Chapter 535 - Flames of Destruction (VI) (1/2)
CHAPTER 535
FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION (VI)
The vast cosmos spun around them, extending into vast nothingness, distant flickers of stars fading in and out of existence. The massive behemoth of a ship flew through the vast expanse speedily, its innards shielded from the countless cosmic storms they'd encountered by a thin, silver sheen.
Ella sat at the far front of the ship, looking out through the glassed front of the hull into the blended nothingness, her gaze heavy and turbid. She wore a simple, leather outfit dyed in dim silver, her long hair flooding down her slightly slumped back. Her surroundings were eerily unfamiliar, like sets of mechanical altars springing thousands of buttons, above them a swath of screens depicting a variety of numbers and images she couldn't understand, though she hardly cared to.
The doors to the massive room split open as two figures walked in, Cadel who she thought would be the only one accompanying her, and Limrur, the eight oldest Agent of Order. He was on the taller end of things, almost as pale as snow, featuring the same appearance as Ella and the man walking by his side – deep, azure eyes and the golden hair composed of winding locks. The two wore the same outfits as Ella, walking over briskly and sitting beside her, gazing out the window for a moment.
”We'll arrive in about fifteen days,” Limrur said, glancing at her, smiling faintly. ”Are you ready?”
”… hm.” Ella nodded faintly.
”If it's too much,” he said, caressing her hair gently. ”You can always stay in the back, Cadel and I can take care of it.”
”… no, it's my failure,” Ella sighed. ”I should at least meet it face to face.”
”You're doing the right thing,” Cadel said in an encouraging tone. ”Have faith in yourself.”
”If we fail, the entire structure of Creation would be ripped open; the vast cosmoses would be thrust in a perpetual war,” Limrur said. ”I am certain that the child does not possess those intentions, but his intentions are nothing against the Will of the Destroyer. You're saving him, Elanor; saving him from the pain of having begun something that would end so many lives.”
”… I know.” Ella mumbled faintly after a lengthy silence, dropping her head into her chest. ”Still…”
”… we know,” Limrur said, pulling her head up by her chin, revealing a pair of teary eyes. ”Your pain… we've all experienced it, little one. Shortly after I became an Agent,” he continued, taking a deep breath. ”I was planted on a world called Idor, chiefly set there to eat them inside out. Just like you, however, I was a blank slate, a worm biding his time. In the process, I conceived a family and developed friendsh.i.p.s. So, when the day of the Ashening came, and when I regained my memories, I dully refused to do anything. Rather, I was set to rebel against the Creator.”
”…”
”So, I granted powers to thousands upon thousands of people,” he said, his voice growing heavier. ”In hopes they'd use them to defend, to repel the invaders. Instead… they used those powers against themselves. They began concocting plans to invade other worlds, to expand, whilst committing acts beyond vile in front of my eyes. Unconditional power… cannot be handed at a whim. It corrupts, like the drip of the acid upon the skin. My transgression cost me my family; they imprisoned my wife and six of my children and blackmailed me into helping them. I spent decades limping about until Sister Albina was sent by the Creator to rescue me.”
”…”
”Creator never forbids us from making our own decisions,” Limrur said, glancing at her and smiling. ”Rather, He encourages us to think for ourselves, to make the best of our circ.u.mstances. He'd much rather the boy be saved than killed. But His care is for all of the vast Creation. Unlike us, who have narrow hearts and love few, He loves everyone. He can't watch the fire be set to Everything to save your broken heart.”
”… I know,” Ella said once again, sighing. ”However, Lino isn't driven by a sense of power. You don't have to reiterate it, Brother; yes, power corrupts, especially one on that scale. But, I am only saying this to warn you against relaxing – he is not driven by the sense of entitlement that comes with his power. He is driven by the same, general principle the Creator is, just on a much lesser scale. He fights to protect, rather than to Destroy. He's unscrupulous in his ability to deny everything if it means protecting. The reason he didn't give up the power is that he knows that being powerless would render him incapable of protecting anyone or anything, not that he hates being powerless. If anything, I think that, deep down, he'd not feel the need for strength than the other way around.”
”…” Limrur and Cadel listed in silence, looking sideways at her.
”My fear is that if we do push him to that edge, he might genuinely surrender to the madness you fear; in that case, I could see him abandoning everything and running away, biding his time.”
”We've obviously thought about that,” Limrur chuckled. ”He won't be able to run away.”
”… I sincerely hope…” Ella mumbled as she closed her eyes, memories once again trailing through her mind.
**