The End of Time
Thousands of Kalpas Ago
Vordea was wandering the mortal plane when she felt it. Something that should not be, something that could not be. Quickly digging into her memories, she realized what it was and immediately shifted out of space and time, before it could overtake her.
"Eigengrau." She breathlessly whispered, narrowing her eyes.
On the mortal plane, an ominous shadow began to descend on the world, terrifying the mortal races of that kalpa. Like a great beast, Eigengrau looked upon the mortals with an unfathomable hunger, and licked her lips. In an instant, Eigengrau brought her entire being to bear in a single moment in time, and the immense pressure on the mortal psyche that the physical manifestation of the Death God was exerting began to cause the first of the mages to go mad.
Some screamed, some laughed as they began to kill each other, in a madness spiral of destruction without reason. Others merely died on the spot, the majesty of the Hunter simply too much to bear. As the first souls loosed themselves from dead mortals, she greedily consumed them, tearing them asunder before they could even comprehend their deaths.
"Delicious." She said, shuddering as she tore a soul in half with her teeth.
Crystal Halls
Vordea finally exhaled as she reached the safety of Agbus's plane, which Eigengrau never seemed to regard with any interest whenever this happened. The angels approached her with concern as she slumped to the floor with a pained look on her face.
"My Lady, are you well?" One asked, kneeling to look her in the eyes.
"It's Eigengrau, the Great Hunter of the Deep is back to consume another kalpa." Vordea said, wincing slightly as even here in this shielded place she could feel the screams of the souls as Eigengrau tore them apart.
"Get the Lord!" Another angel shouted, as they helped Vordea to her feet. "Come on my Lady, let's get you somewhere comfortable."
With a wobble, Vordea staggered over to a couch, and first sat, before laying down, holding her head in agony. Agbus quickly arrived, joined by the rest of the angels. Agbus hated this, watching Vordea scream in pain as even in this place of peace she could feel the pain of the doomed souls.
Mortal Plane
"Worthless." Eigengrau said, her voice filled with anger and rage as she travelled from world to world, extinguishing their denizens by her mere presence. "You're all nothing but kindling."
At one such world, she encountered an Inner God, much to his own misfortune. Without even pausing to acknowledge him, she tore him in half, his divine spark destroyed so casually by the God of Death. Consuming his divine essence, Eigengrau laughed darkly as her body glowed.
As she floated through space to the next planet, Eigengrau had some time to think.
"One day, Vordea. One day I'll be strong enough, and it'll be Mira Frost I consume. I'll free us all from her grasp." Eigengrau said, bloody tears pouring from her eyes. "This is for all of us. No hero can come to save us, so I have to."
At those words, a tear formed in front of Eigengrau. White light poured out, and soon so did a gloved hand. Then another, as it turned the tear into a hole.
"Well, if it isn't the Great Hunter." Mira said, sticking her head out of the hole in reality, before making the hole wider and climbing out. "Still think you'll beat me, do you?"
"I never wanted to be a God." Eigengrau said, as they floated in the void toward the next planet. "Neither did you, I suspect."
Mira frowned. Eigengrau was being unusually talkative, for a change. "What do you even think you know about me?"
"Fleet Admiral Frost, I've learned a lot of things about you over the eons." Eigengrau replied, shifting her body to face Mira, as they continued to drift. "We got some time, so let's chat. The Last Admiral of the Last Fleet, was it?"
"I never told you that." Mira replied, crossing her arms. "Neither did I."
"Given my infinite lifespan, I've naturally got a genius level intellect, Admiral Frost. I've had eternity to learn." Eigengrau said, showing off her jagged sharp teeth in a grin. "Let's take care of your reality warping for the moment."
Eigengrau suddenly grabbed Mira by the throat and started squeezing. Mira panicked and began to flail, but no matter how much she tried to pry Eigengrau's fingers, nothing happened. No distortions came, they didn't move in space. They simply continued to float there.
"What have you done?" Mira asked, horrified.
"Something I can only do while I'm the Hunter." Eigengrau answered, releasing her grip and licking her lips. "I've consumed your reality warping."
"Oh, you want even playing field." Mira answered, nodding her head. "Fine. So what do you really want to talk to me about, Sirene?"
"A lot of things." Eigengrau answered, dusting off her hands. "Let's talk about my best friend first, though."
"My finest creation." Mira said, smiling. "What about her?"
"You call her a creation, but she's remarkably human by divine standards."
"Because she is." Mira answered, raising an eyebrow. "The brightest minds took a human, and made her more. I bet you don't even know how much this hurts her."
"What?"
"Every time you consume a kalpa like this. Here. Watch." Mira said, a frown forming on her face.
Mira casually pulled open a tiny tear in reality with one hand, and directed Eigengrau to look inside. Eigengrau floated slightly closer and looked closely. Inside she could make out the Crystal Halls, and on one of the couches was... Vordea. Screaming in pain as she held her head in her hands. Surrounded by dozens of angels and Agbus. Eigengrau made no indication of emotional response, but looked back up at Mira.
"Every. Single. Time. You hurt her so much." Mira's eyes narrowed.
"Why are you showing me this?"
"Because you call her your friend. Would a friend knowingly do that?" Mira asked.
Before Eigengrau could respond, Mira simply vanished from sight.
Eigengrau floated motionless for long years until she reached the next planet. Once she consumed the rest of the kalpa, she never did it again. Vordea never asked why, and Eigengrau offered no explanation.