"How long has it been?"

     A man dressed in torn black clothing stood on the luminescent rod, looking out into the vast space ahead. About 6 paces away, a shadowy figure swayed. The figure's appearance could not be seen through the thick black.

     "According to my calculations, the time passed is 648 years, 2 months, and 4 days."

     "Oh."

     "Did you mean on the outside?"

     "Mhm."

     There was a short pause in the shadows words, as if hesitating on whether to answer the question or not.

     "Less than a day."

     The man closed his eyes and let out an almost inaudible sigh, but the shadow, it heard.

     "I see."

     The shadowy figure shook when it saw the man not too far away, stretching his hands out into the vast space, seemingly leaning closer. 

     "That's enough for today. Have some of this, I brought the ones you like. Take it and go back. There is always time to try again."

     The shadowy figure extended a spherical shadow to him, small purple gem like fruits appeared within.

     The man turned around and stared into the shadowy figures' *eyes*.

     The shadow shook.

     "You have changed. Did you know that? The first time I met you, you wouldn't even speak a word to me. Now you even take the initiative to talk to me; it's almost like you are becoming...... No, never-mind. Its been too long, I don't know anymore."

     There was silence for a while. The shadow repeated its words.

     "Come take these and go back. There is always time to try again."

     "....."

     The man did not respond. Instead, he turned around and stared out into the vast space.

     "These fruits won't last long without their source light, eat them then go back. There is always time to try again."

     Before the shadow finished its words, the man interrupted and stared into its eyes.

     "Can I tell you a secret?"

     A strong sense of foreboding filled the space.

     "The truth is, I lost it."

     The shadowy figure began to shake violently.

     For the first time since he arrived, he heard the shadowy figure's voice tremble.

     "When?"

     The man turned back around and stared into the vast space, unable to see the shadowy figure as it flickered and began to fade.

     Replying after closing his eyes and taking a breath.

     "It was when I fought the *other* you for the first time."

     "How could that be? That was over 600 years ago. How could you have made it here?"

     "Are you angry with me? I'm sorry. From that day on, I lost my sense of taste. Those fruits you feed me have no effect on me."

     The shadowy figure faded more and more, the periods of nothingness getting longer.

     "To have survived this long without the fruits, how is that possible?"

     "I know you broke the rules trying to help me. That's why you were gone for so long and lost some of your abilities. The rules of this place are set. It's a miracle I was even able to make it this far. The one thing I don't have is time. That's why I'm here and, ultimately, why I must leave. Thank you. "

     The man closed his eyes for the last time as he took a step into the vast space, appearing to be falling. He failed to notice that the shadowy figure had long since gone.

*  *  *  *

     [The Void.]

     Deep in the void, a creature lay waiting, a sinister smile creeping onto its face after hearing the messages from its crystal obsidian cube. The creature smiled so big, teeth of enormous size that were sharper than any blade were on full display.

     Its appearance didn't resemble that of any creature known to man.

     But its putrid aura, full of intense blood lust, its eyes devoid of emotion and yet full of madness and pleasure as it devoured the bodies of men, women, and children by the dozens, allowed one to come to only one answer.

     It was a demon.

     The demon sat on its pitch-black throne, snapping its fingers.

     In an instant, a man appeared in front of it.

     The man wore torn black clothing. His hair was overgrown, and even while standing, it dragged behind him.

     Seeing the man before him in this sorry state and remembering the messages he had received, the demon cast a mocking gaze at the man.

     "You can't escape. You'll be here for all eternity, reliving the past over and over. It was foolish of you to think you could escape with mere death in the void."    

     The demon stood from its throne and walked toward the man who still hadn't said a word.

     "Look at you, a once grand *hero* of the hero party, who was foretold to end this battle, resorts to suicide after failing time and time again. Hahaha, you make me laugh."    

     "Though I commend you for lasting this long, it was all pointless. After all this time, you still have yet to guess right."    

     The demon laughed mockingly as he looked down at the man.

     But contrary to his expectations, the man stood tall and looked him in the eyes without the fear or dread he had expected. The man even had a smile on his face.

     "You're wrong."     

     The demon raised an eyebrow at the man's statement.

     "I wasn't trying to commit suicide; I was coming to meet you. I have the answer."    

     The man spoke in a calm and relaxed voice.

     "Actually, I had the answer a long time ago. But I had something I needed to do. So I had no choice but to remain in the void."

     The demon laughed not taking the man seriously.

     "Hahaha, lets hear your answer then. What is my name?"

     The demon grinned ready to devour the man as soon as he said the wrong answer.

     "Your name is..."

     The demon watched as the man's calm eyes changed, they now appeared devoid of emotion, as if he had let go of anything and everything that once made them human.

     "Aster Leshvein."

     The void howled.

     The demons eyes shook and his body trembled.

     "How, how did you find out!?"

     "I told you I knew from the beginning. You and I are one in the same."

     The demon whose name was Aster Leshvein frowned deeper then roared at the man named Aster Leshvein.

     "Do you know what you have done!? Because of you, even you will cease to exist!!"

     The man only smiled as the void continued to howl. Soon an eternal silence signaled the birth of a world without the man by the name of Aster Leshvein.

*  *  *  *

     [Somewhere deep in the chamber of darkness.]

     A shadow who had one day appeared and remained dormant for years awakened.

     The shadow burst into violet flames.

     The shadow took on a human form beneath the violet flames that only grew hotter as the howling wails of the void resonated in its chamber.

     Crimson tears poured out of the figures' face.

     No matter how much pain and sorrow the figure felt, not a sound could escape from its mouth.

     With a flare of its shadowy flames, the figure in the chamber disappeared, its destination, Hell.