Chapter 45:

The End of an Era

(Nick's POV, Cont.)

This moment was coming for a long time. There was no longer any doubt in my heart. I had nothing to fear. The pieces of the puzzle were laid before me and all put into their place.

New Dawn had tapped into my power, and in that moment, Callisto had run interference. She sacrificed herself so that I would not be lost, but in so doing, I was sent down a rabbit hole of despair. For years, I had chased after mere ghosts. Nothing substantial.

I hated the world. Hated Callisto. Hated myself. Hated New Dawn. Deep down, only some of these were true. I never hated Callisto. I had simply been angry for my lack of understanding.

Why was she doing this? Why did she torment me? Now, I knew. She had been corrupted by New Dawn's attempt to twist my power against the world. As I slowly came to accept, and forgive, myself, the hold of Corruption weakened. It was, in some way, still connected to me despite it being torn from me by New Dawn.

With everything so clear to me now, I truly felt at peace as I walked the stairs back up to the Throne Room. There was someone waiting there...and they weren't happy. This was fine by me. I wasn't exactly happy at the moment either, for I believed I knew why all of this was started in the first place.

Fae were extremely petty. So petty, that some might get it in their heads to destroy the world, rather than accept their fate. It was pathetic, and I was no different. After all, I too, tried to destroy the world...if not for those that reached their hand out to me, despite the danger to themselves.

I didn't know if I deserved them, but I was glad to have them by my side.

As I reached the top and entered into the Throne Room, I saw a shadowed finger standing by the thrones. They traced their fingers upon the wood, ignoring the sound of the fountain closing behind me. They did not look up, as if they were above it. Confident, but stupid.

They appeared just as Cathrine had told me. A masculine figure cloaked in shadows with silver eyes burning within. A darkened crown of horns, like a majestic dragon crowned their head. The darkness roiled around them like oil, smoking with a vile aura.

"Admiring my throne?" I taunted, making my way casually towards them and placing a firm hand upon the two thrones myself.

"It won't be yours for long," Crowley stated, his voice reverberating with power, "You're not long for this world, Mortal."

He held a smirk as he always did, like he knew a joke that no one else did. It was as irksome as it always was.

"You're behind the times," I chuckled, "Mortal I may have been, but you stand before your King. The proper thing to do...is kneel."

In an exercise of my power and an extension of my will, I forced Crowley's shadowed form back from the thrones. I sent him reeling down the steps to where he landed upon one knee. A scowl painted his darkened face. I stood before him, high atop the steps to my throne.

"Come now, Crowley," I glanced around at the room, noticing several things out of place to be dealt with later, for now... "Let's lose the facade, shall we? You're in my home. Show some fucking respect."

With a flick of my finger towards him, I cast the shadows away to reveal the man underneath. He was the same Crowley I had always known, but there was something different about him. He had strength. Power that he didn't have before.

He glared up at me with silver eyes that held an inner amber-red glow. His dark crimson hair was in disarray and his devilish tail flicked back and forth angrily like a cat. There was nothing but contempt on his face, framed by those familiar brimstone scales. They appeared more...refined.

They covered most of his demonic wings now, acting like a hardened outer shell while giving them an almost razor sharpness. His body was coated like a second skin, yet looked no less natural. He had evolved beyond the simply Demon he once was.

"Looks like little Crowley has finally become something," I taunted as he slowly rose to his feet.

Crowley composed himself, adjusting his clothing which was a long, dark formal overcoat and a tunic underneath. There were several accents of embellishment upon the shoulders, hem, and sleeves of the coat. Taking a deep breath, he ran his hands along his onyx horns which appeared like a crown upon his head, only now...there were two sets of horns on either side of his head, rather than the one I remembered him having.

"Yes, well..." his voice took on a more posh intonation, "Someone had to step up after you left the throne vacant. Failure of a King as you are."

He tried to taunt me, though watching him fuss with his hair and put it back in place while he did so...made it lose much of its intent. This was all a distraction tactic as the stones of the room began to change. What I felt was out of place earlier was in fact several Gargoyles and Golems, the Guardians of the Temple, moving into place around me.

Well, at least I knew where they had gone to, but it was a shame...Crowley thought he had control over them, that's why he was standing so confidently before me. Even now, he grossly underestimated his standing. Though, I had to admit...he wouldn't be as easy as the others.

"You speak of respect, but..." Crowley continued, finally satisfied with his appearance enough to pay attention, "You know nothing of respect. You and that bitch of a Queen. I was a Prince of Hell. My station deserved respect, and you spat on it. Both you and that-"

A heavy pressure filled the room as I stared coldly down at him. The room grew dark as my eyes glowed deeply of power and authority.

