Guide to Becoming the Strongest

“If you knew, why are you still here?” She asked, curiously. “Because sometimes,” his eyes, as kind as they always were, bore into her, "I can choose to do something, not for my gain, but, simply,” he placed the cauldron down before her. “Because she asked me." His face remained pleasant She approached him, a huge smile covered her face, and she reached out to grab him into an embrace, he moved away. “No.” He shook his head, “No more of your lies, I didn’t do it for a lie.” He turned away, she let him. He had no more use to her. She listened as his footsteps slowly faded away, before turning back to the cauldron, a looming figure appeared behind it. “Was it worth it?” His smile, wider than the other man’s, filled with viciousness, not a speck of thoughtfulness to be seen. “Yes.” She gazed back at him, matching the look he pierced at her from his singular eye. “Nothing compares to the pain of it.” He chuckled, cackling echoing off the walls. “No one will believe you.” “You do.” She tilted her head, approaching the cauldron, where he was leaning on it. He made distance as she approached, almost fear in his eyes. “Oh, I know, I know.” She lifted the lid to the cauldron, her eyes narrowed, as she took out the things from her spacial ring. Things, so much blood had been spilled for. Red berries, iridescent vermillion, black, crumbling dirt that her cut the fingers that laid on them, a vial, viscous liquid, thread-like golden silk, a glowing sphere, some greenery. Then she knelt down, taking out a flame. Blue, it flickered in her palm, for a moment, all flames in the room bent towards it. She lit beneath the cauldron. “Is it worth it?” Asked the man, again, away from her, as the blue flame now lit the room, his chains were revealed, holding his feet from running too far. Not that he would. “Worth it?” Her eyes faded away for a moment, tilting her head, before gazing back at him, “to be strong, what isn’t worth it? Tell me.” 13+ recommended, but, to each their own