Prologue: My Son's Former Fate
Don Diablo- You Can't Change Me
It's taken me some time to find it. The place where Time and Fate had lived together. It's a place secluded from all of the verses, right at the edge of the Titan hell. I never cared much for Time but Fate, she had apologized for something she didn't have to do. Even with the sincerity in her eyes, I knew the apology was never for me. It wasn't meant for Young either. There's something very specific about her actions. There are patterns I need to understand.
This place is odd. It looks like the inside of a dentist's office. The walls are brilliant white. The floor is pale white tiles. The ceiling is covered in fluorescent lights. There's a reception area made up of two glass desks, two brand new monitors, and the clear office chairs. There are lamp cones decorating the walls but that's it. There's nothing else. No office supplies. No wires. Just the two monitors, the keyboards, and the two mouse pads with no mouses on them.
"This place gives me the creeps," Young whispered. With the acoustics in the room, the sound of his voice bounced off the wall as if he had shouted.
I took a seat behind one of the desks. The screen instantly lit up. A picture of Fate dressed in a light blue mini dress popped up. She's holding a white teddy bear. Like the real thing, there isn't any life in her eyes. The smile on her lips is strangely forced. There's a collar around her neck like a leash with a tag that reads. Fate.
"That's sick," Young shook his head.
"Yeah," I agreed.
I placed my hand on the mouse pad and the mouse suddenly materialized. The words, I KNEW YOU'D SNOOP, LILY. Popped up on the screen. I laughed clicking on them. Fate wasn't the first to have the power that she did. I promised Young I would go home as soon as my curiosity was satisfied. He laughed at that. After making sure that there was nothing around or any secret ways in, he left.
Most of her entries started the same. I had a dream... and she would go on to describe what she saw in her dreams. He had everything mapped out for her. A schedule that consists of combat training, sleep, studying, s*x, bathroom breaks. Anything that she needed as a God. To keep healthy and alive. There are lists of foods she could eat. Long lists of foods that she couldn't. Lists and lists of things that he wanted her to follow. My eyes teared up knowing that she had no freedom. He had taken her from her crib the night she was born. There's an entree the reads, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU. I clicked on it. It's a video.
"Hi," her voice brings a burning rage to my chest, and once again, I am on the brink of tears. "I knew you'd come. Not because I saw it or anything, but because I know you. I'm alone right now but it won't be for long. So, this is the only time I get to tell you something that I've never even admitted to myself.
"I hate it here. Everything, my life is a f*****g orchestration of Time and he's a monster. I have no regrets, but one. I never get to meet him, Lily. My forever. I envy you with everything inside of me because you were born for Grayson. I didn't want him to be alone like I was. It's why I created the fated. A pinch of love here, a dash of passion there. It wasn't very difficult.
"Grayson, I worked very hard on the shade of Jade in his eyes and I love you for thinking of them so much. Your sapphire blue eyes we're very hard to create after Arthur. Just added a little ruby red to the mix. Just a little to give you that Mordred fire on your mom's side. You know what color you get when you combine yours and Gray's eyes? I call it celestial turquoise. When I created the fated. I wanted me to be the exception. After all, I already have a master. One that will never release me even if he had come for me.," she's crying now.
"The dream was always the same," she continued with anger. There is so much emotion, her voice is breaking. "No matter how much I altered everyone else's fate. I still killed him in the end. Time made sure of it. This is the only way, Lily. The only way I can ensure that this fate passes without him getting hurt. You understand that right? You get what I'm trying to tell you? He was mine and I never got to hold him the way you do his father-"
I paused it pushing myself away from the screen. My body is so tense that I'm beginning to tremble. I completely understand what she's trying to tell me. The only way she can make sure that this fate passes without him getting hurt. I placed my hand on my abdomen. She killed him before his mana connected to mine. Before it could connect to her. This way, she kills him without actually killing him. My son will still exist. He will exist in a verse without her in it.
"He never held me the way Gray holds you. The insane look of complete devotion Grayson Gwaiin looks at Lilianna Pendragon with. I will never know what that love is. But he will. His new story will be amazing because he is your son. Because he is Gray's son. I have faith in that. Faith in the currents that will grant him breath one day. The shade of his eyes is right here," a small box materialized next to the screen. "So that f*****g b***h Elise doesn't get it wrong. I worked really hard on this and I want it done right.
