The void was still as the primal sound of the Abyss’s anguish echoed away into silence, marking a significant victory yet underscoring the gravity of their next steps.
In this stark expanse, Khaalseru, Ava, and Miphine, alongside Lassim and his elemental companions Mari and Zaphy, stood in contemplation over the now-removed shard.
Khaalseru let out a long, relieved sigh, the tension visibly leaving her form. "Finally," she declared, her voice loud in the void, "that pestilent splinter is out. Thanks to you all, especially you, Lassim. You’ve got quite the knack for stirring up divine intervention."
Ava smiled warmly at Lassim, "Your courage brought us here, Lassim. You have performed even greater than expected. We believed you’d take a considerable time longer to help Khaalseru."
Miphine, still emanating a fierce glow, simply nodded. "The natural order is restored," she stated. "But remain vigilant. Nature abhors a vacuum, and the void left by the shard may yet attract new challenges."
Khaalseru, her form less burdened by pain, addressed the shard with a cautious eye. "This piece of the abyss turned weapon," she began, her voice carrying the weight of her anguish, "it is too hateful, too steeped in dark intentions. We cannot risk trying to repurpose or contain it."
Ava, her expression serene yet firm, agreed. "True, the internal nature of a fragment of the abyss is infused with its destruction, decay, and endless hunger. Such power, if misused or left without a strong enough will, could spell disaster. Even the smallest fragment could be repossessed and used for its evil intentions if in the right place and circumstances."
Miphine, standing slightly apart, added, "We should destroy it, utterly. Not a trace should remain to risk further contamination or temptation."
Khaalseru nodded. "Indeed, destruction is the only path. That hot head, Ribus, with his control over divine fire would be suited to this task. Is he still so quick to anger after all these years? Regardless, we must ensure that every particle is reduced to nothingness. He should be able to make it happen."
Ava turned her gaze to the heavens, where Famthar, though not physically present, was watching over this council from his thunderous throne.
She spoke softly, as if conveying their message across the celestial distance, "We will reduce it to ash and then, send these ashy remains back through a portal directly into the Abyss. It will serve as a clear declaration to that deity lurking within—that their malice has found no purchase here."
With their plan set, Khaalseru summoned a burst of her regained strength, enveloping the shard in an aura of ethereal light, preparing it for its final destruction.
Ava communicated their intentions to Famthar, ensuring that Ribus would be ready to incinerate the shard with his celestial flames as soon as it was transported to his fiery domain.
Lassim and his companions watched as the shard was taken from the void, sent toward the domain of Ribus, where it would be utterly destroyed. Its ashes cast into the Abyss, dealing a blow to its plans and ensuring no trace of its malign influence could ever return to threaten the cosmos again.
In Ribus’s volcano, the shard appeared before him. He quickly chucked it onto a pedestal located above the lava of his domain. Ribus then summoned a blazing inferno to destroy the entirety of the object down to tiny flakes of ashes.
As the shard was engulfed in divine fire, tiny wisps of red ethereal material floated up and dispersed into the air. It then began to break apart and crackling like a wet piece of wood dropped in a bonfire.
The echo of the shard’s destruction—a final, resounding crack like the breaking of chains—signaled the end of its existence a few moments later. The shard turned to a chunk of fragile charcoal.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
The gods, though some distant, felt a ripple of relief and satisfaction as the echoes of the shattered shard dissipated into the void. The threat was no more, and peace, however tentative, was restored for the moment.
Khaalseru, now holding the dark shard, its power diminished and contained, turned to Lassim with a grin. "Now, let’s talk about cleaning up the rest of this mess and decide what we should do about the future of my dear children. You’ve got quite the career ahead as a divine janitor, boy."
Lassim couldn’t help but smile, relief and fatigue mingling in his expression. The task had been daunting, the journey arduous the last five years, but the end was now in sight. He was going home and soon able to continue making his way to the Lightning Sect.
Ava stepped forward, placing a hand on Khaalseru’s shoulder. "You should rest now as well. Your recovery is just beginning."
