The Absolute: Humanity's Second Chance

The very same day that Adonis made his conviction to achieve his goals, two beings stood afloat tens of miles above ground.

One was a young man with silver and platinum blonde mixed within his hair. His visage was godly, and his beauty beyond normal scales. He was Damien Gray.

The other was a bird made up of nothing but pure flame particles, which slowly pulled at the Affinity of Fire to strengthen themselves. Fiona's Phoenix form.

The two stood there, and watched as Adonis began his self training. Damien commenting after a while, "As expected. The young prince of ambition didn't disappoint me."

"Prince of ambition?" Fiona inquired from the sidelines, looking down at Adonis with a hint of curiosity. What a suiting title, she thought.

"Yes. The boy born with boundless ambition for unforseen heights. Heights that may seem illusory to the current him." He responded, then stretched out his arm.

"Rest. You've been staying up here with me for hours now." He added, his hand acting as a branch of sorts, where a bird could land for rest.

"..."

Fiona glanced at it for a while, and with a blush of embarrassment, landed gently on his arm. "Thank you." She whispered, barely audible.

"Pleasure." Damien said, and then kept quiet for a while. Until Fiona asked, "Sir Damien, may I... ask something of you? If you don't mind."

"Just Damien, is enough."

"Oh, okay then, Damien... is it possible for your influence to reach up to the Romanian Stronghold? I'd like to talk to my father. Even through a letter, I don't mind." She said, her words stern and focus.

"...It's not impossible. In fact, I could take you there right now." Damien casually responded to her inquiry.

"What?" And Fiona exclaimed, but Damien wasn't done with his words. "I can even take you to meet up with your lost classmates and seniors... As a close friend of my parents, I can do that much for you."

"...Re–Really?" Fiona was still shocked, and couldn't believe it.

After all, the Romanian Stronghold was more than a hundred billion miles away from the Shade Stronghold. It was a vast distance to travel.

Their grand parents made sure to build each Stronghold a minimum distance away from each other, which would ensure as little interaction as possible amongst them.

They desired individual evolutions, which would not relate to one another. And even for her, 'It would take me almost a year to arrive there at full speed. And only... if I knew the direction.'

Otherwise, it might take longer. Yet here, Damien claimed to be able to take her there right now?! How unbelievable.

"Yes. I would not play with such an important matter. Having you under me, is as important to me, as having Adonis under me. The both of you are rare gems." Damien responded.

"..."

And Fiona was swayed by his words, and ended up helplessly agreeing to them. How could she not, when she was told that she was a rare gem?

Such praise, from such a handsome man was absolutely sweet to her taste buds.

"...Please. I'd appreciate the help, lord Damien." She said, controlling all her emotions.

"As I said, Damien is fine."

"No. That won't do. With such status, you deserve the honor of being a lord to us. Please, at least allow us that much." Fiona retorted, and Damien let her be.

He already had an entire race calling him "Lord Damien", and probably more would come. Another person doing the same would not bother him much.

"Deactivate your form." He said, and Fiona did as he said. But as she could not fly, she was invulnerable to the force of gravity.

Fortunately, Damien caught her in a half embrace using one arm. "Hold tight. I'll be flying as fast as I can from now on."

"Ye–Yes." She replied, her face blushing red in embarrassment. Being so close to a man, and smelling his scent almost drove her mad.

It was one of a kind experience. 'He's... He's so soft. Men can also be soft? And he smells so nice too. And warm as well.' She thought, almost relaxing herself to sleep.

But then, when a pair of silver metallic wings burst out of Damien's back, she found herself gawking at them in stupor.

'Wh–What on Romania is that? It's so beautiful!!' She thought, almost squealing in excitement like a fan girl receiving an autograph from her idol.

But Damien did not take her to mind. Instead, he had shown these wings because they were the only artifact that enabled him the ability to travel at light speed.

Even as a Saint, his speed was nowhere near reaching light speed. Hence why he was still as close to the Wings of Endless Ashe as ever.

"Close your eyes. Or else you'd go crazy at what you'll see, princess." He warned gently, and she hurriedly nodded her head in obedience.

"..."

Damien held her tighter, and burst forth as a gray-ish silver blur of light, that tore through the void with how fast he was travelling.

Fiona subconsciousness clawed at him, as she felt her body travel through an air-less environment, where they felt no pressure or resistance whatsoever.

She desperately wanted to open her eyes to take a view at her soroundings, but Damien's warning always managed to flash within her thoughts. 'Close your eyes. Or else you'd go crazy at what you'll see, princess.'

And they were enough for her. She cherished her life, as much as she cherished her sanity. What was the use of living, if you're bat shit crazy?

But after a short while, she suddenly heard Damien's words whisper softly into her ears. "If desperately want to see, you can open your eyes. I'll cover them with Mana."

He said, and his voice almost got her intoxicated. Luckily, she knew Damien was a man taken by Juliette, and convinced herself that there were no feelings involved between them.

'None, Fiona, none!!' She internally chanted, and slowly opened her eyes, only to be presented with a world of darkness, with infinite colors flashing backwards at an untraceable speed.

"Oh. My. Gawd." She lightly exclaimed, her eyes widening at the shocking wonder that was being fed to her eyes.

A clear representation of what she saw, would be something similar to a tunnel window of darkness, with countless lights of various colors flashing backwards.

As they were travelling so fast, everything seemed to be in slow motion, and was only reflected to her eyes as light of sorts.

"This is an unique phenomenon, that any person can see, when they tap through the Source of Speed, or travel at light speed." Damien explained.

"It's the environment, the atmosphere and everything else you'd see on average. But as fast fast we are travelling, we have entered a unique space, where we see everything in their particle nature."

"Particle nature?" Fiona inquired amidst her stupor, and Damien replied. "...I'm not too sure myself, but I believe it's particles. If not atoms... Or perhaps Mana. In fact, just ignore all that I said, princess. I could be lying."

He said, and Fiona held herself back from laughing. 'At least, now I know you somewhat human.' She thought, relaxing at this side of Damien.

She loved the fact that even as powerful and as fast as he was, he did not put up airs, and nor did he take advantage of that to act all knowing.

After all, Damien wasnt omnipotent, nor omniscient just because he traveled through the ages. In fact, he had focused most of his attention and time on the world, than how it operates back then.

Most of his knowledge was obtained from others, and he never had the time to prove it. Which was why he stopped himself from saying anymore.

'That little girl could have lied to me. Perhaps the "Light-Particle Theory" she flaunted was a false theory.'

He thought, remembering a high elven scientist that was too smart for her own good. Thankfully, she was quite cute, which saved her life everyday.

With that thought, Damien suddenly stopped, and all the various colors and tunnel of darkness... vanished out of sight.

What was revealed to them, was the clear blue skies, and a prosperous kingdom below them. With the color red and white being more prominent.

"We are here..." He said, and let go of Fiona, who transformed into her Phoenix form and added, "...at the Romanian Stronghold."

A Stronghold that stretched over vast lands, with a magnificent volcano thousands of miles away. And unlike the Shade Stronghold that had cities, the Romanian Stronghold was one single city.

Divided into lands owned by nobility, which were simply named lands after their last name. For example, the royal family's Land of Vermillion.

Each land was divided by an orange river that stretched throughout, and beyond the Stronghold. It's main source being the volcano behind them.

The Orange River.

The river was also not lava, but was pure water, with fire properties. It was said to rival boiling water, and with the Romanian's evolution through natural selection, they had high resistance to it.

Going as far as being able to swim within it. Which explains their high Affinity with fire.