In the endless void, the soul fell, frozen and silent on the outside, but a fire of wrath and regret burned within. "My family, my home, I lost them all," the soul thought sadly. Suddenly, the sadness morphed into anger, and with gritted teeth, the soul vowed, "Archibald and Baldwin, I will never forgive you. You will pay, no matter what." The soul repeated the vow over and over.
"Wait, Archibald? Baldwin? Who are these people, and why do I want revenge?" The soul's memories slowly faded until they were completely erased. All that remained was an unbearable feeling of wrath and regret. "What's this feeling, and why won't it stop hurting?" the soul wondered as the pain grew too much to bear.
The soul summoned all its strength and screamed into the empty void, "Just make it stop!" But no one answered, and silence filled the void once more.
Suddenly, a golden light appeared beneath the soul, enveloping it. "This feeling, it feels familiar," the soul thought as it was drawn into the light.
"I will make it stop," said a voice in the void.
Dark energy, interspersed with red sparks, began to cover the golden light, eventually consuming it and enveloping the soul completely.
***
On a platform floating in the void, surrounded by broken pillars, the black and red energy coalesced before dissipating, leaving the unconscious soul behind. The scene was eerie; the platform seemed ancient and desolate, with fragments of columns and shattered remnants of a once-glorious structure scattered around.
After a while, the soul awoke, confused and afraid. "Where am I? What's this place?" it asked, its voice echoing in the emptiness.
"Good, you woke up faster than I thought," said the same voice from the void. The soul looked up to see the source of the sound.
A figure of a man made of dark energy, with a red aura and streaks of red energy coursing through his body, sat on a broken throne. His face had only eyes, as red as the energy flowing through him. The throne itself was cracked and crumbling, a relic of a long-forgotten dominion.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" the soul asked, trembling, its voice wavering.
"I told you, I will make that feeling stop," the man replied, his voice cold and detached.
"I don't understand. Please, just let me go," the soul pleaded, desperation seeping into its words.
"I guess I can't talk to you in your current state, so let's fix that first," the man said. He lifted his hand, and dark energy formed under the soul, pinning it in place. The energy was thick and oppressive, coiling around the soul like a serpent.
"Look into my eyes, and you will see the truth," the man said, using the dark energy to force the soul to meet his gaze.
As their eyes locked, the soul's eyes turned red, and it began to scream in mental agony. The soul relived all its past lives, lives filled with suffering, despair, betrayal, and death. The memories flooded in, each one amplifying the unbearable pain. The soul saw visions of battles lost, loved ones betrayed, and endless nights of torment.
Finally, the screaming ceased, and the dark energy released the soul. It fell to its knees, silent and expressionless, its spirit battered and broken.
A few minutes passed, and the soul remained motionless, like a corpse. The emptiness around it seemed to close in, as if the void itself was mocking its suffering.
"It seems I've broken him. I expected too much; anyone would be shattered by such memories," the man thought.
"How?" the soul asked, rising to its feet. "How are you going to take it away?"
Surprised, the man thought, "He's still able to talk and think after all this?"
"Tell me, how will you take it away?" the soul demanded, its voice now cold and strong, a stark contrast to its earlier fear.
"You've changed a lot, but I like your new self," the man said, pleased with the result.
"You're wrong. This is not my new self, but my true self," the soul replied firmly, its eyes burning with a newfound determination.
"Well, I guess we can start the real conversation now," the man said, leaning forward. "I think you already know how, but I'll say it out loud: I will help you take your revenge."
"My revenge? You mean you'll help me search countless worlds for those who wronged me and make them suffer, even though most of them are long dead?" the soul mocked, a bitter smile playing on its lips.
"Of course not. Those people were merely tools of the true person behind your suffering," the man explained, his tone steady and calm.
"What do you mean by the true person behind my suffering?" the soul asked, confusion clouding its features.
"His name is familiar to you. After all you were his loyal follower through all your lives," the man said, preparing to reveal the name.
"Sovereign of the Beginning, Alpha," the soul interrupted, as memories flooded back. The impossible scenarios now made sense—all the events were connected to Alpha. The general was killed by Alpha's army, the assassin was betrayed by Alpha's follower, and the noble was imprisoned by Alpha's follower. The same theme ran through all the other lives, and all those who caused the soul's suffering bore Alpha's mark.
"Why? Why would he do this? What have I done to deserve this?" the soul screamed, filled with rage and hatred towards Alpha. Its voice echoed through the void.
"I asked myself that question many times but never found an answer. Perhaps he saw you as his toy," the man said, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.
Regaining composure, the soul asked, "So you want to help me take revenge on Alpha?"
"Exactly," the man replied.
"Why? You don't seem like the type to do things for free," the soul said, skeptical of the man's motives.
"Good. You don't trust easily, and you always doubt. Such mentality will serve you well in the future," the man said, a hint of approval in his tone.
"Of course, I don't trust anyone. I've been betrayed countless times, so trusting anyone is hard," the soul said.
then with calm expression the soul said "Let's cut to the chase. Tell me what you want from me and why you chose me out of billions of souls in the void."
"Each moment I spend with you confirms that I made the right choice," the man thought, with a slight smile playing on his lips.
"I've underestimated your intelligence. Let's start from the beginning. My name is Omega, and I chose you because I felt we were similar," Omega said, his voice carrying a weight of centuries of suffering.
"Similar? In what way?" the soul asked, curiosity piqued.
Omega pointed to his chest, revealing a golden mark. "This is the mark of Alpha, a reminder of how he betrayed me." He then lifted his hands, revealing ten different marks of various colors all over his body. "And these are reminders of the betrayal of my closest allies."
"These marks are the reason you're here," the soul concluded, its voice steady.
"You're right. These marks sealed my power and forced me to hide here in the void," Omega said. "We are similar; both of us were betrayed and suffered because of Alpha."
The soul remained silent for a moment, then said, "I understand your motives. So, what's your plan?"
"Rather than a plan, it's more of a deal," Omega said, leaning back on the throne.
"Tell me, soul that has suffered countless times, are you ready to hear my deal?".