“Cosmo le Strange.”

I hear a voice in the distance, i look to where it could be and see nothing. In fact, i notice that there is nothing in my surroundings, only darkness. I try to remember where i was before this and… nothing.

I can’t remember anything prior to this place, and the things that i see in my perception in endless darkness. Floating in the endless, quiet darkness and i strangely don’t feel disturbed by it. I even feel at peace with myself in this place, i wonder why.

“Child, heed my voice.”

All of a sudden i hear the voice even more clearly, and the endless darkness around me was replaced by broken rubble, that seemed to have been broken by something or some people, as i could see in the distance that there was more broken object floating in space, in some there was a broken castle cut in half and in another a statue of a being minted in gold but is now being eroded by time.

The figure of the statue resembles that of a person. I would've came to the conclusion that it was a human, except the fact that the statue had 2 horns on their head a tail. So it being human was crossed out.

I look closer and notice that the statue was filled with cracks, floating in the endless space i reside. The figure of the statue had its arms clasped behind his back, standing straight with his shoulders back, ever looking forward like he was waiting for something.

“Goddamnit kid, did you not hear waht i said.”

Snapping out of my daze, i glance towards where the voice was coming from and i saw a person, or actually a demon to be exact. He had long dark hair extending towards his waistline and red eyes that seems to resemble hell itself. His face was really handsome as he had a round face with clear white skin. I would've believed he was human if not for the fact that he had 2 horns on his head, with one of them being broken, and a long tail in his back.

“Ah sorry sorry, i was a bit shocked is all.”

“Sorry? SORRY?!?!, sorry int gonna cut it kid, iv been calling to you for what felt like thousands of years and you didn't respond and only floated in the fucking darkness.”

Mr. Demon seemed a bit mad at my speculations as he was huffing and puffing in his chair with his face flushing red. He regained his composure and then spoke in a deep and intimidating voice.

“Cough* It is fine child, now why don’t you sit here first before we have a conversation?”

Suddenly, a table was conjured up in front of him with a chair along with it. Seeing Mr Demon sitting and waiting for me, i didn’t want to be rude so i sat down and look across at him.

“Good, so child, i have a question. How the hell did you end up in this place?”

Confused, i look around me and notice that yeah, how did i end up here? The last thing i member was that i was at Granny Amanda’s house along with Mr Samuel and Mr Charlie. And after that… After that… What happened after.

“I see so you dont know, well its understandable, i would be even more surprised if you knew.”

“Uh Why is that?” i said in a puzzled tone.

“Because this place, child, is a place no one can enter nor escape.”

Stunned, i survey the place I’m in, fuck how do i get out of here? My heart rate spiked as my palms felt sweat, my back chilled as the thought of being stuck in this place terrifies me. Mr. Samuel was still waiting for me.

“But don’t worry child, because from my observations, you’re not actually here, only your consciousness is here and can still leave.”

A sense of relief washed over me as i heard his words. If i have to escape due to my abilities i would be pretty much screwed. I look at Mr Demon with gratefulness as i think him profusely.

“Thank you, Thank you Mr demon.”

“Don't thank me yet kid, because i don't know how you’re gonna get out.”

And that deflated my excitement over leaving this place. I sit back down as i stare out into space, or the darkness in this case. I start to think about how to leave this place. My abilities may be limited but my mind isn’t. Maybe i can try stabbing my sword in my heart again.

“Thats not gonna work child, best to leave that thought as only a thought.”

Shocked, i look towards Mr. Demon with a quizzical gaze.

“How did you know what i thought of Mr. Demon?”

“Cause i can read mind, child, and stop calling me Mr. Demon. Call me Lucius instead.”

“Um okay Mr Lucius.”

“I said Lucius, Not Mr Lucius.”

“Yes, Mr Lucius.”

“This Child.”

Mr. Lucius just sighed as he looked at me, his thoughts uknown to me as I’m pretty bad at reading people, yet i still looked at him directly.

“Child, you seem to have forgotten but you still haven’t introduced yourself.”

