Chapter 347: The fight is over
In that moment, the Forest of Living Resentment changed. The knights all looked on, baffled, as the remaining husk monsters began to dissolve on their own.
They panted, looking through the branches, and saw the light leak in through the tree lines—something that had not happened until now.
The grey, bruised sky overhead that was caused due to the demons and miasma had cleared away to thin air, as if it were never there.
They were completely confused. What just happened? Did they vanquish all the demons already?
No, it wasn’t possible to vanquish them just like that. Not when there were still so many approaching.
Then, did Julian get the source?
They all turned their heads to Julian’s still form on his horse, watching as he sat completely still, his eyes closed, and they held their breaths.
In times like this, one could only imagine that Julian had traveled with his consciousness to the Abyss he spoke of to fight the fallen god. And he had won; how else would the sky have cleared? But they still held their breaths. Even if he won, there was a slight chance that he was lost in the process.
They just... did not want to see that possibility.
Then, with a sharp inhale, as though he had been holding his breath for ages, Julian’s eyes shot open and his body radiated a glowing light that startled even the horse he was on.
But before his stallion could even take an uneasy step or lift its hooves to reject its rider, Alaric was there. The Duke swiftly grabbed the reins and steadied the horse.
That’s Alaric, always there to save the day.
"What happened?" Alaric asked, his voice raw. He had no idea that Julian planned to go into the Abyss alone to fight Norx.
What if the fight had gone differently? What if things had gone horribly wrong? He was already starting to beat himself up, just thinking about how he could not be there to provide support for Julian when Julian stretched out his hand and held his face, softly, gently, lifting his gaze to look into his eyes.
Julian offered a faint, tired smile, his hand lingering against the solid warmth of Alaric’s cheek.
Then, he looked past Alaric’s broad shoulders, noting that Kaelen and Commander Nadic had halted the vanguard, their knights staring around the clearing in absolute awe as the entire cursed forest returned to life.
"The fight is over, Lucien," Julian said softly, his scholar’s cadence carrying a profound, unshakeable peace.
He gestured toward the center of the clearing, where the roots of the oldest tree had parted, revealing a completely cleared, stable path.
"The resentment has finally found a place to settle. This tragic loop... is broken."
Alaric couldn’t understand. How? Did he beat the fallen god? He had so many questions for the first time, and he wasn’t sure he could fight his curiosity.
But just then, a bright ray of light descended from the sky. The Holy Knights gasped in profound reverence. They could feel it—the very fiber in their being vibrating to the light.
They got down from their horses and knelt, bowing their heads. Even the Northern knights, who did not believe in this religion, could not stop their bodies from moving. Before they knew it, they were getting off their horses and bowing in reverence.
Coming down was someone that looked like a man but it was no man. No man could shine as brightly with those long silver hair, silver eyes and the light that radiated off his skin... and not to talk of that halo that continuously whirred moving in clockwork and antic clock work direction as if calculating the odds of the world even as he descended.
This... was a god.
And thus descended Alias for the first time in a thousand years. And then, by his side appeared a disgruntled Norx who had finally stopped crying, cleared his tears, and was folding his arms, turning his head away like a spoiled brat.
He no longer had his halo but he didn’t look any less imposing. His two long tails of dark hair fell down his back and his bushy black hair consistently floated about even when there was no wind.
He had no issues leaving his tanned chest exposed as he wore his robe loosely and looked at the world with those menacing red eyes.
Alaric stared at the two, a sense of familiarity washing over his soul, but it was Alias that he couldn’t take his eyes off.
That pair of silver eyes did something to his soul, but... he averted his eyes anyway and looked at Julian. Though similar, there were still differences.
Alias did not feel offended by this selection. Instead, he actually felt glad he could look at Theo, Alaric, up close like this. The shirt was different but... it was definitely Theo. That fierce look in those unyielding blue eyes proved it.
Though he still lived in Julian, and felt everything Julian felt through the sync, it was just... Never the same.
He longed for Theo’s touch, but this was one thorn he would have to keep in his heart.
"Norx, will you honor your promise?" Alias asked in front of all to hear. His voice did not boom or roar with authority, but it carried a certain serenity that brought peace to the hearts of all who listened.
"Yeah, I... I won’t make demons anymore," Norx grumbled. "And I’ll try to be good. But don’t get me wrong, I still think my creations are all garbage," he announced.
The knights could not even feel offended. They could feel it, that this was the fallen god that had been fighting, the one who had nearly plunged the world into chaos once again.
He looked like a spoiled brat now but he was very dangerous, yet they could not feel any deep malice from him even as he called them garbage. In fact, they were shocked—he was the creator?
"That is," Norx continued and then slightly turned to look at Julian. "All except one."
Alias could respect that. It was a great improvement from calling the humans bugs, after all.
And then there was something Alias wanted to get straight in the scriptures that the church listened to and abided by so well.
So, for the knights of the church to witness, Alias announced. "Long ago, when there was nothing but light and darkness, the one who created the structure of this world was me, but... the one who created the life to live on it, was Norx."
