Chapter 20: The Whisper of the Primordial
In the coldest, darkest corner of Elysia's mind, her consciousness lay suspended, drifting in a vast and infinite expanse. Her soul, taking her mortal form, sat with her knees drawn up, her head buried as if to shield herself from the bitter sorrow that weighed upon her. She mourned the loss of her friend from the material plane, a wound still fresh and raw, an ache that pulsed through her very being. Her power surged within her, boundless and immense, yet it felt out of reach, like a bird unable to fly or a child with a bicycle she could not ride. She had been given so much, yet all she'd done was wield it recklessly, flailing rather than flowing with it. And for that, her friends had paid the price.
Somewhere outside her perception—or the perception of any divine or mortal being—a presence watched her silently. It did not blink, did not stir. It was as emotionless as a machine, merely observing, calculating, assessing. This being, the Primordial One, had not interfered in her tragedy. It believed Elysia needed to face the raw edges of loss, to be tempered by it, to be ready for the horrors that lay ahead. It had seen countless beings rise and fall, and it knew that some lessons had to be carved deeply to prepare a soul to survive the trials of existence.
Then, in the silence of her suspended mind, Elysia heard a voice, soft and sweet yet carrying an edge that echoed through her like a tremor. "Do you want your friends to return? But it will cost you something." The voice rippled through her consciousness, and Elysia's eyes snapped open, startled. She glanced around, but the void was still. Nothing moved, save for her heartbeat, racing at the edges of her hearing.
And then it appeared—a being beyond description, a form that defied shape and understanding, emanating an aura of chaos that thrummed with energy, infinitely vast and limitless than her own. She felt something in her stir, a recognition so deep it was as if it resonated with her very soul. Without hesitation, she ran towards it, a cry tearing from her as she reached out, the weight of her grief and yearning spilling over. She clung to it, letting her pain pour out, her tears marking the silent expanse.
When the tears had ceased, and her breathing steadied, she looked up. The being, towering yet somehow intimate, regarded her with a gentleness that felt like warmth in her chest. Its voice, deep and boundless, spoke to her, "My child, what is your wish?"
Elysia stared, her mind unable to grasp the question fully. "What do you mean?"
It tilted its head, an image that was somehow both clear and incomprehensible. "Do you want me to rewrite fate, destiny, history, time—anything you wish, I shall do. But know this: it will come at a price."
Elysia's heart pounded at the offer. A chance to rewrite it all. To undo her mistakes. To bring her friends back. The allure was overwhelming, tantalizing. But as she contemplated, something within her stirred—a voice, a feeling, a presence, a whisper that echoed faintly yet firmly in her mind.
The Primordial One waited, its expression unreadable, but in the depths of its gaze, it already knew the answer.
End of chapter 20