Khaalseru nodded, her eyes on Lassim. "I shall, however, I believe us adults should have a conversation about some things first before then. Child, you may go to sleep." With that, Khaalseru’s presence suddenly erupted and focused directly on Lassim and his elemental companions.
Lassim barely got out, "Huh? What do—..." before he was forced unconscious by a mere fraction of the deity’s unrestrained presence.
The three deities then swiftly disappeared as they flexed their powers, arriving far, far away in the center of the universe. Khaalseru brought Lassim along as Zaphi and Mari returned to his inner heart world when they were forced asleep.
~~~~
In the Golden Heavenly Palace where the gods convened, a place where Lassim had received his mission to be a bastion for Nexaria on his Spirit Awakening day, the atmosphere was charged with a mix of relief and anticipation. The threat to one of the oldest Elder Gods had been neutralized, but now, deeper considerations about the future were needing to be hashed out.
Khaalseru, still bearing the weakened, but recovering aura of her recent ordeal, stood among the elder gods. "Well, my dear peers, it’s about time we discussed my integration into your celestial consortium," she began, her tone commanding yet laced with a hint of jest. "And I’m not just here to take up space—I intend to bring my children, the Drow, into the fold of Nexaria."
The gathered gods exchanged looks of surprise. Famthar, the current head of the pantheon and always the stoic one, raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "Khaalseru, you’ve always preferred your independence, managing your realms alone. What brings about this change of heart?"
Khaalseru’s expression softened slightly, her usual sass melding with a rare sincerity. "Let’s just say, enduring the Abyss’s torment for over a million years has opened my eyes. I was wrong to think I could handle it all on my own. The times are changing, and so must I. It’s time I joined the defense line, not just for my sake but for all our sakes. The abyss is truly a worthy foe in my eyes now."
Ava, ever the motherly empath, nodded understandingly. "We welcome your decision, Khaalseru. Your wisdom and strength will be invaluable in our council. And your proposal to include the Drow in Nexaria is a significant one. However, there’s a condition—as with the rest of us, you must be willing to empower the younger generations with your domain of space if you are to place your throne among ares.
Oh, what a wonderful thing it would be! Imagine it, space-wielding warriors among us, a new school of elemental magic!"
Khaalseru’s eyes twinkled with a mix of amusement, "Empowering the youth, you say? That sounds like a fair exchange, as long as I can choose my own seeds. But let’s not forget the hero of the hour—Lassim. He deserves more than just our gratitude." Her gaze drifted to where Lassim had been gently put to rest by her divine intervention, a sly smirk playing on her lips.
Miphine, who had been quietly observing the discussions, finally spoke, her voice as cutting as the natural forces she commanded. "Indeed, the boy has shown a resilience and purity of spirit that is rare. What do you propose, Khaalseru?"
Khaalseru leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, though still loud enough for all to hear. "Oh, I have something special in mind for him—a gift that befits a young man who helped a god regain her might. But let’s keep that between us for now. It’ll be a splendid surprise."
The gods agreed, some with nods, others with thoughtful murmurs. The decision to accept Khaalseru and the Drow into their ranks was a monumental one, but her agreement to aid in empowering the next generation was a compelling incentive that they were looking forward to.
The agreement was struck and Khaalseru planned to place her throne in the Heavenly Palace after she settled matters with her children and Lassim. As the meeting adjourned, Khaalseru’s smirk broadened as she slipped into the void traveling towards Nexaria with Lassim in tow, held gently in her giant hands are she traversed it’s twisting nether.
Famthar had been the most suspicious, but like the rest of the gods, they were willing to turn a blind eye to any sort of additional power Khaalseru wished to bestow upon Lassim. He was their chosen champion after all.
Although, after they find out what she will do as she arrives in the expanse surrounding Nexaria, they would later remark that they had hoped she would have consulted them before she made such an incredible decision.
Her gift was going to shake the future battlefields and make the Abyss wish it had never placed a thorn in the Goddess of Space’s chest. It would regret that day far, far into the future.