A cloud of frosty white mist permeated through the warehouse from the impact of Other-Vera’s attack. The pressure sent out a shockwave, knocking everyone off their feet.

  The only two people who remained standing were the two outworlders.

  Other-Vera’s sword was embedded and ran through Other-Arden’s shoulder, causing him to leak tar-like blood. Like the strings that seemingly held him together, his blood had a strange green hue to it.

  Other-Arden looked up at the women who stabbed him with a raptured look on his face.

  “It’s really you…” he muttered.

  Normal, clear human tears ran down his face, mixing with the thick inky substance.

  “I missed you so much.”

  “...Why didn’t you dodge?” Other-Vera whispered.

  He smiled. The mania that colored his expression had faded. In its place was relief.

  “There was no bloodlust in the attack. And I know that if you wanted to hurt someone, there would always be bloodlust. It's how you were taught. And how I was.”

  Other-Vera was still holding onto her frozen sword with trembling hands. She didn’t want this to continue. She would trade her soul if it meant she could get Arden back. Choking up, Other-Vera continued.

  “Why are you doing this? The Arden I knew wouldn’t give up for anything. Even if the world was destroyed, he would try to find a way to fix it. Please stop this.”

  Other-Arden pushed himself further onto the sword trying to get closer to Other-Vera. He ignored the pain, and only focused on being with her again.

  “I did, Vera,” he said. “I really did try to find a suitable ending. I found a way to pursue Beyond. I found a way to a new world. I thought that I could find a way to remake the world with Beyond’s energy.”

  His face crumpled into a usage of horror and misery.

  “And then he found me. He showed me the secret of existence. I found my ending. I found what I was looking for. I saw it. And I wished to hell I could forget it.”

  Only one of his eyes was crying normal tears now. The other was leaking the mystery fluid.

  “The future is dead, Vera. Existence will cease. The only way to avoid it is to get out of its way before it arrives. That’s what this is. You were already dead, so you were safe. I was cursed to survive, so he cut me a deal. A perfect death where I can live the afterlife I want. With you, with Sya, with Seris and everyone.”

  Other-Arden turned his gaze to this world’s Arden who slowly climbed to his feet in a daze. The outworlder could see the faint dim glow of gold nestled deep within Arden, embedded deep in his soul.

  “He only wants one thing in return. Beyond’s legacy. If I take it, then he will use his power to grant me death.”

  “Arden…” Other-Vera muttered.

  He shook his head.

  “You can’t sway me on this, Vera. I’ve seen the end. Not just of our world, but of everything. This is the best option. I’ll die, and this universe will stabilize.”

  Other-Vera let go of the sword and threw her arms around Other-Arden.

  “Your death isn’t the best option.”

  “Yes it is. I’m responsible for too much death already. Who knows how many more will have died when the cascade ends?”

  Other-Arden put his undamaged arm around Other-Vera’s back, returning her hug.

  “Please, Vera. Let me do this.”

  Other-Vera didn’t move. More than anything, she wanted Arden to be safe. She looked into his vacant eyes, hoping to see any semblance of his humanity.

  His empty eyes showed none. This was no longer her Arden. This was a monster.

  Other-Vera felt her heart break. She grabbed the sword impaling Other-Arden and ripped it out along with more of his ink-like blood. The blood fell to the ground in conjunction with both of their tears.

  “Please, Arden,” she cried out. “If there is any part of you in there that wants this to end, please give up.”

  He looked at her with more sorrow and betrayal than could ever possibly be described. The green threads holding him together began to vibrate and undulate under his skin, giving off the appearance of a horrific parasite’s host. With a beast-like snarl, he grabbed his stone sword that he dropped after Other-Vera first emerged and swung it in her direction.

  “I won't be stopped! Not when I'm so close! Not from anyone! Not even you!”

  His sword was blocked by a pair of bone claws worn by this world's version of him.

  Arden glared at his doppelganger with eyes that dripped contempt.

  “You are a goddamn idiot. I refuse to believe we are the same existence.”

  He reached for Other-Arden's wrist and clamped his gauntlet around it, preventing him from using his full force with the sword.