"You had so many questions for Alyssa and after what I did, I think I owe you the answer to them, right? I did it for him. I alone am to blame for the madness that was Alyssa Mordred. I had to make sure that everything led up to the moment where I killed him the way I did. As you Primal Raised say, my god, Lilianna you played your roll to the point. You gave me goosebumps. I admit that there were times when I thought you were going to end it. But you pulled through. You did this for us. For me. For you. For your baby.
"I know you. You're seething with rage right now. A rage that the very flames of hell fear. But you get it. You finally have the answer to your why and you would do nothing to change the past now. You will accept this. Because you have loved the idea of a child since you were a little girl. A child you yourself would bring into your frightening world so that you can adore it the way you weren't. And you would do anything, be anything, suffer anything to make sure that your child is safe.
"I don't want him to know about this so this is going to go away when it's over. Take care of him for the two of us, Lilianna. That's fate's beloved you're going to carry in your belly for eight and a half months. It's fate's sacrifice, the most powerful King in any verse you will be raise. Thank you, for bringing something so beautiful into this verse. Love him with everything you can for me. Don't name him Xavier you pretentious b***h. That's a terrible name for a baby. What the hell is wrong with you?" we both laughed. There are angry tears streaming down my face. "Name him something gentle. Something that will contradict the son of Wrath and War. I've always liked the name, Marcel. A name fit for a saint yet powerful enough to strike fear," she dabbed away the tears so she wouldn't smear the makeup on her face.
"I have to go now. Don't ever change, Lily. You are my favorite character. My hero. The mother, the sister, the lover I wish I would have had. Time nearly killed me when I created you for Grayson. He wanted a ruthless King. He is, but he has you to stop him from becoming the monster Time wanted him to be. There is so much pain in him. Pain that isn't even his own. Events and memories that Time has made him suffer. Love that man. Warm that hellish ice that threatens to consume him. You are the only one who can. This is my final goodbye, my love. May you live your eternal life in peace,"
The video dematerialized and I was left alone in the vacant where she had probably suffered her entire existence and what a long hellish existence it was. Fate never got to be a little girl. She never got to experience the love she deserved. He turned her into a possession. An object he wielded as he pleased. Did what he wanted. Even if this cage had been golden filled with anything she had ever wanted, it would still be a cage.
I went over to his computer and sat down. The mouse materialized and a blank screen with several apps opened up. Everything is in alphabetical order. Organized by color. From yellow to purple. The files under Fate's name are videos of her. All ages. She had been nothing more than an experiment to him. Notes of her reactions to certain things. She called him Daddy as a little girl and he made continue to do so as a woman. That f**k didn't suffer enough.
"You do not look happy," Cam got up and came over to me when I walked through the portal. "What's wrong?"
"I don't even know how to explain it," I admitted. "I-Where is Gray?"
"He's outside with our dads," he pointed to the front door.
I turned to face the portal again. I want to destroy it, but I know Elise wouldn't want that. She asked me to inform her when I finally located it so she can try and understand what her new role in this verse is. I shut the portal and walked out to see that Young, my dad, and Mr. Malory are all laughing. Young's laughter fell short when his eyes landed on me.
"Li?" he called out to me.
I pulled the small box with the jewel she had given me inside of it. I know exactly what I need to do in order to make sure his eyes are this color. A new element needs to be born so that he can inherit it the way she wanted him to.
"Is everything alright, Lily?" Mr. Malory asked.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Everything is fine. I just-I have something to do. It's kind of important. Gray, can you come with me?"
"Yeah," he answered without hesitation.
"Are you sure? You look upset," my dad stopped me from walking away.
"I am. I'm going to be upset for a while. I just need time to process this one thing. I'll be back soon,"
"I love you," he pressed a kiss to the side of my head.
I couldn't stay anymore. I walked towards my car and quickly go into the passenger seat. I covered my face feeling the ache in my chest take over. This is worse than any nightmare I could have ever imagined. This is the kind of debt that can never be repaid no matter how hard I work to repay it. Fate. My son's former fate sacrificed everything for him and he will never know. No one will ever know because she made sure of it. This exceeds love, it exceeds adoration. This is a different kind of faith. A different kind of prayer. The ultimate religion based on sheer love.
"Baby, you gotta talk to me. What's going on?" Young's placed his hand on my arm. I reached for him pulling him close to me.
"I love you, Gray. I'm sorry that I pushed you away. I'm sorry for all the stupid s**t you've had to endure because of me,"
"Hey, hey. What's going on, Lily? What did you find?"
"The truth," I sobbed. "I found the truth and it's f*****g killing me inside,"
"I shouldn't have left you alone," he shook his head.
"I need you to take me to Delikipos. To the center," I pulled away trying to gather my wits.
