Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2000: Waning Flame

Though he had made up his mind to accelerate his conquest of the Tower, Vahn spent the better part of three weeks idling about in order to gauge the residents' reactions. He also wanted to see what the Ten Great Families would do with the additional time, so, while much of his day was spent rather leisurely, he also dedicated a fair amount of time spying on various organizations throughout the Tower.

As could be expected of the Families that had proactively supported peace and order, the Tu Perie and Ari Families made the most of the current situation by volunteering to assist in the auditing of the other Families. The Tu Perie Family, in particular, had been compiling records of every crime that had been perpetrated by various individuals for the better part of ten-thousand-years. This included records pertaining to members of their own family, so, by the time things had started to calm down, more than twenty percent of each major family had either been imprisoned or simply 'erased' from the Tower.

While twenty percent might sound like a relatively small number, especially considering the amount of hatred directed towards the Ten Great Families, the truth of the matter was that only a handful of individuals were responsible for the majority of crimes that had taken place. More specifically, it was members of the branch families and weaker members of the main household that ultimately sought to alleviate their frustrations by suppressing others. The only real exceptions to this rule were the Lo Po Bia and Hendo Lok Families, but, with the former driven by instinct and the latter motivated by self-preservation, they were the outliers in the group.

Fortunately, largely due to their limited lifespan and the fact Vahn had already been working with them in 'secret', the Hendo Lok Family were a lot more responsive to rapid change compared to the other Great Families. Their situation had forced them to continuously adapt just to survive, so, while there had been a significant amount of bloodshed relatively early on, the result of the Leader of the Family personally cleaning house, they were more united than ever. It would likely take decades for them to fully stabilize, but, now that they no longer had to perform forbidden rituals just to extend their lives, they no longer had to worry about being viewed as monsters by the rest of the Tower.

Though Vahn had a few personal grievances to settle with Bloodmadder, principally related to the man's rather infamous libido, he had delayed dealing with him out of consideration for the rest of the Family. In the end, the man was most assuredly going to die, but, at least for the time being, he had managed to buy himself some time by doing his best to implement the reforms necessary for his Family's continued survival. This was something Vahn could appreciate, so, much like Lo Po Bia's sentence, Hendo Lok Bloodmadder's had been postponed until the fates decreed their paths would cross...

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While doing his best to ignore the flotilla of pink-haired women who now followed him virtually everywhere he went, Vahn silently observed a majestic floating palace that even exceeded Ostia in scale and beauty. If not for the numerous fires that could be seen spreading uncontrolled through rampant through various sections of the palace's main compound, it could have easily competed for one of the most wondrous sights Vahn had ever seen. Instead, the innumerable pillars of black smoke made the scene better suited for a painting of an apocalypse rather than an idyllic eastern palace heavily influenced by Chinese mythos and architecture...

Though she would normally remain silent whenever they were out and about, Blossom, dangling from Vahn's neck and peering over his shoulder, voiced the thoughts of nearly everyone present, muttering, "How tragic..." in a subdued tone. This caused Vahn's already conflicted expression to turn into a frown, as, unlike the other Great Families, the Yeon Family had effectively collapsed in the weeks following the battle on the 100th Floor. A few of the High Ranking Elders, enraged over the loss of Ilarde, had even attempted to perform a ritual to try and forcibly remove the Spirits of the Golden Crow and Divine Phoenix from Hana's body. Instead, they ended up being driven from the 'Palace of Flames', their lives spared only because of Hana's compassionate nature...

Restraining a sigh, Vahn was about to say something when Blossom, seemingly sensing the change in his mental state, tightened her hold around his neck in order to nuzzle against his cheek and say, "Don't let it get to you. Due to Ilarde's influence, very few people within the Yeon Family truly cared for Hana. This is certainly a tragedy, but, so long as she can overcome her mental demons, Hana will be a lot happier without such toxic people in her life. We can help her with that...but..."

Shaking his head, Vahn preempted the suggestion Blossom was about to make, saying, "I shouldn't be the one to help her. Even if I could heal her heart, there is no way to get around the fact that I'm one of the primary sources of her pain. Besides...her heart already belongs to another..."

Understanding who Vahn was referring to, Blossom lightly hummed before muttering, "Viole..." in a voice that only he could hear.

Nodding his head in response, Vahn began to descend towards the flaming palace, his voice calm and steady as he explained, "Some might consider me an irredeemable womanizer but I can safely state I have never stolen the heart of someone who has dedicated themselves to another. I've come pretty close on a number of occasions, but, during each of those instances, the person whose heart they had dedicated themselves to was already dead..."

Though he would like to claim complete innocence, Vahn knew he had skirted several boundaries during his time in the Nasuverse. His mental state, combined with his lack of power, compelled him to commit to several courses of action he later realized were either unnecessary or rushed. While he had never regretted any of these choices, a bit of patience would have allowed him to resolve most situations without needing to become personally involved with every tragic beauty that crossed his path.

