A blinding pillar of golden light erupted from the stone. The very earth violently buckled. The concussive shockwave of the conflicting magics shattered the plaza, completely destroying the remnants of the Grand Temple in a catastrophic explosion.
I shielded my eye from the debris. As the dust settled, the horrific demonic form had partially melted away. Mother Rhoyne emerged from the darkness. Her face was finally clear and beautiful, but the rest of her body remained suffocated and bound by the oozing Taint.
She looked at me, her blue eyes brimming with endless tears. "Run, Zahken," she pleaded, her voice echoing in my mind. "You cannot kill me. Please... I do not want you to be my next victim."
Before I could answer, the Taint violently seized control of her body. She shrieked as dark magic gathered in her hands, and she hurled a wave of lethal, corrupted energy at me.
I threw myself to the side, tumbling across the broken earth to dodge the blast. "Fight it, Mother! I will find a way to save you!" I cried out.
"There is nothing left to save!" she wept, launching another barrage of dark magic that I narrowly evaded. "Give me true death, my son! The Taint... it manipulates me! It uses my essence to sustain this accursed mist. I am a beacon, Zahken! It uses my divine call to lure the other Rhoynar gods here to feed on them!"
She fell to her knees, violently fighting her own hands as they tried to cast another spell at me. "I have been forced to kill so many of your siblings," she sobbed, her voice breaking my heart into a thousand pieces. "Do not let it make me kill you."
Looking upon the destitute, agonizing state of my creator, an immense, crushing despair threatened to consume me. But then, a thought pierced the grief.
Hadrian.
The Godling possessed that accursed artifact Lemegeton. A tool designed to consume and nullify aether. If there was anything in this world capable of ending her suffering—capable of granting her the peace she begged for—it was Harry.
I had to buy him time.
I pushed through the agonizing pain of my severed arm and summoned the absolute last remnants of my divine essence. I slammed my remaining hand into the broken earth. Golden chains of pure, solidified light erupted from the ground, violently wrapping around her corrupted body and binding her securely to the bedrock.
I channelled the remaining dregs of my power directly into the Nemesis stone, forcing the golden light to aggressively push the Taint back from her chest and face, severely weakening the demonic hold over her mind.
"I may have a way to end this," I vowed, my voice thick with emotion as her tears fell upon the golden chains.
With nothing left to give, I turned my back on the ruins and leapt blindly into the mist, plummeting toward the distant dome as my darkened thoughts began to claim my sanity.
Flashback End
Third Person POV
"You know of me?" Hadrian asked, puzzled and intrigued.
Mother Rhoyne nodded. "The remnants of one's actions cling to them, and to a god like myself, observing the remnant touch of souls is of no consequence. What else would you call a Godling who has the remnant touch of over three billion souls on himself?" The goddess nearly shuddered, looking at him.
Hadrian's eyes widened as he heard her words. "You can see them?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Only a being charged towards destruction can have such a taint on him. I do not know how or why you became such, but it is a burden not even the greatest of gods could ever carry," Mother Rhoyne expressed with sadness and empathy.
Hadrian waved his hand. "I have neither the time nor the intention of delving into my past today. You, on the other hand, I would like to know everything about." Hadrian paused as his eyes glowed emerald. "Allow me entry into your mind, and I shall end your suffering in return for the knowledge of the past."
Mother Rhoyne gave a dry smile before shaking her head. "I wish I could, but my mind has been home to the Taint for a thousand years. Your efforts will only lead to trouble if you enter my mind."
Hadrian fell silent at her words. He let out a sigh. "Fine, then answer my questions. I did not make this journey to leave empty-handed. Once you have satisfied my questions, I will grant you peace."
"Are we not pressed for time for you to get all your answers?" Mother Rhoyne asked.
Hadrian raised his hand. "Lemegeton." Suddenly, the air thickened as the Bane of Gods and Demons manifested itself. Mother Rhoyne, who had thus far been filled with sadness and anxiety, showed signs of fear before she gathered herself.
"Now I see why you carry the remnant of so many souls. You used them to make this," she said poignantly.
Hadrian did not answer her, instead gazing at the black stone as Lemegeton hovered over it before gathering the black liquid from it and refining it. This time, however, a strange event occurred. After a certain point, Lemegeton stopped, unable to refine the Taint.
Hadrian sighed. "It has reached the limit," he said, glancing back at Mother Rhoyne, who now was staring back in shock at him. The corruption that had previously reached her bosom had now lowered to her legs.
Hadrian gave her a smirk. "You did not think it could do it."
"Even if it is an artifact that can refine aether, the Taint is not merely aether; it is more. I did not believe it could be so easily removed," she answered.
"Lemegeton cannot refine the Taint into mana. The influence of the Taint remains within it, but it can siphon it away from anyone. I will have to find ways to remove the influence, and that is why I need answers from you," Hadrian said as Lemegeton landed in his palm before vanishing.
"Very well, I will answer and help you find the solutions you need to battle Nemesis," Mother Rhoyne spoke resolutely.
"That word you speak when referring to the Taint—is that its source or just another name?" Hadrian asked promptly.