"Okay, can you explain to me what's going on?" he asked turning the car on. I opened a portal in front of us. He drove through to the other side where we were instantly surrounded by our world's deadliest flowers.
"Fate," I began. "Was our son's fated,"
"What?" he asked stopping at the entrance that leads down into the core of Crystallis. I nodded handing him the box she had left for me to find.
"Time claimed her as his. She would see herself kill our son because Time made her do it. So, she changed his Fate to what it will be now. A fate where she still kills him, but he is still-born into a new verse. A verse without her in it so he doesn't die at her hands. A verse where he can live,"
"Do you know how much power she would have had to use to change that?" he whispered. "She must have been falling apart inside by the time I killed her. If our son ever finds out,"
"He won't. Any evidence of them being fated to one another is gone. We're the only ones that will ever know. She gave me this," I motioned the box I had given him. "It's a new gem. His gem. She called it Celestial turquoise,"
"I've never seen anything like it," he smiled.
"Me either. That is the color you get when you combine the colors of our eyes," I held my hand up creating a fireball so that he can see in the darkness ahead.
"That is a beautiful f*****g color," he laughed.
The way the gem glows against the light of my hellfire is magnificent. That small gem is going to take root here and by the time Marcel is born, it will be part of Crystallis. This going to change everything. It's going to balance the scales for future generations to come. Pendragons and Mordreds won't have to kill the older generations anymore. They'll all be able to live long happy lives. It'll bring more power to Crystallis. Sharper senses. Stronger cannons.
I knelt down in front of the rainbow crystal. Young handed me to the small box. I pricked the tip of my finger to offer to the crystal. This is a ritual Valerya had mistakenly performed when she was dying. The ritual that brought Excalibur and Durendal to our realm. The crystal open up casting a bright light over the two of us.
"Princess, you have awakened me," its voice is made up of chimes. Like millions of crystals clashing together.
"Forgive me for the intrusion, Rain. I have a gift for you," I answered in old Avalonian. The only language it speaks.
"A gift? You honor me. Present your gift, Princess of the Avalon,"
"She called it Celestial Turquoise," I opened the box to feel the power that had been hidden inside.
"A very fine gift. The competition of our world is born tonight," it's pleased. "I accept the gift of Fate,"
"You honor us," Young and I bowed at the same time.
"Her last will is engraved in this stone, Princess. Would you like me to tell you where to find the boy?"
"The boy?" I asked.
"Yes, the boy's name is Temps. You have three days to get to him before the power passes on to the next keeper. Find Temps and bring him home,"
The stone inside of the box began to levitate. I went up until it reached the different colors of the rainbow crystal. A surge of power passed through me as it was accepted into the core Crystallis. Small veins of celestial turquoise began to sprout from the small gem reaching for the walls of the cave just all the other colors. Young took my hand and pulled me to him. I kept glancing back to the beautiful shade of blue until I couldn't see it anymore.
"You're awfully calm," Young commented when we got out of the car outside of our new house. I walked to the end of the pier with him following behind me. I can feel a new power starting to take root.
"She was right about one thing," I said looking back at him.
"What?" he asked.
"If it means his survival, his happiness, his life I'd do all of it again. I'd suffer everything I have again and again and it wouldn't tear me up inside anymore. My only regret will always be that I wasn't able to save her. She needed saving from that savage and there was no one there to save her. Fate died believing that no one loved her and maybe no one did. She deserved so much better. She deserves a chance to be loved the way she loved us,"
"You're right," he agreed. We sat down across from each other. I put my hands in his and took a deep breath.
"I pray," we began. "I pray to the life of Fate. In death, may she find peace. I pray to the life of Fate. In death, may she find love. I pray to the life of Fate. In death, may she find us,"
Our mana flared as the ley lines accepted our prayer. It is the first prayer of many. Should Fate be reincarnated, she'll have a new life. A family that will adore her. I pray that she will be the happiest girl in all of the verses and when the time comes. Her soul can find Marcel's. It's funny that she would choose the name, Marcel. A little Warrior.
Fate wasn't allowed to be anything other than what Time wanted her to be. From what I've read in her journal entries, she never really wanted much. All she ever wished for was to be free from him. I could have saved her. Easily. I thought I hated her. In the time after she forced the fetus growing inside of me out and long after I found the truth. It wasn't until I gazed into her eyes again that I found that, I love her for all she's done for me. All she's done for my son. One day, I will hand her the scriptures of Fate. The Goddess of Love and Sacrifice and when she earns her title. She will be part of our family and no one will ever hurt her again.