Chapter Text
Very strange, Zhou Mingrui thought. It was a tame thought, very unlike her (Him) and the scenario she (He) was in.
The world was crumbling before her (Him) as the sun set over the horizon.
Metal buildings were being demolished, breaking apart. Some were even ripped from the ground or eviscerated completely. Trees were uprooted, cut, torn down. The birds dropped like rain, splattering on the ground. The people were dropping to the floor ridiculously, as if they were puppets that had lost their strings.
“Ah.” She (He) spoke, impulsively, staring at the scene with an inhuman indifference as she (He) felt a rush of strange deja vu. “That is what’s happening, isn’t it?”
She (He) looked up at the sky. The moon’s silver glow was being overtaken, corroded from the source as an ocean of crimson washed over it. The stars in the sky remained passive, but some in particular shined brighter more than ever. She (He) found himself compelled to one purple one in particular, just for a moment, before she (He) glanced back down.
When she (He) glanced back down, she (He) saw the monocle-wearing driver, looking at her (Him) with a strange smile on his face. Unlike the rest of the individuals there, he did not crumble like a ragdoll, and instead disappeared behind a gray fog.
Gray fog—was surrounding everything, closing in on Zhou Mingrui specifically. Rather quickly, too. In front of Zhou Mingrui, she (He) saw something shine behind it, but it was far too foggy to make out what it was.
Zhou Mingrui didn’t have the opportunity to even be surprised, or feel fear. Perhaps, she (He) was never going to feel those things at all.
And then, “He,” Klein Moretti, fell into darkness.
Klein Moretti opened His eyes to an abyss, almost to His disappointment. A void of inky darkness—save for Himself, and one other individual.
The other individual, in question, wore a black robe that covered all parts of their body except “His” bony, pale hands. Long, black hair flowed out of the robes’ cowl, hanging by “His” knees. “He” muttered words that were too low for Klein to hear, and muttered them in a language that Klein could not understand—He, Klein Moretti, realized that it has been a while since He’s heard a language He was unfamiliar with.
Klein watched “Him” pace around, circling Klein repeatedly, once, twice, thrice… The lack of noise caused the sound of “His” steps to echo against the floor (at least, what could be considered the floor, as it was far too voided and dark to look distinct from the rest of Klein’s surroundings).
And then, “He,” the figure, stopped, and looked over at Klein Moretti and opened “His” mouth, speaking in a much calmer, indifferent tone than what Klein expected.
“Annoying.” “He” said, calmly. “Annoy- ance. ” “He” corrected, satisfied. “That is the word for this. Annoyance.”
For an instant, ravings screamed in Klein’s head. He thought He was going to collapse and perish, before it was quiet once more. Not even Evernight’s voice caused ravings like this when He heard them before He was a demigod.
This was simply the might of an Outer Deity, or perhaps, the might of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth—The Almighty Ruler Of The Spirit World—The Lord Of The Mysteries.
Klein stayed silent, watching “Him” as “He” turned “His” head to meet Klein’s eyes with “His” own; yellow, terrifyingly indifferent eyes glowed beneath the cowl, as if “He” was looking at an ant on a sidewalk. In contrast, the pupils were as dark as a starless night. Perhaps it was the one similarity “He” and Klein had.
“I thought that would work…” The Celestial Worthy said, feeble remnants of frustrating lacing “His” voice. Ravings echoed in Klein’s head, but He was prepared for it. “Yes, I was hoping it would…”
Then, The Celestial Worthy turned “His” head away, staring off into the void. “Not used to this happening… not used to these feelings… ”
“He” continued. “These feelings, emotions… they do not belong to me,” “He” stopped, and turned back to Klein, “His” golden eyes piercing Klein’s voided black. The ravings intensified tenfold, and Klein thought He died right there.
“Do they belong—to you?” The Celestial Worthy asked, bringing Klein back into… whatever this place They were in. Not reality, at least.
Klein stared back at “Him,” almost unable to acknowledge the question as the ravings slowly died down. The Celestial Worthy waited patiently, watching Him, or perhaps someone of “His” longevity in life didn’t perceive such a wait as a long time at all.
Eventually, the ravings died down into mutterings, and the two individuals were left staring at one another. Klein pondered the question, not finding it too difficult to answer.
“Perhaps…” Klein began, shrinking back a bit as He looked at The Celestial Worthy, “...perhaps you may have been influenced by me, to some degree.” Klein looked at The Celestial Worthy, suddenly finding His voice more resolute. “And perhaps, I may have been influenced by you, to some degree.”
The question hung in the air, a deafening silence. The tension didn’t allow Klein to relax, and before He knew it, the area shook, and the void around them began to crack as gray fog seeped through.
Slowly, a smile crept onto The Celestial Worthy’s face, widening more and more and more as “His” teeth maddeningly sparkled behind the cowl.
“Yes.” “He” said, finding himself amused, almost joyous. Pieces of the void began to fall, revealing a castle hidden behind the fog. “Yes. That is the answer, isn’t it?”
And then, the void shattered, and Klein felt darkness take hold of him once again.
Klein awoke, once more, and found the Earth in front of Him. The geography was warped, different from His memory of earth before the cataclysm, before the Original Creator awoke from the core. Some places split off, conjoined with others, while some were missing altogether.
His eyes softened, and His lips pressed together into a pathetic line. His eyes twitched, as if trying to coax out tears, but none were provoked. He accepted this truth a very long time ago.
Then, in the moment He began to turn away from Earth, He felt gazes upon Him, a multitude. Strong, fierce, volatile. The gradual indifference that comes with godhood wasn’t there at all. The Great Old Ones.
There were a multitude of them; more Great Old Ones than Klein was aware of, seemingly.
Klein mused. If gazes could kill, then He would have been obliterated on the spot!
…
But gazes, from gods especially, could kill, and Klein got to know that very well over the last few years.
Then, Klein realized, that He was not on Earth. The barrier that the Original Creator left behind in “His” will was not protecting him from them. So why are they not attacking Him?
“Because they cannot.”
Klein whirled His head to His side to see the Celestial Worthy standing next to Him, “His” gaze penetrating to the Earth’s core. “His” cowl flowed in the empty space They stood in.
Klein turned away, staring at the Earth with “Him.”
“This is another illusion, then?” Klein probed. “Or, perhaps, I am still dreaming?”
The Celestial Worthy stayed silent. Such a question did not warrant an obvious answer from “Him”
Klein found his lips curling up. “The Outer Deities don’t seem too happy with this dream.”
“Of course.” The Celestial Worthy spoke. “This is the greatest disrespect.”
Klein hummed, briefly turning around to face the stars. It was a mockery, in fact. To pretend to be in Their range of violence, unprotected like this, when They are itching to begin an apocalypse. Perhaps, only someone of The Celestial Worthy’s ability would have the audacity to perform such a stunt.
“Did you use the Historical Void to pull this off?” Klein asked “Him.”
The Celestial Worthy did not answer, and then the dream shook.
The Earth disappeared; the entire solar system did, in fact, and Their surroundings were replaced with a sea of stars, much closer than before.
Klein felt Himself get pulled down by gravity, before abruptly feeling a surface beneath Him. He looked down to see a path of light, extending an unknown difference in opposite directions.
He looked to his right to see The Celestial Worthy; “His” posture did not change, his body unmoved in any capacity. Then, he began walking along the path, away from Klein.
Klein, having nothing better to do, followed.