70 Chaos Realm (1/2)
Will
”How am I staring at myself right now?” Will said as he looked down at his evil doppelganger. Truth be told, as he looked at the evil Will below, he felt something was off.
Even though he had just seen the genocide of thousands of people, he still couldn't believe the man below was responsible. In the dull light of the moon, he saw a glimpse of red and gold from the other Will's clothing. He noticed the colors of the king of Ebonhart. The colors he had not once worn. ”How can he be so different?” Will muttered to himself.
”I told you once before William,” Ragnos said in a hushed tone, shocking Will as he was reminded that he was not alone. ”You are an abnormality. One who was not born into power, where all others were. I have been waiting for you.”
”I thought you just meant out of my bloodline.” Will said as he remembered the God's words from when his training began.
”I meant in the whole of reality.” Ragnos looked down at the drained old man that was chained to the throne. ”Countless times I have become chained to that throne by you.” His fist clenched. Will could see crimson droplets forming from it.
”I have tried to train you many times before. You turned power hungry, living a life seeking only power. You led an entire world with an iron grip many times over.” Will could feel Ragnos's anger rising.
”In all realities, you controlled every element by forcing them from me. Once you took the power, you fashioned a vessel in which you resurrected me from the bloodline.” Ragnos pointed at the old man. ”Each time, I became a battery for you to recharge from.”
Will was confused. He couldn't imagine a world in which he could turn so evil. ”There must be some sort of mistake.” He said to himself. ”I would never do these things.”
”True.” Ragnos smiled slightly as he tore his gaze from below. ”You were born into a chaos realm. A mirror world which was formed upon the possibility of you not rising into power.”
”I don't understand.” It was too much for Will to think on. The fact that he was an abnormality seemed to be lost on him.
”You have heard the phrase butterfly effect before, correct?”
Will nodded. ”I guess I read a few books on the subject.” He said honestly.
”Imagine you were born and raised in Ebonhart. That you were a spoiled rich child, all you knew was that you could have whatever you wanted.” Ragnos looked at Will as they hovered in the air. ”Now imagine that you grew up knowing your aura as if it were an extension of your body.”
”I don't think I could imagine that if I tried.” Will said as he thought back to the struggles he had endured while learning to control his gift. He remembered how it was out of desperation that he stumbled across it within the desert. He remembered the righteous anger which erupted from him upon seeing Maya mistreated. He remembered every trial up to that very moment.
”Exactly.” Ragnos said simply. ”It's because of this exact path in life you have been thrust into that you are the way you are.”
”In other realities, you are mostly born and raised into royalty. You have a talent for the aura in a way no others can fathom. Since you were born into it, you had a thirst for power that could never be quenched.” Ragnos said through clenched teeth. ”You needed not for friends, only training. You would hide away in your studies, practicing the different elements you wrestled away from me. That down there,” he pointed his finger to the evil Will. ”That is the result.”
”If what you say is true, there should be other realities in which I wasn't born into royalty.” Will argued. ”If every path of my life leads to a different reality, there should be some in which I wasn't born into power.”
Ragnos nodded his head. ”There are a few realms in which you were born into poverty.” He said, but his scowl deepened. ”It didn't matter, your talent had always corrupted you.”
”How am I different?” Will was starting to lose patience. He just saw his evil twin suck the lives of thousands of people out of their bodies. ”How am I not him?”
”You were born into power, but raised in a powerless world.” Ragnos smiled. ”Coming to Crystallia at a later age has taught you humility. The books you read and the lessons you've learned on earth curve your hunger for power.”
Will could see the platform start to tip. The thousands of empty vessels were dropping to the ground below. He could see a halo of power in the distance. Cries could be heard even at such a distance, Will could tell what was happening. ”Again?”
Ragnos nodded. ”This realm's William Rangnos with devour the aura of all life in the universe to power a teleport.”
”Where would he go? What would take this much power to accomplish?” Will questioned Ragnos.
”He will head to our reality next.” Ragnos looked down in disdain. ”I will be the next Ragnos at the foot of the throne.” His eyes glazed over as he thought of the horrors he knew were coming.
Snapping out of it, Ragnos looked at the youby Will with appreciation. ”The first time you used your aura, I knew you would be the counter to this.” He pointed at the halo of people. ”You made me proud by using your aura to help Maya, which is why I helped you resurrect her.” He waved his hand and they were once again at the gates of Ebonhart.
Barely registering the change of scenery, Will stared at Ragnos. ”You helped her?”
The god nodded his head as he looked at the young man. ”Watching you grow, I saw compassion. When you were transported to Crystallia, I witnessed true resolve, I saw your unshakable sense of justice, and I knew that you needed her.”
Will thought of Maya again as he had every day since he started his training with Ragnos. ”I made her a promise you know.” He thought back to when he told Maya about his world. He remembered the promise of a normal date that he made with her. All thoughts of his evil doppelganger fell from his mind.
Ragnos let out a loud echoing laugh. ”I just showed you a realm in which you are an evil ruler, bent on getting here and your only thought is of a date?” He couldn't contain himself as his laughter bellowed throughout the land. ”Surely I made the right choice.”