Thyrexxa leaned back on the desk with her hands supporting her body behind her. Dust drifted through the air lazily and for a moment, the entire room felt strangely normal despite the fact that the Primordial of Time herself was sitting in a high school classroom talking about the destruction and rebirth of the universe.
"Any Transmigrator I chose would eventually return to Earth. That was always the endpoint. They were supposed to stop the apocalyptic event of their Iteration before Earth collapsed and reset existence itself."
Veneri crossed his arms slowly.
"Then who was the Seventh?"
Thyrexxa immediately shook her head.
"I cannot tell you that."
"Why?"
"Because information itself affects causality. You of all people should understand that by now. Some truths are harmless. Others are catastrophes waiting to happen. If I reveal who the Seventh Transmigrator was, it may create a chain reaction that alters decisions and future events. Even I don't interfere recklessly with time anymore. Some stories deserve to stay buried."
Veneri stared at the floor quietly for a few seconds before asking the question that had been bothering him the most.
"Why Earth? Out of every world in existence, why are humans from Earth so important?"
Thyrexxa looked out the classroom window.
"Because Earth is an Origin Planet. The souls born there possess abnormal adaptability. That is why transmigration works best with humans from Earth. Their souls can survive transition between realities without collapsing. Earth humans are terrifyingly compatible with possibility."
She hopped off the desk and slowly walked between the empty rows of chairs.
"My plan only worked because Earth souls could become variables strong enough to disrupt existence itself. Every loop, I chose someone. Every loop, I hoped they would succeed where the previous one failed. And now you did."
Veneri stayed quiet.
"The Eighth Iteration should have ended with the moon colliding into Earth. Humanity would have died. The universe would have reset again. Another loop, another tragedy."
For the first time since meeting her, Veneri saw something genuine in Thyrexxa's face.
Relief.
She slowly approached him until she stood directly in front of him.
"So now, I will reward you. As the Primordial of Time, I can grant you almost anything within the framework of existence. Do you want to become a Primordial Deity immediately? I can do that. Do you want the Mopherian Pantheon erased from existence? It will be done before the day ends. Do you want Sirithiele revived? Difficult, yes, but possible. I would need to negotiate with Death, Life, Destiny, and Existence themselves, but I can make it happen. You saved the universe, Vastarael. Ask for anything."
Veneri's heart shook slightly. Anything.
That word alone was dangerous. A Primordial Deity had absolute power. There would be no more struggling or fear of losing people. There would be no more watching everyone surpass him while he desperately fought to survive. He could even destroy every threat looming over his life instantly if he wanted.
The Mopherian Pantheon had future disasters. All of it would be gone. And yet...
Veneri slowly closed his eyes and laughed quietly.
"What's so funny?"
"I think this is the first time in my life someone offered me literally everything."
"And?"
"Honestly? It sounds really fucking tempting."
"At least you are honest."
He thought for a while longer before finally stepping closer to her. Then he leaned forward and whispered his wishes into her ear. The moment he finished speaking, Thyrexxa froze. Her emerald eyes widened in genuine shock. When she pulled away, she stared at him like he had just said the dumbest and most unbelievable thing she had heard in millions of years.
"Those are your wishes?"
"Yes."
"You could have asked for transcendence."
"I know."
"You could have become the strongest being in Spheraphase immediately."
"I know."
"You could have reshaped reality itself."
"I know."
Thyrexxa looked genuinely baffled now.
"Then why would you ask for this?"
Veneri sighed and leaned against a desk.
"Because if you hand me everything now, what's the point?"
"..."
"If I become a Primordial Deity instantly, then what? I wouldn't understand my own power. I wouldn't have earned it. I don't even have a complete understanding of Overwrites or true Deityhood yet. I'd basically be a child holding a universe destroying weapon. My life wouldn't really change. Trouble would still come eventually. Challenges would still exist. I'd just be skipping the journey. I hate skipping the journey."
"So your wishes are truly these two things?"
"Yes. First, I want Phaenora to be separated from me completely. I don't mean abandoning her. I mean freeing her existence from mine. Right now she's too connected to me. Her growth, her system, her development, it all revolves around me. I don't want that anymore."
"..."
"She deserves her own future and independence. I want her to become something greater because she chose it herself, not because she's tied to me."
For the first time in a while, Thyrexxa's expression became gentle.
"That is… surprisingly selfless."
Veneri immediately pointed at her.
"Don't say it like I'm some saint. I'm still selfish. I just know Phaenora deserves freedom. Also, you're the one who put her in that position and I'm sure only a wish like this would let you free her from me."
He raised a second finger.
"And secondly, I want a Primordial Artifact."
Thyrexxa blinked twice and suddenly she burst out laughing.
"You reject omnipotence but still ask for loot? You greedy bastard!"
