CHAPTER 30

Lÿarah woke up, but she didn't know where she was. She seemed to be in a surreal dream. In a brightly lit environment, she was naked, surrounded by green light, above a sea of roots that emitted a shimmering glow. Energy flowed through those roots toward her core: a large trunk in the center where they all converged. That was the spiritual representation of Yggdrasil.

It truly was a dreamlike world.

“Could I have died... is this the afterlife?”

“So, it was you, child, who woke me up?” Said a voice that echoed from within that matrix of light.

“Who... who are you?”

“I am life. You know me as Yggdrasil.” Said the voice.

“Are you asking if I was the one who woke you from your sleep... I believe I did.”

“Your kind tried to enslave me and control my will. I have never been so convinced that your existence is a mistake that needs correcting.”

“Your logic isn't entirely wrong; I have to agree with you in part. Humanity has problems and often destroys what it touches, but it also creates beautiful things. Moreover, each human being is unique and rich in experiences. Just as man can destroy, he can also love and protect. Human potential is infinite, and rushing this evolution will only prevent you from seeing the best of my kind.”

“I fear there isn't enough time for your species to evolve and reach that level of maturity and wisdom, enough to share this world with me, without destroying it first. You might end the world long before you achieve this collective enlightenment.”

“I trust humanity, not because I am also human, but because I am a living witness to its perseverance and resilience. We have great ease in overcoming challenges and creating solutions. We will reach a consensus on this dilemma; we need time.”

“A time they no longer have.” The voice said threateningly. “I am not yet in possession of my full powers, but now I have means to regain my strength gradually. As this happens, calamities will return. I warn you, child, you will perish.”

“I am alive; I am part of this. Of this entire ecosystem. Now, I realize. I am not just myself; I am part of something much greater. I am part of you. I am you; you are me. I see no way that sacrificing or eradicating a part of oneself could do good for the whole. No one can lose a part of themselves and remain the same person. There is no evolution, only loss.”

“You are a young child.” The voice said. “After the ages and ages I have traversed, do you want to challenge me with this shallow wisdom you have accumulated over nearly two miserable decades of life?”

“You're right; who am I in the face of all this?” Said Lÿarah, pointing to everything around her. “But I don’t only carry my wisdom as baggage. I carry with me all the wisdom of those who came before me, all the knowledge of my people and their culture. That is humanity; we remain alive, even when we perish.”

“I admire that in your species. Other beings cannot do the same: transmit their knowledge and wisdom as culture to future generations. But, in the name of these same beings, incapable of defending themselves from you, I must defend life.”

“And what meaning is there to existence if there is no intelligence capable of perceiving the universe and the reality that surrounds it? What purpose does existence serve if no consciousness can observe it?”

“Life exists on its own. And that’s enough. That’s the answer I will give. Now, step away from my domains that you boldly invaded. Return to your mortal body and prepare to perish alongside yours.”

“I might even withdraw for now, but I’ve learned how to come here. And I will know how to return. Our conversation is not over yet.”

“I decide that, girl, whether something ends or not. And your time is up.”

“I disagree.”

“Disagree as much as you want. I declare Ragnarok open.”

Lÿarah was engulfed in a bright light and suddenly woke up in Alex’s arms.

“Alex?”

The young man said nothing at first. He just held the girl with all his strength.

“Thank heavens... you’re alive.”

“Thank you, Alex... I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

Lÿarah turned to the Mathematician.

“I learned to talk to her. Like the Dvergar learned. Everything is connected. Everything is one thing. We are part of it...”

“You talked to Yggdrasil?” Ivan asked in amazement.

“Yes. She promised to restart Ragnarok.” Lÿarah said. “She awakened and learned to stay awake. The Hvergelmir no longer has a reason to keep running.”

“So... let’s turn it off and bring back summer. Let’s enjoy the time we still have.”

“I’m not just going to settle for this survival. I challenged it.” Lÿarah said firmly. “I didn’t give up. We made it this far! I believe we can show her that we can live together. We depend on her; I want to show her she can’t exist without us either.”

A tremor interrupted their conversation.

“What's going on? A collapse?” Asked Alex.

“No, it looks more like an earthquake.” Said the Mathematician.

From the middle of the debris, something gigantic seemed to be digging into the ground, intent on emerging from the earth's depths.

“Is something going to come out of the ground?” Shouted Alex.

A powerful howl rose from the ground, and from within it, a giant wolf appeared, nearly 10 meters tall on all fours.

“Garm.” Said the Mathematician.

“What? Who?” Alex wanted to know.

“Uncle... Is that the wolf you told me would attack us from underground?”

“That's him. It has to be. The first beast of the new Ragnarok awakened.”

