Don't take it personally, destruction is my job after all

A small huff after quiet amusement broke through. The wolrds rheybwander are vast & far more old than she can comprehend. It is why she wandered them ;; a curious mind is always hungry to find these things.

𝐀 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫...𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 ...𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧....

They had their connections but they were on different scales of power. He dictates not the start, but the END OF ARMAGEDDON , Death of all. It was an ultimate position. She kept that in mind. ❝ ⸻ that is reasonable. Id relate to that. I live in the spirit world, nothing but the dead linger.❞ it was better to numb themselves of what must be done. Those who reap souls & guide them must also be immune. Those who eat souls for themselves do the same. It sounded like a food chain. Or the way the world works.

❝ i also figure you care little for right or wrong....what's done must be done. what becomes of these planets? Are the reverted back to feed cosmic life or renewed? ❞

He would listen carefully at the brief explanation given. It was interesting to think about, a world where the spirit linger, pressumably long after their mortal lives had come to an end. It hardly resembled how the dead were dealt with in the feline's own world, where only a few exceptions were allowed to exist once that had lost their lives.

While it went unsaid, he assumed there was a manner to deal with the souls beyond just consumption. Otherwise, he believed a simple conversation would've have lasted long if he was dealing with someone who only knew voracious hunger.

"...How quaint. Your world sounds far different than mine."

The words linger in the air for a few moments, his grin widening ever so slightly as silence briefly settles between them. And then, he takes a step forward, and then another before speaking again.

"My responsibilities are to prune what must be pruned. It is the responsibility of the God of Creation to decide what to do with the ashes of what was."

"It was a day where she single-handedly defeated a one thousand knights in battle, her cloak stained with their blood. Since then, she has only grown more powerful and feared."

She nodded, her eyes still on the mirrors, her thoughts racing. The Queen had allowed him in here, and now he had the perfect opportunity to explore. "She is quite the warrior." She said, her tone laced with not sarcasm, but fear. 

As for now she would follow him and serve him, until she was told to leave him alone and be sent on her way.

The servant's eyes widened slightly, and she took another step closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "The weapons are from her battles, my lord. Each one taken from a powerful warrior or creature that dared to oppose her."

As she looked at them.

“Each one claimed to be the strongest person alive, and she killed them, you cannot defeat her, you cannot stop her, you cannot even hurt her, it is pointless, even if you somehow manage to harm her, she will summon the other sins here, and that would be the worst thing for everyone, she is the head of our church, but the other sins, are farmore dangerous than her, fighting for the scraps of the world that her golden gaze has not fallen on.”

Her eyes flickered to the floor once more. "You can dismiss me if you wish. I am but a servant, a tool to be used and discarded as the Queen sees fit."

The lack of emotion, the resignation in her voice. It was as if she truly believed herself to be nothing more than a means to an end.

As she kept her hands before her, holding them as she would follow him and not stray too far from him.

“My lord. It is merely my duty to ensure your comfort and compliance with the Queen's wishes." She replied, her voice steady despite the tremble in her chest.

Her eyes, though, told a different story. They had seen decades of service, of watching and waiting, of hoping and fearing. They had seen the rise and fall of many who had once walked these very halls, their destinies played out like a tragic dance before her very eyes. 

Each new face that entered the service was a reflection of her own, a mirror of hope and despair, a cycle that had been spinning since she had first stepped foot in the castle.

"So eager to rush off are we? If I hadn't known better, I'd say you're afraid of something."

It wasn't unreasonable for her to have some fear, with how often this witch viewed those she claimed to love as mere objects, those that didn't have a place in her heart must have been far easier to be rid of. They were servants after all, there must have been hundreds she would have grabbed at any given moment. Their lives were easy to dismiss as lower. His gaze focuses on the servant, his expression as cold as ice as he reads her expression, and recognizes the look of resignation on her features. She was no threat. Merely being used as a tool.

"I thought you were to keep an eye on me, and I can't see you doing that if you decide to suddenly leave. Unless you plan to stalk me from the shadows, but there'd hardly be a point to that."

Had he more empathy, he might have been given her pity. There might have been more frustration for the mistreatment of those under her care. But no, he had no such notion to spare. Only one person's well being was on his mind right now, and it certainly wasn't the one he had found himself talking to at the moment. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have someone who provided better company than that mysterious child who he had encountered earlier. Then again, perhaps any servant could have provided better company, it wasn't a particularly hard bar to meet.

