Kharon studied his hands while scanning the empty hall. He watched as Zack and Freya left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.
'The War of Gods is a lot simpler, yet more complicated than I thought. A battle for supremacy. Which God actually won the battle, and who fell during it? These questions can only be answered with me ascending further up. Once I become an angel, and then a demi-god, I will be able to find out. Whether it is through the Association, by asking an existing God, or by visiting the most dangerous zones... While they hold unknown horrors, they also hold countless secrets.'
Kharon clenched his fists as he whispered, "I should start preparing. My next performance must be better, more direct... The faster I ascend, the quicker I will be able to reach the answers I seek. A few hours of practice will definitely go a long way..."
...
A week had flown by in a flash and Kharon had hosted another grand performance. His audience had more than doubled and even people from Moonreach Commons had showed up. The hall had been jam-packed. As the performance ended, Kharon received another standing ovation as he bowed to his audience. He once again felt the familiar feeling from before as his aether reserves slightly expanded.
However it was far more significant than before. He felt slightly better after expending more aether than planned. As the audience slowly left the hall in waves, Kharon looked towards his companions as they smiled brightly at him. He reciprocated with a bright smile as he carefully got off the stage.
'It happened again... this feeling. I am still a tier 4 wielder and yet this is already happening... I need to find out why. Could it be because of 'Him'? But he is still somewhat dormant. Or could my nature as an angel be unravelling? Regardless of the reason, I can use this to my advantage. By having more people believe and trust me, I will become stronger. Maybe it can even help with my ascension directly...'
Walking up the clean, marble stairs Kharon looked back at the hall. Its bright, colourful glow made him smile melancholically as he turned off the lights. His shimmering clothes slowly dissipated as he stepped into the reception.
He ran his hand over the reception desk which Philip had personally built. The smooth, wooden surface felt cold to the touch. Stepping into the quiet street, he saw a few people walking by. They were still excitedly chatting about the performance with bright smiles.
A small smile crept onto his face as he looked up at the dark, starry sky. The rift hung like a tear in the cosmos, silent and watching. As he turned his head, he was suddenly met by a well dressed man in a suit. On his suit was an insignia with several stars floating above a wide tower. Kharon's hair stood on end as beads of sweat began to form on his face. Yet as they formed, they froze, then melted and dissipated.
'This man... is definitely a tier 3 wielder. His presence alone is suffocating... And he seems to be a wielder of darkness. I knew this would happen... the Association has taken notice of me. I had anticipated their arrival, but he caught me at the worse moment possible. They really do act quickly. I can still salvage this situation though.'
As Kharon stood frozen, his eyes glued to the stranger. But the man began to walk closer to him as he spoke in a cold, assertive tone.
"Hello, young man. I have a few questions for you if you don't mind. I promise it wouldn't take very long."
'He had questions... of course. But can he tell whether I am a wielder or not? The path of mysteries is great at masking a wielder's presence. Sure he will only think that I am a tier 5 wielder at most. As for what path...'
Moving almost mechanically, Kharon smiled slightly as he said, "Of course sir. I will try my best to answer any question you have."
The man smiled coldly as he asked, "Do you know the owner of this establishment?"
"Not personally. All I know is that he is a wielder of mysteries. He hosts a performance of sorts to showcase his abilities. He says his powers came from a forgotten God."
"What exactly are his abilities? Can you name anything specific?"
Kharon scratched his head as he answered, "Sadly not sir. He doesn't name his abilities. All he does is utilise them to do really amazing things. Maybe you should attend one of his shows! There is one every Sunday. He provides food and refreshments, and helps the community, unlike some others."
As Kharon continued, the man seemed to grow tired of his rambling as he raised his hand. His indifferent eyes seemed to pry into Kharon's soul as he felt himself shivering. The surrounding air frozen over as the man sighed. In the next second, the air returned to normal as Kharon sighed in relief.
"Do you know where I can find this man? It is imperative that I talk to him. If you can help me locate him, you will be compensated. Name your price."
"My price...? Well, if you want me to tell you his location. Then tell the Association to properly take care of their people. Better job opportunities, equal treatment of people, improving the living standards of the poor. That is the price to pay for any information."
The man's eyes turned purple as he grabbed Kharon by the neck. His indifferent expression had shifted to one of pure rage as Kharon felt his body slowly shutting down. He tried escaping from the man's grasp, but failed as he struggled to breathe. His whole life flashed before his eyes as unfamiliar memories revealed themselves.
'Am I really going to die now...? There is no way my life gets ended by a mere tier 3 wielder. I fought in battles of unimaginable scales, I have defended tier 3 and tier 2 essence beasts with a flick of my finger! I will not yield to this man. Even if I have to destroy all my plans... I will not-'
A cold, familiar sensation came over Kharon as he saw himself. He was looking from within his head, his body being suffocated. But suddenly, his hand wrapped around the man's neck as a violent surge of aether was released. He heard his own voice uttering the words.
"You are still too weak."
The man in the suit looked on in fear as Kharon's body choked him. He began to suffocate as Kharon's body whispered a few words. The man became limp as Kharon dropped him onto the floor. Blood welled up in his throat as he threw up. He felt himself swaying as his mind began to go blank. But as this happened, a surge of aether more powerful than anything Kharon had ever felt was released from his body.
The surge travelled all across Lunaris Haven as Kharon felt his body breaking down. Symbols, impossibly intricate, burst from his body and spiraled into convergence. He heard voices shouting. He was picked up as muffled sounds travelled through his ruptured eardrums.
'How did- What just... I don't even know. Did I speak to myself? Is my body being taken over...?'
Kharon's body went completely numb as he lost consciousness.
...
Kharon woke up in a field filled with flowers. The blue sky was filled with white, fluffy clouds. They floated peacefully across the vast expansions of blue. A cool breeze flew over him as he looked around perplexed. As he walked across the green, swaying grass and sweet smelling flowers, he heard something. A pleasant, melodious voice which seemed to shift the world.
He turned around as he saw a man with long, blonde hair. It was tied into a single braid. The tall man walked towards Kharon with a blurry, wide smile. His deep, blue eyes resembled the sky as he looked into Kharon's grey eyes.
'What is happening?! And why does this man look a lot like-'
The scenery shifted as the man vanished. The sky was ripped apart as Kharon watched it fall. Only an immense, dark void was left. From it came unspeakable horrors. Their sheer presence warped and torn reality even further. The sound they produced made Kharon tremble as he looked away. His covered his ears as he ran away.
He could sense them following him as he ran even faster. His legs got warmer as he sprinted through the unknown. As he continued, he felt himself go beyond what he thought. He began running faster than even light as his body slowly broke down. Only stardust remained, erased by the void's hunger.
Kharon felt himself falling. He was plummeting through space-time as he saw different worlds and dimensions. Each one contained even more worlds and dimensions. Space and time were warped as each smaller dimension had different rules.
Kharon's mind began to unravel as he saw himself. He was silently floating beside himself, his dark wings rhythmically flapping.
"You failed...?"