" Why would you not want to tell the Order Organization?" Aldric asked, as his solemn voice pierced through the silence in the room.
"Because I don't trust them, that includes you—the only reason why I chose to partner with you was because of her" Aiden responded, pointing at Sera after he ended his words.
He continues…" I've seen her in action where she risked her life for every other citizens, including mine… And you, you just called yourself the most valuable asset for the order organization"
Aldric was silent for a moment, then he looked at Sera, who was also silent. Then he moved closer to Aiden.
" You don't trust me? Fine, but that won't stop me from telling the Orders about this, the more we delay the the closer we are to a complete annihilation. You either agree with this or you stay out of my way" Aldric responded with a cold confrontational tone.
It was obvious that Aiden didn't appreciate being threatened he moved closer to Aldric, they were both a feet apart from each other, looking each other in the eye
" Is that so, then go on, tell them, but don't stand in my way either, cause I won't hesitate to…" Before Aiden could finish what he was saying, Sera cuts in.
"… Alright! That's enough, no more threats, this is no time to stand against each other" She cuts, a voice cuts into the tension, sharp like a dagger, precise like an archer's arrow.
" We are low on resources to fight back, the Order are the only force to reckon with at the moment, we need more armed forces… whether we like it or not we can't defeat Zephyron on our own"
Aiden looked at Sera with a disappointed expression, then he moved briskly towards her.
" So you work for him and the Order Organization now ? and here I thought you were some noble fighters" Aiden responded with a rather high anger tone.
Sera was silent for a moment, her expression was cold and unreadable, then she voiced out, without trying to sound tough, but one could sense the weight and power that lies in her response.
" Careful, Aldric might have transformed my physique into that of a man, that doesn't make me any less weaker"
She continues "Speak to me like that again, and I'll easily take your life just as I've saved it in the past" she responded solemnly as she leans towards Aiden's ear, who seems rather terrified as he took a big gulp, she whisper the threat warning to him. Then she walks back to where she was sitting.
" Aiden, because you've got information on Zephyron doesn't provide solution to how we could stop him, information without resources to implement is useless"
"That's why we needed the Order, not that we work for them, and I'm telling you this, not because I owe you any explanation, but because at our current status, we can't afford to make any irrational move, else, we'll be compromised " Sera concluded.
At the current situation, everyone is thinking of a possible way out to contain the threat at hand. Then Aldric spoke up, looking at Aiden who was rather confused.
"The Annahilator " Aldric says solemnly.
"What?" Aiden responded jolted back to reality by Aldric's voice but needed to know what he said again.
"The Annahilator, where does he know?" Aldric asked, looking mostly interested in what Aiden had to say.
"I told you, he vanished right after he told me about Zephyron" Aiden responded.
"Vanished how, he's been there in your body before you even realized it, and he just vanished all of a sudden?" Sera responded as she joined the conversation.
" He was standing right before me… The moment he finished saying what he was saying… his body began to disintegrate… and he says "Now it has been completed" that was the last thing before he went into dust" Aiden responded solemnly.
"Does that mean he was within you this whole time, just waiting to give you this information?" Aldric asked, which one could tell that it was a rhetorical question.
"If that is the case, then that changes everything. The Annahilator was not sealed within you, he intentionally chose you as the vessel for him to pass his message through." Sera commented.
"Well, he could have at least sent a little warning of heads up before he uses me as his vessel" Aiden lamented in a slight anger.
Aldric looked at him with a frustrated expression, "Don't be ridiculous, he is a cosmic entity… even if he tells you, you there not reject, he is a cosmic entity… a paragon of destruction "
He continues " I've come across dimensional text of how the Paragon of destruction annihilates worlds. The Annahilator is the most feared one amongst them… and rumored to be the most powerful Undreamer"
" Well, I'm just glad he is gone… can't imagine being the host of a sibling of psychopaths" Aiden responded, one could tell from the relief from his voice.
" How did you come up with the name Anachronist by the way?" Aiden asked.
Aldric was silent for a moment, then responded silently "The name Anachronist is not really mine, it's borrowed… it belongs the cosmic entity that gave me this powers"
"Every minute we waste here is contending with the survival of this world, enough of these baseless explanations, what's the next step?" Sera asked.
"We inform the Order Organization about this" Aldric responded silently as he moved closer to anger where he put his cloak.
Aiden who seemed surprised about something made a confused expression "Wait… we? they knew Sera is the Sojourner?" He asked in a rather high tone.
A massive silence fell into the room once more, from Aldric expression, one could tell that he is not pleased with where the conversation is heading towards, like a person who knows something he has been keeping discreet is about to be revealed by a clueless nuisance.
" No… they don't, Just me…not even Ajax" Aldric responded silently and slowly, almost revealing how disappointed he is.
"They don't? Why didn't you tell them… I mean you could tell them about a cosmic threat in an instant you got it, but you can't tell them about the Sojourner who could be a valuable asset to them as well…" Aiden asked with a rather accusational tone.
" It's best if they don't know yet" Aldric responded silently.
Then Aiden realized it " You also don't trust them, do you? You only give let them know what you want them to know, basically you're using the Order"
He continues "You tell them what you want them to know, then you know what your next move is going to be based on their next move and the resources they'll be using…You don't trust anyone, you just act based on where your advantage lies"
Aldric was silent for a moment then finally spoke up " I have seen too much to act rashly. I believe in patience, planning, and preserving knowledge above all"
Aiden was surprised by this response then he moved closer to him silently " Do you even trust her?" He pointed at Sera who is standing with her hands folded "Or you're just keeping her here because she is your biggest advantage"
He continues " You are the type that would sacrifice a few to save many. You have made that choice before, haven't you!" Aiden's voice raised so that he echoed across the mausoleum.
