Shadow Slave

Cassie surfaced from Mordret’s memories with a gasp.

Recoiling from him, she fell to the floor and strained to draw air into her lungs. She was disoriented and nauseous, hoarse breaths escaping from between her lips as she suffered a powerful vertigo.

Funnily enough, it was the pain that helped her overcome the feeling of being disconnected from the world and rooted her to reality once more.

A dreadful, piercing pain was pulsing in her empty socket, and blood was flowing down her pale face.

Raising a shaking hand, Cassie wiped the blood away with a handkerchief and pulled her blindfold in place, hiding her wound from the world.

“Why are you wearing that?”

Mordret’s voice betrayed a hint of curiosity.

“The blindfold, I mean. From what I can see, it brings little to no benefit.”

Cassie finally managed to get her breathing under control. She remained silent for a moment, then said in a subdued tone:

“No reason.”

Mordret did not seem convinced. He studied her before asking with interest:

“Is it your Aspect Legacy?”

Cassie shook her head.

“I have no Aspect Legacy.”

He chuckled.

“What a coincidence. Me neither.”

Mordret rose from where he sat and stretched his shoulders.

“Curious things, those Aspect Legacies. The Aspect does not come from the Spell, but the Legacy does. There is a set way to unseal it, as well — one only the Spell knows about. I do wonder sometimes why it has never granted me mine.”

He chuckled.

“Perhaps it’s because I was destined to inherit nothing.”

Cassie remained silent for a moment, then said quietly:

“This blindfold is just a mundane Memory. Its enchantment is of no use, but it cleans and repairs itself… and I like the color. That is already good enough. More importantly, it puts people at ease, so that is why I wear it.”

Mordret seemed to give her a long look.

“There are hardly any people here.”

Letting out a sigh, Cassie slowly rose to her feet.

“Perhaps not… but over the years, wearing this blindfold became a habit. I like it. Every time I put it on, I feel like I am putting on a helmet and lowering its visor. And then, I am ready for battle.”

She turned to face him and raised her chin slightly.

“Are you ready for battle?”

Mordret laughed.

Giving her a pleasant smile, he turned away and headed for the door.

“You should know it by now, Cassia… I have never not been in a battle. I am a descendant of the Goddess of Life, after all.”

Leaving the chamber, he added in a placid tone:

“And life is war.”

…At the same time as Mordret was looking at the bloodied face of Cassia, who was kneeling on the floor, he was standing on the last link of an immense chain that connected the Southern Island to the lands beyond.

The corpse of Saint Dar of the Maharana had been destroyed some time ago, so now, he was wearing a different vessel. Behind him, a battered procession of his other selves was retreating up the great length of the Anchor Chain, and in front of him… Well, he couldn’t see the victorious army of the Hunger Domain yet, but it was not too far. He watched the endless columns of Awakened march across the wilderness through the reflections — they had already reclaimed all the Citadels between the decimated Black Mountains and the Chained Isles, and were now aiming to take Sanctuary of Noctis before the end of the week.

In fact, the scouts of the White Feather clan were already observing it from the depths of the Sky Below.

In the west, Godgrave had already been reclaimed by the forces of humanity. The Glass Hell now belonged to the Dreamspawn, as well, with a new Saint ruling over the desolate streets of Red Hill… humans even conquered the second Citadel, which Mordret had discovered in the depths of the Hive. He did not even get the chance to explore it fully.

One army was approaching the southern Anchor Chain, while another was nearing the western — before too long, they would pass the ruins of the Red Colosseum and disturb the peace of the Altar Island, where the ancient statue of War God still stood. Mordret wondered if losing the Altar of War — somewhat of an ancestral holy place, for him — meant anything. It probably didn’t, but the symbolism was quite poignant.

In any case, the two armies would fuse into one great one — the greatest army humanity had ever fielded — as they met on the doorsteps of the Ebony Island.

There, he would build a true monument to war.

“Your little rebellion seems to have failed, hasn’t it?”

The insidious voice flowed into his ears, and as if by magic, a man with golden eyes was suddenly standing in front of the chain’s anchor, looking at him calmly.

Asterion smiled.

“I’ve heard that children eventually go through a phase when they rebel against their parents, but aren’t you too old for that, boy?”

Mordret sighed.

“I think I know now what you had been up to for all those years, stuck on the Moon. You were polishing your taunting skills, weren’t you? If so, congratulations. Your ability to anger others is beyond compare… even Old Jest would be envious.”

Asterion shrugged.

“You look tired, Mordret.”

Mordret chuckled.

“Tired? Indeed, I am a little tired… how many times have I destroyed that body of yours? And yet, you are still here, in front of me. What a tiresome man you are.”

The Dreamspawn studied him for a few moments.

“Destroying your endless vessels is also quite a boring affair. But enough is enough… how about you finally see reason, boy? Cease this senseless resistance. You know you can’t win, so surrender peacefully.”

Taking a step forward, he said amicably:

“The rest of them — humans — are nothing but fodder. But you and I are different. We can rule this world together… face all its dangers together. We can become gods together, and even something greater than that. All you have to do is submit.”

Mordret could not help but laugh.

“Submit? Become one of your thralls? You must be mad.”

The smile slowly drained from his face, replaced by a chilling lack of emotion.

“You didn’t even bother to come up with a believable lie this time, huh? Well, no matter. Listen closely, Dreamspawn…”

Mordret stared down at Asterion and spoke evenly:

“I would rather die than submit to you. Oh, but I won’t die… long after your name is lost and forgotten, the name of Mordret of Nowhere will be spoken far and wide, known to everyone.”

He grinned.

“Well, that’s because it will be me. I will be everyone. And you will be no one.”

Mordret inhaled deeply.

“And, actually, I lied. Destroying you over and over again was not tiresome at all. In truth, I enjoyed it greatly — I hoped that it would never end. But sadly, everything has to have a conclusion… including you. Including me.”

With that, he took a step back and gave Asterion a mocking bow.

“So I will see you soon. And I will be the last thing you ever see…”

With that, he disappeared.

Some time after their conversation concluded, the armies of the Hunger Domain walked across the celestial chains and entered the Chained Isles. During their crossing, the warriors of the White Feather clan rose from the Sky Below and reclaimed the Sanctuary of Noctis — it stood empty, protected by no one.

And while that was happening, Cassie descended the steps to the underground level of the Ebony Tower and stood in front of the mirror there, facing the man trapped inside.

The hidden Flaw of the King of Nothing.