The Crimson Prince Awakening - v3 Chapter 70

Will

“How am I staring at myself right now?” Will said as he looked down at his evil doppelganger. Truth be told, as he looked at the evil Will below, he felt something was off.

Even though he had just seen the genocide of thousands of people, he still couldn’t believe the man below was responsible. In the dull light of the moon, he saw a glimpse of red and gold from the other Will’s clothing. He noticed the colors of the king of Ebonhart. The colors he had not once worn. “How can he be so different?” Will muttered to himself.

“I told you once before William,” Ragnos said in a hushed tone, shocking Will as he was reminded that he was not alone. “You are an abnormality. One who was not born into power, where all others were. I have been waiting for you.”

“I thought you just meant out of my bloodline.” Will said as he remembered the God’s words from when his training began.

“I meant in the whole of reality.” Ragnos looked down at the drained old man that was chained to the throne. “Countless times I have become chained to that throne by you.” His fist clenched. Will could see crimson droplets forming from it.

“I have tried to train you many times before. You turned power hungry, living a life seeking only power. You led an entire world with an iron grip many times over.” Will could feel Ragnos’s anger rising.

“In all realities, you controlled every element by forcing them from me. Once you took the power, you fashioned a vessel in which you resurrected me from the bloodline.” Ragnos pointed at the old man. “Each time, I became a battery for you to recharge from.”

Will was confused. He couldn’t imagine a world in which he could turn so evil. “There must be some sort of mistake.” He said to himself. “I would never do these things.”

“True.” Ragnos smiled slightly as he tore his gaze from below. “You were born into a chaos realm. A mirror world which was formed upon the possibility of you not rising into power.”

“I don’t understand.” It was too much for Will to think on. The fact that he was an abnormality seemed to be lost on him.

“You have heard the phrase buŧŧerfly effect before, correct?”

Will nodded. “I guess I read a few books on the subject.” He said honestly.

“Imagine you were born and raised in Ebonhart. That you were a spoiled rich child, all you knew was that you could have whatever you wanted.” Ragnos looked at Will as they hovered in the air. “Now imagine that you grew up knowing your aura as if it were an extension of your body.”

“I don’t think I could imagine that if I tried.” Will said as he thought back to the struggles he had endured while learning to control his gift. He remembered how it was out of desperation that he stumbled across it within the desert. He remembered the righteous anger which erupted from him upon seeing Maya mistreated. He remembered every trial up to that very moment.

“Exactly.” Ragnos said simply. “It’s because of this exact path in life you have been thrust into that you are the way you are.”

“In other realities, you are mostly born and raised into royalty. You have a talent for the aura in a way no others can fathom. Since you were born into it, you had a thirst for power that could never be quenched.” Ragnos said through clenched teeth. “You needed not for friends, only training. You would hide away in your studies, practicing the different elements you wrestled away from me. That down there,” he pointed his finger to the evil Will. “That is the result.”

“If what you say is true, there should be other realities in which I wasn’t born into royalty.” Will argued. “If every path of my life leads to a different reality, there should be some in which I wasn’t born into power.”

Ragnos nodded his head. “There are a few realms in which you were born into poverty.” He said, but his scowl deepened. “It didn’t matter, your talent had always corrupted you.”

“How am I different?” Will was starting to lose patience. He just saw his evil twin suck the lives of thousands of people out of their bodies. “How am I not him?”

“You were born into power, but raised in a powerless world.” Ragnos smiled. “Coming to Crystallia at a later age has taught you humility. The books you read and the lessons you’ve learned on earth curve your hunger for power.”

Will could see the platform start to tip. The thousands of empty vessels were dropping to the ground below. He could see a halo of power in the distance. Cries could be heard even at such a distance, Will could tell what was happening. “Again?”

Ragnos nodded. “This realm’s William Rangnos with devour the aura of all life in the universe to power a teleport.”

“Where would he go? What would take this much power to accomplish?” Will questioned Ragnos.

“He will head to our reality next.” Ragnos looked down in disdain. “I will be the next Ragnos at the foot of the throne.” His eyes glazed over as he thought of the horrors he knew were coming.

Snapping out of it, Ragnos looked at the youby Will with appreciation. “The first time you used your aura, I knew you would be the counter to this.” He pointed at the halo of people. “You made me proud by using your aura to help Maya, which is why I helped you resurrect her.” He waved his hand and they were once again at the gates of Ebonhart.

Barely registering the change of scenery, Will stared at Ragnos. “You helped her?”

The god nodded his head as he looked at the young man. “Watching you grow, I saw compassion. When you were transported to Crystallia, I witnessed true resolve, I saw your unshakable sense of justice, and I knew that you needed her.”

Will thought of Maya again as he had every day since he started his training with Ragnos. “I made her a promise you know.” He thought back to when he told Maya about his world. He remembered the promise of a normal date that he made with her. All thoughts of his evil doppelganger fell from his mind.