"Crowley, I do suggest you tread carefully," I cautioned him, raising my right arm out to the side, and as I did, golden threads surrounded my hand as if I was moving it through a veil, "You may not show me respect, but you will have manners."

With that, I tore down upon the threads I was pulling, and one by one the Gargoyles and Golems succumbed to my will. Their ability to meld with stone, nullified, and whatever control over them that Crowley had...shattered. As each one appeared, they fell to their knees or plummeted to the ground, in the case of the Gargoyles who had perched within the rafters.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" I inquired, seeing a slight crack in Crowley's demeanor, "You want a fight, and I want to fight, but what makes you think you even have the right to challenge me?"

Crowley glanced at the fallen Golems and Gargoyles, took a deep breath, and then gave wickedly charming grim.

"Well, if that's the case, then..." standing tall, I saw Crowley begin to gather an infernal energy inside of himself, "Manners it is. Not that you deserve such a thing."

He gave a very exaggerated, sarcastic bow towards me, arms wide so as to make sure I knew he was mocking me. Rolling my eyes, I watched him begin to change before my very eyes. The infernal energy within him began to build and accumulate until it pulsed and coursed throughout his entire body.

"I, Crowley Umberstar, King of Hell..." he let that fact sink in, staring me down, "Do hereby challenge the pretender, Osran, better known as the Mortal, Nicholas Fraye...to combat for the Faeland Throne."

He spat his challenge like an insult. Each word more contemptuous than the last. His skin cracked as he grew larger, glowing underneath as if magma coursed through his veins. His feet became cloven hooves as they broke through the boots he had been wearing. Sharp, barbed spikes protruded from his tail as it grew thicker, lashing upon the ground and cracking the very stone underneath it.

The horns upon his head grew more wicked and pronounced, a dark flame sprouting between their peaks, floating above his head. The brimstone scales which covered him solidified even further, growing over his hands into wicked, shield-like blades. Sprouting from his shoulders, like an eruption from a volcano, came lava mixed obsidian which fastened into a shawl that covered him.

"What do you think?" Crowley inquired, now standing at about twice his size from before, more Demonic than ever, "While you fumbled around in the dark, I was doing real work. The Hells are at my whim, and soon...all of the Faelands will fall under my control."

The air spelled of acrid smoke and brimstone. Like the very burning Hells had come alive before me. His eyes burned like raging coals, if coal was surrounded by mercury. It was an impressive display...for a child throwing a tantrum and expecting to be praised.

"Wow, very good," I said rather sardonically, clapping slowly, "So, my wife, spurns you for years. You throw a tantrum, try to break us apart, and when that doesn't work...you throw an even bigger tantrum. Building an entire organization to create a world in which you win. Tell me, how's that going for you?"

I was in no rush to kill him, nor was I bothered by his influx of strength. Perhaps, in the past, I would have felt fear, or even despair, but now...I was simply calm. Like what you'd feel before a storm hit. You knew what was coming, but that silence within...the quiet. It was almost palpable.

"...She chose a Mortal over me," Crowley scoffed, spitting his words with disgust, "A peasant like you...so naive, so...useless. It didn't make sense. It doesn't make sense."

"You always were slow on the uptake," I replied with a shrug, "Love...doesn't always make sense. Even more so for Fae, who always make things so damn complicated. Take you, for example."

I motioned towards him and scoffed, shaking my head as I truly found him pathetic.

"All of this, and for what?" I sighed, looking down upon him condescendingly, "Because you got turned down? Really?"

Crowley's shawl burst with molten rock as he scowled at me.

"New Dawn was a means to an end," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "It was always expendable. Useless remnants that I made into something more."

He grew slightly somber as he looked upon me with contempt.

"Callista..." he stated, his tone sharp as if attempting to cut me with them, "It was a pity she died, but I moved on, just like you."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, curious what bullshit he was going to spew next, "I wouldn't say I moved on at all. Far from it, in fact. Calli is the love of my life."

"Yet, you roll around with a Succubus," Crowley snickered derisively, "How loyal you are."

"I'm incredibly loyal," I replied without batting an eye, a bit of a bite to my words, "Calli chose Jasmine to stand by my side, as she also chose Josephine. I didn't exactly have a say in the matter, especially with Jasmine being so persistent. It was rather endearing.

