THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Who are you?

" the being demanded again, its tone laced with irritation and confusion.

This entity, chained and bound for what felt like an eternity, had encountered David—or rather, the one who housed David\'s body—countless times. Each time, the laws of the world had shifted, twisted, and reversed without rhyme or reason, extending its imprisonment indefinitely. The being had long lost count of the years, and now, here stood a new and enigmatic soul within the vessel. This was no ordinary encounter, and it was uncertain what to make of this unfamiliar presence.

David struggled to form words, the pressure making it difficult to even breathe. His voice was weak, but there was still a hint of defiance in it. "I would … tell you… if you stopped whatever… you\'re doing to me...ass" he spat out, his throat tight with pain.

The being\'s void-like eyes, swirling with shadows and stars, narrowed in response. It detested his insolence. This mortal, despite the crushing weight of its power, seemed unafraid—an audacity that only piqued its interest further.

"

And why would I, insect?

" the being retaliated, its voice dripping with disdain. It found David\'s resistance futile, his struggle insignificant under its might. But then, something in David\'s next words caught it off guard.

"Because… I know who you really are," David rasped, coughing up more blood.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the being\'s chains rattled in surprise. It hadn\'t expected this. Mortals were often crafty, yes, but they never knew the truth—not the real truth. Still, it couldn\'t help but feel a flicker of curiosity stir within its ancient soul.

"

Tell me then

," the being said, its voice shifting into something colder, sharper, like the edge of a blade. "

Even the real David never knew who I was. A god that used that body… even \'

he\'

never knew.

" Its void-filled eyes bore into David, daring him to continue. "

And yet, you utter such nonsense

."

David, despite the overwhelming pain, refused to back down. His mind raced, pieces of a long-forgotten puzzle clicking into place. He wasn\'t sure how he knew, but there was something in the way the being spoke, in the strange pull of this place, that gave him confidence. "

Are you scared

," David grinned through the blood and agony, "that this nobody actually knows who you truly are?"

The being paused, its swirling eyes narrowing. A mortal who dared provoke it, who claimed to hold knowledge of its true identity, intrigued it. For the first time in ages, it found itself entertained. "

Hmm

," it mused, a dark amusement creeping into its voice. "

So be it. Tell me, mortal—who am I?

"

Its words were like a blade pressing against David\'s chest, ready to plunge into his heart at any moment. "

But a word of caution

," the being added, its void-like eyes widening with malice. "

If you fail to reveal my true identity… I will rip your heart from your chest.

"

The threat lingered in the air, a chilling promise. Yet despite the overwhelming odds, David smiled, defiance burning in his eyes. He had pieced together enough, and he knew this was his only shot.

In the silence that followed, David\'s mind churned, recalling fragmented memories and half-forgotten chapters. He thought of the goddess of preservation, the one everyone believed in—worshipped for safeguarding the balance of the world. But David knew better. He had seen the world fall to ruin, succumb to catastrophe. If this being had truly been the goddess of preservation, the world would not have been ravaged by such destruction.

No, the entity before him was not who everyone thought. It was something far more dangerous, something far more cunning. The answer came to him like a whisper from the depths of his own soul, a revelation wrapped in the ancient myths and hidden truths that had been lost to time.

David\'s voice cut through the silence, his words sharp and clear despite the pain. "Nice try…

Nyxalia

," he said, his grin widening. "

Sovereign of the Enchanted Veil… mother of the First Origin Coven.

"

The name echoed in the air between them, and for a moment, everything was still. The being\'s chains rattled again, louder this time, as if in response to the power of the name that had just been spoken.

Nyxalia

.

David had gambled everything on that name, trusting his instincts and piecing together the truth. And in that moment, he knew he had struck a nerve.

The being—

Nyxalia

—let out a low, rumbling laugh, the sound vibrating through the air like a distant storm. Her eyes, once cold and calculating, now burned with a newfound intensity. "

So… you \'do\' know

," she said, her voice laced with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "

You know more than I expected

."

David\'s heart pounded in his chest, but he didn\'t let his fear show. He had played his hand, and now he waited to see how Nyxalia would respond. The chains that bound her glowed faintly, their golden light flickering as if in reaction to the truth that had been revealed.

Nyxalia\'s gaze never left David. "

It has been eons since anyone uttered that name

," she murmured, her voice softer now, though no less dangerous. "

You are either incredibly foolish… or incredibly brave

."

"Maybe a little of both," David replied, trying to keep his tone steady despite the pain coursing through him.

Nyxalia\'s eyes narrowed again, her amusement fading as the weight of the situation settled back in. "

Tell me, mortal

," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper that seemed to reverberate through the air. "

How do you know of me?

How does one as insignificant as you possess such forbidden knowledge?

"

David didn\'t answer immediately. His mind was still reeling, but he knew that his survival hinged on playing his cards right. "Let\'s just say… I\'ve seen things," he said cryptically. "And I\'ve learned to trust my instincts."

Nyxalia regarded him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a small smile curled at the edges of her white-shaped lips. "

Interesting

," she said softly. "

Very interesting

."

The pressure that had been crushing David\'s body eased slightly, though the chains around Nyxalia remained firm. For now, at least, she seemed content to let him live.

But David knew better than to assume he was safe. Nyxalia was dangerous, perhaps more so than anything he had ever encountered. And now, he was bound to her in a way he had never anticipated.

Gently, Nyxalia lowered David onto the surface of the water. The crushing weight that had suffocated him vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed. He breathed deeply, relishing the sudden lightness. A soothing sensation coursed through his body, relaxing his tense muscles as he stretched, his neck cracking with relief.

"

David

," Nyxalia\'s voice echoed, her tone both distant and bitter. "

Hero King of nothingness and blight. Died countless times... all for love

." Her words dripped with scorn as she recalled her first encounter with the original David, the one she had made a fateful deal with, allowing her to use his body. Her voice shifted, filled with memories of ancient battles. "

Eclipse, sovereign of ravenous madness and final Dominion... sought to consume me

." Her void-like eyes darkened as she remembered the god who had used David\'s body as a vessel—a being that was both David and yet not David.

"

And now, you

," she murmured, her gaze drifting downward to the water below, her long, starry hair cascading over her veiled face, where light and darkness intertwined. The being\'s celestial form shimmered, but the pain in her voice was unmistakable as she asked, "

What do you want with me?

"

David, feeling her anguish despite the grandeur of her presence, knelt on one knee before her, looking straight into her swirling void-filled eyes. His expression softened, and without hesitation, he answered, "Nothing."

Nyxalia\'s ethereal form tensed, her celestial hair rippling like the stars themselves had been disturbed. "

Nothing?

" she repeated, her voice wavering in disbelief.

"I want nothing from you," David reaffirmed, his voice calm and sincere. He could sense the weight of her millennia-long suffering, the torment she had endured. It wasn\'t power or answers he sought from her. It wasn\'t the typical mortal desire for knowledge or dominion over the divine. His words cut through the silence like a blade, and for the first time in ages, Nyxalia was truly shocked.

She had expected defiance, arrogance, or fear. But instead, she was met with an honest indifference, a complete lack of expectation. David simply saw her—beyond her power, beyond her chains—and offered nothing but understanding in return.

Nyxalia\'s void-like eyes locked with David\'s, searching his face for deception, but she found none. She was silent, the stars within her form dimming for just a moment, as if caught off guard by the simplicity of his words.

For so long, beings had wanted something from her—power, knowledge, salvation, or destruction. But David... wanted nothing.

****

A/N: so, the original David was a regressor... hehe!