TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
The time chamber was silent except for the rhythmic ticking of a clock that didn't belong to any mortal realm. Its hands moved backward, counting down time in a way only gods understood. The room was mostly empty, save for a screen that was showing Aric's unconscious self.
It was the same chamber that Lysandra was put in for interfering with the cataclysm.
Lysandra doesn't like the chamber as the time feels very disoriented, but for Ivy? She doesn't care. Ivy sat cross-legged on the cold marble floor, arms wrapped tightly around herself as if trying to hold her composure together.
She had been here for what felt like an eternity, though she knew better than to trust such feelings. Time here wasn't linear; it bent and warped under the Being's will. Every second stretched into hours. Every hour compressed into fleeting moments.
But none of that mattered now.
What consumed her wasn't the passage of time. No, that was manageable for someone like her.
What consumed her was rage.
Aric had died and been brought back by Seraphina's awakening.
That fucking Nathaniel. He got what he wanted and then some…
He planned for this and deliberately delayed the sealing until it served his purpose.
Her hands clenched into fists at the thought.
Lys, the Being, and I have been working to ensure those awakenings happen without casualties. But Nathaniel and his schemes… He unleashed Lilith through Sebastian, setting off a chain reaction that nearly killed Aric.
A visible vein popped on her head.
I'm going to kill him.
He knew the consequences. He knew exactly what would happen if Lilith broke free. And yet he did nothing to stop it—not until the last possible moment, when he finally sealed Lilith's powers.
I'm going to fucking kill him. I'm going to rip his fucking head off.
Ivy couldn't stand it. Couldn't bear the thought of sitting idly by while Nathaniel wandered free, unchecked and unaccountable for the chaos he'd caused.
And now, Ivy wanted blood.
"Being! You can't keep me here forever!"
CREAKKKK
"Well, technically I could, but you wouldn't allow that."
Being stepped inside, her presence commanding yet calm. As always, she had her teacup.
"You can't keep me here anymore. Not while Nathaniel walks free."
She studied Ivy with an expression that bordered on pity. She sipped one more time before answering,
"Do you really want to kill him?"
"Yes. After he gets Aric back on his feet, I'll maul his fucking face."
Being sighed softly, "You know what would happen if you acted on those impulses, Ivy. Your strength rivals mine, and Nathaniel isn't so easily subdued. Do you truly wish to start a war among gods? One that could destroy the multiverse?"
Ivy shot to her feet, "He unleashed Lilith. He orchestrated all of this. He knew exactly what would happen, and he did nothing until it suited him. How am I supposed to just sit here and let that slide?"
"You think I haven't considered the same? You weren't the only one punished for interference, Ivy. Remember why you're here."
"Well, I did it to save him and to save our plan, while Nathaniel did it out of pettiness. He could've destroyed the fucking world if not for Aric sacrificing himself to kill Lilith. His entire plan is a fucking joke. 'God of Fate' nah, he's a fucking 'God of Pettiness.'"
The Being put the teacup beside her face via levitation,
"So what do you want?"
"Finish my punishment."
"And what are you going to do when I do?"
"You already know. Unless you want a second helping, I suggest you tick that little box on your divine clipboard, look surprised, and pretend you didn't know I was going to beat his ass."
The Being stared at her for a good minute. She knew what those words meant and how serious she was about giving her a good punch if she even dared to stop her. Of course, she could also fight with Ivy, but they are best friends and they would rather keep each other in a good mood.
She turned and began to walk away. "I suppose I'm leaving the door open by accident as I forgot to close it. If you happen to walk through it and teleport back to your domain or Lysandra's, I can't exactly stop you. Your powers will return once you exit the chamber."
Ivy narrowed her eyes. "That's it?"
She glanced over her shoulder with a faint smile.
"What? I'm just a forgetful administrator of existence. Surely, you wouldn't assault someone as innocent as me."
************************************************************
Meanwhile, Nathaniel stood in a vast hall of crystalline pillars, their surfaces refracting light into kaleidoscopic patterns. Pots of roses, statues of cupids, angels on standby, and even screens showing people in love. Before him sat Lysandra, the ruler of this realm.
"You betrayed me!" she spat, slamming her fist onto the table between them.
"I entrusted you with the keys to Lilith's prison, and you used them to unleash her. On purpose."
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, utterly unfazed. "I did what needed to be done. Sometimes sacrifices must be made for a greater purpose."
"Greater purpose?" Lysandra stood up from her seat in anger.
"Your 'greater purpose' nearly destroyed this fucking world! Nearly killed Aric! Don't talk to me about necessity when your schemes leave devastation in their wake."
"But it is for the future. Seraphina's awakening is crucial. She must become stronger than Lilith if the next war ever comes. As for Callista… I'm still working on that."