I chuckled softly to myself, remembering the early days of our relationship. She had never once given up on me, despite how hard I tried to distance myself from her. The fact that Calli approved of her, chose her, said a lot. Birds of a feather flock together and all that.

"Though, I suppose I did choose Vanessa," I said, tilting my head slightly in thought, "But, Calli did accept her. Albeit...in her own way."

I mused once more about recent events. Callisto had tried to act aloof, but I knew deep down that she did what she did out of concern and love for me. Something that Crowley would never understand.

"How wonderful for you," Crowley's expression dropped when he knew that he wasn't getting through to me, "All that is going to end today, pretender. A Mortal cannot-"

"Enough," I sighed, losing all sense of amusement and feeling incredibly exhausted hearing him talk, "It's the second time you've said I'm a pretender, but you must have missed the memo..."

Holding out my right hand, I channeled the energy of the Anchor's source inside of myself. That sweet, aquamarine liquid flowed through my veins, glowing beneath my skin. It pulsed, pooling down into my palm as a liquid marble suspended before it. I drew upon its strength and my own, a twilight mist beginning to surround it.

Closing my hand upon it, the two energy twisted and formed into a spear reminiscent of a partisan. Its blade a pristine crystal and haft that appeared to be made of night. I made my way down the stairs, taking each step slowly. The Mantle of King was donned upon me in a show of authority, bursting forth in a cascade of petals of night.

My crown now laid upon my brow with elegance. Its horned visage twinkling with stars that acted as jewels within it. A shawl of the cosmos laid upon my shoulders and stretched out behind me. The room dimmed, and I stood before him resplendent and unbowed.

"I'm already crowned, bitch," I was smug as I looked at him, eyes glowing fiercely, "You have no right to challenge me, but...I, Nicholas Fraye, known as Osran, King of the Fae, do hereby accept. I hope you're able to keep up."

Snarling at me, the tension in the room finally snapped. A crack of thunder sounded as Crowley leapt for me, but I was faster. Ducking his first blow, I spun my spear around and up into his sternum. The force cracked the ground beneath us as I sent him flying. Molten vomit spewed forth from his mouth, melting the ground where it landed.

I followed him into the air, my shawl becoming wings of twilight. Crowley held his arms before him in an attempt to block my next attack. My fist, shrouded in crackling white and black lightning, tore into him, cracking parts of his brimstone scales. He was sent further into the air, crashing through what remained of the stained glass on the ceiling of the Throne Room.

I was swift and precise with my attacks. Crowley could only defend as our battle took to the air. I had never felt more free in my life. The power that coursed through me was unlike any other during my time alive in this world. Never had I felt such a thrill. Yet, I didn't lose myself to it.

I was cold and calculate, surrounding Crowley with motes of energy that shot piercing beams of energy into his flesh...only, his scales were incredibly tough. It was almost fun to see how far I could go before they would completely break. Raising my hand, I sent a wave of stars bombarding him. They exploded into frozen shards that stuck to him, though they didn't last long.

Roaring, Crowley flexed himself, breaking the ice off as infernal energy surged through his body. What damage I had done, healed within moments. There, hovering in the air, we stared at each other with varying degrees of disdain.

I assessed him with cold observation and a sense of condemnation. He was beginning to realize, with stoic grimace, that I was not so easy to defeat as he believed. In fact, he was finally understanding that I wasn't the same as I was back during the Cataclysm.

"As I said, Crowley," I called to him, "You are before your King. I give you this chance to surrender. Your death won't be quick, or painless, but I can guarantee it'll be easy."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Crowley's voice rumbled with annoyance, "For me to just lay down and die! This city was just the start. Once you're out of the way, the world will be mine."

"World domination? How cliche," I chuckled to taunt him, though I did gaze out over the Palace and the city beyond, "Destroying the world didn't work for you, so now you wish to dominate it? Pathetic."

From where I was in the sky, I could see that the miasma which Luxan had been producing was beginning to diminish, and beyond Sunhold, in a mirage-like state was the City of Horizon. Its gleaming skyscrapers and rich history entwined with the various districts of the Faelands. This was my home, my city, and my world. There was no way I was handing it over to this upstart.

"My goals are beyond your imagining!" Crowley declared, beginning to gather a sphere of molten rock, crackling with red lightning in his hand, "The New Dawn will arrive. I demand it so!"

Swinging his arm, his flung the sphere of energy towards me. The air around it warped and almost burned away from the intensity of it. It was an attack that I probably would have dodged if I had fought him earlier in life, but...

"Come now, I'm not playing baseball with you," I mumbled, gathering energy into the blade of my spear before slicing through it.

