"Zenith…." Yennefer spoke softly. "….What did you do?"
Zenith looked at her mother.
"….To live with you." She said softly. "…I sacrificed my body."
Yennefer froze, her hands hovering in the void as if afraid to touch her daughter's glowing form.
"Sacrificed… your body?" Her voice trembled. "Zenith… what do you an?"
"….I wanted to exist here… with you. With all of you, but this place… it isn't made for soone like ."
She trembled violently. "So, I broke my body down… and ford a bridge."
Yennefer's mind turned blank as she just stood without any response.
"I know it was stupid and impulsive." Zenith said, her glowing body flickering. "….But really didn't want to lose you, mom."
Yennefer's hands twitched in the emptiness, trembling as if reaching for sothing she could never touch.
"….What have you done, child?" She whispered, her voice broken.
Zenith broke down as tears dripped down her eyes.
Those glowing droplets vanished in the empty void.
Zenith shook her head. "I am sorry." She barely spoke. "….I should have just listened… waited—."
She couldn't even understand what she was speaking, but Yennefer could.
….After all, she was her own child.
Yennefer's chest tightened, a wave of helplessness washing over her.
"…No, Zenith… don't apologize. You… you didn't know. None of this was your fault."
Yennefer stepped closer, her hands reaching, almost touching, but the void seed to push back, separating them.
Zenith's cry was the only thing that was in the endless space.
Until, a ray of light hit them.
They both looked at the source, finding a sun, looming around.
Yennefer quickly noticed another thing, that was a planet just close by.
A moon rotated around it, and she recognised it.
"Akasha." Yennefer mumbled. "….And that's Lumina."
Zenith trembled as she noticed it as well.
"Mom." She whispered. "We are getting dragged towards it."
Yennefer nodded as she looked at Lumina.
She slowly turned to look at Zenith.
"…..We can't go there." She said firmly. "You don't have a body… I don't think you can survive."
Zenith's glow flickered nervously, wavering like a candle in a storm. "…But… we have no choice, do we?"
Yennefer looked at her. "C-Can't you take us back to that world?" She asked. "Maybe we can liv—."
Zenith shook her head. "….I have nothing to sacrifice."
Yennefer paused as she looked at her daughter.
….She just kept on staring at 'her' World.
Finally, she smiled as she took a step back.
"You should be glad." She said, smiling. "….Your mother is a genius in using runes."
Zenith looked at her with teary eyes. "W-what are you doing?"
Yennefer didn't reply as she began to draw a rune with her fingertip.
She moved her hand in the air gracefully.
"You know, Zenny…." Yennefer whispered as she continued to form runes. "When you were born, you were really small."
Yennefer's fingers traced intricate patterns in the air, glowing faintly as they left trails of silver light.
"…I worried so much." She continued softly. "You were fragile, tiny and a cry baby."
"…..Mom." Zenith trembled. "..P..Please stop."
Yennefer's lips curved in a faint smile. "…You don't know how proud I am seeing you grow so big and strong."
Her gaze softened, eyes locking with Zenith's. "…And now, you've given even more reason to protect you."
Zenith finally caught at what her mother was doing. "No, no. Mother—."
With the last rune in place, a spiral and spherical shape blood around them.
The sphere wrapped around Yennefer, slowly rotating around her while the spiral covered Zenith.
Starting from her feet, Yennefer's body began to deconstruct, turning into light.
The sa light moved towards Zenith, forming a new body for her.
Tears began to drip from Zenith's face once again.
"M…Mom, mother, stop it. Please stop it."
"I was so lonely before you." Yennefer said, her smile radiant. "….my biggest happiness was having you as my child."
Half of Yennefer's body was already gone, and Zenith got half a body.
"I…I can't." Zenith whispered, her voice barely audible. "…I can't live without you."
Yennefer finally could touch her daughter again.
Her smiled softly.
"Silly girl." Yennefer said, looking into her eyes. "I am not going anywhere."
The light finally caught up to her face. "Mama will always love y…."
Yennefer vanished completely from the place.
What was left was a child crying for her mother.
---
"I presu you are my curse."
I spoke, clasping my hand behind my back.
"Or should I call you the God of Sun… Amun-Ra."
"Bold as ever." The golden man spoke with a smile. "Yet stupid like no other."
I ignored his jab as I got my answer.
He really was the sun god, or should I say a lost Essence of him.
….The real sun god was already dead.
"Where is this place?" I asked, looking back at him.
"A place in ti distortion." He replied, standing up. "….And the heart of Azrael's kingdom."
I stepped closer, my eyes fixed on the golden figure, the radiance around him almost painful to look at.
"Ti distortion… Azrael's kingdom…" I muttered. "…So this is where all of it cos together."
Amun-Ra tilted his head, the faint curve of his smile not reaching the intensity in his eyes. "Correct. A nexus."
