Ahhh!!
"Please stop it... I don't want to see more..."
Scarlett was trapped in a nightmare.
"No... no... let me go!"
It was a nightmare that only a few in the entire Oblivion had ever experienced and were still alive to talk about.
"No... no..."
Her screams started to get hoarser because her throat was hurt and swollen.
Her mind was suffering unimaginable pain, yet a warm presence appeared when she was drifting slowly into the darkness.
It was like a saving token from that endless suffering, and she grabbed it with all her power.
Her consciousness turned back slowly, and Scarlett found her trembling body in a warm embrace.
She still couldn't see clearly, but she was sure of one thing: "Mom..."
That sensation brought back a peaceful memory of the past.
"Mom... don't leave me anymore..."
A warm hand caressed her soft hair, yet no voice came.
"Mom..."
Finally, Scarlett was back in the lava world, but bitterly, the woman holding her body was not her mother.
"What did you do to me?" Scarlett asked in a weak voice.
"I showed you the past, but... also the future. The destiny of every creature will be like you saw, and it was like these eons before."
Scarlett's mind was still troubled by the pain, so she found it hard to remember even a single word.
Indeed, as if still in a state of confusion, she asked again: "What did you do to me?"
"Such a weak creature... living a peaceful life sure is good, but the results are disappointing... Alas, there is no more time for me..."
The woman was disappointed but stayed with Scarlett, giving her some time to recover from the shock.
After an hour, Scarlett's mind was a bit clearer, but she didn't remember what had happened before: "Who are you? What did you do to me?"
"I'm Sulia... but also Hemesta... one of the Progenitors from the original world. I ruler over the fire, and she ruled over the earth... I'm the creator of worlds and the destroyer of civilization. Anyway, you can address me as Progenitor Sulia..."
The Progenitor's answer came, shocking the young girl to the core.
"As for what I did to you... well, you were just an ignorant child, so I helped you open your eyes. Out there, very far from this little world protected by the sacrifice of countless lives, existed an endless universe where chaos dominated the minds and hearts of all the people."
"Hmm..." Scarlett didn't know how to respond, and it took her a while to speak: "I... I can't move my body..."
"Mmm... it's natural. This is only your Soul body, but it's wholly drained of power now. As for your flesh body, it's still standing inside my Ancient Temple..." Sulia said, reassuring her: "Anyway, you should not care about that for the moment."
Her words were stunning, and Scarlett found them a bit too suspicious.
"No matter what, even if you don't believe me, there is nothing you can do..." Sulia added as if already knowing what was in her mind: "Well... We shouldn't waste any more time. It's a bit forced, but at least all my efforts will not be in vain..."
As Sulia said, Scarlett could do nothing, so she listened to her attentively.
Unfortunately, the more she knew, the more the story became unbelievable.
The two beauties stood there for hours or maybe days. One was speaking about the mystery of the universe, Oblivion, and other matters, and the other was starting to believe her story.
"Little Scarlett... I can feel that there are still some doubts in your heart, but I'm sure you will trust me completely after I give you a different path, greater than the one chosen for you by the unruly destiny."
Sulia was telling the truth, and Scarlett felt ashamed: "Progenitor Sulia... I'm just an ordinary human, so it is normal for me to doubt it. Actually, I hope that you are lying to me... I hope that you are simply a demon. I truly hope so."
Scarlett was speaking with all her heart, hoping that this was a simple nightmare, yet Sulia's existence was concrete, and somewhere inside her head, she knew that those words had held some truth.
The Progenitor sighed. She sighed a lot since she awoke, yet there was no end.
"Little girl... Trust me if I tell you that we have the same wish. Unfortunately, this is what fate brought upon us... " Sulia spoke sadly and then looked directly into Scarlett's eyes: "I told you everything you should know... And, unlike anyone I have met before, I can give you the possibility to choose... so you will stay in this lava world for a long time to inherit my powers... as you are the most fitted one. But I will give you some time to calm down those people out there..."
She wasn't so averse to taking her legacy, yet that sense of constriction was still a bit unpleasant.
Alas, she couldn't do otherwise, so her eyes closed. A moment later, she found herself standing a few steps from the barrier's border.
Looking at her father's condition, her heart wavered. She could see how much he had suffered since she disappeared.
"Father..."
This time, her voice crossed the barrier and reached the ears of the middle-aged man sitting on the ground.
"Mhm?!" Doran Scalis opened his eyes and stared at the front in surprise: "Scarlett... is that you?"
In the last few days, the barrier became opaque differently from before, but he could discern the figure of her daughter.
"Scarlett... How are you? Can you come out?" He shouted, stepping closer.
"I'm fine, father. I don't have much time, but you don't need to worry about me. But, I'm not sure when, but I will come out." Scarlett's voice was firm and worry-free, yet her father couldn't believe it.
"What are you talking about?"
"Father... just trust me. No one can harm me here." Scarlett reassured him and then added: "... also pass on a message to my Master... tell her that I'm sorry and I will visit her once I'm out of secluded cultivation."
Scarlett's voice grew lower until it disappeared completely, removing even her shadow from the barrier.
"Scarlett... Scarlett... Damn it!"
It was just a brief moment, but Doran's fear was partially placated by those words. He was still worried, but there was nothing else he could do other than wait and hope for a miracle.
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"Sorry... little girl, but we don't have much time to waste on these trifling things."
Inside the barrier, Scarlett's body was sitting cross-legged in front of Sulia's statue, but her soul was back inside the world of lava.
"No... Progenitor Sulia, thank you for giving me these few seconds. At least I calmed my father a bit."
Inside the imaginary world, the duo stood in front of each other, and Scarlett showed her respect, bowing her head to the woman.
"Ok, enough chit-chat... we should start..."
As soon as Sulia spoke those words, the world around them morphed.
The endless lava around the island turned chaotic as if a strong wind was disturbing its peaceful rest.
Purple gas flowed out of the bubbles, popping out all over the surface, and slowly surrounded the island, creating a round wall.
The strange process lasted until Sulia opened her eyes again: "I won't lie telling you that no pain awaits you... Actually, you will suffer something unimaginable. So, keep your heart and mind pure and brace yourself!"
Scarlett was worried before, but now, hearing her remarks, she felt scared.
"Think about your father or mother... Think about anything that can help you sustain what awaits you." Sulia said, feeling the fear rising in Scarlett's heart.
"Mmm..." Scarlett took a deep breath and nodded firmly.
"Good... you should also think about your lover... the one you chose to link your soul for all eternity..."
Scarlett's eyes were already staring at her when Sulia completed her speech.
"Progenitor Sulia... he is not my lover!" She replied after thinking for a moment.
"If it's not your lover... then..." reaching this point, she could imagine what was going on and spoke in a dangerous tone: "Oh... someone forced you to do this... well... don't worry, little Scarlett. Since you are my Chosen, I will make him regret doing this to you. I can't erase this effect, but I can give you the power to..."