Atticus's mind spun, and within a second of Ozeroth speaking, he had a game plan. He would give the spirit a taste of his own medicine. Who said Atticus couldn't be prideful too?
Atticus's eyes turned colder, but he said nothing, simply staring at Ozeroth as though he had just heard the most foolish thing in his entire life.
Ozeroth's smile grew sharper as his aura thickened, pressing down on Atticus like a mountain. He recognized that look, and he loved it.
He took a step closer, and the air itself seemed to shudder under the weight of his presence.
"So," Ozeroth said, "to reach this peak, what will you do?"
Atticus's answer came without hesitation.
"Live my life."
Ozeroth paused, completely baffled, his smile twitching. He burst into his usual rumbling chuckle in the next instant.
This child was insane. He was crazy. He didn't know why, but he loved that answer. It was perfect.
This child had just told him that he didn't need to put in any extra effort to reach the peak, living his normal life alone would get him there. It was outrageous! Ozeroth had thought he was prideful, but this child was on another level!
He took a breath, calming his racing heart.
'I'm excited,' Ozeroth thought.
"Will you continue, even if it destroys your world? Even if it destroys those you cherish?" he asked.
Atticus narrowed his gaze. He knew what Ozeroth was getting at. He was probing, trying to see where his priorities lay, whether he was the righteous type who would do his best to protect strangers. He wasn't.
His gaze turned icy, sharper, like frost biting into steel. He hated even imagining anything happening to his family.
"I will erase and eradicate any threat to my family," he said firmly.
"As for the world, there are things beyond my control. If such destruction is unavoidable, I will defend myself and those who matter."
Ozeroth let out another low, rumbling chuckle, his amusement evident.
"And if it's something you can avoid?"
"I don't chase battles. But I won't run from them, either. Anyone foolish enough to stand in my way will be reminded of their place."
"Hm." Ozeroth hummed, nodding slightly, as if he was pleased. "What is your name?"
"Atticus."
"Atticus… Atticus," Ozeroth repeated slowly. "I like you. And I want you. Bond with me."
Atticus's expression didn't change. This had been his aim from the beginning, but he knew he couldn't let it end here.
He had been the one answering questions all along. If he simply accepted, it would feel as though he was admitting Ozeroth was the dominant one in the relationship. He had to take it further.
"Why should I? What makes you special?"
For a long moment, silence descended. Then, Ozeroth erupted into roaring laughter, a sound so powerful it made the air vibrate.
"Pride! Pride! I love it. I love to see it!"
The entire capital trembled as Ozeroth's aura abruptly surged, a cyclone of spiritual energy erupting around him like a geyser.
To Atticus, the pressure became suffocating, almost unbearable.
Ozeroth's voice boomed, each word reverberating like a hammer to the soul.
"I am Ozeroth! None stands above me. I am the first, the unmatched, the foundation upon which all pales! I am unbroken, untouchable, undeniable! I am the peak!"
Atticus could feel his heart hammering against his chest. Ozeroth's pride was palpable. He had only introduced himself, but his meaning was clear.
This was who he was, and he would not beg for Atticus to bond with him. As Ozeroth finished speaking, even Atticus couldn't help but admit, he wanted this.
A smile appeared on Atticus's face.
"Okay," he said simply. "I'll bond with you."
Ozeroth's laughter abruptly stopped, and his aura began to calm down. His golden eyes flickered with satisfaction as he stepped back.
"Good," Ozeroth said, "but your spiritual energy is currently far too weak to withstand the bond. Keep cultivating it, Atticus. When the time is right, I will return."
With that, Ozeroth's form suddenly began to fade, dissolving into the air. The weight in the room vanished, and time resumed its normal flow.
Seraphina and the others jolted back into motion, their eyes darting in confusion as they tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Their gazes snapped upward, and in the next second, the air became electrified as Magnus and the other paragons appeared inside the chamber.
Atticus's eyes turned to the front as Magnus appeared in front of him.
"Are you hurt?" Magnus's tone sounded very worried.
Atticus shook his head. "I'm fine," but just to be sure, Magnus scrutinized him for any injuries.
As Magnus busied himself with checking on Atticus, the others swept the room and the entire capital for any lingering threats. After ensuring everything was secure, they returned to the sanctum of origins.
"What happened?" Oberon turned to Seraphina, who was still trying to find her bearings.
"I don't know."
"What?" The others were baffled. She was a paragon; if she didn't know what had happened, who possibly could?
"All I know is that he awakened his spiritual energy and was trying to bond with a spirit, and then… here we are."
Seraphina, along with the rest of the paragons, turned their gazes toward Atticus, their minds churning. If Seraphina didn't know what had happened, then Atticus was their only source for answers.
After Magnus finished confirming that Atticus was okay, he and the rest of the paragons gathered around him, eager to hear what had transpired.
Atticus chose to answer truthfully. There was no point in hiding anything, as even he didn't fully understand the situation. He explained that a powerful spirit had descended upon them, freezing everyone in time.
He left out the part about their conversation and instead focused on the strength of the spirit and the fact that, for now, he couldn't bond with it.
The paragons were once again flabbergasted. First Whisker, and now a spirit? Where were these powerful beings coming from, and why was Atticus always at the center of it all?
After ironing out the facts, Seraphina assured the others that everything was under control. As many of the paragons left, Seraphina's expression turned completely serious.
She had just been told something by her spirit that made her mind churn.