Chapter 47
Desire
I always believe my sister’s powers was the scariest thing this world had to offer, but after being throw into this dreamland, I’m starting to think that all Entities’ powers are terrifying in their own way. Despite knowing this is a dream, my senses keep telling me otherwise. I can smell the rotten corpses that infected this land, I can feel the warmth of the tentacles slither around me, and hear the laugher of a witch who’s taken the form of my sister.
“Why are making such an angry face? I’m sure I’ll be a better sister than that tomboy Anna. In fact, I’ll do everything you wanted your real sister to do.” The woman lifts her skirt up while giving me a wicked grin. I quickly avert my eyes before I could see anything.
“What the heck are you doing?!” From the corner of my eye I could see she was looking at me confuse, as if she didn't understand what she was doing wrong.
“Hmm, aren’t you the least bit curios to see what your sister is wearing?”
“No, why I would I be?!”
“Well this is disappointing, I thought boys your age was interested in this kind of stuff.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t see my sister that way.”
“Is that so?” Her grin grw wider almost as if she was purposely trying to make my sister look sinister. “Then tell me, why are so attach to her. kids around your age usually start to distance themselves from their family and maybe even want to start a family of their own, but you seem to have gotten even closer to her over the years. Why is that?”
“It’s because I want to protect her.”
“Pfft protect?” The creature let out an exaggerated laugh and even went as far as to roll in the mud to mock what I said.
“Was there something wrong with what I said?”
“No not at all. What you said was pretty admirable, but you and I both know she doesn’t need protection.” The creature let out a chilling laugh while lifting her hand to the menacing black clouds that covered the sky.
“Your sister is a born killer. I mean that should’ve been made obvious to you when she defeated James, an extremely skilled knight. While you can blame his defeat on his missing arm, you can’t forget the fact that Anna barely learn any sword techniques from him. All she did was adapt to her body and created a more convenient way to fight in it. For example, her “Repel” Since she’s are too weak to block attacks from monster she created a move that not only commands her sword to completed nullify the enemy attack, but it also turned the momentum of their own attack against them leaving them wide open for. If you think that technique is powerful don’t let me get started on her other move.” The creature jumps back to his feet and grab the sword that was attach to her waist.
“Using magic to increase your attack power, a simple, yet effective strategy. But you and I both know there’s more to this technique than that.” The creature continues to causally swing her sword around as she spoke to me
“As you know, enhance magic is magic that ‘enhance’ your body in some way. Most mana manipulators who use enhance magic will increase their attack power and speed to unleash a barrage of powerful attacks on their opponent. As I said before it’s a very effective strategy, but enhance magic is a double edge sword for humans. Increasing your body strength without proper training can tear your muscles apart. Since your sister is too lazy to do that, she never rushes her enemy down while enhancing her strength, since she’s well aware of the consequence. Instead she lets her enemies get close to her then unleash a quick and powerful surprise attack to minimize the strain on her body. But of course you knew this already. After all, you seen her use these technique multiple times before.”
“So then why are you telling me this if you knew I knew this already?” The creature let out a sigh as she put her sword back in her sheath.
“Rend and Repel, these two techniques your sister created off the top of her head, not only makes up for what her weak body can’t do, but they’re powerful enough to make even orcs, a battle harden race tremble in fear. In to put icing on the cake, both these moves are mana efficient and simplistic to the point even a child can use them. You see where I’m going with this right?”
“No, I don’t, all you did was explain how my sister’s tricks work, which I already knew by the way.”
“My, my, my.” The creature face-palm itself while shaking its head. That dense side of yours is quite endearing.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” The creature places its hand on my chest while giving me a small smile. I know this thing isn’t my sister, but it still was weird seeing her smile.”
“Anyway the reason why I told you all this is because I’m trying to beat it into your head that your sister is a genius when it comes to fighting. But I guess doing this was pointless since you knew that already. So then tell me Aaron, if you’re aware how strong your sister is, then why do you keep telling yourself that your sister needs protection when you know full well she doesn’t?”
The creature push herself closer to me until there was no space between us. “C’mon tell me! What’s the real reason you want power?” With her press so close against me, it was impossible for me not to notice how warm and alive she felt. If it wasn’t for the fact she didn’t act like my sister, I would be impossible for me to accept this as a dream.
“Be honest with me Aaron, the real reason you want power isn’t to protect your sister. No, you want to surpass her and make yours right?"
“I told I don’t see my sister that way.”
“So you say, but if that was true I look like this?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means Aaron; you’re that force me to take this apperance.”