"Listen here you scumbag." Lysandra snarled, "I might not have feelings for you like Ivy does—though to be clear, all she feels now is the urge to rip your eyes out, but the point is, we don't need another war. Narxuia has suffered enough."
"I, as the God of Narxuia, have already made a vow to protect this world. There's no need to make people stronger than Lilith. Destruction is not always the end product of fate."
She extended her hand. "So either you fix Aric, give me back my keys, and swear you won't backstab us again with Being as the witness. Or, you can try me."
Before Nathaniel could respond, the doors burst open. Ivy strode in, her blue aura blazing like wildfire. The temperature in the room plummeted.
"I will be doing that, Lysandra."
"Ivy?" Lysandra stood up in confusion, "What the? When did you get out?"
"Oh… just. Anyway, move. Nathaniel's mine."
Nathaniel stood and began to protest. "Sadly, I'm marr—"
THWACK.
Ivy's arm swung so fast that the sound arrived late, and her shadow briefly separated from her body. Nathaniel's face crumpled under the blow. A tooth skittered across the marble floor.
"You got jokes now, huh?" Ivy said while looking down at him.
Ivy grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up until their faces were inches apart. Nathaniel had already healed the damage to his face.
"You think this is a fucking game? Aric died because of you. You planned for him to die. And before you mumbo jumbo your ugly ass mouth about this being the byproduct, save it."
Nathaniel stared at her back, "I did what was necessary."
"Necessary? Necessary would've been sealing Lilith the second BEING TOLD YOU TO MOTHERFUCKER! Necessary would've been telling LYSANDRA the truth!"
Lysandra hovered closer, hands half-raised as if to intervene, but thinking better of it.
Ivy shook Nathaniel roughly. "You want fate, 'God of fate'? Here's fate for you. You're gonna get Aric back on his feet. Properly. No more half-assed bandages over a bleeding wound. You fix his mind, and you stabilize him. After you're done with that, you will be punished by me."
Nathaniel winced at the rough grab. "Ivy, you knew he was the catalyst for Seraphina's awakening. With what you did to Callista, she is harder to awaken now. So, I decided to perform an awakening within my means. I didn't mean for him to die."
"Oh really?" Ivy replied to him with a sinister smile, "Then consider me 'awakening' you."
She released him suddenly, only for him to give a punch straight to his throat. Nathaniel gasped for air but immediately healed his throat,
"You… can't force fate."
Ivy leaned in close, her hair falling like a dark curtain around them. "I am fate, motherfucker."
"And, I'll show you what you get for fucking with me and Lysandra."
She grabbed him and teleported out of the realm. Lysandra, who watched what just happened, sighed in relief.
"Ivy is the nicest person here and the fact that you can piss her off this much… well, I'm just glad she's no longer the administrator. Seriously, why did she even give up her role? She was quite good as the head."
The world twisted around Nathaniel as Ivy teleported them both away. Colour from the surrounding drained into streaks of white and red, warping into a swirling vortex. When the light finally settled, they stood in a vast arena under a blood-red sky.
Lightning forked overhead, crackling with cosmic energy. The arena floor was black marble veined with crimson light. Jagged pillars surrounded the battlefield, each one etched with countless runes.
Nathaniel glanced around, unfazed. He dusted his robes off as if arriving at a polite meeting.
"So… back to your little stress playground, is it?"
Ivy cracked her neck, "Damn right. I am going to be nice for a few seconds to get your word on paper."
She flicked her hand, and a towering stone tablet materialized between them, covered in glowing script. The letters reshaped themselves as she spoke:
"Read it and sign it."
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "A contract?"
"Not just any contract." Ivy stabbed a finger at the glowing words.
"For every punch I land on your fucking ugly face, for every drop of YOUR blood spilled in this arena, you will devote every ounce of your fate-bending bullshit to getting Aric back on his feet. You will fix his mind, renew his mana core, and fix his body."
Nathaniel crossed his arms. "And if I refuse? You're talking as if I can't refuse you."
"Then I guess I'll keep punching you until you can't refuse. I will keep fucking you up until you sign the contract boy. I am very sure your wives will be sad to attend your funeral."
Nathaniel stared at her for a long moment, then gave a resigned sigh.
"You're out of your mind."
"Oh, it's been gone the moment you fucked with MY ARIC! I'm tired of you thinking you can play with people's lives like chess pieces."
Ivy got annoyed with a raised eyebrow, "Nevermind, you know what? Take these first then sign it you piece of shit."
She snapped her fingers, and fireballs materialized around her, launching straight at Nathaniel. They hit his barrier harmlessly, dissipating into sparks.
"As you wish."