Monarchs of Ruination

In the Outer Void…

A celestial sea stretched endlessly, an unfathomable river of higher energy and matter swirling in hues beyond mortal comprehension.

Within this Celestial Sea, clusters of countless universes shone like colossal celestial bodies, each radiating its own unique brilliance. From the perspective of three-dimensional eyes, these universes appeared as glowing orbs, but their true size defied understanding.

Yet among them, one universe stood apart.

A colossal universe, absurdly exaggerated in size, loomed over the rest. If one were to compare it to the surrounding universes, they would seem like mere fragments of dust before a planet.

This was NOX's Universe.

But it was not free.

Upon closer observation, black, ominous chains wrapped around it, ancient runes glowing dimly along their cursed links. These chains halted the very motion of the universe, trapping it in an unnatural stillness.

And yet, despite being sealed, the laws inside persisted.

By all logic, this should have been a dead universe—frozen in time, incapable of sustaining life.

And yet… the beings within it thrived.

They flourished in ways even those in unshackled universes could never comprehend. The contradiction was a mystery—one that had remained unanswered since the day of its sealing.

But now, that mystery no longer mattered.

Because something had arrived.

A massive foot descended from beyond the heavens.

The Dimensional Wall protecting this reality collapsed instantly, shattering like fragile glass, unable to withstand the force descending upon it.

The foot continued its descent, and this Reality forgot the very concept of resistance.

Everything that touched the foot—planets, stars, universes—was erased, reverted to its most primal state : Nothingness.

Entire clusters of universes dissolved into oblivion, vanishing with every inch the foot descended. Of course, "inch" was a mere metaphor—this scale of destruction was beyond conventional measure.

Countless civilizations vanished, yet not a single soul screamed. No one pleaded for salvation. As if they had already accepted the eternal slumber descending upon them.

The foot continued its descent, drawing closer to NOX's universe.

Inside, VRITRA, Garuda, and the Universe itself stood in the void, still shaken by NOX's Prophecy of Heaven's Fall. Their fear had turned to a dreadful anticipation, an unshakable realization of what was to come.

But before they could process it further, darkness engulfed everything. A shadow, vast and incomprehensible, smothered all light.

As for NOX, he no longer cared.

The last thread of his moral restraint had collapsed. He had always been told this was his [Destiny], and in the end, he had proven them right.

Sitting on the desolate moon he once called home, he simply watched the descending foot, indifferent to the destruction about to unfold.

As the foot neared, the black chains sealing his universe shattered effortlessly, not even resisting their own undoing. The moment they broke, the universe, which had been frozen in time for so long, resumed its natural motion—but it was too late. The protective barrier surrounding it cracked and disappeared.

Then, the foot made contact.

There was no explosion, no blinding burst of light, no catastrophic shockwave.

NOX's universe collapsed in absolute silence.

What had begun as the apocalypse of a single universe, a mere act to draw out VRITRA and Garuda, had spiraled into the annihilation of an entire river of reality.

The foot did not stop with NOX's universe or those surrounding it— it erased everything.

Every world, every soul, every celestial structure, every fragment of existence within this Reality.

An entire Reality was reduced to nothing.

********

Beyond Existence

In a realm untouched by time or space, a solitary figure floated in the void, deep in meditation. To NOX, this being would be instantly recognizable—the Shadowy Figure he once identified as a Primordial Guardian. The same entity capable of erasing and reshaping Realities with a mere flick of his dance.

But what was truly baffling was this: the figure had not moved since NOX last saw him.

This being had remained in this exact position from the moment creation began, from the birth of the Sprout of Existence.

Eons had passed. The Sprout had blossomed into its full potential. Yet, the figure's stillness was unwavering, as though waiting for something… or someone.

And before him—

The Rivers of Realities stretched like celestial threads, flowing endlessly with cosmic brilliance. Yet even they paled in comparison to the sheer presence of the Shadowy Figure.

Among these countless threads, one stood apart—a lone river, unique in its flow.

This was NOX's reality.

Then, without warning, the River of NOX's reality shuddered. Its Dimensional Wall fractured and, in an instant, collapsed into a singular point.

From that point, endless darkness spread, taking root where the reality once stood. A void, all-encompassing and absolute.

A baffling turn of events for those within the doomed reality. After all, they had all seen the cause of their destruction—an enormous descending foot.

But…. where was the foot?

By all logic, this reality should have been crushed beneath it. They had witnessed it with their own eyes.

