The gates before him seemed mountainous at the moment. Ran couldn't help feeling like they were the largest structure he'd ever encountered.
He felt like even taking a step closer forever enshroud him in their shadows. Like his entire life would be trapped here with just one wrong step—one step forward.
He didn't want to take that step. But he felt the pull. It was too strong. It called to his soul, and he could not fight. He could not fight it because he had no idea how to.
He could not because he'd never fought it before. Not like he'd fought the other forces that sought to corrupt him. This was different, this was new.
Familiar yes, from that dream after the limbo incident, but still new.
The call was pulling at a new side of him he had never explored. A side he'd wished never existed, even more than he had of his mother's side.
But now there was nothing he could do. There was nothing he could do, especially when the whispers eventually come.
Apprehension had arrested him so strongly his feet were rooted to the obsidian ground.
What could he do now? What option was left? He didn't want the devil in him coming out, he had enough trouble with the half he was used to already.
Still, he shouldn't just give in without fighting. His father had made him promise to take care of the others. Maybe, he would be able to fight this with one of his abilities?
He reasoned but could not come up with anything feasible. He couldn't use the power of Hundun to cleanse himself, neither could he use the Limbo Cannibal, the Yoseirei's. Mukoku's aura would also not serve him, nor would the Lagarakei's nature or the flames of the Hell Lords of Severance.
What could he possibly do? Why was he just so useless against the powers of those that brought him into this world? Why was life so unfair to put such a power gap between them that would take him all of eternity to breach?
Now, here he was, about to face one of his destinies and even as he searched his soul all he found was hopelessness.
Even the essence of his mother had grown stale, petrified within HIS realm.
Staring high up at Dragonhearth, he said out loud. "Fine, I know it's useless to even try. There's no way out of this for me. Let my friends leave peacefully and I will come in."
Then came the whispers. It felt like all around him every shadow was a serpent.
Their hisses surrounded him and a thousand synchronized whispers reached him.
"Sssstep innn, take thhhheee pathhh, sssdtep innn."
"And you will let them go?" He asked, very much in doubt and rightfully so.
"Yesssss, I only want yooouu hhhhere. I have nnooo neeeed oofffff your friendsssss."
The whisper was so convincing, it tugged at him to believe stronger that his bond with his mother would whenever she'd cajole him.
But he knew this was different. This was a trap. He might be able to discern when family is lying to him, as he had taken note of when he was with Mukoku.
Then he hadn't possessed his memories as Reficulus, hadn't been equipped with the knowledge of what it was he'd been discerning, but now he knew what it was.
A Fey could hardly ever be lied to. It took a great act of kin and fate changing feats to pull that off.
But HE was not called the Great Deceiver for nothing. HE could lie to a god of truth and get away with it.
Ran did not for a moment think he was above a god of truth, so he asked, "How exactly can I trust you and why should I?"
"You should."
Ran nearly jumped and turned to watch as a handsome, dark-haired figure stepped out of the shadows wearing medieval armour.
"You should," the knightly dressed man said, "because while you have been trapped here my people were sent to pick your friends up and bring them into the Dragonhearth. Now you have no other option but to step in."
Ran didn't want to believe him. He wanted to go back and check. He wanted to confirm, make sure that Haru, Kigana, and Erisa were alright.
But what if they weren't? What would he do then?
As if he was reading his mind, the man gestured at the gate. "Leave and when you return this gate shall be closed to you forever. Your friends, lost to you forever. Make your choice. Now."
Ran cursed his existence, cursed his life and wished he could kill this proud, evil creature right this moment with just a glare.
He wished there really was something he could do. But there was nothing, he had no option.
"If you dare harm them–"
The figure interrupted him with a scoff. "Harm them? Do you know where you stand?"
Ran gave him a confused look that made him chuckle.
"This, right here, is the Gate of Hell, the true ancient and Eternal Gate. In this realm harm comes to everyone. The master is your only shade and the best anyone can ever be worthy of in a place like this. You should be grateful. You and your little friends have found a saviour, a guardian willing to protect you."
Ran watched him incredulously, wondering how many cups of gaslighting tea the man had drunk before stepping out to talk to him.
"You really expect me to believe that?"
The man smiled cruelly. "I don't care if you do or do not. It's not my goal to expect anything out of you today. I'm just here to let you through. I'm a dragon, not a smith of lies."
The dragon in human skin took an excited step forward. "The fates of your friends are in your hands. The decision you make now decides their lives. Choose wrongly and my brothers and I get to feast upon mortal flesh for weeks like we haven't done in the millennials since our hibernation here in Dragonhearth. Your choice it is, little god."
Ran frowned at the moniker, but sighed and readied his heart. He had nothing else to think about. He'd had enough of thinking about this. Now it was just time to act.
He had to save his friends, no matter what, so he gave the self-proclaimed dragon a nod.
The man smirked and turned around walking through the gates.
Taking a deep breath, Ran followed suit and stepped into the devil's abode.