“Jacob, what have you done…”
“Hey. Akuma… What even is a God?”
“W-What have you done-”
“JUST ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!!”
“…Well. He’s the embodiment of love. A king that leads you to your summit…”
“He’s the embodiment of love huh?”
“Yes. He is.”
“Ha. Ha-ha. HAhA. HAHAHAHAHAA. YOU REALLY CALL THIS LOVE?!! ARE YOU MAD!! No don’t answer that, you clearly are. Next, you’re gonna tell me to trust that God will save us, right? HAHAHA”
“He… will…”
(…Right?)
“Tell me. Was me clobbering that child to death part of God’s magnificent love?”
“… I… I don’t know.”
“You don’t know… *Chuckle. I’ll tell you the answer you’re looking for. It’s so simple even a kid like you could figure it out. THE GOD YOU LOVE SO DAMN MUCH HAS VANISHED!! HE’S ABANDONED US!!”
(No. That isn’t true. It can’t be true. Mother said that more than anything he loves us. And I know she wasn’t lying. Something in me believed she wasn’t.)
I was so focused on the words he said to me that I had tunnel vision. My mind just couldn’t register the information my retina was sending.
Which is why I hadn’t realized that Jacob skewered me with a nearby blade he found on the floor.
The internal bleeding rushed to my throat, and blood spewed from my mouth like a broken dam. I barely managed to squeeze out the question:
“Jacob… why…?”
He grew delirious with laughter as he stepped away from me. It was clear that he’d gone mad.
“Why you ask?! Look around, moron! Kids everywhere are killing each other, and you ask why?!”
Was this really the same Jacob that befriended me that time long ago? The one who saved me from my crippling isolation? When I’d all but given up on people, he was there to reach out a helping hand.
Where was that Jacob? That bird who couldn’t stop chippering.
He gripped his hair as if he’d gone mad as he continued:
“I really do wish it were true. A being that helps you just because you asked nicely. I think the world would be a far better place…”
Suddenly, a surge of light pierced through my mind, almost like an ancient, dusty computer being bombarded with a terabyte of data. Honestly, the sensation didn’t feel that different from falling asleep. A daydream maybe? No, it was more hypnotic than that.
Whatever it was, it glimpsed a tapestry of life into my consciousness. I could see trees, people, culture, animals and even mystical beings. I could also see clear images of the unknown like heaven, hell, angels and the deepest of earth's oceans. I could perceive every imaginable entity within this boundless universe and even beyond its edges.
“Why?” I questioned. Why was I able to see such mysteries as if they were staring right at me?
Oh right...
I'm the one who made them.
Surprisingly, the notion was just so laughable.
“I see… The god these people know and love really did abandoned them... I abandoned them. And left them to rot in this hell I call life..."
If what I was seeing was the truth, then it's clear as day...
I was such a foolish God.
The final vision that flickered in my mind was of a teenage boy, his back turned to me. His hair glimmered like spun gold, and in his left hand, he gripped a sacred blade, while his right hand was a fist of fury. Anger surged within him, directed at humanity and the false God, Lucifer.
I won’t be like him. I refuse to abandon them as he did.
In that moment, the chains binding my wrists shattered as if they were mere trinkets. Slowly, my once-white hair transformed into a brilliant golden hue, and a regal fur cloak draped over my shoulders. Moments later, a strange crown materialized above my head.
"...I will fix my mistakes."
image [https://i.imgur.com/kKBEdhj.jpeg]
Jacob sank to his knees, his eyes locked onto the ominous figure looming above him. He was confused, but more than that he was afraid.
You see in this world, the three great colors are common knowledge, even to children.
The Color of White is said to contain God’s blessing.
The Color of Blue is said to contain humanity’s hope.
And the Color of Gold... It’s said to contain the devil’s sin.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“W-What are you?!” he stammered, his voice trembling with dread.
“……”
Silence enveloped the moment, a chilling absence of sound that offered no forewarning. In an instant, his neck was severed, and his head resting lifelessly in my palm. As I gazed at the expression on that severed head, I chanted with a chilling calmness:
“...Hear me Yggdrasil and heed my demand… Devour.”
***
“*Pant *Pant”
“Megara, come with us. I have a feeling; we’ll need your power.”
“How did you get here so quick-”
“!”
“!”
“!”
Almost on reflex, their trained bodies stiffened in fear of danger.
But they weren’t the only ones who felt this pressure.
From every corner of the world -No. From every corner of Yggdrasil, those who could sense starlites felt a demonic and sinister presence lingering over their shoulders.
“Crap. With a soul this strong, Lucifer will find him in no time. Megara, we must go now!”
“Alright.”
**Zip!
Before they could even blink, Iphicles had crashed through the wall of the prison.
“Akuma, are you-!”
“Dear God…”
“What is this…”
Surely this had to be some sick, twisted nightmare, right? There was just no other way to explain the madness before them.
The floor was completely painted a shade of crimson and was littered with pieces of brains, flesh and even bones. On top of those, were heaps and heaps of dead bodies. Of children no less.
