Chapter 355: _Who Are You?

Elian’s POV

*****

[System malfunction.]

[WARNING: Host’s soul appears to be getting fundamentally affected by sacred pool waters.]

[Elian? Fruitcake? I–I’m breaking up—]

His eyes shot open seconds after that last message from the system cut off. He tried taking a deep breath but quickly realised he was submerged in a literal pool.

Shit.

Gathering strength in his legs, he struggled to swim up. The silver waters made it difficult to see the surface. But he kept on trying anyway.

Yet anytime he felt like he was getting closer to the top… the energies from the waters pulled him deeper, coiling around his chest.

‘No,’ he managed to shake his head. ‘This can’t be how I die. Drowning? Really?!’

He made sure to keep his nostrils sealed as he lifted both hands. Magic swirled between his fingertips—but then died out like candle lights shoved into a pool.

Elian’s heart skipped several beats.

‘System?!’ he cried out mentally. ‘Come on, give me stats or something. I can’t access my magic!’

Nothing.

Gradually his cheeks turned purple. He could no longer hold his breath.

Time appeared to slow drastically as he eventually gave in, letting himself breathe in the divine water.

His eyelids fluttered—

—Only for nothing to happen.

Confused, Elian’s eyes opened again.

No way.

Was he actually breathing underwater right now?!

“Silly child.”

His neck snapped back the second he heard a feminine voice say that behind him. The words didn’t come out with any form of condensation.

But it did catch his attention.

He froze.

Because before him, a few feet away, was a nearly translucent humanoid figure. It exuded silver light, pure, divine and nearly excruciating in brilliance.

It was nigh impossible to tell if it was male or female—it lacked bosoms but still also had lush silver white hair that flowed around it in a mesmerising cascade.

A faint line on the entity’s face curved slowly. “We meet again.”

Elian’s brows knitted.

Then realisation dawned on his face.

“… Moon goddess?”

The figure shook its head. “Not quite,” its arms spread out sideways. “I’m just like you—one of the last pieces of what was left of her divine soul. Her consciousness.”

His eyes widened.

This was just like that other figure that appeared to him and ‘gave’ him the system.

“H–How though?” He hesitated. “How have you been in these waters for so long without anyone noticing? And probably more importantly… how the hell am I not drowning?”

The entity moved toward him.

Elian’s pulse stuttered when it got so close that their faces would’ve met if he dared move even a few inches.

“That’s easy,” there was that smirk on its face again. “Although I’ve been here for millennia, I was never given a form. Just awareness as every last generation of Alpha kings came here for the baptism of moonlight.”

“That changed when you dropped in here. Your divinity awakened my essence enough to give me a physical form.” Its head tilted. “And right now it appears I’m also having an effect on you.”

Elian blinked at that last part.

It was then that he felt a weird sensation sizzling through his body. He lifted his hands and nearly yelped.

Both palms glowed with an unmistakable silver light which began spreading upward, covering the rest of his arms.

“Wait,” he lifted his head to meet the figure’s face. “W–What does this mean for me? Why can’t I swim out of here? I—”

“You are pure divinity yourself, child.” The figure reached out with a hand, brushing its fingers across his jaw. “That’s why you can’t drown. But it’s also why this is happening to you.”

“And WHAT the heck is this?!”

“Who are you?” Instead of answering his question, the figure uttered those words. Words that took Elian off guard. “Beneath that meat suit that you’ve taken in recent decades—who exactly are you?”

His breath hitched.

Suddenly memories he’s dreaded having for a while crashed into the deepest parts of his psyche.

That fateful night where he slaughtered a family, possessing the body of an innocent five-year-old and claiming it as his. Their cries. The blood.

All of it came rushing back with all the emotions he thought he’d subdued.

“I…” he croaked, swatting the figure’s hand off his face. “I can’t—”

“Your soul was never meant to exist.” The figure seized his face between its fingers, pulling out a strained gasp from him. “You were never meant to be nothing more than another lost piece of the goddess’ consciousness.”

If it weren’t for the fact that they were underwater, he would’ve probably felt the tears streaming down his cheeks.

“P–Please, stop.”

“You keep running from the truth,” the figure pressed on. “From what you truly are.”

“I’m Elian fucking Ashford!” He snapped.

“A name you stole.” The figure’s grip on his face tightened until he felt like his skull would break. “Just like this body. Just like this life. This was meant to be someone else’s story. Not yours.”

While the entity said all this, the silver light encroaching on Elian’s being had swallowed his arms and now gotten to his chest. It was climbing even higher, reaching his neck and then dropping low to his stomach.

The worst part was that no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t will himself to push the entity off him.

Overwhelmed, his shoulders dropped. “You’re right,” his eyes lowered. “I did steal this body. I took a life to get where I am today.”

He paused so long that the Entity’s posture appeared to shift like it was confused.

That’s when his violet orbs hardened, a molten silver light flaring in them. With everything in him, he shot a hand forward, grabbing the Entity’s wrist.

“But you don’t get to dictate my life,” he no longer bothered fighting against the silver light consuming him. “In the years I’ve occupied this body… I’ve lived. I’ve experienced all that this continent has to offer. I’ve seen the ugly side of its people.”

Kyren’s necklace swayed around his neck just then.

“And I’ve fallen in love.” His voice trembled at that part. “I’ve built a family here. Whether this body, this identity was stolen or not… I’ve more than proven that I OWN it. It’s MINE.”

For a being that lacked true facial parts, the Entity’s face seemed wrinkled with disbelief.

He seized its neck with his other hand, silver light exploding out of his eyes and then his body in multiple rays. Something ancient stirred in his chest.

Something feral.

A predatory light replaced that of the once normal-looking omega. His hair colour switched from white blonde, changing completely to a bright silver shade.

Slowly, his teeth shone in a wolfish grin.

The silver light surrounding him and the entity reached an intense peak that would’ve probably been seen all around Moon Haven and beyond if they weren’t underground.

Then—

BOOM!

The pool lit up in a devastating explosion of silver light, sweeping away both Elian and the entity until there was nothing left.

Hey, fruitcake! So sorry about that impromptu 7 days pause. But at least we’ve gotten started again with an explosive chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! <3