"Oh? What do we have here?"
The amused voice echoed endlessly and surrounded Aliza like a newly formed mist. The dim candlelight went out, and she nearly fell from her seat as the lightheadedness washed over her.
"Who are you?" she asked, though she already had a rough idea.
She had already assumed this would be the case. It made no sense in the first place that the most brilliant, innovative, people, the wizards, hadn't been able to pass this fatal barrier for eons.
The regeneration of a mana core must've been an impassable limit consciously placed on them. A limit only breakable with intervention. At least, that's what Aliza believed.
"You... dare? She dares! She dares...!" it laughed. "A mere human wizard asks for my name? Really? My name!? My name!"
"O-of course not, glorious saint. I only wish for your title."
"I have to be careful... any moment, any mistake, and I'll die. There's nothing I can do but talk. So I'll talk. A god? As if that'd be my end. To hell with the gods. This is it—my only chance."
She swallowed her pride and got out the butter. It's been said that the only way to communicate successfully with a deity is through endless grovelling. It was especially difficult for Aliza, who struggled quite badly with authority.
Though, that could also be said for most wizards... real troublesome bunch.
"Oh, just my title, is it? Impudent fool. So impudent... impudent... impudent! Be grateful it's me that you called here; any of the others certainly would've smited you right there and then. Yes, smited! Smited! Smited!"
"Aquanus, then. I knew you'd be the one to answer me...! To think—I can't believe it."
"He's mad. Insane. Just as it's told. That's why... this can work!"
Aliza's heart had gone from frozen cold to on fire and racing. It wasn't every day that someone came in contact with a god. Not in the real world, at any rate. Even amongst wizards, this was nearly unheard of.
"Just from that, you recognized me? Go on, then. Tell me, what is it that you want?"
"This is a trap. There's no way he'd offer me... well, anything. But I've prepared perfectly..."
"Nothing for free, obviously, glorious saint. I've prepared you an offering."
"How... noble. Yes! Yes, that's it! That's how it's done! Show me, what is it you've prepared for me!?"
Aliza pulled down her sleeve and revealed a dark marking, similar to a tattoo. The picture was of a serpent devouring a human spine, and sent the deity into a fit of maniacal laughter.
"How is it? I'm sure you understand what I'm offering."
"HA! How... how...! How impudent! Impudent, impudent, impudent! I love it! But..." The voice turned cold. "You know, that's seriously disrespectful."
"What!? I thought—damn it! I've made a misstep, I can feel it. I have to tread lightly..."
"My apologies, glorious saint. It's just, I believed you'd appreciate this seal, considering legend—"
"Yes, yes, yes! Yes! Legends are often dramatic, aren't they? They are, they are! But... even if it's not me, isn't it my duty to punish impudent mortals who bargain with the power of us, the gods!? Isn't it!? It's my duty, right!? So even if it's against my enemy, how could I turn a blind eye!? That'd be a bad look, wouldn't it!? It would! It really would! It really really would!"
"Crazy bastard...!"
"It can be a secret! You like those, don't you? If it's a secret, then no one would find out, and it'd all be fine."
"A secret...? A secret! That's right, a secret! Okay, then, tell me. What is it that you want in return?"
"My head is pounding... I'm running out of time."
A mortal could only make contact with a deity for so long, even if indirectly, like this. It wouldn't be long before Aliza's mind would break completely. The human mind wasn't built to receive information in such a way, after all.
"My mana core! Restore it, please! I've tried everything under the sun, so—"
"You thought you'd something from beyond the sun's touch? Beyond... beyond! Beyond, yes, of course. Your mana core. I've never had a human ask for such a thing, a mana core! How? How did you break it? You broke it...! How?"
"It was a punishment."
"By other humans? You do that sort of thing? Ha! HA—haha, how amusing! Humans shattering other humans' mana cores... how amusing! How amusing! Yes... what a tricky injury. Tricky! So tricky, but nothing I can't handle. But... hmm... doesn't it seem unfair?"
"No... no! Damn it! No! This is exactly what I was hoping wouldn't happen!"
"I'm..." she gritted her teeth. "I'm prepared to do whatever it takes."
"No, no! No! It's nothing like that. Your offering is enough, it's just... well, you'll need to be punished! I need to punish you! Punish you, yes, for your insolence! Your impudence!"
Aquanus, the mad saint, burst into laughter once again. His voice faded from the air, leaving only an echo and a burning sensation in Aliza's core.
"Fuck... what'd he just do to me?"
She tried to stand but lost her balance and fell onto the floor. Screaming in pain, she crawled towards the chest beside her bed. She clicked it open and rummaged inside, finding a small vial of clear liquid and emptying it into her mouth.
The pain quickly reduced to a dull stirring inside of her chest and she fell flat on her back.
"Haah..." she gasped. "It can't be, can it? Is it really back?"
She held her hand up into the air and focused, remembering the sensation she hadn't felt in many years. A small flame appeared in her palm, and a smile stretched across her face. Suddenly, though, it felt as if fire was flowing through her veins rather than blood.
She quickly put out the spell, yelping from the reemerged pain. Once she cancelled the spell, though, the pain disappeared, once again the dull stirring.
"What...? What'd that bastard do!? Fuck!" she shouted, slamming her fist into the floorboards.