Destroy What Necklace?

'Save...me?' Jody thought in confusion. 

But due to Sansa's words, it finally hit him.

A sensation of...weightlessness. It wasn't until now that Jody realized...Sansa was right. He had watched Lulu fade into dust despite Sansa's protection. How could he fair any better? He hadn't noticed until now that despite all the pain he felt previously, it didn't hurt anymore. Nothing was hurt but his feelings. Perhaps he had long since noticed. He had just been distraught and distracted. In his mind, he felt fine.

Fine? 

No, no, no, he wasn't fine at all! His body was gone! 

He felt a surge of panic as he gazed around.

He didn't have a body!

And it wasn't just a jolt of panic. The panic was so intense he could physically feel it. Yet, he could feel nothing else. No arms, no legs, no torso…nothing whatsoever. His mind was lucid, his thoughts clear, and he didn't appear to be in pain. Was this the afterlife?

Jody looked around and felt that his surroundings had no substance to them. It was as if he were standing in the sky. But if he concentrated, he would feel like he was next to Sansa again.

"Sansa..." Jody cried quietly.

"Jody," she said softly while pointing behind him, "I'm not the one you should be calling."

Jody looked over his shoulders and saw an enormous structure in the open skies background that resembled a mandala, a magnificent web-like structure made from an intricate network of lines, shapes, and forms. Within it, he could barely see a small figure. The figure turned, and he saw that it was Lulu. 

Even confused couldn't explain Jody's current state of mind. He thought he was losing it.

"Sansa, why is this happening to us? Why can't we stop it from consuming our lives? What motivated that maniac to kill everyone, even the man who struck you? Why are they so interested in you, and how is it that you're still okay? Who are they really? Who are you really?" Jody was in utter panic at this point, and all these questions came spilling out of his mouth faster than he could comprehend them. 

"My name is Sansa Trill, and yours is Jody Trill. You should not bother yourself with the troubles of Lulu or me. You are the soulmate we desire, not the man we belong to. You're similar, but...not quite. I thought this was the pivotal time, but I see now that it was a different point. That man was born long, long ago. But today must have some significance...

"Luer...Lulu will be fine. I have taken steps to ensure she will be revived, but your soul…I cannot protect it from destruction during this phase of Gaea's life cycle. The only thing I can do is expel your spirit away from here. It may not sound kind, but it's the only way to meet again. As much of my karma as I can spare will go with you… And when we meet again…

"Please destroy the Necklace of Carnage. You must not let it outlive the Titans," Sansa glanced at the enemy.

When Jody turned his head earlier, she parted her hands and completed a series of blurred motions. Black runic writings crawled through the void like seals being drawn into existence, then shot forth towards Jody's chest. Dozens of runes flew and embedded themselves into his soul. She had just completed her motions at the end of her words before everything in Jody's perception went dark.

"Destroy what necklace?" Jody was feeling more confused by the second; nothing made sense anymore.

Sansa sadly made one last gesture in farewell before the darkness took him.

Sansa shed a tear as the light and noise of the disintegration beam slowly died off, revealing her captivating form floating in front of what used to be the rest of the building. In the distance, she could see the city streets filled with people desperately running for cover from the sudden eruption of menacing destructive light.

Seeing these regular citizens made her realize that her short-lived masquerade as an ordinary human being had ended. 

"Goodbye, my Jody," Sansa murmured softly. "Had you not met me in this life, you would have eventually flown off into the skies and created your own legend, revitalizing the world and rebuilding it anew. Even if it were in this miserable world… at least it would have been a good journey. Don't worry, I'll see to it that Gaea is reborn..."

The black-cloaked man turned around, and a portal of darkness opened before him. He stepped to the side casually as if waiting for a superior to enter before himself. The menacing villain suddenly became as amiable and humble as a servant.

Seeing the change in the man's demeanor, Sansa sighed softly. She started to float towards the portal slowly. As she glided closer, her eyes met the cloaked figure's gaze with a knowing stare.

"I see you are still loyal to your masters," Sansa stated calmly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even though they refuse to cure your Hyde's Disease."

"Cure? You silly little girl. This was a weapon assigned to me by circumstance. Why take a weapon from a soldier in war? The fate of this world is not within our control," the cloaked man replied stoically via telepathy, no longer using his deep and powerful voice. "It is our duty to maintain balance. Nothing more."

"Balance?!" Sansa snarled incredulously, her eyes flashing with anger. "Nothing is balanced about destroying innocent lives and spreading chaos without establishing order!"

The cloaked figure remained silent, his eyes cold and unfeeling, having heard this argument a thousand times before.

"Order can only be established once the goal is met. Think of it as a prerequisite."

Sansa shook her head in disgust before turning to face the portal. The cloaked man couldn't see the sly smirk that appeared on her face for an instant. She paused for a moment as if contemplating something before she spoke.

"Tell your masters this," she said firmly as she disappeared into the portal. "I will not stand idly by while they continue to manipulate the fate of this world. This is not balance, Maxi. This is madness."

As the portal closed, the black cloak of Maxi suddenly shined brilliantly before becoming a sparkling white. He removed his hood, revealing a handsome visage.

"Amitabha. There are so many parallel paths that converge here. Was it all for the sake of one soul? One regret, perhaps? That Eirekur would become a blood curse, like a parasite latching on to my consciousness... this is not the future I foresaw years ago. It should be he who eliminated this little farce rather than we.

"The necklace of carnage must be used properly, no matter what Lady Sansa believes. It is what's required to stop The End," Maxi replied to nothing but the dust in the room in a deadpan drawl. 

"If we cannot stop The End, all is for naught."

Maxi stood in the silent void of the destroyed building, his thoughts drifting to the events that had just transpired. His loyalty to his masters had never been questioned, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The necklace of carnage had been created for the sole purpose of stopping The End. But could it really be stopped?