It was exhilarating. Sett could feel everything around him. Anything that happened within Selt’Artek’s realm, no, his realm was laid bare. He could feel everything. From the inner sanctum, which was the place where he currently was, the garden filled with black flowers and the heart at the centre. He could even faintly feel the many different feelings that radiated from the people trapped in the realm.

He could, however, also feel this realm growing fainter. It was shrinking at an alarming rate. Having lost its final power source, there was naturally nothing stabilizing it anymore. Perhaps Sett could manage to delay the inevitable with his newfound powers, but he was not keen to try it out. Without knowing why or how Sett knew that the realm would be no more in less than thirty minutes.

It mattered little to Sett despite this being the former realm of Selt’Artek. It had, after all, been corrupted beyond comprehension. Sett had seen the blooming gardens that had once existed here. In comparison, it was only a harrowing mockery. Thus, Sett felt no sadness despite its former significance.

Furthermore, Sett had already gotten what he came for. There was nothing left of importance in the realm. There was no divinity to be found nor any remnant of Selt’Artek’s power. It all laid within Sett’s body now.

“A remarkable effort, mine kindred.” Selt’Artek’s faint voice echoed within Sett’s mind. “I congratulate you on your newfound divine seed. May it germinate into something great.”

“Divine Seed?”

“The divine seed is the first step towards godhood. A feat that is immeasurably rare for any that is not a natural-born god. To my knowledge, you are the first of the humans that have claimed a divine seed. This exclusivity naturally also leads us to a problem. The seed is valuable, incredibly so. Any high-tiered ascendants, be they human or otherwise, will covet it without fail. Should the knowledge that you have it fall into their hands, there is no telling what devious means that they may make use of to gain it.”

Sett nodded in agreement. The powers of a god would be incredibly appealing.

“Then we simply have to ensure that no one knows that I have it, right?”

The logic was simple. If they did not know he had it, they would not be able to move to acquire it. Sett would simply lay low until he cultivated the seed enough that he could survive any that dared to oppose him. Or so he wishfully thought.

“Indeed. Though I am afraid that it will not be that simple. Your godly powers, though miniscule, leaks divinity. Even someone as feeble as the so-called master that sacrificed you to this place would have the ability to detect the divinity if you spent enough time in his presence. Thus, we will have to stop the leakage. In the future, preferably sooner rather than later, you will have to endure the training of the gods.”

The thought of a witch hunt frightened Sett. If the master was as weak as Selt’Artek made him out to be, would all the other ascendants in the world come running the moment he set foot outside this realm?

“I understand.”

Sett answered with a serious tone. He had made it this far and he was not going to give up his divinity so easily. If his potential greedy enemies wanted the seed, they would have to dig it out of his frozen corpse.

“I am gladdened by your acceptance, mine kindred. Come, let us depart this realm that is filled with bad omens.”

Sett began to walk but quickly found that he was getting nowhere.

“Use your mind. Connect to the realm and command it to do your bidding.”

Selt’Artek lightly advised him.

Sett was wholly unused to using his mind for anything outside of normal thoughts. The thought that he could use his mind just as well as his hands if not better would have been a pitiable thought only days ago, yet now it was reality.

Using his mind like a knife, Sett tore open a hole in reality. It was frighteningly easy. Sure, he had thought that high-tiered ascendants would be able to tear reality apart, but not himself. It felt as if he had skipped several thousand important steps in his journey. If he were this powerful right now, would he not be able to dominate the entirety of Gliese Prime if he improved ever so slightly?

“This realm is made from my flesh. It should be of no wonder that you are able to traverse it as easily as you would your own home, mine kindred.”

Sett was reminded, once again, that Selt’Artek could read his mind. He would have to keep that in mind the next time he wanted to think of something inappropriate.

“Selt’Artek, why do you call me ‘mine kindred’?”

Sett changed to topic to something that had bothered him since they had begun their unification before Selt’Artek could call his slightly questionable power fantasies into question.

“It is simple, mine kindred. You have taken in my true essence. The core of my being now lays within you. It has changed you more than you could ever fathom. The two of us are now more closely bound than even brothers and sisters would be, thus I call you mine kindred.”

The dark realm faded behind them as Sett left the tear he had made in space. The realm outside the inner sanctum was in shambles. Everything within the black heart was shaking. The core that stood within the centre of the heart was wildly damaged with cracks running all over its surface. The light it shone with was barely noticeable.

The heart itself was no better. Dark blood was leaking from the enormous cell walls, creating a gigantic lake within the chamber. Only luck ensured that Sett was able to find a slight path that allowed him to cross the bloodied lake.

“Ahh…” Selt’Artek sounded slightly emotional. “The realm that I created 5 million years ago have finally succumbed to the aging of time. A fitting end to a place filled with such dark emotions.”

“Do you not feel saddened, Selt’Artek?”

