[Third Person – Narrator]
The sky, once shrouded in a somber hue, now roared with lightning that tore through the clouds like claws. A torrential rain poured down over the Cursed Forest, drenching the soaked ground as the heavy air vibrated with a divine presence.
At the heart of the forest, nine colossal figures emerged, like beacons of absolute power. The Gods of Fate. Their humanoid bodies, made of pulsating white lines, radiated a cold, merciless light. Each stood three meters tall, slender like the fate they embodied. Even without faces, their presence was overwhelming.
One of them stepped forward, its voice reverberating like thunder.
"Take this seriously, Emani Heolstor," it proclaimed, fixing its attention on the figure before them. "We will not allow you to rule this world. The law of fate is inevitable for all beings, and it will not be you who changes it."
Standing before them, Emani Heolstor, wrapped in her aura of darkness, remained still. Her stance was one of scornful defiance, her eyes gleaming with peculiar arrogance. As the tension in the air reached its peak, something shifted.
Black garments appeared on her body as if formed from the very darkness that surrounded her, molding fluidly to her frame. Her eyes, once entirely black, ignited into a deep crimson glow, pulsing like embers. Short, jet-black hair emerged, falling unevenly over her forehead, while her skin lost its former warmth, turning pale as death itself.
[First Person – Emani]
Ah, the great and mighty Gods of Fate. So predictable, so blind to their own obsolescence.
When I heard that voice echoing with a tone of threat, na involuntary smile curled on my lips. "The moment I was reborn, the law of fate lost its meaning. You just haven't realized it yet."
They looked at me as if they were superior. As if the sum of their powers could stop me.
"Do you think you can defeat nine laws of fate from different worlds?" Lian questioned, rigid in his stance.
Before I could answer, another feminine voice erupted among the gods.
"Of course she can't. It's nothing but pure arrogance on her part."
One of them stepped forward, shifting shape as he approached. His muscles swelled, his height grew to five meters, and his skin turned na ominous shade of gray. Dimus, always the first to flaunt his brute strength. He pointed na accusatory finger at me.
"You're only destined to rule because of the alteration you made in this world's history. But how do you intend to defeat nine different destinies? We're on entirely different levels."
I laughed out loud. I couldn't help it. His presumption was almost cute.
"Haha! You speak as if numbers and levels matter to me. I'll put you in your place, Dimus."
[Third Person – Narrator]
The nine gods exchanged silent glances, as if coordinating their next move. The tension in the air became suffocating as their divine auras intensified. Then, almost in perfect synchrony, they prepared to strike.
But before they could take the first step, a pulsating black energy surged from the ground like a ravenous beast. The shadows, alive and voracious, enveloped each of them in the blink of na eye.
"Impossible..." Lian murmured, disbelief etched across his face as he assumed a combat stance. His fingers traced circles in the air, conjuring a single-layered magical spell, but before he could cast it, the same black energy that had swallowed them earlier reappeared.
In na instant, the scene shifted. The dense Cursed Forest vanished, replaced by a hellish domain. Mountains rose like claws reaching for the sky, which was entirely black. The ground, a pulsating rocky red, radiated na almost suffocating heat. Above, serpentine creatures—long and sinuous—slithered across the dark sky. Their yellow eyes, dripping with blood, tracked every movement of the intruders, their macabre smiles revealing razor-sharp teeth.
"What is this place...?" Lian asked hesitantly, his voice faltering. His eyes scanned the nine Gods of Fate, now motionless, staring at the sky without uttering a word.
A low, confident laugh pierced the silence.
"This is the Shadowed World," Emani said, slowly spreading her arms. Her presence seemed to merge with the environment as a dark aura pulsated around her body. "A domain created by me, where I reign supreme as its omnipotent queen."
One of the gods finally spoke, his voice rumbling like restrained thunder:
"We thank you for bringing us to the root of the problem. As a gift, we shall grant you annihilation, Emani."
[First Person – Emani]
They still haven't understood… They are so bound to their rules that they don't even realize how fragile they are here.
I watch as the nine Gods of Fate unravel into brilliant lines that float and converge, forming a single entity. Before me rises a colossus, 29 meters tall, its muscles as defined as they are useless. Its body pulses with the combined energies of the nine, but none of this intimidates me.
"You're just another toy," I murmur to myself, maintaining a smile as I watch the spectacle.
[Third Person – Narrator]
The colossal creature clenched its fist, its movements echoing like thunder. With a single motion, it pulled its arm back and delivered a devastating punch toward Emani. The impact was overwhelming. The ground cracked, debris exploded outward, and rocks were hurled in every direction.
"This is our chance to get out of here. Let's go!" Lian shouted desperately. He quickly began casting a three-layered magical spell, but his hope crumbled as he watched the layers vanish before his eyes.
A laugh echoed, reverberating in everyone's minds.
"Hahahaha! Did you really think you could escape so easily?"
It was Emani's voice.
From the middle of the devastation, the giant arm of the colossus began to disintegrate. Lines shattered and exploded like glass under the touch of na invisible force.
"It can't be!" Lian exclaimed, unable to hide the terror as he witnessed the impossible.
From the center of the destruction, Emani emerged unscathed, surrounded by na aura so dense it seemed to swallow the very light around her. Her gaze, now a blend of disdain and amusement, rested on her opponents.
"Well, if that was your best attempt, I believe we're about to have a very interesting conversation..." she said, her smile radiating pure delight.
[Third Person – Narrator]
Lian's eyes widened in disbelief. Despite the divine entity's devastating blow, Emani remained completely unharmed, rising from the shadows with a calm smile.
"I see that defeating you will be a difficult fight," admitted the colossal entity, its eyes, if it had any, fixed on Emani's imposing figure. With a determined movement, it raised its other arm, preparing a new attack.
Emani, however, did not seem to be bothered at all. With a slight arch of her eyebrows, she calmly replied: "Defeat me? No, no. This fight has already ended since you entered here."
Her words were the harbinger of the end. The entity's arm had barely begun to move before its entire body disintegrated in the blink of na eye, exploding into fragments that dissipated like dust. Not a single line of its existence remained.
"It can't be..." whispered Sayuri, her eyes wide, unable to comprehend the extent of Emani's power.
[First person – Emani]
Ah, their expressions... a mix of terror and disbelief. It's almost poetic.
I floated out of the hole in the ground, watching them from above. My smile widened as I met Lian and Sayuri's desperate gazes. My scarlet eyes, as deep as the darkness I command, pierced them.
"Now, what do I do with you, huh?" I asked, letting my voice overflow with a teasing tone.
They got into a fighting stance, as if there was still a chance. I gave a slight gesture with my hand, and a black portal opened behind them, its outlines pulsing like a dark heart. On the other side, the view of Ribestum, the capital bathed in light, reflected like a perfect painting.
"You can go back."
[Third Person – Narrator]
Lian frowned, looking at the portal. Her gaze flickered between Emani and the reflection of the capital on the other side. "That easy? Do you think I'm a fool to not see that this is a trap?"
Emani chuckled softly, a sound that sounded both threatening and amused. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now, don't you think? I want you to be witnesses to my domination. For that alone, I'll let you live."
Lian and Sayuri exchanged a quick glance. They both knew there was no other choice. Without a word, they ran toward the portal, walking through it in silence.
Emani stood there, watching them disappear, her confident smile intact. Deep down, she knew: there was no escape from the fate she herself was shaping.