Veneri looked offended.
"A good weapon is important!"
"You truly are an Earth human."
"And proud of it of course."
Thyrexxa stared at him for a few long seconds before finally sighing in defeat. Then she crossed her arms and shook her head with a faint smile on her face.
"You really are strange, Vastarael."
"Thanks. I think."
"No, seriously. Most people who stand before a Primordial would beg for power, immortality, authority, revenge, resurrection, kingdoms, galaxies or some dramatic nonsense like that. Meanwhile, you're over here asking me to free your companion and give you a shiny artifact."
"One of those is emotionally important and the other is cool."
"That is such a stupid way to summarize it."
"And yet I'm right."
Thyrexxa rolled her eyes before finally raising one hand. The classroom immediately trembled as temporal ripples spread around her fingers.
"It's done."
"That fast?"
"I am literally the Primordial of Time. Do you expect paperwork?"
"Fair point."
"Once you return to Spheraphase, Phaenora will be fully separated from your existence. Her growth, her system, her destiny, her evolution, all of it will become entirely her own. She will no longer depend on your soul as a foundation."
Veneri went quiet after hearing that. Honestly, hearing it out loud felt strange. Phaenora had been connected to him for so long that imagining her being independent almost felt unreal. But at the same time, it felt right. Thyrexxa noticed his expression.
"You made the correct choice."
"Hopefully she doesn't kill me after finding out."
"She probably still will."
"That's comforting."
Thyrexxa snapped her fingers. A small object slowly appeared from a circular ripple in reality before floating gently toward Veneri. He caught it instinctively and he stared at it in complete silence.
"It's a mango."
It was just a green mango not surrounded by divine lightning or radiating some overwhelming godly aura.
"Yes."
"You're telling me my Primordial Artifact is fruit."
"Correct."
"What kind of scam is this?"
Thyrexxa immediately looked offended.
"This is not just fruit. That is Aeternita Ornavis."
The atmosphere became serious for exactly two seconds before Veneri looked back at the mango again.
"It still looks edible."
"It is not edible."
"You named a cosmic artifact after a fruit and expected me not to think that?"
Thyrexxa huffed and snatched the mango from his hands for a moment before holding it carefully.
"I created this during the Sixth Iteration. Back then, Christianity was spreading rapidly across Earth and humanity had become obsessed with symbolism involving fruits, temptation, paradise, life, sin, rebirth and knowledge. I found the concept fascinating."
Veneri stared at her.
"So you made a magical mango."
"Yes."
"You Primordials are weird."
"We have existed for billions of years. Eventually you either become incomprehensible or start making artifacts shaped like produce for entertainment. Where do you think Primordial Artifacts come from? We make them out of boredom."
Honestly, he could not even argue with that logic. Thyrexxa handed it back to him again.
"Aeternita Ornavis is a living Primordial Artifact. All you need to do is plant it inside your soul."
Veneri's eyebrows twitched.
"That sentence sounds horrifying."
"It will make sense once you do it."
"What does it even do?"
She smiled mysteriously.
"You'll find out."
"I hate when powerful beings say that."
"And yet it always works."
Veneri carefully held the green mango again. Despite how ridiculous it looked, he could feel something absurdly ancient hidden inside it. Before he could ask another question, Thyrexxa's body began fading.
"You're leaving already?"
"My role here is done. The Eighth Iteration has been secured. The universe will continue forward normally now."
For once, she looked less like an untouchable Primordial and more like a tired girl revisiting an old memory. Her eyes wandered around the classroom.
"This school really changed. Back then the walls were uglier."
Veneri laughed.
"That's what you're focused on?"
"Of course. Nostalgia is important. Anyway, take care of yourself this time, Vastarael. It's going to take a very long time until we see each other again."
He smiled faintly.
"I'll try."
"And stop sacrificing yourself every time. Even I get anxious when you do that."
"No promises."
She vanished.
Veneri slowly walked toward the window while holding Aeternita Ornavis in his hand. Outside, the sky had already turned orange from the setting sun. The city lights of Los Angeles were beginning to flicker alive one by one beneath the evening horizon. At some point during their conversation, hours had passed. He sighed quietly while staring at the sunset.
Honestly, everything felt surreal lately.
Earth, the loops, a Hidden Truth of the universe, Narisva becoming a Primordial Goddess, Thyrexxa being a former human girl from this very school on the original timeline.…
It all sounded insane and yet it was real. Veneri looked down at the mango in his hand again and laughed tiredly.
"A fucking mango… still, thanks."
He didn't know if Thyrexxa could hear him anymore. Maybe she could, maybe she couldn't. Either way, he meant it. After standing there for a while longer, Veneri finally turned around and closed his eyes.
He finally did what he never planned to do since he was trapped in the Obsidian Runic Spire.
He reached inside his soul.