Before I knew it, Midnight had me under her grip, and I couldn't escape her. However, her attention shifted from me toward my sister.
"Dear, do you find destabilizing all my work a good hobby for you?" She chastised Vera, getting off me.
The moment she did, my vision blurred as I clamped down on my chest, trying to hold on to the little reasoning that I had.
What was I about to do? I...
The witch was using the curse to reach her, so I shattered the link between them; however, it remains within her. So, I recommend not getting Rem here too angry, or it will make the wolf within her blood lust, much like the Lycans of old." She turned her attention back toward me, informing me.
"It felt so much worse, didn't it, Remi? Poor thing," Midnight added, as I couldn't shake the feeling away.
I probably would've ripped into you if she hadn't stopped me.
"The fun part is that you won't feel bad about tearing into her until it's all set and done." She read my mind.
No! Even if you piss me off, you're still my one and only sister!
I tried to fight the desire that was surging within me.
"Pity your jealousy got the better of you, Vera. Well, it's fitting as you have Ruzgard. The god of desires and fertility seems to know no end. Though, try not to poke the beast next time, okay?" She shrugged, shifting her attention back to me.
"Have you calmed down yet, Ren?" Midnight questioned as I shook my head, feeling the urges rise within me like waves of nausea.
A soft sigh left her lips. "Well... maybe this wouldn't be such a big issue if you had your entire soul. I had hoped to give you a few moments to acclimate, but it seems your sister has taken that from you."
Waving her hand, she began walking towards Caden, who could only watch her, unable to do anything.
"Hey, boy, where's the sword I made? Go ahead, you can speak. I'll allow it." She asked, snapping her fingers and slightly breaking the spell on him, but no words left him.
"Oi, why make it difficult?" She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue before touching his forehead as a dim light came from where she touched him.
He didn't flinch or appear in any pain, yet when she tugged away from him, a smile rose on her lips.
"Ah, there it is." She mumbled, summoning a black portal, much like Edna had done.
Reaching her hand into it, she pulled the blade out and then headed back toward me. A bright red hue came from Alijah, who appeared alerted by what she had brought. Sensing it, she turned to him.
"There, there, little psychotic Lycan. I won't harm her. If you haven't noticed, I also went easy on you last time." Midnight winked at him before kneeling by me.
Unable to say a single thing to stop her, I was incapacitated by the urges raging within me.
"Eh, I know it hurts, but don't worry. You aren't this world's doom. No, you'll be its salvation. Well, part of it." She suddenly declared, placing the sword next to me and grabbing my face.
All I could do was stare at her.
"What?" I managed to voice.
She sighed. "Do you need simpler terms for your brain? Come on, you used to be more competent in your other life. Then again, this is only part of you, but I don't think it would have changed much. If I do think about it, you were a ditz in that life, too."
A sharp frown creased her lips, and she shook her head.
"Little luma, you're nature's way to fight what's coming. Well, you'll be." She tried to clarify.
Huh?
"I don't—" I started, only for her to finish my sentence.
"You won't understand it, but I'll try anyway. There is a prophecy unfolding, and it appears to involve you and the Lycan sitting over there. You and he will be the only way to stop what's coming. Well, part of it." Midnight shrugged, shifting her eyes toward Vera before returning them to me.
"You see, I believe the witch thinks the book is telling her where she wants it to go. However, it doesn't work that way. All she'll bring is the end to the mortal realm. Perhaps it's what she wants, or maybe it's just the chaotic nature within the tome she uses." Midnight informed, grabbing onto my chin.
From the state of blood lust to the data being bombarded into me, it was too much to keep up with.
"The Book of Life is a tool that even we gods couldn't control before we sealed it away. I don't know how she found it, but it tells how the universe ends. Though... it doesn't say it straight up." She continued, tapping the sword and narrowing her eyes.
There was no doubt she knew my mind was being overwhelmed by everything she was spouting, yet it didn't stop her.