Yet, from an external perspective, the collapse did not appear to be the result of any destructive force. It seemed as though the reality had naturally unraveled, collapsing in on itself, as though it had always been destined to fade away.

A mystery beyond comprehension. A revelation that only deepened the enigma surrounding the Primordial Guardians. Could it be that there was more truth in calling them the Forces of Nature than anyone realized?

In the midst of this, the Shadowy Figure, who had remained motionless for eons, stirred.

But still, he did not move. His form was obscured in darkness, his expression unreadable, as though he were beyond the realm of change.

Then, slowly, something emerged—an eye.

A vertical eye that appeared as if it had been born from the very shadows themselves, protruding from his forehead.

The eye opened.

There was no ripple in the cosmic fabric. No surge of energy. It simply existed.

Within the eye, there were no pupils—just an endless weaving of cosmic forces, shifting and intertwining like a tapestry of fate.

The eye stirred. Its gaze pierced the Rivers of Realities, gently parting countless threads as it traveled forward.

After a breath, the eye halted.

Before it lay a singularity of absolute void, an anomaly in the midst of infinite, flowing realities.

The void left behind by the collapse of NOX's reality.

It traced the void's very existence, peeling back time itself, dissecting its past, its birth, its inevitable demise.

Everything about NOX's reality was laid bare before this gaze—its countless beginnings and inevitable ends. Every soul that had ever lived, every fragment of history, every event, every cause and consequence.

Nothing was hidden.

The eye saw through the very weave of Destiny to its inevitable conclusion —including every event that led to the current demise of NOX's reality.

And then, the gaze shifted.

The eye settled on NOX, drifting in the void. His body was torn by fissures, glowing faintly, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

But the eye didn't linger. It moved once more, this time falling upon The Fool and the other NOX.

It watched them both—scrutinizing their every action, every choice, since the beginning of this Ruination.

From the eye's perspective, The Fool greeted it with the excitement of one who had stumbled upon a rare creature.

But the eye didn't acknowledge him.

Instead, it simply observed, noting that neither The Fool nor the other NOX had interfered. Not once, directly or indirectly.

And with that, the eye faded from existence, as though it had never been there at all.

But as it disappeared, one question lingered:

What would have happened if the other NOX or The Fool had interfered, even slightly, in this Grand Act known as Ruination?

Would the eye have tolerated such a violation? Or would its gaze have turned from an observer into something far more absolute?

******

In the boundless void, NOX's body drifted, suspended between life and death—unreadable, uncertain. It was unclear whether he was dead or merely unconscious. The cracks on his body, however, still glowed, their radiant light seemingly absorbing the very force of Destruction that had rained down upon him.

It was almost unfathomable that he had survived the descent of the Primordial Guardian, when even the mighty VRITRA and Garuda had been consumed by their inevitable end.

Perhaps it was because he was immune to Destruction?

Or maybe, the Primordial Guardian had deliberately spared him?

Whatever the reason, NOX had endured the ultimate obliteration of his Reality—the end of all things he had brought into being.

And with that, his [Destiny] - The Bringer of Ruination had been fulfilled.

Not far from NOX, separated by multiple Dimensional Walls, two figures watched him closely.

They were the Other NOX and The Fool.

"Ooh! That one scary creature... that Wisdom Eye, I tell you," The Fool said, his voice trembling with an odd mix of fear and excitement.

"It literally scanned every record of me, every choice I made... Do you think it saw my mischievous acts during my teenage years?" he continued, his grin widening.

Why was he so excited?

Because he had thoroughly enjoyed watching the young NOX struggle, especially the part where NOX killed his best friend.

"Oh! What drama!" The Fool clapped, his laughter echoing like the only applause in the room. But his excitement didn't end there—

"If there's a next life… I'll let you be the selfish one," he said, mimicking Lucas' dialogue, though tears seemed to well in his eyes.

For a moment, his sorrow appeared genuine, as if he had lost the most interesting toy. He wiped at his invisible tears, but the sorrow quickly turned to something far darker—anger.

Someone, it seemed, was responsible for the death of his toy.

And then—

"Ke keke ke ke,"

The Fool laughed again, this time with wild excitement, thrilled by the prospect of more toys and even more chaotic fun to come.

The Other NOX watched him silently, already accustomed to The Fool's unpredictable behavior.

If he were to comment on today's actions, he would say this was, in fact, the most serious—and normal—behavior he had witnessed from The Fool in their entire journey together.

Finally, after his disturbing laughter faded into eerie silence, The Fool turned his gaze toward the mature NOX.

"You really did hide too deep, didn't you?" The Fool asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.