The Story of Victoria Strife

Chapter 30: This is the End

The air grew colder as Victoria descended deeper into the hideout, her footsteps echoing in the narrow, dimly lit corridor. She could feel it—the pulse of energy that radiated from the heart of this forsaken place. It was ancient, dark, and charged with a power that weighed heavy on her chest with each step she took. The voices of the Ancients had quieted now, leaving her alone with her thoughts as she neared her final destination. She gripped the weapon Reeve had given her tightly, knowing this was the moment everything had been leading to.

At the bottom of the hideout, she stepped into what was once an old battle arena, its stone floor cracked and worn from countless clashes of power. The walls were adorned with tattered banners, long forgotten by time. It felt like a graveyard of battles, where only the strongest had survived.

And in the centre of that hollow space, Genesis stood, bathed in the faint light that filtered through the cracked ceiling. His red coat billowed slightly with the draft of the underground air, and his gloved hand rested on the hilt of his sword. His posture was calm, composed, but there was an underlying tension in his stance, as if he had been waiting for this moment, for her, for far too long.

"Victoria," he said, his voice carrying a weight that reverberated through the empty arena. His back was turned to her as she approached, her steps measured and deliberate. "It all leads here, doesn't it? This is your destiny."

Victoria paused at the top of the stone steps leading down into the centre of the arena, her gaze fixed on him. There was something off about his tone—something hollow. She began her descent, her heart pounding, the weapon in her hand feeling heavier with every step she took.

"You talk about destiny like it's something you control, Genesis," she said, her voice strong despite the tension in her body. "Like you were meant to shape the world with your twisted vision of it. But what you never understood is that it's not about destiny. It's about choice. And you've made yours."

Genesis turned slowly to face her, his eyes gleaming in the dim light, his expression unreadable. "You think you understand this? You think you've come here out of your own will? This was always meant to happen. You, me, this place. The Goddess—"

"The Goddess?" Victoria interrupted as she reached the floor of the arena, standing across from him. Her eyes flashed with defiance. "You used to talk about her like she was everything, like she could save you. But that's all it ever was—your obsession, your fantasy. You're not her chosen one, Genesis. You're just... lost."

Genesis's eyes narrowed, the tension between them palpable. "You misunderstand. You always have. I am the harbinger of this world's rebirth, and you—"

"I used to believe in you, Genesis," Victoria cut him off again, her voice cold and unwavering as she took a step closer. "I thought you were someone who stood for something, someone who wanted to change things for the better. But now? All I see is a coward hiding behind words."

The sting of her words cut deep. Genesis's hand twitched on his sword hilt, his expression hardening as the calm façade cracked. His voice dropped, filled with venom. "You dare mock me, after everything that has been set in motion?"

Victoria stepped forward again, her eyes locked onto his. "You're not a hero. You're a man who got lost chasing a dream that doesn't exist. You think I'm afraid of you? I'm not. I pity you."

"Enough!" Genesis's voice thundered through the arena, his hand now fully gripping his sword. His eyes blazed with fury as his calm mask shattered entirely. "You don't understand the power I wield, the legacy I've been given!"