"Was it you, who helped Zenith to bring here?" I asked, staring at him without flinching.
"Yes." He admitted without delay. "The [Oracle of Future] may be stupid, but she is useful."
"Why?" I asked. "Why bother bringing to a place like this?"
He walked and stopped right in front of .
The god of Sun was tall, almost eight feet tall.
It strained my neck only to look at his face.
He waved a hand dismissively, golden light shimring across his body.
The world around us shifted as we were in a different place.
It was the sa place where I was just a few minutes ago.
The peak from where the city was visible.
Christina still sat there holding the unconscious Azariah in her hand.
"Isn't this world perfect?" He said, walking around. "Isn't your life perfect as well."
"I wouldn't call this perfect," I said, my voice steady but low. "And you have yet to answer my question."
"Lumina isn't safe for you." He spoke, keeping his steps steady. "There are so many things that can kill you in an instant."
"….There are many that can kill even gods." I spoke firmly. "What about it?"
"You don't understand, do you?" He said, looking back with his black golden eyes. "Your life is much more important than a re god."
I narrowed my eyes, my fingers tightening at my sides. "Should I be proud?"
"There are things that only you can do." He spoke again. "To be more precise, only your body can do."
Amun-Ra's golden form shimred as he tilted his head slightly, studying with a faint curiosity.
"….But the thing is, you are weak." He spoke again. "You are not ready to face things that are bound to co after you."
I took a slow step closer, refusing to be blinded by his light. "So, what of it?"
"I will give you an ultimatum." He said, fully turning to look at . "Stay in this world and I will train you."
I tilted my head. "Nothing is free in this world." I said firmly. "What do you need in return?"
"Nothing much." He spoke, staring dead into my eyes. "Just lend your body from ti to ti."
I stared at him, the golden light around his body shifting like a living sun.
"Lend you… my body?" I repeated slowly, my voice low. "You expect to hand myself over to you?"
Amun-Ra smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it. "Not all of you. Not forever. rely when it's needed."
"Why?" My eyes narrowed. "Why ?"
"Because you were born for this." His voice rolled like thunder, yet it was calm.
"Your body is a vessel, forged long before you drew your first breath. There are doors in you even gods cannot open without breaking."
I stayed silent, my heart pounding.
He took a slow step forward, towering over .
"You are not a hero. You are not a savior. You are a key." His hand lifted, a shimr of gold dancing across his fingers. "And without you, the locks will remain closed forever."
I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of his words. "And if I say no?"
His smile faded, his expression unreadable. "Then you will die—."
"Kill ." I spoke, looking into his eyes. "I also wanted to see how you would use my body after killing ."
The air between us thickened, the distorted world trembling faintly.
"It's not about just you, boy." He spoke firmly. "Billions of lives are at stake—."
"Since when did you begin to care about others' lives?" I cut him off. "…No god cares about mortals' lives."
There was a flicker in his eyes.
"I do." He spoke, turning around. "I even died for my people."
I didn't speak as he began to walk once again.
Only then did I notice that the world around was just moving a lot faster than usual.
In just a few monts, it was already another day.
"….What is going on?" I spoke in confusion.
"Azrael placed a seal here." He spoke without looking back. "If I interfere too much in this world, then it will destroy itself."
Sothing clicked in my mind.
"And you will die as well." I spoke. "Because your essence is connected to its heart?"
He gave an annoyed look, as if my words were correct.
"He was an insightful being." He said venomously. "You aren't even half of him."
I didn't speak as I kept on looking around.
The speed of the World had increased even more.
"My answer won't change." I said firmly. "I won't give my body at any cost."
He stopped and turned towards .
"You will." He spoke as if certain. "You can't face things that will co for you."
I didn't say anything as I looked back into his eyes.
He suddenly placed his hand over my chest.
I tilted my head. "What are you doing?"
"Azrael asked to keep his kingdom away from all danger." He pushed away.
"….And you are a danger."
The World around twisted along with his last words.
When my eyes adjusted, I was floating in open space.
With so movent, I turned my body to look at the planet floating in front of .
'It's Lumina.'
I recognised the place imdiately.
'hmm?'
A translucent barrier kept safe.
Slowly but surely, I was being sucked towards Lumina.
I blinked as I stared at the planet.
With being out of both Akasha and Lumina.
…. Sothing began to form within my mind.
The world distorted as I saw it for the first ti.
A being that covered the entire planet with its tentacle-like body.
…I could also feel it, the cry of help of the planet.
I could feel them probing the atmosphere, probing the seas, probing every corner of the world.
It was like the planet itself was screaming, and every scream cut straight into my mind.
'…Ahh.'
It finally beca clear to .
Why I couldn't form a kingdom.
What was stopping from forming one.
I slowly reached my hand towards it as it flickered violently.
'….Lumina is a kingdom as well.'
I thought, staring at the World.
'….It's my Kingdom.'
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