Re: Timeless Apocalypse

His mind dove deeper into the flow state he'd fallen into.

He couldn't help but remember his Tribulations.

The first had happened after Project Magia, and the second had happened to Samael, but back then he'd fought it for her.

He remembered asking himself, back then, why his path hadn't caused a tribulation while Samael's had.

But deeper than that, he remembered how the world's Will had felt to him on that day.

——

[The World's Will.]

[Uriel looked up, staring at the roaring skies. The Will high above was beyond his own, but compared to the agony the hounds and his Sin put him through during every waking moment of his existence, it felt hollow.]

[He continued observing the skies as more and more lightning gathered above, his resonant inspection flickering to life and reading the scene building around them.]

['Tribulation. So that's what it is.' He frowned. 'I didn't get any tribulation when I formed my path… so why does he?']

['Especially when he only has a Demi-God Path.']

[Through resonant dominance, Uriel had been able to see Samael's notifications and had even seen the strange new path tier he'd gained.]

[But that was irrelevant. The issue remained.]

[If a God Path didn't bring about a tribulation, then why did a Demi-God Path?]

['Is it a boon of my Pioneer status? Maybe since the Tutorial space is linked to Ithuril, it recognises me as its own as well.']

['It wouldn't make sense for Ithuril to punish me for becoming stronger.' He nodded to himself. 'But what's the tribulation even for?']

[His frown deepened.]

['What do paths do that enrages the Will of the World so much?']

[Uriel had no idea.]

[But he felt like it was primordial.]

[Many things were starting to come together; from his 'nill' moniker, to his broken scar, to his path, which he didn't understand yet, hadn't been acknowledged by, and was being corrupted.]

[He felt like if he understood that single truth, everything would finally make sense.]

['…']

[But he couldn't. It was as if a wall of endless darkness barred him from it. It was so close, yet so distant, so clear, yet so elusive.]

[Uriel took a breath, then sighed. 'The answer will come to me in due time.']

…

It was the same query.

Why?

'The Supreme Spirit and Heaven's Will.'

That was the missing piece.

That was the part of the world he couldn't see or understand yet.

And the moment he understood this…

'Forming a path angers Heaven's Will because…'

Control. It was always about control, was it not?

Resonance, Dissonance, and Harmony; they were all forms of control, and they were all rooted in Will, in the Spirit.

When he formed his own cores, he gained control. When he kept his True Core, he gained control. And when he formed a path…he gained independence.

'…because forming a path frees you from the Spirit's control.'

BOOOOM!

Uriel felt it with terrifying clarity.

His path shattered into bits and pieces.

His path, his class, his frames—it all burned to ash beneath the raging fury of his Will and his Pioneer Path's Spirit.

He gasped for air, as if he'd finally been freed, as if the chains placed upon him had finally broken and he was finally allowed to spread his wings wide.

WHOOOOOSH!

Uriel's mind unfurled like a blooming flower, his Will taking shape across the world in the hues of his soul, in shades of ivory, rose, and stark gold.

The roaring call of his Pioneer Spirit echoed, almost ringing with laughter, its joy evident as it was let free, as it was finally unleashed.

The shrill cry of his dying God Path echoed as well, torn to shreds, its corruption burned to ashes as his very existence was purified.

'And the reason my path didn't cause a tribulation, despite being a God Path, is because it didn't free me. My path was corrupted from the start.'

'My path… enslaved me to the Supreme Spirit.' A blinding golden glow enveloped Uriel. 'But the reason my rings caused a tribulation is because they laid the foundation to free me.'

And then his mind cycled back to his original question.

What purpose did his cores serve?

'My first three cores allow me to apply the arts of control onto worlds and the inanimate, while the last three allow me to apply the arts of control onto life itself, regardless of form.'

'And my True Core… bridges it all into one.'

Uriel's cores shook, and suddenly, from the depths of his Natal Layers, chains of ivory and gold surged forth—a pure manifestation of his Will—wrapping around each sphere and connecting them.

Chaos, order, neutral, heaven, hell, void—these words meant nothing. They stood as nothing but lies from the Spirit to muddle his path.

He simply had one True Core and six Branching Cores of control.

It was simple. As all things were meant to be.

KAH! KAH! KAH!

The jagged crimson lines on Uriel's left arm were swallowed by the unstoppable momentum of the sharp ivory runic lines of his Will.

His Sin was ruthlessly crushed and sealed within his arm as his illness, rooted in his body, fell short before Uriel's control and was sealed deep within him as well.

'…'

Everything felt… clear.

'But I'm not totally free yet.'

He was free of Heaven's schemes and had fixed the issue of his corruption, but there was still more to do. His Star Rings had laid the foundation, and now…

'I have to build upon that foundation and form a True Path, one of my own making, one that'll truly stand against its Will and become a beacon of my own.'

Countless thoughts swirled through Uriel's mind, a deep sense of euphoria rising from somewhere deep within him.

His memories flashed across his mind, and he began making connection after connection.

Words Thoryl had uttered long ago echoed in his mind.

—

[Uriel's gaze sharpened as he interrupted. "The Spirit of the Universe," he said slowly, "is that the Lady made of fire I met while choosing my pack?"]

[Silence.]

["…What?"]

[Thoryl's eyes widened. His skin rippled like disturbed water, his teeth lengthening on instinct.]

["You've met Mother?!"]

[WHOOOSH!]

[Thoryl's aura erupted outward, a tidal wave of pressure that slammed violently into Uriel, wrenching coughs from his chest.]

[Thoryl's pupils shook as he regained control, his power collapsing back into his body. With an apologetic expression, he waved a hand and healed Uriel.]

[But the coughing didn't stop.]

[It took dozens of minutes for it to finally subside, leaving behind a lingering itch clawing at his throat.]

["Apologies."]

[Wiping the blood from his chin, Uriel shook his head. "It's fine."]

["But yes, I did meet the Lady, I think. She was very kind, if that means anything to you."]

["Unfortunately, we didn't talk much."]

[Thoryl exhaled, then slicked his hair back. "I see."]

["The one you call the Lady of Fire is my mother, the Spirit of the Universe, what we call the Supreme Spirit. We, her children, are known as the World Sentinels."]

["But you can keep calling us Inhumans. Most of us prefer it. It's quite endearing."]

…

A wave of understanding drowned Uriel's mind.

'Thoryl isn't my enemy. His mother is. The Spirit.'

He sighed.

'Heaven… is my enemy.'