"So, it's probably making the witch think it's doing her bidding. Of course, that's my opinion. It can be different. The prophecy is vague, but the destruction is imminent, and of course, it includes both our realms. It'll drag even the living gods into it because of their thirst for power." She shrugged, her voice running cold.
"And how do I fit into this?" I asked, grabbing her arm, finally getting a grip on myself.
She smirked. "Well, you already saved everyone. You prevented the witch from acquiring the Lycan, which could have destroyed the world. It would have caused the gods to return and create chaos until the universe was overloaded."
Midnight paused, biting her lip, before shifting her gaze back toward Vera for a moment, then refocusing it on me.
"Because of that, she'll probably turn to the soul cairn, thinking she can control it." She continued, grabbing my hair before tugging it up, prompting me to wince.
"Let me go," I growled, unable to find the strength to fight her.
"Nah, I'm not done with you get, love. You'll be a god slayer, just as you were in your previous life. I guess you already purged one with my help, but it was weak and almost overwhelmed you. However, with this sword in your grasp, you can send them all back into the cycle of rebirth." She announced, leaving me mortified where I was.
What the actual fuck is going on? Me, a god slayer?!
"Hah? I'm a luma. Shouldn't this fall for someone more capable?" I instinctively gazed at Vera.
She had always been better than me at everything. Even if she got on my nerves, it didn't change the fact that she was more stable than me.
"Who? Your sister? She's a powerful witch and will be essential to you, but she'll never reach your contributions, Rem." Midnight announced, following my eyes to her.
A soft cackle left her lips, throwing me behind her as I landed on my bum. Before I knew it, she stood before me, leaving me little leeway to do anything.
"You're more than just a little luma. Though facing what's coming, you'll have to learn to control your powers in ways you never thought possible. Including me, and I won't make it easy for you." She smirked, cupping my cheeks in her hands.
What are you even saying?
"Rem... Right now, this is your power being used, not mine. Does that give you a hint of who you really are? You who control battles, who smite others at your will. Hey, who are you really, Rem?" Midnight questioned.
"I don't understand." I huffed, still feeling the aches in my chest.
She shook her head, leaning her lips against my ear.
"Well, you have some time to figure that out. However, you'll also have to quell that blood lust somehow. I severed the link to the witch, making it permanent. Sorry about that." Midnight whispered, tugging away before turning to Alijah, whose eyes shimmered brightly.
Though... For that, I know the perfect solution. Come to me, Valdios. Her voice echoed within.
"Though I don't know if you have it in you. You are a little luma. Your soul, your everything, will be mine in the end. So just give yourself to me and fuck this world." She smirked, triggering my wolf to snap through the incantation that contained him.
He wasn't entirely free to move, but his voice was finally able to erupt.
"I won't let you take her." He snarled, stepping toward us as the spell seemed to bind him in place.
She giggled, turning slightly toward the wolf.
"It's intriguing just how strong you are. Even though you have poison coursing through your veins." Midnight grabbed me again by my chin and slowly leaned closer to my lips.
Huh? Did you say poison? What have they done to Alijah!?
She wouldn't let me think about it further, though.
"Though it's a little late for that. Rem has been mine since she died at the age of twelve. The only reason she's alive is that I claimed her then. So, she's mine and will always be mine." She declared.
At that moment, his expression turned into pure indignation.
"If that's true, then take me with her!" He countered, grabbing his chest as the color hadn't returned to his skin yet.
She smirked, bringing him over with a singular stroke of her finger. When he arrived, his knees hit the floor as the aura around him dissipated.
"Well, now that's an offer I'm not willing to refuse since you're the one I lost to, and for that, I'll gladly make you part of this trio. Just beautiful, really, for us three to be reunited like this." Midnight purred happily, stabbing my wolf in his chest.
Is she killing him? Why? Why? No... No!
"Alijah!" I screamed, yet my body refused to move as swiftly as I wished, allowing her to grab onto my face and stop me from doing anything.
How am I supposed to beat this?!
