Chapter 65: Chapter 65: The War Within the Soul
The world outside was burning.
Ether churned through the air like a storm of shattered stars. Mountains of broken stone floated above the ruined estate. Rivers of molten fire cut through the earth while frozen wastelands spread across neighboring fields where the influence of the First Dream lingered.
Yet none of that mattered.
Not now.
Because an even greater battle had begun.
A battle no one could see.
A battle taking place inside a single soul.
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Then light.
Then darkness again.
The interior of Eternia’s soul space trembled violently.
The once-empty void had transformed into a vast ocean of silver mist.
Cracks spread across the sky.
Golden lightning surged through the heavens.
Entire sections of the soul realm collapsed and reformed every second.
The fusion had succeeded.
But success came with consequences.
Eternia stood within the endless mist while clutching her chest.
Pain.
Every part of her hurt.
Not physical pain.
Something deeper.
It felt like every memory she possessed was being reorganized.
Her childhood.
Her previous life as Shatter.
Her memories since arriving in this world.
The future memories belonging to Eternity.
Everything was flowing together.
Not disappearing.
Not replacing each other.
Simply becoming connected.
Like countless rivers joining the same sea.
Eternia nearly stumbled.
Inside her head she could hear another voice.
A familiar voice.
Her own voice.
Yet not her own.
"Still alive?"
Eternia grimaced.
"That is a stupid question."
A laugh echoed inside her thoughts.
"Good. You still sound annoying."
Eternia rolled her eyes.
"You literally sound like me."
"Exactly."
For a moment both of them laughed.
The tension eased.
Only slightly.
Because both of them knew what came next.
The First Dream.
Far away within the soul realm.
Something screamed.
The sound was ancient.
Inhuman.
Wrong.
The silver mist immediately froze.
The sky darkened.
The temperature dropped.
Eternia felt chills run down her spine.
Eternity’s voice immediately became serious.
"He’s noticed."
Eternia swallowed.
"That fast?"
"Much faster than I expected."
A silence followed.
Then—
BOOM.
The entire soul realm shook.
Mountains appeared in the distance only to collapse instantly.
The sky cracked.
A massive golden eye opened above the heavens.
It stared downward.
Watching.
Judging.
Searching.
The First Dream had realized something was wrong.
Outside.
Within Eternia’s physical body.
The First Dream paused.
The battle with Lucien had already ended.
The Axis rested within Eternia’s body.
Etherius stood frozen nearby.
Nysera remained unconscious.
The barrier still covered the surrounding region.
Everything should have been proceeding according to plan.
Yet something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The First Dream slowly lowered his head.
The four arms protruding from Eternia’s transformed body twitched.
Golden runes flickered.
Dark armor cracked.
For the first time since descending...
He felt resistance.
From his vessel.
Impossible.
The original Eternia’s soul had been sealed.
Broken.
Buried beneath layers of divine restrictions.
She should not have been capable of interfering.
Yet the resistance continued growing.
The First Dream narrowed his eyes.
Then his expression changed.
Shock.
Genuine shock.
A rare emotion.
One he had not experienced in countless ages.
"...You."
The word echoed.
The sky darkened.
Etherius immediately backed away.
Something was wrong.
The terrifying being possessing Eternia suddenly looked disturbed.
Actually disturbed.
That alone terrified Etherius more than anything.
The First Dream’s gaze focused inward.
Toward the depths of the soul.
Toward the place where a forgotten soul should have remained imprisoned.
And there...
He sensed her.
Awake.
Inside the soul realm.
A figure emerged from the silver mist.
The moment Eternia saw him, her entire body froze.
Not because he was large.
Not because he was powerful.
Not because he radiated overwhelming pressure.
But because he looked ordinary.
Almost disappointingly ordinary.
A young man.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
Simple clothing.
No armor.
No crown.
No grand appearance.
Yet every step distorted reality itself.
The soul realm bent around him.
Existence seemed eager to obey.
The First Dream.
His true form.
Or at least the closest thing to one.
He stopped several meters away.
Golden eyes studying both souls.
Protectively.
Immediately placing herself between him and Eternia.
The First Dream stared.
Then spoke.
"You woke up."
Eternity smiled coldly.
"Miss me?"
The First Dream’s expression darkened.
"No."
"That is unfortunate."
"You should still be asleep."
"You should still be dead."
For a moment silence reigned.
Then Eternity laughed.
A bitter laugh.
A tired laugh.
The laugh of someone who had suffered for far too long.
"Funny."
The silver mist surged.
"I was about to say the same thing."
The atmosphere exploded.
Ether surged outward.
The soul realm shook violently.
Entire landscapes appeared and vanished.
Eternia could barely remain standing.
The pressure alone felt unbearable.
Two monsters.
Two beings whose conflict had transcended time itself.
Facing one another once again.
The First Dream looked toward Eternia.
His gaze became colder.
"You fused."
Eternia felt her stomach tighten.
Eternity answered instead.
"Obviously."
"A desperate move."
"It worked."
"For now."
The First Dream closed his eyes.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Then he opened them again.
"You should not exist."
Eternity’s smile disappeared.
"Neither should you."
Without warning—
The First Dream moved.
The world vanished.
Eternia couldn’t even see what happened.
One moment he stood across from them.
The next—
CRASH.
Eternity flew backward.
Entire void almost shattered.
The soul realm cracked open.
Eternia stared in horror.
What kind of speed was that?
Even weakened...
Even trapped...
Even using only a fraction of his true power...
