The Last White Stone Meeting

-2:00 P.M.-

Once again I was thrown into the Black Lake. My legs worked here, but I definitely broke them in the real world.

I looked to find Deity when I saw smoke shooting out of her head. I was confused, but when her gaze connected with me, I saw the problem. Her eyes were purple and she had a mark on her body that resembled mine. Part of her clothing was burnt and her skin even looked like it sustained some of the damage.

"Why are you here again?" Deity asked me. I was confused at first... until I saw two older men walk past me and towards Deity.

Zeal and Orion.

I pushed myself off of the ground and stood next to them. "You called us all here. What did you want to tell us, Deity?" Zeal asked. He looked a lot scarier than I remember. He didn't have that falsified look on his face anymore... he looked even meaner than Deity.

"I forced this meeting... to tell you that I'm abandoning you two." Deity stated. Zeal and Orion looked shocked, but I was just confused. What was she talking about? What's going on?

"What the hell are you talking about?! You promised me I was going to be the Deity Candidate! Who the hell did you..." Zeal stopped talking and looked down at me. Something told me I had the same mark as Deity did on her face.

"You... YOU!" Zeal tried to punch me in the face. I went to block it and counter, but it went straight through my arms and the rest of my body. He couldn't hit me here... then, this was truly a place where we could only talk?

"That's right. Zeal has figured it out... Zeal and Orion... you two no longer match in terms of compatibility. Just as I was hoping, my power resonates with Sky's power at a much more efficient rate than both of yours do... combined. Sky can use about fifty percent of my current power, while you two can only use ten." Deity stated.

"What the hell are you talking about? Percent of power? I have no idea what's going on." I said to everybody. Orion seemed indifferent, only sitting with his hands in his pockets with his head turned upwards.

"Being a Deity Candidate... or Apprentice... means that you are put through trials by the Deity to see how much power you can use. As of right now, with only one synchronization with me, you're able to use half of the power I have." Deity told me.

"How the hell are you able to measure that?" I asked her.

"Easily... Strand Output. I've been watching all three of you for the longest time now since Sky came into existence... and he's the only one who has had explosive development. He is the true Deity Candidate. I wanted to inform you, Zeal and Orion... because I know how you two feel about this." Deity said.

"This is still confusing to me... why... why are you gathering us here, of all times?!" I asked Deity. She seemed unhappy.

"Sky... I can't fulfill my promise to you. Things have changed and now that I've pushed you to your limit with System Corruption, I can't sit here in this Black Lake." Deity told me. I felt my heart drop.

"So... it was true then. This is Sky's mind." Zeal said with a disappointed tone.

"My mind?! This is... my mind..." I said with a mumble.

"I can't be here because I've exerted all of my power blocking that glacier... I can't connect with you three anymore. So... this is my last proposition to you three." Deity paused, waiting for us all to nod.

"Sky is the current Deity Candidate. He has been able to use a lot of my power and can currently use more before reaching his peak. That being said, if any of you can seize his life... I will turn you into the Deity instead." Deity said.

"Turn us into a Deity..." Zeal murmured.

"That's right. You can become a Deity to rule over the universe. Orion, you can become a Deity to exact your revenge on Nova and Zeal. Sky, you can become a Deity to save your friends and your own life." I was confused as Deity explained.

"My life... and my friends? What are you talking about... my life?" I asked Deity.

"There's still so much I need to explain to you... trust me on this. Your intentions are much purer than Zeal or Orion's goals to become Deity. I entrust this to you three. Whatever outcome happens at the end of Sky and Orion's war... I will respect and name the new Deity." I narrowed my eyes... it was all coming together now.

The mysterious intent from Deity's intervention with me... it was now clear to me what she wanted. She wanted to use me to see my power capacity and turn me into the Deity Candidate. It seemed that she liked me more than the others.

She tested my available capacity by using strands and determined that I was most appropriate. What rides on my trials to become the new Deity is the outcome of this world. I won't be able to live a normal life after this either way... I'm stepping down the path to becoming Deity now. I can't turn back... but Orion and Zeal already knew they wouldn't be able to turn back either.

That's why... that's why Orion killed those people in his base. He knew they couldn't come with him because his goal of being Deity to exact revenge on Zeal and Nova triumphed in his goal to rule the Isles. We overlooked his intentions... he wasn't as simple-minded as we thought... Orion was more complicated than that.

"Why are you fighting?" I asked Orion. He turned to me and scoffed.

"Why do you care? Did your small brain figure something out?" Orion asked me in reply.

"Your daughter was on that boat you shot at. You have my friend Carl's good aim to thank that he saved your family. Your wife... Moon, right? She's safe as well. We kept your family safe when you couldn't... so what are you fighting so hard for?" I asked Orion again.

"Justice. Zeal killed my wife with Nova... and I'll never let those pieces of shit live for that. I am living out Moonlight's will to exact revenge on them. I told you I'd kill you, Zeal." Orion looked at Zeal.

"Then... you're still not ready to surrender? You don't have to be a Deity to do those things." I told Orion.

"You're forgetting something important... Sky. Your friends... your family... your army, they weren't the only ones with dreams to change the world. Do you have any idea how many people you've killed with wills of their own to change this world for the better? I wasn't supposed to live either, I would've rather Zeal and Nova kill me than my wife." Orion said. I waited for him to continue.

"I've been a failure for my entire life until she died. I should've died there, I would've traded my life with hers. I wanted her to live... she was my treasure... but Zeal proved why I can't sit back and just die now. You've killed my family just as I've killed yours, Sky... so I won't stop until I have that Deity title from you." Orion told me. I sighed, understanding his point.

"You've killed my friends... I can't forget that you started this first... so I won't stop either. As for you... you old shit head... you better hope Orion kills me because I'm going to torture you for all of the things you've done to all of these people." I turned to Zeal.

"I haven't interacted with you in so long, I thought your small mind wouldn't be able to remember me." He responded to me.

"I remember you... and I remember the things you've done to everybody. You called my friend's lives meaningless... you murdered Orion's wife in cold blood... you'd be the most stupid person alive if you think you get to live after this, Zeal. I'll find you after I sail off of this Isle... and I'll gut you, just like you did to our White Stone brothers." I told him.