"Aw, how cute? Don't worry. I'm not killing him. He'll be yours to do as you see fit. It's your destiny, after all. This will make him your personal guardian. Isn't this what you wanted, Fenrir? To be with him even in death?" Midnight reassured me, pulling her hand out of him.
My beloved wolf tumbled to the ground, out of breath but alive. Turning back toward me, she ripped his shirt, exposing his chest to me. There was a weird marking on it. Though it seemed he was in agony as his left eye shifted from red to blue constantly.
"You see this?" She pointed to his chest as he couldn't fill his lungs with enough air.
No!
Tears rolled down my cheeks again as seeing him like that hurt me, too. The marking appeared to be a circle, much like my birthmark, but had weird branches erupting.
"What did you do to him?!" I demanded to know what had happened.
"Oh, I bonded him to us. He'll be the only one to reach you when we merge. The only one who will resist my flames, even when you lose yourself to the curse or anger." Midnight informed, placing her arms on my shoulders.
She sat on my lap while I tried to pull myself away, to no avail.
"You see, you and I are one, Rem. We've been since that day twelve years ago and soon we'll always be. So, either you consume me, or I'll ultimately consume you. Grow strong or die. These are your only options, and I kind of like you even if in this life you are a derp." She tapped my cheeks, wiping away any remaining tears.
"You're someone I love dearly, and that's the only reason I'm helping you to this extent. Don't blow it this time, my love. There won't be any more do-overs." Midnight warned, leaning close to me.
I couldn't help but push myself back when she suddenly turned to Shade and Ruzgard. They were starting to move. Their bodies were glowing light blue, triggering her to click her tongue.
"Goodbye for now, failed gods." She bid farewell to her companions before facing back to me and kissing me.
My eyes flew open, unable to find the strength to push her away. Trailing her hands down my body, she grabbed onto my chest, prompting it to shine red from my birthmark. Before she could do anything else, Alijah grabbed her arm, prompting her to tug away from me.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, birdbrain." He panted for air, holding onto his chest with his other hand.
"Good, it works," Midnight smirked, disappearing into thin air and freeing everyone from the spell.
Suddenly, everyone in the room could move while Uncle Ben and Aunty Amelia rushed toward each other. Caden ran towards Alijah and me when I suddenly lost touch with the world. Everything turned blurry when a warm embrace picked me up from the floor.
"Sis, I got you." My brother's voice was muffled before my consciousness suddenly wavered fully.
The next time my eyes opened, I found myself in my bed with Alijah beside me. Caden was on my other side, also asleep. For a moment, I tried to remember how I got there, but my mind couldn't find the memories to connect to.
The last thing I saw was the stadium ceiling, and I still felt sluggish. Gazing toward my brother was a struggle, as I couldn't help but feel heated.
The last thing I need is you with me in my bed and lover!
Annoyance filled me. I didn't want him in the same bed with us. Slowly, trying not to wake them up, I turned to Alijah and noticed his short hair was better than before. A weird marking on his left eye caught my attention the most. It was as if a black tattoo had passed over his eye and landed on his forehead.
It also trailed down to his jawline, ending past his shirt. I traced it with my fingers when my wolf suddenly clasped onto me. When he opened his eyes, I could see a blue hue come from his left one as a gentle smile rose on his lips.
"Hey..." Alijah breathed, trying not to wake up my overprotective brother who slept beside us.
"What did she do?" I whispered, prompting him to lean into my touch
Grasping onto a few of my strains of hair, he caressed them so gently.
"Nothing that I didn't want to be done to me," he reassured me.
Unable to help myself, I tried to snuggle myself into his chest. Luckily, Caden seemed to be a sleeping log. This was the beginning of something. If I had only known how much hardship lay ahead, I probably would have locked us both up in that small space that used to be our nirvana.
But that would've been the coward's way out.
For the future I envisioned with him, I would have to fight and struggle harder than I ever thought possible.
Yet... My worst enemy is me. Who would've guessed it?