“He's enormous, but not as big as Nidhogg.” Said Lÿarah.

“He will grow as big as that as he consumes mana. There will come a time when he won't fit here in the underground anymore.” Said the Mathematician.

“So, we have to stop him here before he gets bigger.” Said Lÿarah.

Alex looked at his two companions in disbelief.

“We just performed a miracle here; we're alive- who knows how... and you want to face this?”

“If we don't face it, others will. And many will die.” She said. “Yggdrasil is still weak. This is our chance.”

Alex took a deep breath.

“Damn, it looks like there's really no other way. I'm in.”

“I can feel the mana everywhere. I can sense it.” Said Lÿarah. “We're exposed to colossal amounts of mana, and we're still alive. We're in sync with the energy; can you feel it?”

“Yes. I feel... I don’t know how to channel or use it.” Said Alex.

“I think that, just like Lÿarah, I can do it too.” Said Ivan. “We can repeat what we did earlier.”

“Repeat what?” Asked the warrior.

“Manipulate the mana.” Said the Mathematician. “We are at the epicenter of the world’s mana. Let’s take the ambient mana and guide it as energy. We’ll repeat the process and release the excess through my orbs.”

“Your orbs are still radiating energy... and what if they get damaged and explode?” Questioned Lÿarah. “If the orbs break, the current will find a path of least resistance... and the energy will dissipate as heat.”

“And what does that mean?” Asked Alex, startled.

“That we will be the path of least resistance for the energy. Not much of us will be left.” Said Lÿarah emphatically.

“Very cool, but for you to do that, you’ll need to repeat that whole conjuration. Even with shortcuts, it’s a pretty time-consuming duo task...” Complained Alex. “Do you really think that thing will wait patiently for you to finish?”

“Alex, we’ll need your help.” Said the Mathematician. “Do you think you can distract that thing?”

“Oh, sure, of course... It’s no big deal.” Said Alex, pretending to be calm. “You start by facing a snow bear... and then end up challenging the beasts of the apocalypse... no problem.”

“Great. I’m counting on you.” Said the Mathematician. “Let’s go, Lÿarah?”

“Yes.” She turned to Alex. “Don’t do anything stupid; distract him. No heroics. Make sure you don’t get killed.”

“I can say the same for you,” Alex joked, “after all, I’m not the one manipulating enough energy to devastate an entire city, or that could kill something like that.”

“Okay then.” The Mathematician started. “Again, on the one, on the two and...”

“Three!” Ivan shouted.

While Lÿarah and the Mathematician repeated their movements, Alex ran toward the beast.

“[Execute: Ignition Loop]. Physical order magic. Gravity! [Compile: Special Physics Parameter].” Alex shouted.

A greenish glow still surrounded him. He was exuding mana. When he cast the magic, he was almost thrown into the air without even jumping.

“AHHHHHH!!!!” Alex yelled, trying to control the new power.

The wolf saw him, jumped, and tried to bite him.

“[Execute: Ignition Loop]. The cutting wind. [Compile: Wind Parameter].”

Alex managed to perform the shortcut movements in midair with just his hands. He had thought of an even simpler way to execute the commands. With gusts of wind, he adjusted his trajectory and escaped the beast’s claws.

“Get me, stupid beast!” He shouted.

The animal started jumping over piles of scrap from Muspelheim's destroyed machines to catch him. The monster almost succeeded twice.

“Not so easy! CUTTING WIND!”

With the wind magic already activated, he began firing smaller cyclones of wind like projectiles at the wolf.

The beast became even more agitated.

Alex fell onto one of Yggdrasil’s raised roots, and as soon as he touched it, he felt the mana fill him again as if he had been recharged.

He jumped just as the giant paw crushed the root.

Alex improvised again. He combined gravity and wind and started to glide through the cave. He had practically learned how to fly.

“Catch me now, monster. Come try!” He said, firing more projectiles. One of them hit the wolf in the eye.

The animal jumped in pain and destroyed everything around it.

An earthquake shook the cave, and the stalactites started to fall.

“Lÿarah, watch out!” Alex shouted.

When he lost concentration to check on his partner, the animal finally managed to swipe at him with a paw. He was thrown against the wall.

Falling to the ground, he realized he had broken some ribs. He couldn't move anymore.

Alex found himself facing death. The animal landed on him and opened its mouth to tear him apart. The beast's saliva began to cover him.

“Damn... Lÿarah...”

“ALEX, CLOSE YOUR EYES!” Shouted Lÿarah from afar.

The Mathematician's orbs radiated an absurd amount of energy.

The Mathematician realized this shot would be different and, with a movement, threw Lÿarah away on the wind.

“Uncle? What did you do?”

