As Aetherion's body and soul were consumed by the Sacred Flame, the flames burned brighter and hotter, filling the Primordial Space with their radiant glow. His wings had already dissolved into embers, and his physical form had begun to fade into the fire, leaving behind only the core essence of who he was.
But then, something unexpected began to happen. The void—the cold, dark space between realms that had been empty and silent—responded.
The system's voice, which had been calm and guiding, suddenly shifted in tone. [Aetherion... something is happening. The void... it's reacting to the flame.]
Aetherion, though focused on the flames consuming him, could feel it too. The vast emptiness around him, which had been nothing more than a backdrop, was now pulsing with energy—primordial energy. It was raw, ancient power, the very essence of creation itself.
"The void...?" Aetherion whispered, his voice wavering. "But how...?"
The system sounded equally surprised. [The void is made of primordial energy—the force that existed at the beginning of creation. It's being drawn to the flame... and the flame is consuming it.]
As Aetherion focused on the spark of the Sacred Flame, he could feel the primordial energy of the void being drawn into the fire. The flames around him began to change, their intensity growing beyond anything he had ever felt before. The heat wasn't just physical—it was cosmic, a force that transcended time and space.
The flame, once orange and red, began to shift in color. It turned white, pure and blinding, and at the tips of the flames, a rainbow of colors shimmered, each hue representing a different aspect of creation itself.
Aetherion's body, which had been consumed by the flame, was now melding with the primordial energy, and his soul felt as though it was being reshaped by the process. He could no longer tell where the flame ended and where he began. He was becoming one with it, but it was no longer just the Sacred Flame—it was something new, something that had never existed before.
"The flame..." Aetherion muttered, awe filling his voice. "It's... evolving."
The system, still sounding stunned, responded. [The void's primordial energy... it's amplifying the flame beyond its original state. This is something new, Aetherion. Something that has never been created before.]
The flames roared around Aetherion as the transformation continued. The energy of the void, once thought to be untouchable, was now fueling the Sacred Flame, changing it into something primordial—a flame born not just from divine power but from the very fabric of creation itself.
As the flames consumed the primordial energy, Aetherion could feel a new power surging within him, a force so vast and incomprehensible that it left him breathless. The flame was no longer just his tool or his weapon—it was a part of him, and he was a part of it.
The system's voice was filled with awe. [Aetherion... you've created something more powerful than the Sacred Flame. This is the Primordial Flame—the fire of creation itself. Its power is beyond anything the divine realm has ever seen.]
Aetherion could feel the truth of the system's words. The flame wasn't just stronger—it was infinite, drawing from the boundless well of primordial energy. And as the flames grew, they began to reshape him, transforming his very being into something far more powerful than even he had imagined.
As the process continued, Aetherion's body, now entirely made of flame, began to shift. His wings, once burning with fire, dissolved completely, leaving him with a strange sensation of weightlessness. But in their place, a halo-like ring of fire formed around him. Unlike a traditional halo that would rest above his head, this ring of fire circled his entire body, pulsing with the white-hot flame tipped with rainbow hues.
His physical appearance continued to change. His once fiery hair turned pure white, growing long and flowing down his back, like strands of light themselves. A crown appeared atop his head, but it wasn't a solid object—it was a crown made of pure energy, constantly shifting between different colors, reflecting the full spectrum of creation.
Aetherion's eyes, once glowing with the Sacred Flame, now burned with the light of the Primordial Flame, their intensity almost too powerful to look at. His entire being had been transformed into something beyond what he had ever expected. He was no longer just an angel or even an archangel. He had become something entirely new—something born from both the divine and the primordial.
Aetherion hovered in the void, his new form glowing with power. The ring of fire that surrounded him pulsed with the energy of creation, and the crown atop his head shifted between colors, never staying the same for more than a moment. His white hair flowed like light, and his entire body radiated an aura that transcended anything he had felt before.
He looked down at his hands, now glowing with pure white flame, and flexed them, feeling the raw power coursing through him. It was overwhelming, yet completely under his control.
The system's voice, still filled with wonder, spoke again. [You've done it, Aetherion. You've created something that has never existed before. The Primordial Flame is yours, and its power is beyond anything the divine realm can contain.]
Aetherion, still in awe of his transformation, nodded slowly. "I can feel it... this power. It's not just mine. It's part of creation itself. I've become something more."
As the transformation completed, a massive wave of energy surged outward from Aetherion, sending ripples through the void. The sheer power of the Primordial Flame reverberated through the empty space, shaking the very fabric of the Primordial Space. The force of the energy was unlike anything Aetherion had ever experienced—it was creation itself, remade through fire.
The system, though still surprised, offered a warning. [Aetherion, this power is immense, but you must be careful. The Primordial Flame is not like the Sacred Flame—it is beyond divine control. You are the first to wield it, and its potential is limitless, but it is also unpredictable.]
Aetherion nodded, understanding the weight of what he now held. He had forged something that had never existed before, something even Goddess Boltia would not be able to extinguish.
"I know," Aetherion said softly. "But this is the path I've chosen. I'll master this power."
As the final remnants of the transformation settled, Aetherion stood in the void, his body surrounded by the halo of fire, the white crown of shifting colors resting atop his head. The power of the Primordial Flame surged through him, filling him with the strength of creation itself.
He had sacrificed everything—his body, his soul—and in return, he had become something new, something greater than any angel or god. He was no longer bound by the limitations of the divine hierarchy. He was Aetherion, born of the flame and the void, a being of creation and destruction.
The system's voice was calm now, guiding him once more. [You have the power to reshape your destiny, Aetherion. But with this power comes great responsibility. What will you do now?]
Aetherion looked out into the endless expanse of the void, his eyes glowing with the light of the Primordial Flame. "I'll reclaim everything. The flame, my followers, and my destiny. Boltia will see that I've become something far greater than she could ever imagine."
With that, Aetherion began to move, his new power surging through him as he prepared to leave the void and face whatever challenges awaited him in the divine realm. He was no longer the angel he had been. He was something far more powerful—something born of both creation and fire.
The chapter ends with Aetherion preparing to return, his resolve stronger than ever as the Primordial Flame burns within him.