His mother's golden hair fluttered by the sheer force of her fury. Irwyn felt immense grief in his heart. This eternity was supposed to be just the two of them being together, yet someone had already disturbed them. A tall figure had barged in into this corner of nascent reality, golden blood was leaking from seemingly every pore on his body with the only exception of the area around a glittering golden gem imbued into his forehead.

"Who dares do such a thing to you?" Lumen spoke with wrath Irwyn rarely ever seen before. Her gilded hair was still fluctuating as her immense power leaked out her fair white skin. In that fury, she somehow looked even more beautiful than usual.

"Mother!" Irwyn spoke with deep worry on his face, afraid that his mother might do something rash. It didn't matter that there was nothing that could even endanger her in the universe if she was rash. Upon hearing Irwyn's voice, Lumen seemed to calm down. Her long hair once again gently fell down and a more neutral expression took over her visage.

"Oh, great Mother of light," the wounded man spoke "I had been challenged by an arch-dragon. After a grueling fight, I had been forced to admit defeat, however, even then he did not cease his onslaught, and even poisoned me with draconic essence. I beg you for salvation,” during his speech he had kneeled down to show as much respect as he could.

Lumen did not hesitate. Her expression became more gentle as she took a couple of steps towards the dying man until she stood right in front of him. She looked down at the kneeling Empyrean and opened her mouth, yet no words escaped her lips, instead, a thick cloud of honey-coloured vapour was spat out. Without delay, it fell down and touched the wounded man; it was then rapidly absorbed through his head, making a faint glow surface around his flesh, and the wounds began to heal at a visible rare.

"Thank you for your mercy, oh, mother of light," the man kept kneeling as he attempted to show his gratitude.

"Which of the arch-dragons dared defy my will?" Lumen's expression remained neutral as she questioned the man. They had nearly killed one of her treasured children, she would have had the culprit answer for that even if he had been done by one of the 8 kings.

"Although he went too far, I was still honestly defeated. Unless, oh, Mother of light insists, I would rather not expose his name," the Empyrean answered with solemness.

"If that is what you wish for, so be it," Lumen smiled momentarily before her expression once again became a frown, "However, I won't just let this matter be. I can find out through other sources…"

"That will not be necessary, oh, Mother of light," just as Lumen spoke a new voice boomed through the area. From far away a gargantuan figure neared them. In a mere infinite moment he stood before them, it was a grayscaled beast with serpentine head endowed by 7 twisted horns; from his torso, four long limbs reached down, and a pair of leather wings as long as his entire body stretched from his back.

"Tiamat!" Irwyn called out the creature's name. He did not like the solitary dragon because of his temper. Although Irwyn understood that those outbursts were not really the creature's fault, Irwyn felt repulsion because of how the King had often spoken with even the aspects.

"Have you come to plead for one of your sons?" Lumen looked at Tiamat, her eyes glowed with even greater brilliance than usual.

"No, I am well aware that Roar…," in the middle of the sentence a roar suddenly left Tiamat's jaw. Its expression clearly contorted, as one of the long claws quickly slammed into the dragon’s own maw, splitting off some scales and even drawing blood, “...your wrath cannot be quelled,” then Tiamat carried on as though nothing had happened, “I care little for his...” at that moment Tiamat’s face was once again twisted, and his speech stopped for another moment when one of the dragon’s claws made a grasping motion, piercing through the creatures own paw, “...life or death. However, you mustn't be the one to kill him.”

“Oh,” Lumen raised an eyebrow, the radiance in her stare now left her eyes completely and focused on the dragon. The creature’s form was enveloped by exalted light unequalled in the freshly forming universe, “What makes you believe that you can command me?” her voice boomed, and Tiamat shook like a helpless bug beneath the endless might surging through that voice.

“I cannot,” Tiamat lowered his head, “Perhaps it's futile, yet I still must plead with you,” then Tiamat suddenly and violently slammed his already lowered head against the barely formed ground, “The day my brethren are killed by an aspect, all of us will have borne this burden for nothing. My decision to refuse a soul will have been for nothing.”

“I understand,” Lumen sighed eventually. That thick layer of light enveloping Tiamat dispersed, and so did the unusual glimmer within her eyes, “Bring him here!”

“Thank you, oh, mother of light,” Tiamat’s head rose from the ground, and his maw was opened wide. After a couple of moments, a small creature crawled out of his throat, treading along Tiamat’s razor-sharp teeth. It was a small lizard with a third eye on its forehead. Upon reaching the boundary of the draconic mouth, the lizard raised both his front limbs as high as it could and a ripple coursed through the surroundings. In an instant, a large breach tore open the surrounding nascent space, spitting out a battered and beaten dragon. The new creature was similar to Tiamat in a way, although the newcomer was smaller and lacked the 7th horn.