  Vera’s sword arced through the air aiming to sever the doppelganger’s head.

  Other-Arden recoiled his head back as far as he could to avoid the strike. With clenched teeth, he brought his elbow up at just the right time to hit Vera’s arm, redirecting the blow.

  “You taught me how to fight, Vera! Did you think I wouldn't be able to respond to your attacks!?”

  Vera brought a second sword out of her inventory and brought it down above her head.

  If Other-Arden still had eyes, they would have widened knowing that he had no avenue to escape the blow while being held by Arden. He needed to get rid of the hold Arden had on him.

  Gnashing his teeth, Other-Arden pulled with all of his strength, pulling Arden towards him. He moved back several steps, causing Vera's sword to miss its mark. Instead of cutting off Other-Arden’s head, his hand was severed, rendering Arden’s lock useless.

  As Other-Arden avoided the most lethal part of Vera's attack, he saw the expression on her face. She wasn’t showing pain or sorrow, but rage instead.

  This wasn't his Vera anymore.

  “You aren’t my student,” she said.

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  Arden rushed forward with claws outstretched.

  “He is,” Vera said.

  Golden sparks began to dance in the air behind her.

  *****

  Vera couldn’t believe what just happened.

  She was still inside of her soul watching the outside world when Other-Vera made the decision that Other-Arden needed to be put down.

  Other-Vera’s mentality was shaken seeing his betrayed eyes. When he fought back, she realized that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t kill the person she loved.

  She was at a stalemate.

  She wanted to save him, but she was just a vestige of a dead world. She didn’t have the power nor the presence of mind to do what needed to be done.

  She couldn’t do it. But there was someone else who could.

  Everything froze as Other-Vera retreated into Vera’s soul. They stood in front of each other in the empty black void.

  Other-Vera reached out a hand to the original owner of the body. When Vera accepted it, radiant white cracks ran through Other-Vera’s body.

  “I can’t do it,” Other-Vera cried.

  She embraced Vera in a hug and sobbed into her shoulder. The pain of being rejected by the one who needed her more than anything was too much to bear. Fragments of Other-Vera broke off and disappeared into the white light as she continued to cry into Vera.

  Vera said nothing as her other self continued to break down in front of her. Other-Vera’s existence was fading. She was doing it to herself of her own volition.

  Tears streamed down Vera’s face as well. She and her other self were the same person, so they felt the same emotions.

  Just as they had when they first came together.

  Vera felt the pain and despair of her other self. But she also felt her conviction and hope.

  Other-Vera shattered like glass, becoming tiny particles of light that quickly faded in the void of Vera’s soul.

  Other-Vera didn’t say any last words, but Vera was able to hear them.

  I hope you can.

  For a moment, Vera was alone in the void. When the last of Other-Vera’s light faded, her Status appeared.

  This time, it wasn’t colorless like a mundane’s.

  This time, it was gold.

  The gold Status only displayed two words.

  Paradox Resolved.

  A moment later, Vera was in control of her body and fought against the doppelganger along with her Arden. After trading a few blows, she spoke.

  “You aren’t my student,” she said to the corrupted husk. “He is.”

  *****

  Golden sparks danced in the air behind Vera.

  Anyone who knew about the process of becoming a Starborn recognized what was happening.

  Vera had awoken.

  She was an Aspirant now.

  A Golden Stargate was beginning to form.

  Other-Arden scowled. He was brimming with enough hatred to ignite green light in the vacant sockets of his eyes.

  Everyone else steeled themselves, none more so than Vera.

  She knew she was on borrowed time. They had to finish this fight now, or else she would be sent to her trial, leaving the rest to fend for themselves against the macabre version of a friend.

  Arden and Sya couldn’t help but smile. With Vera’s talents it was hard to believe that she wouldn’t evolve. They threw themselves back into the fight, reinvigorated, for a final fight with Vera before she underwent her trial.

  It would be a while before they saw each other again.

  “Where’s Vera?” the doppelganger asked. “Where’s Vera? Where’s Vera!? What did you do to her!?”

  Vera stepped forward with a hateful glare.

  “I didn’t do anything. She’s gone now. And it's because of you.”

