In Alexander's Universe
Cassandra had remained on Jupiter all this while, trying to comprehend the last bits of concepts to get a glimpse of self-ascension. But try as she might, she couldn't progress — she was at a dead-end.
Regardless of what she tried, she couldn't figure out what was missing. Additionally, her core was at the point where it craved the bond of its universe; something the catwoman could not give it.
'I've reached my limit.' Cassandra acknowledged with a sigh, rising to her feet. 'There is only one thing left to do.'
With a thought, her body disappeared and appeared in Jupiter's orbit, facing the direction of planet Earth. The catwoman stared at the inconspicuous planet for several seconds before calling to the void.
"Alex, I need your help."
A split second later, a body materialised from the surrounding energy as Alexander made his appearance, wearing his favourite casual clothes. He had a gentle smirk on his face as he stared at the catwoman.
"I guess it's time…"
"You think?" Cassandra snorted, folding her arms over her chest. "I've wasted a long time on this and haven't gotten any clues."
"That's not true, Cassandra," Alex replied calmly. "I've been paying attention to you, and I know you've reached the same stage as I was when I ascended."
"Paying attention to me, huh?" The catwoman looked at Alex like he was some pervert, moving her arms around as if to cover herself. "I'm sure you saw a lot of things."
"Hehe, right…" Alex couldn't help but laugh. "Come with me."
A portal opened nearby as Alex walked inside, the catwoman not far behind. The portal closed behind Cassandra the moment she appeared on the other side.
"This place is…"
"The core space of this universe," Alex replied, turning to face Cassandra. "Sit with me." He gestured for the woman to sit while he sat cross-legged in the void.
Cassandra nodded and did as she was told. However, with this being her first time in this domain, she couldn't help but look around, noticing how blank the space was. Blank in the sense that there were no celestial storms or distant galaxies and objects in the background.
'But the amount of magical and void energy here is a different story.' The catwoman noted with curious eyes. She turned to look at Alex, surprised that he would bring her to such a location. 'Does he trust me this much?'
She already knew the answer, but as they say, actions speak louder than words. Alex had proven time and again that he considered her a part of his universe. The only thing left was for the cat to accept that fact.
A gentle smile graced her features for a thousandth of a second before disappearing. Naturally, Alex noticed all this and paid no mind.
He had already taken it upon himself not to read the minds of his loved ones unless in certain situations, and this extended to the catwoman as well. Of course, that didn't cover reading their body language to tell what they were thinking.
"All right, Cassandra." Alex began, his expression turning serious. "Tell me what you've grasped so far and why you think you've reached your limits. What is it that you're missing?"
The catwoman took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. She could feel her core pulsating with the desire to merge with a core she didn't have.
This universe already had its core bonded to Alex as far as she knew, and even if that was not the case, the feeling wasn't pushing her for just any core—not yet, at least.
"How do I say this…" Cassandra began, her demeanour turning serious. "After realising the true essence of what time and energy were, I knew I was close to the limits of the Demi-god level. Shortly after, my core began urging me to ascend via merging with my universe core."
Alex nodded, already clear on what that feeling was like. He urged her to continue while he thought of how to guide her to the next stage.
"I've understood myself, my abilities, and what makes me unique in our reality. With these elements, shouldn't I be capable of ascending?"
"For a normal god, maybe." Alex nodded, making the catwoman raise her brows. "Gods are interesting entities who can be acknowledged by their universe for achieving what you just described.
"Reach a significant level, grasp your law, your place in existence, accept yourself and become the master of that aspect of your universe. By understanding what that concept is, you will be acknowledged as god."
The catowman nodded as she reached this exact conclusion. Grasping one aspect of the universe's fundamental principles was like claiming a small portion for yourself. This was what Alex understood from Universe Prime, and why some gods were stronger than some god-level veilwalkers.
The very first universe was just that big.
"But… We veilwalkers are different. We are not just beings reaching godhood. We become fully realised gods who become the universe itself — so to speak.
"Our physical strength is the weight of the entire universe, and the bigger the universe, the stronger and more powerful we are…" Those words were literal in their meaning.
Cassandra nodded with a gulp, realising just how powerful Alex was. But from the words he spoke, it meant normal gods and veilwalkers were completely different.
'We grow faster and have an easier time grasping the fundamental principles of reality than normal people. We don't just grasp one aspect of reality, we take the entire thing, something other beings can't do. That is what makes us different. We are our universe chosen for a reason…'
"And that is why you aren't able to ascend," Alex replied, catching a glimpse of that thought.
"Huh?"
The catwoman muttered in shock, snapping out of her thoughts. She looked at Alex with clear confusion in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked curiously, tilting her her slightly.
"That part of what you were just thinking is flawed," Alex replied, making the catwoman open her eyes in realisation. "We are the universe chosen for a reason…? Maybe."
Cassandra felt her core pulse in a different wave from normal, catching her off guard. What did Alexander mean by 'maybe'? She wasn't sure, but she knew the truth was coming.
"We could argue that we are the ultimate soldiers against the void creatures, protectors and masters of our universe." He continued calmly. "But is that truly a purpose? We fight because we're selected to do so, not because we're some divine saviours granted the power to do so."
"What are you saying, Alex?" The catwoman asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.
With a calm and reassuring smile, Alex dropped the bomb, the very realisation that pushed his ascension to become an independent and fully realised god.
"What I'm saying is that there is no purpose, Cassandra. There is no grand reason for anything…"