Daniel's mind reeled, a torrent of dread and awe churning within him. What the fuck was that? His heart thundered, each beat a hammer against his ribs, echoing the terror that had gripped him in the creature's presence.
His body, now fully restored, bore no trace of the wounds from the raid or the nightmare realm, yet the memory of that being—its writhing form, its countless eyes, its voice like shattering worlds—clung to him like a second skin.
The creature's cryptic words about the "First," a being it revered as the source of some unfathomable power, left him wary, his instincts screaming caution. Facing the Demon King in his past life had steeled him, forged him in fire and blood, but this encounter was different.
Fear, raw and primal, had coiled around his soul, as if he'd summoned it into existence, a shadow cast across the universe itself.
The golden liquid around him shimmered, its warmth a faint comfort against the void's oppressive darkness. Then the space shifted, a disorienting lurch that felt like time unraveling.
For a moment, he thought it was rewinding, dragging him back through moments already lived, but clarity struck like a blade. This was no temporal trick. The realm he'd been pulled into by the creature existed beyond time, beyond space—a transcendent plane where principles, laws, and dimensions held no sway.
Even gods, bound by certain cosmic truths, wielded power within the confines of reality's framework, but this place was above such constraints, a domain where existence itself was malleable, shaped by forces no mortal could comprehend.
The realization chilled him. The creature had torn him from the Goddess of Light's presence, severing her divine connection with an ease that defied reason. The Goddess, a supreme being of near-omniscient might, had been silenced, her light extinguished in an instant.
What power could command such a feat, to pluck a god from her own realm and cast her aside? The question gnawed at Daniel, his mind racing with the implications. The creature's strength was beyond divine, a force that mocked the system's rules, perhaps even its creator.
The void softened, the golden liquid rippling as the darkness parted, revealing the radiant figure of the Goddess of Light. Her form materialized, untouched by the chaos that had unfolded, her golden hair cascading like molten sunlight, her pearlescent blue eyes shimmering with an ethereal calm.
She stood before him, blissfully unaware of the creature's intrusion, her presence a beacon of serenity that soothed his frayed nerves. She opened her mouth to speak, ready to unveil the truth about Claim, the skill that had reshaped his destiny.
Daniel raised a hand, stopping her, his voice firm despite the tremor in his chest. He didn't need her explanation. Claim's power, its ability to steal the essence of another's existence, felt like a key to something deeper, something even the Goddess might not fully grasp.
He wanted to unravel its secrets himself, to prove he could forge his own path. Instead, a burning question rose, fueled by the creature's cryptic words.
His voice wavered, a mix of nervous dread and insatiable curiosity: "Goddess," he began, her gaze locking onto his, attentive and serene. "What do you know about a being called the First?"
The Goddess tilted her head, her expression shifting to one of gentle curiosity, though a flicker of uncertainty passed through her eyes. She, a supreme being, omniscient in her dominion, seemed to search her vast knowledge. "I… do not know," she admitted, her voice soft but tinged with a rare hint of doubt. "To my knowledge, no such being exists. Why do you ask?"
Daniel forced a faint smile, his teeth barely visible, sweat beading at his temple as he masked the unease clawing at him. "Just wondering," he said, his tone light despite the weight of his thoughts. "Thought maybe there was something out there called that. But if you don't know, then it's probably nothing."
The Goddess nodded, her radiance undimmed. "Very well. Let me continue, then. Claim—"
He cut her off again, his resolve hardening. "No, it's fine. I want to figure out Claim on my own. I've leaned on you too much already, and I know it's forbidden for you to keep guiding me like this. Let me grow, let me prove I can become someone strong enough to stand on my own."
The Goddess paused, her pearlescent blue eyes softening, a tender blend of pride and sorrow shimmering within them, as if she glimpsed the grueling trials destined to test Daniel's resolve.
Her golden hair, cascading like liquid sunlight, framed her serene form, and the golden liquid around them pulsed gently, its warmth a quiet comfort in the boundless void.
Daniel's words lingered, a fierce declaration of his will to forge his own path, free from the crutch of divine guidance, a vow to rise through his own strength.
She inclined her head, her voice a melody woven with divine warmth, yet tinged with a bittersweet finality. "Very well, Daniel. I honor your choice to grow unshackled. You are right, I cannot keep summoning you to this realm. This meeting, I fear, must be our last. But do not despair. Saint Torren will watch over you, your mother, and Elira. I have entrusted him with your care, and his faith will guide you."
Daniel's chest tightened, the weight of her words settling like a stone. Their last meeting. The Goddess, his beacon through the darkness of curses and betrayal, would no longer appear to him.
Yet her trust in him, her belief in his potential, kindled a fire in his heart. He stepped forward, the golden liquid rippling beneath his feet, and bowed his head, his voice steady despite the ache within: "Thank you, Goddess. For the Lightblade, for Claim, for saving me when I was nothing. You gave me a reason to fight, to protect what matters. I'll never forget that."
The Goddess's radiance brightened, her eyes sparkling with a warmth that eased his sorrow. "Your heart is true, Daniel. It is why I chose you. Is there anything more you would ask of me before we part?"
He lifted his gaze, a spark of determination in his eyes, tempered by a quiet longing. "One last thing," he said, his voice soft but resolute. "I want something to remember you by, to keep you close when the curses try to break me. A Lumen Sigil, crafted by your hand."
Her expression shifted, a flicker of excitement dancing across her divine features, as if his request stirred her celestial heart. "A Lumen Sigil," she murmured, her voice rich with reverence.
The sacred symbol of the Goddess of Light was a radiant circle, its core a beacon of divine illumination. Three rays extended outward in a triangular formation, each embodying a pillar of her essence, wisdom, compassion, and power. Beneath, a crescent cradled the light, a curve of feminine energy and celestial guidance, a testament to her eternal watch over the world.
She raised her hands, and the golden liquid swirled, coalescing into a radiant orb between her palms. Light wove through it, threads of divine energy shaping the sigil with meticulous care.
The circle formed first, its edges glowing with a warmth that banished the void's darkness. The three rays emerged, sharp and luminous, their points pulsing with the virtues they represented.
The crescent took shape last, a gentle arc that seemed to hum with a mother's love, its glow soft yet unyielding. The sigil hovered, complete, its light a mirror of the Goddess's own, a tangible piece of her divinity.
"For you, Daniel," she said, her voice a whisper of eternity, "to carry my light through the trials ahead."
She extended her hands, and the Lumen Sigil floated to him, its warmth enveloping his hands as he accepted it. The sigil was weightless yet solid, its surface smooth as polished starlight, its glow steady even in the void's oppressive dark. He clutched it to his chest, the light seeping into his skin, a reminder of her faith in him, a talisman to hold her dear.
"Thank you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, his eyes locked on hers. "I'll make you proud."
The Goddess smiled, a radiant expression that filled the void with hope. "You already have."
The golden liquid stirred, the void trembling as the realm began to fade. Daniel's vision blurred, the Goddess's form dissolving into a cascade of light, her pearlescent eyes the last to vanish.
The Lumen Sigil pulsed in his hands, its warmth grounding him as the darkness swallowed him whole. He disappeared, his consciousness slipping back to the mortal world, the sigil's light a beacon in his heart, a promise to endure, to fight, to rise.