The Primordial Record - Chapter 1110: Memories Of Fire (7)

The white-haired girl seeing the shift in the mood amongst everyone here when that name was mentioned turned to Andar,

“Who is this Rowan? Is he a god, Dominator, Demon, Archmage, or some strange entity from outside the universe like you?”

The Empress whose eyes had been furiously blinking with her mouth flapping like a fish out of water stopped her crazy acts, her paralysis giving her time to process what was happening and get over the initial shock of it. Despite her immense shock, Empress Scarlet was a once in a generation genius and she could slowly compartmentalize her thoughts until her mind became somewhat stable.

Her eyes turned to Fury and saw the shock in his eyes and she almost giggled like a child, ‘Why was he afraid? Of course, it could not be that Rowan Kuranes. Sure the child was a Breaker, making him somewhat special, but there had been thousands of other Breakers that she had seen. Surely this foolish boy did not think he was the same person. Her mind flashed back to the incident where she tried to understand the destiny of Rowan and her crown nearly shattered’

There was a dawning realization in her heart that she understood nothing about reality and the true players who ran it. The strange actions of the gods, the entire strange war that erupted out of nowhere, and the fucking destruction of the entire universe, all seemed to be pointing at one man. ‘Have I been so out of touch with reality?’ the Empress felt her spine reconnecting as Malakith dropped the shadow over her spine. She slowly stood up and looked around furtively like a mouse, but her eyes were glinting with curiosity as she drank in everything happening around her, feeling like a newborn baby whose eyes had finally been open.

Andar finally answered the question from the white-haired girl, drawing the attention of everyone here back to him,

“To tell the truth, I don’t think I know him all that well. He is the sort of person that had never bothered with fame, or imposing his will on others. I believe it is because he passes through reality extremely quickly and everything fades behind for him, so nothing lasts. We could spend a million years exploring the power of a technique and he would only use a single second before leaving it behind. Everything fades…. Except him, and no one is his equal”

Fury by the side, went pale at those words, his memory trying to reconcile the Rowan he knew from just a few years ago to this seemingly unknowable entity who could create and destroy an entire universe, all of these seemed so ridiculous to him and if he was not experiencing it, he would think he was under a spell.

Andar noticed Fury’s agitation, but he did not much care for it, he was replying to the question from Staff who seemed desperate to know the answer, he remembered something and he lightly chuckled,

“The last and only time we met I did most of the talking, and he sat there and listened. I mean truly listened to me. People say they listen but it can never be like this, where every single words are heard and understood to such a profound state, it was looking into the mirror of your soul. I have never felt such peace in my life, and I wanted it to last forever. Sitting with him beside the fire and laying out my heart to him, because I know that in all of creation, no one knows me better, and no one ever will.”

Andar chuckled self-deprecatingly, “This creature of shadow was correct, I am not just your average Mage, I was crafted by the hands of my Creator himself, I was made to excel. My light was created to rival any who had ever existed in creation. I was given the potential to stand by his side. He gave me his own flesh and blood and drew me from a life of utter mediocrity to one where I could walk amongst the peak of creation, and what was the price he asked for this, I think you will wonder. No one gives gifts of such magnitude without expecting anything in return…”

“What was the price?” Fury did not even know when he interrupted and Andar turned to him in surprise, this strange and broken god and enigma in his own right, for Andar could see faint similarities in their facial features between Fury and Rowan.

Fury swallowed under Andar’s gaze, his broken Divine Spark making him feel like an ant before a god, but he pushed the words from his mouth, “The price that you paid for your powers, what was it? If I were to bet, it would be everything, is it not? As I am coming to learn in these past few moments there is always a price for power. One that is always greater than what was given. No one wants to make a loss, and every trade was for an eventual gain.”

Andar smiled, “Yes, there is always a price for power, and the payment he asked of me was one of the most painful I had ever imagined and I would do almost anything to not pay that price.”

Fury licked his lips, “What was the payment?”

Looking away from him, Andar whispered, the tone of his voice peculiar, as if even he, himself could not understand the answer,

“Freedom, the price of my power was freedom. Why would he give me such immense strength and push me away from him, when he knows that I would pay anything to be by his side?”

The white-haired girl who called herself Staff whispered, “Did he tell you why he gave you your freedom?”

Andar hesitated, he had placed his father’s words deep in his heart, and he had not even spoken of it to Mira, but there was something in the eyes of the girl that demanded answers because she was in the same boat as him.

He looked at her and at the enigmatic figure whose Aura had kept them safe from the destruction of the universe. He stood as if he were a titan, and even though Andar knew this man was dead, he felt his heart shake when he looked at him. There was a resemblance between the girl and this man that was easily discernable and he asked,

“Was he your father?”

She nodded, and Andar no longer hesitated and he spoke,

“I would like to think I understand the reason he gave me freedom, but I will tell you as he told me, verbatim. He said to me; How time reveals the secrets and depravities of the past, if I want to change reality, then this change needs to start with me. If you want to create enemies, try changing something.

“I have been breaking the chains of slavery placed on me and it has brought me to the realization that my children can not reach their full potential if I don’t know how to let them go. I will not be like my Father and the Primordials. I have to let you go, only then can you truly shine…”