“Ah I’m sorry Mr. Lucius.”

I apologize as i seemed to have been rude when talking to Mr Lucius, i was thinking about a lot of things so it must have slipped my mind to introduce myself.

“Its Cosmo le Strange.”

“No, not your name kid, i already know your name. I want to know who you are.”

Puzzled, i gaze at Mr Lucius, confused at his question.

“Sigh* What i am asking is who are you child, not your name but who are you. What defines your existence, child?”

“Uh, What do you mean?”

“God damnit, to put it simply, what do you do in your life that has led to you forging your identity?”

A dawning expression arrived on my face as i realized the meaning of my question, so i smiled and said.

“Oh that, Well i don’t know Mr. Lucius, I’m trying to figure that out myself.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Well kid, you can stop figuring it out, as it seems fate has already decided who you are.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Mr. Lucius had a surprised expression on his face, like he saw a dragon being polite towards a human. He looked at me a bit more and i honestly felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, his eyes that seemed to contain unknown horrors. After a while, he stopped staring at me with such intensity and said.

“I see, i guess introducing yourself isn't the only thing you have forgotten.”

“What? Then what else have i forgotten?”

“Your Prophecy?”

“My Prophecy?”

Lucius came closer to me within arm’s length, and with a grin, he extended his right hand towards my forehead, and in a gentle manner, tapped it.

“Yes, child, fate has declared you to be the one to destroy the world.”

All of a sudden, a rush of emotions filled my head as various memories came flooding in. I keeled over as i couldn’t take the pain, the pain which felt like a sword lodged in my skull, twisting it every few seconds. The pain felt unbearable as i could feel the world turning blurry, almost losing my consciousness if not for Mr. Lucius’ voice.

“Endure child.”

So i endured, i endured the magnitude of pain i felt which made me want to grab a sword and stab my heart with it. Yet the pain i felt from the flood of my memories couldn’t compare to the pain of remembering what contained those memories.

I stopped clutching my head as i lay on my back, with tears forming in my eyes as they run down in my cheek.

“So i will destroy the world huh.”

My mind went blank as i remembered those memories, the memory of Granny Amanda telling me that i will be the one to lay waste to this world, telling me that my dream of becoming a hero already failed from the beginning.

I stared off into space, not knowing what to do from now on, not knowing what i can even do from now on. For if the world ever find this out, i would be hunted everywhere i went, that not even Mr. Samuel and Mr. Frank can protect me.

“Alright stand up kid, this isn't the end of the world.”

I turn towards Mr Lucius, confused at what he said.

“Uh, What do you mean Mr Lucius?”

“It means what it means. All hope is not lost.”

Mr. Lucius has an arrogant grin on his face as he said that, pointing me towards the table to sit. And so i abide and with a bit of hope in my heart, ask him how i can do it.

“So so, Mr. Lucius, what did you mean by that there is a way to cure my fate?”

“Oh no child, i said no such thing.”

My enthusiasm dwindled in a matter of seconds as i look at Mr Lucius with weary eyes. Maybe I need to leave. I can figure this out with Mr Samuel.

“He won’t be able to help you child, in fact i may be the only one who can help you.”

Oh yeah i forgot he can read minds, but still i was stunned that even Mr. Samuel can’t help, but if he can’t help then does that mean i have to take help from Mr. Lucius? Shit.

“Hey your being so rude child, you know you can always talk.”

“Sigh fine Mr Lucius.”

Helpless, i look at Mr. Lucius with no hope in my eyes. This person seems so unreliable despite his intimidating looks.

“Alright child, ill telling you already. Children nowadays are so impatient sigh.”

Mr. Lucius snapped his fingers and the place we were in was gone, and he replaced with a white room, with the same table and chairs we were using in the middle.

“Now that there’s no need to worry about leakage, i can tell you now.”

“Cosmo, i will ask you a simple question. What do you think is fate?”

“Well, isn't it the thing that decides the future of everything in existence?”

“Wrong!”

