EPISODE 209: PRELUDE TO MADNESS

— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR: 7292. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.

"What is Potential ?"

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He laughed.

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A joyous, spontaneous thing that erupted as the ten [Realm Guards] and Minerva surrounded him—different than the destitute, unfeeling laugh he began with.

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He laughed .

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Rasheed, [Final Dragon]… [End of Adventure] laughed —a sound that made many of the [Realm Guards] flinch. Each of them shifted, their bodies entering a battle mode as their respective elements became active.

That was a sound they never heard the Aspect of Knowledge make. Not in ten thousand years… not since the fall of [Realm Lord] Elrunian—not since the death of Uterra, his wife.

"Oh… Potential… oh… Sol… … … … …what a lovely thing you are."

His voice was sultry, like he was caressing a lover in their most intimate moment. It felt like something that should remain private to Minerva, and she, alongside the [Realm Guards], shouldn't be present to hear such an intimate thing.

A thrum was in the air, a long resounding hum that vibrated the very mountain they were in the depths of. It came from deep within the mountain, at its center a large, oval egg thrice as large as the Aspect of Knowledge. The air swirled, the ground trembled, and moisture grew concentrated as the Ten Elements gathered around themselves, concentrating behind their respective [Realm Guard]. All that could be seen for Spatium the [Realm Guard] created from Space was a slight haze, similar to a mirage behind him. His twin, Tempus, showed nothing but the ground around her quickly decayed—a barrier around 5 meters in diameter protected her from any intrusions.

Rasheed faced his creation; he faced the large open oval egg. He reached out a hand and gently caressed it, and his body immediately withered from his touch. If one looked closely at the egg's bottom, red liquid was constantly bubbling to the surface but just as quickly being absorbed.

Rasheed didn't care about the withering. Instead, he shot out a clawed hand, and the five eggs placed on raised platforms floated over.

"Rasheed, friend…, we ask that you halt now. Do us this favor… just this once," Ignis's solemn voice said as they watched his actions. Even as he spoke, the fire around him grew concentrated, yet his words didn't seem to reach the Aspect of Knowledge. "The Realm will rapidly deteriorate without you present to safeguard a piece of the Foundation. Your death will cause the collapse of all God Ashaka and the rest sacrificed to save what little has been left of a long legacy."

Rasheed paused, slowly removing his hand from the egg. He turned and sneered, "What do you know of Ashaka? What do you know of the Foundation? That bastard Carno was meant to patch holes, but instead, he threw a petty tantrum, touching the remnants of Old Laws he shouldn't have. I would have had my children long ago—or better yet, Ashaka should have allowed me to join them should they not have wanted me to bring back my kin."

The Aspect of Knowledge's eyes burned with hatred and desire, and a tinge of something else aligned itself on the edge of his irises. Minerva found herself confused, lost at the conversation taking place. She spoke, doing her best to defuse the situation. "Stop this Rasheed; we don't know the consequences if you change G.E.N.E.S.I.S from its original intentions."

Rasheed smirked, aged yellow eyes landing on Minerva. "Ohhhh, Minerva. What a beautiful thing you constitute," he spoke, gazing at her but not truly seeing her. "When the realm was still whole and prospering under the guidance of our Lord, I was but a young, hopeful dragon—fighting for a chance to be selected to become the newest Aspect of a long list of Laws. I met her then—at the Imperial Commandment Tribunal —both young dragons looking for more in life than hoarding wealth and wenches—not like our fathers or their kin."

' Minerva ,' a joyous voice spoke—one that Minerva hadn't heard for so long, that she believed it to be an illusion.

"Uterra was the most beautiful dragon I ever laid eyes upon, and I was no match for her as an Aspect Prospect, yet I was chosen to be the next Aspect of Knowledge solely for that reason. She was disappointed but still held a bright future as the next Matriarch of the Blue Reach—I proposed to her then, right after I was selected—oh, she did not like that," Rasheed chuckled to himself, reaching a hand out again to touch the oval egg.

' …Lawruthian… ,' Minerva's hesitant, unsure, and questioning voice responded. She felt like she had imagined it but voiced her response just in case she hadn't. 'Oh, no… not right now…,' she thought.

Boisterous laughter came as a response. A laughter that seemed able to wash away all worries and break the sense of hopelessness Minerva hadn't noticed creeping upon her.

'It's me. I've missed you.'

Minerva could sense the hesitation in his voice. He wanted to say more, but instead, those were the only words that emerged.

"It took nearly three centuries of courtship for Uterra to finally accept me and nearly another three for us to consider children and starting a family," the Aspect's voice was warm, nearly as if he was still in the moment and not surrounded by ten hostile [Realm Guards]. "I still recall the day she told me she produced eggs—her shy and bashful smile, but the eagerness and desire in her eyes."