“How…” A tentacle wraps around my mouth the moment I open it.
“I know what you’re going to say. ‘How am I forcing you to do anything when you got me wrap in your loving embrace?’ That’s what you were going to say right?” The creature seemed please to guess what I was thinking, even though I’m sure anyone in my situation would be thinking the same thing.
“The answer to your would-be question is quite simple Aaron, this is a dream.” I narrow my eyes at her as a way show how much I didn’t appreciate her obvious answer. But the creature of course ignores it and continue on as if this whole scenario we’re in is completely normal.
“Well to be more precise this is your dream. While Athena is manipulating it, you’re the one that’s truly in control. You know what that means right?”
“….” The creature went silent as if it was waiting for me to answer her.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Correct!” She jump in excited even though I didn’t say anything at all. “I am your desire personify.” I quickly turn my head away as move she closer to me.
“Well at least that’s what I’m supposed to be, but I don’t sense any desire from you. You said you want to help your sister, but I didn’t feel any weight behind those words, almost as if you’re lying to yourself.” The creature removes the tentacle from my mouth and looked at me with great anticipation “C’mon Aaron tell me, what do you really want?”
Am I really lacking in motivation? I shook my head to dispel the unpleasant thought the creature manage to drive into me. No, there’s no way I would come all the way out here for no reason.
“C’mon, Tell me already!” The creature moves her face closer to me, her eyes were practically… well they actually were glowing red, but they seemed to be glowing brighter now as she stare at me in excitement.
“I want you to stop imitating my sister.” I slam my head into hers as hard as I possibly could. Lucky for me I can’t feel pain since this is a dream, but from the way the creature is reeling from my head-butt she isn’t so lucky.
“That was for annoying me! I don’t care if you are Athena’s assistant or nothing more than a dream, if you continue to make fun of me and my family, I’ll make you regret it.” The creature looked at me silently while rubbing her forehead.
“Well I didn’t expect this out of you. I’m sorry, I guess I tease you a little too much.” Somehow watching my (fake) sister apologize to me wash away my anger. Yea, this world is definitely is fake, now way my real sister would do something like that.
“Well then, since we’re done playing around I guess I should get on to business…” The tentacles suddenly drop me in the mud. Watching the creature laugh at me while picking myself up from the dirt made me realize it got one thing right, it nailed my sister’s twisted sense of humor.
“Tell me Aaron, what is motivating you, why are you going so far to help her?”
“Is this question also part of the trial?”
“Yes, in fact it is. What you say here will determine what Athena will do with you. So I implore you, don’t think too much about this question. Instead of answering with your brain, answer with your heart instead.”
“Answer with my heart huh?” I couldn’t help but to laugh. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing my whole life. Every single one of my action up to this point has been made out of impulse rather than logic. Because of my rash behavior I gave my sister nothing but trouble. How funny, just when I started to second guess myself I was suddenly thrown into a dream where I’m being told the only way to help my sister is by not thinking.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, I just realize now weird my life is.”
“You just now realize how weird it is? You should’ve realize that the moment you found out your sister was the Demon King.”
“Yea, I guess you’re right.” I continue to laugh at my own stupidity. My Mom in the past was poor to the point she had to hunt monsters just to survive. My dad was once a revered knight, but has fallen from grace due to a tragic event. And my sister is literally the “god of corruption.” The fact that I thought my life was normal despite knowing that each one of them had a dark past, must mean that I’m actually the craziest out of all of them. But do their pasts really matter? After finding what my sister was, I still saw her as nothing more than my sister, someone who I deeply care for. Yea sins from the past can’t be erase, but do I really have to judge them solely from the mistakes they committed, and not the people that was born from those mistakes?
“Aaron, I’m still waiting for your answer.” The imposter said softly to me. I found it weird that she wasn’t pushing me, rushing me to answer her question like before. I guess this really is important. What I say here might actually change me and my sister’s fate.
“Sorry about that, I found myself thinking about unnecessary stuff.”
“Think? Didn’t I tell you not to do that? If you have to think why you care for her, then you truly don’t care for her.”
“No, I do care for her, that is most certainly a fact, and I’m sure you nor Athena won’t be disappointed by my answer.”
“Is that so?” The creature crossed her arms and looked at me as if she just accepted a challenge.”
“Yes, I’m quite sure.” I tightly clench my fist as a smile spread across my face. For some reason I was excited, it feels like the world has somehow become clearer to me. Maybe I feel this way because I finally have a chance to help my sister, or maybe it’s because I fully understand why I’m doing all this. “The reason why I want to protect my sister, is because she’s my sister.”
