Lusticth, Noctyra, and Ashrel stood atop a hill, their gazes fixed on Timorath as they observed him from a distance. They waited, their presence concealed, as Timorath neared the final steps of absorbing the knowledge from the monolith. Half an hour passed, and with a slow, deliberate motion, Timorath opened his eyes. The world before him seemed transformed.
Once purposeless, greedy, and selfish, Timorath now radiated an aura of enlightenment. His temperament had shifted entirely, replaced by a calm, almost serene demeanor. The chaotic energy that once surrounded him had dissipated, leaving behind a tranquil presence.
But the most significant change was his strength. Timorath turned his gaze inward, assessing himself. "Peak rank eight, huh?"he murmured to himself. "Now, all I need is to fully refine the monolith as my innate treasure. With it, stepping into rank nine will be effortless."
As he rose to his feet, a sudden, agonizing pain shot through his head, leaving him breathless. Sweat beaded on his temples as he clutched his skull. "What... was that?" he whispered, his voice strained. He scanned his surroundings, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Lusticth and his group standing together, watching him intently. "What are they doing here?" The sight puzzled him, but before he could ponder further, a deafening crack echoed through the air.
Space itself tore open, and two figures emerged from the rift. The first was a sinuous, serpentine creature, its gleaming scales reflecting the faint light. Long whiskers trailed from its muzzle, and antler-like horns crowned its head. It moved with an otherworldly grace, its lithe body undulating through the clouds like a ribbon caught in the wind.
The second figure was humanoid, his muscular physique imposing as he gripped a massive axe. He stood beside Pelagor, the primordial of the law of water. The newcomers immediately scanned their surroundings, their eyes locking onto the spiraling stairs and Timorath, who observed them with a mix of curiosity and wariness.
As for Lusticth and his group, they vanished the moment the space began to tear. Reappearing two light-years away, they stood in silence, their presence hidden.
"How are we supposed to see anything from this far away?" Noctyra grumbled, his voice tinged with irritation.
"I have a way," Lusticth replied calmly. He extended his hand, and dream energy began to flow into their bodies. At first, the energy dissipated upon contact, repelled by their innate defenses.
"Lower the intensity of your defensive abilities," Lusticth instructed.
The group exchanged glances, each lost in their own thoughts. After a moment of hesitation, they complied. As their defenses waned, their eyes turned a brilliant gold, their perspectives shifting.
"I left a few dream insects behind," Lusticth explained.
"Neat trick," Noctyra interrupted, his tone a mix of amazement and curiosity. "But won't they be discovered?"
"No," Lusticth answered without hesitation.
Noctyra pressed further, "So how does—"
Before he could finish, Lusticth cut him off. "Even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand the mechanics behind it."
Noctyra shrugged, his attention shifting back to Timorath's location. Like a child exploring a new world for the first time, his head swiveled left and right, taking in every detail.
...…
Timorath studied them for a moment, his gaze sharp and calculating. "Are they the ones behind my headache?" he wondered. But as he sensed their auras, he dismissed the thought. They were far too weak to be the source of his discomfort. Without a word, he extended his hand and let a single drop of his blood fall onto the monolith. The ancient stone shimmered faintly, absorbing the crimson droplet.
"Three days," Timorath muttered, his voice low and deliberate. "After three days, it will be fully mine."
Delxi's irritation flared, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his massive axe. "Is he ignoring us?" he growled, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension in the air.
Pelagor shot him a warning glance. "Don't be reckless," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Can't you feel it? The aura radiating from him—it's overwhelming."
"Of course I can feel it!" Delxi's voice boomed, shaking the very clouds beneath their feet. His frustration was palpable, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "It's just... infuriating! First, he commands, 'Don't destroy this, don't destroy that.' As if the law of destruction is something I can simply ignore! And then that damned Celestial Mandate—always standing in my way, always holding me back!"
His fists clenched, the veins in his arms bulging as he paced back and forth. The weight of his axe seemed to mirror the burden of his rage, each step heavy and deliberate.
"Do you have any idea what it's like?" Delxi's voice dropped to a low, almost desperate growl. "To need destruction just to survive? To feel my strength—my very existence—fading without it? They've caged me, starved me, treated me like some wild beast to be tamed!"
Pelagor watched him closely, his expression a mix of concern and understanding. He could see the madness creeping into his friend's eyes, a dangerous glint that threatened to consume him. "How long have you been bottling this up—"
Before Pelagor could finish, a sudden shift in the air interrupted him. A figure materialized a few miles away, its presence ominous and deliberate. Then, a second figure arrived in a blinding beam of light, followed by several more. Within minutes, the area around the spiraling stairs was packed with figures to be exact,three thousand strong figures. The energy radiating from them constricting the spiraling stairs forming an impenetrable barrier.