I felt the heat as I split it in two and it went flying past me. Almost immediately, I made a realization. We had crashed through the roof of the Palace and behind me was...the Palace.

"Shit..." I reached my left hand out, a net of violet entwined gold lashed out and grabbed the two halves of the sphere.

Upon contact, I closed my hand and crushed the attack into nothing. With a sigh of relief, I turned to face Crowley again, only to see that he had closed the distance on me already. The bladed shield over his hand glowing with a sinister green energy.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off your opponent," Crowley sneered, throwing a powerful, quick jab towards my face.

In just a fraction of a second, I threw up a prismatic shield that shattered Crowley's weapon and caused an explosion around us.

"You're right, but perhaps..." I said as the dust began to settle, "...We should take this elsewhere? The Palace is already in an awful state. I'd rather not ruin it more. Calli won't be happy about it."

"Like I give a shit," Crowley stated uncaringly, motioning towards the sky, "While you were distracted...I took the liberty of helping clear this eyesore from the map."

Glancing up at the sky, I saw a myriad of crimson comets, all burning with an infernal energy barreling down upon the Palace.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," I sighed, more annoyed than I was surprised, "You know, Crowley...you can't take the throne if you destroy it, right?"

"It's stronger than that," he replied, to which I honestly couldn't deny, "So, go on, try and...huh?"

Taking a deep breath, I centered myself as the world slowed around me. Crowley looked perplexed by my lack of of urgency and concern. It was annoying for sure, but nothing I couldn't handle. At least...now it wasn't. Before, I honestly probably would have fled.

"You know, I wasn't making a request," I drew deep of my mind and the power I wielded, "We are moving somewhere else, but first..."

Tossing my spear into the air, it suspended itself above me, Crowley's eyes following it. There, as I made a motion with my hand, it split into several hundred copies of itself.

"W-Wait, hold on..." Crowley's voice dropped for a moment, returning to his typical posh flair, "How the hell did you-"

Before he could finish that sentence, I signaled the volley and the spears flew into the sky. Each one found their mark as the comets exploded harmlessly above the Palace. Letting out a relieved sigh, I turned towards Crowely who was still taken aback by what he had just seen.

"Now then, Crowley..." I rushed forward, palm upon his chest before he could react, "Let's change scenery..."

A blast of energy from my hand sent him careening through the air. He flew over the Palace, past the walls, and into the nearby woods. I followed after him, appearing the moment he landed and through a kick shrouded in kinetic force straight into his abdomen. He once again vomited molten rock, but this time, violet blood was mixed in as I felt something rupture within Crowley's body.

He was sent through the air once more, but this time, I knocked him through a one of the many pathways in the world. He landed upon a swamp, his body bouncing off of the water. I continued to chase after him, landing blow against blow. I remained focused, stoic, as I channeled the cold rage I felt towards him into every attack. At the same time, I knocked him into several domains across the Faelands.

Our fight started at the Palace, but it was seen all over the entirety of Horizon, for those who could see it anyways. Our appearance into each district was preluded by a sonic boom, followed by flashes of magic which tore through the sky.

From the forests of Amberwood to the frozen tundra of Frostgale in upper Norton, our battle continued. It was a district I hadn't gone to much before. The paths to the Faelands were often convoluted, and while the world of the Fae overlapped much with Horizon, there were many places that were simply gateways to far off lands.

Regardless of where our fight took us, I was relentless in my assault against him. He was sturdy, but even diamonds break. It was only a matter of time.

I sent a cascade of magic towards him in quick succession. Lashes made of thorns that held him in place as a flock of burning birds careened into him and exploded. He may be a demon, but these flames were hotter than even those of the Hells themselves. This was followed by several lightning strikes and blasts of psionic energy which tore into his flesh and mind.

He continued to be resilient, which was good, as I didn't want to end this too quickly. I was sure he was waiting for his moment to retaliate. I could see it in the way he watched me. Despite being tossed around like a ragdoll, his eyes were still sharp. Watching. Waiting.

It also seemed like he was trying to wear me out. He may be aware of my power, but not just how resilient I was. I spent years trekking through the muck and grime of getting my ass kicked and practically dying several times. I fought through the pain of injuries both self-inflicted and not.

I decided to indulge him and test just how far his power went. I wanted to completely crush him. To destroy his spirit. He had created New Dawn for such petty reasons, and while his aspirations may have grown beyond that, he had never lost his intent. To destroy the world that Callista had cared so much about. That I cared about.