“Ok and?”
“That’s it. Does a mother need a reason to protect her baby?” The creature let out a sigh while scratching her head. I guess my answer wasn’t good enough for her.
“I see what you’re trying to say Aaron, and normally I would agree with you, but the situation you’re in isn’t normal. Your sister is the Demon King. The person you’re desperately trying to help is planning on destroying this world. Are you so blinded by devotion that you can’t even see that?”
“I guess I am blind; I don’t see a ‘destroyer of worlds’ when I look at my sister.”
“Don’t let her appearance fool you. Anna is still very much a threat to this world.”
“And you shouldn’t believe everything that’s written in the history books!” I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I’m getting too emotional. While this isn’t anything new with me, you know there’s a problem when you said history is a lie just so you can protect the person you care for.
“Listen, I know you think this journey we’re on marks the end for this world, but I don’t think that at all. I think the reason why my sister is wants to conquer the world isn’t to destroy it. No, I think this is her way of making people accept her for who she is.”
“Accept? Aaron, are you trying to say that the Demon King is an innocent teenage, and the real villain is the world for shunning her?”
“No, I’m sure my sister committed a bunch of cruel crimes in the past, but what would you do if you were in her situation? What would you do if the entire world hated you and wanted you dead?”
“….” The creature went silent. I’m not sure if she was still disappointed in my answer or if she was actually thinking about my question. “So then the reason why you’re helping your sister is so she can find her place in this world?”
“Find her place in this world?” My mind went blank as those words echo in my mind. Is that what I meant to say? I’ll admit at the end I was saying whatever came to me first, but even if I didn’t mean to say that in the end….
“…. If it makes her happy then that’s what exactly what I intend to do, since after all, she is my sister.”
“Not bad, I actually felt some determination behind those words. What do you think Athena?”
“I think I own Aaron an apology.” Athena places both her hands on my shoulders. Somehow I didn’t find it weird how she just literally pop out of nowhere. I guess humans really are capable of adapting to any situation, even ones that destroy reality.
“My apology Aaron. Most humans that get close to the Demon King are usually power hungry fiends. This test was to see if you were one of them, but your speech not only prove your innocent, but it was very inspiring, it actually made me rethink things a little.” My body suddenly became paralyzed as Athena’s finger dig into my shoulder. No matter how hard tried I couldn’t break free from her grip.
“Tell me Aaron, how do you help someone who close their heart from the world?”
“Another question? I thought we were done?”
“We are, and I fully intend on helping you and my brother. I just want to know your opinion on this subject.”
“A closed heart?” My thoughts instantly went to my father. My dad left home when I was a baby, so I really didn’t see him until years later. And even after he came home he purposely avoided me, so I didn’t understand him that well. It wasn’t until I decided to leave home that he open up to me, he even try to train me and help me prepare for the outside world, but that little time we spent together wasn’t enough for me to get know him well. I’m not sure if it was because he was still hiding something or if I was just simply ignoring him. All I know is I left home without ever truly understanding my dad.
“….” All the excitement and energy I had vanish in the instant I realize how cruel I was to my father. I see what the creature meant by me having no desire now. This entire time I fool myself into thinking I was doing something right, but I was only thinking about myself. The reason why I follow my sister wasn’t to protect her. No, I was just afraid of being left alone. Without her, I feared no one else would care about me.
“No answer huh? I guess we’re in the same predicament.” Athena’s voice was weak and didn’t hold the same charm it once had. “They called me the ‘Goddess of Wisdom’, but I committed a lot of mistakes that betrays that title. Like my brother for example.”
“The Demon King?” Energy begin to rush into me again, is she going to tell me about her past and why my sister is the way she is now?
“Yes, it was me that put my brother on the destructive path he’s on now. The moment the he was born I saw him as nothing more than threat that needed to be eliminate and because of my quick and irrational judgement my brother was condemn to a cruel fate.” Athena tighten her grip on me even more. Lucky I can’t feel pain, but still feeling her finger piercing my skin was extremely uncomfortable.
“I’ve tried many time to atone for my actions, but centuries of death and violence has cause my brother to close his heart to me and the world.” Even though I couldn’t see Athena’s face, her shivering hands was enough evidence for me to know she was struggling to speak.
“What I’m going to ask you is extremely selfish of me, but you’re only the person capable of helping my brother now.”
“What is it?” I know I was too quick to accept her request, especially since I have no idea what it is, but the fact that I can help not only Athena, but also my sister, this definitely something I wasn’t going to turn down.
“I want you, to convince your sister to give up on this pointless journey….”