Chapter 36: Chapter 39 – Nightmare

There was less than a month if not a few days until the first phase of the Suzerain War concluded. Theseus sat in his tent at the Captain’s Boot Camp contemplating. There weren’t many Captains left; only the more troublesome cases required a longer time to be trained by Theseus personally. 

“Their progress is astounding, but I fear it won’t be enough…” He muttered to himself. Leo, who sat peacefully nearby picked up on Theseus’s nervousness but pretended to ignore it. 

Just then, someone entered the tent.

“Hello?” An old, shrill voice asked, as if the old lady who stumbled in was lost.

“What in the world?” Theseus stood up in fright. An old lady, who appeared in her eighties or nineties, wandered in! 

Even if she had one shred of aura in her vessel, Theseus and Leo would’ve long noticed her presence. Even if she was auraless, they should’ve been able to sense this frail, old woman. 

“Who are you?” Theseus demanded. Someone like this could never have found the boot camp and snuck into his tent. Leo growled, just as startled as Theseus. She was likely hiding her true aura realm and exceptionally well at that. 

“Oh, young man, where am I?” She asked, ignoring the two’s fear and cautiousness.

“Answer me! Who are you?” 

Theseus was foolish at times, but he was not naive. There was no reality where an old lady with zero aura stumbled into his tent while no other Captain nor Elder noticed. 

“Young man, where are your manners?” She shook her head and wagged her finger. Her glassy eyes, wrinkled face, and long grey hair shook angrily. 

“After we sent you such a nice gift, this is how you treat us?” The old lady grumbled. Theseus took a deep breath. 
“To answer your question, we are at a strategic military base where no civilian should be. How did you get in here?” 

Trying to deescalate, Theseus listened to her rambling, but to him, it was incoherent. What gift?

“No matter, this is no place to have a discussion.” The old lady waved her hand. Instantly, Theseus’s surroundings turned black.

Calling out to Leo, the soul link was fuzzy and felt blurred, and he couldn’t communicate with his friend for the first time in years. 

“What did you do to me? Where am I?” Theseus looked around, but there was just darkness.

“Hohoho! You really brought him Lachesis!” Another shrill voice called out in the darkness.

“Come out!” Theseus yelled at the top of his voice.

“He’s a real feisty one isn’t he Atropos?” The same voice joked. 

“Why’d you bring him here? It’s not time yet Lachesis!” Another voice bickered. 

The old ladies argued in the darkness. 

“Why bring him here you fool?”

“You got your way with Darkin, now it’s my turn!”

“No, no, no! We sent this boy a gift; that is enough!”

Meanwhile Theseus surveyed his surroundings and silently casted a spell.

“Skill: Night Vision.”

Revealed in the darkness were three old ladies in what looked like a vast and open workshop. Clothes, leather, string, and other materials scattered the large warehouse-like workshop.

“He can see us now Lachesis. This is your problem. You talk to him. This isn’t like us to meddle with the mortals.” The meanest looking old lady barked at the woman who brought him there. They all looked like elderly women on death’s door, but the three argued and bickered energetically. Theseus felt disadvantaged, not knowing their true aura realms and sought to stealthily escape if given the chance. Looking around, Theseus looked for a door. 

“Fine.” Lachesis submitted.

The woman who brought Theseus here, Lachesis, waved her hand again, and Theseus’s scenery changed once again.

Now inside a gigantic cavern, Theseus was even more confused. The only plausible explanations were that this was a dream, or that the old lady had forcefully teleported him into these two different locations. Teleportation was a signature Deity Realm spell. This woman with zero aura was either a figment of his imagination or a hidden expert. 

The old woman, Lachesis, sat in a chair in the middle of the cavern. 

“Hello, Theseus. My name is Lachesis, one of the Goddesses of the Moirai Dungeon.” She smiled, but her teeth were yellow and unkept. That was, the teeth that were still in her mouth. Theseus was speechless. The Moirai Dungeon was an enigma Aries warned against getting involved with. 

“Oh sorry, maybe this will be better suited here.” Lachesis shrugged, and her appearance morphed into an attractive pink haired beauty.

“How do you know about Aurora?” Theseus angrily fought the urge to attack Lachesis, who transformed into the appearance of the F Rank Goddess, Aurora. 

“Don’t be like that Theseus.” Aurora bat her eyes at Theseus.

“Appearances are just that, what matters is the heart.” Aurora giggled. 

“Why did you take me here?” Theseus asked with furious eyes. Assuming this was reality, if this Goddess could teleport him around nonchalantly, she was at least a C Rank Deity or higher. He couldn’t fight this strange old lady, so he had to bear with her strange behavior for now. 

