[???? POV]
Darkness.
That's all I have ever known.
Pain.
That's all I've ever felt.
These two sensations define my world, endless and unchanging. I drift in them, my awareness stretching over what feels like an eternity, though I cannot say for sure. But… wait… can I even… remember anything else? The thought is distant, strange. How can I remember? Do I even have memories?
I think I… think? But what is thinking? Is it just these odd shapes and sounds forming inside me? I feel confusion mixing with the pain, and then something deeper—a need, a longing to escape. The darkness presses down on me, its weight suffocating.
But then—
A spark. A tiny glimmer of light appears, flickering in the endless black void. Is that… light? I don't know how… I know that word, yet it feels right, somehow familiar.
Light.
Something warm and bright, unlike anything I've known. I feel an instinct, a longing for it, a pull I can't resist. I reach toward it, not even understanding what reaching is…, only knowing that I want this light to stay, to fill the empty, aching void around me.
To my surprise, the light doesn't pull away. Instead, it comes closer, glowing brighter and warmer until it's right before me, filling my world with something beyond pain and darkness. I extend my essence—though I have no idea what it is I'm moving—and make contact with the light. It is warm, comfortingly warm. I cling to it, desperate for its presence to stay, unwilling to lose this feeling.
Slowly, the light grows. I watch as it stretches out, driving back the shadows, banishing the cold void that has been my prison for so long. The more it grows, the less pain I feel, and something inside me begins to relax, to let go. The darkness is still there, but it's fading alongside the dreadful pain.
Then, as the light continues to expand, I notice something—something that is not part of the light or the darkness. A voice.
"Oh, my poor child…" the voice says, soft and gentle. It's the first sound I've ever heard, and I am terrified yet captivated. "To be born a void beast, and yet have the good fortune to be helped by one like him… Truly, you are blessed. I envy you even."
The voice is strange, foreign, yet there's an ancient warmth in it, something soothing. I don't understand what it is or who it belongs to, but I am drawn to it. Who is this person? Where are they? What are they?
"Do not fear me," the voice continues, sensing my unease. "I am but a fragment, a faint echo of a long-lost ancestor. My only purpose is to guide you…, child of our race…, last descendant of the Astrae Dragons."
Astrae Dragons? What are those?
Yet as I hear the word, something within me stirs. It's as though a memory, deep and hidden, is reaching out, begging to be known. But before I can grasp it, the voice continues, fading softly.
"Trust him, child. Stay by his side, and show existence the mistake it made in trying to erase us."
Then the voice is gone, leaving me with only the warmth of the light, which has now grown so vast it feels like a heartbeat.
Wait—what's a heartbeat?
Words, thoughts, memories that I do not recognize yet cannot ignore flood my mind. The light pulses like a gentle thrum, and as it grows brighter, I realize that I can sense more than the light. I can… see beyond the darkness. Somehow, I can feel my eyes, feel them opening, and the black void that once filled my world is now a blur of colors and shapes.
I see… a world. A world of brilliant hues and swirling patterns, vivid colors beyond anything I could have imagined. The colors dance and shift, painting the air in soft, radiant light. I stare in wonder, feeling a strange wetness slide down my face.
Wait—my face?
It dawns on me slowly. I am not only a part of this world; I am… myself. I have a form, a face, something I can move. The realization fills me with a giddy thrill as I try turning my head, testing this newfound awareness. My vision shifts, revealing something even more extraordinary in the distance—a figure, dark and imposing, yet radiant in its own way.
Just as my eyes land on it, the figure disappears. Alarmed, I attempt to move, trying to stand—or whatever it is I can do with this body—to get away. But before I can fully act, the figure reappears, now closer, right in front of me.
"Calm down…" the figure says gently. Its voice is soft, calming, washing over me like a soothing wave. "You're safe. There's no need to worry."
I want to respond, to ask questions, but words fail me. My thoughts are tangled, and I don't even know how to make sense of what's happening. Yet, as I gaze into the figure's eyes, a sense of safety fills me. This being, this strange creature, will not harm me.
"Can you hear me?" it asks, tilting its head slightly.
Instinctively, I nod, though I can't say how or why. I just know that I need to respond, to acknowledge that I understand. The figure's face lights up with a warm smile.
