Isaac desperately fought through the pain and horror that threatened to consume his consciousness. The incandescent fire spread out all around him, each color visible within at its purest form. The Eye was still looking down at him; the longer he lasted, the more malice seemed to fill the space between them.
Isaac bit into his tongue until he bled, the taste bringing him back to some sense of reality. He began to slowly understand the sensation invading his flesh. It was exactly like his training in using mana but magnified thousands of times. In this case, the ocean of pure mana was attempting to drown out his inherent corruption. In this moment, as it tried to purify him, Isaac truly understood what pure mana was.
Mana was a form of energy; Isaac couldn't say if it was some elementary particle or some quantum interaction with consciousness. What he did know is that mana was capable of creating observable changes in reality through the influence of willful purpose by a sapient lifeform. Due to this aspect, mana was susceptible to influence by ideals and concepts. Thus, pure mana was a form of mana that was specifically influenced by the idea of purity.
What does it mean to be pure? A question that had also existed on Earth, and it seemed that there was no real answer, only a series of answers that became increasingly hostile to the ones asking it. The endgame of such questioning would probably lead to the idea that purity can only exist in a void where nothing else can.
Isaac was experiencing this: the endgame of purity as a concept. The pure mana threatened to erase his existence completely as it found no other way to purify him. Normally, there was some control exerted over it by Solania; as the Goddess of Purity, she was the one who defined what the endgame of pure mana was in the world. She was responsible for making it usable by a normal person.
Isaac focused on that idea; there was no question that Solania defined purity for a living creature. The Path of Purity was the answer. He refocused and used his willpower to make this argument to the pure mana around him. He began to repeat the Vow he had just made.
"I swear to be Pure of Character; never shall I lie to another."
I have never lied to another in this life.
"I swear to be Pure of Thought; never shall I imbibe mind-altering substances."
I have never imbibed mind-altering substances in this life.
"I swear to be Pure of Body; never shall I forget to cleanse my flesh."
I have always cleansed myself daily.
"I swear to be Pure of Heart; never shall I betray my Wife."
I have not betrayed Solania.
"I swear to be Pure of Soul; never shall I harm an innocent."
I have never harmed an innocent.
In this repetition of his oath along with his mental affirmation that he had followed it thus far in his life, Isaac made his case that he was Pure. He felt the pain begin to dull slightly, and the pure mana began to flow the way he wanted it to as he gained some control over it.
Suddenly, the searing pain of it all redoubled. He looked up from his mental focus and remembered the Eye.
What is that meant to be? Is it some representation of mana itself? That doesn't seem likely.
He felt a connection to it, and upon further inspection, Isaac realized where it was coming from.
The ring! The wedding ring that is binding Solania and myself together!
It glared at him with what seemed to be annoyance as he came to that conclusion. What did that mean? Was Solania secretly filled with Malice and a desire to purify the world? Isaac didn't think that was the case, not consciously.
The Eye, clearly an entity capable of exerting real control over pure mana, was somehow related to her. He felt his being burning away, down to the soul. Despite his best efforts, Isaac was being purified by the entity.
The answer isn't just to understand how to control pure mana. Instead of negotiating with mana, I need to negotiate with this thing.
Isaac used every bit of his willpower to stand and face the Eye. Tendrils of incandescent fire shot out and wrapped around his neck. The grip wasn't tight, but the threat was clear. He swallowed dryly, his mouth filled with pure mana burning him away. He forced the words out.
"What…may…I…call…you?"
The entity did not seem to expect that. It did not speak, but he felt sensations and emotions flowing through the flaming tendrils directly into his mind. Initially hesitant, the answer was mostly images of all things being purified until reality was a blank slate with nothing but this entity remaining. He felt some understanding; this was an entity representing the concept of purity. Something that can only be described with terms like eldritch and unknowable.
He forced out more words, deciding to name it in a way that he could understand, "She…Who…Purifies?"
He felt an odd sense that he could only describe as mild satisfaction coming from the entity. If spoken with words, it might be, "Good enough for such a lowly being."
Having determined that there was some link between She Who Purifies and Solania, Isaac decided to just be upfront in his questioning,
"Why…Deny…Me? She…Approved…Solania…Approved…"
The tendrils gripped his neck with intense strength, but the process of being purified slowed. Through the link, he felt resentment. Bitterness. Anger. Images of purity are distorted and twisted. Images of repression.
Despite being a part of her, the entity had some issues with Solania. He could only theorize that Solania, and in fact, all living beings that used pure mana, were doing precisely what he was doing before. Redefining what purity was. In a way, if one was the manifestation of a concept, such a thing was tantamount to rejection and suppression.
Though they use your power, no one wants to embrace the reality of it. They won't even acknowledge you, much less accept you.
With that thought, the tendrils loosened, and feelings of enthusiastic agreement flowed to him. He felt some understanding of She Who Purifies.
Though it could read his mind, he decided to speak anyway, "How…Can…I…Prove…Myself…To…You?"
She seemed confused by that question. Obviously, he couldn't; he was impure, as all things were. He moved his shaking hands up to one of the flaming tendrils with great difficulty and gently touched it.
So purify me then, but will this improve your situation? Ignored. Abused. Used against your will.
She seemed to hesitate at that. He continued.
Instead, why not allow me to be your husband? Unworthy and impure as I am. I will embrace your power to purify me over time and not redefine it. Maybe, instead of destroying me, I might become more like you.
The great Eye narrowed as it looked at him, trying to see through his lies. Of course, he wasn't lying. Isaac felt this was the only middle ground he could establish with She Who Purifies not to be killed here and now. It would put a massive restriction on him, but not more so than death.
The sensation of being annihilated was almost completely halted as she considered his statement.
"I…Will…Vow, Here…and…Now." He said.
He felt an influx of conflicting emotions before a sudden interest and expectation. She wanted to see if he would really do it, here where its power would bind it to his soul.
He coughed and then spoke the final Vow,
"I…Swear…To…Be… Pure Of…Purpose; Never shall…I…Use purity…Against the will…of…my wife."
The Vow caused a new sensation to stir in his soul, and he knew it was done.
Isaac's conclusion was this: Solania and She Who Purifies were both part of a singular being. Solania was the more outward side, but She Who Purifies seemed to be the origin of the control over pure mana.
Thus, it was not just Solania but also She Who Purifies who had to agree to the binding of body, blood, and soul. So, claiming that he will not use the power from this union against the will of his wife should apply to both of them. In this way, he was saying that he would not ignore the source of his power and, in doing so, maybe lower her resentment towards himself.
How exactly this might manifest in the future wasn't clear to him. Isaac guessed that it would be that some of his power came from Solania's interpretation of purity, and some would come from She Who Purifies.
She seemed flustered by his follow-through. The sensation of pain was finally removed. She Who Purifies seemed to be watching him warily, as though he would reveal his way out of this Vow at any moment. Honestly, the way she acted really did remind him of Solania.
The tendrils released him, but not before one of them broke off of She Who Purifies and wrapped tightly around the Wedding Band on his finger. The intention was clear: she would be watching him from now on, and if he broke his Vow, there would be significant punishment.
The pain and suffering he had gone through was over, for now. Isaac gave a shaky bow to the entity before him and said, "Then I am both terrified and honored to be your husband."
Well, I can't lie now, can I?
Suddenly, reality returned to him. Isaac was prone on the ground and stared up into the haze above the glade. His ring finger throbbed with pain down to the bone. Fatigue filled his body, and he passed out.
Isaac had survived, for now.