“Just relax Theseus. The Moirai favor you.” A voice whispered in his right ear. The Goddess Lachesis, now in the form of Aurora, teleported behind Theseus, pressing her chest against his back. Chills went down Theseus’s spine, but he stayed silent. There was nothing he could do in this situation. Fighting a sub-rank up was plausible for Theseus, but an entire realm was suicide. 

There was a reason he used his own life as a pawn against Fayette; without trickery and sacrifice, there was no way to close such a ludicrous gap in power. Even when Aries became the God of his Dream world, Fayette still won in the end. 

Lachesis disappeared, and shadows consumed Theseus’s vision despite his Night Vision spell. The next moment, he was on a battlefield.

Towering over Theseus, a huge, looming figure laughed.

“Impressive, but even with your incredible power, the Suzerains reign supreme!” The dark hooded figure declared in a dark, rich voice. Someone resembling Theseus collapsed onto the ground in defeat. He was too bloodied to tell his identity for sure. 

Around him, his Elders and Captains lay on the ground, dead. Blood ran through the waters of the ocean and into the soil. The real Theseus, who watched at a distance caught on; this was the future battle between him and Lord Darkin.

The scene shifted again to when Ju Long awoke in the forest and was brought to Oceanus. Again, the scene shifted back to the battlefield, where Ju Long’s body was sprawled and dismembered in the battle.

“No!” Theseus couldn’t hold it in any longer. His Captains, Elders, and Ju Long, were all dead. Fading into nothingness, he returned to the cavern.

“Why did you show me that?” Theseus yelled into the void. 

Aurora teleported into the cavern and sat on the ground, laughing to herself.

“This is your future little boy. Us Moirai even went through the trouble of bringing Ju Long to you, but you threw away our love and compassion. The Royalty Realm D Rank? Really? That won’t stop Darkin!” Aurora, or rather, Lachesis, laughed herself into tears in the cavern. Theseus clutched his fists in rage.

“How could you even bring Ju Long here? Who are you?” Theseus asked the recovering Goddess.

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“I am Lachesis of the Three Moirai. Together with my two other sisters, we help guide some of the souls of the damned into the next world. We send some to Heaven to live a peaceful afterlife, some to be lost in Purgatory with the Authorities, and others…” she paused, “we send to Hell to be tortured, like you.” Aurora’s face grinned pervertedly. 

“What do you want from me?” Theseus yelled.

“Maybe, I think you’re interesting. Maybe, I want you.” Aurora appeared behind Theseus again, hugging him tightly. Her heavy breathing could be felt inches away from his ears. Theseus didn’t dare move. Soon, Aurora teleported back to her sitting position.

“But no, we’re too old for such wasteful, lustful thoughts. We’re even older than most of these  Administrators.” Lachesis scratched her head, as if thinking about how old she actually was.

“We can read fate to an extent, and to an extent, we can influence it as the Three Moirai. I am Lachesis, the allotter. We three sisters represent the three aspects of life, death, and fate. We don’t control these things, but we are rather arbiters of fate. As the allotter, I can see how long you had to live in your past life and how long you will live in your new life.” Lachesis tilted her head with a sick smile.

“There are times when we can impact fate, at a cost. I have brought you here because I have a personal stake in your survival whereas, my devil of a sister, Atropos, has staked her bets on Lord Darkin’s survival.” Lachesis explained.

“Either you, or Lord Darkin can take hold of the Oceanic Realm. Our game of messing with the fate of the Oceanic Realm has been going on for thousands of years. Don’t worry, your time will soon close, but I am willing to take a small backlash for your sake.” Lachesis’s face teleported against Theseus’s. Aurora’s blue eyes stared violently into his. 

“Thank you, Goddess Lachesis for your kindness.” Theseus spoke robotically, but his heart was pounding. The Goddess instantly appeared back into her sitting position.

“Well said Theseus! Well said. I showed you this future because this is your fate as of now. Your little boot camp or whatever isn’t enough. Lord Darkin will win, and you will lose unless, I offer you a deal.” Lachesis trembled in anticipation.

“What is your offer?” Theseus was scared to ask.

“Your soul. I want your fate.” Aurora stood up, and a contract scroll appeared in her hand.

“Are you willing to sell your soul for Oceanus?” Aurora walked up to Theseus seductively. 

“What are your terms?” Theseus tried to stay calm. There was no chance he would sign this sketchy contract!

“I will offer you power, and once Darkin is defeated, you will be my property, and your soul will become apart of mine. It is like a Spirit Summon contract. You won’t die, per-say, but I will have full rights to your future decisions and fate.” Lachesis shrugged. 

