Crystalla

The boom from the tear ripping across the sky brought Infernus to his knees, he held tightly onto his head. In his mind's eye, he saw himself, stood overlooking a burning world beneath a dark void, through tear stained eyes, he felt rage, anger, sadness and an eternal longing all-in-one.

"They said they'd bring an end to all suffering..." Infernus growled.

"Huh?" Rychard looked over to Infernus, surprised.

"I led them to this reality" Infernus grinned, as he rubbed his hands against his head.

"Who? The Senior Partners?" Rychard asked. Infernus nodded and sighed. "They lied to you then?" He continued.

"No" Infernus shrugged. "You still do not get it, do you? I led them here, this reality is filled with suffering, and pain. It deserves to end" He added.

"Why do you deny pain and sorrow?!" Rychard began to get frustrated. "Why do they want to destroy this reality in the first place?" He asked.

"They harvest worlds, realities" Infernus began to explain. "My people had no wish to see the end come to this star, and so, they offered themselves up for harvest, save for a select few who would remain behind. I was taken as they scorched our cities, I watched as my kind were taken away by those creatures. I am not Infernus, I am Apathara. The so called 'God of Apathy'" He frowned.

A flash appeared on the far end of the throne room, Infernus turned to meet the gaze of a beautiful blond man, clad in shining armour, his sharp bright blue eyes locked onto Apathara's gaze.

"You have done your duty well, Vanguard" The man spoke softly. Infernus stared confused.

"Who are you?" Infernus asked.

"Is that any way to speak to an old friend, Apathara?" A slightly unnerving grin made its way across the man's face, as he stepped down from the small raised platform the throne sat upon. "Then again, you wouldn't recognize me in this form, would you?" The man winked, before turning to Rychard, whose eyes widened in surprised. "Hm, curious" The man shrugged, before turning back to Infernus.

"Ah, so it is you" Infernus chuckled.

"Your memory is returning then?" The man asked, in a friendly tone. "Your race made for good fodder, for the restoration of our reality. We made them into dirt, and shit" The man continued.

"So you are a senior partner then?" Rychard asked, unsure if the man perceived him in his current form

"That is one of our many names, yes" The man met with Rychard's gaze, before looking at his own hands and arms. "Tell me, human, or... former human, I guess" He began. "How do you exist in such a limited form? At least the Tolmen had their magicks, human's have... nothing. How are you not disgusted by your own form each and every day?" The man asked.

"From what I am gathering, you are parasites who feed off of healthy worlds" Rychard shrugged. "I don't think you have much room to judge us" He replied.

"Such tenacity!" The man grinned menacingly as he leaned in towards Rychard. "Perhaps this harvesting may yet prove interesting" He shrugged.

"Why have you come down here?" Infernus cut into the conversation. The man turned to look at Infernus with murderous intent.

"Because we sensed that you had regained your pathetic old memories, and such memories may dissuade you from carrying out the harvesting. Nostalgia and all that meaningless crap" The man frowned. "So I have been sent to this rotting carcass of a world to clean up your pathetic mess" The man roared, before turning to Rychard.

"You also let some of those machines into our realm, and they have proved quite troublesome to some of our technology... surprisingly" The man grinned.

"How can you see me?" Rychard pondered.

"You assume I see through the eyes of this human form, and not through my own senses. Impudent child" The man frowned. "I have many names, Hades, Satan, Lucifer, Nyrthilaos, Weraln, Yygirdalia, The Judge, Thanatos, but I guess in this reality, I shall be named Tartarus, the bringer of terminus" Tartarus proclaimed. "Rebellion will not be tolerated, the harvest shall proceed as planned. The anomoly will die and this reality will be harvested to rebuild the realm of the Old Ones, and shall cease to exist. It is inevitable" He continued.

"You really fancy yourself, don't you?" Rychard smirked.

"Don't think that because you only exist in this pathetic slave's mind" Tartarus pointed to Infernus. "That I cannot inflict untold suffering on you" He grinned, as he clicked his fingers and Rychard suddenly appeared in physical form, completely separated from Infernus.

Before Rychard had time to react, Tartarus grabbed Rychard by his neck and held him into the air. Infernus watched as Rychard was tossed across the room and beaten by the Old One into submission. When he was done, Tartarus looked across to Apathara.

"Have you grown weak, and succumbed to your emotions tied to your extinct race?" Tartarus asked.

"No" Infernus stated. "I am more resolute than ever, the harvest will proceed and this world, and this reality, will die" He continued. Tartarus nodded and approached Infernus.

"Then it is time for your ascension" Tartarus said, placing his hand on the mechanical shoulder of Infernus. As his hand made contact, the mechanical body fell to the floor. From the body, rose a tall handsome, dark haired man, similar in stature to Tartarus. The man knelt before Tartarus.

"Arise from the ashes of your old self, the self who carried the names of Apathera and Infernus. Rise into your new form as my apprentice" Tartarus smiled gently. Rychard watched as Apathera, or, Infernus as he was now known, rose to his feet, in his new form granted by the Old Ones. Infernus looked into the eyes of Tartarus and bowed his head.

"For the Restoration of Eden, brother" Tartarus bowed his head.

"For the Restoration of Eden" Infernus repeated, Rychard groaned before passing out.

Tartarus looked at a nearby pillar and thrust his hand into the nanotechnology. Seconds later, one of the pylons sent out a shockwave of energy that spanned the globe.

"What was that?" Infernus asked.

"I guess you could call it a 'tranquilliser'" Tartarus shrugged. "It is quite unlikely we will be interrupted any longer.