Chapter 143: GRAVE MISTAKE

[Idiot. You also won’t be liking it,] the system chided, its voice echoing in Aaron’s mind like a scolding parent, but Aaron simply tuned it out, his focus locked on the unfolding catastrophe.The already dark starry night grew even darker, the vast expanse of space seeming to swallow light itself as shadows deepened across the cosmos. The surroundings began to vibrate, a low hum building into a resonant tremor that shook the very foundations of reality, stars flickering like candles in a gale.

A massive summoning circle materialized, encompassing the entire galaxy where Aaron floated. Its intricate runes glowed with an ominous, otherworldly light, pulsing in rhythm with the vibrations, as if the universe itself was breathing in anticipation—or fear.

Space quivered under the strain, the fabric of reality bending and warping like a canvas stretched too tight. Anyone attuned to the universe could hear its silent scream, the will of existence protesting as Aetherion slowly forced his way into Aaron’s realm from beyond.

The apocalyptic being extended a single hand through the summoning circle, his presence intruding like an uninvited storm. As he emerged in his miniaturized form, the barrier between dimensions strained, the air—or lack thereof—crackling with raw, uncontrolled energy.

The fabric of space tore open the moment Aetherion’s claw appeared, ripping like a razor slicing through delicate cloth. A colossal black hole spawned in the wake, its maw yawning wide, sucking in nearby stars, asteroids, and debris with insatiable hunger, the gravitational pull distorting light into twisted spirals.

Aaron and the others watched the spectacle unfold, their breaths held in collective tension, afraid that even the slightest sound might accelerate the destruction. The air felt thick, charged with an electric dread that made hearts race and skin prickle, the weight of impending doom pressing down on them like an invisible force.

After what felt like an eternity of gruesome devastation—planets crumbling, stars winking out, entire solar systems vanishing into the void—Aetherion fully manifested within Aaron’s universe. He compressed his already miniaturized form even further, shrinking to match the size of Aaron and the group, his colossal essence now contained in a humanoid silhouette that still radiated an aura of infinite power, his form a swirling mass of shadows and cosmic dust.

Once fully present, Aetherion spared Aaron a brief glance, his gaze piercing like a blade forged from the heart of a dying star. It conveyed utter disappointment and disgust, a silent judgment that made Aaron’s stomach twist. Then, without a word, Aetherion turned his attention to the four intruders, his purpose clear and unyielding.

Knowing exactly why he had been summoned, Aetherion raised a single finger, pointing it toward the group as he released a minuscule fraction of his anima—the pure, unconverted essence of his being. It was a mere whisper of his true power, yet the results were far beyond what Aaron could have imagined or handled.

Two-thirds of the universe crumbled instantly under the assault. Galaxies folded in on themselves, realities unraveling like frayed threads, the void claiming everything in a silent, merciless wave. The four beings who had tormented Aaron? They vanished without a trace, erased along with the obliterated sections of the cosmos, their divine presences snuffed out like insignificant sparks.

With two-thirds of the universe gone, the remaining structure teetered on the brink of collapse. Black holes proliferated, spawning from the instability like wounds in the fabric of existence, devouring the fragmented remnants—shattered planets, dying stars, and scattered nebulae—with voracious appetite.

Aaron stared at the scene in blank horror, his mind reeling from the sheer scale of the destruction, his golden eyes wide with shock. The cosmos, once a vibrant tapestry of life and light, now resembled a ravaged battlefield, echoes of annihilation rippling through the void.

"What the hell happened?" Aaron whispered, his chest tightening with a mix of awe and dread, his voice barely audible amid the cosmic chaos.

[What happened was the reward for not listening to my advice! I should have punched you more when I had the chance!] the system snapped, its tone laced with frustration and a hint of I-told-you-so smugness.

"I don’t understand. How could he? He’s just..." Aaron trailed off, struggling to process the overwhelming power he had unleashed, his hands trembling slightly as he floated amid the ruins.

[Just? That’s a Primordial being you summoned to your world to handle ants. That was like 1% of its power, you fool,] the system retorted, not holding back in its verbal assault, its words hammering home the gravity of Aaron’s impulsiveness.

"That’s... not supposed to happen," Aaron muttered, guilt gnawing at him like a relentless parasite. He hadn’t just ended billions of lives with his reckless action—he had erased quadrillions, entire civilizations wiped from existence in a blink, their stories, dreams, and legacies reduced to nothingness.

Aetherion turned his gaze back to Aaron, the disappointment in his ethereal eyes burning like a cold flame, a silent condemnation that weighed heavier than any words.

"How can my summon be that strong?" Aaron asked the system, desperately hoping it was all some nightmarish illusion, a trick of his mind that he could wake from.

[That’s because your bloodline doesn’t simply provide the opportunity for you to form a contract. What forms the contract with you depends on your strength, potential, and luck. You lacked the strength, but your potential and luck drew the attention of the strongest being in his universe,] the system explained, its voice steady but stern, revealing the mechanics behind the summoning.

"Strongest being? What’s the difference between him and those from my universe?" Aaron pressed, his eyes fixed on the remnants of his universe as they spiraled into the ever-growing black holes, the sight a haunting reminder of his hubris.

[Don’t compare this weak and newly formed universe to his. That’s an insult,] the system replied, its words carrying a weight of ancient knowledge, underscoring the vast gulf between realms.

"Sigh. I have to fix this," Aaron muttered, his heart clenching with guilt as the black hole’s pull began to tug at him, drawing his body toward its inescapable event horizon, the void whispering promises of oblivion.

"Seal breaker," Aaron whispered in his mind as his form was finally engulfed by the black hole, the darkness swallowing him whole.

ZRTTTT!

Time buzzed to a halt, freezing in a perfect stasis. Aaron opened his eyes, suspended at the center of the time-locked black hole, the chaos around him paused like a still frame in a cosmic film.

His golden eyes now bore an inscription of an ancient clock with Roman numerals, glowing with an ethereal light that illuminated the frozen void. He felt invincible, time itself bending to his will like a loyal companion, eager to obey his every command.

With this heightened vision, Aaron could see countless branched timelines, parallel and alternate universes stretching infinitely, each diverging from the tiniest altered event. These timelines wove into realities, which branched further into multiverses, an endless web of possibilities laid bare before him.

His hand stretched out instinctively, fingers brushing against the threads of time, granting him glimpses of all future, present, and past events unfolding simultaneously. A single thought could obliterate a timeline, erasing it from existence, or even shatter entire realities, the power intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure.

[...]

[Aa...]

[Aaron...]

[Aaron, snap out of it!]

The system’s urgent call pierced the trance, yanking Aaron back just in time before he unwittingly ripped apart a strand of reality, his fingers hovering perilously close to the silvery thread.

"What... what happened?" Aaron asked, confusion clouding his mind as he stared at the thread in his hand, seconds from destruction.

[It’s natural. You entered a trance and decided to play your role as the lord of time, removing anomalies from the river of time. But that’s not your purpose here, Aaron,] the system reminded him, its voice a grounding anchor amid the temporal haze.

"Right. I have to take care of the mess I made," Aaron said, fully snapping out of the trance, the second hand inscription in his iris spinning rapidly around the clock as he harnessed his ability, channeling the power with focused intent.

He didn’t want to linger in this timeless state any longer, the allure of absolute control tempting him to lose himself forever. Relying on the system to pull him back a second time might not work, the risk of becoming one with time too great.

"Origin point," Aaron said calmly, invoking the talisman with a surge of will.