The Mathematician said nothing. He just smiled. Then his orbs combined and fired a single concentrated beam of green energy toward the giant wolf.

The shot pierced the monster before it could bite Alex. The beast fell inert beside him.

“Uncle?” Said Lÿarah, realizing what the Mathematician had just done.

The orbs exploded, and the energy used the Mathematician's body as a grounding point.

A powerful explosion lit up the entire cave. A shockwave ended up destroying everything.

•••

Amid all that dust and soot, Lÿarah finally found Alex fallen, several minutes after the explosion ended.

“Alex, can you hear me?”

“Thanks to the stars, you're alive...”

“Are you okay?”

“Physically, I'm not okay, but I'm happy to be alive and to see you alive.” He said, smiling and trying to hide his grimaces from the pain.

“Come on, let's go back.” She said, helping him to stand and offering her shoulder for him to lean on.

“Wait... And the Mathematician?”

Lÿarah just shook her head negatively.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t feel sorry. He did what he needed to do. He was a man with many sins and regrets, I imagine, but in the end, he achieved the redemption he needed.”

In silence, they climbed back up until they exited the underground and returned to the surface.

At the exit of the access gate to Muspelheim, the swordsman Fenrir, properly bandaged and tended to his wounds, waited for them.

“Look, isn’t it something? You came back alive? The explosions stopped, and the fires cooled down. Was it you?”

“Shouldn’t you be in bed? That wound will open and get infected.” Protested Lÿarah.

“This?” He said, pointing to his wounds. “Nonsense! Listen, and the Mathematician? Where is he?”

She shook her head, as she had with Alex.

“As a true leader, he gave his life for the city.” She said.

Fenrir turned to the people surrounding him.

“You heard the lady. The Mathematician is a hero. Honor your savior.” He shouted.

The people were moved, and many shed tears. But most were desperate about what lay ahead. Who would tell them how to live their lives?

“What are your orders, Lÿarah?” Fenrir asked.

“What?” She questioned.

“Huh? You’re his niece. He had only one brother, Igor, the rightful heir...” Fenrir said calmly. “So, you are the heir. What is your first order?”

“Take care of my husband’s wounds. And take me to Hvergelmir... Now.”

•••

Fenrir took Lÿarah back to the hall of Hvergelmir.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, I don’t really care. I never liked that crap anyway. And no one here looks like they’re going to try to stop you.”

“Then so be it.”

Lÿarah walked a little closer to the gigantic machine that occupied the entire wall of that huge hall. The ceiling must have been at least six meters high.

“[Execute: Ignition Loop]. The biting wind. Flying blades. [Compile: Wind Parameter].”

Lÿarah shot her twin blades, which, in midair, began to spin around their own axes, becoming two powerful cyclones.

In this form, the two blades irreversibly destroyed the Hvergelmir.

Moments later, a loud bang followed, followed by an earthquake.

The roots of Yggdrasil, previously restricted, began to expand visibly and tear apart much of the city’s buildings. The exposed parts of the great tree, bluish in color, changed hue and started to emit a vibrant greenish glow.

As if a shockwave had been emitted from the tree, with it as the epicenter, a strong energy enveloped the skies and the Earth.

The heavy, cloud-laden skies dissipated as if by magic, and the strong, icy winds ceased.

Minutes later, a bright yellow sun was visible in the blue sky. No longer gray or white, but blue. A clear, shimmering blue sky.

“Well, that’s new,” Fenrir said after a whistle. “Am I mistaken, or is the temperature getting more pleasant?”

“The idea is that the temperature will improve from now on.”

“Good job, boss.” Fenrir greeted Lÿarah. “And now?”

“Now?” Lÿarah turned to him. “First, end the designs. Each of you, now, learn to govern your own life.”

“Immediately, ma’am.” Fenrir roared with laughter.

She moved to another part of the temple and looked down at the stunned people in the city below. They were too confused to understand what was happening.

“Two more things. Create a war council and gather them. We need to talk, urgently.” She said, looking firmly at Fenrir. “And send a messenger to the Nidhogg people on my behalf. Tell them I want to establish an alliance.”

“An alliance?”

“Yes, we will need all the help we can get to face what’s coming. Find a way to welcome them inside the city walls.”

“And what about Muspelheim, ma’am? The houses will freeze at nightfall; many will perish today without the forges.”

“Don’t worry, forget the forges. If we destroy the Hvergelmir, the cold will no longer be a problem.”

Fenrir also started observing the crowd that took to the streets to see the clear-sky phenomenon.

“Ma'am, you are seriously injured. Take care of your wounds and rest. I'll take care of everything here.” Said Fenrir.

“Yes, but I need to see someone first.”