The final step of totally destroying the descent of the god's domain and acquiring information and evidence for the Erith Order is to Start the war, any additional step is just the aftermath.
El retrieved his hand and touched the forehead of the man.
"Your name is Ciel, the mysterious man," he declared. A faint mark of shifting, formless sigils appeared on his forehead, etched as if by unseen hands, proclaiming El's ownership and dominion.
"Twenty-eight days has begun to pass. Let us ensure they are used wisely," he said, his voice steady, cold, and absolute.
"Come," he commanded, gesturing toward Silence. At once, it dissolved into nothingness, swallowed by the void beneath El's feet.
Ciel turned, moving in the opposite direction. The corpse of the dead man was gone. With a measured calm, he approached the throne and seated himself, radiating authority. In that moment, he ascended, his presence intertwining with the essence of the mysterious man, becoming something far greater and more terrible than either of them had been before.
Following that, El withered away like dust, leaving the flowery white room in silence.
| … |
The space was neither entirely black nor entirely white, but a trembling, shifting void of contrast that seemed to breathe. The floor was drenched in mist, thick and viscous, crawling across the space like a slow, sentient tide, curling into tendrils that reached and recoiled as though aware of every movement. The very air was soaked in it, merging with the mist until space and atmosphere became one, a living, whispering entity that pulsed with silent intent.
At the centre sat a lone seat, unnervingly still amidst the restless expanse. On it rested a figure swathed in a deep white shroud, a gown patterned with delicate, unnatural flowers cascading down as if grown rather than sewn. The man radiated a presence that was both serene and alien, as though he existed simultaneously in this world and in some uncharted dimension beyond reality's edge. Shadows of the mist seemed to cling to him, bending and writhing in reverence or fear, and the space itself hummed faintly, acknowledging his dominion.
At once, a guard dressed in white robes appeared before the man in silence. He knelt before him in full reverence, one knee struck the floor, the mist moving formlessly around it, while his other knee stood upright, and his left hand rested upon it. A grey spear struck the floor beside him as he lowered his head in reverence and began to speak, his voice echoing through the space:
"Mysterious one, purest ghost of the three mystified ones. Drenched in the horror of consequence and the revelation of righteousness. I bow before thee, as if I stand before a being."
The mysterious one tilted his head slightly, signalling the guard to continue.
The guard raised his head as he saw the mysterious one's approval and continued.
"As you know, we planted a spy in the Black castle to monitor its movements and acquire information from them, potentially secrets.
Today, the spy we planted reported something unsettling.
During the assembly, an apostle appeared. Not just any apostle but the Apostle of the Gods, the Son of The Most High One.
The mysterious man inclined his head forward in curiosity. The guard continued.
"The Apostle said he received a revelation and prophesised a war that will happen in twenty-eight days from now. A war between the White Castle and the Black Castle-"
"Kukuk" The mysterious man giggled faintly before bursting out in laughter that devoured the silence between them.
"An Apostle?"
"A war?"
"A revelation?"
"All of those do not matter; they will crumble and fall! Does the Black Castle think they can win against us just because they have the Apostle of the Gods?"
The mysterious man's voice echoed across the space like the trembling cries of a glorious God. His benevolent voice thundered like the weight of the world itself.
The guard shuddered under the weight of his voice. He lowered his head even further, afraid to lift his gaze onto the mysterious one before him.
The mysterious one calmed down and rose from his throne, walking toward the guard.
"Assemble the army and gather the ritualists at once. We will give them their appropriate time to prepare under their apostle. Once it is over, we will attack," he said, before disappearing into nothingness, leaving the guard in silence.