I may have my issues with the world, but I'd deal with them after everything was settled. With a resounding strike that shattered part of his brimstone scales, Crowley was sent plummeting into the earth, creating a giant crater where he fell. We had arrived at a hidden grove, one of many in the Faelands, but I had specifically chosen this one because it wasn't inhabited.

"How about we finish this, Crowley?" I called down to him as he lay on his back, breathing heavily, "I'm a little exhausted. It's been fun, but I think..."

I feigned being tired, attempting to mimic him for his benefit. I pretended to breath heavily, raising my arms out to my side. I drew upon what I made him think was the last of my power as the Flames of Erasure surrounded me. I was haloed in black and white flames, looking down upon Crowley with a venomous gaze.

"This is where you end, Crowley," I told him, curious how he would respond, "Pay for your sins in eternal damnation."

I dove head first, rocketing towards him as I gathered all the flames into my right hand. As I approached him, I prepared myself to attack. Worst case, I kill him here and now. Best case, he's able to counter this and I could have some more fun with the one who caused untold atrocities.

I thought, for a brief moment, that he was truly exhausted. To my pleasant surprise, his eyes went wide with renewed vigor and pushed himself up, catching my hand in his oversized palm. The Flames of Erasure dissipated as they met something quite curious...Crowley's own Flames of Erasure.

"Did you think..." Crowley asked, glaring at me as he caught his breath, "That you were the only one capable? Arrogance."

"I must admit, I am surprised," I pulled my hand free, leaping away from him as he shook his hand free of the flames, "Though, it doesn't look like you have as good of control as I do."

I caught a glimpse of the hand that he had used to conjure the flames was partially burned away, eaten by the Flames of Erasure. Out of embarrassment or a sense of foolish pride, perhaps both, he hid the hand behind his back, pretending as if I saw nothing.

"You know, that's just one more thing you've copied from me," I said, sitting down upon the edge of the crater, looking down upon him as I pretend to catch my own breath, "I told Cathrine that imitation is often the highest form of flattery, but in this case...it's rather disgusting. I might actually throw up."

"I've copied...nothing from you," Crowley couldn't keep up the depth of his voice, having lost power and mass, appearing slightly smaller than he did before, "Night, Darkness, Fire. All of it was mine. You have no right to it."

"Wait, is that also what this is about?" I asked incredulously, "Cause I was using similar magic to you? Bitch, please. You could barely put two flames together when I last saw you."

"That's not true, and you know it!" Crowley retorted, "If Callista didn't hold your hand, you'd still be a sniveling mess. Food fit for a Hag's stomach!"

"Honestly, probably true," I chuckled, not the response Crowley was expecting as he looked taken aback, "Callista always was protecting me. Don't tell me, you were jealous since we were kids? Man, that's pathetic. You really are a jealous bitch. It doesn't look good on you."

The smoldering glare Crowley gave me was chilling, and it told me everything I needed to know, but I really had to ask.

"So, New Dawn's goal...was that all bullshit?" I asked him, leaning back on my hands casually, pretending to be tired, "Not like it matters, but...if you hate Mortals so much, why try and create a world where they're your equals?"

"Ha! Is that what you think?" Crowley shook his head disdainfully, "New Dawn was created to tear this world down. To elevate us above our station. Yes, even Mortals, but at the top..."

Crowley simply shrugged with a wicked smirk upon his face, leaving the rest unsaid, but I knew.

"So, it was all just pettiness," I simply shook my head in disappointment, "Here I was, fool as I am, believing New Dawn held some actually lofty goals. Instead, it was just you throwing a fit. Trying to play God."

Sighing, I pushed myself up, stretching my arms across my chest as I prepared to continue this fight. I had seen he had some paltry control over the Flames of Erasure, and I was curious what else he had up his sleeve.

"Honestly, I'm disappointed," I told him bluntly, "Then again, I shouldn't have expected anything less from Fae, especially a Demon. You hold the most insane grudges."

"Say what you will, Osran," Crowley spat, smirking with delight, "Those fools followed me. Even believed it too. They made useful pawns, and thanks to their efforts...I'll use your precious wife's power to destroy you!"

Tilting my head, I grew rather amused. Even Crowley believed that they had harnessed Callisto's power. Perhaps, in a sense, that is true. After all, when she took on the attack, it had mixed with her realm and become something more, but in the end...it was still mine.

The ground rumbled as Crowley finally caught his breath. His preparations were done. Raising his hand towards the ground, he began to lift it up as if pulling something from the depths of the very earth itself. His eyes clouded over as they become inky black voids within his skull.

