The desperation in the eyes of the Third Prince was visceral but also was that little hint of cunning, where might had failed, perhaps the power of words would prevail. To survive the Third Prince would have to reveal their greatest secrets and shame, but he was willing to do so.

“You are truly wise Rowan in holding back your wrath, surely you must have known the consequences of killing the last of us, Shadows. With every one of us that falls you must have felt his gaze solidifying on your skin like cancer, his undead Will crawling in your head and digging into your mind. His voice of madness is always calling… screaming. Let me live…. Let me live… How can anyone live with such torture all these endless years and not seek release?”

“I have wronged you. This I know well, yet I beg of you, no matter your hatred for me, it is not worth it Rowan, you will surely go mad just like the rest of us, allow me to leave this field alive and I shall swear an oath to your name, that I shall bear this madness for the rest of my days. I swear to be your shield against his influence until the end of time. I will not falter, I have kept his madness for a thousand Eras and I can do the same for a thousand more, of all my brothers only I have the strongest of Wills, and I give you my strength for the rest of time.”

Rowan cocked his head to the side, and finally, he spoke, “I have other curses laid on me, and my path ahead will not be one of peace, why do you think one more curse would break me?”

Bending down, Rowan pushed his fingers into the brain of the Third Prince and dragged the screaming head up,

“Don’t kill me Rowan, you cannot understand the burden you will be laying on your shoulders. Trust me, I am smart enough to understand that the only thing that can save me would be giving you indispensable and correct information. I wager someone like you must know how to separate truth from falsehood, and you know that I am not lying. I am not just begging for my life here Rowan, I’m making a case for yours. Killing me would only make you become me, don’t do this… don’t become a Shadow like me.”

The endless abyss of Rowan’s gaze regarded the Third Prince for a while before he answered, “There would have been a time when your pleas would have fallen on listening ears. The man of that time had a beautiful heart, untainted by pride or ambition, he would have listened to you and feared for the future… That man is dead, all I am now is a blade. Perhaps there would have been a time when I would have craved peace and quiet, but the flames of ambition have arisen in my heart. You have tasted my edge, and you shall not be the last, before my endless hunger, even Primordials would fall. Unlike you and your fellow Shadows, I do not fear the cries of the dead Third, it is only a beacon that would lead me to him, if he is wise, he would keep silent or I shall come for him.”

The endless heavens above rumbled at these words and declarations. The Third Prince sputtered, the last of his arguments dying in his lips but he wanted to say more,

“You should be quiet,” Rowan said, almost in a gentle manner, “You need to appreciate what is to come, of all my enemies, as hateful as you are, you are worthy of seeing my glory. Besides in this universe at least, they are all dead.”

Rowan began walking to the end of the bridge, he extinguished Ascension and allowed Envy and Pride to form around his body like a cloak as an intense sense of tiredness covered his senses, Lost peered around in fascination, wanting to open his mouth to speak but after thinking about it, choose to stay silent.

“A mortal life is not an easy one,” Rowan grumbled and he slowly walked, “Their pains… linger.”

It was unknown if he was speaking to the Lost Flames, the Ouroboros Serpents, or the dying Third Prince. The battle had been tough and inside his battered body, he had less than eleven drops of blood left. Rowan considered this a solid victory, he had expected that he would have not a single drop of blood left after this battle, but he had underestimated the strength of his physique, in this universe when placed on equal ground, his body was matchless, even as a mortal.

He reached the spot on the bridge where Minerva had fallen. Her body had been dragged and pressed against the bridge for thousands of miles, even with the tough constitution of a Demon King, as she had been reduced to a mortal, Minerva was on her last breath if Rowan had not come across her at this point then it was most likely that in the few moments, she would be dead.

Rowan looked at her in disinterest and he walked past. This demon was among those that tortured him for a million years and she was paid substantially for her efforts in desecrating his flesh and spirit. The page of the Primordial Record that she held all these years had granted her enough benefits, but the truth was that even if she did not die in the hands of Rowan she would have been killed by the Reflections.

He should hate her, but Rowan was simply tired, his eternal anger and drive required a body that was beyond a mortal, and for all their tenacity, a mortal would inevitably reach their limit.

“Hail… the conqueror…” her broken voice whispered from what was left of her body, “I have a bargain…”

Three Ouroboros Serpents suddenly turned around in irritation and they descended on her body. She did not scream for long. If she had been quiet, she might have lived for a few moments more, Rowan saw no need for killing someone already on a path towards death, but his Serpents were more irritable, there was no bargain that Minerva could give him that was worth it unless it was on the level of a Singularity and Rowan doubted that even Primordials would be able to easily grant such a wish.

The Third Prince had gone through all five stages of grief and had finally reached a state of acceptance, Minerva was more slow, still choosing to negotiate. Pity.

With Rowan’s speed of movement, it took a while for him to cross the creaking bridge that was at the edge of destruction and he reached the other side and looked at the universe below. 𝚏𝗿ew𝐞bo𝚟𝗹.com

His Ouroboros Serpents pulled away from his body and hovered around him, their quiet hissing was a poor indicator of the hunger inside of them,

“It is so beautiful… the universe, when you can see the entirety of her. The subtle lines of order and chaos woven around her entire body can only be appreciated by a Creator who knows what it takes to nurture the breath of life. Somewhere inside me, I know that I should appreciate such a sight more. Yet at this time, all I see is food. It is time to leave my mortality behind. Look at the universe for one last time, Third, see its beauty and understand for the last time what is forever denied to us.”

The Third Prince was quiet, he watched the universe for what seemed like forever, Rowan stayed by his side and when the six Ouroboros Serpents encircled his head and began to feast, the last thing he said was, “With every Era that passes, his call grows stronger.”

Rowan had kept the promise he made to the Third Prince, he had stood on this bridge for five years until the moment he had promised he would kill him, and then he let the Ouroboros Serpent devour the meal they had waited so long for.

“Anything for you, my beloved Nemesis.”