Ava woke up feeling bloated. She felt full.
She opened her eyes and immediately examined her surroundings. She’s— it looked like she was inside a well-lit castle adorned with flowers and gems.
She frowned.
Was she in heaven?
Ava swallowed.
She doesn’t believe in one but this room really looked like some fantasy setting from one of those high fantasy films.
"You are awake," a woman’s sweet voice made her flinch.
Ava turned around and stared at the woman wearing a long black dress that extended far behind the woman. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to see the edge of the fabric.
She immediately frowned. She did not sense the woman approaching her.
"Where am I?" Ava asked. "Did I— " she gulped.
"Die?" the woman smiled. "That is quite an assumption."
"This place— what is this?" Ava decided not to drop her guard down. Despite the fact that the woman looked beautiful and harmless, she couldn’t seem to feel any of the woman’s emotions or her presence.
Hold on... was this a dream?
"I am glad you finally figured it all out," the woman smiled. "We are inside your consciousness. Your body is— quite tired. I apologize, I cannot find the right words to say it. You just absorbed someone’s divinity. It was something that — the cosmos wouldn’t allow."
"Are you saying that the cosmos is going to kill me when I wake up?"
"Not quite right," the woman smiled and sat on the bed. "Eve... do you believe in reincarnation?" she asked.
"I— should I?"The woman was calling her Eve again.
In response, the woman just stared at her. "You have been reincarnated hundreds of times."
"Are you— "
"In fact, I am one of your reincarnations."
Before she could answer, the woman added. "Though today, I am but a fragment of the past, something that you, yourself planted inside your memories hoping one day, you would remember. Hoping that one day, you would be able to get your divinity back.
"Divinity?"
"You are someone who used to have her own divinity. But it was taken away by the cosmos itself."
"Nyx— "
"Yes. You are the personification of the night. People from your realm call you Nyx. And it would be more convenient to call you by that name. But I believe Eve suits you better."
Ava pursed her lips. So, she was some goddess.
"You said that the cosmos took my divinity away?" she asked.
"Yes. You broke the only rule that the cosmos set. As punishment, your divinity was taken. Though, the cosmos forgot the thousands of years that you have been the goddess. Even without your divinity, you are still more powerful than normal Deities. With endless reincarnation, you have become lesser and lesser powerful. But that— is bound to change."
"What about Matthew?"
"Why do you think he fought against the cosmos just to find you?"
"What?"
"He— He was the one who abandoned his own divinity to be with you."
"What does that mean?’ she asked.
"He had been looking for you, meeting you, watching you die, and moving to a different realm to find you."
"So, I have met him before."
"Thousands of times. He had been with you— all the time. Though, some of those times he doesn’t even remember who he was."
"What about my memories? Why can’t I remember him?"
The woman just stared at her. "Because in some of those lifetimes— you were human. And even when you are not. You have no divine powers. Your memories will disappear along with your body."
"But this time is different."
"Again, you are right," the woman said. She looked towards the large door in front of them. "You managed to walk to another dimension, you managed to break the barrier that separates two Matthew. You managed to awaken his memories and in return, you manage to make him a deity, again."
"You said that it is going to change soon?" Ava asked. What changes?
"You should come with me," the woman got up and to Ava’s surprise, the woman suddenly held her hand and dragged her towards the door.
"When Matthew appeared in your realm, he attracted the attention of the cosmos," the woman explained. "How could a deity just abandon his divinity to be with another deity?" the woman’s voice suddenly became lower, deeper.
It was as if the one who spoke was a man.
Ava frowned.
The door opened before they could even reach it. She immediately squinted at the bright lights that surrounded—
"Matthew!" Ava called out. Matthew was bound by large golden chains that seemed to shine. His face was pale, cuts apparent on his face and on his chest. "What is going on?"
The woman who was with her was no longer there.
"Thou art h’re," a voice echoed inside her ears. Her body started trembling yet, she was quick enough to calm herself down.