“So it was Lust,” Irwyn decided to speak after a long while. He disliked the pesky dragons, but they were easy to tell apart from each other.

“I will take my leave,” Tiamat said as its body was already turning around. The lizard from before had already returned to wherever it came from, “Thank you for your grace, oh, Mother of light,” were the last word the dragon had left before his wings flapped, and his form seemingly dispersed. A few moments later a furious roar sounded from seemingly very far away. Lumen did not seem to not take offence, as she was already paying attention to something else.

“Inferos,” Lumen spoke to the Empyrean, easily recalling his name “are you willing to finish him?” she pointed at the arch-dragon lying on the ground, so wounded he was either unconscious or could not move at all.

“I was still defeated by him,” the Empyrean shook his head, “I am unworthy.”

“Then I will get someone else to do so,” Lumen did not try to force him, instead she turned around, about to leave.

“I will do it!” Irwyn resolutely stated as he saw Lumen was about to depart. The aspect turned around when she heard those words. Gentleness returned to her face, however, there was also a hint of worry.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked with heartfelt concern.

“You promised that it would be just the two of us,” Irwyn smiled, unwilling to let their time together be delayed any further. A blade had already manifested in his grip. The weapon appeared to be a highly ornamental and thin double-edged sword, lines and images were carved into the blade as well as the guard, making it appear more like a decoration than something that should be brought to battle.

Lumen did not object further, although the concern did not disappear from her eyes. Irwyn stepped closer to the barely squirming dragon and raised the weapon high above his head. Power flowed through Mayhem’s razor sharp edge, as the blade was set aflame with a brilliant fusion of fire and light. It was at that moment that the dragon opened one of his eyes, and glanced at Irwyn. It was not difficult to read what Lust felt. It was weariness and fury; fear and pain; hopelessness and desire to live. It was a plead, a desperate cry for help of someone who already felt death gripping his throat.

Dragons were monsters. That also applied to the arch-dragons and even to Tiamat itself. For such creatures without a soul, death meant the absolute end for them. No matter how powerful they were, upon death they would just cease to be.

Irwyn hesitated when he saw those desperate eyes. He knew that what the dragon had done was beyond forgiveness. He defied the will of Lumen, he broke her decree and injured one of her beloved children. Yet despite the fury churning beneath his skin, Irwyn felt pity for the creature. Seconds quickly passed as Irwyn held the blade above his head. Eventually, he gathered enough determination as his eyes were slowly closed, and he took a deep breath.

A blade whistled through the air, tearing reality in its wake. It resolutely cut through the dragon’s throat, separating it from the body.

Yet it was not Irwyn’s blade which cut through the draconic flesh. Instead, it was an oversized undecorated machete.

“You are too soft, brother,” a laugh sounded by Irwyn’s ear, and a hand was placed on his shoulder.

“Brother!” Irwyn exclaimed as he immediately opened his eyes and turned around, ignoring the death of the dragon. In front of him stood a young man with long pointy ears and purplish skin. The youth’s hair was pitch black and so were his eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Ignis Umbra smiled at Irwyn, keeping an arm on Irwyn’s shoulder, “Since you are so soft, I will protect you from whoever dares to try bullying you,” he resolutely announced.

“Thank you,” Irwyn’s smile widened at the gesture and even closed his eyes for a brief moment. When they were opened again, the scenery had changed almost beyond recognition. Ignis Umbra still stood before him, yet his expression was vastly different. Utter terror and suffering had contorted his face, making him appear much like the pitiful dragon from earlier.

“How much longer?” Ignis Umbra asked as tears of blood ran down his cheeks. It was at this moment that Irwyn had realised something else had changed. A Crown covered with jewels of all colours and shapes had appeared on Ignis Umbra’s head.

“How much longer?” more and more blood fell as Ignis Lumen was far too dazed to even move. He felt an unfamiliar pain in his chest, as he struggled to breathe.

“How…” this time Ignis Umbra did not finish that same sentence. Instead, his eyes suddenly became azure blue, as clear as cloudless skies. Based on the mimicry, Irwyn also clearly recognised that the corners of Ignis Umbra's mouth were about to turn into a smile. However, Irwyn didn’t get to see that. As his consciousness once again faded there was only a single word sending him on his way: “...Interesting.”