"So, you wish to be made whole?"
Qin Mo gazed at the Burner with a puzzled look, gradually discerning its intent. Two fragments of the Burner were confined within a spatial corridor, seemingly imprisoned by this larger fragment before him. Although Star Gods are insulated from the Warp, some—like the Burner—have mastered the ancient corridors forged by the Old Saints.
Few understand how the Burner accomplishes this, but it does, perhaps due to the intrinsic bond between the Star Gods and technology. Even a being like the Burner, volatile and driven by a lust to incinerate, wields a staggering mastery of machinery. Yet even such prowess fails to reunite the Burner's fragments shattered by the Void Undead; all it can do is imprison those fragments within the corridor.
"You could achieve this," the Burner murmured, inching closer to Qin Mo. "Among our kin, none relied more upon tools than you. I care not what essence you now embody—you could do this for me, could you not?"
In its shattered state, the Burner's mind teetered between resolution and doubt, simultaneously convinced of the Forger's capacity to help, yet doubting it could truly mend what is broken. Its words wavered with two contradictory sentiments—hope and uncertainty—or perhaps an unyielding desperation, a final attempt to salvage what might be lost.
"Don't listen to it!" Mimic recoiled behind Qin Mo. "The Burner is the most ruthless of our kin. If you restore its wholeness, its first act will be to devour you!"
At this, the Burner halted, its gaze falling upon Mimic in momentary bewilderment.
Qin Mo remained vigilant toward the Burner, recalling Mimic's tales of the two most brutal Star Gods—one the Keeper of Night, the other the Burner.
Among the Three Great Old Ones, Keeper Azagorod and Burner Nyadraza were two of the most fearsome, alongside the Void Dragon Magladros. Unlike the others, only the Void Dragon left a gentler impression on Mimic. It wasn't that Magladros extended aid, but rather that it disregarded weaker Star Gods, offering them neither favor nor cruelty.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" the Burner demanded of Mimic. "When Azagorod sought to consume you all, who hid you in the corridors to evade him?"
Qin Mo turned to Mimic, whose stance remained resolute in its hostility toward the Burner.
The Burner pressed on. "And when Magladros sought to cast you into the Warp for his twisted experiments, who ushered you to safety within the corridors?"
Qin Mo's mind stirred as he listened. Here, within the Burner's fragmented narrative, lay another version of Star God relations. A fractured Star God's memory was often hazy and inconsistent, and Mimic's own recollections had not been without contradictions. Yet without solid evidence, no one could declare the Burner's story as fact—unless it, too, were complete.
The Burner fixed its gaze upon Qin Mo. "Who among us is closer to wholeness—me or Mimic?"
Qin Mo considered the question. Given the Burner's exhibited strength and state of mind, its answer seemed self-evident.
"How often is it clear-minded, and how often does it succumb to delusion or lies?" The Burner's question struck a chord, casting shadows of doubt upon Mimic's resolve.
Mimic, well-aware of its own volatility, could not help but waver under the piercing scrutiny of a more intact Star God.
"It matters not," Qin Mo stated firmly, turning to the Burner. "The past holds little relevance in this moment. Most of the Star Gods have shattered. Whether you or the Void Dragon is the more benevolent makes no difference—whichever one we meet now, there's no need for us to flee."
"Indeed." The Burner steadied, no longer pressing its point. Since regaining freedom and drifting aimlessly through the cosmos for eons, it had come to realize the era had changed. Though the mysteries of the past held allure, they bore scant significance in the present.
Qin Mo pondered. Perhaps the Burner's version wasn't wholly accurate, but any animosity between it, the Forger, and the weaker, united Star Gods couldn't run too deep—otherwise, the Burner wouldn't have willingly placed itself before a complete Star God.
"You must help me."
"We are engaged in a war that has endured for tens of millions of years," the Burner urged, seeking to convince Qin Mo.
"A war of tens of millions of years? What do you mean?" Qin Mo asked.
"The war between the Star Gods and their servants and the Old Saints and their psychic creations."
The Burner's voice was steady. "We should have exterminated the Old Saints and their creations, wiping out every psychic species. The Void Dragon's blackstone tech should have shielded the real universe from the Warp's corruption. But those wretched short-lived slaves betrayed us, and we failed."
"The petty conflicts among mortals, the treacherous ones who are awakening on a vast scale, those vile products of bioengineering—all these wars are but a faint echo of the Battle of Paradise."
"If those contemptible short-lived ones hadn't turned on us, we would have triumphed, and the galaxy would bear no wounds from the Warp's vile energy."
"…"
As he absorbed the Burner's words, Qin Mo realized each race held its own view of the galaxy's plight. To the Burner, the Battle of Paradise was unfinished, a war to annihilate all psychic beings and sever the Warp from reality. But Star Gods differed in perspective.
For Mimic, the galaxy's current battles among mortal species were irrelevant. The extinction of the Old Great Ones and the rise of the New were the true stakes. In Mimic's narrative, the Battle of Paradise was merely the beginning of a long Star God civil war.
These viewpoints were undoubtedly subjective, but they offered insights into the Star Gods' motivations. After a moment of reflection, Qin Mo voiced his only concern to the Burner: "The Star Gods are dangerously unpredictable. I could help restore your wholeness, but I cannot guarantee you wouldn't, on a whim, incinerate an entire planet."
"If I've come to you, I've already made my choice." The Burner extended its hand, a radiant flame flickering within its palm. The flame held no heat, as though it did not truly exist, yet it pulsed with immense energy.
The flame drifted toward Qin Mo, and without any need for explanation, he understood it all the moment he saw it.
The flickering, cold flame was a fragment of the Burner's essence. It could be absorbed, harnessed, existing in any form necessary. Its presence would not impair the Burner, yet should this essence be destroyed, the Burner would suffer irrevocable, permanent harm—and the real universe itself would feel the impact.
Qin Mo could even sense the profound consequences if this fragment of the Burner's essence were to be destroyed.
No being in the universe would ever again feel the warmth of fire. Stars and flames would still emit light, but never again would they burn hotter.