"You son of a b%itch"
Silence.
Utter and absolute silence filled the surroundings, as if even the air had frozen at those words.
But the silence didn’t last for long.
{What did you say?}
An incomprehensible pressure suddenly slammed onto Ash from all sides before he could even say anything more, cutting off whatever defiance he still held in his throat.
He was slammed down onto the ground, an intense pressure forcing him to remain in that position, as though the very space around him had solidified and decided he did not deserve to stand.
{Never mind what I was going to say to you, let me reform you first. As a bearer of Runes you ought to have a mindset different from others, a mindset to encompass everything and nothing, to see beyond personal gain and narrow emotions. But as far as we all can see, you are nothing but a self conceited selfish brat who cares about nothing but oneself.}
{If you think you are special, let me burst your bubble. You are nothing. Your value is nothing. You are just a pawn, who is moving across this chess board under the designs of others, believing you are choosing your own path while never seeing the hands that move you.}
{If not for all the treasures and knowledge that you gained access to from external sources, what do you even have? Even the knowledge you possess is something you gained from an external source, even the powers you possess are what you gained from an external source. What do you even have that is truly yours? NOTHING.}
{Did you think it was just a turn of fate that you got Transmigrated into this world?}
{Did you think it was luck that you got the Unique trait?}
{Did you think it was simply a matter of luck that your so called lover from your previous life also transmigrated into this world?}
{Or do you really believe it was your transmigration or your Unique trait that mutated your soul into something what it is currently, without any guiding force behind it?}
{Coincidences can happen once or twice, but when they happen continuously it is not a coincidence, but a scheme.}
{And what did you do to counter all these? Nothing. You chose ignorance, you never tried digging deeper, you never even cared for anything truly. You were just being a selfish edgy lord who cares about nothing, not knowing you were just playing right into the hands of the unseen.}
{But that has to change now, you need to change your mindset, if not.....we will force your mindset to change. Leave your shell of selfishness, and try to look at the world from a different perspective, from the perspective of the bearer of the Runes, because only then.....you will become the ^%&$@#^% }
{Do you understand where you stand now?}
The voice carried a hint of anger, as if disappointed at the behavior of Ash. It was truly frustrating watching something grow from weak to strong, investing time and expectation into it, only to still be disappointed in what it had chosen to become.
And right now, Ash needed a reality check.
It was then that Ash, who was just listening passively until now, tried to stand, refusing to remain completely crushed under those words. But no matter how much he tried, he was not able to stand up. The pressure did not lessen even slightly, as if it was deliberately reminding him of his place.
But he barely managed to look up from the floor, his head turning toward the white sky, where he believed the voice came from, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and unwillingness.
"Wh– who are y– you to... to say I’m— I’m nothing...?
I d– did... everything... everything I could just to survive...
I d– died... thousands of times...
I t– tortured myself... just to gain the power I have...
I e– endured... that loneliness... all of it... just to reach the stage where I am... right now...
And y– you...
You have no right... to d– decide... how I decide to live my life...
And wh– where... where was your so called mindset... when you just stood there... watching... while I was the one breaking...
Wh– where were you... when I needed someone... anyone... to guide me... when my body was tearing itself apart just to keep moving...
You w– weren’t there... you weren’t there when my bones felt like they were cracking under the weight... when my vision blurred... when blood filled my mouth and I still forced myself to stand...
So d– don’t... don’t stand there now and say I am wrong...
If anyone th– thinks I am wrong... let them live the way I lived... let them go through all the hell I went through... let them feel their skin split, their mind fracture, their heart harden piece by piece...
I pr– promise you... most of them won’t survive...
And the ones who do... they w– won’t come back human... they’ll come back empty... monsters who don’t care about anything...
Even the small... pathetic shred of morality... of humanity... that I still have left... they w– wouldn’t have that...
And after all that... you still s– say... I have nothing...?"
Heh... he..hehe...
Go... go fuck yourself...
I don’t care about anything... not a single damn thing...
Pawn...? Me...? Haha... haha...
I would love to see someone try to move me like a piece on their little board...
If nothing but defeat lies in my path... then I’ll just destroy the chessboard... I’ll flip it over... snap it in half... and kill the so called opponent with my own hands...
Heha... haha..."
His laughter cracked halfway, throat raw, lungs burning as if each breath scraped against broken glass.
"And you expect me to respect you...? Just because you’re the Will of a Rune...? Heh!!
Respect is earned... not handed out like scraps to beggars...
To hell with your rules... your principles... your grand design... I reject all of it...!!!! "
His voice tore out of him, ragged and violent, the sound shaking his spiritual form.
His translucent body flickered unstably, its edges distorting as if resisting some unseen pressure.
"I WILL STAY TRUE TO MYSELF... NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!"
The words ripped through the air like a final declaration of war.
And then the strength left him.
His vision blurred. The world tilted. The fire in his chest flickered once... twice...
And before the echo of his own defiance could fade, darkness swallowed him whole.
He lost consciousness.
Silence permeated the whole white void, spreading endlessly as if the space itself had no boundary, no sound, no movement.
And in that silence, a slight chuckle echoed, filled with satisfaction, soft yet clearly audible in the emptiness.
{Rune of Truth : Tsk! Tsk!! Tsk!!! I like him more and more...he is fearless and defiant, just a little reckless and in need of proper guidance to curb that death seeking nature of his. He dares to curse even while standing before us, that stubborn pride of his is both his strength and his flaw.}
{Rune of Knowledge : I told you so!! Even though you define the Truth, you yourself have trust issues. There was no need to test him like that. He has already suffered enough, yet you still pushed him further just to confirm what was already clear.}
{Rune of Balance : I am waiting for his body to get completed, then I can show more of my powers. Hey Truth, tell him to comprehend me more.. without balance, all his growth will only tilt him toward ruin.}
{Rune of Stability : Stay out of it Balance, you just like to keep everything in balance without understanding foundation. Rather than a balancer OCD like you, it would be better if he comprehends me more... stability is what will allow him to stand firm when everything else collapses.}
{Rune of Life : What are you even blabbering about? He needs me more, after all his life sequence will increase, and he needs more of my comprehension to boost his regeneration.. without me, that reckless body of his will not survive long enough to grow.}
{Rune of Death : All of you just die!! At the end of everything, it is I who awaits him regardless.}
{Rune of Harmony : Now now, do not fight among yourselves like children. Trust is just so untrustworthy, to be honest... if it was only me who Ash comprehended to 1% he would not have to face such harshness.... everything would flow more gently.}
{Rune of Space : It is good that he comprehended the Truth first, he needs to face his hidden traumas and completely resolve them if he wants nobody to use them against him... unresolved wounds are the easiest doors to open.}
{Rune of Time : Indeed. Time is drawing nearer and nearer. Whether he is ready or not, it will not slow down for him.}
{Rune of Concealment : Truth, he needs to comprehend me the most, he needs to hide his existence after his body is formed, more than anything. Tell him to do so. Once he is complete, eyes will turn toward him.}
{Rune of Wish : Can you all just stay silent for a single second? I am not complete, let me sleep damn it!!!!}
The white void remained silent, but the air no longer felt empty.
It felt crowded with unseen presences, each carrying its own will, its own expectation, all revolving around the unconscious figure lying in the endless expanse.
***