Arden had thought that his attack had been a stroke of brilliance that would end the battle. The difference between Arden's expectations and reality was that while the move had signaled the beginning of the end of the fight, it had also put him on the back foot.

  The husk didn't care about the damage done to its body, even though it defended against Arden’s attacks. It just wanted his body, intact or not. With everything happening under the Advent of Life, no injury mattered to the Archon’s agent. Arden figured that the doppelganger was defending itself so as not to hurt its new physical form, but that was wrong. It was fighting back to have fun.

  After Arden impaled the husk, its facade of humanity fell apart. The green light creating the illusion of Arden’s face on the husk changed into a demonic grin with outlines of razor sharp teeth.

  The husk swiped its claws at Arden, and he tried to jump back. Panic gripped his heart when he realized that he couldn't move. Just as Arden felt the husk's green claws tear into his shoulder, he noticed the green strings holding him in place, suspending him a little bit above the ground. Arden coughed up blood onto the husk grinning madly at him. Pain ravaged his body as more shadows threatened to consume him. He already felt like he was losing himself.

  “Did you think you won just because you found a weakness?” The husk taunted. “A weakness isn't a weakness if it's obvious. If everyone knows your weakness, then that's a strength. Take our sister for example.”

  The husk grabbed Arden by his hair and forced him to look at Sya fighting against the horde with her broken sword.

  “She is a Blight Walker, and as such has a weak body. But look at her sword. It's coated in her blood. Against life and even death, the Blight will always win. She has a way to use her weakness as a strength.”

  The husk brought its claws down, severing Arden’s remaining arm. It ignored Arden’s scream as its shadowy arm was made real and the opposite happened for Arden’s. The husk didn't stop there. It continued ripping Arden apart until the only parts left of him that weren’t shadows were his eyes and mouth, along with a few patches of skin on his face.

  ‘Arden’ grinned at the shadow.

  *****

  The shadow didn’t understand.

  It felt like it was on fire on a conceptual level. It was a paralyzing feeling.

  ‘Is this what people call pain?’

  ‘What’s pain? Why do I know that word?’

  It felt like something cold was piercing its heart. It was different from pain, but also something similar.

  ‘Is this sorrow?’

  ‘What’s sorrow? Why do I know that word?’

  The shadow’s eyes stared at the person holding it in his green clawed hand. The shadow’s mind was splintered. It looked at ‘Arden’ and wondered to itself what was going on. The shadow was mostly incorporeal, but it was scared of the physical man in front of him.

  ‘What am I?’

  “You can’t do what Sya can,” ‘Arden’ said. “Your secret weapon has been countered. The Legacy Ability belongs to ‘Arden,’ and right now, you are no longer 'Arden.' You are nothing more than a lost shadow, an empty vessel of Life.”

  ‘Who am I?’

  ‘Arden’ manipulated the green strings with a flick of the claw. A yelp from the other side of the room resounded as Sya was suddenly pulled from the fight to Arden and the shadow. The strings pulled her to the ground, so she looked up at the two beings in front of her.

  Sya looked at the pair. The human looked just like her brother with a cruel expression and a green claw. The other was a scared shadow with only eyes and a mouth. The shadow's body was gone, but even then, Sya could still tell which of the two was her brother. The shadow’s gaze met Sya’s.

  ‘Why is she looking at me like that? Why does she look so sad? Do I know her? Does she know me?’

  The shadows' eyes widened. There was something inside of its hollow existence that made it want to protect the bloody black haired girl in front of it.

  ‘Arden’ held his claw open in front of the shadow’s face. The shadow could see the malicious gaze of ‘Arden’ from between his fingers.

  “Farewell, shadow. From now on, I am ‘Arden.’”

  The shadow’s face was crushed in his grip. There was a feeling of absolute soul-crushing despair for a moment, before the shadow fell to the ground, and broke down into shards of darkness.

  *****

  “No…” Sya muttered. “Arden…”

  She stared hopelessly into the place where her brother just was. Her real brother, not the imitation that stole his body.

  The same brother who never tried to hurt her in any way.

  The same brother who protected her from all sorts of slum folk who wanted the Blight Walker dead.

  The same brother who did his best to keep their lives as interesting as possible to help with Sya’s boredom.

  “Come on, get back up,” she said, tears running like a river down her face.

  A memory from a few years ago was dredged back up to the surface of her mind. She said that it would be better for Arden if he didn’t have to take care of her. She thought she understood what grief was after losing her parents, but this was so much worse. She would have never suggested ending her own life to make Arden live better if she knew just how awful it felt.

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  Her will to fight was gone. She didn’t even attempt to raise her broken sword to face ‘Arden’ or his spawns of life that were approaching.

  ‘Arden’ laughed.

  “Hate to break it to you, but he’s not gonna bounce back like he has before. He is gone, expunged from the worldline.”

  Pale white light surged from within ‘Arden.’ It shined from his nose, mouth, eyes, ears, and even below his finger nails. He was in bliss. It had been eons since he last saw this power, but he had never forgotten the feeling and appearance of Beyond’s Legacy. It was settling back into him.

  Spreading his arms wide above his head and with a crazed smile, he spoke unto the heavens.

  “Life! I’ve completed your task. The Legacy of Beyond is in my hands, your hands!

