Chapter 289: Destroy the Trial
Standing over the dead body of an Angel, the youngest one felt a wave of relief, but even then he wanted to keep going and shatter everything that he saw.
"Hey"
A voice suddenly called to the youngest one from inside, it was Aren, he stood there with a calm look, yet completely resolute.
"It’s time for you to step down," Aren said, his tone was calm and assuring.
"No, step back," the youngest one said in anger, he looked at Aren right in the eye, not willing to get off his seat for Aren at all.
Aren looked at the youngest one, he took a deep breath and then spoke.
"I’m sorry for what you went through, I really am," Aren said and began approaching the youngest one.
"The gods and the angels, they have all put us through a lot and your rage is valid, but this isn’t the right way to do it," Aren said.
"And what is?" the youngest one asked while seething in anger.
"A calm way, a way that would shatter them all at the end of everything, a plan that will ensure that everyone that has hurt us will suffer, starting with Loki and then all the gods, each and every one of them," Aren promised.
The youngest one looked at Aren, there was uncertainty in his eyes, yet a part of him wanted to give Aren the reins.
"You have had the throne for so long, yet you have been unable to do anything, every time on repeat our minds are wiped and we are forced to live fake lives," the youngest one said.
"But you made the decision to wipe our minds consistently," Aren said.
"Yes I did, I couldn’t live with the memories that we had, I didn’t know that she used me, and that after the first memory was wiped, it was not really a wipe but rather a severing of connection in my mind, creating a different version of me that would take over while I stayed and kept the memories in the shadow mind."
The youngest seethed with anger as he spoke, his tone getting heavier with every passing moment, he looked up in rage, only to see Aren standing right in front of him, Aren stretched out his hands and placed them on the youngest one’s shoulder.
"I know what you went through, and I’ll be fixing it now."
The youngest one looked at Aren, his gaze slowly went soft.
"You promise?" he asked.
"Yes I do, no matter what happens, at the end of the day you’ll be happy with what I do," Aren promised.
The youngest one finally allowed Aren to take the reins of the body again, stepping back after killing an angel.
Aren returned back to control, and the moment that he did, he hurled, vomiting onto the ground, a mix of blood and more, his hands pressed against the ground as he struggled.
He wheezed heavily with bloodshot eyes, the youngest one had used this body in ways that Aren was never supposed to, at least not yet.
He collapsed to the ground beside his own vomit, his eyes closed for a bit to rest.
"Shit, that kid misused my freaking body," he muttered under his breath.
After a few minutes, Aren finally rose to his feet, he looked up at the mountain ahead.
"The system has not said anything about what’s happening, meaning the gods and angels don’t plan to stop this as well, the only way to leave is by killing the fallen angel.
Tch, I’m not doing that, I’d rather shatter everything that’s in place, I’ll make sure Elton comes to me first and that’s where the whole plan starts."
After hatching a simple plan, Aren used consume on the angel and then rushed to the mountain on a wyvern.
"Everyone is hurt because of me, I have to get there and save them. I’m sorry everyone for the trouble that I’ve put you through, you don’t have to worry, after this, I’ll never put you in harm’s way, I’ll make sure that none of this will be able to touch you."
Aren made it to the mountain and flew down fast, he saw Flo barely keeping them alive, the scene caused Aren’s heart to falter, but he gritted his teeth and flew down, landing beside Flo.
She looked at Aren, she didn’t need to be told, she could tell Aren was the real one.
"How are they holding up?" Aren asked eagerly, but his face didn’t show too much emotion.
"They are doing bad, master, very," Flo said, already panicking and worried.
"I’ll take them into the shadow space, that way I can control everything and ensure that they survive."
He stretched his hands over them and they all vanished, appearing inside the shadow space. Aren wasted no time, he used his power there to heal them completely, each of them woke up within a few seconds.
Their eyes flickered open and they all looked at Aren.
"What’s going on here?" Kira asked, looking around the void.
"We were attacked by some angel, how did we end up here?" Elena asked.
"Listen, you were all wounded extremely badly, close to death, there was no other way but for me to bring you here to the shadow void," Aren declared.
"What exactly is this place, Aren?" Aiden asked.
"It’s the shadow void, my subspace, a place where I am completely god and in control, if I had left you all outside, you would have died, so I had to bring you here.
If you leave even for a moment, your injuries will return and you will all die, so until I am done with destroying the trial and getting us home, you’ll all have to stay here," Aren said.
"Wait, destroying the trial?" Kira asked, wondering what Aren could be talking about right now.
"I’m ending everything, this trial and all, I’m tired of the control and being in a cage, I’m going to set us free from everything," Aren said.
Everyone looked at him, and they could tell from his face that he wasn’t joking.
"Aren, that’s impossible, you want to go against the angels," Elena warned.
Aren looked at her and then spoke, "I’ve already killed one, and now I’ll go on to kill the rest," Aren said, he looked at their eyes and understood they wanted to stop him.
"I have to do what I have to do, when I’m done I’ll find a way to heal you all, for now, stay here, whatever you need I’ll help create, it should sustain you as long as I have shadow energy.
You must all understand me and know that I’m about to do something that you might not agree with."
After saying that, the group had a lot to say to Aren, but he didn’t stick around, he instantly vanished from there, leaving them inside the shadow void.
When he appeared outside, only Flo was now with him, he looked up at the top of the central pillar, then latched onto it with a shadow tendril, pulling himself back to the top, the sealed angel was still there.
The plan had been to kill the angel, but now that was different, Aren planned to use her and destroy the trial, but the first step was releasing her.
He walked toward her and pulled out his dagger, slashing right for the chains, the attack ripped space and destroyed the chains instantly, freeing her from her shackles.
She fell to the ground, but managed to use both hands to stop herself, and then she looked up slowly, her eyes meeting with that of Aren, he looked at her with no particular emotion on his face.
"Hello," he said directly. "I’m sure you are wondering why a human has released you rather than plunge a dagger through your chest."
She tried to speak but all that left her throat were rasps, as though she had not had any liquid for years, and that was the case indeed.
"You don’t have to talk yet, just know I am against the gods and angels the same way you are and I need your help to take all of them down and to end this trial."
When she heard that, her eyes seemed to light up instantly, she pressed her hands against the ground and pushed herself up, eager to get to her feet, she looked Aren eye to eye.
"You want to kill the gods?" she muttered through the rasp.
"Yes I want to," Aren replied.
"They are watching you, even now as you say it," she stated, pulling his mind to the fact that the gods would be watching the entire thing.
"I know, there is no other way, it is something that I must do now, and I need your help in doing it, you hate them as much as I do, so rather than killing you to complete a stupid trial, I want to work with you."