Just right after he yells at Aldric, a severe headache hits him so hard that he falls on the ground, screaming in pain. Sera and Aldric were surprised by this. But such a headache won't stop Aldric from going to where he was heading to.
He looked at Sera who was on the ground, trying to calm him down, then he moved forward and leaned towards Aiden. He touched Aiden's head and then green light emitted from his hand and went right inside Aiden's head, instantly, Aiden calmed down and then fell unconscious.
Then looked at Sera and nodded his head like she was supposed to do something. Sera understood the signal, she stood up and moved a few feet away from them and then opened a cloudy portal. Then Aldric moved towards the portal, but before we went all the way through, he looked at Sera.
"Take him to the room, but keep an eye on him, I have a feeling that there is something he is still not telling us" Aldric said, then he went inside the portal and Sera shook her head as a means of agreeing to what he said.
———
Flashback
———
Aiden is seen standing before Annahilator in the stormy desert.
" The price of stopping Zephyron comes at the cost of your humanity" Annahilator said in his usual dominant voice.
" My humanity, you mean you will brand me with a mark like the High Ends?" Aiden asked, looking confused and oblivious of what Annahilator meant.
"No, don't compare me with the likes of Zephyron" Annahilator says with a cold sharp voice in a slight anger.
He continues " We'll merge, and have access to all my powers and mights, we'll become one"
By hearing this, Aiden seems delighted by the fact that he'll become a cosmic entity and at the same time terrified by the idea of merging with a cosmic entity of destruction.
"So how does this cost my humanity?" He asked silently.
" First, if all my powers emerge at once, you'll die, so we'll have to split the merging into different phases. Second, which you might have guessed, you'll be bonded with a paragon of destruction, we both know it'll be nearly impossible to have a normal life after that, " Annahilator explained.
"He is granting me all his powers, something that would literally put me above most gods, a cosmic level being, there is more to his propaganda, what could he possibly want" Aiden thought to himself, as he processed this deeply.
Then he voiced out by asking Annahilator directly "Why do you want to do this, obviously I'm at the biggest advantage here, cause I'll end up being the one Imin charge of the body"
Annahilator was silent for a moment—not the silence of someone cornered, but something far more sinister.
"Here's the catch," he said. "You've convinced me to give your world more time. Fine. I want to see if it's worth sparing. After I defeat Zephyron, if your world hasn't proven me wrong, I'll overload you with my power. In a nanosecond, you'll self-combust."
He continues "And then… the destruction of your world will proceed" Annahilator concluded with a terrifying end… leaving Aiden in a tensed state, nearly sweating.
" Now you see, you don't have access to my powers, for free… you won't become a cosmic entity… for nothing… it is at the cost of your world, your universe" Annahilator says, slowly, leaving fear in Aiden's heart.
He continues:
"While you fight and search for a way to stop Zephyron, you must also find a way to convince me that, when victory is won, I should spare your world. Because right now, I see no reason to do so. You stand in the dark, pleading for your world—at the cost of your own life."
"But if you succeed, there is no reason to destroy your world, we'll both pathways and your world will be spared, and you'll emerge as the hero of the new world" Annahilator concluded.
Fear crept across Aiden's shoulder, every single bone in his body shivers in fear. The power comes even at a greater cost than what the High End sacrifices.
Perhaps he must have been so dimwitted to think he could manipulate a cosmic entity into his own advantage. So it has come to this. But he has to give a response.
"I'm a writer not a warrior, on a grand scheme of things, there was nothing I could do to stop all this war, a writer is basically useless in a cosmic battle where even gods couldn't win, but now, the fate of the success of the such battle lies in a writer's hand… if my life is what it cost to emerge victorious, I guess it's it even up to what I expected" Aiden response was sharp and precise. It completely left Annahilator in silence for minutes.
"So you will take the offer, I guess you are not the spineless creature I expected " Annahilator responded coldly, a response devoid of emotions.
But without giving response to what Annahi said, he went straight to the point " So how do we begin"
" The phase one of the merging is the Mindscape pact"
He continues "The first merger is mental. My consciousness begins to weave with yours. We'll share thoughts, memories, your emotions. You will gain access to cosmic knowledge.
"Then you can now access a fraction of my power. But we're not fully merged. We'll be two voices in one mind. But in order for this to happen, you have to invite me into your mind, body and soul" He concluded.
Aiden now understood what Annahilator said, then he asked " The next phase? When will it commence"
"When this phase is fully completed, and mastered, you will know what it is about" Annahilator answered coldly.
"Then shall we begin" Aiden concluded.
"Very well, just clear your mind and I'll handle the rest" Annahilator responded.
Aiden closed his eyes, then Annahilator waited for a brief moment like he was waiting for something, the moment it seems he got what he was waiting for, he became a black tornado with lightning surging through it, it was like he was siphoning the storm in the desert.
———
Then Aiden wakes up, he opened his eyes abruptly as he eyes darted through every detail in the room, first he saw the a table filled with herbs, then a shelf filled with books, his eyes moved across a blurry figure beside his bed, but then moved back, then he saw Sera, sitting beside his bed, almost like she was wait for him to wake up.
Her expression was always unreadable, but this time, it was like one could tell that she just discovered something huge enough to knock the cold expression off her face.
" When we're you planning on telling us that you merged with the Annahilator?" Sera asked, silently and solemnly, almost effortless.
This brought a huge shock to Aiden, that he couldn't even find the right word at the moment other than to just keep staring at her in shock.
A/N Sup Guys, Thanks for reading it this far, this is the end of volume one's Arc, but I'd love it if you could support it with power stone and add it to your library. It'll really go a long way. Thank you so much. Volume 2 is coming sooner than you expect ! ! !