Crystalla

Infernus paced around the ruined Lumina Academy, trying to reach the hidden memories in his mind, as the void loomed down over the floating continent, it was no use he shook his head and gazed over at the throne.

"You...? How are you here?" Infernus' brow furrowed as he gazed upon Rychard, sat upon the throne.

"I'm not really here" Rychard shrugged. "Just projected from your mind, I guess" He added, as he ran his hand along the arm of the chair, feeling no sensation.

"So now I have to look at your face as well as hear your voice" Infernus shook his head. Rychard gazed up at the beacon that towered over the Academy.

"You do know that I am not on your side, right?" Rychard asked. "The world may look at me as a villain, but, I believe in my heart that I am a hero" He added.

"I have access to all of your memories, you are not a hero" Infernus shrugged.

"How would you know what a Hero is? You're just some subservient drone for whatever lies beyond that rift" Rychard said as he gazed into the void.

Infernus gazed up too, to see the abhorrent beasts still making their way into this realm. He pondered if the limit of his existence was to just be a servant.

"Am I?" Infernus asked. Rychard sat forward and smirked as he saw the doubt on Infernus' face. Infernus gazed at Rychard and shook his head. "I am not a mere servant, I am the gatekeeper for this cleansing of reality" He proclaimed.

"You're just a tool" Rychard shrugged. "You won't be welcome in their new world or whatever they plan to do with this reality" He added, as he grinned.

"You do not know my Lords, and you cannot understand their glory" Infernus shook his head. "This world deserves to die" He shrugged.

"Oh really? Why?" Rychard retorted. Infernus grabbed his forehead. "Why would it deserve to die?" Rychard continued as he chuckled.

Infernus fell to his knees.

"I am not Infernus..." He stuttered.

"Finally" Rychard rolled his eyes.

"I... who am I?" He groaned as he gazed up at Rychard.

"You're the final remaining remnant of the Tolmen, the God of Apathy" Rychard nodded.

"Apathara?" Infernus asked.

"Yes, reach to those memories!" Rychard encouraged him. Infernus groaned as he got to his feet.

"Yes..." A wicked grin stretched across Infernus' mechanical face once again. "That version of me also wanted to bring an end to this world, this pathetic pit of creatures" He nodded.

"What?!" Rychard asked, surprised. "You are of this world too, Apathara..." He frowned.

"How would that change anything, Human?" Infernus asked.

"You claim that your Lords are glorious, you are not one of them, you never will be, you will be treated as a pawn of theirs forever more, you will never know freedom!" Rychard argued. "Join humanity, we can rebuild Crystalla and make it just as glorious as the world of your Lords!" He continued.

"Pathetic, typical human, you claim to know glory, but stumble about in the dirt" Infernus grinned. "No, you're not even human, you are just a piece of data in my mind, you'll never rule, you can't even control me. Just taunt me with pathetic jibes" He roared with laughter.

"You think I didn't make a back up plan? That I went all in on the plan with that idiotic partner of mine?" Rychard laughed as Infernus rolled his eyes.

"You mean the clone of that damn girl? The anomaly?" Infernus asked. "She will be dealt with, along with the real anomaly" He nodded.

Infernus looked frustrated as he looked away and across the former ruined city, watching as the nanomachines constructed more beacons.

"Your ambitions, your plans for this world will always amount to naught. Why do you still fight?" Infernus asked.

"Because, I am alive, and I will fight to stay alive until the bitter end, not give in to death like yourself" Rychard replied