  Other-Arden charged forward, agony etched into his face.

  “Give her back to me!”

  Rocks covered in black blood crashed into his handless arm right at the open wound. Immediately, the wound started festering, releasing puss and the viscous tar that ran through Other-Arden’s veins.

  “Damn you!” he shouted, redirecting his rage towards the proxy of his little sister.

  Before he could close the distance, Podren appeared, sliding along the ground waving his scalpel like a magic wand, slicing into his legs. He cut through the doppelganger’s flesh like butter, slowing him down even further.

  Podren quickly found himself in trouble as he saw the doppelganger’s sword coming down towards him. Before it cut through him as Podren had done to the sword wielder’s legs, Cirai made her presence known.

  With determination in her eyes, she stabbed her knife forward into Other-Arden’s shoulder. In the brief moment that followed, she and Podren backed off just before the sword cleaved through them both.

  Other-Arden ripped the knife out of his shoulder and threw it at the retreating duo with the form of a professional.

  Arden was ready for it, and intercepted the knife, knocking it to the ground skittering away.

  “It’s because of you!” Other-Arden roared. “If you gave up the Legacy, none of this would have happened!”

  The pair of Ardens approached each other and began exchanging blows. Both of them focused on offense, but neither completely ignored defenses. Even if one could heal from any injury, and the other was unable to die, getting injured would still slow them down.

  Every attack struck the other just barely, between the light defense and dodging. It only took a few seconds for both of them to be covered in their own and each other’s blood.

  “If you only gave up the Legacy when I told you, I wouldn’t have had to see Vera die again!” Other-Arden snarled.

  Vera chimed in as cold air collected around the tip of her sword. The Golden Stargate began to take shape behind her.

  “This is no one's fault but your own! Her entire reason for coming back was to protect you! She was only here to help you!”

  The white streak in her hair didn't just lightly freeze over, but turned into a jagged chunk of ice. Her Dance of the Nine Phases was stronger as an Aspirant.

  “You rejected her help! You were hellbent on forsaking what you were! She gave up her life, her soul, and her very existence to stop you!”

  Her frozen sword grew 50 percent longer and thicker. It no longer resembled a straight sword but a greatsword.

  “I’ll grant her final wish! Dance of the Nine Phases!”

  Icy mist was lifting off of Vera’s entire body as she swung the sword in a large horizontal arc.

  “Second Form! Waxing Crescent!”

  Arden quickly threw himself to the floor, and not a moment too soon. He felt the cold slash just above his head causing him to shudder.

  The same could not be said for his other self, whose head was sent flying into the air with a shocked face permanently etched into it. His body fell to the ground next to Arden.

  Vera fell to one knee gasping for breath. As soon as she planted her sword in the ground, it shattered into countless shards of ice.

  Arden quickly approached Vera with a wide smile.

  “That was so cool!” he praised.

  She gave a weak smile in response.

  There was a pulse of energy behind her.

  Her Golden Stargate was finished.

  Sya flanked them as well, throwing her arms around Vera.

  It was time to say goodbye for now.

  Before anyone could say anything, a deathly pressure weighed down on everyone present. They could all hear the warehouse creak from the weight of energy that was present.

  Crazed laughter rang out from the decapitated head of Other-Arden. Vera chastised herself for not realizing that she didn’t receive a kill message.

  No one could move. They all felt that they would be crushed under the pressure if they did.

  The green strings that stitched up Other-Arden’s cracks flowed from the neck to the decapitated head and slowly dragged it back to its original spot. As the head was slowly brought up to its rightful place, the ephemeral strings appeared everywhere in the building.

  In an instant, the strings wrapped around everyone’s arms and legs, and suspended them in midair. Everyone tried to move, but the thread was constricting their movements.

  The ephemeral threads came together on Other-Arden’s severed hand, forming a green knot before being clouded with black mist taking on the shape of a bestial claw. The green energy could still be seen shining from within. Each shadowy finger tip ended with several centimeters of flowing green thread that reached towards the sky like the wisp of flames.

  Other-Arden faced Arden with a sneer.

  “You’re not the only Legacy bearer anymore.”