"Who is speaking?’ sadly, she couldn’t see anything aside from the bright ball of lights around them.
"We has’t nay nameth." The voice sounded echoey and deep. And somehow, it sounded like a chorus of three or more people.
"What is happening to Matthew!?"
’That gent who is’t hast hath broken the ruleth shalt suff’r’ another chorus of voices.
Ava frowned. It means he who has broken the rule shall suffer.
"What rule?"
’That gent who is’t hast hath broken the ruleth shalt suff’r’
"Was it because he — he left to follow me?" she asked.
’That gent who is’t hast hath broken the ruleth shalt suff’r’
"Answer me!" Ava hissed.
’That gent who is’t hast hath broken the ruleth shalt suff’r’
"Then what can I do to save him?" she asked. "I— " seeing Matthew in pain, a deep sense of regret washed over her. "Take me! Take me instead!" she uttered.
Panic sat inside her heart when Matthew stirred. But instead of waking up, his face morphed into that of someone in pain. His already paled face was beaded with sweat.
Why were they punishing him?
"Please let Matthew go!" she said as she tried to approach Matthew. However, she felt an invisible barrier push her back. Again, she tried to approach Matthew but she just couldn’t.
"Please! Can you hear me?" she looked at the lights.
This time, she didn’t receive any answers. "Please— please let Matthew go. I can — I am willing to replace him. Please stop... he is in pain. Please!"
For some reason, there was a certain part of her that is telling her that this would kill Matthew.
"Please— Please let Matthew go! I am begging you! He didn’t do anything wrong! Please!"
’Art thee willing to suff’r f’r that gent?’ Suddenly the chorus asked. It echoed inside the space, making her tremble.
"Yes! Yes! I am willing to suffer for him. I am— I am willing— Just please— let him go!" Ava’s heart was thumping so loudly, threatening to jump out of her chest. Hot tears fell from her cheeks.
"I am willing— Just please let him go!"
’Thee knoweth nothing’
She knew nothing. And maybe that was true. She knew nothing... now. But that is going to change very soon.
"Please— " Ava screamed. "Please— I will do everything! Please let him go! I will do everything just please..."
To her surprise, Matthew who was suffering not that far away from him started to turn blurry. Panic sat inside her. What is happening?
She opened her mouth but no voice came out of her throat.
This time, Ava started struggling until she felt like she couldn’t breathe.
Then she felt a powerful pressure pull her back. She felt her body fall. She expected to hit the floor but instead, she felt her body bouncing on a comfortable foam.
She opened her eyes and realized that she was in another room. She immediately got up.
"Are you willing to give everything to save him?"
Ava answered yes before her gaze landed on the speaker. It was an older man. Bald with a long white beard. He was wearing white and he was smiling at her as if they already knew each other.
"Yes."
"His and your existence had caused damages in your realm."
"What are you talking about?"
"The reason why those people were able to come to Earth was that a diety opened the doors for them," the man smiled. "I am certain you already know who I am talking about?"
She nodded. So, Matthew had been looking for her and because of that, the other occupants of the other realm found it easier to use the ’door’ that Matthew used.
"His existence should be— "
"Please don’t," Ava said. "I will do everything."
"Everything you say?"
"Yes."
"You shouldn’t have existed in this realm," the old man said. "You— the daughter of a Guardian who wanted to be a god and a freak of nature, shouldn’t have existed in this world."
Ava nodded at that.
"And so is he..."
Again, Ava nodded.
The old man pursed his lips. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"The time will turn on the day that you met him. Your memories shall be intact and so are your bodies. But you must do one thing..."
"What is that?"
"Close the portals, clear the relics and end the occupants of the other realm."
"What will happen to Matthew?" she asked.
"No one will remember him and you. The two of you do not belong in that realm. Once you are done... you must leave. Never to come back again."
"So— " So, no one will remember her too?
As if sensing her thoughts, the old man nodded. "Yes. The son of the darkness and the one made of chaos and malice shall disappear from this realm Never to be seen again."
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