As such, he takes a moment to contemplate his next move, there was only so much time in a day he had to act. Would she truly stay hidden from his sight for the next two days? He doubted it, but perhaps she had considered a mere two days to be nothing in the face of eternity.

When he spoke again, he would ease his body somewhat, offering an affable attitude as his tone turned softer. His gaze woulld finally move on from her, instead returning his attention to the surroundings, making silent notes of the comments the servant had made. After all, knowing that more of these "sins" would arrive at the beckoning of his future spouse meant simply overcoming defenses would not be enough.

It was beginning to be hard to say what would be enough.

"My... bethrothed seems to be accomodating now that she has captured my heart. Perhaps I'll request her to turn a blind eye to any transgressions you may cause today, attribute it to my bleeding heart that cannot stand innocents being harmed."

He'd then hold up a finger, indicating a stipulation for this supposed kindness he offered.

Where exactly was he?

This world...looked so much different than his own, he looked around, curious golden irises taking in the scenery in front of him before he would then venture forth.

He made sure to keep his sword at the ready to summon for aid just in case things were about to get intense, footsteps tread carefully as he tries to find clues on where he was.

His heart raced a little within his chest but he must stay vigilant, he mustn't show fear as that could be made a tell tale weakness for any foes that might ambush the lost soul.

He continues to trek forward, unaware of who or what might be near.

"My my, aren't you an interesting one?"

A voice would be heard directly behind the traveler, one that belonged to a deity quite familiar with the scent of beings from other dimensions would carry with them. This was his universe, and while he had often stayed aloof and unhelpful to it as a whole... He could recognize when something didn't belong.

"You're quite a long way from home... and yet still expecting a fight. I can only assume you're a warrior."

Ordinarily, planets that had been devastated and were largely devoid of life were of no interest to the destroyer, but he had chosen this planet to visit for personal reasons. Mainly, that it had offered isolation from anything he believed might've bothered him.

But now, it would seem someone else had arrived. There was the possibility that someone had tried tracking him down to try and put down the cat, but that possibility was swept to the side as quickly as it popped in his head.

Whoever she was, she didn't seem like she was seeking him out in particular. But still, he decided to approach the stranger, offering a cordial smile as he did so.

"How peculiar, I had been told that this planet was abandoned, and yet it seems that someone else has decided to pay it a little visit."

Being in a decent mood, he kept a fair amount of distance from her, the smile never faltering from his face.

"Uh." She's so dumbfounded she didn't comprehend his question at first, but she quickly recovered. "Neither, actually."

She didn't answer just yet and gave him a once-over, absolutely perplexed by the look of him against the desolate landscape. Not only was he just out of place, he looked particularly strange because she'd never seen a garb like the one he wore before. As many planets as she's visited and as many people she's met, he was completely alien.

What she couldn't tell yet is if she should be on the defensive or amiable with him.

"Is it that obvious?" His expression is that of amusement more than genuine curiosity, he had no desire to pretend he had a connection the planet, but to able to discern such a thing did put a smile on his face, "...I suppose claiming otherwise would be a waste of time."

It was always easy to tell if his identity was known to any mortal he met, for there'd usually be some sort of reaction the he had seen before: Anger, fear, or confusion were the most common ones. But no, she was quite clearly unfamiliar with the stranger in front of her which would put the two on a level field of familiarity.

Normally, he'd leave her be. After all, it hadn't seemed as though the person in front of him had any intention to ruin the peace and quiet he had attained for himself. But given his first two questions were incorrect, he figured there'd might as well be a third question given with a more satisfying answer received in turn.

Folding his arms behind his back, the god would simply stay in place as a small smile grew upon his face.

She just stared at him, shocked. His words were simple, casual even, tossed out between bites of fruit—yet they struck deeper than any blade ever had. Her fingers twitched at her sides, still warm from the phantom sensation of his throat beneath them. The moonlight painted her face pale, her lips parting slightly as if to retort, but no sound came. For the first time in centuries, someone had rendered her speechless.

