The situation was hopeless. There was no escape, no path to safety. I looked at the massive creature in the distance, still advancing, crushing everything in its path. Buildings, warriors, even the earth beneath it—it all shattered like brittle glass under its relentless assault.
Maybe this really was the end. I hadn't lived long enough for a Solunar, that was for sure. But it had been a good life, all things considered. Simple, but peaceful.
There was justy sister...
I didn't feel guilty, not really. I'd tried. I had fought. But even so, I wished I could have seen more of her life, watched her grow beyond this nightmare. Not that it mattered now.
Then a voice cut through the noise in my head, calm but with an edge of impatience:
(Isn't it a little too early to accept your end?)
I jerked, looking around instinctively. "Who said that?"
"Huh?" Shaureen looked at me, confusion and fear blending in her wide eyes. "No one said anything."
But I was sure I'd heard it. A voice, clear as day.
(In your head. I'm speaking directly into your mind.)
Great. Now I was going insane, right before my inevitable demise. It figured.
(You're not going insane. Well... not yet, anyway.)
Wonderful. A voice in my head reassuring me that I wasn't crazy. I wasn't exactly convinced, but what did it matter? I was about to die. Sure, sure. What does this voice in my head want?
(I offer you a deal. Both you and your sister can survive.)
A deal? An interesting proposal. And how's that going to happen, Mr. Mysterious Voice?
(Look, you're not losing your mind. I can prove it. Carve the symbols I show you into the ground.)
As soon as the voice finished speaking, strange symbols appeared in my mind, vivid and clear as though I had always known them. The ground shook beneath me as the monster drew closer, its grotesque form obliterating everything in its path.
What did I have to lose at this point? I pulled out my knife and started carving the symbols into the ground, etching them with shaky hands.
"Brother... have you completely lost it? What are you doing?" Shaureen's voice was shaky, bordering on panic.
"I might've," I muttered, focusing on the task. It wasn't like I had a better idea.
Her worried gaze lingered, but I couldn't stop now.
(Good. Now infuse them with somnium.)
Somnium? I had no idea what that was. And what exactly is that?
(Sigh... It's energy from your core. Just use it. You can do that much, can't you?)
I was barely hanging onto control of my core, having only Ignited minutes ago, but fine. Somnium sounded like a made-up word, but I understood what he meant. I reached into my core, pulling at the raw energy within me, and pushed it into the symbols.
To my surprise, they started to glow.
The ground trembled violently, and then, cracking noises began to echo from above. The sky itself started to split open, jagged fractures forming across the heavens. Even the monstrous creature stopped in its tracks, its singular eye turning to stare at the strange phenomenon.
I stumbled back, watching in disbelief. What the hell did you make me do?!
(See? Told you I was real. This is the first step of my plan. Now, do you accept my offer?)
The cracks in the sky grew wider, and something was emerging—a figure, humanoid but without legs, floating downward. Its face was nothing but a massive, gaping mouth. Decorative armor covered parts of its body, and it moved as if searching the area. When it spoke, the voice seemed to resonate from all around me, as if the world itself was talking.
[A mere world of the Third Plane dares to call? Huh? What are these miserable creatures even doing here? Uh... Hands won't be enough to clean up this mess.]
It wasn't speaking to anyone directly, just grumbling to itself. I had no idea what it meant, but I had a sinking feeling that I had just summoned it.
(Yep, that was you. Uh... I think my plan might've already failed.)
Already failed? I had just started to trust this voice, and now it was saying the plan was doomed?
What do you mean, failed? I demanded, panic rising in my chest.
(That thing is a Mouth of Dream. It was supposed to call the Hands of Dreams to clean up these monsters, but... yeah, I didn't expect that reaction.)
The Mouth of Dream hovered above, its huge maw opening wider as it scanned the world. I had no clue what this creature was or why it was here, but judging by the voice's sudden uncertainty, this wasn't good.
So what happens now? I asked, trying to keep the edge of fear from creeping into my voice.