  The air crackled with energy, both green and pale white. It was the convergence of life energy and eternal energy.

  Sya couldn't understand what she was watching happen in the air above her. Two completely different wavelengths of energy were coming together. In the beginning, they were actively opposing each other, but after a few moments of mixing, they weren't just working together in harmony, but were actually amplifying each other's energy.

  “It's working!” ‘Arden’ celebrated. “It's working!”

  He had accomplished his goal. Not only did he regain control over Beyond’s Legacy, he had done it in a way that his death would be guaranteed by his new patron. Tears ran down his cheeks and he realized that he was filled with an emotion he had thought long dead. Happiness, joy, delight.

  Whichever name it went by, ‘Arden’ was feeling it.

  “It's time,” ‘Arden’ said. “One final death.”

  The pattern of green stitches lifted off his body, leaving no cracks behind. He was whole again.

  Just Beyond’s Legacy wasn't enough to fix him up. But because he now had life flowing through him as well, he was whole.

  The cracks joined the swirling energies in the air, and a condensed orb of pale white light appeared. The manifestation of Beyond’s Legacy. As soon as it appeared, the green stitches wrapped around the Legacy. The Legacy of Beyond became one with the Legacy of Life.

  Just for a second, ‘Arden’ wanted to live a little longer, just to see what would happen with the combined power of two Archons.

  His wish was granted immediately.

  The combined Legacies shined like a spotlight right beside Sya.

  The bliss that ‘Arden’ felt disappeared and was replaced with indignation and rage, while Sya realized that not all hope was lost. In the middle of the light was the silhouette of a throbbing humanoid shadow that slowly began to stand up.

  An otherworldly voice projected itself into the room. It wasn't heard by ‘Arden’ and Sya, but was perceived instead by their souls. Strangely, the metaphysical voice felt Australian.

  “It's time to return what was taken.”

  The shadow looked up into the air, and its dark form was ignited in the same pale white blaze that was Beyond’s trademark.

  Life’s green threads came together to surround the glowing shadow.

  ‘Arden’ realized too late that the threads weren't trying to snuff out the last stand of Beyond's vessel, but was actually healing it. The threads snaked around the shadow's limbs, leaving flesh in their wake. After the threads left the shadow’s head, an agonized scream could be heard leaving the man's newly regenerated mouth. Before he could react, ‘Arden’ too was wrapped in the tangle of Life’s threads.

  “What is this!?” he shouted. “What are you doing!?”

  ‘Arden’ felt a pull towards the shadow’s regrowth. His body was wreathed in the same light as the shadow. He was filled with fear when he saw his fingertips break down into specks of white light and rush towards the healing shadow.

  Towards Arden.

  Life spoke again.

  “Granting your wish.”

  “You cheated me! I gave you Beyond’s Legacy, and now you give it back to him!?”

  “Beyond’s Legacy isn't the only thing going back to him. This is our last chance. The paradox must be resolved for this world to survive.”

  Everything below the husk’s shoulders disappeared into sparks and rushed toward the healing, screaming Arden.

  “And for the paradox to be resolved, there can only be one Arden. Fret not, you will die here. I will make sure of that.”

  The husk tried to manipulate the strings that remained, but found it to be a futile effort. He could no longer control Life’s energy. He was cut off. He was no longer carrying the Legacy of Life. It was removed.

  “This is much bigger than any of us. I showed you that. This was the only way to create a chance for survival. Rest easy, agent. Your job is done.”

  The husk continued to break down. The motes of white light rushed towards the half-shadow, as the husk screamed in immense pain. The husk could feel its soul breaking down, becoming nothing more than dust.

  All over the building, the nodes of life were breaking down just like the husk. The husk was no longer the one in control of the Advent.

  The disturbing fleshy mass taking over the building became green sparks of light and formed more green threads. They flew toward Podren and Cirai.

  There would be no death here. Only life.

  Podren’s broken limbs were straightened, set, and healed, and a new arm grew from his shoulder where it was viciously detached by the husk with Life’s power. Bone grew first, followed by layers of muscles that stretched over the bone, and the restoration was completed with skin to top it off. Cirai gasped for air and sat up, clutching her chest where she vividly remembered her heart exploding. The scene around her looked like something out of a movie.

  Two Arden’s were floating in midair, one being suspended by the green threads that killed her with more than half of his body mass gone and turned into sparks of white light rushing towards the other Arden. Sya watched the events with the same awestruck expression that Cirai was wearing. It was unbelievable, even in a world with superhumans. She felt a little neglected being the only one who wasn't healed, but she ignored it.

  Life and Blight essence didn't get along well.

  The last part of the husk to break down was his head. Fury was his last expression on his face, and loss was his last emotion. Right before he won, everything was taken from him. Previously, he lost his world, his friends, his family, and even his Legacy.

  Now, even his existence was forfeit.

  He could only hope that Life would make do on his promise.

  ‘No…’ the previous Arden thought. ‘Life is an Archon. He’d have no reason to grant my request. Dying is enough. No more pain. No more loss. Just nothing at all.’

  The last of the husk disappeared into Arden, and the storm of energy erupting from him vanished.

  He looked at where the husk had been, finding nothing. It had been utterly destroyed. Devoured.

  Arden’s Status appeared in front of him with a simple message.

  Paradox Resolved.

  It was over.