Sett could not help but question Selt’Artek’s emotions. He imagined that this was akin to seeing one’s childhood home engulfed in flames.

“Why would I? I know more than anyone that everything has its time. Even gods must face their maker one day. Where one thing falls, another shall rise. The dying tree shall feed many generations of flowers. Thus, it is not an end but a new beginning.”

Sett remained silent in thought. He had not expected Selt’Artek’s answer to so philosophical. He had not thought about it before, but the archaic god had to have an enormous will power to be able to sacrifice himself like this. Or perhaps it was only because he had been alive for so long, that death did not seem like much in comparison with his long lifespan. Sett would not know before he had lived the same time as he had.

“Speaking of change, mine kindred. I believe it is time to leave my old self behind. As I leave my old realm behind, I will leave my name behind with it, as well. From now on, I shall simply be Selt.”

The name change was oddly timed, but Sett understood the sentiment behind it. Just like many of the former drug addicts on the streets of Gliese Prime, who had found their way back into society, Selt wanted to reimagine himself. He would have imagined that the former god would have wanted to completely rename himself, but he only scratched part of his name. He could only chalk that down to the old god’s quirks.

Somehow managing to not drown in the endless flood of black blood, though Sett doubted he could actually die in here, they reached the entrance to the heart. Before they arrived at this place, Sett had been convinced that the black garden could not become more terrifying than it already was, but he found that he was sadly mistaken.

The garden had become a living hellhole. Without anything to contain them, the monsters that inhabited the flowers had broken free. Not only that but the countless humans that had been trapped along them were also freed into an entirely new horror show.

The humans that were realised screamed as confusion overwhelmed them. No one could blame them. It looked as if there were millions of disfigured and fleshy monsters walking among them. Some of them would scream insults every few seconds. Some would appear nice enough but would pounce like an angry tiger the moment you came close. Others were simply like serial killers, running around waving knives, machetes, and guns as they chased the ever-confused humans around like chickens.

Sett looked at the scene with grief. Even he felt like finding a place to hide away from the scene, He could not imagine how much horror the humans that had no idea what was going on felt like.

“Is there nothing we can do?”

“There is, mine kindred. But it would require you to expend some of your divinity and essence. Powers that could come in great use when we leave for the outside world.”

“This…”

Sett wanted to help his fellow humans. He truly did. But the so-called false children of blood that awaited on the outside was a threat that was not easily forgotten.

“I want to help them.”

“As expected, mine kindred.” Selt sounded almost amused. “Focus. Every single one of them has the darkness of my former body circulating in their body. You are connected to them via it. Bring your fellow humans to sleep and the monsters that haunt their dreams will naturally disappear.”

Highly concentrating, Sett felt his vision changing greatly. All the monsters disappeared and only the humans were left in his visions. Their veins stood out without exception. They shone brightly black as if they were brightly glowing glow sticks in the night.

Sett could feel every single one of them. He could feel their worries, their fears, their hopes, their everything. Not because of the realm, but rather because of the black dagger that had been plunged into their hearts. The dagger had once been of Selt’s mortal body, this meant that the black essence that now coursed through their bodies was Sett’s own.

It was beyond creepy. Sett knew that he could end any of these people with a single thought. He could stop their hearts without any effort. It was a power over his fellow humans that he had never wished for and never wanted. He could only shove the uneasy thought to the back of his head.

Fortunately, his connection did not only allow him to kill them but could also control their state of consciousness. He could essentially stimulate different parts of the brain. A slight push with the black essence and the brain would do its thing.

The flood of humans, that looked like ants from up above, collapsed where they stood. As for the monsters that their minds sustained, they disappeared into a black mist never to be seen again.

“Will they be alright?”

Seeing the haphazardly sleeping humans on the floor of the garden there was no way that Sett would not be scared for their wellbeing. Both mentally and physically.

“The false children of blood made use of my realm for their own nefarious purpose. They wanted to infuse their bodies with darkness, to fill their last remaining moments in life with trauma. Their minds will be damaged once they leave this place without doubt and it will years for them to recover. But they will live.”

Sett was not surprised. The memories that the realm had brought forth had been terrible. It had taken traumatic experiences and twisted them into something even worse. Mental trauma was only to be expected.

Still, how would these humans escape the realms now that they were asleep? Would they not cease to exist when the realm collapsed in on itself? Sett massaged his temples. There were simply far too many problems to consider.

“Not to worry, mine kindred. I have observed an advanced civilization for countless years and have learned of their methods. Though it is archaic in nature, my realm is not without its fail safes. The souls of these humans will be returned to their body the moment it ceases to be.”

“Alright.”

Sett could finally bring his mind away from the doubtless problems with Selt’s words. There were still bound to be many problems cropping up in the future, but that would have to be dealt with later.

“Tell me how to fight these false children of the blood.”

Finally, Sett asked a question he had been wanting to be answered for some time with a burning passion.

“You cannot.”