Dreadmarch stood firm, though his body ached and the shell beneath him trembled. His voice, quiet yet heavy, cut through the air like the low rumble before a storm.
"I can't defeat you," he said, eyes locked on Dedany. "So what's the point of negotiating? Just kill me… and the humans. End it."
Dedany hovered effortlessly above him, expression unreadable, violet light gently radiating from his body.
"I'm not here to kill you," he replied with a calm smile. "Not yet. There's a reason I'm keeping you alive."
Dreadmarch narrowed his eyes.
"As i said… Asyl," Dedany continued. "The Control Devil…He destroyed Fein," Dedany said. "Crushed it without mercy. And now… he's growing stronger. I don't know why, but he's collecting the cores of humans. It might be a requirement… a step beyond even the purple Neba. And I thought you'd know something."
Dreadmarch shook his head. "It has nothing to do with me."
"Shame," Dedany sighed, then smiled darkly.
"Then I'll make it simple. Cooperate with me in the coming battle against Asyl… and I'll only take half of the people here."
Dreadmarch's fists clenched, but he said nothing. He understood. This was no longer a matter of pride or power. It was survival.
He lowered his head. "…Fine."
Dedany's smile widened.
Violet light surged from his body like a tidal wave. In an instant, clusters of people across the caravan were enveloped in that ominous glow, Dune, Cadogan, Mindya, Atlas, Ned. All suspended mid-air like puppets on strings, their bodies trembling as the crushing grip of Hollow Origin closed in around them.
Then… everything stopped.
Dedany froze.
His arms, raised for the final blow, fell still. His expression changed. His eyes slowly closed, not in peace, but as if something had caught his attention. As if he was… listening.
Even Dreadmarch tilted his head, a brow raised in confusion. What is he doing?
Dedany found himself somewhere else.
In an endless void.
Where am I…? he wondered, glancing around. There was no light, no wind, no presence, nothing but emptiness, until a distant green glow pulsed softly in the dark.
He moved toward it. Floating in the center was a green Neba core, pure, warm, and untouched.
"A Zeten…" he murmured. "Green class. Seventeen years old? Name…Dune…"
Who is he? He frowned. Why am I here?
Before he could get closer, before he could even reach out, reality itself cracked. A jagged line split the void apart.
From it, a hand emerged, elegant, radiant, and terrifyingly calm. Then came the figure.
Dedany froze. A chill surged through his spine. His body, powerful beyond imagination, suddenly felt small… fragile.
A divine presence stepped through the rift.
White hair flowed down to the figure's waist like strands of silk. Wings, vast and endless, unfurled in a display of blinding light. His robes shimmered with knowledge itself, and his eyes, ancient, piercing, held the weight of countless truths.
Dedany stepped back.
He didn't need to ask. He knew.
Standing before him was the one even he dared not challenge.
Bethel
The God of Wisdom and Knowledge.
The moment Bethel stepped into it, Dedany, one of the most feared beings on Earth, trembled. Not from pain, not from fear of defeat, but from a primal instinct embedded in the very core of his being. The kind of fear that didn't come from the mind… but the soul.
The god's gaze was gentle, yet it crushed the air around them. Bethel, the God of Wisdom and Knowledge, radiated a presence far beyond anything Dedany had ever encountered. And for the first time in a long time… he felt small.
Bethel's eyes swept over the frozen void, and a soft smile curved his lips.
[ So… this is why I was summoned. ]
He looked down at the glowing green circle below, the essence of a boy. A young soul. Dune. Even Bethel's calm mind took a moment to register what he was seeing.
[ Two beings with Purple Neba… To meet someone like Dedany is rare. But to meet two purple Nebas in one moment… That child did well to pry for my name. A second later and he would've been gone. ]
A voice broke the silence.
"What are you doing here?"
Dedany's tone was sharp, strained with forced composure. "Why would a true god descend into this void?"
[ Mortals often forget to look up, But gods are always watching from above. ]
Bethel didn't continue. He simply began walking, his elegant robes barely brushing the void beneath his feet. He passed Dedany without a glance, his footsteps echoing like thunderless judgment.
He stopped above Dune's glowing core, kneeling with a serene grace, and studied it closely.
Then, he turned his head slightly, just enough for his golden eyes to pierce through Dedany's form.
[ Tell me, Dedany… are you afraid of death? ]
Dedany stepped back, his throat tightening.
"You… you can't kill me."
His voice cracked, but he masked it with anger.
"I know about Zeus's curse. Gods can't harm humans!"
Bethel took a single step forward. The void itself trembled.
[ But you're not fully human… are you? ]
His voice was velvet. Quiet. Terrifying.
[ You were born as a Neba creature, like the other six.]
His eyes narrowed. [ Do you really think I can't end you? ]
Dedany clenched his fists. His back touched the edge of the void.
"Stay back…"
But Bethel didn't move. Not another step.
Instead, he tilted his head, as if genuinely curious.
Dedany's eyes flared with rage.
"I do not wish to die. But I am not afraid of it." His voice thundered through the void.
"I have a soul. Even as an animal, I am worth more than you soulless gods. When I die, I will not vanish like you. I will continue. You… will be forgotten."
[ You speak of souls… yet your own trembles. ]
Dedany dropped into a stance, fingers twitching with Neba. Prepared to fight for his life.
Bethel turned away.
[ Leave this place. Keep your distance from the boy… and those who walk with him. ]
Dedany gritted his teeth, his voice rising in defiance.
"I can kill that kid right now if I want! And you can't stop me, Bethel!"
The god didn't even turn his head.
[ You won't. ]
Dedany blinked. "Why?"
