In the end, the witch was nothing to me. Even in her own domain, even after defying death, she was no more than an ant under my gaze. I stood at the center of the abandoned mansion's hall, surrounded by blood-soaked runes that once glowed with threatening intensity, now reduced to meaningless scribbles.
The moment was perfect. I was perfect.
Under the weight of my boot lay Lira, unconscious and defeated. I could have spared her life, but while crushing an ant might seem beneath me, I didn't mind snuffing out her pathetic existence. She had defied the natural order by returning from the dead, but now it was clear: nothing could surpass my power.
"Ignis," I heard Aria's voice in the distance. It was faint, but laced with something unexpected—concern. For a moment, I turned and looked toward the entrance. There she stood, my saint. The woman destined to be my witness, my equal, my creation. My smile widened as the thought consumed me. She would be mine, not merely as a companion, but as the beginning of something divine.
—Aria —I said, my voice dripping with frenetic joy—. I'm so glad you're here. This is only the beginning.
But her response was not what I expected.
—Ignis, are you... okay? —she asked, her tone trembling, as if she couldn't recognize me.
For a fleeting moment, something inside me faltered. The name Laplace echoed faintly in my mind, a dry thud against the walls of my consciousness. Ignis… Who was Ignis? Did that name still mean anything? My mind tried to cling to something familiar, something real, but the warmth of power coursing through my veins quickly snuffed it out. It didn't matter. There was no place for weakness now.
—Okay? —I sneered—. I'm more than okay. I'm free. This isn't a problem, Aria—it's the solution. All of this —I gestured broadly to the ruined hall around us— is under my control. I decide. I hold the power here.
Aria's frown deepened, and the disappointment in her eyes felt like a dagger aiming for my chest. But I was stronger than that.
—Ignis… look at me. Please. This isn't you. —Her voice cracked into a desperate whisper, and divine light flickered in her hands, mirroring her unease.
My smile twisted. "It's not me," I repeated mockingly in my mind. Of course, I wasn't the same. Why would I want to be? Yet a part of me—a small, insignificant remnant—wanted to respond to her, to reach out and calm her fear.
I ignored it.
—Don't you understand, Aria? —my tone turned icy, dripping with disdain I didn't bother hiding—. It doesn't have to be this way. Together, we could become something greater, something divine. Think about it: you could be my saint.
She shook her head, and the sorrow in her eyes was like a knife slicing through me.
—No, Ignis. They don't need a god. They need hope. And you… —Aria swallowed hard, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sorrow— you're stealing that from them.
For a moment, something in her words resonated within me. Something small, insignificant, but impossible to ignore. Hope. What did that word even mean anymore?
But I had no time to dwell on it. Aria raised her hands, and a burst of divine light illuminated the hall, so bright that my eyes burned for a moment. When the glare faded, she was cloaked in a radiant aura, her eyes no longer filled with doubt but blazing with resolve.
—If Laplace is controlling you, then I'll have to stop you… even if it costs me everything.
My laughter echoed through the hall, deep and brimming with a power I felt bubbling in my chest.
—Stop me… —I repeated, savoring the words like a private joke. —Aria, don't you understand? You can't stop me. But if you insist...
I extended my hand, and flames began to swirl around me, devouring the floor beneath my feet. The air grew heavy, laden with heat and energy, as ash floated like specks of dust illuminated by her divine light.
—Very well, my saint. If you want to fight a god, then I'll show you what it's like to fall before one.
The hall quaked with our clashing energies. Her light sliced through the air like an invisible blade, while my flames consumed everything in their path. We both knew there was no turning back.
With a shout, Aria unleashed a wave of divine energy that crashed against my barrier of fire. The impact shook the mansion, sending shockwaves that made the walls groan under the strain.
The moment froze. A second of tense calm before the storm engulfed us.
And it did.