Mavis tilted her head, her expression laced with amusement as her voice dripped with condescension. "I'm kind of surprised. You don't seem to be shivering in fear."
Raven, crouched on the cold stone floor, meticulously patching up her wounds, barely spared Mavis a glance. "I've seen worse in my past life," she replied flatly.
Mavis let out a short, melodic laugh that echoed ominously through the chamber. "Oh, please. Those mere mortals you faced in your past wouldn't have lasted a second in my presence. I could've obliterated their entire existence with a snap of my fingers."
Raven raised an eyebrow, tying off the last of her makeshift bandages. "If you're so strong, then why do you need me? Why not just snap your fingers and get on with it?"
The amusement in Mavis's expression deepened, her glowing pink eyes locking onto Raven's with unnerving intensity. "Because you're special," she said, her tone as if revealing a grand secret. "You were born on a starless night."
Raven frowned, brushing dust off her sleeves. "I've heard that line before. Something about fate and being 'special.' Care to enlighten me on what that actually means?"
Mavis chuckled softly, the sound almost sinister. "Ah, how poetic. Those born under a starless sky are bound to have fates that intertwine with the threads of destiny itself. But you, Raven—you are unique. Not only were you born on a starless night, but you were also reincarnated, drawn back into this world for reasons even I can't fully comprehend. How fascinating."
Raven sighed, leaning back against the rough stone wall. "Right. Let me guess—you know all of this because you dug through my memories."
"Naturally," Mavis replied smoothly. "You mortals are like open books. The pages may be tattered, but the words are always there to read."
Raven crossed her arms. "If you're so fascinated by fate, then tell me—what does it all mean? Why does being born on a starless night matter?"
Mavis's lips curved into a sly smile. "Ah, the great mystery. Even I don't have all the answers. It's a phenomenon that occurs only once every few centuries. Those born under such skies often herald great change—catastrophe or salvation, destruction or rebirth. Their fates are never simple. And yet, you are different. You are a singularity—a life reborn, tethered to two worlds. You and I, we share this bond. We are both children of starless nights."
Raven blinked in surprise. "You were born on a starless night too?"
Mavis nodded, her wings shifting slightly, the faint glow of runic veins rippling across their surface. "Indeed. And it marked me for a life unlike any other."
Raven's curiosity burned brighter now. She gestured toward Mavis's horns and wings. "You still haven't answered my original question. What exactly are you? You look like a dragon, but there's something more."
Mavis's grin widened, predatory and proud. "Your instincts serve you well. I am a dragon, yes. But I am no ordinary dragon. I am a Nytherion Dragon—a relic of an ancient race. We are beings born of shadows and infused with celestial energy, naturally aligned with darkness and the void. But we are more than creatures of destruction, we are the Keepers of Balance, tasked with maintaining harmony between light and dark, chaos and order."
Raven leaned forward, her voice edged with suspicion. "If your kind was meant to keep balance, then why does the world feel so... broken? Why is there so much chaos?"
Mavis's expression darkened, her wings folding in close as if shielding herself from invisible pain. "Because my kind has forsaken our purpose. They betrayed everything we stood for—everything I fought for. They allied themselves with those who seek to tip the scales, to drown the world in shadow and subjugation."
Raven's head spun with the weight of this revelation. She rubbed her temples, trying to process. "So you're telling me your entire race turned against their own beliefs to side with some kind of... enemy? Why would they do that?"
Mavis's gaze turned cold, her voice laced with venom. "Power. Greed. Apathy. Call it what you will. They chose the easy path, the one that offered them dominance without consequence. And in doing so, they damned not only themselves but the very balance they were meant to protect."
Raven's fists clenched. "So what now? What do you want me to do about it?"
Mavis stepped closer, her imposing figure casting a shadow over Raven. "I want you to help me finish what I started—to eradicate my kind and restore balance to this broken world. Their existence is a stain that must be wiped clean. They are beyond redemption, and their power, if left unchecked, will bring nothing but ruin."
Raven's breath caught in her throat. "You want me to help you... destroy an entire race? Including you?"
Mavis's expression softened, just slightly, as if revealing a flicker of vulnerability. "If that is what it takes, then so be it. My life is a small price to pay for the greater good. But I cannot do this alone. You, Raven, are the key. Your fate is intertwined with mine. You have the strength, the will, and the drive to do what must be done."
Raven stared at Mavis, her heart pounding. The weight of the decision before her was suffocating. To align herself with Mavis meant walking a path drenched in blood and shadow. But the alternative—standing by and doing nothing—was equally unbearable.
