Purpose(part 3)

But what would he say. Initially he had only one question. Now, staring at the spitting image of his young self, he had more questions. The spell had made it so that his thoughts didn't echo any more, and Michael hoped it would stop his thoughts from raging.

He needed to calm down. He breathed slower and closed his eyes for a brief second. Then he opened his mouth to responded.

"Why my childhood self?"

The Legacy, contrary to what Michael expected, responded almost immediately as if they knew that would be his question.

"I don't know, you tell me. You are the one who wished for this face."

That answer was not what he expected. He couldn't recall wishing to see himself as a young child. Then again, maybe the reason was more profound and not as shallow as he made it to be. Not wasting time, he proceeded with his questions. He was unaware whether he was on a timer or his time here was indefinite. Not wanting to test the theory he organized his thoughts and proceeded.

"What about during my awakening?"

That question however was met by an unexpected silence. The momentum of his thoughts was halted as new questions arose. In stunned silence he studied the Legacy who didn't illicit any reaction or flinch under his gaze. Why would they? They had to be powerful beyond Michael's imagination.

Which led to his other more pressing question.

"What can you tell me about my awakening?"

"That it is different", the answer coming as fast as the first giving Micheal some hope.

"How different?" he asked almost instantly.

"You were never alone in the void. You never fully assimilated my gifts, you will have to do that overtime."

Michael remained even more confused and less satisfied with how their conversation was going. He had assumed the Legacy had been with him in the void, so to say that Michael was not alone was to imply there was someone else besides him and the Legacy. Or maybe the Legacy had not been there at all? Then what was it that he saw. And if the Legacy was not with him, then who or what was? The world appeared to spin as he raced against an invincible clock to assimilate all the new information. His initial goal relegated to the back of his mind.

And what did it mean by assimilate his gifts? Had that been the purpose of his awakening, to gain his power? Then what was the purpose of their first encounter? Michael had tried to relate both events and failed, now he was realizing that maybe each event was independent of the other in some way. Maybe he had been thinking about everything in the wrong way.

He trained his gaze to face the Legacy who returned his gaze in equal intensity.

"What was the purpose of our first meeting then?" he asked his voice shaking slightly.

"A contract", the Legacy replied simply and remained silent.

Michael thought back to their first encounter. The Legacy had asked him to become its vessel, in his stupor he had accepted without giving it a second thought. The memory caused his stomach to knot and churn. It was his mistake that led him here. What would have happened if he had said no? Had he even had the choice? He shook his head before his thoughts turned darker.

His mind was weighed down by so many questions. Deciding what to ask was getting harder with each answer.

"Your time is running out child, be quick with your request", the Legacy spoke and Michael cursed his luck. He was still plagued by many mysteries, he had many unanswered questions. He decided to ask one that was more pressing.

"Is there any particular reason why you picked me? It would be foolish of me to assume you don't know of my origin. With my interactions with Caster and Galia, I assume we are not of the same world. So why me?" That question was two-fold, he wished to know if there was any particular reason why he had been picked and to make clear whether he was still in an earth related world or in a dream or lain in his apartment floor dying. He waited with baited breath.

"The answer is in you question. You are not of this world."

Michael was disappointed by that answer. Secretly, he had hoped for some intriguing reason, one that would hopefully scratch at his ego a little bit. Maybe something related to his potential as a harbinger of death or affinity to some mysterious power. It was childish and unlikely but he had grown to convince himself of this delusion. To learn the reason was as simple as him being from another world was underwhelming.

It did however answer a question that had plagued him for long. A weight had been lifted from his chest.

"I take it you will ask your final question?" The Legacy interrupted his train of thought. It was still disturbing that it wore his face. It was confusing that the air around it had changed so much from the last time they had met. All this birthed questions that demanded answers but he was unsure whether the Legacy would be so forthcoming with the answers.

Michael sighed at the question, he had hoped that he had at least some privacy of thought. That hope was promptly shattered. He stayed silent trying to find the best way to phrase his request. Of course the Legacy had to have known why he came, to allow him the opportunity to voice out his question was to give him a semblance of choice.

"Do I have any other choice?" he asked simply banking on the Legacy knowing his thoughts.

"A biding vow. your life to mine, mine to yours and so the legacy of all those before me and beyond us. Your path will be different, your choices already made, but your strength will grow to be almost unrivaled. A poisoned chalice that will kill you if you prove unworthy. You will no longer have the liberty to forfeit this task, your fate forever sealed."