Omnipresent Watcher: The Eye Of The Multiverse

CH1VII: Touch Of Truth: Interchange

VII. Touch of Truth: Interchange

The grand library, Liberio De Majicae, stood like a citadel of ancient knowledge, its towering bookshelves stretching toward the high-vaulted ceilings. Dim light filtered through stained glass windows, casting intricate patterns of reds and golds on the marble floor. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and leather-bound tomes— a place where ancient secrets and forgotten truths were kept under lock and key.

Heid sat at a wide oak table, stacks of dusty books surrounding him. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he skimmed through yet another text, searching for any mention of Caerus Divinus-Celeste. It had been a week since the battle with the Elementalist, and while they had emerged victorious, the revelation of Light’s true identity lingered, haunting their every move.

“We’ve been through dozens of these," Heid muttered, frustration evident in his voice as he closed a book with a dull thud. "And all we’ve found are vague mentions, cryptic prophecies... nothing concrete.”

Light, standing a few paces away, didn’t respond. His eyes were drawn to an ornate mirror in the corner of the room, half hidden in the shadows. The glass was framed in dark, twisted metal that seemed to pulse faintly with a life of its own. Something about it felt... wrong, like it didn’t quite belong in the library.

Without thinking, Light approached the mirror, his reflection shimmering in the dim light. He stared at himself—his golden-brown eyes, his wings folded behind him, the familiar, steady features he had known all his life. But as he looked closer, something shifted. The reflection warped, and suddenly, the face staring back at him was not his own.

It was darker. His skin had taken on a pale, almost sickly hue, and his eyes burned red with malevolence. Horns sprouted from his forehead, and his once-golden wings were now black and tattered. It was him, yet... not him. It was the other side of him—the demon half that had been hidden deep within, locked away, and now staring back at him with a twisted, knowing smile.

“Caerus Divinus-Celeste,” a voice whispered from behind him.

Light turned sharply, his heart racing, only to see a figure emerging from the shadows. A man stood there, tall and cloaked in darkness, his face obscured by an intricate, silver mask that concealed all but his piercing, unnatural eyes. The masked man’s presence seemed to suck the warmth from the room, filling it with an unsettling coldness.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” the masked man continued, his voice low and serpentine. “The moment you would see the truth of what you are. Half angel, half demon. A creature born of light and shadow, son of the heaven and hell, fated to walk a path of destruction.”

Light’s heart pounded in his chest as the masked man stepped closer, his footsteps eerily silent.

“You know it, don’t you?” the man pressed, tilting his head as if studying Light. “You’ve felt it growing inside you, the demon side, the power that was never meant for your hands. But I can help you, Caerus. I can take that burden away. All I need… is your divine power.”

Light clenched his fists, his wings flaring slightly in response to the man's words. He could feel the truth in them, the darkness that he had always tried to deny now looming over him, threatening to consume him. But even so, he didn’t trust this man, whoever he was.

“What do you want?” Light asked, his voice low but firm, refusing to show any fear.

The masked man chuckled softly. “What I want is simple. The power that you do not deserve. That divine light inside you, the power of creation and destruction, it was never yours to begin with. Hand it over to me, and you will be free of your burden. Free from the prophecy. Free from the destruction that awaits.”

Light glared at the man, his muscles tensing. “You think I’ll just give it to you?”

The masked man smiled behind his mask, a cruel, knowing smile. “You will, in time. The darkness within you will make sure of that.”

Before Light could respond, a flash of movement caught his eye. Heid appeared at the doorway, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the masked figure. But the moment Heid stepped into the room, the masked man was gone, vanishing as if he had never been there.

“Heid,” Light began, his voice tight with the lingering presence of the stranger. “There was someone here—”

“I saw him,” Heid said, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of the intruder. “Who was he?”

Light hesitated, his gaze drifting back to the mirror where his twisted reflection had been only moments before. Now, it was just a mirror again, showing nothing but his normal self.

“I don’t know,” Light said finally, his voice heavy. “But he knew. He knew what I am… and he wants my power.”

Heid stepped forward, concern flickering in his gaze. “What do you mean?”

Light took a deep breath, his wings folding back as he turned to face his friend. “The prophecy, my identity... it's more than just being the Caerus Divinus-Celeste. There’s a side of me I didn’t know about. A side I’ve been fighting my whole life. And now... it’s starting to come to the surface.”

Heid stared at him for a long moment, his mind working through what he had just heard. But instead of doubt, his expression hardened with resolve.

"Then we’ll deal with it, together," Heid said firmly. "We’ve come this far. I’m not letting you face this alone."

Light managed a small, grateful smile, but deep down, the shadow of his reflection lingered. He knew that the battle ahead was not just against external foes but against the darkness within himself. And the masked man, whoever he was, had planted a seed of doubt—a doubt that threatened to unravel everything.

The question now was whether Light could keep that darkness at bay... or whether it would consume him entirely.