Rasheed's warm eyes and presence faded; his body continued to wither, but he didn't seem to notice nor care. "It was the same day my world came to an end."

'You need to leave Lawruthian! NOW ,' Minerva shouted the end, her panic nearly palpable. She knew her words would be useless but still said them anyway. The aura of the Aspect was sticky, like a miasma that attempted to worm itself into everything around it. He was sick, very sick, but somehow, Minerva hadn't noticed until now.

Rasheed turned his gaze to Minerva as if sensing that panic. "That's exactly what I felt that day." The atmosphere shifted once again. This time, Rasheed's body expanded, its once withered state reversed, yet he still held onto the egg. It wasn't that it stopped draining him, only that the Aspect released some type of seal on his body. "Allow me to give you one final teaching moment, Minerva. It is the least I can do for your help—you've opened my mind to a new realm of knowledge, and for that, I will forever be grateful. Thus, allow me to do the same for you."

'You know I won't do that Minerva… not after just reconnecting with you. Tell me what's going on so we can be as prepared as possible,' Lawruthian responded. His voice was strong, and that strength was what Minerva needed to hear, even if she didn't acknowledge it.

"What… is… Potential ," the Aspect repeated. "It is the Soul—the Sol, the same Sol of Ashaka that burns brightly in the sky, providing light and nutrients for the Saphens and other beasts to live. It holds two major parts, an inner and outer core." Rasheed sharply stabbed a hand into his chest, red blood flowing down to the ground. Before it could pile up, it was quickly absorbed by G.E.N.E.S.I.S.

When he pulled it out, there was no beating heart in his hand. Nor was there some sort of organ or any other object. What Minerva saw was a bright, circular object. It seemed to have a world within it, including a sun and moon and stars that lit the night sky. A vast, flat, planar world was displayed, and within dragons roamed the land—blues… greens… reds… and more. All different types of dragons roamed. Some flew through the air, as free as the sky would let them be. Others dug underneath the ground, the earth shaking from their mighty claws. They seemed to live in peace, but Minerva frowned as the orb trembled in Rasheeds hands. A calm and silent storm descended, eradicating all within its path. The Aspect smiled at the sight.

" Sol ," the Aspect whispered. "Is a consolidation of your attributes and more. Its definition in the Akashic Records is: Everything you are, have been, and shall become."

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Everything you are, have been, and shall become.

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Everything you are, have been, and shall become.

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Everything you are, have been, and shall become.

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The words repeated thrice through Minerva's head. Thrice said for their importance as something seemed to click in her.

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The Aspect continued to teach.

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"When God Ashaka, my friend, sacrificed himself, and the rest followed. This shattered fragment of a greater whole was barely in a state of habitability. Ashaka froze the Saphens, protecting them and preventing them from dying as the flames of Oblivion burned this place into nothingness. In those moments, we remaining survivors conducted research and a spell to understand our state and that of the outside world, not realizing then the peril coming our way as Limbo approached."

Minerva kept her silence, her thoughts racing as she tried to think of a way to convince Lawruthian to leave. And, the single decision she came to… was that it was an impossible task—not without her by his side.

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That was the kind of man he was.

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Vita, the Realm Guard governing over Life, cast a meaningful glance at Ignis—a gaze that said far more than any words could. The living flames of a star let out a silent sigh, and the world changed.

" No, it did not ."

Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Space, Time, Light, Dark, Life, Death—the elements that erupted from their respective [Realm Guards] were halted in place, then, like time was reversing, they reconsolidated around their Realm Guards, taking the previous state they once were.

Rasheed continued with his lesson, and Minerva wondered if what she had just seen was an illusion. Yet she didn't get the chance to ponder it as the Aspect continued his teachings.

"When we realized it, it was far too late, but Ashaka saw a method for the final descendants of Genesis to survive—they were built to be the ultimate form of adaptation after all," Rasheed smirked, then laughed—his gaze landed on Minerva once he finished. "You weren't too far off the mark when you named the spell G.E.N.E.S.I.S.; should you have existed during the time of our Realm Lord, you may have caught his eye and become one of His researchers. I digress; allow me to return to the subject matter. Ashaka, Folkrun, Jaa'ja, Molten, and Daahk understood their time was limited and chose to go with Ashaka's plan—only I was left out from their true intentions. The sky you see is false, a shield built by the last of the Old Gods to keep the flames of Oblivion from consuming this spark of Elrunian as we fell into Limbyatic Space. The ground is the body of Titans, the rivers their lifeblood—coating the decayed remnants of the realm—daily providing the nutrients you consume. The sky is the skin of Gods—grafted before the flames of Oblivion, around the Astral Above and Underneath Below, with the most protection here in the Mortal Realm—a canvas upon which you look up and know that there is a vastness outside the world. It is all false—a fakeness constructed to give the Saphens hope of a better future, a brighter tomorrow."

