Ep 50. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (2)

Ep 50. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (2)

Ep 50. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (2)

“...And using our respective divinities, we remade the star according to Felicir’s vision. I suppose that was the true end of the demon era.”

“...”

A deep frown crossed the dragonlord’s face. Her eyes emptily stared down into the wooden table between her and Iris as memories flashed before her, both past and present eras alike.

Why was it that only the dragonkin survived through the millennium?

The dragons’ survival had remained an unexplained fortune until now. Among the seven demon tribes, it was odd that no other tribe had survived besides her own. Serenis had entrusted Vulka with the kin’s survival, but surely, the other lords would have done the same; surely, they would’ve left behind something to continue their legacies.

None of them would amount to anything. The legacies of other tribes had died with their knowledge of the divine. All who remembered the previous era – all who knew the truth of the Twelve’s divinity – had been erased.

Then, and only then, would the Twelve truly come to be revered as genuine deities by the new life they created.

‘...By the will of a single mortal...’

Man and demon alike had perished. Serenis couldn’t recognize the scapes of her own world. The home she cherished had been cleanly erased from history, its only remains her few surviving kin and the twelve deities.

The dragonlord’s hollow laughter echoed throughout the house.

What exactly was it that she severed at her world’s summit?

“The demonkin, we...surrendered our future. Ever since the First manipulated mankind with gifts of power to annihilate our kin, our fates had already been decided.”

“...A number of heroes rose to power through divine selection. I do remember that.”

“We instead challenged the First himself, knowing we were marching to our deaths. But what choice did we have? A divine will had cast us aside. It was our only course of action...for our future did not exist.”

“...”

“And in that deathly abaddon, we held onto hope. Hope that we would at least liberate our children from divine will. That even after our demise, the surviving younglings would prosper.”

But fate had laughed at their futile efforts.

A meager survival of a single tribe was not what they had fought for. The present world was not what any of them had fought for.

Demonkind challenged their creator. They gladly gave their lives, knowing there was no recourse. The dragonlord had marked the end of their conflict with her own hands.

And yet, their destination had remained the same. With or without the First, their era had come to a close. Their world had vanished, never to be remembered again.

‘...It was all meaningless, was it not?’

Iris studied the agonizing dragon. Serenis’ twisted expression seemed moments away from bursting to tears, but only broken laughter came forth from the dragonlord. Even the dragon’s threatening presence had all but dissipated.

The deity cautiously broke the silence, attempting to regain her attention.

“When divine selection began...we were simply told that demonkind was evil that plagued the star. That they were to be cleansed from this world. But this wasn’t actually true, was it? What was the actual reason behind the First’s decision to eradicate demons?”

Why end demonkind?

‘They, too, were his creations. Did he not care for them? And why elect mankind to annihilate them?’

Even to Iris, a God that had remained neutral for eons suddenly siding with half of his creations to annihilate the other half was an odd turn of events. With a demonlord to answer her now, it was sensible to question why.

But at the same time, the enforcer’s curiosity would never amount to much. Serenis merely snorted in ill amusement as she gave her answer.

“The reason? There is none.”

“...None?”

“None. Perhaps he simply didn’t take the demonkin’s growing influence too kindly. Perhaps...he simply wished to reign absolute. As he always had.”

The dragonlord could still hear his words. In the bloody pools of her brethren, the First had questioned their motive.

- ‘Enlighten me, Serenis. Why did this happen? What drove so many of you to let go of the life you were bestowed?’

Survival.

Ironically, demons had marched to their deaths for the sole purpose of survival. When they’d realized that the ‘life’ they were bestowed had reached its end, they sought to extend it – even if that meant defying the will of their creator.

Serenis gritted her teeth. The price they paid for challenging a divine’s reign had costed them their whole world.

When the dragonlord raised her head, hateful eyes glared into the deity before her – the former mankind that should’ve inherited the star.

“Were you and your kind not the same? At the end of our quest, we thought our star liberated. But when we fell at the summit...when all those who stood above your kind vanished, your blades then pointed at one another and drove the star to its death. All so that the surviving few could reign as divinity.”

Iris looked away. Guilt welled up within her, but even more prominent was her own frustration over their bloody history.

“...It wasn’t my intent to make the star anew.”

“Was it truly not your will? Then why is it that you failed to challenge your brother?”

“If I challenged him, then-“

“You would have been put to death. Just as we have.”

“...It would’ve been a pointless death. I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

“And yet, even beasts challenge the hunters to protect their children.”