The First Dream remained incomprehensible.
Eternity emerged from the rubble.
Blood stained her lips.
Yet she smiled.
"You always open with violence."
The First Dream calmly walked forward.
"And you always survive."
The battle erupted.
Not a battle of fists.
Not a battle of weapons.
A battle of will.
A battle for ownership.
A battle for the soul itself.
The First Dream extended his hand.
Golden chains burst from the sky.
Thousands.
Millions.
Each chain covered in ancient symbols.
They descended toward Eternity.
Toward Eternia.
Toward everything.
Eternity immediately raised her hand.
Silver flames erupted.
The chains melted.
The sky exploded.
Reality warped.
Eternia found herself dragged into the conflict despite not understanding half of what was happening.
Memories flooded through the air.
Ancient battles.
Forgotten worlds.
Dead civilizations.
Broken gods.
All of it appeared around them.
The First Dream wasn’t merely attacking.
He was trying to overwrite them.
Erase them.
Rewrite the soul space.
Take complete control once more.
Eternity landed beside Eternia.
Breathing heavily.
"He is weaker."
Eternia blinked.
"Weaker?"
"Compared to before."
Eternia nearly laughed.
"Weaker?!"
The First Dream casually destroyed mountains by blinking.
What exactly qualified as strong?
Eternity almost smiled.
"You should have seen him before."
That answer somehow made everything worse.
The First Dream raised his hand again.
This time the soul realm darkened.
A giant crack spread across the sky.
Then another.
Then another.
Something was trying to enter.
Something vast.
Something ancient.
Eternity’s face immediately changed.
"No."
The First Dream looked at her.
"I do not require full descent."
The crack widened.
"I only require enough."
Eternity immediately lunged forward.
Silver ether exploded.
The First Dream met her attack head-on.
Their collision shook the entire soul.
Eternia dropped to one knee.
Blood trickled from her nose.
Her soul literally couldn’t handle the pressure.
Outside.
Etherius suddenly watched Eternia’s body begin shaking.
Golden light.
Silver light.
Dark light.
All three energies erupted simultaneously.
The ground beneath her feet shattered.
The air screamed.
The barrier started to crack and break down.
Even the angels and demons lingering nearby froze.
The First Dream’s control was becoming unstable.
For the first time...
Something was fighting back.
Something powerful.
Inside.
The battle intensified.
The First Dream launched hundreds of attacks.
Each strike carried enough force to shatter sections of the soul realm.
Eternity answered every attack.
Not winning.
Not overpowering him.
Simply surviving.
Buying time.
Again and again.
And again.
Eternia watched.
Learning.
Understanding.
Slowly realizing something important.
Eternity wasn’t trying to defeat him.
She couldn’t.
Not yet.
She was trying to push him out.
The realization struck.
"Eternity!"
The future version turned briefly.
"What?"
"What do I do?!"
For the first time...
Eternity smiled.
A genuine smile.
"Finally asked."
Another collision shook reality.
Eternity pointed toward the sky.
Toward the crack.
"The vessel belongs to us."
Eternia stared.
"The soul belongs to us."
Another explosion.
"The body belongs to us."
The crack widened further.
"The only reason he can stay is because you keep believing he is stronger."
Eternia blinked.
"What?"
Eternity grinned.
Then shouted—
"Stop treating him like a god!"
The words echoed.
Something inside Eternia froze.
Then shifted.
Because she realized...
She had been doing exactly that.
Ever since meeting the First Dream.
Every action.
Every thought.
Every fear.
She had already accepted defeat.
Accepted that he was unstoppable.
Accepted that resistance was meaningless.
And maybe...
That belief itself had become part of the prison.
The First Dream immediately noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
Dangerously.
"Eternity."
The future girl laughed.
"Oh no."
Silver flames erupted.
"You figured it out."
The First Dream moved.
Faster than ever before.
Murderous intent exploded.
For the first time.
He genuinely looked angry.
Not cold.
Not calm.
Angry.
Because the situation was slipping away.
Eternia stood.
Her legs trembled.
Her entire soul hurt.
She was terrified.
Absolutely terrified.
But she stood anyway.
The First Dream looked at her.
"You believe you can oppose me?"
Eternia swallowed.
"No."
The First Dream paused.
Then—
She smiled.
"But I think I can annoy you."
Silence.
Even Eternity stared.
Then burst out laughing.
The First Dream looked genuinely offended.
The soul realm shook.
The silver mist surged.
The crack in the sky halted.
For the first time.
The First Dream took a step backward.
Only one step.
But it happened.
And that alone felt impossible.
Eternia could feel it.
The ownership of the body.
The connection.
The resistance.
Everything growing stronger.
The war had only begun.
The true battle was still ahead.
The First Dream’s expression became colder than ever.
"You have delayed the inevitable."
Eternity stepped beside Eternia.
Together.
Side by side.
Past and present.
One soul.
Two minds.
One purpose.
Eternity smiled.
"Maybe."
Eternia grinned.
"Probably."
The First Dream stared at both of them.
Then slowly raised his hand.
Divine power gathered.
Darkness spread.
The heavens cracked.
And for the first time since awakening...
The First Dream prepared to fight seriously inside the soul itself.
Far outside.
Etherius watched helplessly as a colossal vortex of silver and gold began swirling around Eternia’s body.
The estate trembled.
The barrier groaned as fragments of it began to fall from the sky.
The sky darkened.
Something enormous was happening.
Something that would change everything.
And standing at the center of it all...
Was Eternia.