"I'm not a hero," Raven said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've never been one. If I do this... if I agree to help you, it won't be out of some noble sense of duty. It'll be because I can't stand the thought of leaving this world worse than I found it."
Mavis's smile returned, this time softer, almost approving. "Good. Heroes are overrated, anyway. The world needs something stronger than a hero. It needs a force willing to do what others cannot."
"All this," Raven muttered under her breath, "all this because of the contract we made. Now I finally understand. The real reason behind everything."
Mavis tilted her head, a trace of amusement flickering across her expression. "Ah, so you're starting to piece it together. You agreed without knowing the full scope, and yet here you are, bound to something greater than yourself. Tell me, do you regret it?"
Raven exhaled sharply, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "Regret? No. But I don't like being in the dark."
Mavis laughed softly, her voice low and resonant. "No one in their right mind would agree to something they didn't fully understand. But perhaps that's why you're different, Raven. Reckless, yes, but adaptable. I should tell you something, though. When the time comes, you will face a choice—one far greater than any you've made before. You will have to pick a side."
Raven's brow furrowed, her sharp gaze locking onto Mavis. "Pick a side? Between what?"
Mavis's wings unfurled slightly, their shadowy expanse casting a shroud over the chamber. Her expression turned inscrutable, her voice almost detached. "Between yourself and humanity."
A chill ran down Raven's spine at the weight of those words. She tried to mask her unease with defiance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Patience, little one," Mavis said, a faint smirk returning to her lips. "Now is not the time to burden yourself with questions that will only distract you. That moment will come, but not yet."
Raven bristled at the vagueness, but before she could argue, Mavis stepped closer, her aura pressing against Raven like an invisible force.
"For now," Mavis continued, her tone shifting to something more instructive, "what matters is that you grow stronger. Much stronger. The world will not wait for you to catch up, Raven. You need to master your abilities and surpass your limits. Say..." She paused, her pink eyes narrowing with faint curiosity. "Have you ever heard of the Soulbound Convergence technique?"
Raven blinked, the unfamiliar term stirring something deep within her—a strange mixture of intrigue and caution. "Soulbound Convergence? No, can't say I have. Should I be worried?"
Mavis's smile widened, a glimmer of something dangerous flashing across her face. "Worried? Perhaps. It's not a technique to be taken lightly. It is a bond, one so profound it changes the very essence of those who undertake it. Your soul and core... merged with mine. Permanently."
Raven stiffened. "Merged? You're talking about more than just a simple contract, aren't you?"
"Far more," Mavis confirmed, folding her arms across her chest. "Through this bond, we become one in power and purpose. I could share my strength with you, and you with me. Our cores would intertwine, granting us the ability to call upon each other's abilities. Wings, shadow magic, resilience—everything I am could become yours in an instant. And in return, I gain the cunning and tenacity you mortals possess, traits my kind often lack."
Raven took a step back, her instincts flaring. "And what's the catch? There's always a catch with something like this."
Mavis nodded, a flicker of respect passing through her expression. "As perceptive as ever. The catch is simple—our fates become irrevocably intertwined. Betray me, and you'll destroy us both. Lose control, and you risk becoming lost in the bond, your sense of self dissolving into mine—or vice versa. This is a forbidden technique for a reason, Raven. It requires unwavering trust, something neither of us can afford to give easily."
"And if it works?" Raven asked, her voice steadier now despite the gravity of the situation.
"If it works," Mavis said, stepping closer until they were mere inches apart, "we become a force unlike anything this world has ever seen. Power enough to challenge gods. Enough to reshape the balance of existence itself."
The weight of the decision pressed down on Raven, but even as doubt crept in, she felt an undeniable pull toward the idea. She thought of her purpose, her second chance, the battles yet to come. Her lips curled into a faint, almost defiant smile.
"Alright," Raven said, her voice steady and resolute. "Show me how it's done."
Mavis's grin turned razor-sharp, her wings flaring out dramatically as her core began to materialize—a pulsating orb of shadow and light, glowing with an ominous intensity. "Brave choice. Let's see if you can handle it."
As Mavis guided her through the process, Raven could feel the power of the technique—both terrifying and intoxicating. Their cores began to pulse in unison, their energies reaching out to each other like two halves of a fractured whole. This was more than a merging of power, it was the start of something entirely new.
And in that moment, as their souls began to intertwine, Raven realized that she had crossed a threshold from which there was no turning back.
Then her world turned black.