(Well, we'll see.)
Terrific. I was really starting to regret trusting this voice.
The Mouth of Dream shifted its gaze toward the sky, and then, it spoke again, its voice shaking the very air around us:
[The Great Rule of Destruction is descending to this world!]
(Oh, shit...)
Is that bad?
(It's the worst.)
A crushing darkness fell over the land, and I instinctively dropped to my knees. The sky was consumed by an overwhelming presence, and the ground beneath me buckled. In the corner of my vision, I saw the monster—this terrifying, world-ending creature—freeze in its tracks. It was staring upward, its grotesque body trembling in terror.
The Rule of Destruction, I couldn't decide to call it It or They, since they weren't even a singular entity but a cluster of broken worlds, pieces of annihilation given form. It was massive, with an intricate, jagged form resembling a fusion of rock and organic material. It had large, powerful arms- I guess those were arms. And its body appeared to be encrusted with sharp, angular formations. The most prominent feature was a single, glowing eye-like structure in the center of its head, radiating light. and some floating landmasses were seen in the distance, floating around the Rule. Their very existence destabilized everything around them. The sky, the earth, even reality itself—everything warped under the Rule's gaze.
Shaureen fell to her knees beside me, her eyes wide with terror, unable to tear her gaze from the sky.
(I told you this was the worst. I guess our deal's over. It was nice knowing you.)
Wait, no! I shouted internally. That thing is here because of you, and you're not going anywhere until you get me and my sister out of here!
(Ugh... fine, fine. Let's see... yeah, you're screwed, kid.)
I can see that! What do I do?!
(Okay, hear me out. You see that big, scary Rule of Destruction up there? Its presence is tearing the fabric of existence apart. Those cracks? They're openings to literal nothingness. I'm telling you now—jump into one. Your odds of surviving are better than staying here with that thing.)
I stared at the cracks in the sky, their gaping emptiness pulling at the edges of my mind. Jump into... nothingness? I scoffed. Are you suggesting I peacefully leap to my death?
(No, You won't die. You just need to trust me on this. Take your sister and jump into one of the cracks. I can help you from there.)
I looked back at the Rule of Destruction, its massive form looming over the horizon, breaking apart the world with its mere presence. The weight of its power was crushing. I couldn't stay here. The voice might have been mad, but it was safer than staying.
I shook Shaureen's shoulder gently, snapping her out of her terrified daze. "Shaureen! Trust me. We have to go. Now."
"Huh?! Go where?" Her voice was shaky, confused. "What are you talking about?!"
I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the nearest crack. "Just follow me!"
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she realized where I was leading her. "Wait... you want us to jump into that thing?!"
"What, you'd rather stay here with that thing?" I shot back, pointing at the Rule of Destruction.
She glanced between the abyss and the Rule. She wasn't convinced, but I guess she came to same conclusion as me.
Just as we were about to jump, the space in front of us shattered, and the Mouth of Dream reappeared, floating closer. From up close, it was even more terrifying than I thought. It had to be at least seven meters tall, and it hovered in the air without legs, its massive, gaping mouth lined with sharp teeth.
(You're the unluckiest man I've ever seen in my unnecessarily long life.)
Thanks. Really comforting.
The Mouth's voice echoed in the air, directed at me:
[You. You're the one who called me. How did you do that? No resident of a Third Plane world should know how to summon us, let alone be aware of our existence. You're coming with me.]
(Relax. It can't kill you without permission from the Rule of Dreams. It'll just take you to the Second Plane, which is where you're trying to go anyway.)
But what about Shaureen?
(Some casualties are bound to happen, come on.)
So, this was how it had to be. There wasn't time to think. Without hesitation, I turned to the Mouth of Dream and said, "I just gave energy to the symbols. She's the one who wrote them. I know nothing."
Shaureen blinked at me, surprised. "Huh?! But..." She paused, and then, catching on, her expression hardened. "Yes, I was the one," she said, looking at me with a mixture of shock and understanding.