Despite his cyclic nature compelling him to repeat many of his past mistakes, that didn't mean Vahn hadn't learned numerous lessons along the way. Thus, while he had grown remarkably confident in his ability to heal, win, or conquer the hearts of virtually any woman he happened to encounter, he had also come to understand that it wasn't 'necessary' for him to do so. This was a stark contrast to his younger self, who, regardless of the circumstances, always did his best to 'repay' every ounce of kindness bestowed upon him...

Recalling his younger self, a naive boy who could shamelessly walk around town wearing little more than tattered rags and shrubbery, a reminiscent smile spread across Vahn's face as he reached up to pat Blossom's head, silencing her attempt to question him about Viole by musing, "Space and Time are truly remarkable things...so long as you have a sufficient enough understanding of both, there is very little you can't accomplish..."

Without going into further details, Vahn retracted his hand from Blossom's head before turning his attention towards the bereaved-looking woman glaring at him from atop a ruined altar flanked by statues clearly designed to represent the Divine Phoenix and Three-Legged Golden Crow.

As strange as it might seem, Vahn actually found the current Hana even more remarkable than the woman he had wronged weeks prior. Her tears did little to detract from her beauty, and, though he was able to maintain eye contact, the pure white lace visible between her legs as she tightly hugged her knees possessed an allure that compelled the eye to follow. This, combined with her remarkably sad and vulnerable aura, gave off the impression that she was literally waiting for someone to come and take away her pain...even if it meant being taken advantage of and lied to...

Doing his best to maintain a casual and reminiscent smile, Vahn gestured for Blossom and the rest to give him a bit of space before making his way closer to the throne. In response, the temperature around Hana's body began to increase, yet, in spite of this, she made no attempt to actually prevent his approach. Instead, her aura began to shiver like a frightened child as she hugged her knees with greater strength and monotonously asked, "What are you doing here...? Have you come to laugh at me...?"

Hearing the pain suppressed in Hana's tone, the charismatic glimmer frequently visible in Vahn's eyes diminished slightly as he extended his hands to remove the ornate crown from Hana's head. His initial touch caused her to flinch, but, even as he pulled several other ornaments from her hair, her only noteworthy reaction was to rest her head against her knees and allow him to do whatever he wanted. At the same time, her aura flame-like diminished to such an extent that, even if he were to push her down, Vahn doubted she would offer any significant resistance. She had basically given up on life, and, prior to his arrival, most of her time had been spent contemplating whether or not she should pass on the Divine Phoenix and Golden Crow before searching for a method to take her own life.

As was often the case in such situations, Ancestral Spirits such as the Divine Phoenix and Three-Legged Golden Crow could only be passed on to direct descendants. This was the main reason that Hana had never confessed to Viole, as, despite loving the man with all her heart, his love of Arlene, combined with his innate characteristics, made him unsuitable to sire the next generation heiress of the Yeon Family. Now, however, she no longer cared about such things, so, even if it was the person she currently hated the most, the only thought in Hana's mind was 'getting things over with'...

After removing all the ornaments from the woman's vermillion hair, Vahn resisted the urge to plant a kiss on the top of Hana's head. Instead, he gently caressed her inordinately silky lock as he quietly explained, "I am not called the God of Infinite Possibilities without reason...though you cannot deny your responsibility in the matter, Ilarde's actions were ultimately the result of her twisted nature and lust for power. You could have stopped her, but, given your situation, I can also understand why you might be reluctant to do so...for better or worse, even the greatest of Gods are capable of terrifying compromise when it comes to family..."

Earning the vermillion-haired woman's attention, Vahn regained a bit of his smile as he framed the sides of her face with his hands and added, "You are a good person...you do not deserve to suffer in this manner. Since I am also to blame for your current predicament, I will offer you a choice. So long as your desire is sincere and devoid of malice, I will grant your wish. Now...tell me...Yeon Hana...what is it your heart desires...?"

Though she couldn't shake the impression she was about to make a deal with a devil, Hana's eyes glazed over slightly as she whimpered, "I just want to be loved..." in one of the most pitiable voices Vahn had ever heard. She had spent her entire life living according to others' expectations, so, even if it was just for a single moment, she wanted to experience true love and affection. As for why she didn't ask to be reunited with Viole, it was because, in her mind, the man had passed long ago, and, more importantly, he had dedicated his heart to another...

Feeling Hana's anguish and hope wash over him like frigid yet warm water, Vahn adopted the most assuring smile he could manage before nodding in affirmation and whispering, "Very well..." before bending down to plant a kiss on the flame-like seal on her forehead. In the moments that followed, the light within her fiery eyes gradually faded, unparalleled relaxation flowing through her body for the first time in millennia as Vahn pulled away to add, "Rest. When next you awake, all your dreams will have come true..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Three weeks to unfuck millennia of corruption...','Beauty within despair...','A promise of a better future...')

(A/N: Power and water have finally been restored. I got to flush my toilet and take a nice hot bath for the first time in five days. Feels good man.)

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