I always felt loved. That's why I did this.
I did too, but I'd never let it drag me down.
I wanted power to protect them, but also because as loved as I was, I always wanted something more.
I wanted power because I was destined to be god. Someone as superior as me has no other path.
I've always listened to people's struggles, it made me grateful and gave me another purpose.
I've always listened to people's struggles, it provided genuine insights to their character and someone needs to be a character before you can read them.
When I was five…
When I was five…
I began to worship power.
I began to worship power.
I found out that the people with power have power boundless.
I found out that the people with power have power hollow.
In accordance, I made it my dream to chase power.
Regardless, I made it my dream to chase power.
To the ends of the fucking earth.
To the ends of the fucking earth.
And eventually found myself…
…sitting across from myself.
"Well, well, well done already? It hasn't even been 7 full rounds yet." I said
He looked at me disdainfully but dejected.
Oh, how much longer till you break. I'm getting tired as well, you know. Not that I'll actually admit that though, not admitting things is imperative here after all.
"Alright I forfeit! You win!" He screamed while throwing his half-glasses to the floor.
Oh, nothing's happening. It seems it will take more then that, my slow little friend. What to do, what to do? Ohh, I know. I have this saying I like to use, when the solution you cognized based on the various clues turns out to be incorrect, bullshit your way to victory.
I adjusted my glasses once more, "Ah, you know something about the ascension ritual, there's always a multitude of ways to complete it."
He looked at me reigned to his fate, his muscles brimming with energy yet to lethargic to move.
I mean, I would like to kill you but sadly I don't know how. Although I do have some theories, one of them I'm testing right now. If only you can open up to me, I've glimpsed some of your past recently and I feel that the reason I had is because I'm about to grasp it, the solution.
Yet I also have a sneaking suspicion that you may have grasped some of mine too. Although I doubt you currently possess a solid enough state of mind to properly utilize said information, it never hurts to be careful.
I originally believed that this ritual was about convincing the other party about the other's superiority, hence the game all about superiority so that you can eventually attribute the word superiority itself to me through countless losses.
Yet I feel like I've done that and here we still are.
It makes sense that way, since we can't hurt each other physically to announce betterness we must do it mentally and the only way to truly convince someone of something is to make them believe it is their idea.
I've given it thought for a while now and have come to a new conclusion recently while taking our different pasts into consideration. This ritual is about superiority, there is no doubt in that, but that's not the main idea.
I'm an attacker and you are a defender, you needs to keep your identity yours, while I need to replace you.
This conjecture is supported by the fact that we are identical and that ascending is something of your world and not mine, yet here we are both trying to ascend. So if I manage to ascend it will most likely be in your world and in which case I'll most likely take your place.
So back to the question at hand, what do I do to win? That's simple, trickery.
"You know what it means that now you've lost, right?" I said
"You own my soul or something now, ya fucking demon." He spat
"Ha, ha. Wouldn't that be fun. Sadly though, it just means you can't ascend."
He looked at me surprised, "Wait, no. What about all that talk about 'corrupting me in the abyss I stand in'?"
"Bullshit, all bullshit. I just say threatening things to paint me as an enemy. After all that's what the ascension rituals are for, directing newfound divinity at a target. If there is no target the divinity gets scattered, killing the ascender." I said
"So what you're leading to is telling me there is still a way I can live?" He said ever so slightly hopefully
"Yes, there is a way your eyes can lay upon your family once again." I truthfully told him
You just have to take a poor sinner's hand!
His eyes lit up more then they ever have in these past few months, "Really?"
"Yes, let's deconstruct this. The ascension ritual exists because divinity needs a target or it goes haywire and in order for divinity to take something as a target it must seem difficult to beat and you must beat it.
Something you didn't do.
So our game here doesn't count me as a target, hence why you will die coming out of the ritual.
In order to fix this I can provide a relatively simple solution, treat me as you.
By doing this you can transfer the chaotic divinity to me, since divinity is of an abstract nature, allowing 'you' to return to your body unharmed by the rampant energy."
I thought about his offer, think of him as me to offset the divinity's damage to this indestructible monster of a guide.
Heh, fuck it, I'm going to die anyway.
If he's not lying and I choose a slow death in this void, I'll never forgive myself.
He responded to my offer, "Alright, Vanitas Valentine. How do I do this?"
I gave him a prompt, "Picture yourself at home, talking to your friends, your family and all your other cherished ones. Enjoying a meal together, ready to reveal the fact of your ascension."
I looked around in our new manor, I knew they would be so happy for us. My dream had come true, the nightmarish abyss of my ascension over. No more guide to have cold sweats about, no more worrying the existential crisises that thing put me through. No more blade on my neck. A peaceful, happy, and serene life.
In my bliss I looked downwards and staring at my crystal clear plate I saw something ever so slightly abnormal.
My eyes, they shined far too deep.
My smile, it had a strange tugging mockery.
I remember these expressions, how could I forget them.
They were the guide's expressions.
This made me recall a thought, a memory of sorts. I began to recall the final words of that dreadful guide before he lost.
"Lum-" something.
I began to dig deeper, the word on the tip of my tongue. For some reason I felt a strange sense of urgency in remembering that word, as if it held a clue of mass importance.
"Lumi-"
The sounds of my banquet were loud, drowning out the memory. I willed my mind to ignore the cacophony and focused on my thoughts, and then I heard it, clear as day,
"Lumie!"
I woke up sinking in abyss. My lower half faded away into nothingness. I looked up to see a circular hole of light with my face looking through it.
It can't be.
You were never a part of this were you!
I shuddered in despair before grasping all the spirit I could muster to scream the rest of my heart out,
"YOU! WHAT REALLY EVEN ARE YOU!"
I shouted this but part of me already knew the answer, but even then, I didn't want to believe it, I didn't want to accept the nature of those consequences.
He smiled mockingly at me, "Name, foretell? My name is Vanitas Valentine, an aspiring ascender."
Upon seeing a familiar figure in the plate above me, my eyes widened in pain, regret and sorrow.
I screamed my heart out till my throat started to burn, "LUMIE! Lumie! LUMIE! DON'T TALK TO IT. IT'S NOT ME! IT'S A PARASITE! A SKINWALKER! A MONSTER! DON'T TRUST A WORD IT SAYS! LUMIE!"
The abyss crawled up to my neck.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed
"AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA." My anger gave way to hysterical sadness.
"Lumie! Lumie. Lumie, your brother is so very sorry. I tried to help us but I condemned us all to hell! I was naive! I thought I only had to contemplate my own loss and death, but now, because of my narrow-minded actions life itself may never be born again! I didn't just fail you I failed everything Avantgarde stands for!"
The void coalesced my face. The thoughts dissolving into the void that eclipsed me.
Lumie, Lumie, Lumie, Lumie, Lumie, Lumi-,Lumi-, Lumi-, Lumi-, Lum-, Lum-, Lum-, Lu-, Lu-,L-
Until not even a single letter remained.
And then,
My plate's reflection went back to normal, the abyss distant and gone. I smirked deeply at the plate and blew on the crystal, inscribing a word in the fog,
it read,
'Foretold'
I then gave a courteous smile when greeted by the announcer,
"Ah, if it isn't the man of the hour Mr. Valentine himself. We've all been wondering, do you have a direction you wish the Valentine Barony to go in?"
I laughed, "Haha, I don't know if direction is the right word to use here but I will say that the Valentine household will always stand by this belief, that all this was a gift to humanity itself."