Chapter 36 - 36 The Trial That Shouldn’t Be
" You are not supposed to be here, deity." The thick chilling voice of the dragon echoed, his mere breath pushing her a few steps back.
" You know who I am?" she asked. She was a little surprised but she masked it with her nonchalant expression.
"Yes, and I know why you are here. But let's avoid this fight, because you can't take it." His slit eyes closed and opened back. His expression hardened.
" Why?" She asked, her hand crackled with a golden aura.
" Because this trial is for beings of the mortal world, not deities. If you take it, she dies," he warned.
"Why would I believe you?" Her eyes darkened.
"You might as well try for yourself, don't say I didn't warn you. Many have sought after its power but none could take it. I can see she bears the mark of chaos but this trial is hers to bear, if you insist on taking it, then be prepared to pay the price." He moved out of her way, his eyes gleaming with mischievousness.
Eritrea looked at him with doubt and hesitated for a moment. If he is telling the truth, it means Olivia would die and she would fail to exist.
This was a big gamble. Olivia is not ready yet to take the sacred flame nor is she strong enough to use it. But if she takes it now and uses it, she could quickly strengthen Olivia's body.
She clenched her fists, taking a decisive step forward. If this was a gamble, she would bet everything. ' I don't believe there is anything I can't control.'
Eritrea's fists clenched, golden energy crackling around her fingers as she stared at the Sacred Flame. The dragon's words rang in her mind.
"If you take it, she dies."
'Lies.' She muttered, her eyes burning with conviction.
They always lied to her. Gods, mortals, spirits—none of them truly knew the limits of power. Power was meant to be taken, forged, controlled. If she backed down now, Olivia would remain weak and helpless. And Eritrea refused to let that happen.
She took a step forward, the molten heat from the lava licking at her skin. The dragon simply watched, his molten eyes unreadable.
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"You really don't want to do this," he said, his voice deep and foreboding. His head shook in disappointment at her stupidity.
Eritrea smirked. "I don't believe in destiny. If power exists, it's meant to be used." With that, she reached out and grasped the Sacred Flame.
For a moment, nothing happened. The flame pulsed softly, warm in her hand, its golden glow reflecting in her eyes.
A victorious smile curled on her lips, she knew it, she was meant to do great things, and there is nothing that she can't control in this mortal world.
" I told you, nothing is going to happen," she said, her voice bold and a little prideful.
The dragon only stared at her, waiting for the disaster to unfold.
She scoffed at him, turning to take her leave. Then..
Boom.
A violent force slammed into her chest, knocking the breath from her lungs. The golden flames she once controlled twisted against her, searing into her skin, not with heat, but with something far worse... an unnatural, consuming energy.
Eritrea gritted her teeth. "No. This can't be happening." She forced her will upon the flame, trying to bend it to her command. But it resisted. Harder. Stronger. And Olivia... Olivia was breaking.
Eritrea's fists clenched, pouring every ounce of her will into the flame. "It's mine. I can control it. I can..."
Pain. A white-hot agony splitting through her skull like a thousand burning needles. The fire turned on her, wild and furious, tearing through Olivia's soul like a blade through silk.
'No, no, NO!' she screamed in her mind. She refused to lose. She was a goddess. She was power.
But the flame did not care, nor did it bow.
Eritrea gasped, her grip tightening around the flame. She couldn't let go, no matter how hard she tried. It was inside her now, its power pouring into Olivia's body, binding itself to her very essence.
"No..." her voice choked as her eyes widened in disbelief. Something was wrong.
The pain was unbearable, unlike anything she had ever felt, as if something inside Olivia was being ripped away. Eritrea could feel it, an invisible force snapping apart like frayed threads.
And then she heard it.
"STOP!"
Olivia's voice—raw, desperate—screamed inside her own mind.
Eritrea's vision fractured, the golden expanse of the Sacred Flame's chamber splintering like cracked glass. For a moment, she wasn't in the cave anymore.
She was inside Olivia's sea of consciousness.
And Olivia was on the ground, clutching her chest, her face twisted in agony.
"Wh... what did you do?!" Olivia choked out, her emerald eyes burning with pain, her gaze filled with something close to hatred.
Eritrea staggered, gripping her head. "I took the flame. I was saving you." Her voice came out in a whisper, doubts clawing at her chest. She didn't intend for this to happen, she only wanted to help.
But Olivia shook her head. "No... You're killing me." And then Eritrea saw it. A piece of Olivia's soul ripping away from her. It was small, like a dying ember, but it was hers. And it was fading.
The dragon's warning hadn't been a lie. The Sacred Flame was never meant to be taken by an outsider. And by forcing it, Eritrea had shattered something inside Olivia.
"She dies." The dragon's words echoed in her mind. For the first time, fear flickered in her eyes. Eritrea's eyes widened in horror. Olivia wasn't just losing power. She was losing herself.
She ran closer to her, desperately trying to force the energy back, but it was too late. The damage had been done. The golden fire fused into Olivia's being, but at a terrible cost.
Eritrea's breath hitched. Her fingers trembled, reaching out again, but the golden light slipped through her fingers like sand in an hourglass. The once-powerful deity now felt powerless. She had never failed before. Never made a mistake that couldn't be undone. But now... she might have killed Olivia.
Eritrea dropped to her knees, staring at Olivia's crumpling form, the weight of her mistake pressing down like an unmovable mountain.