That same afternoon, after 6 hours he would serve his punishment. Dwayne was escorted by two guards, taking him to the bridge room inside the base of operations of the Oath Order. The guards escorting him were dressed in a very discrepant way compared to how they were usually dressed.
- Molina...? Jack? Showing off new suits? - Despite their attempts to converse as usual, they remained silent, like simple automatons obeying orders without grumbling.
When they reached the meeting point Jack and Molina left Dwayne in front of the Ageless, who was manipulating the control panel.
- Orphano... Or should I say Ageless?
The Ageless raised his hand, making a gesture in the form of an order to the escorts, releasing Dwayne from his handcuffs, as he put his hands on his wrists the eternal Ageless stepped away from the panel, turning around so he could look him in the face.
- Dwayne .. I see that in spite of everything you still remain just as out of place and insolent.
- Tell me at once what it is you want, I have already served this day's sentence.
- And yet, you still seem to be resisting reformation... I guess I'll have to resort to other methods to make you understand. - The Ageless with abundant, winged hair wore his white armor with some golden details, highlighting on the chest the logo of the Order of the Oath. - Catlyn, Kevin! The deserter! - After he gave the order, both Catlyn and Kevin entered through the right corridor B with someone with his face covered, bound hand and foot. - Bring him to me. - The Ageless touched the red button on the control panel, initiating the channeling process to the reality he had previously selected.
The minions escorted the man to him, leaving him lying on the ground as they stepped away from both of them to give them space. Dwayne was expectant, keeping his gaze intent on them at all times, puzzled by the touch of mysticism the Ageless brought to the situation.
- You know Dwayne... I always believed that someday you would be able to lead the Order of the Oath in the right direction, among all the members you were the most suitable to be my successor. You had... you have enough potential, but so little courage to accept the responsibility that comes with it... that's the single most important difference between you and me. - The Ageless grabbed the young man lying in front of him, grabbing him by the neck, he managed to lift him up with only one hand. - Unfortunately even after everything we've been through together... Neither of you were able to recognize your own weaknesses, that's what ultimately condemned you to a life of misery in the first place. If it weren't for me, you would still be begging, longing for something better than your pathetic existence. - In front of him, the Ageless removed the sack from the man's head, revealing that he was a young man, no older than 30. - In the end I realized that... the only thing that separated us from perfection was our own emotions. - Dwayne
tried to run towards them, but was instantly pinned down by Jack and Molina, holding him by both arms to prevent him from moving forward.
- George, damn you Orphano, what the hell are you thinking?" he was desperate, despite trying to free himself in various ways, the resistance they were imposing on him was greater. It was as if those new suits gave them an improvement of abilities even superior to the one granted by the old armors of the oath order. Dwayne could not stop watching them, helplessness invaded every corner of his body, he was so close but at the same time so far away, as if he was inside a dream, where no matter how hard he tried, he would be unable to reach it.
- See what I mean Dwayne?! Emotions dominate us, they shape and manipulate us as they want. They don't let us take control of our own lives. I didn't want to accept it, I thought the same as you, until that day when fate itself opened my eyes. The night we were ambushed, only those who had the courage to kill another living being, were the ones who ended up staying alive. The others... The others let themselves be weakened by their own emotions.
- Shut up! Don't talk to them like that you idiot!
- And yet... You keep proving me right. - The Ageless stopped the link between realities by pressing the corresponding button on the control panel. Dwayne calmed down a little when he saw what he had done, although he was still quite agitated. - If we hadn't been attacked that night it would have taken me a while to realize it. We have to put sentimentality aside Dwayne , if we want to grow and unlock our full potential... no barriers, no limits to hold us back. Only in this way can we reach perfection, or we will never be worthy of protecting ground zero. - The Eternal Ageless walked to where the zero point was, with George still unconscious hanging from his hand, while with barely any strength in his arms, he tried to break free from his grip. - For that... we need to first get rid of those bad seeds, which still swarm within our new era, contaminating it, while rotting it from within. We will not tolerate any behavior that goes against the order and formality of this organization - The Ageless brought George closer to the zero point, deafening him due to the strength of the waves that surrounded the orb.
- Hey hey hey hey, what are you doing? - Again the desperation dominated Dwayne, despite the several attempts he made to try to free himself, all were in vain. The Ageless had made up his mind.
- Especially to conspire against the Order of the Oath! - The Ageless then threw George into the uncalibrated zero point, which ended in him being cut into thousands of pieces, scattering his remains across thousands of universes. Each one ending up in a different reality.
- What the fuck did you do to him? He was just a fucking kid! Have you lost your fucking mind?! - Dwayne couldn't believe it, he was completely unfamiliar with him, this wasn't Orphano or even the Ageless, this was a whole new side of him.