Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Ruwen exited the portal and found himself hovering over a massive crater. The sudden glacial temperature and lack of air didn’t bother him—he’d spent a significant amount of time in space and if anything, it made him nostalgic. He immediately Blinked to the moon’s surface to escape the mass of flash frozen lava clumping together in clouds of pumice.

The Brazilian volcano rested in the crater, surrounded by a sea of rock that glowed from the heat of the lava beneath it. Cracks on the surface revealed the lava from the magma chamber he'd transferred, and it radiated a brilliant orange-red against the Moon's monochrome surface. The frigid temperature had cooled the outside of the lava creating a shield for the liquid rock beneath.

The crater walls reflected the colors making the whole area far brighter than normal.

What a mess, Ruwen thought as he surveyed his work.

Without Earth's atmosphere to contain it, the eruption had taken on a bizarre quality. On Earth the gases and ash would’ve formed a towering column, but without air the pressure wave had evaporated. Now fine particles of volcanic ash hung suspended in a slowly expanding cloud that glittered in the sunlight.

Stone Echo and Sixth Sense extended his senses and Survey displayed the results. The Citrine of Will lay somewhere in this chaos.

Harmony flowed outward from Ruwen as he channeled it through his newly Activated Sacral. The harmonies revealed a faint pulse that resonated with his Solar Plexus chakra.

Ruwen rose into the lunar sky using his Divine Domain and followed the thread of resonance. Below him, the frozen upper layer of the lava had created strange formations. The weak lunar gravity and frigid temperature created pumice in delicate tendrils and thin sheets that stretched hundreds of feet.

Ruwen approached the mountain’s base which had partially embedded itself in the crater’s wall. A massive chunk of pumice floated several feet above the volcano’s side, caught in a strange equilibrium between the Moon's weak gravity and some other force.

Maneuvering to the floating stone, Ruwen placed his hands on it and his palms warmed from the energy trapped within. Using Harmony, he gently unraveled the stone, peeling away layers like an onion until a huge clump of golden-yellow crystals hung suspended before him.

The gems pulsed with inner light, their facets catching the sun and refracting it into complex patterns. Ruwen created a sphere of air around himself and the crystals. Using the level eighteen Collector spell Greenhouse, he slowly brought the surrounding temperature to something more normal for the gems.

 Ruwen hummed an "E" note, and the crystals vibrated in unison, sending waves of energy into his Solar Plexus. A surge of confidence and determination filled him.

Detect Temperature, an Ability Ruwen hadn’t used in years, allowed him to accurately determine when the gems had shed the last of the moon’s cold embrace.

Ruwen ran his fingers across the crystals until he touched one that ignited the nerves in his arm and his dormant Solar Plexus chakra burned.

Previously when Ruwen had found the gem he resonated with it had dropped into his hands, but the Citrine of Will remained lodged between its siblings. He gently pulled on it, but it didn’t budge. Not wanting to risk damaging it, he relaxed his grip and considered his options.

Flickering movement inside the gem grabbed Ruwen’s attention. He stepped between the citrine and the distant sun, guessing the light was causing the effect, but it remained—a burning ember within the gem.

The Citrine of Will warmed quickly, the inner flame growing brighter. He considered letting go, but if this was some type of test or attempt at communication releasing the gem might trigger a failure.

Sudden pain seared Ruwen’s nerves as if the nearby lava flowed through his veins. The agony originated from the Citrine of Will and he gave it a grin. If this gem wished to test his Will it would find a bottomless well.

The Citrine of Will extracted energy from Ruwen’s Dormant Solar Plexus, squeezing it like a sponge. To his surprise that energy held sporadic memories, and the gem sought every doubt, every fear, every moment of weakness in his life and magnified it tenfold.

Ruwen didn't fight these memories or attempt to suppress them. Instead, he acknowledged each one, accepting them as part of his journey rather than flaws in his character. In this psychological attack he didn't bother summoning a defense. With Hamma’s help and the support of his friends, he’d already won this war.

Afterall, balance required an unwavering acceptance of both strength and weakness, not rigid defiance.

