42 A fight outside the Abyss
In the vastness of the Universe, High Worlds are typically illuminated by their own unique suns, providing light and warmth as they travel through space. However, some regions of the cosmos feature primordial stars, around which planets orbit.
In one such region, there existed an immense sun, its size dwarfing many High Worlds or Planes. But its sheer scale was not its only remarkable trait; as it grew, so too did the energy it produced. Planets in its vicinity were either consumed or destroyed by its intense radiation.
Eventually, this colossal sun reached a critical point and exploded, annihilating everything in the galaxy. Yet, in the aftermath of this cataclysm, instead of void, nine smaller suns emerged, each harboring a humanoid life form. These beings resembled humans, but each bore a third eye on their foreheads, and around each sun, unique phenomena occurred.
One of these suns glowed golden, its vicinity pulsating with the Laws of creation and life. The man within this golden sun observed his counterparts silently before departing. His movements were swift, traversing millions of kilometers in a flash, occasionally vanishing and reappearing in distant galaxies.
For thousands of years, this man explored the Universe. He occasionally encountered other beings, but they invariably fled upon seeing him.
One day, he arrived at a Lower World where life barely reached the peak of rank 0, and the energies were thin. After observing the world, he released the power of his sun, engulfing the planet in golden flames. As the flames devoured all life, they grew in intensity, eventually making the planet resemble a radiant sun.
The man observed the transformation before activating his third golden eye. The golden flames then began nurturing the planet's core, accelerating the growth of new life. This Low World, previously on the brink of existence, was now on a trajectory to become a Middle World.
The golden flames, unlike typical fire, retained all the energy of the consumed life, ready for future use.
The man continued this process across hundreds of Low Worlds. Despite the destruction of billions of lives, each world touched by his golden flames invariably improved. After millennia, the man mastered the Law of Life.
Standing before another Low World, he released his golden flames with increased potency, consuming not just the life, but the entire world. His third eye monitored the entire process, transforming the world into a giant ball of golden flames.
The man then exerted his full power, converting the immense fireball into a Plane. His mastery over the Law of Creation had begun.
He roamed the Universe, enforcing his laws of life and creation. Occasionally he clashed with other beings, but his immense power ensured either their demise or retreat.
Eventually, the man encountered a chaotic, layered region of the Universe, teeming with dark energy. Feeling uneasy, he was about to leave when he sensed an approaching figure shrouded in darkness, with only red eyes visible.
For the first time, the man felt genuinely threatened. The laws of death and destruction emanated from this shadowy figure, indicating his capability to inflict harm.
The two beings, one cloaked in golden flames and the other in shadows, clashed violently. Their collision tore apart the space around them, releasing energy lethal to any creature below rank 5 within a vast radius.
Despite his powerful flames, the man struggled against the unpredictable movements of the shadowy figure. In close combat, his physical strength was countered by his adversary's foresight and unanticipated attacks.
The man, realizing his disadvantage, created a colossal golden sun around him, met by his opponent who conjured a surrounding black hole. They collided with such force that the impact could devastate Middle Worlds and alter High Worlds.
The battle culminated in a massive explosion, leaving only the shadow-covered figure alive, holding a heart that he absorbed into the darkness before departing, visibly injured.
...
As Zatiel endured the agonizing pain of bloodline assimilation, these memories unfolded in his mind.
'So, these were his memories. Fighting against an echo of myself, even if only in someone else's recollections, is strange,' Zatiel thought, instructing the chip to save the memories for future use, despite the overwhelming pain.
Golden flames enveloped Zatiel, emitting immense pressure that forced Ezequiel and Sophia to keep their distance. His body underwent a remarkable transformation, growing taller with perfectly sculpted muscles, and a third golden eye emerging on his forehead.
Inside him, beside the Chaotic Core, a new heart formed, cradling a tiny sun.
Hours later, the transformation completed. Zatiel opened his eyes, releasing a surge of golden flames that scorched the surrounding ground into lava. Ezequiel and Sophia, safely distant, were spared.
Standing amidst the flames, Zatiel laughed triumphantly, reveling in his newfound power.