She could only watch as the god popped another grape into his mouth, chewing slowly, deliberately. The crunch of its skin was obnoxiously loud in the silence. He still wouldn’t look at her. That was worse than the throttling, worse than the theft of his heart—this dismissive indifference, as if she were beneath even his contempt. Her chest tightened, not with the familiar burn of rage, but something colder, sharper.

Humiliation.

One of her hands lifted unconsciously, fingertips grazing the hollow of her throat where a pulse should’ve been wild. Instead, she found only steady, mocking calm. His words echoed in her skull like temple bells: How could I love someone who has no clue as to what love is? Her lips curled back from her teeth. She had clawed her way through armies, through gods—had remade her very flesh to survive—and this creature dared imply she lacked understanding?

Again she watched him as he plucked another grape. The juice stained his fingers red. The sight triggered something visceral in her: the memory of blood welling up under her own nails, the hot spill of it down her wrists. She’d always known blood better than wine.

Her lips parted. No sound emerged. The silence stretched, grotesque and unfamiliar—she who had always filled rooms with her voice, her laughter, her screams. Her tongue felt leaden. Words, usually so effortless, coagulated in her throat like spoiled milk.

"I don't know ... what love is?"

Her words, full of uncertainty, were like music to his ears. Every since he had met her, he had been on the backfoot as he attempted to overpower and elude her in any number of ways only to fail. Now, she had given him freedom. Freedom to speak, freedom to express thoughts to her that mayhaps anyone else would have been too scared to attempt. How many times had her bethrothed proclaimed their love for her? How few had meant it? The thoughts muse in his head as continues, unafraid of any potential retaliation of when she tired of his voice, "You need not sound so surprised. You've proven that you don't."

Her grip on his throat tightened further, her smirk never wavering as she held him suspended in the air. "Naive?" She echoed, her voice a cold purr. "I've seen more of this world than you can ever imagine, and I've learned one simple truth: power is the only currency that truly matters." Her eyes searched his, looking for any sign of doubt, any crack in his resolve. "You're just like all the rest," she murmured, "thinking you can resist me."

The more you take, the more you lose.

She has heard this, or something close, a thousand times in the hundreds of years she has lived, it means nothing, because for her .. living was victory, those that live, are true, noble and just, and the dead .. are cruel, evil and wrong, she was pure, she was chosen, she was the strongest, her powers make no sense to those who know her, her weakness was hidden, impossible to find, even if someone did find it.

She would kill them before they could even harm her.

Her smile grew even more sadistic as she watched his eyes glaze over. She had heard it all before, the pleas and the empty threats, the futile attempts to sway her from her path. And every time she had shown them the folly of their words, the absolute dominance of her power. She had killed men, gods, and demons who had dared to stand in her way, their once mighty forms now nothing but dust in the wind. But as she felt his pulse slow, something stirred within her, something she had not felt in a very long time: doubt.

The room grew colder as she tightened her grip, the shadows dancing around them like spectators eager for a show. Her eyes searched his, looking for any sign of regret, any hint that he might finally yield to her. But all she saw was the same defiance that had brought her to this moment. The same defiance that had fueled her rise to power. 

As she held him and then .. she let him go, she had done it. His heart was her own, just like that, her authority overcomes everything, a sinful power of greed cannot be countered by any strength, blessing, magic .. nothing. A sea of darkness had taken his heart, into her chest, and within his own, someone elses she is linked to, part of a grand hive mind, built around herself as she would dust off her hands and smirk.

The release of her grip was sudden and yet... expected. He knew that she had felt entitled to his existence to do with how she pleased. He also had known that she would not accept that his pigheadedness would overcome her craving to dominate over everything she perceived as her own. Perhaps if he were to have let the sweet embrace of death take him away, it would have been a mercy she had no desire to bestow upon him.

"You look more like a Hershey Kiss kinda person."

His eyes would light up with interest and desire, the sight and scent of sweets was enough to make his mouth water. He's quick to grab the chocolate from the other's hand, and proceeds to unwrap the one of them by pulling on its tag before popping it into his mouth.

Admittedly, the chocolate was... nothing he hadn't had before, and he wasn't too inclined to indulge on such miniscule treats. But he had been a bit hungry, and offered food was food nonetheless. He'd unwrap the second one and pop it into his mouth before chewing both up and swallowing.