The Door to the Beginning
Chapter 65: The Door to the Beginning
As the swirling dust gradually settled, revealing the desolate aftermath of the planet-splitting explosion, Ethan stood amidst the wreckage, his gaze fixed upon Everly, who trembled before him. A profound mix of emotions swirled within Ethan, though he concealed it beneath an inscrutable exterior.
"I must admit," Ethan said, his voice devoid of emotion, "you are not my son." With a single, swift motion of his hands, he severed any lingering connection between them, cutting through Everly like a surgeon's precision. Everly's face contorted with a blend of sorrow and terror, as the weight of his actions crashed upon him with undeniable force.
In the wake of this violent act, the planet itself convulsed, succumbing to the cataclysmic forces unleashed. The explosion engulfed everything in its path, reducing the shattered remains to an eerie silence. Ethan, however, remained unperturbed, watching the chaos unfold from within the heart of the tempest.
An enigmatic smile graced Ethan's lips, as if he had finally attained the culmination of his desires. "Yes, this is what I sought," he whispered, his voice barely audible. And with those words, he seemed to vanish from the scene, leaving behind only fragmented traces of his presence.
Yet, Ethan had not truly vanished; he had transcended mortal perception by moving at incomprehensible speeds. Remembering the halls of the dimensional mansion, where the flow of time rippled like a tapestry, he called forth the fabric of reality into his hand, effortlessly tearing it asunder. A portal materialized, leading him back to the mansion, where countless timelines intersected.
"Hmm," Ethan mused, his eyes gleaming with curiosity and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. "Let us venture forth and discover where this journey shall lead." With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a coin, flipping it into the air, and catching it in his open palm. "Heads for the left, tails for the right," he murmured to himself, as if conversing with a hidden oracle.
The coin danced through the air, its trajectory a testament to the whims of fate. It spun and twirled before descending gracefully, landing with a soft thud upon the surface of Ethan's palm. Tails. A knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips, for he had anticipated this outcome all along.
Assuming a poised runner's stance, Ethan's body transformed into his ethereal omni form, shimmering with radiant energy. His once golden locks cascaded into long spikes, and three resplendent halos orbited above him, exuding an otherworldly glow. With a surge of raw power, he propelled himself forward, surpassing the limitations of mortal comprehension.
As Ethan blazed through the labyrinthine corridors of the mansion, time seemed to stand still. The delicate balance of timelines and multiverses froze in awe, unable to keep pace with his boundless speed. Yet, Ethan pressed on undeterred, propelled by an insatiable thirst for the unknown.
Hours melded into days, and days into weeks, as Ethan continued his relentless pursuit, pushing himself to ever greater velocities. He tapped into the inherent power of antimatter, amplifying his speed to unfathomable levels. Yet, despite his transcendent velocity, the mansion remained steadfast, its enigmatic doors unyielding to his indomitable force.
Unyielding in his resolve, Ethan pressed onward, his determination unshaken. Days stretched into an eternity as he raced through the twisting corridors, faster and faster, in search of the elusive door that beckoned him. And finally, after an arduous passage of three seemingly endless days, he came to a halt.
Before him stood the door, unassuming amidst the swirling chaos of the distorted mansion. Its simple label, "Beginning," held a tantalizing promise of untold wonders. The mansion itself had become an abstract tapestry of swirling colors, with doors adrift in a maelstrom of shifting realities, their names rendered indecipherable.
Ethan, his expression devoid of excitement, extended his hand and grasped the worn doorknob. With resolute determination, he swung open the door, ready to confront whatever lay beyond its threshold.