His very body began to leak an inky substance that coated his skin and surrounded him like armor. He became amorphous in appearance for a brief moment, tar dripping from his fingers. Corruption began to spill out from the ground and fill the crater with its ravenous nature. I smiled to myself, curious how this would go, and so...I once more played the actor.

"Crowley! What the hell are you doing!" I demanded angrily, leaping to my feet, "Are you trying to kill us both!"

"Haha! Only one of us will die today, Osran," he sneered, glaring at me from within his darkened skull, "I've perfected my control over The Void. It's over for you!"

He flung out his hand, a spear of Corruption shooting towards my face. It came quicker than even I was expecting, and I didn't have to pretend to barely dodge it. Even I was surprised at its velocity. I felt my cheek burn from being grazed by it, blood trickly down my face.

"It's my turn to attack!" Crowley roar, sending shard after shard towards me, laughing as I focused all my attention on dodging, "Hahaha! Dance for me, Osran! Dance!"

I grew silent, glowering at him as each shard I was barely able to dodge. I was cursing myself a little for playing around too much, but honestly...this was more fun. Crowley believed he still had the advantage, which meant when he realized just how outmatched he was...that would be all the more satisfying.

"Why are you smiling!?" Crowley raged, noticing that I had become rather amused, "You always thought I was a joke! The entire Faeland's laughed at me! My own Parents disowned me for pursuing the Queen. She was mine, damn it! MINE!"

"I thought you said you moved on," I inquired teasingly as I dodged another of his attacks, finding a gap in his concentration, "You know, you should really see a therapist about that."

"You're one to talk!" he increased the speed of his attacks, throwing one after the other, giving me no opening to retaliate, but that was fine by me, "You languished away like the pathetic man you are. Killed yourself over and over again out of despair. Oh, how I enjoyed seeing you suffer!"

He really did like the sound of his own voice. It almost took the fun out of it, hearing his pathetic excuses for why he had plunged the world, and my life, into chaos.

"True, I did suffer," I replied, becoming rather melancholic remembering how I used to be, "I was pathetic, hell...still am, in a sense. I love a woman who manipulated my life. Out of love for me, yes, but still..."

I felt another sharp burning pain as a shard of Corruption tore into my side. I gritted my teeth, barely wincing as I had felt worse before. Truth be told, I probably would have died a hundred times over if I had faced Crowley earlier than this. Calli had prepared me for all of this.

She sent me down quite the cruel path in order for me to become stronger. She didn't ask my permission. She didn't tell me anything. She simply showered me in so much love that I would never forget her. Hell, not that I wanted to. Our love was real, but Calli...she was a Fae at the end of the day, and just any Fae, but The Fae.

She ensured it so that I would never give up. She used my own stubbornness against me. She had always been clever, and while you might think I should be angry with her...I was actually more in love with her than I had ever been before. Oh, I would definitely have words with her later, but deep within my heart, the desire I had towards her was raging stronger than ever.

"Finally! I got you!" Crowley exclaimed gleefully, breaking me from my thoughts.

I looked down to see that I had stepped into a pool of Corruption earlier than intended.

"...Damn it," I muttered, having hoped to drag this out a little more.

Crowley, however, took my musings as his win.

"Curse your fate all you want, Osran, but..." he sneered in victory, raising his hands as a massive wave of Corruption bore down on me, "This is the end!"

I sighed, watching as oily, inky substance engulfed me. I was plunged into the depths of darkness. From outside, I could hear Crowley's stupid laughter.

As I floated, suspended in this place, I had a moment to contemplate my life. From a child, I had grown up in a loving home, albeit, we had our problems. I had grown sick as a child, my parents fraught with worry. When I recovered, they moved to Horizon in order to find better healthcare and opportunities for not only myself, but them.

I had a hard time making friends and lost myself to the world of my imagination. This unlocked the gateway into a world unlike any other. It had been whimsical, terrifying, and beautiful all at the same time. I had found someone with whom I wanted to share my life, and we indulged in each others pleasures.

I learned more about the truth of this world than any other. I had unlocked gifts that many thought impossible. I loved, lost, and grew into a drunken fool. I wandered alone for many years, lost in a daze as I desperately fought against the demons in my head.

I had been a broken man. My life had felt complete before the Cataclysm, and all because of one man, all of that changed. He created an entire organization, a legitimate cult, that thought to overthrow the rule of reality. To create a world in which they would be Gods.

