Ru felt like he was suspended in space. He had no sensation in his body, only the tiny light shining far in the distance... He couldn't move. He couldn't even wiggle a finger. All he could do was stare at the light. Now and then, he heard muffled sounds, like bass notes coming from far away.
"What is this? Where am I?" Thoughts swirled around him, forming sentences of light.
"What should I do?"
"Am I in a coma again?"
And the sentences kept multiplying in Ru's mind.
"Oh no, I'm dead."
"But how did I die?"
"Never mind, even if I'm dead, I can come back."
"I need to find my body."
"Can anyone hear me?"
"You don't have a voice, idiot!"
"Argh!"
"Can't anyone read my thoughts?"
"Isn't there anyone?"
"Am I completely alone now?"
"Help me!"
"Please help!"
"What did that vampire say?"
"Which vampire?"
"The one with the cat mask, the painter."
"Yes! He said, I'm not a spirit; I'm a wandering consciousness."
"I've gone from a wandering consciousness to a stuck one."
"Where am I stuck?"
"Wait a minute. I need to figure out what I can do as a consciousness."
"Besides thinking."
"I must be silent."
"If I'm not silent, the sentences will suffocate me."
"Calm down."
"I can't! Dr. Noob isn't here!"
"Dr. Noob?"
"Stop calling him Noob!"
"Okay, Claude."
"Now calm down and imagine Claude."
"Claude."
"Claude!"
"Claude," the Sultan said in a low voice.
Anaxarete turned to face him, surprised, and asked, "Who's he?"
"It is a name Ru talks about in his sleep," the Sultan replied.
"Oh, never mind, darling. I have found a new flesh for you. It's in my bedroom, come on," Anaxarete said with an attractive attitude and a seductive voice.
The Sultan tried to move, but his step froze in mid-air. "Interesting," he said, squinting his eyes.
"It seems the child has awakened," Anaxarete said.
"It appears so," the Sultan grinned.
"No problem, we'll solve it," Anaxarete said and took Ru by the arm. "Come with me, my precious blue one."
Claude took Ru's arm and said, "Come with me, Lirui."
Ru couldn't feel Claude's touch, but he knew. He was sure Claude was beside him. He didn't resist and somehow drifted toward the light.
"Why are you so sad, Lirui?" Claude asked.
"I'm not sad," Ru said, evaporating the tears and wiping them from his face. "I just failed, and I can't stand it."
Claude was surprised by Ru's words. "Lirui, why do you say that? I can see you're feeling down."
Ru let out a small, cynical laugh. "I'm not sad, Claude. I just... failed. I got Jenna involved in this and couldn't protect her. That makes me look weak and foolish," he said. There was a glint in his eyes. "I don't want to be weak anymore."
Claude took Ru's hand. "You are so strong, Lirui. I'll always be right here by your side." He gave Ru's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Ru looked at Claude. "Maybe I am," he said. "But first, I need to prove it."
"To whom?" Claude asked.
"Naturally, I'll prove it to myself. I'm a king," Ru said confidently.
The darkness in Ru's eyes took Claude aback. "Lirui, what are you talking about?"
Ru smiled coldly. "I'm a king, Claude. And kings cannot be weak. I will prove myself. And I will conquer this world!"
"Lirui, you need to regain your composure." Claude held Ru's hand tightly. "This path will lead you to an impasse."
Ru pulled his hand away from Claude. "This is my decision, Claude. And you'll have to accept it. Why am I even talking to you? What a meaningless scenario! Damn it!" The Great Ru was exasperated.
The Great Ru could sense his last clone being overtaken, making him crazy. He needed to take action fast, but what could he do?
"Oh, I have no daughters left. I need to create new ones."
The Great Ru was feeling overwhelmed. He was pacing in the Crystal Tower, thinking through the situation. He was muttering to himself.
"I'm having trouble finding someone to connect with in this big celestial wasteland. How can I use my power to make an impact? What kind of ancient king am I?"
Ru used his magic to make a throne for himself and sat on it to think.
"I feel like this damn witch is going to sell me out to someone again."
He watched with his eyes the reflections that appeared in the crystals.
"What she tells is like a tale. It's an apocalypse game. It's ruled by a vampire lord. Dimensional doors are opening in the lord's magic castle." He paused for a moment and corrected himself. "No, it's the magic chateau."
He became restless and stood up.
"Time is dwindling. The only planet approaching the apocalypse is Earth. This means that the dimensional doors will open there and energies will collide. I need to direct all that energy to myself with my clone and escape from this tower."
"Tsk, that's not the way to do it," said a voice.
