(Author: The start might be a bit boring but bear with me)
As the man in bright, polished armor entered the underground facility, the dark walls became visible.
He proceeded past the cells, which held only piles of skeletal remains, without even glancing at them. This action was less about fear than a desire to respect the repose of the deceased.
Then he continued to move forward, further he advanced, the more sparse the signs of life became. Those few inmates he encountered were people who had their sanity broken by the prison's conditions. For this reason, the facility maintained no active guards.
The prison's conditions made it so that retaining their sanity was impossible for any individual beyond six months, and only rarely for one year. It represented an extreme form of torture that any individual would seek to avoid.
' Had they all surrendered they could have at least been alive '
He maintained his progress without being disturbed by the surrounding conditions. After a brief transit, he finally reached the person he meant to visit.
There sat the man, his unkempt hair falling to his shoulders. He was deathly pale, conveying an extreme state of depletion. Upon sensing the knight's presence, he raised his head, revealing eyes lifeless eyes.
" Is that you-u Derathus "
Derathus was shocked to finally see him speak after 4 long years. The last time the man spoke was when he had announced the death of his wife and companions.
'You are finally addressing me. This sudden break in your silence indicates a breakdown. I find this disappointing' Derathus spoke quietly, primarily for his own hearing.
" Yes …. here eat it " said Derthus as he pushed the packet of food under the bars. He then placed the lamp he had been holding on a nearby barrel and gently sat down while leaning his back against the bars.
" What did the humans call you again was it supreme leader or the supreme one " laughed Derathus.
As Derathus spoke those words a meager spark was lit in the man's eyes.
" It is neither I am unbefitting of those titles, I am just a powerless human struggling against those despicable beings who stand above all "
A significant and immediate alteration in his delivery conveyed deep-seated antipathy. He then slowly adjusted his posture, assuming a more dignified bearing.
" It seems as though this prison is not doing shit to you Ezio "
Observing the individual he held the utmost respect revert to his original self, Derathus offered a smile of approval. He didn't have this kind of respect even for the supreme beings he served.
" Even though till when are you going to continue this meaningless revolution which extracts the lives of those you cherish for a success that is not guaranteed, answer me when are you going to stop ? "
" When the last cell in my body dies ….. even then the torch will just be passed onto the next generation "
" You truly are mad "
"My current mental state is the direct result of a profound injustice and you know it too, the involuntary transportation of Stella and myself to a world near extinction, orphaning our son Claude who had just turned 2, on Earth. Furthermore, having survived that hell, we were immediately displaced to another universe. My fury is not directed toward saving these worlds, but at the entities who, for the sake of their amusement, instigate extinction-level events and then dispatch us—along with countless others across time and space—to stop it."
Ezio suddenly vented the profound emotional distress that had accrued during his imprisonment.
" Well Ezio your anger is justified, but you just need to know when to stop "
" You know it well Derathus, that I am not gonna cease my actions "
" It seems as though I am talking with a rock "
Derathus sighed as he looked at Ezio, understanding the challenging nature of his goal. His esteem for Ezio was profound, yet it was equaled by his disdain for the latter's indiscretions.
" Well you are free to close your mouth shut then." Ezio stated in a taunting manner .
" It's not like I came here to have a chat with you anyway, I came with a piece of information which might interest you …. I heard that the sovereign beings are planning to summon people from earth this time "
" Well if I may ask why are you telling me this piece of information "
" Cause there is a chance that your son might get summoned, well it doesn't hurt to have hope isn't it even though the probability of it happening is low. "
Ezio's reaction contained a mix of emotions, an intense desire to finally get a chance to see his son was immediately overshadowed by the equally strong wish to shield Claude from the misery, pain, and agony he had personally endured but neither were things he could decide.
" Well I'm off then ….. and one more thing BALMER POINT "
Having concluded his remarks, Derathus discreetly slid an antique pendant—which emitted a distinct crimson hue—beneath the cell bars toward Ezio.
He then silently rose and began his return journey toward the exit. His eyes held a menacing intensity, knowing too well that their next encounter would be fatal for one of them.
Ezio then glanced at the pendant, immediately a smirk appeared on his face. Because the words BALMER POINT indicated that the revolutionaries have arrived to save him.
" Thank you ….. Derathus "
He then slowly stood, directing a fierce gaze toward the night sky through the window bars, a clear signal to the sovereign entities that his retaliation had commenced, and they should prepare accordingly.
The pendant levitated from his hands and remained suspended mid air, initiating the formation of a dimensional portal.
A young man instantly stepped through the newly formed portal. His damaged gear and visible facial scars indicated the battles he went through. Without hesitation, he knelt in the presence of the prisoner.
" We have made all the arrangements for your decent supreme one, we also apologize for the late arrival it was beca....."
" There is no need for you to give an explanation, I can understand the situation outside "
Delivering those words he signaled the man to get up and entered the portal which was starting to destabilize clearly indicating that it would not last long.
In mere moments, the portal dematerialized, leaving no trace of its existence or that of the two men.
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Derathus walks out of the underground prison revealing the island on which it was build, floating mid air.
' Maybe if not for the betrayal, he could have reached the sovereign beings already, well no need for pointless thoughts I have to return quickly before they find out that he escaped. '
He knew it well that he was gonna severely get punished if they knew that he helped Ezio escape.
As these thoughts occupied his mind, a sharp, severe pain originated in his chest, its intensity increasing with every passing moment.
" Damn they found out sooner than I anticipated "
The painful sensation intensified progressively until his heart was no longer able to sustain its function and stopped beating.
For several hours, Derathus remained unresponsive on the snow-covered platform, like a lifeless doll. This period of no moment concluded when his heart finally reactivated.
" Those damned sovereigns this marks my 1000th death, I wished it would be special, Fu**k you ruined it " He proclaimed with anger.
While the situation represented guaranteed death for any typical person, Derathus was an anomaly. He could not die, even if he longed for it.
Soon a blinding light fell on him teleporting him to the chamber of the sovereigns.
" Let's see how they are going to punish me this time " he stated with a smirk.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Somewhere on Earth~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The phone ringed clearly indicating that a call had arrived. The young man took the phone out of his pocket and answered the call.
" Hey Claude where are you, even Ron has arrived, you sure remember that today is our first reunion with our classmates after a long time !! "
" Yeah Max just give me five minutes, on my way "
' Dammit my time management was compromised due to the emotional impact of today's date, which is the twentieth anniversary of my parents' disappearance. '
But today Claude felt a bit unusual unlike any other anniversary he felt closer to his parents, there was this feeling that he would soon meet them even if how illogical it seemed there was this unexplainable feeling.