“...”

Despite her defensive stance, Iris, too, was a survivor of the past. She knew that none of the Twelve were exempt from the sin of ending their own era. They were either bystanders of a worldly genocide, or accomplices of its perpetrator.

It was a burden that was meant to be forgotten. In Felicir’s design, their sins would die with the old star, and the Twelve would have no reason to remember their treacherous pasts.

“...There may not be a contract binding her to his will, but Aldrid is wont to remember those she owe. She owes the lives of both herself and her sibling to Felicir. She won’t challenge him.”

“And yet...you’re convinced that I will?”

“...I am.”

Once again, the enforcer opened her eyes. Her tone regained its seriousness as she spoke.

“Do you remember the reason Felicir allowed the dragons to survive?”

“If I recall correctly...you said it was because we were no longer a threat.”

“That’s correct. The second lord was promised the dragonkin’s survival by Felicir himself. But in exchange, the second lord had claimed that their first lord’s heart would be destroyed. But...the heart wasn’t actually destroyed, was it? It’s currently in your possession.”

Iris sharpened her gaze as she continued her explanation. If there was one thing she could ascertain as the deity of mana, it was this.

“As soon as Felicir discovers that their covenant had been broken, he will doubtlessly kill the dragonkin for good – and you with them.”

“...Was holding my brother hostage not enough?”

The enforcer shook her head.

“I’m not trying to threaten you. This is simply the plain truth.”

“...”

“And...it’s not all hopeless. Although I did hope that you’d have the means to challenge death yourself...”

Iris took a deep breath in an attempt to collect her thoughts once more.

There was still a path forward. A path that had been denied from her, but a path that still remained open for the dragonlord to walk.

“I cannot convince Aldrid to challenge Felicir. None of the Twelve could. But, you...if you’re truly the Starchild herself, you alone should be able to.”

“I do not even know this ‘Aldrid’ you speak of.”

“You may not know Aldrid, but Aldrid knows you. There’s no way she doesn’t.”

“...?”

“You’ll know when you meet her. I guarantee it. So, please...”

“...”

A long sigh escaped Serenis’ lips.

The First’s divinity still occupied this star. And her return to life had, ironically, put the kin’s lives at risk.

‘...It’s not a question of choosing to help or not. The kin cannot risk the divinity of death to exist.’

No life on this star was safe. As long as this madness of a deity continued to rule over them, the star itself was prone to timeless extinctions.

In the end, Iris was right; in her duty as a lord of dragons, Serenis did not have a choice. With no other lords remaining to challenge divinity and protect the demonkin, the task fell solely to her.

But, most importantly...

‘...This was the reason behind Vulka’s death.’

The reason her son had chosen to abandon her heart, the reason Vulka had chosen to become a dishonored tyrant – was nothing but a mere, crazed human.

“Death. Divinity of death...”

Serenis quietly parroted the words to herself, reminiscing her battle at the summit.

The First was, by no means, almighty. Despite being the only entity that could be referred to as a God of their star, the First had still fell short to omnipotence. Otherwise, demonkind would never have succeeded in their quest.

But at the same time, his divine authority over death had been nothing short of terrifying.

Countless lives flickered out of existence at a small flick of his wrist. One gaze into the distance, and his vision would be emptied of all life that filled it. It was the only authority that disallowed a ‘battle’ to even be established.

‘I suppose it’s a small fortune that the First’s divinity was split into twelve fragments. Without Lucid, this ‘Aldrid’ would be the only possible solution...’

In the end, there simply was no other choice. Futile or not, Serenis could not idle with literal death looming over the horizon.

“...I will have to meet this deity of life myself.”

Iris’ eyes gleamed at the conclusive tone of the dragonlord’s voice.

“Then...?”

“I will take your word. I cannot allow this supposed deity of death to exist. However.”

Serenis threw Iris’ shard back to her, which was caught midair.

The enforcer stared at the dragonlord in confusion.

“...Why return this to me? Were you not seeking to liberate the star from the divine?”

“I am. And I will. However...”

The dragon closed her eyes. She’d gladly risk her own life to fulfill her duties – but not at the expense of risking the star’s future.

If the deity of mana was a genuine obstacle for her brother’s madness, then there was no reason to remove it prematurely.

“...To destroy your divinity right now would be foolish. I cannot guarantee my own success. Should I fail, then...”

Serenis’ sentence faded into the silence surrounding them. Iris, too, remained quiet.

There was no need to finish.