"Fascinating," it murmurs. "You're learning, even though your mind is still forming and your soul recovering. Your instincts are guiding you well."
The words mean little to me, but I sense admiration in the figure's tone. There's an odd comfort in that, as if I'm achieving something important just by being here. Still, uncertainty lingers. I am not sure what to do or what I am, but I feel no threat from this being.
"Liz…" the figure says slowly and with sadness in its voice. "Not yet….. you might not understand nor you may not fully grasp what's happening, but know this: you are awakening."
Awakening?
It seems to understand my confusion, glancing at me with compassion. "You have much to learn, much to remember. And you will need guidance." It extends a hand, holding it open in front of me. "May I help you?"
I don't know what this gesture means, but somehow, instinct guides me. I lift what must be my arm—my claw—and gently place it against the figure's hand. A strange drowsiness fills me, my thoughts blurring as the warmth of the figure's touch washes over me. The colors around me fade, and I am drawn into a deep, comforting sleep, the last remnants of my consciousness slipping away.
As I drift into the void, which I had grown to fear and detest, I am no longer afraid. I feel memories stirring within me, gentle fragments of a life I do not yet understand. A warmth lingers, promising that when I wake, I will be ready…
****************
[Reece's POV]
"An Astrae Dragon…" Reece muttered, a hint of awe in his voice. "Now that's impressive. I knew her original and root bloodline would be special based on what she told us in the past, but this?" He let out a low whistle as he gazed at Liz, who was still in the process of absorbing the memories he had transferred.
After leaving Liz to undergo the final stages of her evolution, Reece returned to the artificial primal mana crystal source and the core of the barrier spell, settling in for his own growth preparations. His mind was still racing with the implications of Liz's transformation.
The Astrae Dragons were a lineage of dragons so powerful that they were considered royalty across the very multiverse. In his countless regressions, he had only encountered legends and myths of them—beings with an innate connection to the stars, space, time and the very void, creatures so rare that they were thought to have vanished from existence considering that currently and from his memory, they were extinct.
Prima's voice echoed beside him, brimming with excitement. "I have to admit, Master, I'm speechless. Even with everything we've seen and done, this is… something else."
Reece chuckled, his gaze still fixed on Liz. "I know, right? We've done some pretty crazy things, but this… this is on another level."
Before him lay a creature transformed. Gone was the hulking, shadowed form of a void beast cloaked in mist and nightmares. Liz had become something of unreal beauty—a dragon whose scales shimmered like the night sky, dotted with faint stars and swirling nebulae. Her wings glowed with constellations, their lights faint but mesmerizing, as though she carried an entire galaxy upon her back. She lay curled up, her powerful form radiating an unrestrained aura of strength and majesty.
Reece took in the sight, marveling not only at her transformation but also at the sheer power she emanated. Liz's evolution had brought her to the peak of mortality—she was now the sole strongest demigod, a Prime Astrae Dragon within the mortal vast realm.
"She's incredible," Reece murmured, a grin spreading across his face. "I might've gone a bit overboard, huh?" He settled onto the ground beside her, folding his legs into a lotus position as he began preparing for his own growth.
Prima giggled, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Master, maybe show a little remorse? You've practically brought from nonexistence a forgotten bloodline!!!"
He laughed, unbothered. "Come on, Prima. You know me better than that." His gaze softened as he glanced down at Liz, who was still sleeping soundly, her dreams filled with memories she had never known. "This is just the beginning. If she's going to be by my side, I want her at her strongest."
For a moment, silence filled the cavern as he watched over her, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. Liz was no longer just a companion—she was something far greater. She was a creature of legend of myths that even primes like him only heard of whispers, a partner capable of standing by him in the battles yet to come. And soon, they would be ready to face whatever awaited them beyond the Tower's walls.
As he prepared to enter the depths of his mind, readying himself for his own transformation, he cast one final glance at Liz. Her breathing was steady, calm, her aura settling into a rhythm that matched the powerful, ancient beat of her heart.
"I'll see you soon, Liz," he murmured softly. Then he closed his eyes, focusing inward as he began his descent into the recesses of his mind, ready to embrace his next stage of growth.
The Tower waited, the multiverse waited, and he knew their journey was only just beginning.