Inferno Of Desire

Chapter 59: The Voidbringer

Both the Celestial and Abyssal forces were left dumbfounded after the vision that Zephyros revealed to them.

"This ... Voidbringer, it is pure chaos!" One of the abyssal commanders exclaimed - murmurs stirring from both sides.

"What more do we need to know about the Voidbringer? How do we defeat it?" Michael ever the warrior asked, stepping forward.

"Come, let's have a proper talk." Zephyros motioned for them to come with him.

He led them into an inner chamber. A vast room containing numerous stools with a large long table in between. The room was large enough to contain all of them.

"Take your seats." Zephyros spoke as he sat at the head stool, while the Celestial and Abyssal forces flanked him with Azrael and Seraphine sitting directly opposite to him.

The forces remained silent, the tension hanging heavily in the air. Even Azrael, whose commanding presence often led battles, felt small under Zephyros' scrutiny.

"The Voidbringer is not simply a creature born of darkness,” Zephyros started. “It is far older, a force forged at the very heart of creation. It existed before the Abyss itself, birthed from the chaos that came before all realms. It was meant to balance existence, a force of entropy to counter creation, but it was never meant to be set free."

Lady Caelara leaned forward, her silver wings faintly glowing in the chamber’s dim light. "How did it become what it is now? Why does even the Abyss fear it?"

Zephyros' eyes darkened, swirling with shadow and light as he recalled the ancient tale. "Long ago, the Celestial Realm and Abyss were two parts of a whole, created to balance each other. But when the first rift between them was torn open, the Voidbringer was awakened. It did not have a singular form as you or I do. No... it is the embodiment of raw chaos, entropy in its purest form. Its essence is that of destruction and disorder, feeding off the collapse of all that is structured."

He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle into the minds of his audience. "The Abyss once believed it could harness the Voidbringer's power, bind it to strengthen their hold over the realms. But in its arrogance, it lost control."

"The entity grew, consuming everything it touched until even the Abyss itself trembled in fear. The Celestials, fearing the same fate, aided in its imprisonment.” He continued.

Uriel's brow furrowed. "And where is this prison? Where could something of such power be kept?"

"The Voidbringer was sealed in a place forgotten by time," Zephyros replied, his voice a whisper of ancient sorrow. "A realm hidden deep within the Veil of Forgotten Worlds, an interdimensional rift between the Abyss and the Celestial Realm. It lies beneath the Abyss itself, where time and space blur into one another.

"Only the most ancient of beings even remember how to reach it. The prison exists at the heart of creation and destruction, a place where all realities converge, but it is weakening. It may break if you're too late."

Tyra shivered at the thought. "What does it want?"

Zephyros’ expression grew grave. "The Voidbringer’s motives are not like ours. It has no desire for power or dominion. It exists to unravel reality itself, to return everything to the void from which it came. That is its purpose. It is the end of all things.”

A thick silence fell over the chamber as the weight of the revelation pressed down on them.

"And how do we defeat something like that?" Seraphine finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zephyros stood, his robes rustling as he moved toward the center of the room. His hands gestured, and the floating tomes aligned themselves, forming a circle of light and shadow. "There is a way, though it is perilous. The Voidbringer must be weakened, trapped, and bound within its physical form – only then can it be sealed away again."

Michael leaned forward, his molten amber eyes glowing with determination. "How?"

Zephyros turned to him, and for the first time, his mismatched gaze held a flicker of hope. "The Abyssal Crucible. It is an ancient battleground, a place of immense power where the realms collide. The Crucible itself is laced with celestial and abyssal energies that can bind even the most powerful of entities."

He raised a hand, conjuring an image of a vast, shifting landscape where fiery fissures opened beneath a swirling vortex of lost souls. Chains made of celestial light and abyssal shadows hung around the chamber, waiting to ensnare any who dared challenge the balance.

"There, within the Abyssal Crucible, the Voidbringer can be trapped if lured," Zephyros said. "Aetherial Chains, forged from the energies of both realms, will bind it, while the Vortex of Souls weakens its connection to the void. But the battle will not be easy. The Crucible itself shifts and turns, filled with danger. Yet, it is the only place where you stand a chance."

"And the spell?" Aethor asked.

Zephyros nodded. "Aeterna Vinculum. It is an ancient and forbidden incantation, crafted by the first celestial beings to bind forces that exist outside the natural order of creation. It requires both celestial and abyssal power to be cast. You must work in perfect harmony, forming a circle around the Voidbringer while reciting the incantation. Only then can it be bound."

"Aeterna Vinculum?" Elder Varyn said more to himself than to others. He was knowledgeable in magic, spells, and the sorts - the name of the spell rang a bell.

Zephyros' gaze then turned to Azrael. "And you, Azrael, will wield the Anchor of Eternity, the weapon that will seal the Voidbringer away."

A flick of his wrist brought forth the image of the massive scythe again. Its dark metal gleamed with an unearthly power, one blade forged of radiant light, the other black as the void itself. At its heart, a crystal orb pulsed with energy.

"The Anchor of Eternity," Zephyros explained. "It was crafted by the first Guardian of the Abyss to trap entities that transcended life and death. It chooses its wielder, and you, Azrael, are the one who holds the balance of light and darkness within yourself. You must drive the scythe into the Voidbringer once it is weakened. The orb at its center will absorb its essence, trapping it in an eternal prison."

Azrael nodded, his face grim but resolute. "Then it will be done."

Zephyros studied him for a moment longer before speaking again, his voice a deep rumble in the stillness. "Remember, the Voidbringer is unlike anything you have ever faced. But if you are united, if you wield the powers of both realms as one, you may yet have a chance. But be warned – the Voidbringer does not fall without a price. Victory will come, but it will not be without sacrifice."

"About the spell, I believe Elder Varyn can help you all out with that." Zephyros motioned at Varyn.

"Yes. I'll see to it that we are all able to recite the spell by heart." Elder Varyn nodded.

"Where do we find the scythe, Zephyros?" Michael asked.

"I believe I can provide you with that. The rest is up to all of you." Zephyros looked at them one last them before exiting the chamber.

"Thank you for your help, Zephyros." Both realms stood and bowed slightly to acknowledge his help.