"Where…"
Willow sat up. His red cloak draped around him. The room was small, clean, and sterile. He had never seen anything so plain. A bed. A bowl of water. That was it, not a place made for people. Even the door looked odd.
Only a single red light pulsed above it.
He stumbled to his feet, then fell. He pushed himself up, his arms shaking. Never had he felt so weak. Even his eyesight was blurry.
"I was captured. The ring-!" Willow said getting up.
His hands flew into his pocket.
"No, no, no! It's gone! The ring is gone!"
His thoughts spiraled, too fast to catch. He reached for his magic. Burn everything.
Nothing.
He touched the collar around his neck. Cold. Smooth. Mechanical.
A nullifier.
His flames were gone. He was cut off from his fire. His anger flared.
"Where's Rhen's ring!" He yelled, banging on anything that resembled a door. "Where the fuck is it!"
/Inmate F173, prepare for interrogation. /
Willow flinched. The voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Willow backed away cautiously to the middle of the room.
/Do not resist. /
The door hissed open. Two armored figures entered, faces hidden beneath mirrored visors, movements precise.
"F173. Come with us." One warrior demanded his voice was like a ghost's echo.
"My name is Willow! Where is the ring?!" He shouted.
"We don't answer to other-worlders." The other warrior scoffed.
"I see you do!" Willow approached, fists clenched and stumbling forward.
"Inmate is resisting."
The warrior raised their arm.
A surge of electricity slammed through Willow's body. He hit the floor hard, twitching. The warriors cuffed him and dragged him out.
When Willow regained his vision, he was strapped to a table. The cuffs hummed with binding runes, sealing him not just physically, but spiritually. Just like the collar on his neck. Elves' bodies lived on magic. He felt it, mortality.
The room was plain. Clean. Too quiet.
Then someone entered.
A tall bald male human with dark skin. His brown eyes were cold and calculating. He wore a blue uniform trimmed with silver, and strange relics shimmered across his chest. Willow noticed his clothes did not fit his muscles.
As weak as Willow was, he snorted.
He reminds me of Rowan.
The man sat.
"My code name is Apex Nova." He said looking at a triangular object.
This is the same armored man I fought? He must have it.
Willow's anger flared.
"Where am I?" Willow said through clenched teeth. "Where's Rhenvar's ring?"
The man ignored the question.
"You are under arrest. I speak. You answer."
Willow's rage simmered, but he bit it down.
Apex's finger clicked something.
A bright green girl appeared like magic.
"You are charged with the crime of harboring forbidden world energy. Scans confirm you are a Class-Five World Harboring World Energy. A W.H.W.E., possibly above Titan level. We detected interference from Godlike forces during your capture."
Apex's eyes narrowed then asked.
"Are the Gods of dying worlds using people like you to collapse the multiverse?" His voice was cold, but an echo of sorrow followed with it.
Willow did not answer.
"I asked you-"
"Where's Rhenvar's ring?" Willow repeated, quieter this time but with more fire.
The green girl stared with the same expression as Apex.
"Your divine artifacts have been confiscated and are undergoing analysis."
"Give it back." Willow snapped.
"I can't do that."
Willow looked up. His eyes were wet.
"That ring means everything to me. Rhenvar means everything to me. I need it back. To protect him."
Apex was silent for a moment.
"You don't act like any Worldeater I've ever encountered."
"I didn't destroy my world on purpose…" Willow whispered.
Apex's brow rose.
"Then tell me, are the Gods assisting in the destruction of worlds?"
Willow was still silent.
"I ask," Apex said, leaning forward, "because not only did you possess divine artifacts, but one of your allies is… a fallen God. And one of your artifacts show creation signatures traced back to a known deity, one of which we want to protect."
Willow did not respond. His fists clenched. Again, he called for his fire. And again, he had no answer.
"Odd that you fixate on the ring," Apex added. "It is functionally useless. Shadow magic yes, but nothing more than a ring. However, the phoenix Goddess Embera. To receive such a gift from her… that should concern you more. The necklace is far more extraordinary, our scans confirmed it holds outstanding resurrection potential."
Willow blinked.
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me. Why would she gift a Worldeater like you- "
"I can bring my sister back?" Willow's voice cracked. He struggled against the restraints. "I can bring back Sylvia?"
Apex flinched.
"You destroyed your own world, didn't you? How can you hope to bring back someone already swallowed by your actions?"
Willow broke.
"I- we… we're working with Darkness. The Goddess of Shadow. We're not destroying worlds. We're saving them. We're gathering divine energy so we can bring my world- our world back!" His voice was shaking now. So were his hands.
Please let this be true… Sylvia…
Apex stared.
"You're trying to resurrect a world?"
Willow did not hear him. His chest heaved. His breathing ragged. Even the slightest emotion burned away what little energy he had.
Apex tapped a console.
"Athena, replay that portion. Begin a full mental scan."
/Your request is confirmed Apex, I'm on it! /
A screen lit up, replaying Willow's words alongside pulsing graphs and mental readouts.
Apex leaned back.
"You're not lying. Athena, keep monitoring." Apex now looks conflicted. Willow noticed. "You truly believe this is possible?"
"I do but… we don't really know for sure."
"Are there any other Worldeaters you know?"
"Yes…"
"Name them and details about them."
"Aucteros, he is a book mage. We believe he is using the power of a divine book to find and destroy Worldhearts. We are stopping him."
"Aucteros? Athena. Search files on Aucteros."
/Searching… searching…/
/Sorry. No name within our files. /
"So that is a dud. Are there others?"
Willow was silent.
"Look, you don't seem like a typical Worldeater. What can you tell me about Aucteros."
"He's the one who originally wanted to destroy my world." He said quietly. "I had chased him, to the Worldheart."
"Why?"
"Because he enslaved Rhenvar. Rhen, he's… my best friend. So, I cornered him. He told me he killed my sister." Willow's voice shrank. "So, in an act of rage, I cast my strongest spell."
"And in the crossfire the Worldheart was destroyed?"
"Yes… and I still feel guilty about it."
"Is there anyone else working with him?"
"The second prince Charles. He's from the romantic novel world we saved."
Apex was thinking.
"Rhenvar, is he also trying to achieve the restoration of your world?"
"He is."
"Is he also a Worldeater?"
Silence.
"No…"
/The elf is lying. /
"You should be truthful."
Willow looked away. "I'm not saying anything else about Rhenvar. He is helping us save worlds. That is all."
"So, two allied Worldeaters, a fallen goddess and an unknown Goddess of Shadow…" he leaned in. "I'll be straight with you; you will be punished for your crimes. Intent or not, you still destroyed a world and carry its life force. That makes you dangerous, even if it the power is dormant."
Apex shifted.
"Your artifacts will be locked away. For now, we will conclude this interrogation. Expect to be called on again for further questioning."
Apex got up and left.
Willow looked down. Then buried his face in his arms defeated.
I hope the others are alright.