The Almighty Ru turned his head towards that crystal that sparkled in turquoise. There he saw a magical mist rapidly taking shape. Two bright, cat-like eyes appeared from the fog.
"I wasn't expecting a guest today, least of all a dragon," he muttered.
"How nice to hear your voice, King Ru," said the voice, filled with the rustling of leaves and the lapping of water.
The mist dragon that appeared within the turquoise crystal was a stunning creature of ethereal beauty and ancient might. Its form was lengthy and serpentine, coiling beautifully inside the constraints of the crystal. The dragon's body shone with a translucent look, as if it were made of liquid light and swirling vapor. Its scales were not solid, but rather rippled like water, reflecting turquoise, silver, and pale gold in an ever-changing aspect.
The dragon's head was adorned with a pair of majestic antlers that branched like ancient trees, their tips glowing faintly with a soft, bioluminescent light. Its eyes were the most striking feature—large, almond-shaped, and glowing with an inner fire, filled with a melancholic wisdom. Around its eyes, delicate tendrils of mist curled like wisps of smoke.
"You look unique," The Great Ru said, looking at him with admiring eyes.
"I hope you won't try to steal me," the dragon said in a playful tone. Its cat-like eyes glimmered with amusement, and its long, translucent whiskers twitched like threads of silk caught in a gentle breeze.
"It seems like you want this," The Great Ru responded with a silly smile.
"I don't think I can fit in that tower," the dragon said, squinting. Its speech had a mischievous yet forceful tone, as if it were taunting and challenging King Ru.
"I was considering that lord's chateau for you," The Great Ru teased.
"It wouldn't be bad. Maybe we could play together," the dragon said.
"First of all, who are you? Second, are you really here for that lord's apocalypse game?" Ru questioned.
"Since you have a habit of stealing names, I refuse to give you my name. I can only say, King Ru, I really want you to escape from the crystal tower, and I know how to kidnap you," the dragon said.
"Hahaha!" Ru laughed unnaturally. "You seriously want to kidnap me."
"I've been thinking about it for a long time," the dragon began, its tone turning sly. "One day, I said, since western dragons are kidnapping princesses, I'll kidnap a king too."
"You're witty. I like that," Ru said, his voice smooth. He leaned back in his throne, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, watching the dragon with curiosity. "Now tell me how you can kidnap me; maybe I'll volunteer."
The dragon's eyes narrowed, glowing brighter as it leaned closer to the edge of the crystal, its misty form pressing against the confines as if it might burst free at any moment. "First of all, my king," it said, its voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I will have to kill you and transfer your consciousness and essence to your clone." Its claws flexed, the jade-like tips gleaming as it gestured toward Ru. "That lord's castle is at a point between dimensions and is quite suitable for this work."
Ru chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that echoed through the chamber. "Yes, of course. If you can get into the crystal tower, you'll kill me," he mocked. He spread his hands, as if inviting the dragon to try.
"This is so easy for me that I cannot tell you," the dragon replied, its whiskers twitching with amusement. It coiled itself tighter, its glowing eyes never leaving Ru's face.
"You don't inspire confidence at all, not at all," King Ru said, shaking his head with a smirk. He crossed his arms, his posture relaxed but his gaze calculating.
The dragon's form shifted again, its long body unfurling slightly as it leaned back, its antler-like horns glowing brighter. "What you need is not trust, my king," it said, its voice softening, almost soothing. "You need salvation."
Ru's smirk faded, replaced by a look of mild curiosity. "So?"
The dragon's misty form swirled, its body coiling and uncoiling like a living river of light. "I will eat the witch and take your last clone whenever I want," it said. Its claws flexed again, and its glowing eyes locked onto Ru's. "Meanwhile, you will be busy searching for the planet where the apocalypse will take place ten thousand years from now."
Ru leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression thoughtful. "So the question is, what will you do with me after you merge me with my clone?" He asked with a hint of suspicion.
"I will give you a chance and advantage in the apocalypse game," the dragon said, its voice carrying a note of solemnity. "If you win the game, you will get what you want."
Ru's lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes remained guarded. "So you're going to have fun watching me?" he asked, his tone light but with an edge of challenge.
The dragon's eyes glimmered with amusement, and its whiskers twitched as it let out a soft, melodic laugh. "I like to observe immortals like you," it said. Its misty form swirled lazily, as if it were savoring the thought. "It's a matter of taste."
"Okay, but..." Ru began, but he was met with a sudden fading of the reflection in the crystal. "Oh, I hope you come back," he said gloomily.