Episode Nineteen: The Creator's Decision

The strange man stepped forward—tall, strikingly handsome, his lips curved in a knowing smile. His presence was magnetic his voice smooth, radiating a sense of allure, yet eerily farmiliar to Sora's ears.

"It seems I went overboard and hurt you, my deepest apologies for my lack of conscience towards a lady" he murmured, his tone dripping with false sympathy but it still drew Sora in.

He extended a pale, cold hand. Sora hesitated before gripping it, gasping as the pain from her injuries vanished instantly like it never happened. Standing now, she had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. His golden eyes—mirrors of her own—bore into her with unsettling intensity.

"Who are you?," Sora stammered.

The stranger tilted his head, as if baffled by her ignorance. "You don't remember me?"

Sora's gaze dropped low, flabbergasted as to why the stranger would ask such a question, "I don't think I've seen you before," she said, an eyebrow raised.

He winced, pressing fingers to his temple as if struck by a sudden realization. "Ah. My mistake. You haven't seen me in my real state—perhaps that's why you don't recognize me."

What was this man saying? What did he mean by final form? Was he some mythic that had reached a point of evolution? Extremely bothered by this, Sora's form slightly changed, her right foot shifting a bit further trying her best to not let this stranger know of her true intentions—but as his expresssion changed, his gaze shifting to her hip, it was evident that he knew but Sora wasn't aware of his knowledge.

The stranger shared an exhausted and fed up a sigh, a look of annoyance etched on his face, "Well then, it seems I have no choice but to introduce myself?," he muttered, pointing a finger to himself, "To jog your memory, I am the one responsible for bringing you to this place"

Sora stared in confusion, but soon that bewilderment turned into to utter shock, "You," she muttered as the stranger nodded proudly, "You are the creator!" she shouted, finally coming to a realization of his true identity, her finger pointed at him.

The man clapped his hands together like an overexcited child. "Marvelous, Chaos Crafter!"

Sora stared, dumbfounded by this immature display of character. This was the being who controlled her fate? His childish demeanor clashed violently with the godlike aura he exuded. But his immaturity was the least of her concern in this predicament—she needed to inquire how she had ended up in such a place, "So, what is this place?," she asked glancing round in utter bewilderment.

The creator smirked, "Isn't it evident, Sora?," he said, a mischiveous glint in his eyes, "This is where it all ends"

'Where it all ends?'

Sora was taken aback by this phrase, looking into the eyes of the creator with that of overwhelmin shock, her eyes widened as she thought of this phrase.

"What... what do you mean?," she asked, expecting the worse and she was about to find out if her expectations were a reality or nothing else but a figment of her false thoughts.

The stranger sighed briefly, glancing at Sora with a stern gaze that seemed to frighten her, "It means that I have come to a decision that would decide your fate," he said, his arms folded, "Remember, you had died before and it is beyond my power to bring you back from the dead"

Sora shook, her body shivering, her eyes bloodshot from the news she had just recieved, "What...are you saying?," she asked with a tensed tone, that made it seem that she was about to tear up, "You gave me two choices, I chose to leave this place and return to my timeline, now your'e saying this?"

The creator chuckled, "Oh, Sora, sweet and naive," he said, his smile then quickly faded—altering his expression completely, "But I do apologize, this act of naiveness and sweetness that you portray means nothing to me. But I'm sure you will choose the right path once I show you the right context behind it"

Waving his hand slowly, the creator commanded a great city to emerge before them. Sora looked closely, seeing how farmiliar it was.

"I'm sure you now what this is, Sora the chaos crafter," the creator asked, as Sora stared deeply—finally recongnizing what the city was, from the heavy iron gates and walls, Sora finally understood what she was looking at.

This was Titan-Forge, Sora's hometown before she had departed to Eldermere.

Sora stared into the eyes of the creator and just by doing this, the creator knew she understood what she was looking at as the two communicated through their mirrored gazes. The creator nodded, "Yes, I believe you do," he said, waving his hand to gesture towards the city, "This displays the very city which you grew up in, Titan Forge, back then in all it's glory. Probably when your mother used to be alive"

Angered, Sora tightened her fist—her eyebrows knitting as she faced the creator with spiteful look in her eyes, "What point are you trying to prove by showing me this?," she asked, trying to inquire about the creator's true intention.