Most of the primordials had an unmistakable glint of greed in their eyes, their gazes darting warily as they kept a constant guard against one another. The air was thick with tension, each being calculating their next move, their ambitions laid bare in the subtle shifts of their expressions. Yet, not all were blinded by greed. Among them stood Zarrakis, the primordial of chaos, lurking at the back of the gathering with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
"What a feast," he thought, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement as he surveyed the scene. His gaze swept across the assembly, lingering on the faces of his rivals, until it landed on his archenemy—Nysara, the primordial of order. She stood at the center of the gathered primordials, a radiant figure adorned in golden armor that shimmered with an otherworldly light. Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall of sunlight, and at her side rested a sheathed sword, its presence a silent promise of her unwavering resolve.
Although Nysara was here to minimize the chaos, she wouldn't let the opportunity to claim the Monolith of Time slip away. If she could bring order to the impending chaos, her mastery of the law of order would increase, and with it, her strength. For primordials, the more they acted in accordance with their law, the more their power grew. Bringing order to this gathering would be a monumental feat, one that could elevate her to new heights.
Delxi, who had been seething with irritation, suddenly lost all reason. "All of you maggots! Why are you always standing in my way?" he roared, his voice shaking the very air. Without warning, he gripped his massive axe and swung it horizontally, unleashing a devastating arc of energy. The gathered primordials braced themselves, but Nysara acted swiftly. With a graceful motion, she conjured a golden barrier, effortlessly offsetting the attack.
She turned her calm eyes to Delxi. "Your emotions have clouded your judgment," she said, her voice steady and commanding. Delxi froze, his rage momentarily quelled by her presence. He muttered something under his breath and retreated to his previous position, though his frustration was still evident.
The gathered primordials turned their attention to Nysara, their expressions a mix of awe, respect, and rivalry. To offset an attack of that caliber so effortlessly was no small feat, and it was clear that Nysara was a force to be reckoned with. She stood tall, her presence radiating authority and calm.
"I am Nysara, primordial of order," she announced, her voice neither weak nor overpowering, but carrying an undeniable weight. The primordials listened intently, many already guessing her intentions. Before she could continue, Zarrakis stepped forward, his voice dripping with mockery.
"We all know what you're trying to say," he interrupted, his grin widening. "But let's be honest—no one cares. This treasure isn't for the weak-willed or the self-righteous. So let's not waste time with empty words. If you think you're worthy, prove it. Otherwise, step aside and let the real contenders take what's theirs."
The tension in the air thickened as Zarrakis' words hung over the gathering like a challenge. Nysara's gaze remained steady, her expression unreadable, but the faintest flicker of determination shone in her eyes. She would not be swayed by his provocations. Order would prevail, no matter the cost.
But what they all forgot,or perhaps chose to ignore,was the owner of the treasure they were fighting over. Timorath, the Primordial of Time, he stood calmly in front of the Monolith of Time, his golden horn pulsing faintly with the energy of his dominion. His presence was impossible to miss, yet the gathered primordials acted as if he were merely a bystander, their greed blinding them to the reality of the situation.
Timorath watched them with an expression of mild amusement, his gaze flickering between Nysara, Zarrakis, and the others. "They don't even acknowledge me," he thought, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "So consumed by their ambitions that they forget who truly holds the power here."
Zarrakis, ever the instigator, sneered in Timorath's direction. "You've been standing there like a statue, Timorath. What's the matter? Afraid to join the fun?"
Timorath's smile didn't waver. "Fun?" he echoed, his voice calm but laced with a subtle edge. "Is that what you call this? A bunch of children fighting over a toy they can't possibly understand?"
The gathered primordials fell silent, their attention shifting to Timorath. Nysara's golden eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable, while Zarrakis' grin widened, as if he relished the challenge. Delxi, still seething, muttered something under his breath but didn't dare act.
Timorath stepped forward, his presence commanding the space around him. "The Monolith of Time is not a prize to be won," he said, his voice carrying the weight of eons. "It is a force to be respected. And right now, it is mine. If any of you think you're worthy of it, prove it. But know this—I am not some passive observer. I am its master, and I will not hesitate to defend what is mine."
The air grew heavy with tension as the primordials exchanged uneasy glances. For all their power and bravado, they knew better than to underestimate Timorath. His mastery of time was unparalleled and it made him force to be reckoned with.
Even so, greed and ambition are powerful motivators. Zarrakis was the first to break the silence, his chaotic energy flaring as he took a step forward. "We'll see about that," he said, his grin returning. "Time may be your domain, Timorath, but chaos is mine. And chaos… well, it has a way of disrupting even the best-laid plans."
Timorath's smile didn't falter. "Then come," he said simply, his voice calm but laced with challenge. "Let's see if your chaos can withstand the weight of eternity."