It was almost laughable, because at the end of the day...all of this was made possible because of me. The Corruption which attempted to eat away at my flesh had come from my very blood. Calli had sacrificed herself so that I wouldn't be devoured. She knew I was strong enough, but honestly...I never felt it.

She had believed I would learn how to harness my power, and even if things turned grim, she had been watching over me. It probably tore her heart apart, putting me through so much pain and anguish. How many times did she wish to embrace me? To coddle me as she used to?

Honestly, I could do with some coddling, for I was tired. Not in a way that I can't continue to fight, oh no. I was quite capable. I was just exhausted from all the bullshit these Fae had put me through, Calli included. I just wanted things to go back to how they were.

The simple times when I could lay in a bed of flowers, Calli rested against my chest. The smell of sweet nectar filling my nostrils. Her lips upon mine. The feeling of her hair brushing against my face. I wanted to return to those moments.

I've had enough bullshit to last me an entire lifetime, and for a Fae...that was a long time. Jealousy. The strongest emotion a Fae could honestly have, besides perhaps...love. Obsession. They all went hand in hand, and if you mastered one, you most assuredly mastered the other.

It was insane how a single Fae could, through their jealousy, destroy the world. Or at least, attempt to. Crowley was one of those Fae that, every so often, needed to be put in their place. To remind them that enough was enough.

It had once been Calli's job, and all the Monarchs before her, but now that she wasn't here...it fell to me. The desperation I had felt throughout my entire life trying to figure out the answers, and it just suddenly...clicked. I took a deep breath, accepting the Corruption into me. It was mine after all.

As the Corruption surrounded me, molding itself to my shape, I opened my eyes, much to Crowley's bewilderment.

"Y-You should be dead!" Crowley declared.

"...Yes, I should," I lifted an arm, looking upon the Corruption attempting to feed off of me, only...that's not what it was doing, "Many years ago, you tapped into a power you've never felt. Strong enough to tear the veil and break reality. To create an entire new world, and you twisted it. Corrupted it."

The Corruption was not trying to feed on me, but rather...return to me. The hunger it had displayed was a ravenous desire to be made whole. It had become an incredibly sentient thing of primordial desire. After all these years, it had finally found its home. The source of its origin.

"Remember when I said that Calli was always protecting me?" I looked towards Crowley who was slowly beginning to understand, "She protected me back then too. Sacrificed herself as you fools attempted to wrest control of my power. Well, guess what?"

I flung my hand out and the Corruption burst from me in globs of starry ink before turning into a twilight mist, cleansed at my insistence. Twisting my hand, palm up, I collected the mist into it as I slowly turned my attention back to Crowley, lifting my other hand towards him.

"I finally have control," with a snap of my fingers, I removed his link to the Corruption and returned it to me.

The oily, tar-like substance evaporated into that same twilight mist which hung in the air. Crowley stared in disbelief. He had tried to shatter reality, but it was only his that had been broken. He collapsed to his knees, face locked in utter defeat.

"No, no...that's not true!" he shouted, but in his heart, he knew it to be correct, "This isn't possible! Everything I planned...that power, it was yours!?"

I began to make my way down the crater's slope as he wildly began throwing magic in a desperate attempt to keep me away. Walking slowly towards him, the twilight mist snaked around my arm to envelope me in its embrace. Each strike of his magic became nullified against it, swallowed whole.

"Yes," I nodded, watching as he grew more horrified as I drew closer, "I only recently learned the truth myself."

I finally stood before him, satisfied to see him grovel, broken from the information and ineffectiveness of his attacks. He knew, in that moment, that he was no match for me.

"O-Osran, please, I-" Crowley began, but I simply held up a hand, silencing him.

"You know..." I thumbed the injury across my cheek, and as I did, my flesh healed, stitching itself back together, "It was fun playing with you. After you destroyed my life, I thought of nothing except revenge. Now, I'm taking my life back."

The wounds I had suffered slowly began to heal as the twilight mist seeped into my flesh. I reached for Crowley's horns, the crown upon which he had claimed to fight me with. Gripping it firmly, I tore it from his skull and tossed it to the floor. As it was removed, his visage shrunk back to his normal self. Blood pooled from his head, but all he could do was stare in shock.

"You were never worthy of any crown," I told him coldly, "Let alone Calli's hand in marriage. You were nothing but a spoiled, self-righteous, arrogant upstart. You should have left well enough alone, because now..."

I knelt before him, forcing him to look into my eyes and the silver flicker of light within the amber and sapphire of my eyes. His face quivered as he finally saw the depths of my strength and the power of my soul.

