A faint figure of a ring could be seen in the midst of the harsh winds. It hovered above the pedestal, glowing with a light that looked like a divine blessing in the darkness of the ruined world. Sylvia took a deep breath, her face pale but determined. She stepped toward the light, her voice echoing against the dead skyscrapers.
"Hear my words, O' Great Eternal Ring. I, Sylvia Vingólf, come on behalf of the Goddess of Creation and request your assistance."
The moment she finished her sentence, the howling winds died down instantly. The silence that followed was heavy and cold. Then, a voice spoke. It didn't come from a person, it vibrated out of the ring itself, sounding deep and ancient, like an elderly man was speaking.
"What assistance do you require? Mortal who has been chosen by Altaria."
Sylvia didn't hesitate. "We want to escape from this cursed dimension."
The Ring of Eternity stayed silent for a moment before responding. "I am afraid I cannot help with that."
The color drained from Sylvia's face. She took a shaky step back. "What? Are you saying we have no means to leave this place? No way home?"
"Based on the information I possess, that is indeed correct."
"No... there's no way we're stuck here," Sylvia mumbled to herself. She collapsed to her knees, staring at the floor made out of stone. The confidence of a Paragon had vanished, replaced by the realization that her status meant nothing in this graveyard of a city.
Zylas watched her, then looked at the ring. He felt a pull in his chest, not one caused by magic, but one caused by a sudden realisation. The Cosmic Entity told him something when he made a deal with it. "Find and wear The Ring Of Eternity" he remembered. Zylas had been sent here for a reason. He wasn't meant to stay here forever.
"Perhaps there is a way," Zylas said, his voice cutting through Sylvia's quiet sobbing. "I'm not sure about it, but we'll have to take the risk."
Sylvia looked up, her red eyes wide and wet. "Really? You're not lying, are you? You actually know a way?"
"Just trust me," Zylas said.
He didn't wait for her to agree. He started walking toward the pedestal. Every step felt like he was walking through thick mud. The aura coming off the ring was staggering.
"What are you doing, Zylas?" Sylvia scrambled to her feet, her face twisting into a mask of fear. "Don't tell me you're going to touch it. Stop!"
Zylas didn't stop. He realized in that moment that the being who had chosen him was not a friend to the Gods everyone worshipped. He had made a deal with a creature that existed outside their rules. Touching this ring was the equivalent of declaring war on every deity in existence. But the deal was already struck. There was no "undo" button for his life anymore.
He reached out. The moment his fingers got within an inch of the metal, the air around his hand began to shimmer. He gripped the ring.
He let out a stifled grunt caused by sheer and agonizing pain.
It wasn't just heat, it felt like his blood was being turned into molten lava. The pain radiated from his fingertips, up his arm, and directly into his brain. He saw flashes of white light and felt his skin bubbling.
Then, he remembered the Entity's voice in the subway. "You owe me your life."
"This isn't even like an insect bite compared to what I've been through before." Zylas tried chuckling through gritted teeth. He ignored the smell of his own burning flesh and yanked the ring off the pedestal.
"Stop it! Why are you doing this?" Sylvia screamed. She was backing away, horrified by the sight of him gripping a relic that should have disintegrated a normal human.
"I told you... I'm trying to help us escape," Zylas gasped. He was doubled over, clutching his burnt hand. "Just trust me, Sylvia."
"Put me down, Mortal!" the voice from the ring roared. The sound was so loud it made Zylas's ears bleed. "You won't be able to bear the consequences of your actions! You are a mere speck of dust!"
Zylas looked at the silver ring through blurred vision. "I can't do that. As for the consequences, you'll be the one dealing with them. Not me"
With a shaking hand, he slid the ring onto the index finger of his right hand.
The ruined city vanished. The wind, the unholy amount of plantlife, and Sylvia's screaming disappeared in a heartbeat. Zylas found himself standing in the familiar, suffocating darkness of the Divine Lake.
A deep, villainous laugh rumbled through the void. It wasn't a sound of joy, it was the sound of a predator that had finally caught its prey.
"Very well," the Cosmic Entity spoke, its massive silhouette appearing in the dark. "You completed your part of the deal and even surpassed my expectations by miles."
Zylas stared up at the black-hole eyes of the being. He felt exhausted, his mind frayed at the edges. "The deal was extremely unfair. You gave me power that was just close to a Vowed's and then took it back after mere moments. Whereas I was sent to a whole another ruined dimension and had to search for a sealed ring that would result in me making enemies out of every God in existence."
"That's true," the Entity replied, its voice vibrating in Zylas's bones. "But I won't take the ring from you. And don't worry, for I shall take care of the consciousness present inside the ring. It will no longer bother you. Our deal has been completed."
"No, wait. Before that," Zylas shouted, stepping forward. "What and who are you? Why are you doing this? And why did you choose me specifically to do all this for you?"
"You're not ready for that yet, Zylas. But never forget the fact that I'm not, and never will be, your enemy."
"How can I trust those words?" Zylas asked, his anger flaring. "You summon me here whenever you want. You use me as a pawn against the Gods. What even are you?"
The Entity leaned closer. The blue-white light of its quasar-eyes blinded Zylas. "You don't know me… but I know you, Zylas. I know you better than you do yourself." This time, it spoke in a way sweeter and... familiar tone.
Zylas felt like the Entity was smiling, though it had no face to show it. The statement sent a chill down his spine that was worse than the cold of the Divine Lake. He opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but his head suddenly felt like it was filled with lead. His consciousness faded.
The darkness swallowed him again.
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't on the ground. He was sitting in a plush leather seat. The air smelled like expensive car freshener.
"Where am I?" Zylas asked, his voice raw. He looked around frantically, his hands grasping at the seatbelts.
"What do you mean? We just exited the main hall," Grant said. He was sitting in the driver's seat, casually adjusting the rearview mirror. "You were planning to stay at my residence, remember?"
Zylas's face turned paper-white. He looked out the window. They were still in the parking lot of the Meridian Academy. The sun was shining. There were no ruins. No vines. No Sylvia.
"What...? What about the car crash?" Zylas stammered.
Grant paused and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What car crash? I haven't even started the engine yet. Don't jinx our way back, kid."
Zylas felt like his brain had just done a backflip into a woodchipper. He looked at his clothes, they were clean. No sewage. No dirt.
"You're acting really weird," Grant said, his voice softening with concern. "It's been a tough day for you. The exams, the representative spot... I kind of understand, but I didn't think it would cause this much fatigue. You really need some sleep."
Zylas gripped his knees, trying to stop his hands from shaking. "Hey... do you ever just have really weird dreams? Like, they seem like they lasted hours, but only a few seconds passed in real life?"
Grant chuckled and turned the key in the ignition causing the engine to start. "Weird question, but yeah. That happens to almost everyone. Usually means you're stressed out of your mind."
Zylas took a long, shaky sigh of relief. He leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes. It was a dream, he told himself. The cave, the ruins, the ring... it was all just a hallucination from the stress of gaining powers. He started to relax, the last of his sanity holding onto that thought.
But as he let his hand rest on the center console, he felt something cold against his skin.
He opened his eyes and looked down at his right hand.
There, sitting on his index finger, was a silver ring.