The Mouth of Dream hovered in front of us, its hollow gaze—or what should have been a gaze—fixed on us. [Hmm. Well, that makes no difference to me. Then she is the one coming, and you are staying.]
Before I could react, both Shaureen and the Mouth of Dream vanished in an instant, swallowed by the void. The crack I'd been about to jump through closed behind them, sealing shut with a finality that felt like the world itself was collapsing inward.
I stood there, staring at the empty space where my sister had been just moments before. She was gone.
The voice in my head let out a small sigh. (You... Eh, I guess that's it. Can't blame you for what you did, but I have to say, I'm honored to meet someone who would sacrifice themselves for their sister. I guess I'll be waiting for the next unlucky soul.)
What were you going to ask me to do? I asked, numbness spreading through me. There was no point in moving. No point in trying to figure out anything now.
(Doesn't matter anymore. You're better off choosing a spot to die, kid. I'll stick around. At least you won't be lonely when it happens.)
This wasn't even the worst outcome. At least I knew Shaureen was alive. Her journey ahead wouldn't be easy, but it was better than death. I could make peace with that. I could accept this ending.
I looked up at the Rule of Destruction, its massive eye gleaming like a star—if a star could be cruel. It dominated the sky, its presence suffocating. Truly terrifying. I could feel its gaze on the world, heavy and oppressive.
But then... the fear began to fade. This whole dying thing was taking too long.
I yawned. "This thing is taking forever."
And then it happened. The presence of the Rule grew stronger, more focused, and I felt its gaze sharpen, locking onto me. The weight of its attention pressed down on my chest, nearly crushing me.
(I guess it heard you.) The voice sounded almost amused.
Thanks, I hadn't realized that. Are you telling me I've managed to offend a cosmic entity!? Can it even hear me?!
(How could I know? I'm just in your head!)
I braced myself for a horrible death, expecting to be obliterated in the blink of an eye. But something entirely different happened.
Instead of death, I felt... more alive than I ever had before. Power surged through me, burning like a furnace deep within my spine. I could feel it, radiating outward, coursing through my veins like molten fire. The power to destroy worlds, to obliterate everything, was mine now. And it wouldn't take any effort at all.
I touched the burning sensation on my back, and then, the words appeared clearly in my mind:
'Authority of Destruction.'
(How are you still alive?!) The voice sounded panicked now. (Wait... are you suitable for it?)
What is this? I thought, overwhelmed by the rush of energy. I feel incredible.
(You just got tested to become the Enforcer of Destruction. I guess the Rule took a liking to you- or tried to kill you in most painful way possible. Anyone else who's been tested like that was reduced to atoms in seconds. You... you're a rare kind. You're suitable to carry out the will of Destruction itself.)
The power was intoxicating. I could feel the pull, the urge to unleash it, to reduce everything around me to nothing. It would be effortless. I could wipe this entire world from existence without a second thought. But did I really want this? To become a mindless instrument of annihilation, giving up my free will for the Rule of Destruction's whims?
(I can sense you're about to do something really stupid.)
Maybe I was.
I raised my hand and, with a thought, opened a crack in the fabric of reality. The abyss yawned before me, and just like that, I released the Authority of Destruction. The power, the rush of god-like energy, drained from me in an instant.
(Whyyyy?! Why would you do that? Didn't I tell you you could have it?! You could have had power to destroy anything!)
Why would I want to be the reaper of worlds? I asked, stepping toward the crack I'd created. Sure, I want to survive. But that would miss the entire point of survival.
Without hesitation, I jumped into the void as the world behind me crumbled into dust, consumed by the Rule's gaze. I guess I'd made Them angry by refusing their offer, but it didn't matter anymore.
(You... you madman! You actually did it! I can't believe it, but you escaped from a Rule!)
Yes! I thought, a surge of triumph flooding through me. I did it! I survived! And now I was...!
I was floating, suspended in the middle of an endless abyss.