a second chance now. You should enjoy life~"
"And for the last time, I don't want to do that. Not until I know that I can keep this voice that I lost," Eleonore hissed, her harsh vocals a stark contrast to who she once was. "Only then can I enjoy life again."
Her goddess flashed her one of her rare frowns, and Eleonore couldn't help the slightest tinge of guilt in her heart upon seeing such a thing. However, just as quickly as it came, she quashed it with her own two hands, uncaring of how it further killed her past self. No, the old innocent opera singer was dead and gone. The old Eleonore was naive and desperate, believing to a fault that she didn't even think much when she accepted an offer from a shady merchant to perform for his birthday celebration.
Her old self died that day. She had performed for free against her will, the merchant lord refusing to pay for something that she just supposedly always gave away for free anyway. And even worse, the moment she protested, she... she lost her voice, the monster slashing out at her throat for even daring to defy him.
Left unable to do her livelihood, she resorted to selling her body, something that she was loathe to do after having experienced the luxury that all of Roma had to offer. She was thrown out, charity refused from her after her usefulness had long passed. The same artists and seamstresses that offered her free food and drink from before all turned her away, refusing to even be acquainted to her after she had been tainted.
"My Champion... Those things have already passed. The end had already come for them. For you, even," Ragnarok told her, her caring tone almost acting as a soothing balm on her vindictive soul. "But unlike them, you're still here. Still capable of undoing your end."
"And that's exactly what I'm doing," Eleonore replied, determination dripping from her borrowed voice. "You said it yourself: the end is just another beginning. I refuse to lose this Game for you."
Ragnarok frowned once more, and the opera singer simply scoffed before turning her attention to maintaining her sonic barrier. Truly, to learn that the Catholic Church was lying about god and heaven was a blessing and a curse. It also meant the further death of her old self, her faith in god having been completely dismantled by being revived by the literal Goddess of the End.
"And I appreciate it, my Champion," Ragnarok faintly smiled at her. "But please, at least cherish this extension you currently have. Everything has an end, but what happens after isn't always set in stone."
***
{RAGNAROK POV}
Ragnarok inwardly sighed as her Champion rebuffed her advice yet again, utterly refusing to even interact with her properly despite her best attempts to make friends with her. Truly, she had the worst choice in Champions if she wasn't even talking to her properly.
Still, it wasn't too much of a worry. If Eleonore didn't want to be her friend, then that was fine with her. She didn't need her Champion to like her anyway.
Absently following behind her Champion, the Herald of the End casually let the shooting stars bounce off her clothes and skin, her thoughts much more preoccupied with planning and daydreaming to even care about the equivalent of grains of sand giving her a slight annoyance. Being in Big Brother Astra's Realm also had a calming effect on her, probably because her Aspect had a few similarities with his at how she was the one responsible for ending entire universes.
'Hmm... What to do now...'
Thinking about the Game so far, she supposed that it would be best if she started enacting some of her plans in earnest. Mimir's sudden exit was something she didn't expect this early in the Game, but it was still something to casually jab at her elder sister to try and annoy her. In her opinion, she got what she deserved for constantly underestimating Nyx, and even then, Ragnarok was sure that the Goddess of Knowledge still didn't think that the youngest of them all was actually capable of coherent planning.
'You're doing good, Little Nyx,' Ragnarok thought to herself. 'Just hold on...'
There was much more to be done for her plans to come to fruition. Big Brother Shiva's faction was already fraying without her even doing anything, which meant that all that was left was to dissolve Big Brother Themis's formidable faction.
"An opportunity..."
A soft whisper took her out of her musings as her Champion looked out in the distance. Squinting, Ragnarok was surprised to see two Champions surrounded by what obviously looked like Nyx's power. This was good! Maybe she could-
"HAAA!"
*BOOOM!!!*