Gun of Ashes

”Hello, Lorenzo Holmes.”

An elegant voice resounded, a pale face emerged from the darkness ahead, and Roger displayed a horrifying smile.

He had changed his appearance again, as if every meeting with Lorenzo rendered him unstable.

”Roger Cruz.”

Lorenzo whispered, raising his head, bloodshot eyes staring directly at Roger.

This time, Roger seemed a bit different.

His face was pale, like a corpse, smiling, but the smile was extremely rigid, to be precise, his whole face was plaster-like, indifferent and wooden.

He seemed like an ancient withered tree, aged and decayed, having become this way yet stubbornly refusing to die, instead persisting to live, continuing life’s flow amidst the desolation.

Lorenzo recalled the Watchers seated around the Well of Ascension, and Roger Cruz appeared so similar to them.

Then he realized where the problem lay.

”You, along with Adren Levien and those Watchers...”

Lorenzo’s voice trembled with exhaustion, trying hard to lift his head, feeling mixed emotions.

”And also me.”

The surrounding buildings creaked and groaned, numerous cracks spread across them, soon shattering completely, stirring up clouds of dust.

The stones were meant to fall, yet they did not bury Lorenzo and Roger, instead constantly transforming, from walls to fragments, then to countless particles, dispersing into the air.

”We are all the same, on the path of Ascension, yet unable to reach the end or cleanse all impurities from our souls.”

The wounds on Lorenzo healed swiftly, far exceeding his abilities, as if time had reversed, rendering him intact, though his eyes still held a deep exhaustion.

”Therefore, we remain imperfect, impure.

We are still laden with inherent flaws, even if they’re infinitely diluted in the Ascension, they’re still attached to our souls like shadows, trailing us, constantly reminding us...”

The tumultuous storm clouds in the sky vanished in an instant, leaving a clear night sky, so lucid, cloudless, with a brilliant starry sky clearly visible.

”Reminding us of human nature.”

Lorenzo exhaled deeply, sitting back.

Grayish cold air rolled in, freezing the puddles on the ground, covering them with a layer of frost dust. A frost-covered bench appeared as the dust swept across, catching the seated Lorenzo, who then sat on the bench, crossed his legs, calmly observing Roger’s arrival.

”So is this the form your consciousness takes now? Truly, it’s terrible.”

Lorenzo saw through Roger’s trick, but it seemed of little use; the situation was worse.

From the moment he realized Roger’s arrival, Lorenzo’s confrontation with Roger ceased to exist on a material plane. When Roger’s voice sounded, Lorenzo was invaded; now they occupied Lorenzo’s [Gap].

”Withered, decayed, you’ve become like this... so, your reappearance is not just from impatience, is it?”

Lorenzo questioned.

”Our existence tends towards eternity beneath Ascension, but merely tends towards it; nothing is immortal, the most resilient will eventually decays in the long passage of time.

You’re not merely impatient, rather, you’re running out of time.”

Roger was silent for a while, then emitted a hoarse laugh, each laugh shaking countless dust from his face, resembling cracks spreading on a plaster statue, revealing fine lines as expressions changed.

”Yes, incomplete Ascension leads to this, inherent flaws persist, hindering me, making me increasingly... lost,” Roger said.

”Just like other lost ones.”

Lorenzo affirmed, in the illusory Static Holy Temple he had seen too many lost ones; they did not die, merely unable to awaken again.

This was a type of eternity, a sorrowful immortality.

”Then, Roger, what is all this you do for?”

Lorenzo seemed puzzled, waving his hand, another bench appeared beneath Roger, who without a word sat down, and both gazed at each other from afar.

”For... what?”

Roger seemed unclear about Lorenzo’s meaning. More perplexing was that the tense situation suddenly eased, everything seemed harmonious.

Under the gaze of the stars, chatting long into the night.

”It’s somewhat complex, I suppose you’re not in a hurry, right?” Lorenzo asked, ”After all, you’ve already invaded my [Gap]; from the moment I saw you, I had already lost.”

Lorenzo admitted his defeat, unable to fathom Roger’s terrifying nature; his defenses proved futile, Roger breached them all, following erosion trails.

Roger nodded, naturally unconcerned. Under absolute power, everything remained under his control; if he wished to kill Lorenzo, at that instant of entering the [Gap], he could unleash a frenzied storm, tearing apart Lorenzo’s consciousness.

Lorenzo’s curiosity mirrored Roger’s, as did his curiosity towards the young man before him. Despite all that’s passed, he couldn’t imagine anyone walking the Ascension road again.