Ava turned, his standing in the sand.
From the darkness, shapes emerged grotesque and shifting, their forms molded by the dungeon's malignant will. A dozen monsters, crawled forward, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger.
"Perfect," Ava said softly, lips curving into a faint grin. "Let me try some of these spells."
He raised a hand. Instantly, his Higher Dimensional Cards flared to life, spinning around him in a golden orbit. Each monster was met with a matching card a duel of existence against existence itself. Fire spells erupted into the air, their force reverberating through the broken moonlight.
A wall of flames roared up before him.
Then, the ground split open into a gaping pit of molten fire.
A serpent of living magma slithered forth, hissing as it swallowed the dungeon creatures whole.
The air burned. The monsters screamed. And one by one, they fell into ash.
Ava watched in silence, golden eyes glinting. "You guys might actually be useful," he murmured.
With a flick of his wrist, the remaining cards hovered higher, releasing a wave of energy that enveloped the surviving monsters. Their bodies twisted, their screams distorted, and in an instant they were sealed. Each card absorbed its target, rewriting their very nature.
Their narratives changed.
Now, they would fight for him.
Ava gathered the cards back into his grasp, tucking them away like trophies. The silence that followed was heavy, sacred.
Then, a sound.
A faint, melodic laugh.
He froze. The hair on his neck prickled.
"Who's there?" he demanded, turning sharply.
The laugh came again closer this time. A shadow flickered across the sands, then a voice, playful and sharp as crystal.
"Peekaboo."
Ava exhaled, unimpressed. "That's not funny, little sister," he said dryly. "You were always terrible at jump scares."
A ripple of light bloomed before him, and from it stepped Soryana the Shinma of Love.
Her presence illuminated the dungeon like dawn through shattered glass. Black wings unfolded behind her, feathered with golden light. A radiant halo shimmered above her head, and her eyes golden like his glowed with warmth. Her outfit, a blend of gold and pink divine silk, reflected her duality: beauty and power intertwined.
Every step she took was like a melody in motion.
Soryana laughed softly. "Every chance I get to try and scare you, I'll take it, big brother."
Ava crossed his arms. "What do you want, Soryana? Let me guess Mom's worried about me again?"
"No," she said, shaking her head with a smile. "I came here because I finally felt something in you that I haven't in a long time."
Ava lifted a brow. "Oh really? And what's that?"
He gave a faint, knowing smirk. "Whatever you're feeling maybe it's because I can reactivated my Black Lotus Wings. They're back."
"This body can barely handle them," he admitted, glancing down at his human frame. "But they're back."
Soryana's gaze softened. "No," she whispered, stepping closer. "But I do know you're closer to being accepted back home."
Her hand pressed against his chest, just over his heart. "Closer than you realize."
Ava's expression darkened. "What do you mean? I haven't changed my mind. What I did was right. I don't need him."
"I can tell, brother," she said gently. "Your heart is slowly changing. In this human body, raised among mortals… you're beginning to feel again. In your past life, you were a god a spoiled brat. But look at you now. You care about others, even if you don't admit it. You're learning compassion. I can see why Father rebirthed you as human."
Ava turned away, his tone cold. "I don't care for others. Only for my family. And yes, I still love chaos and I still control it. I decide when chaos strikes. I'll control the chaos of this Shadow Omniverse, kill the Dark Lord, and rule it myself. I'll show Father the right way to rule."
Soryana's golden eyes dimmed. "Brother, what do you know about ruling? When Father and Mother left you in charge, what happened? You caused chaos across the Omniverse. You became a tyrant. What makes you any different from this Dark Lord you despise? You conquer just to be conquered again. It's a cycle nothing more."
Her voice trembled with restrained sadness. "Father rules with compassion."
Ava's fist clenched. "Compassion?" His voice rose like thunder. "He punished me his own son! Banished me to where he sent his enemies! Don't talk to me about compassion."
"You don't understand, do you?" Soryana said softly. "The Shadow Omniverse is not a prison. It's redemption. Father sent the fallen gods and evils here not to destroy them, but to give them a second chance. When they die, their souls are judged and reborn into the true Omniverse, purified. That's what he's doing with you, brother. This is your second chance."
Her words struck him like lightning.
"Show him," she continued, "that you can have compassion. Don't seek power to rule seek power to protect."
Ava's eyes hardened. "Why should I have compassion for my enemies? That's why I destroyed those worlds they deserved it! They broke the laws, they hurt you! Do you remember? One of those gods attacked you. I had to erase them, Soryana! I had to control the chaos!"
She smiled faintly, sorrow in her voice. "And we understood, brother. But after that… you went too far. You became what you fought against. A dictator. Until Father and Mother returned and stopped you."
Ava's tone lowered, sharp and quiet. "The worlds I killed the chaos I caused it was necessary."
Soryana stepped closer, her wings folding gently. "You don't truly believe that anymore. I can feel it. You've started to change. You can feel empathy now, even if you deny it."
Her eyes shimmered with golden tears. "And remember what Father said: Chaos without compassion, without peace at the end, is pointless. Don't commit pointless chaos, brother. Your chaos must lead to peace."
Her form began to shimmer, fading into golden dust.
"Don't forget that, Ava," she whispered as she vanished.
"Even the storm must one day rest."
Ava stood there, silent, as her light faded into the darkness of the dungeon. The only sound that remained was the flicker of dying fire and the faint echo of his sister's words.
As he stood there, he started to remember the past.
The dungeon around him began to waver like a mirage, the broken walls bending into light. The smell of ash gave way to the scent of burning stars, and the world fell away beneath his feet.