The world started to disappear from sight. The world was slowly losing its brightness. Everything, in the world was becoming less clear. The world was fading away.
The Varinthus ruins started to come like the dungeon was finally taking a deep breath after a really long time. Ash went up into the air. The broken stones got smoother around the edges. The towers that were all burnt and black started to fade into dark shapes and then they turned into smoke. The Varinthus ruins were really changing now. The old burnt towers of Varinthus were gone, replaced by smoke.
The memory was coming to an end.
Lucifer stood at the remaining terrace and he looked out at what was left of the city. The streets below did not look real anymore. The buildings did not seem to have any weight to them. They were not sharp like they used to be. It was like the city was fading away and reality was just letting go of Lucifers city. Lucifer saw that the buildings were losing their shape and the streets were empty. The city that Lucifer knew was. All that was left was this empty space. Lucifers city was. It was a sad thing to see.
The man just stayed still. He did not move. The man was not going anywhere. He just stood there. Did not move.
The wind went through him and it did not stop him. It carried voices of people who were not there anymore. There was laughter from festivals that had taken place. You could also hear shouts, from training yards where people used to practice. The wind also carried the hum of forges that would never burn again. The forges were silent now.
The man remembered all of the people he had met. He remembered all of the things they had said to him. The memories of them were still very clear, to him. He remembered all the memories of the people.
Not as heroes.
As people.
Behind him the sound of footsteps was getting closer. They were footsteps, really careful.
She did not say anything away. Her eyes went to where his eyes were looking. She saw the last bit of Varinthus disappearing. The special floating place where the dragon demigod used to sleep was gone now. All that was left was empty sky.
For a long time people just stood there like that. They did not move or do anything people just stood there like that.
The dungeon shook again. It was not as strong this time. The ground under their feet started to get really thin. You could see right through it. The other people were waiting somewhere far away they were being quiet and giving them room they just knew to do that without anyone telling them.
Lucifer finally spoke his voice was steady. It was very low.
They did not hesitate.
Caelyra nodded.
The woman said no. The people, in question did not do what they were supposed to do. The woman was talking about the people. The people did not do it.
The man clenched his jaw slightly. He was clenching his jaw. The jaw was clenched by the man.
They knew what the end was going to be.. Still they did nothing about it. They just knew the end was coming.
She said that and still they picked it. They did this because someone had to do it. Someone had to make this choice. They were the ones who did it.
Lucifers hand got tighter without him realizing it. The Key of Dragonis was pressed against his palm. It felt warm and heavy. Like a heartbeat but it was not his heartbeat. This was power that he did not ask for. A door had been opened for him by a dragon. This dragon had chosen to die on its feet.
The man looked at the dungeon. Said this dungeon was never meant to be cleared by anyone. He really meant that people should not try to clear this dungeon. This dungeon is just too hard for people to clear.
Caelyra looked at him. She really looked at him I mean she took a look, at him at Caelyras own pace. Caelyra was looking at him.
This thing was supposed to be something that people would remember for a time. It was meant to be remembered.
He breathed out slowly.
Below the city everything just fell apart. The plaza, where kids used to run and play just disappeared into thin air. The walls, the city walls that had kept everything for a really long time started to break apart and then they were gone, completely gone. The city was no more the walls were no more. The plaza was no more.
Varinthus was gone. I mean Varinthus had really disappeared. The thing is, Varinthus was not there anymore.
Lucifer felt something at that moment.
Not grief bursting outward.
But something settling deep inside him.
Weight.
Responsibility.
The kind of thing that does not crush someone. It is always there and never leaves the person, this kind of thing.
Caelyra took a step closer, to him. Her shoulder touched his arm it was a gentle touch. This time Caelyra reached out. She put her hand over his hand.
Her touch was warm. Steady.
Let us rise, Lucifer.
The man turned to look at the woman. He wanted to see the woman. The woman was standing there. The man turned to look at her.
Her face looked really calm. Her eyes had the same fire that he felt in his own chest. It was not anger. It was not sadness. The fire in the eyes of the woman and the fire in his chest were the same. The womans eyes and his chest had this fire that he could not explain. The fire in her eyes and the fire, in his chest were burning strongly.
Resolve.
She kept talking. Her voice was not loud. You could hear what she was saying. She said "The world does not deserve it.. The people who did this they did."
The words landed without any force all. They just of landed. The words did not have any power, behind them they just landed.
The people did not need the thing.
Lucifer closed his fingers around hers squeezing once. He did it in a way. He was certain, about what he was doing. Lucifer was being gentle and certain when he squeezed her hand.
He said that they will do it for the people they care about. They will do this for them.
The dungeon actually responded to me. I was really surprised that the dungeon had something to say. The dungeon. It was very strange.
I am still thinking about what the dungeon said. The dungeon. Now I have to think about what to do next.
The sky was filled with light it was not too bright. It was the end. The ground under the peoples feet was. For a short time the people stood in mid air with nothing below them. The light, in the sky was still there it was a kind of light.
Lucifer did not feel fear. He was a person who was not afraid of anything. Lucifer was very brave. Lucifer did not get scared easily. Lucifer just did what Lucifer wanted to do.
Only direction.
The people around them started to show up all because the dungeon was giving its bit of energy. Their faces looked really sad. Their eyes were very tired. Some of them were still shaking a lot. Some of them looked empty like the dungeons breath. The dungeons last breath had an effect, on them. The people were all affected by the dungeon.
Everything is still standing the building is standing all the things are standing.
A voice echoed one time. It was not being. Critical. It was also not saying anything, about the person. The voice just echoed one time.
Acknowledging.
> The first apocalypse has been seen by people. The apocalypse is something that has happened. It is very bad. The first apocalypse is a deal and people are talking about it.
If you can keep going then you can move forward with the game or whatever it is that you are doing. The people who endure the game says, may proceed. So if you are one of those who endure then you can keep going.
The light just fell in on itself.
And then—
The people stepped forward.
Out of the ashes.
Carrying the weight of a million sacrifices on their backs.
Not as saviors.
But as those who refused to fall.