Truth of the curse

Elric was very scared and thinking about how he could rephrase the question he asked before. As he was pondering, the keeper asked, "Why do you want it?"

Elric was shocked by the question because he expected some kind of life-threatening attack, but a normal question seemed unbelievable. Nevertheless, Elric replied, "I want to meet God and ask for his help."

The keeper smiled and said, "God is not like you humans. He is everywhere, even here. He can hear and watch you all the time; you don't have to meet him personally."

"I know, but people all around the world wish to God for something. With all those wishes, mine will be delayed. So why should I just sit and wait? I believe I should go and find God and ask him directly because not all people have gone in search of him. I could be the first," said Elric.

"I see you are optimistic, but I don't think the book contains any information about meeting him. Otherwise, I would have met him myself," said the keeper.

"I don't expect to find him that easily. Maybe all those four books combined have some information, even the slightest lead, which could help in my journey," said Elric.

"If you really want it, you can ask the master," said the keeper.

"Master? Are you not the master of this temple?" asked Elric.

"No, I am just a mere faithful servant of his. If you want to meet him, go straight from here," said the keeper.

Elric said, "Thank you for your help," and headed straight. He was thinking, if the servant is this powerful, how powerful can the master be? As the hallway ended, he saw a man sitting on water in an icy lake. Before he could ask something, the master said, "Come closer." As Elric heard him, he felt it was a command given to him; that much power only his words had. Elric moved towards him on the ice lake. As he stepped on the lake, it turned into water. Now he was drowning in the cold water. "So cold, so cold," was all he could think, but a sudden flashback of his journey reminded him why he went so far, why he was here now, and what he was doing. With courage in his heart, he swam to the master. As he moved closer to him, the water got hotter and hotter. Even after all this struggle, when he was about to reach the master, the master disappeared.

When he looked around, he saw the master sitting on the edge of the lake. With all that heat and cold, he lost consciousness in the middle of the lake and drowned.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself on the edge of the lake, laying behind the master. The master asked, "What do you seek? I can give it to you, but tell me, what will you do after taking it?"

Elric told him about his mother's curse and why he wanted it, but the master said, "You didn't answer my question, but I understand you are not ready yet."

"What do you mean, master? I answered your question. What else do you want to ask me?" said Elric.

"You are not ready yet, and I am not the master. My name is Ignis," said the master.

"Where is the book? Can I have it?" asked Elric.

"Yes, follow me. I will show you," said Ignis.

Elric followed him. While walking, Ignis asked, "Do you know about King Ahron?"

In reply, Elric said, "Yes, so you also know that he is the owner of this book?"

"Yes, I know about him. Is it true that you kept these books to keep them away from humans and stop spreading their knowledge?" said Elric.

"True. All the stories you have heard are true. I am a real failure who couldn't fulfill the last wish of my master," said Ignis.

"Do you know about the curse on my mother or anything about devils?" asked Elric.

"I know about the devils. There are eleven devils in this world:

Umbra - The Shadow Weaver: He can manipulate shadows to create physical constructs, teleport through darkness, and cloak himself in invisibility.

Nocturna - The Siren of Night: She can sing melodies that control minds, induce sleep, or cause hallucinations. Has control over nocturnal creatures.

Feral - The Beastmaster: He commands legions of demonic beasts, can transform into any creature, and possesses immense strength and agility.

Zephyra - The Tempest Queen: She controls weather, able to summon storms, manipulate winds, and generate lightning.

Infernal - The Soul Forger: He can manipulate and trap souls, forge them into weapons or minions, and siphon life energy.

Withera - The Famine Witch: She can induce famine and drought, control plant life to wither or flourish, and drain nutrients from the earth.

Illusio - The Illusionist: He is a master of illusions, able to alter perceptions, create convincing false realities, and manipulate memories.

Nullis - The Void Harbinger: He can manipulate the void, create black holes, absorb energy, and nullify other powers.

Pyra - The Flame Sorceress: She controls fire, able to summon infernos, manipulate heat, and turn into living flame.

Pestis - The Plague Bringer: He can spread disease and decay, control vermin, and create toxic environments.

Chrona - The Time Warden: She can manipulate time, slow or accelerate it, and trap individuals in temporal loops.

These devils interact with humans. They all have different powers, but all of them gain their power from human emotions, sins they commit, and negative energy in the world. What do you think, which devil is connected to your mother?" said Ignis.

"I am not sure because many of them could grant what my mother wanted. She lost her ability to move, as much as I can think of that," said Elric.

"Your mother asked for a good harvest and lost her ability to use her body. That is connected with Withera - The Famine Witch. She can induce famine and drought, control plant life to wither or flourish, and drain nutrients from the earth. Once a nurturer of growth, Withera was a guardian of fertile lands and abundant harvests. She helped ensure that all creatures could thrive by promoting balance and sustainability in nature. However, as humanity grew increasingly greedy and wasteful, exploiting the land without regard for its health, Withera's patience waned. Her initial sorrow turned into wrath as she watched the natural world deteriorate due to human actions. In her anger, she turned against humanity, using her powers to inflict famine and drought as punishment, ultimately leading to her fall from grace and transformation into the Famine Witch.

Here, look, this is what you came for," said Ignis.

Elric saw a book very different from any book he had ever seen in his life. It had its own light, floating in the air. That was what he wanted.