[ Because… ] Bethel said, as the void began to fold in on itself,
[ …you're a coward. ]
The void disappeared as Dedany's body collapsed. Blood poured from his nose, ears, and eyes. He coughed violently, spitting crimson onto the collapsing floor of the void. His knees buckled.
Dreadmarch, who had watched from the edge, stared in disbelief.
But before he could react, Dedany forced himself upright. He didn't speak. He didn't curse. He just vanished, an explosion of violet mist disappearing into nothingness.
Bethel's voice echoed one last time, now fading with the retreating void.
[ You walk like a god, but bleed like the beast you are. ]
Dune opened his eyes and found nothing, only the endless black of the void around him. Silence pressed on every side. He tried to speak, to move, to even think, but everything felt distant, numb. It was as if he had ceased to exist.
What… happened? he wondered. His body didn't feel like his own. It felt like I stopped being alive… like I wasn't even allowed to think.
Then it hit him, Purple Neba. Dedany.
He clenched his fists as realization sunk in. I can't believe Dedany is that strong… I didn't stand a chance.
A voice broke through the stillness.
[ You've come to understand how vast the gap truly is between you and your enemies. ]
Dune turned. A figure stood before him, cloaked in radiant white light, wings folded behind him like the pages of an ancient book. His presence was calm, timeless.
Bethel, the god of wisdom and knowledge.
[ You did well to pry on my name, ] Bethel continued, his voice soft but infinite in weight.
[ Had you not, your soul would be shattered by now, scattered beyond recovery. ]
Dune exhaled slowly. His chest still felt heavy.
Bethel began walking through the void, his steps echoing where no ground existed. [ So far, your path moves in alignment with the balance. Let this moment etch itself into your soul. Use it, not as a reminder of weakness, but as fuel. If you truly seek revenge, if you yearn for freedom… then know that in this world, only those who ascend to godhood can shape its laws. ]
He paused, his back still to Dune. [ To reshape the world, you must become strong enough to bear its weight. ]
Dune nodded. "I know. And I will. So I never have to rely on a desperate prayer again."
Then, after a beat, he asked, "Who is Dedany? You spoke like you've known him for a long time."
Bethel turned his head, his expression unchanging. [ Dedany is one of the Seven Devils of Sanatria. Long ago, they ruled the continent beneath their leader, Asyl. But when Asyl vanished, the group fractured. Each went their separate ways, choosing silence over bloodshed… until Asyl returned and obliterated Fein. ]
Dune's eyes narrowed.
[ With Asyl's reappearance,] Bethel went on,
[ the others are beginning to stir. They will rise. They will act. And when they do… Sanatria will tremble. Dreadmarch, as you've seen, stands more with the people. His strength lies in control and defense. Dedany, however, is chaos incarnate. He will unravel the threads holding the continent together. ]
"Will the others rise too?" Dune asked.
Bethel nodded. [ They will. The silence will break. Each of them bears a purple Zeten… and none are human. They were born as beasts, Neba creatures who evolved endlessly, until they reached the divine threshold. Until they became something more. ]
[ A tiger that fed until it gained thought. That is what the Devils are. ]
Dune's thoughts darkened. "If they start a war… does Sanatria even stand a chance?"
Bethel finally smiled, though it was quiet, unreadable. [ You underestimate the depth of Sanatria's soul. There are those among your people who shine like stars: Cel, Cassius, the one known as Soul's Mirror… and even King Aramir himself. No side would walk away whole. And so, war remains a shadow, feared, but not yet cast. ]
"Dedany said something," Dune said slowly.
"About the Zeus Curse… about gods being unable to harm humans. Was that true?"
Bethel gave a solemn nod. [ It is. Should we strike a human, we suffer equally. The law is absolute. ]
Then he turned, walking deeper into the darkness. [ Rendely awaits you, ] he said, his voice already fading.
[ There, more truths and lies will be unveiled. Brace yourself, Dune. The world you think you know has only just begun to show its true face." ]
The void shattered like glass.
Dune gasped and opened his eyes. He was lying in a bed, breath shaky. Ned sat beside him, eyes wide.
"Oh! You're finally awake!" Ned leaned over him quickly, worry etched into his face. "Thank the stars, you've been out for a while."
"What… happened?" Dune asked, still dazed.
Ned smiled gently. "We all blacked out. Cadogan carried us out of there. There were some casualties… but the caravan survived. For some reason, Dedany left. And Dreadmarch kept moving forward."
Dune let out a breath and stared up at the ceiling. "That was… close."
Dune slowly pushed the blanket off his body and sat up on the edge of the bed. His limbs felt stiff, like they hadn't moved in years. He planted his feet on the wooden floor and exhaled, steadying himself before standing.
He stepped out of the room and walked into the living room. The walls were lit by soft lanterns that hung gently from the ceiling beams, their glow casting faint golden patterns across the floor.
Mindya was asleep on the couch.
Her sharp teeth were barely visible through parted lips, and her arms were draped lazily over her chest. Her wild hair spilled in every direction, but her breathing was steady. Peaceful. For a moment, Dune just watched her. After everything… it was strange to see her still.
"Where are Atlas and Cadogan?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Ned, who was sitting nearby with a cup in hand, looked up.
"They'll be back tonight," he said, voice low so as not to wake Mindya. "Cadogan's helping Atlas with the training."
Dune nodded, his gaze drifting back toward the couch. "She's… okay?"
"She's fine," Ned replied. "Didn't get hit as hard as you. She tried not to show it, but i think she was worried about you. Kept pacing back and forth until she collapsed there."
Dune looked down at his hands, then slowly clenched them into fists. He had been helpless, seconds away from death. And Mindya, Atlas, Ned and even Cadogan… they would've followed. Dedany could've wiped them all out if he wanted.
I need to get stronger, he thought. I can't let that happen again.