"This is what you've made," I explained, eyes glowing fiercely, "I am a product of your hubris, and for many, many years to come...this is what the world will have to deal with. Perhaps future generations of Fae will learn from this, but if not..."

I simply shrugged and stood up. Crowley's gaze followed me as if in a daze.

"Well, I'll be there to remind them," I smiled then, satisfied in my dominance over him, "Now then, I could just kill you. In fact, I will kill you. I'm satisfied knowing that you've seen everything you worked for fall apart in an instant. You. Have. Nothing."

Crowley began to shake as I grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up to face me at eye level. There was no longer any defiance or pride left in the eyes of the man who had once ruined my life, and since then had tried to make it even worse. He had used his trump card and I had knocked it away like a child's plaything.

There was no more energy left in him to fight. It was done. However, I had to do it properly. Raising my free hand, I resonated with the world, shattering the air like glass. These fragments shimmered, becoming windows into the various realms of the Faelands. Everything that was happening from this moment on would be broadcast across the world to all Fae everywhere.

"It's been a long time. Some of you may have forgotten me," I stated solemnly, "The King who abandoned his throne. A failure. A coward. Perhaps, at one point, you were right."

I took my time looking at all the fragments into the many realms of the Fae. Despite the power I had, this was a little strenuous, but as an end to an era...this had to be known.

"You betrayed me," I declared to them, "Turned your back when I was grieving. Celebrated the death of your Queen, my wife. She sacrificed her life so that you might live. So that I might. You mocked her, and I hated you for it."

I let me words sink in before continuing.

"None of that matters now," I said to them, "Whatever whispers you've heard of me, they're probably true. Today, however, I present to you someone you all deserve to know."

I lifted Crowley before them, presenting him to the world.

"Perhaps you know this man, perhaps not," I announced, "Either way, I'm sure you've felt the changes on the wind. Heard the rumors. They hid themselves well. Called themselves New Dawn. This is their leader."

I once more showed everyone Crowley's face, who looked disheartened and crushed by being paraded around like a trophy.

"He lied to everyone for his own gains," I continued, reaching two fingers up to the back of his skull, "Today, he will face the punishment for those crimes, but first...proof."

I tapped into Crowley's broken mind, drawing from it a film of his memory. Like a tapestry, it unfolded before the world. Everything he did. All of his jealousy. All of his hatred. All of his crimes. I had seen Calli do this once before with a Giant who had attempted a coup.

"He is the reason for the Cataclysm and the corruption of your Queen," I proclaimed, feeling a ripple of resentment wash over me, all of it aimed towards Crowley, "They hid in the dark, but today, I bring them into the light. I have reclaimed my throne. Solidified my position. From this day on, I am your King once more."

A murmur of acceptance rippled throughout the world. The very earth itself rumbled its acceptance. This was a monumental day. One that would go down in the history of the Faelands. I stood, now proud of my title and name, for even with the blood upon my hands...I had survived.

"Crowley Umberstar," my voice echoed across the world with my judgement, "I, Osran, King of the Fae, have beaten you in the challenge for the throne. You, who are not worthy and led the organization called New Dawn for your own gains, sentence you as a traitor to the Faelands. Your punishment...is complete death."

I held him before me, lifting my other hand as it crackled with the familiar monochrome lightning. I looked him in the eyes one last time as I plunged my hand into his chest. I tore from him his still beating heart. I watched as his eyes went wide.

This was the same way I was forced to kill Calli. The same way I was forced to place Josie into stasis. It had almost been the way I killed Jasmine, if not for stopping myself. It was almost poetic, in a way. At least, I thought it was a rather fitting end for him.

The last time, I hoped, that I had to do this. I kept eye contact with Crowley, letting him know just how badly he had fucked up. Once it registered in the fading light of his eyes, I clenched my fist over his heart, squeezing the life from it. The moment I did, his body erupted in flames.

They were void of color. Simply shades of white and black. The Flames of Erasure ate away at his flesh until he was nothing but ash. His death, and the warning it presented to anyone else who dared betray the Faelands, rippled across the world.

I had avoided center stage for a long, long time, but now...I returned. Waving a hand, I cut the connection to the Faelands, the air returning to normal. I breathed a sigh of relief. New Dawn was finished. Sure, there were remnants still out there, but they were no threat now that they were exposed.

I still had one more thing to do, however. Well, technically a few, but firsts things first...I turned from the crater and disappeared into the folds of reality. As the world twisted around me, I finally appeared in the hallways of Eastend Care Home, right outside of Aiden's room.

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