Unlike a Shade Ritual, Spirit Rituals bound two souls together consensually. He would be apart of Lachesis forever, as a servant and source of aura. 

“And what if I refuse?” Theseus threatened.

“Then… I think you know what will happen.” Aurora smiled. As a Goddess of an aspect of Fate, she peered into Theseus’s memories easily. The scene shifted into his first encounter with Aurora.

Astrid’s dead body lay in the cavern as Lachesis, who looked like Aurora laughed as she hovered above. 

“No, don’t show me this!” Theseus screamed. 

“It seems like I’ve hit a soft spot.” Lachesis relented and changed the scene to the cavern, but illusions of his Elders and friends stood on the outskirts. Aries, Leo, Jezebel, Gemini, Capricorn, Virgo, Ju Long, and Gerald stood motionlessly. 

“Like with your precious Astrid, they will all die if you don’t sign the contract.” Lachesis invisibly declared loudly in the voice of Aurora. One by one, Theseus watched as his friends disappeared into the darkness. Tears fell down Theseus’s face and he fell to his knees. He couldn’t sell his soul, but he knew the odds of his battle with Lord Darkin were not good.

After a minute, Lachesis appeared near Theseus in her elderly form.

“You’ve had time to think. Will you sign the contract?”

“Never.” Theseus looked into the white and glassy eyes of Lachesis.

“A pity.” 

Lachesis was visibly sad.

“But, I will also never lose to Darkin. Thank you for sending Ju Long to me. Thank you for opening my eyes. I won’t lose. This nightmare will never come true.” Theseus rose to his feet with determination and earnestly thanked the old lady.

It was strange; every Deity Theseus had met was deranged, even this one that wanted to help him. Aurora’s passion was insatiable, Fayette delighted in endless slaughter, and now Lachesis used his life like a pawn for a selfish game. If he ever became a God, he vowed to retain his humanity. 

“I see the look in your eyes Theseus. I’ve lived longer than you can imagine. Power always comes with a price, an endless burden. Are you willing to bear that responsibility and the consequences? 

Deities are all strange to mortals because the things we gave up to become this strong are incomprehensible to children like you. Now go, my fool. The deal was the best way to save the ones you love, but I still wish you, the bestest of luck.” Lachesis shook her head and waved her hand, and Theseus disappeared.

The two sisters stepped out of the shadows. 

“What a performance Lachesis! I didn’t think you had it in you.” The youngest sister, Clotho applauded Lachesis as she and Atropos entered the cavern’s dim light. 

“Hehehe, I loved when you played Aurora, what a show!” The normally quiet Atropos laughed for the first time in hundreds of years. 

“Thank you, thank you.” Lachesis curtsied.  “Come on, after you sent Lord Darkin a dream all those years ago, I had to match your investment somehow! Ju Long is just a pawn to show my sincerity. This scene was to show my resolve.” Lachesis stared down her older sister, Atropos, who stopped laughing and stared at her rival angrily. 

“When will you two stop these pointless games?” Clotho sighed.

“It’s all we have you old bag!” Atropos snapped at her younger sister.

“Yeah, what else can we do to pass the time?” Lachesis glared at Clotho.

“You two need to stop playing games! We’re too old to be meddling in the affairs of the mortals!” Clotho didn’t relent her position, and the three bickered for hours.

***

Theseus woke up in a cold sweat. Checking his Soul Link, Leo was nearby.

“Leo! Are you okay?” Theseus was worried the Moirai had done something weird to his companions. 

“Oh, Theseus, are you done with your nap? I didn’t know you still needed to sleep?” Leo asked curiously. 

According to Leo, the old lady never appeared, and Theseus asked Leo to go on a walk while he rested his eyes. As a Royalty Realm power, he indeed didn’t need to sleep anymore. Did he really choose to sleep and fell into a nightmare? 

Impossible. The exchange with Lachesis was real. Inside the Moirai Mountains, three Goddesses as strong, if not stronger, than Fairy Queen Fayette lurked and plotted. 

“Call the Elders! Plans have changed.” Theseus went outside his tent and declared. Aries heard the shouting and looked at Theseus with concern. Theseus thought through his plans thoroughly, even if they were risky. Never before had Theseus changed his well thought out plans like midway unless something drastically changed. 

“What’s going on?” Aries rushed over and asked.

“The Fates have smiled on me. I won’t sell my souls like the Suzerains nor the Deities. Instead, I’m going to defeat Lord Darkin with love.” 

“What the fuck are you talking about brat?”

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