He shouted with overwhelming rage. The room almost boiled down from the immense heat. The room showed cracks within its interior, ready to break at any moment. But it was stopped as it was about to explode and everything went back to a serene atmosphere.

“Ehem, i meant that its not the correct definition.”

I hurriedly nodded as i dont want the room to go berserk again.

“What fate actually is is simple. It’s bullshit.”

“Huh?”

“I said it’s bullshit. Whoever said that some illusory thing decided what your life will be is a fucking nut job, and i thought the Inquisitor of the church was crazy. But there is some truth to those words. Fate can indeed show your future but it can only direct you to a general direction, something close to it, but even then it’s not certain.”

“Not Certain?”

“Yes, not certain, because lets say that fate has indeed decreed you to be the one to destroy the world, yet i can easily break it by killing you right here and now. Destroying your soul in the process, forsaking the so-called prophecy.”

I felt a chill down my spine as i felt the gaze of Mr Lucius for a split second. It felt like my life was forfeit the moment he said it was foreit, not a good feeling to be honest. Then it was gone, and he continued.

“Well, to simplify, to defy fate is indeed simple but not easy. The hurdles you have to jump through might even reach the [Altum Caelum] or the high heavens.”

“Um excuse me Mr Lucius, what [Altum Celum].”

“You dont know this child? Strange, anyway it’s the realm of the gods. Now questions will be asked after the lesson, Cosmo.”

“Yes, sir.”

I lower my head as i listen attentively to Mr Lucius, i have a feeling i might figure a lot of things with Mr Lucius.

“The point is kid, is that all hope is not lost, there is still a chance for you to overturn you damned fate, but the consequence of that is you will be against everything, and i mean everything will be against you. Allies will be numbered to your fingers and you could die at any moment once you start.”

Okay, maybe going home isn’t such a bad idea.

“Oh, and you can’t run away anymore now.”

Damn it.

I sigh and look straight at Mr Lucius, and with a strong resolve i say.

“Yes, Mr Lucius, please guide me from now on.”

“Hehe, you’re a sensible child, you know that.”

“Thank you.”

I felt a tinge of warmth when Mr. Lucius complimented me, but it all came crashing down after what he said next.

“Alright, now jump into this portal right here.”

Mr Lucius conjured a portal beside him and what filled the other side of it was suffocating, unending darkness, i felt that even light would get sucked into it. It gave off a feeling that, once you go in, there is no going back. I know because even though it is just floating there in the air, the atmosphere it gives off is no joke.

Stunned, i was confused by what he meant. I look at Mr. Lucius with a piercing gaze but he ignored it as if the wind blew on his face.

“What do you mean, Mr. Lucius?”

“It means what it means. Jump into this portal right here.”

“Uh why?”

“What do you think, child yah think ill guide you just because you somehow got in here? Naïve, if you want something, then you best be prepare to go through hell and back to achieve it.”

“Ah so that’s what it is…”

I believe that i went through this situation once, and it was not by my own volition. Well i did make the choice even though i didn’t have much options. Well, Mr. Lucius makes a good point, I’m being trained by Mr. Samuel and the rest, with basically no fee so i guess this makes sense.

“Hm okay then, Mr. Lucius.”

I approach the portal and got ready to jump at any moment.

“Child, wait wait, you’re being too hasty, i have to tell you some things first.”

“Huh, what is it? Don’t i have to just jump into this portal?”

“Well, yeah… But let me tell you this first, once you go into this portal, there is no telling you would ever come back, and even if you do there’s a good chance that your mind would be broken from the horrors you have witnessed.”

“Hmm i see. Okay then.”

i Get ready to go in again and just as i was about to go in, Mr Lucius stops me.

“Wait wait wait, kid, are you sure? You do know that in that places in the other side of the portal, even the gods would fear the things inside this place. Are you absolutely, very, positively sure you want to go in?”

All right now I’m annoyed. I ignore Mr Lucius and jump into the portal as the voice of Mr Lucius echoed behind my back. Here we go.