Rasheed's voice grew sad, and his gaze strayed from Minerva's. "That brighter tomorrow is fake. The sky burns, the New Gods remain indecisive and have lost the chance to open the door, now only Saphens can play their game. Aha-ha-ha-ha, what a wonderful world. If Ashaka, Folkrun, Jaa'ja, Molten, and Daahk can know the pleasure of death. Then, why can't I? "

Vita, the Realm Guard governing over Life, cast a meaningful glance at Ignis—a gaze that said far more than any words could. The living flames of a star let out a silent sigh, and the world changed.

" No, it did not ."

This time, Minerva was certain of what she saw, and it scared her. It scared her beyond what she could comprehend. A notification confirmed her fear as if mocking her, letting her know her mind had taken on an irregular, abnormal amount of {Fear}.

Status Effect: Fear — Legendary

Function:

Reduces mental concentration, causing the target to fall into a state of inaction. Reduce Attributes by 10% per second that this state is active. Increase the chances of multiple debuffs activating. Physical or mental attacks by the target that caused the state of {Fear} is increased by 10% per second.

Description:

A primal emotion that locks the joints, weakens the thoughts, and pounds the heart. Let it consume you!

Rasheed's yellowed irises refocused on Minerva, who could do nothing but tremble. She didn't understand what she believed to be the limits of an Aspect's power. She didn't understand, and like any intelligent being that doesn't understand something, something they find irregular, abnormal… they become fearful . Like human children afraid of the dark… like human adults afraid of their deepest secrets coming to light. Rasheed inhaled, a long, deep breath. His inhale seemed to take her strength, with every passing moment forcing her down.

"You {Fear} me now?" He shook his head as if exasperated at the thought. "Not when you first met me, not during your main body's escape… only now? Oh, Saphens, no wonder the Lord created you as His ultimate scourge—His ultimate weapon. No wonder the Cu-#&%4#(&^ saw him as a threat and targeted us."

Ignis noticed Minerva's abnormal state, and a frown appeared deep within his flames. "Minerva, leave here now. This place will soon not be safe for you."

Minerva only trembled. Her wings wouldn't open, and her talons couldn't move. Her eyes stayed fixated on the Aspect of Knowledge as his yellowed eyes aligned on her. She was caught like prey in the playful gaze of a predator.

"My lesson is not finished. You will listen to the end." Rasheed waved his free hand, forgetting the brightly glowing orb—Sol within it. The trembling space settled somewhat from his action. He turned to the Realm Guards a smile on his face. "Enough?"

The living golems glanced at one another, silent communications taking place.

"-rsing time," Minerva mustered everything she had to speak, fighting against the {Fear} she felt. She used the positive emotions radiated by Lawruthian as a crutch, heavily leaning on it to clear up her mind.

"He's reversing time, every time you act, he's reversing time," Minerva finally burst out, flapping strongly to create distance between herself and ground zero as her {Fear} broke.

Vita, the Realm Guard governing over Life, cast a meaningful glance at Ignis—a gaze that said far more than any words could. The living flames of a star let out a silent sigh, and the world changed.

" No, it did not ."

The Aspect of Knowledge shook his head. His brows furrowed as he turned a weary gaze to Minerva. "That is not time reversal. Tempus would have detected it and stopped me. What I did was an application of manipulation, altering a timeline before it could happen. You see, just because [Knowledge], whether written or not, disappears from the Mortal Realm doesn't mean it disappears from here," the Aspect of Knowledge pointed at his forehead.

"That ability, I'm afraid, is no age-old spell from a time lost," Rasheed smiled. Large, sharp incisors like that of a shark displayed themselves. "Did you believe you were the only Perk on Genesis? It may be a common and rare thing as we've lost our connection to the Outer Realm, but I'm from a time before."

Minerva swallowed. The [Realm Guards] had returned to their previous state like nothing occurred, as if they had just arrived moments before and were still in the process of deciding whether to act or not. She quickly realized that whether she warned them or not didn't matter; Rasheed could just reverse whatever he was doing. She sensed no strain from him, not yet, and he'd used the power thrice already. She recalled what she knew of perks, which is what Lawruthian knew of perks as he was the only one between them who had a chance to interact with multiple.

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Perks were cheats.

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That's what he believed, and that was the general conclusion Minerva also came to quickly believe—especially after the application of what she just saw. She couldn't tell the [Realm Guards]… but she could tell Lawruthian.

'Aspect Rasheed has some type of perk that allows him to manipulate time or something similar; you have to be careful when facing him!'

"Now, lets continue our lesson."

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