Inside of the sphere was a pure white void, a blinding light that made it difficult to see. It was impossible to tell where the floor ended, and the walls began.
"Where is the center?" Zell asked, squinting his eyes because of the light blinding him. He walked forward a few steps and decided it was about as center as he was going to get and sat down on his knees. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay empty my mind." He strained trying to free his mind of any thoughts, but the act of trying to clear his mind was causing him to think.
"Hard to clear your mind huh?" A voice said to him.
"Yeah, it is…" Zell stopped mid answer and opened his eyes. Another him stood next to him in the void, looking down on him with his hands on his hips. "Wait, are you the magical essence the dragons told me about?"
"I am you." The other Zell said. "The real you, stripped away from your phony heroism and sacrifice for others. I am what you could be."
"Sunea told me this would be the hardest challenge of my life." Zell replied. "Is this what she was talking about? To clear my mind while my magical essence taunts me?"
The other Zell bent down to talk directly into Zell's ear. "Oh, I can do much more than just talk." Saying that he kneed Zell right in the chest causing him to fly backwards.
Zell grabbed his chest and wiped his mouth; small traces of blood were at the edge of his lip. "The hell did you do that for?" Zell yelled.
"Because you are weak!" The other Zell yelled. "All this power! We are a god! What do you do with it?! You waste it! You have the power to end the war right now, instead you are trying to find a roundabout solution. You should be the one in control of this world!"
"That's not who I am!" Zell replied.
"I am you!" The other Zell yelled back. "Face it, even as Gary you were a push over. Whatever your wife or your kids wanted you would do without hesitation! You never once did anything for yourself! I am tired of it!"
"I did that because I loved them!" Zell yelled back.
"And did they ever return your love?!" The other Zell asked. "Did they ever take you out for your birthday? Did they ever just call and check to see how you were doing?! No! The fact is you did everything for them, and you got nothing in return! The only thing you got from those people was your own death from a broken heart!"
"That doesn't matter!" Zell said. "I still loved them; they are my family."
"Let's talk about that." The other Zell said. "Your family is always such a disappointment. Even in this new world. Your father was the literal worst, and I am certain your sister is the personification of pure evil. In the old world you were nothing more than a wallet to them and you know it. Why would you waste even an ounce of love on such horrible people? Why go to these great lengths to save a sister that does not need to be saved?"
"I noticed you did not mention my mother." Zell replied.
"I find no fault with her." The other Zell replied. "She is the only one in both of your lives to really care about you. She is the only one that I know would die for you, even if it were to just stop your pain for a little while."
"She would be sad if Rose died." Zell replied.
"Wait, are you trying to save your sister just for your mother's sake?" The other Zell asked.
"Everything was for her sake." Zell said. "She is the first person to truly love me. I will do anything for her, and I never want to see her cry. If I killed Rose, mother would certainly be sad. I know Rose deserves death for everything she has done. I know she is beyond redemption, but still, I must find a way, for mother's sake."
"You really are a fool." The other Zell said. "You are going to give up your mortality and defy the very gods themselves, just so your mother won't be sad? Come on! I know what's really in your heart! You have all this power, and you want to use it! You are tired of being the world's punching bag! I grow tired of this stupid debate. If all you are going to do is lie to yourself and make up excuses."
"I am not lying!" Zell replied.
"Enough I said!" The other Zell yelled. "We fight. You and me. We will see whose convictions are stronger. If I win, I am taking control of your life, no more hiding in the shadows. First thing I'm doing is taking what I need from the dragons. Screw this pointless training. Next, I am going to the demon realm and putting an end to their armies. You have left them be for far too long. They may become a threat even you cannot manage before too long. Next, I am going to meet with our dear sister, and I will place her head on a pike atop the tallest tower so that the entire world can see what happens to those that defy me!"
"I won't let you win!" Zell yelled back. "I will never let you do those things, you monster!"
"If you call me a monster, you are just calling yourself one." The other Zell said. "Remember I am you. The real you. Now come let us fight. I am the same level as you, so you won't be able to overpower me with ease like you normally do your opponents."
Zell stilled himself and took another deep breath. He stood up off the ground where the other Zell had launched him and prepared himself for a fight.. With a fiery determination in his eyes, he stared at his opponent.