"I'm not trying to prove a point here, Sora," the creator replied with a hasty but serious tone, "I am simply showing you a fact, or as I like to say—I am deciding for you," he added.

Sora felt her mind dripping just by listening to this strange man, she couldn't understand wha he was trying to get at. What was he deciding for her? And why was he doing it?

"Do you mind filling me on what decision you have for me,?" she asked politely, but the tone of her voice made the origin behind her question made it partly otherwise.

The creator smirked, "I'm glad that you want to inquire about this, which is why I shall grant you the gift of information," he said, clearing his throat as he got straight into the point of his plan, "You see Sora, I am afraid to say this, but I have decided that you will be staying behind till you can accept the path I have chosen for you"

Yes, a path—

Sora recalled the two paths she had to choose between, either staying behind to spend time with her mother or returning back to her timeline. As Sora remembered this, her anger was palpable with a sense of justice, "Hey!," she shouted angrily in the man's face, who stood taller than her, "I already decided the path I was going to choose, what do you mean you want to decide for me!"

"Now, now, stay calm, there is no use to be angered, it can be really bad for your blood pressure," the creator said calmly with a warm smile, "Besides, think about all the impoosible things you could make possible while you stay back in his timeline"

The creator gestured back to the ghostly display of Titan Forge city that still loomed behind them, Sora turned to face it—watching it as it shifted, as it changed into something that left Sora bewildered. Displayed before her was a family, a man, a wife and a daughter, the same age as her, bearing the same color of hair and eyes as her.

This was her family—

Sora watched this display, never blinking watching the man and wife who's face had been blurred. The creator moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her in a tight grip, "Look at it, Sora," he said with a deadly look in his eyes, "Look at the chance before you, I could make this all a reality, you just need to say the word. Let me in your mind and the dreams you hoped for will become a reality"

The young girl felt her mind being drawn into what was before her eyes, the offer was tempting and all she had to do was say yes.

The creator smiled eerily, his yellow eyes burning brightly with an orange light as he felt his victory was just a slip away. Sora breathed in, turning her gaze towards the man who had a wide grin.

Sora smiled, her expression exciting the creator.

"Eat shit and die"

Sora's words struck the man like thunder before the lightning and before he could process the information, Sora turned quickly, balling her fist as she struck him—But her hand passed straight through him.

"What—?"

A backhanded strike sent her crashing to the ground. Pain exploded in her skull. Her ears rang, blood trickling from them. Vision swimming, she barely made out the Creator's looming figure.

"You dare defy me?" His voice shook the void. "I gave you a second chance! I offered you all the power you needed!"

Sora spat blood, struggling to rise.

The Creator's form flickered with rage. "Fine. What's another hundred years? I'll find another Chaos Crafter."

Then—

He dashed.

A blur of wrath, his fist aimed straight for her heart.

Sora stood firm, ready to block the attack, but as she gazed up to face the man—he was gone.

Lost from sight.

'Where did he go?'

Suddenly, Sora felt a burning sensation in her chest and before she could react—a pool of blood escaped her lungs.

Stairing down at her shaky hands that had been stained with blood, her gaze darted towards her chest where an open hole lay.

Sora braced herself for a terrible impact, muscles coiled, ready to intercept the Creator's attack—

But he vanished.

Her breath hitched.

'Where did he go?'

Then—agony.

A searing heat erupted in her chest, white-hot and vicious. Her body convulsed before her mind could even register the pain. Blood surged up her throat, thick and metallic, spilling past her lips in a crimson torrent.

Her hands—trembling, slick with red—rose on instinct, pressing against the ruin of her chest.

There was a hole.

A gaping, ragged void where her heart should have been.

The edges still sizzled, blackened as if burned from within. Her vision swam, the endless blue void tilting sideways as her knees buckled.

Somewhere beyond the ringing in her ears, she heard the Creator's voice—cold, amused—whisper:

"I'm sorry, Sora but you forced my hand when you decided to defy me."

"This is your punishment"