Future Skullius had settled his affairs in the Empyrean Bosom quickly, shortly after paying the younger him a visit.
Now, he was hovering above Aigas, giving it one last long look. It was unlikely that he would ever return. He wouldn’t have a reason to do so whether Skullius succeeded in saving it or not.
He sighed. He had a lot to think about now.
He had discovered much because of this visit. It hadn’t been one he’d placed much stock in. A part of him had wished he’d never co here, in fact.
Luckily for him, the trip was worth it, and not in the way most would think.
Even from up here, Future Skullius could vaguely sense the presences of Fulgardt and Skullius. On top of that, he could just barely make out the blotch of darkness in a corner of the gargantuan disk of bright light (how worlds looked like from the great void).
Future Skullius narrowed his eyes.
’A checkpoint, I suppose,’ he thought.
Right then, a formidable presence washed over his head like a great shadow. His mind had no choice but to give it its due respect. Thankfully, this presence did not really require its ’partners’ to bow and cower pretentiously.
a voice as deep as the great void itself said.
Still looking down on Aigas, its radiance highlighting his figure like a lantern, Skullius answered:
"What did I lie about?"
Future Skullius’ face remained impassive, and he didn’t respond to the sarcasm imdiately. When he did, what little emotion had been lingering in his voice disappeared completely. Had anyone who’d interacted with him on Aigas heard him speak now, they would not have pegged him as Skullius, even with his likeness on full display.
"You’re always accusing of these outrageous deeds. What? Are you trying to make feel guilty? I don’t feel a lick of that. If anything, I’m satisfied with the result. And I indeed managed said result without a single lie."
A boisterous laugh thrumd through his head, making him wince ever so slightly.
COLMUUN considered that a potent joke.
Future Skullius closed his eyes shut. He might have been lanting the fact that he was forced to explain himself. Why was it that a succinct answer was never enough for anyone, even for Prival Deities?
"You overestimate him if you think he can manage processing everything at once. The imdiate goal of beating Fulgardt and the ultimate objective of fighting Somanda are already treacherous burdens on his mind. Adding on the stress of his inevitable trip to the prison would only derail him. It would crush a portion of his will and resolve. Besides, right now he’s on the precipice of sothing that wasn’t part of my developnt."
COLMUUN considered the Hybrid’s words. He might have searched Aigas through Future Skullius’ eyes and appraised Skullius... as well as his opponent.
At the latter, he chuckled.
COLMUUN’s excitent throbbed so powerfully that it bled into Future Skullius’ body. Wherever the Prival Deity was, he might have been kicking his feet for joy.
"Clearly not." Future Skullius crossed all four of his arms in front of his chest. "You understand now?"
said COLMUUN rather playfully. He sounded like an old man realising he could still muster an erection.
"A contest of Direction," corrected Future Skullius. "Whoever wins will steal the other’s Direction. Unfortunately for that sockethole, even if he wins, he’ll still see the prison. Hence why he’s better off going on in ignorance until I take his place."
COLMUUN remained silent for a few monts. It was at tis like these that he realised... this ward of his was far from being the average Divine expert.
To that, Future Skullius actually laughed. "Is that so? Only Britnee has said that to since I returned."
As he said it, Future Skullius lathered one of his palms with Null Life Essence and shoved it onto his abdon. Almost imdiately, sparks of blue fla shuddered from that part of his body before gushing forth as a wild fire that forged a humanoid shape – a feminine one.
"I see Aurolio left a deeper impression on you than I had originally thought," said Serenity as she hovered in front of Future Skullius.
"Sorry. You took by surprise. I have my own interests different from Skullius’ and I’d rather they remain secret, even from you," said the future Hybrid. "I thought your primary goal was to help him extract his soul from Somanda. Why did you follow ?"
The tone Future Skullius took made Serenity consider her next words carefully. Her integrity was in question.
"It is," she said, "but I’ve done as much I can to help Skullius prepare for his journey of self-recovery. Until he accomplishes that, he shouldn’t need my assistance. But you... You know things that can help a great deal in the short run."
"What makes you think that?"
"A hunch."
"Don’t treat like Skullius. I do know a great deal, and I sure as flesh can detect lies even from soone like you." Future Skullius’ tone was stern. It gave COLMUUN a good laugh.
Serenity was silent for a while, thinking.
"Fine. I had help coming to that conclusion."
Future Skullius tilted his head.
"You are going to surprising lengths to be vague about your babysitter, Serenity. Like I said, I know a great deal. VOW. Wyrrim. Whatever else she’s called. I would have preferred so honesty."
...!!!
Serenity was visibly shaken.
"You... you are..." she stuttered.
"Aware? Yes. The irony. Your father did say that VOW would try to snoop. Hence, my prison’s bizarre location." The thought brought so semblance of a smile to Future Skullius’ face.
Serenity, on the other hand, drew back. She nearly fizzled out. The blue in her flas turned white.
"No... My father...?" she found herself saying in a shaking voice.
Future Skullius chuckled ever so lightly.
"The Wanderer sends his regards."
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