The desert had become a ruin of fire and stone, dunes burned into rivers of glass and void-scarred chasms stretching to the horizon. The air shook with every blow, dragon and Titan locked in a storm that felt like the breaking of worlds.
Koios fought with mounting desperation, void and earth swirling around him in relentless waves, stone towers rising only to be shattered beneath Mike's claws. Every bite tore more blood from him, and every drop that touched Mike's tongue only made the hatchling stronger, his scales burning brighter, his laughter cutting through the roar of war like madness made flesh.
Mike struck again, his jaws closing on the Titan's shoulder, tearing deep until bone cracked. Koios staggered, blood hissing as it struck the sand. His void surged once more but then faltered. His steps slowed.
And for the first time in an age, the Titan of the North… smiled.
Mike froze, fire dripping from his jaws, as Koios' laughter rumbled across the broken battlefield. It was not mocking, nor bitter. It was raw, unrestrained joy.
"So this," Koios said, voice low but clear, "this is what I had forgotten." His chest heaved, the wounds glowing like molten rivers across his body. His eyes locked on Mike's with something like respect. "That prison stole it from me, the clash, the test of strength, the joy of fighting until the world itself trembled."
His lips curled into a faint grin, teeth red with his own blood. "You have reminded me, young dragon. You have given me a death worthy of my name. For that… I thank you."
Mike's claws dug deeper into his chest, essence flaring. His eyes narrowed, caught between contempt and recognition. Koios met his gaze and nodded once, almost like a warrior saluting an equal.
"End it," he said.
And Mike did.
With a roar that split the horizon, he sank his teeth into Koios' throat, tearing through stone and flesh alike. The Titan's essence erupted outward, a tidal wave of void and earth that met Mike's crimson fire mid-air. The desert itself buckled, glass cracking into shards as the two forces collided.
Then Mike devoured.
Koios' roar of defiance turned into a final bellow of exhilaration before collapsing into silence. His body crumbled, stone breaking into dust, void unraveling like smoke into the night. What remained was consumed, torn into Mike's being, swallowed by his endless hunger.
When it was over, Mike stood alone amidst the ruin, wings spread wide, blood and fire dripping from his maw. His chest heaved, power boiling inside him, too much, more than his body could hold. His vision blurred, his scales pulsed with molten cracks of light.
And then everything went black.
The desert vanished. The heat of battle, the weight of blood, the ground beneath his claws, all gone.
Mike blinked into the void.
There was no floor, no sky. No air to breathe. No sound but the faint echo of his own heartbeat. The world was nothing but endless, oppressive black.
Alone.
His chest tightened. He reached out with a clawed hand, but there was nothing, no resistance, no edge, no horizon. Only emptiness.
"So, you've had rage, sadness, regrets, acceptance and now joy… Did you fully embrace the madness?" A familiar voice echoed in the darkness.
Mike turned and saw a figure walking towards him. As he approached, the figure became clearer. It was Mike. Looking at himself he asked calmly. "What bullshit is this now?"
"Bullshit? No. I am you, I am the part of your mind you abandoned during the trial. I'm the rationality you apparently don't need as you get crazier." The figure of himself replied with an agitated tone.
Before Mike could respond his doppleganger continued. "How fucked up do you have to become before you decide for yourself what you are?" Shaking its head and glaring at Mike. "So you completed a trial for a maniacal dragon who tells you to be the absolute, you let Kelsey become a plaything for a demented bitch goddess. Then let her kill the first friend you made after coming back." Clenching their fists the doppleganger shouted "You let everyone manipulate you and mold you into these different things. You can't control yourself and eat people. What are you doing?"
"Shut up." Mike gritted his teeth. "You're just another whisper."
"Wrong. You moron." The copy took another step towards Mike. "I am you. I am your trial to keep the titans power. I am the logic you pushed away eating creatures for hundreds of years and becoming feral before Debbie let you play with crayons and mumble words." The figure reached up and slapped Mike.
"WAKE THE FUCK UP! You control this power now. You decide how you want to be. Not a dragon, or djinn or any god. Pick a path. Stop being weak and caving everytime something bad happens. You saved Kelsey, mom and dad are safe. If someone threatens that then kill them. If you enjoy battle then fight. Stop with the emotional bullshit!"
Mike stood there stunned. His hands shaking. "You're just another whisper. Another temptation or way to make me do things I don't want. I want to fight. I want to follow Bahamut."
"There is no way I was this stupid. Ever. I'm not a whisper. Grow up. You're not a toddler following others for guidance. Speaking like a caveman, attacking things without any rational thought. Figure it out or you will lose it all and become a mindless beast." The doppleganger of Mike shook their head and disappeared.
His dad appeared in its place. "You used to take my advice son. I may not be real but I am a combination of memories in your mind. You may have lost the future of a normal life with Kelsey, but the man I raised isn't as mentally weak as you are. Stop shouting like a child and pick your path. I believe in you." The figure of his dad disappeared before he could say a word.
All the memories of his time in the military hospital, the refugee camp, Hecate possessing Kelsey, Hunters death to the villagers he killed, flashed in his mind. All the feelings flooded his mind like an avalanche. His hands shook as he heard his declaration to the gods, his conversation with Woden, blaming him for Hunter's death.
He felt the emotional ups and downs. He felt the madness from all the events that shaped him. He opened his eyes and unclenched his fists. His copy was in front of him again.
"Well, what will your path be? Will you follow your pledge to Hunter? What is your divine purpose? The fun of battles while eradicating the divine?"
Mike paused looking him in the eyes. Thinking about the words and what would be the best path. He felt his mind working in a way it hadn't in a long time. The darkness around him shook with vibrations as he weighed the questions from the doppleganger.