First, I want to thanks DesiCat for the review.
Second,
Imo, the reason why Lloyd is the poster boy of LoD villain is that Melbu is a weak character. He had no clear motivation. What's the point of becoming the god of nothingness? That's why Lloyd or Doel is more interesting. So, let's give Melbu a bit of motivation!
Anyway, this Interlude consists entirely of FLASHBACK right after the end of disc 3. Normally, I put flashbacks at the beginning of a chapter, but this one is long and the next chapter will also be very long. So, I decided to separate it as some sort of prologue to part 2
LoD © Sony
Interlude
I apologize for knocking you down. However, I knew you wouldn't listen to me. I need you to take time to control your emotion and calm yourself down.
As you have now probably realized, I'm not Diaz. I'm Melbu Frahma. I know you aren't too fond of me. That's why I avoided introducing my real self to you. I'm not proud of what I did in the past. However, it was necessary.
Between a small vulnerable society I was born into and the uncivilized horde that I pity, I did everything in my power to salvage both. In the end, I could only choose what I considered to be the lesser of two evils.
You might have been raised among the latter. However, by now, you must have realized what they will do to the former when left unchecked. The so-called freedom and equality you were fighting for turned out to be the same nightmare you were fighting against.
That's also what I have experienced.
The winglies are losing their power. Once the wall falls, the tragedy that happened after the Dragon Campaign will repeat itself. I'm sure you haven't forgotten what happened to the late Lady Yeefnur.
You trusted me, because you know I tell you the truth. There will be no end to this nightmare.
Lloyd,
You, of all people, understand very well how broken the system is. We shouldn't be made to choose between one slavery over another. We deserve better. That's why this world needs to be smashed into pieces and rebuilt from scratch without people whose weaknesses breed insecurities and hench conflicts.
Unfortunately, I no longer have my wingly form. For that reason, I need you. Don't you realize how special you are? 11000 years and you barely aged! With your seed, we can start a new wingly civilization. We will have humans, too. Equally strong, but no longer breed like rabbits so as to not pose any threat to us.
You might pity those people, but you should know better they are doomed to begin with. Sooner or later they will try to destroy each other. Think of it as an act of mercy. Spare them from the suffering they will bring to themselves.
You know there is no other way that can lead to the world you desire.
Melbu Frahma
Lloyd crushed the paper in his hand. He couldn't believe Melbu still had the nerve to ask for reconciliation. That bastard knew his weakness, but Lloyd knew better now rather than to have his emotion clouded his judgment.
Or was he?
He is right. There is no point in preserving this world that has never been kind to you. - a voice inside his head told him.
Those despicable creatures deserve to perish for what they have done! - another voice said.
They will do it again! They will do it again!
There is no hope...
He put his hands on his ears to block those voices. Of course, it was no use since those voices were his own.
Okay, that's just a short interlude to the next part of the story.
This explained the question in chapter 2. Melbu indeed planned for Lloyd to restart the winged race. He tempted Lloyd once more. The question is whether this was how Melbu genuinely felt or whether this was just another attempt to manipulate Lloyd.
What's interesting is Lloyd was not entirely immune to the temptation. There was a side of him that really wanted to take that offer. We know the decision he made and he would have to live with the consequence. I think that speaks a lot about his character. We will discuss this more later, but this is a more mature Lloyd than the one that would sacrifice everything to achieve his goal. I believe this is the attitude that the world desperately needs right now. In line with the quote from the previous chapter:
"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Anyway, there's a hot discussion about transracial adoption. Accidentally, that's what this fic is all about. We know Lloyd's view from chapter 9. That's why I consider it to be the most important chapter to date although there's much more to it later.