And in the very center, was a lone boy using a couple corpses as a throne.
He held the severed head of a child in both arms. Almost hugging it.
And he smiled while doing so.
“Hmm? What are you guys doing here?”
“…Akuma. Did you do all this?”
“Yep. I saved them. I sent them all to heaven, where they'll spend the rest of eternity in paradise.”
“I’m sorry, Megara. But his soul is way too overbearing for your Empower to work. And that’s not even the start of it. Not only did he break his seals, but he’s shattered his Yang barrier. But more importantly, we need to hurry before he finds Akuma with the Akashic Records. I fear we may need your Devour.”
“…Alright then…”
Gradually, the woman’s eyes faded into a glittering sky blue as she chanted:
“…Hear me Yggdrasil. Lend me the power to connect to your Library and alter my story.”
All around her, a shower of black stars spurred forth and condensed into the space in front of her.
Bit by bit. Piece by piece. Those glowing started to morph into a thick dark book.
The cover read:
Amplify
By: Megara
And as she uttered these words, a beast akin to a ghoul spewed from her back and swallowed her and the book whole:
“Devour.”
Soon, the cocoon of darkness subsided, displaying the brand-new Megara.
Matching her obsidian hair, she wore a long cloak that flailed about as it rode the shockwaves her power produced. Her old outfit was replaced by an almost gothic-like short dress. As well as boots matching that aesthetic.
But even more interesting was the open book that rested comfortably in her left hand.
A book that displayed her fate.
It read:
“You will be helpless as you watch your son crumble away from the stress of Devour.”
Moving her right index finger in strange motions, the contents of her story began to change.
Now it read:
“You manage to amplify your son’s exhaustion, thus putting him to sleep. And after amplifying your chances of success, as well as Victor’s power…”
A tornado of power spurred from Akuma’s body, blowing away the two invading parasites.
“Victor!”
“Already on it… Royal Flush: EMPOWER!”
With those words shouted, Victor’s hair faded into a Rich gold. A halo appeared above her head and slowly it shaped into a giant screw, piercing through the side of her head.
(My priority should be recreating those seals that he broke -that way Lucifer won’t notice him… I just hope I make it in time.)
***
Sitting in the highest floor of heaven, was one man.
Distressed by the overwhelming presence he felt earlier, he decided to pinpoint its source.
“Akashic Records, locate that large source of energy.” He commanded.
{Akashic Records: Searching 0%}
(Surely it couldn’t be him, right? Singularities can’t reincarnate after all.)
{Searching 40%}
(No. What am I saying. If anyone could do the impossible, it’d be him. He is the one who created me, after all.)
{Searching 70%}
(And if it is him, then I’ll simply deal with it.)
{Searching 100%... Akashic Records: No Source Found.}
“…Very well then. I suppose it was nothing after all.”
***
“*Pant! *Pant!”
(Alright... Next up is his Yang barrier… But damn. I’m not strong enough to assemble a broken soul. Shit. What do I do!?)
She hadn’t explained the situation to Megara, and she was far from a telepath.
And yet she knew. Whether it was motherly instincts or something else entirely, somehow, she just did.
“Victor! Use a chunk of mine.”
“But… if I do that, then you’ll...”
“It’s alright. I was prepared for this. And it’s not like we have any other option. It’s impossible for someone to restore a person’s soul. Even with Devour… I’m sorry Akuma, but this is goodbye… And goodbye. Iphicles.”
Her smile was like a field of freshly bloomed flowers for Iphicles. In a way, she reminded him of his brother.
“If thar is what you wish, then fine… Royal Flush: Empower!! ASSEMBLE!!”
(With this much of Megara’s soul, I should be able to create an exoskeleton of sorts.)
“…You still hanging in there, Megara?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Alright. Let’s do this. One more push!”
“HAAAAA!!!”
Whether it be man, phenomenon, concept, or even an idea, every conceivable thing in this world has a story. A story that can be found within the infinite Library of Yggdrasil.
In this world, there are people who wield the power to grab ahold of their stories, and forcible change its contents. In other words, the power to devour their own destiny.
But.
Despite what people want to believe, their stories are not theirs. Every book, every single page, belongs to one man.
If you choose to alter his books… Then that… That is vandalism. And trust me when I say this.
*Crck! *Crck!
He will charge you as such.
*SHATTER!
The fading page from her book read:
“You manage to amplify your son’s exhaustion, thus putting him to sleep. And after amplifying your chances of success, as well as Victor’s power, you were able save your child’s life… The End.”
The two -Victor and Iphicles- shed a single tear each.
(Thank you, Megara. I’ll never forget the sacrifice you made today… But geez. To think the boy created his own Library. And without a holy scripture at that. He might have more potential than he did during the first timeline… Or I guess, “the Prophecy”.)
Later that day, when Akuma awoke, his hair had become a permanent dark black, and all his memories were wiped clean. The only thing he could remember was a strange, abnormal thirst to become a perfect being.