Chapter 534: Impossible Choice
An electrifying chill ran through his body as Arthur turned to look into his eyes, and Abraham had to fight the urge of looking downward. But, instead, he met the golden eyes that stared into his soul, looking for recognition in them.
"Who are you?"
The question was like an arrow that tore through Abraham"s heart, and his eyes closed helplessly. It has been thousands of years, and even though he retained his memories because he was only sealed in the void, Arthur died before.
The reincarnation into a different person stripped him of all the memories he once had for them. Abraham needed to abandon the moments they shared as a part of the past.
"I am the Healer Guardian," bowed Abraham humbly. "I may be your enemy, but there is no need for us to fight."
"Are you an enemy?" asked Arthur with a cold voice that froze the guardian"s soul. At that moment, Abraham remembered what the saint had told him. That Arthur did not know him and that presenting himself as an enemy was akin to a lifelong sentence of hate.
"I am working with the Ancient One," Abraham looked back at the pool of blood that was gathering. "However, I don"t believe that we have to fight."
As soon as he finished his words, Abraham felt the crushing pressure descend. He turned back toward Arthur and found that his aura was overflowing again. The Creator raised his hand as the mana gathered.
"Begone," said the man, and Abraham felt a crushing force entering his body and trying to tear it apart from inside. The Healer Guardian fell to his knees as the pain shot throughout his body.
"You have turned ruthless, old friend," smiled Abe as he slowly rose. Arthur was confused as he looked at the guardian. "I can heal faster than anyone can destroy me."
"Are you sure?" asked the man with golden eyes with a smile. At that moment, his human arm lowered, and his dark metallic one moved.
Abraham felt the world move as that arm moved as if rotating with it. He could feel the scenery tilt forward, and he realized that this was the same as the power that sealed them in the void.
As the gaping hole in his memory intensified, his mind was struck with panic. Then, finally, Abraham remembered what made him hate Arthur so much: it was the torturous thousands of years that he lived inside the void.
"I proved that I was a healer," he hurried to explain, with sweat rolling down his face. Arthur stopped his attack and stared at him silently. "I can heal the woman that you love. Mana of Creation is powerful, but it is unspecialized. It is the rawest form of energy. You can give her all of your mana, but she will not heal faster than she is being destroyed."
"...And what do you want in return?" asked Arthur as he lowered his hand back, and the suffocating feeling disappeared.
"I want you to drink this," Abraham took the item that the Ancient One gave him. Arthur"s eyes snapped open before a smile appeared on his face. "I know that you know what this is."
"You want me to kill myself?"
"It will kill anyone else, but you are different, Arthur Silvera," replied Abraham as his eyes turned toward the teardrop. "This will barely be enough to contain a fraction of your powers."
"And do you expect me to give you my powers without knowing your plan?" glared Arthur at them as his wrath shook the world.
***
His people began to gather around the battlefield, staring with confusion at their lord who had returned and his dying lover. Gwen transformed herself into a human form, but two of her serpents were dead.
All of the people he got to know in this world gathered, either wounded or surrounded by countless vampires. The world he got to know, the friendships he created, and the enemies were all gathered.
"The plan is to build a hybrid," answered the guardian with a smile. "A creature of both nothingness and existence. A perfect existence."
The answer left Arthur disoriented as if the words made no sense. However, the familiarity was worse than ignorance at this moment because what Abraham was telling him reminded Arthur of a person he knew well.
"I am the monster," laughed Arthur as he realized the person who caused his suffering, "and I am the sword."
This whole time, the things he created, the love he desired, was him walking toward the beginning. So, it made sense to him now why Arthur never realized that Ellen was one of the fallen ones.
There was something to negate the stench of the Enders, and it was his powers. So, the hybrid was created using his powers of creation, the same method he used to make Lusica use the darkness without devouring him.
"I want to know your answer, Arthur. But, unfortunately, your lover does not have a long time to live," the Healer Guardian took a step forward. Arthur glared at him before he looked down toward Diana.
This was the impossible choice.
Arthur now chose to undo everything that had happened since he came to Alka. There will be no love, no friendships, Gala will die without him, Dia will return to be the prisoner of her father, Lusica will be consumed eventually, Traitor will kill Rega, and he will never be here or lose his arm.
This also means that his father"s plans will fail and that Arthur will not receive the powers of creation, and the current him will die. However, he didn"t know if the last thing was what would happen.
Arthur did not know what would happen if he did not follow along. There will always be the possibility that he remains in this timeline, but the past will change while retaining the same result. The Enders might just find another way to create the hybrid, and Arthur can think of many methods.
There is also the possibility that he would wake up the next day in the past before Ellen got infested. Then, he would have a chance to save his friend and his life. However, he will not be here to receive the powers of creation, and he will never get to meet Diana.
As he stared at the ice spirit, Arthur realized that this was the future that his father, the vessel of the Scholar Guardian, wanted. Arthur was set up to fall for her to make this choice and keep moving forward, but he was now at that point, and there was another option.
"Let me take you somewhere to talk freely," said the Healer Guardian as he walked over. "A place that is outside of the realms of time. Let us have the last conversation, Arthur," he offered his hand as he got close.
"I can kill you here."
"And you will also kill the person you love."
Arthur was silent as he stared at the green eyes of the man. The healer did not seem to lie, and there was nothing that he could do to harm him. Thus, Arthur took his hand, and the world disappeared.
"You look different," said Arthur toward the man holding his, whose appearance morphed into that of a beautiful creature with long ears and blonde hair.
"This is my true form," smiled the creature. "Let me reintroduce myself. I am the Healer Guardian, Lyari. I was your friend long ago, but we did not last for long."
"You are one of the two guardians who wished to abandon everything," frowned Arthur as he looked around. "And this is... Rega."
The wooden hut over the top of the divine tree stood lonely in the scenery. Arthur did not remember it this way, and he was confused why the two of them were here.
"I was the one to build this place as a home for you in my kingdom," turned the guardian as he let go of Arthur"s hand. "And this is the place where we had our first fight."
"The one regarding this world"s fate."
"That is the only matter worthy of separating us, Arthur," said Lyari as he walked toward a table created of branches with two opposing chairs. "Please sit, old friend. Let us continue our argument."
"You are the enemy," said Arthur coldly toward the guardian, and the man seemed to break a little. "Are you here to convince me?"
"I am, indeed."
"You failed to do so last time, so you are trying your luck with my new persona," laughed Arthur as he shook his head. "I am not the same person. I am the worst version I can be."
"You are indeed different, but a pure heart does not die. I only hope that you are not as pure or righteous this time. Let us leave this world, Arthur. We can start over in a different place, with different people and friends."
"That is your great argument? You want us to run away?"
"I would break every bone in my body for us to leave.. But unfortunately, this world is walking the path of destruction, and this fight will only make the bleeding last longer."