The Citrine of Will altered its approach and the energy emanating from the gem ate through the Scarecrow Aspect and destroyed the flesh around Ruwen’s fingers. Within seconds he held the gem with skeletal fingers as the Citrine of Will continued to channel his own chakra energy against him. As the skin and muscles of his arm dissolved his bones remained unaffected, their durability stemming from the hardening Runes five of his Meridians contained.

Ruwen didn’t stop the gem and ten seconds later the Scarecrow Aspect had been forced into storage and everything but his bones had burned away. His boots remained, unaffected by the chakra energy, and he thanked the gods of luck for this isolated location. He imagined a six-and-a-half-foot skeleton in black leather boots standing on a volcano on the moon would look ridiculous.

Are you done? Ruwen thought at the gem, not bothering to reform his body to speak out loud. Now it’s my turn.

Ruwen wrapped the Citrine of Will with his Willpower, but didn’t try to extract it from its brethern.

You like to burn? Ruwen asked the gem. He turned and considered the distant sun, and Harmony provided a beautiful view of the almost perfect harmonies inside the star. Facing the Citrine of Will again, he leaned closer. Then show me.

Ruwen had wrapped the gem with his Willpower but now he smothered it. The concentrated Will warped the surroundings and the world around them disappeared into blackness. Only the he and the Citrine of Will existed in this place.

The gem squeezed Ruwen’s Dormant Solar Plexus chakra violently, extracting every bit of energy possible. It blazed brightly, and he thought he sensed satisfaction from the gem. After three seconds he flexed his Will and turned the bright gem into a faintly glowing ember.

The Citrine of Will reached out to Ruwen’s Activated chakras and he allowed energy to flow from his Root, Sacral, and Mind chakras to the struggling gem. It absorbed the power and ignited into an inferno, trying desperately to counteract the darkness his Will created.

Ruwen stood passively in the darkness and studied the rapidly expanding sphere of light that represented the gem’s Will. The gem’s counterattack gained momentum and it expanded exponentially until the darkness vanished and Ruwen stood surrounded by the gem’s Will.

The Citrine of Will ripped every particle of energy it could from Ruwen’s other chakras and tried to crush him. Its confidence soared and he sensed joy as the gem flexed its Will without restraint.

Ruwen stood in the devastating pressure unaffected, and after five seconds the first crack in the gem’s confidence appeared.

Yes, Ruwen told it, you begin to see.

The Citrine of Will used its abundant power to attack Ruwen’s confidence with memories of past failures again, but this time it tapped the Sacral chakra to enhance the emotional impact.

You have glimpsed the truth, Ruwen told the gem, but you don’t yet understand. Let me help.

Ruwen funneled Mental power through his Mind chakra and let it slam into the Citrine of Will. The gem eagerly absorbed the energy and redoubled its efforts to dominate him, but the flow of power didn’t stop.

In moments the Citrine of Will became overwhelmed. Unable to wield so much energy, it desperately tried to stop the tidal wave of power.

Perhaps you want to start over? Ruwen asked and effortlessly folded the surrounding light back into the energy saturated Citrine of Will, undoing its attack in a blink.

Darkness returned and once again Ruwen stood passively observing the struggling gem. He admired the strength of its Will and wondered if it would shatter before submitting to him. The amount of Mental energy he currently funneled into the gem shocked him.

The energy spilling out of the Citrine of Will destroyed the citrines around it and Ruwen used Harmony to stabilize the remaining gems. It looked more and more likely that the Citrine of Will would shatter before submitting to another’s Will. Admirable but stupid.

Ruwen didn’t want to do this again with another gem, especially since he guessed this was the most powerful citrine here. The defiance and stubbornness reminded him of his recent experiences with Echo, which reminded him of what the Death Tower Avatar had told him—words Ruwen had repeated to Echo—words that seemed appropriate here as well.

Acceptance is not surrender, Ruwen said, it’s standing still in the storm of fear and loss, gripping the hands of those who dared to care about you.

Ruwen opened his hand, offering it to the Citrine of Will.

Still the gem hesitated, and Ruwen guessed it would shatter in the next few seconds. He offered one last truth—a final glimpse into his heart.

Power isn't my goal but my responsibility. I seek not to dominate but to preserve balance.

The Citrine of Will visibly struggled, releasing massive surges of power as it desperately tried to rid itself of Ruwen’s overwhelming onslaught of energy.