Ragnos let out a loud echoing laugh. “I just showed you a realm in which you are an evil ruler, bent on getting here and your only thought is of a date?” He couldn’t contain himself as his laughter bellowed throughout the land. “Surely I made the right choice.”

His laughter died down gradually. Casually he raised a finger to wipe a tear from his eye. “Truly that heart amazes me, William.” He spoke with a fondness that could only be reserved for a father to a son.

“I’ve been here with you for some time now.” Will said with a little anticipation in his voice.

“For more than a year now.” Ragnos nodded. “You have grown much stronger, yet I fear you cannot learn any more from this old man.”

Will returned the God’s warm smile. “I will continue to improve.” He said with determination. “I have learned a lot with your guidance.” He thought back to the few months the citizens had protested for the aura. He remembered his resolve. “I will not be the next ruler of this world, but I will protect it.” As he said the words, they felt right. He felt no shame in abdicating the throne. He felt a sense of freedom wash over him. “I may live in a chaotic reality, but I feel that this path is right.”

Ragnos looked at the young prince for a time. “I will be with you, even after you return to your body. Myself and Cainus will continue to watch over you and lend our support from time to time.”

Will looked fondly at his father God. “I will ensure that you will not have to step in much.”

The god bellowed one last laugh before Will’s world turned black. I will always be here. He heard Ragnos whisper within him before finally, he felt his body once more.

Maya

As she looked at the many weilders training, Maya couldn’t help but have a restless feeling wash over her. He has to return soon. She thought as she stood from a lone grassy hill overlooking the training field.

She straightened her leather training shirt before bringing herself down to the combatants. As she descended, the sparring group stopped in their tracks. They readied themselves for what they knew was coming.

Maya released her aura into her ring and produced her blade. The half black and half gold one handed sword had been used for many sparring matches. She knew the blade as if it were an extension of herself.

The group quickly formed into a circle around Maya. She could see many with the crimson flame aura, and some with the wind aspect, their hair twisting in an invisible breeze only they could feel.

A smile lit Maya’s features as she prepared herself. This will be fun. She thought as she crouched into a fighting stance, her sword to her side ready to strike. “What are you waiting for?” Her black and gold aura surrounded her as if it were setting her ablaze. “I’m all yours.”

One weilder she recognized as Jacob stepped forward. His silver sword blunted in the sunlight as the wind from his aura played with his baggy training clothes.

In mere seconds, he readied himself and launched towards Maya, the wind propelling him forward and an astonishing pace.

Mfwf himlut vuz uwul frt dmhplut mr vuz fpzf. Tvu qmquro lvu duio vu jfl rufz, lvu zfalut vuz giftu frt nfzzaut val ftsfrhu.

The two weilders became blurs within the battlefield. Maya relied on her aura to sense Jacob’s presence and easily parried each blow, while the other moved so fast, the nȧkėd eye could not keep up.

“Why are you all standing there?” Maya announced as she blocked another blow. “Do you need an invitation?”

Ben joined his brother in the fray. Both of them zigzagged through the training circle in a blur of motion, each trying to gain the upper hand on Maya.

Minutes felt like hours to the three of them. Ben and Jacob would attack, and Maya would dance between them, avoiding every blow.

Soon, it felt slightly one sided to the brothers until a black blur of motion joined in. “This looks fun.” Maya heard Jake say in a carefree tone. His obsidian black blade reaching for Maya, who had to double her efforts to keep him at bay.

In the power spectrum, Jake was the only one besides Will who could be considered an even match for her. Soon, Maya had to increase her efforts in dodging and parrying. She would thrust her sword out to meet his, yet he would only jump over the blade and land behind her, only to continue his course to find an opening.

“Someone’s been training.” She grimaced as she noticed Jake picking up the pace faster than the other two. Soon, she felt taps of a blade against her ċhėst and calves.

“You did well, Maya.” Jake nodded approvingly. “I have a slight advantage by having two affinities, even still it took everything I had just to find one opening.”

The match was done within ten minutes. Two of which Jake had been present for. The others laughed carefree with Jake and Maya. They knew that the sparring was all for improvement.

Maya couldn’t believe how different Jake had become within the year and two months they had spent training. Even though she trained daily, she could see his power soar to new heights while leaving her behind.

“That was a good match.” A voice rung out from above the training group. Everyone went silent as they realized who had spoken.

As they looked up, they saw a man in blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He wore a cross around his neck, and if they looked closely, they would see the small metal beads of his dog tag chain under his shirt, his long brown hair tied in a ponytail going down his back. He wore no shoes as he crossed his arms with a carefree attitude. His muscles were much too defined to belong to someone who was bedridden for more than a year.

“Mind if I join in?” Will smiled and cracked his neck. “Feels like I’ve been asleep forever.”