(1) Epilogue - Stars are beautiful
The stars perpetually shone in the sky, yet our eyes tend to ignore their ancient presence. Whenever I gazed at them, a deep and mysterious melancholy would embrace me. My name? I forgot it a long time ago. After so much effort, in the end, all that remained was this long darkness. I was once human, and now I didn't even know what I was anymore. Did I achieve my goal? I accomplished great things, but in the end, I was betrayed by my closest companions. They robbed me and left me in some abandoned part of space. Who would have thought that the greatest businessman in the galaxy would end up this way, in a sad little cell, with his powers abolished for all eternity?
Suddenly, a bright light, larger than a sun, appeared in the eternal void. Impossible, I replied. This place rejected any form of light. That light approached proudly, as if the void didn't exist for it.
A laugh, fragmented like the echo of broken glass, resonated in the void as the light's eyes lit up with pure madness.
—Look at the tiny thing I find in this pathetic place. You know… I've been watching you for a long time. How pathetic, admiring the stars. Where is that person I once saw? It's so pitiful to see a man of your reputation fall like this. I had chosen you to be my weapon. Who would have thought you didn't have what it takes?
Suddenly, the light began to shine intensely, illuminating every corner of the room with a blinding brightness. That great light slowly began to transform into the figure of a man. He was an old-looking but muscular man, every muscle perfectly sculpted on his body as if carved from marble. His white, shining hair fell to his neck, framing a face that radiated a mixture of wisdom and power. His insane and arrogant smile revealed unshakable confidence.
—What do you think now? Do you remember me? —he said in a deep, resonant voice, while a sinister laugh filtered through his clenched teeth—. Such a useful tool cannot be wasted.
Suddenly, with a wave of his hand, a golden scroll appeared out of nowhere.
—So it was you… After abandoning me, you come back and for what? I have nothing left.
The god let out a low, almost stifled laugh that emerged from his chest.
—That's what you think, little one. After all this time, don't you want revenge? To kill those who betrayed you? To make them feel the very fires of hell?
—Revenge? —I replied—. Is that your offer, old man? Revenge?
A smile of pure contempt spread across his lips.
—Little fly, I'm offering you something much greater and more meaningful: I'm offering you freedom, the chance to completely change your future and rewrite your destiny. Imagine having the power to alter the course of your life, all for the modest price of "Your Soul." What do you think of this deal, little one? Isn't it a tempting offer, a unique opportunity that rarely presents itself?
I watched as the old man approached with the large golden contract. The only words that could be read were "Your Soul."
—So, in the end, I find myself forced to make a deal with a demon. —An arrogant smile spread across my lips as I contemplated the irony of the situation—. It's not like I have many options at my disposal.
Suddenly, a pen filled with darkness, with a mysterious glow and an almost ethereal sensation, appeared in my hand. A chill ran down my spine as I gazed at it. Slowly, I approached the contract, an ancient and elegant document, touched by time. I touched the paper filled with gold, its inscriptions shining under the dim light, and in a magical instant, the contract vanished without a trace.
The god let out a crazed laugh, almost as if containing it was too much for him.
—Very well, little one.
Suddenly, the space began to collapse at an alarming rate. The walls of the void twisted and creaked as if the very fabric of reality was tearing apart. A growing sense of joy enveloped me as I watched how every corner of this place, which had been my prison for so long, crumbled and disappeared before my eyes. The structures that once seemed solid and stable broke into floating fragments, like dust in the wind.
In an instant, the intensity reached its peak. I felt the space around me disintegrate and transform into a chaotic whirlwind of light and shadow. The ground beneath my feet dissolved in a series of bursts that echoed like distant thunder, and the void rushed towards me, dragging me into its unfathomable abyss.
The god, with a smile that revealed a blend of madness and satisfaction, leaned slightly forward. His eyes gleamed with feverish intensity as he watched the chaos he had unleashed. His laugh, a disturbing echo that reverberated through the void, seemed to resound in every direction.
—Ah, what an entertaining spectacle, isn't it? —The god leaned in even further, his eyes fixed on the point where everything was disintegrating, his laughter fading into a whisper of anticipation—. Yes, yes, let me see how you fight. After all, I've broken the rules of the universe just to have a little fun. Ah, what a delicious show this will be. Good luck, Avaron...