58 Chapter 58: The World Changed Me, It's Time I Change It

It was now late at night and much of the city was quiet as many of the residents had gone to sleep. However, on one lone balcony, Arias was still awake, seated down on the floor while leaning against the wall with his head up towards the night sky.

[ Ari, please speak to me…] Apeiro's voice called out in a low worrisome tone.

A couple of hours had passed since Arias was told about the secrets she was hiding, but he still didn't react fully.

After hearing it he had simply sat down with a look of confusion of his face, by the time an hour passed he was just sitting there, stoically looking upward and thinking.

Apeiro first gave him space and didn't speak either, but when the silence continued, a sense of worry and anxiousness grew, pushing her to reach out to him.

Now, after many attempts, Arias finally spoke. "I'm honestly speechless as to what to say to you. Should I angry that you lied to me? Angry that you left me to grow alone when you had the power to change it all? Or should I be grateful you're alive, or rather never truly died."

Arias had always disliked acting on sheer emotion, at times it was controlled but in moments where he felt he would lose all bearings, Arias would just go silent.

In those hours he was silent, he raged inwardly, asked numerous questions to himself over and over again.

Finally, when he calmed down to a certain extent, he just breathed. He could try seeing things her way but due to the way he was currently feeling, he knew he'd just be biased due to the anger he felt.

[ I'm sorry that I made you grow up alone Ari, I truly am. When I returned to solely being the abyss, my lack of emotion led me to not act and I… I cannot justify myself. Emotions between lower beings are something I've only come to understand now, however I can say for certain that you're what I care for most Ari.]

To her words, Arias sighed and finally stood up. "I forgive you, or rather, I can only forgive you. You were my mother but you weren't the reason my life was harsh. What sense is there lingering on what ifs. I just want to sleep and rethink what I want to do now."

Arias spoke as he felt, tired. But Apeiro no longer pushed the conversation. She was pleased enough just having been forgiven. As for where the two of them stood, it seemed neither wanted to address that as of now.

[ I understand.]

…

Arias didn't get much sleep that night due to the many thoughts still plaguing his mind. However hard it was for him to accept, that was the reality.

But with his mother being a major reason he chose to become one with the abyss, his desire to continue the path he was came into question.

It was for that reason that he spent a majority of his night thinking of where to go from now. He had already decided that only time would tell what he and Apeiro's stances towards each other would be.

Whether or not the anger he felt towards her actions would fade and if he would even see her as his mother or this new entity that he named.

It was impossible to imagine what sort of place Arias's mind was in, but he had no choice but cope and move on.

So, what if he felt angry? Was he just supposed to chose death instead for himself? Or perhaps her?

He would never go to such an extreme as to choose death, he would risk it, but never resign to it, so long as an option remained open. This was the desperate desire to live that a harsh upbringing etched into him.

Come morning, Arias had his answer for both of the things weighing on his mind.

'A part of me was truly happy to know that she never really died, but another can't forget her actions. This new life that you've granted me, let's hope you don't regret the consequences that come with it.'

His already cold eyes looked far colder that early morning as he got out of bed and got ready to take on the world with a shrouded mind and grand vision.

He took a step onto his balcony and looked out at the view with some disgust towards the world. Was everyone bad? Was it all bad? No, he wasn't biased enough to not acknowledge the good.

However, he was realistic enough to acknowledge, its broken state. It needed change, something he had already taken upon himself. Unfortunately for the world, it wasn't out of good will…

"Right then, let's create the ideal world…for me." With a sharp glint in his eyes, Arias murmured these words as a declaration to himself. From that point onward, he would only put himself first.

!!

Following that self-declaration, Arias felt a sharp pain all over his body, causing him to fall to the ground in extreme pain. Before he could understand what was going on, Apeiro's voice appeared.

[ Do not panic Ari, your vessel is experiencing a change, losing its likeness of a mortal as the energy from the abyss assimilates into it.]

Hearing the explanation, Arias grit his teeth and calmed down to an extent. As his body tore apart under a shroud of dark mist, flashes of grey would occur as they got reconstructed from that very ominous mist.

To avoid drawing attention, he crawled back into his suite and let the process carry on. This lasted until close to noon, but finally it came to an end.

His rob was completely stained in pitch black blood along with the floor, but as he stood up, all of it evaporated into the air and went into his body right through his skin. Leaving the area spotless as if nothing had occurred.

"That was worse than the first time, but… I don't feel any more different. What has changed exactly?"

Arias neither addressed Apeiro by the name he gave her nor as mother. In truth he wasn't sure which to use anymore. However she thought of it as him distancing himself from her, which saddened her greatly, though she didn't show it and just replied.

[ It is only the first, as for how many remain, that depends on you. For now, your body is made entirely of the abyss, a proper physical copy without the power. However, just that alone allows you to ignore the laws that govern reality, because they exist within you. If you place your hand on your chest, you will feel no heartbeat. Death and life are merely a concept to this vessel, they are beneath you.]

Apeiro also avoided calling him Ari as she was unsure if that would be received well by him. She could only explain with a straight voice before going silent as Arias examined his body.

With a single thought, his body began hovering in the air and he could actually walk around. "Ignoring gravity, so that's what it means. I myself can ignore the laws but I cannot yet bend them to my will, however this alone could be considered godhood to some."

Arias descended and didn't immediately delve into all the new possibilities open to him, he knew they were many and he would discover them with time or simply ask Apeiro.

A few seconds later, Arias's doorbell rang and his exploring of new found power ended as he went to open it expecting to find a bothersome Harley but to his surprise, it was instead a flustered looking hotel service girl.

She fumbled while bringing his tray of food in and placing it on the table but nothing too suspicious. It was only after she received her tip that she spoke, saying something he completely didn't expect.

"I think you and Wonderwoman make a good match but You and Queen Bee would also be so hot." She revealed in a low tone before rushing away.

Arias raised an odd brow in her direction before a worrying thought caused him to open his phone and check on trending news. It was there that he saw an article reading…

[ A battle of royals: Queen Bee and Princess Diana (Wonderwoman) Spotted fighting over Gotham's saintly Prince, Arias Markovic, after he saved numerous at the uptown street bombing. Eyewitness reports say…]

Arias stopped reading there and just put his phone away. "The media's ability to start rumors never ceases to amaze me. I wonder how those two are taking it though."

A/N: I'll say this in advance, I know they're limitless possibilities for Arias's power. Do I have the time or drive to list them all and use the best option for each situation? Nope. Frankly that's time but you're free to leave suggestions.

Anyway, time for some arrogance, domination and cucking of heroes/villains.

Leave now if you hate any of the above mentioned. Otherwise buckle down for the show.