7: A cruel world
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"Stand up when I speak to you, boy."
The voice is deep, commanding—echoing through a space Edward doesn't recognize.
He blinks and looks around. The world around him is nothing like home. A vast cosmic void stretches endlessly, filled with glowing stars and swirling galaxies.
"Where… where am I? What is this place? What are you?" he asks, backing away.
Before him floats a giant celestial being—tall and imposing, its body a glowing tapestry of galaxies and light. Pure white, radiant, divine.
"You've been ignorant, boy," the being says, its voice both distant and deafening. "You've never questioned the reason you have these powers."
With a wave of its hand, the sky above splits open. A rift tears through reality, pulsating with energy.
"Come with me. Let me show you the true meaning behind it all."
It begins to rise toward the rift.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Edward shouts. "Send me back home!"
"A fool who barks is nothing but a dog," the celestial mutters. It raises its hand.
Suddenly, Edward is lifted into the air. His body floats upward, dragged against his will toward the rift.
"Whoa—put me down, man!" he yells, kicking in the air as the portal grows closer.
"It's time for you to see your destiny."
Together, they disappear into the light.
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When Edward opens his eyes, he's standing high above a massive kingdom. The sky beneath his feet glows like crystal. Wind rushes past him, yet he feels no cold.
"Where are we?" he asks, staring down at the breathtaking land below.
"This is Aethoria," the celestial answers. "We are in Heaven."
They glide silently across the sky. Below, the kingdom thrives—children of various colors and species run through the streets, women sell goods in crowded markets, laborers tend to their daily work, and armored knights stand guard before a towering gate that divides the kingdom in two.
"Aethoria was a haven for every species," the being continues. "It now houses over three thousand different races."
Edward frowns. "And why are you telling me this?"
"Because this… is your destiny."
It points a massive hand toward him.
"You keep saying that," Edward snaps. "What the hell do you *mean*?"
"In every utopia, there is a rift," the celestial says.
The vision shifts. Suddenly, they hover above a disturbing scene. A group of humans beat a young elf girl in a narrow alley. She screams, blood splattering across the stone.
"What the hell?! You said this place was safe!" Edward shouts, eyes wide.
"I said it *was*. But now, it stands in confusion."
One of the men pulls out a dagger.
"No—no, no, no—STOP!" Edward cries as they stab the girl.
He lunges forward, but the celestial stops him.
"Let me go!" Edward shouts. "We have to help her!"
"Do you help people in your world?" the being asks calmly.
"The hell does that mean?" Edward snaps, furious.
"You have the godly power to switch bodies with anyone you touch. You could save lives. Heal the broken. Free the oppressed. But instead… you waste it—sleeping around with—"
"Shut the hell up!" Edward yells. "I'm sick of everyone trying to tell me what to do with my powers. They're mine! I can do whatever I want!"
The celestial doesn't flinch.
"I don't care what you do with them," it says. "I only hope… you know where your allegiance lies when the time comes."
"What the hell are you talk—"
A sudden pain rips through Edward's chest. He gasps.
A sword—dark, jagged—pierces through him from behind.
His eyes widen. Blood spills from his mouth.
"Return to your realm, Edward," the celestial says as the world fades to white. "And remember this…
The end is near."
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