Time wasn't a thing; energy was. Capable of taking any form at one point and then another at a different point, the energy carried the records of what they once were.
And since universal energies stayed within the bounds of its domain, these records were accessible to whoever could glimpse at them.
During his evolution, Alex had lived the beginning of his universe, seeing the first organism to ever come to life and the trials and errors that went into shaping the ideal species to dominate the universe.
Through this baptism and rebirth, he experienced the pain and suffering humans went through battling the void creatures, veil tears, cosmic mana waves and whatever madness in between.
It was heartbreaking. But humanity was not so weak. With the introduction of magical energy, they were able to make a stand, and it took them over a millennia to reach this point.
Aurion, Maeralith and Nulrex experienced the pain and suffering first-hand, feeling the despair and grief that loomed over humans for years.
The elf couldn't help but shed a few tears despite her cold personality when she first interacted with Alexander.
The scenes changed, arriving at the current century and Alexander's birth. They witnessed his struggles as a young boy with a simple dream, feeling what he felt at the time.
A simple dream to become a capable hunter and provide for his struggling family.
Then came the accident that changed everything. They saw the pain and fear that gripped a teenage Alex, changing what was a simple dream into a vow to save his universe.
The struggles and sleepless nights he had over his inability to grow stronger. His trials, his displacement, his battles, everything. They experienced and felt it all.
When the glow in their eyes disappeared, the three walkers found themselves taking heavy breaths, literally shaking the void around them.
Maeralith raised her eyes to meet Alexander's calm ones, feeling a rare kind of respect for him. None of them had experienced this level of hardship.
In fact, universes ranking middle-level and above didn't have it this bad. Sure, they had to face the most brutal and powerful void creatures early on, but they were still better off.
They knew what they experienced wasn't a lie either. Energy records didn't lie. It was impossible to alter past records of a universe.
"Why show us all this?" The elf swallowed hard, finally managing to regain her composure.
Aurion and Nulrex looked at Alexander in a different light. The stubborn and prideful persona they had imagined him to be vanished completely, being replaced with respect.
"Why do we fight?" Instead of replying, Alex asked another question. "Why do we go through all this trouble to acquire power?"
There were thousands of reasons people sought strength. But when it's all said and done, only one thing stood out.
To protect and secure something.
Be it a criminal on the streets, a political leader or even a family man. They all had one thing in common for seeking power.
"..."
Maeralith and her companions knew the answer to that. The elf lowered her gaze, clenching her fists in realization.
'This is how he sees the world.' The elf realized. 'Is that why he is so different from us?'
"I get what the Supreme One wants to do, and I have no intention of getting in his way ." Alex continued. "All I want is that my universe be left alone. Is that too much to ask?"
The Veilwalkers remained quiet, considering his words. They had been prepared for the fight of their lives, but they never imagined it would come to this.
"I understand your thoughts, Alexander." Aurion looked right into the brown eyes of Alex. "But isn't joining the Supreme One an easier choice? All he is doing is to gather the strength needed to protect what we all hold dear."
"Maybe…" Alex flashed a small smile. "But how many universes are out there? How many are already lost to the void creatures? Does a lower universe mean that much to him?"
Though his words condemned the other universes, he wasn't in a position to decide their fate. They had their protectors who could decide for them. His dream was still the same… just bigger.
The three didn't know the answer to those questions, and with no way to reach the Supreme One despite their connection to him, they were unable to decide.
Maeralith stared at Alex, ingraining his features. However, there was this feeling that the Supreme One would not let this universe go, especially when Alex was such an anomaly.
"You came here to complete a mission. You failed." Alex said. "All i ask is that you inform your master to leave this place alone."
With a wave of his hand, all the prisoners he held appeared before them. The dragons were in perfect health, just weakened with their abilities taken from them.
The prisoners were all unconscious, unaware of their situation. The walkers looked at their people with mild expressions.
They knew they were still alive and had plans of rescuing them once they took care of Alexander and refined the core. But things didn't exactly as planned.
"You can take your people along with you." Alex said. "This universe will be locked to all strangers. You will be powerless in this domain even if you return with an army."
He didn't have to say more. They experienced it first-hand and knew he was serious. They could do something similar in their own universe, but not to other Veilwalkers.
This was one of the major differences between Alexander and them.
"Take care of yourselves…" Alex turned his back to them, a veil tear appearing behind the Veilwalkers. "I hope we meet again under better circumstances. May we never cross paths as enemies…"
Gulp.
Maralith swallowed hard, turning around to look at the tear that led into the true void. She looked at her companions, meeting their gazes. They all had helpless expressions.
Being sent packing like this was an embarrassment. But what choice did they have? They could only swallow their pride.
Aurion let out a heavy sigh, turning to Alex.
"Thank you for your kindness."
The Myrmidon gave a polite bow before creating an energy ward around the unconscious vassals. With one last look around the universe, the Veilwalkers disappeared into the void.
And as the veil tear closed behind them, Alex looked over his shoulders, his thoughts unknown.