Lord Shadow

The Oracle look at him with her eyes wide open. There is a gleam of excitement in her eyes, that she could not hide

A smile on her face and a beating heart that beats fiercely like a horse that is riding though the vats plains of the prairie.

When Jean was here, she closed her eyes. But when Azief is here, she opens her eyes wide, like she wanted to see him for the last time.

Like she wanted him to see her eyes and look into it.

Maybe, because unlike Jean, Azief knows better not to pry too much. He had experienced what it is to see too much

Erika could not guess how Azief is feeling right now. But, he must not be feeling very good. He got his answer. But he also got more than what he bargained for

There is a Price for everything after all.

Even though Azief did not come that near toward her, he could smell the scent of herbs around her. 

He could analyze why the Time flow around the area of her was so weird. With a glance he could see it coming from the tree.

But he did not come here for that so he did not investigate deeply about the tree and he did not wonder why the time fluctuation and the time flow around the tree was so weird.

He did not have much time. He had to cherish every second and think of every move before he went to the Seresian world

Maybe, next time. Maybe, when he had the time later, he could satisfy his curiosity and discover why the tree is so weird

But now, is not that time. His step is calm as he finally arrived in front of her.

He was about to say something but she beat him to it. With the same smile as before, she asks the same question to him that she ask before when he first met her, just a few hours before.

‘How was it? Your future?’ she asks and there is a sly smile on her face. 

Azief face hardened and his eyes narrowed. The way she said, the tone she had used, it was almost like she knows what he had seen.

So, he asks her

‘You have seen it?’ Erika nodded. 

Once again Azief was reminded of all the scene he had seen in the future. He had seen what he has become. He had become the Destroyer of world.

He sees the red skies, the rains of fire and death and destruction. He had become what Loki had told him what he will be.

The destroyer of the Universe. It wasn’t until he had seen it that he now could understood why Loki said he would become the destroyer of the Universe.

With that kind of power that he possesses, destroying the Universe is not hard. 

At that time, even though he was already at the Divine Comprehension leveler, he felt like if his future-self wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as breathing.

There was silence between him and the Oracle as the wind blows around them. The island had breezy warm winds and it brings the scent of the sea.

But even that could not calm the waves in his heart.

Azief close his eyes for a second and while his eyes are still closed, he asks, with a tone that had the trace of hope and yearning.

‘Can I change it?’ Erika did not answer immediately. 

The wind passes her gray robes as it flutters. She knew what answer that Death Monarch wanted to hear

But it is an answer she could not give. 

Because, the answer he wanted to hear is something that is a lie. And the Oracle does not lie especially when it is something about her prophecy.

Lying is prohibited for Oracle. And this question is still inside the restriction of prophecy. So, she could not lie even if she wanted to

And she did not want to lie about this. Because she believes in him, more than he believe in himself.

She could only sigh and give a sentence that she had given before to Death Monarch

‘If you are strong, believe’ 

The same words…. but this time it carried a strong meaning. It is very Zen-like words

The wind that blows by around them had passes and there is no more wind blowing around their area. 

Though the grass still sways, and the branches went right and left, like it is waving, the breezy wind around these two people is no longer there

Azief open his eyes with a bitter expression on his face. He had expected the answer. But, he still felt a bit dissatisfied. 

He himself hated lies. But, for some reason, at least, at that moment, he wanted her to lie to him

When had he become so weak? He thought to himself. Sighing, he then said

‘My enemy is still myself’

Erika nodded and said 

‘You understand’ Azief nodded and then he added

‘It is a bitter pill to swallow’ Erika smiles and reply with

‘The truth is mostly bitter. Lies after all always mask the truth so that it always seems sweet and more tempting. Thus, lies is always more dangerous. Because it will make you let your guard down. And once you let that happen, truth would pounce on you until you could no longer stand up’

Erika then got up from her sitting position and she sighed. Azief also sighed.

‘I….’ and he hesitated.

‘I understand what is going to happen’ Then closing his eyes and exhaling, Azief then said

‘I now know what is your pain’ Erika only laugh helplessly

‘It is not easy being a spectator’ she suddenly said. Erika said this to Azief before.

That to see the future and see it clearly, one had to think of himself or herself as a spectator. As such, this word is very appropriate at this moment

Azief then ask Erika

‘You said when I return, you would tell me a prophecy. You said later. This is later’ Erika then remembered and she chuckles

‘Ah, of all the things you could have remembers and forget this is the thing you remember and this is the things you don’t want to forget.’

Azief did not smile. He did not find anything about this funny. But she clearly thinks so. Who knows what Erika is thinking about. 

‘I will whisper it to you’ she said

‘But first, take my pain’

Azief nodded and simply ask

‘What is the Price?’ He needs to confirm it.

‘Your eye’ she said. Azief nodded. Then she added

‘My eye’ Azief frowned. It is really exactly like he had thought. The eye that he saw in that vision is Erika eyes.

The more he thinks about it, the more he did not want that eye. If he takes it, he is walking closer to that future.

‘Why?’ He asked. 

Erika only smiles. And then she laughed. Azief was perplexed. He was not joking and the question is not a funny question.

But she laughs. She laughs so hard like she had just heard the funniest joke ever. It is a joke only she understood.

The reason is simply because she had foreseen this before. This is not the first time that Azief had asked this question. 

At least not for Erika. 

Erika had heard this question before. Or to be more accurate it is her future version that had heard this question before

But, she replies, with tears in her eyes because she was laughing so hard

‘The burden of seeing the future takes a toll on one body’

Azief then ask 

‘What will you do to my eyes then? Will you transplant it?’ Azief thought that it is an exchange. His eyes for her eyes.

But, unlike the eye of the Oracle, his eyes are nothing special. Even if he loses his eyes, as his body is now composed of Laws of the world, he could easily just regenerate another eye

It is like in his early journey when he had his arm being eaten by giant crocodile and after he had leveled up that arm was healed.

Most of his injuries is never long lasting especially after he had perfected his Physique during the Energy Disperse Stage

The only thing that could hurt him was Laws since it changes the properties of his body. But, even that was not applicable now since he is already at Divine Comprehension level.

Hence, he thought that the Oracle wanted his eyes to transplant it to her eyes. But doing so, serves no purpose, he thought to himself.

After all, if one day Erika also reach Divine Comprehension leveler, she could regenerate her own eyes.

Of course, Azief still did not know, that Oracles are a little bit special. Erika shakes her head and then answer him

‘No. It had to be destroyed. That is the only way for it to be permanent’

Azief ears perked up at word permanent. Before he could ask something, Erika added

‘And after all, the eye that you have right now is not really your original eyes, right?

Azief nodded

He still remembers that his eyes had come out during his time in The Supremacy Stairway. Who knows where that eye had gone to. 

The eyes he had now had the same appearance like his original eyes but actually it is created by him using his regenerative abilities. 

It would not pain him to gouge out his eyes and change it with someone else eyes

But the word permanent, made him look at Erika in another way. Then he thought to himself of the lore he had heard about Norns, Oracles and seer and he now understood.