My mission in this life was to stay alive at all costs, which came with a hiccup since one of my links keeping me from the gods’ sight was fated to die soon. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Lilith come into the room.
“Vivian, are you ready?” the elf sighed from the door, noticing I was still lying on the bed.
Her voice snapped me out of my daydream, though. Unlike my younger years, I learned how to care for myself as I couldn’t help but feel disgusted if anyone did anything for me. A lot had changed since my innocence was ruined, leaving me to see that anyone with a favor to give was going to ask something in return.
Today was the day that I would meet my fate once again, much like that day that defined me. This time, though, it wasn’t a surprise but a planned meeting. Slowly, I got up from the bed to gaze at the beautiful elf that stood by the door.
She hadn’t aged a day, and neither had Dad. It was because of what they were. They were both homunculi made to protect me by my mother, who had given her life for me.
“It’s time?” I mumbled.
There wasn’t an ounce of me that wanted to leave for this task, yet if I didn’t, my story would end sooner than later.
“Yes, Vi, it’s time. Your father’s waiting for you downstairs.” She informed, walking away.
I stood up, fixing any wrinkles in my blue dress, before heading downstairs. There was where I saw Papa, who was gathering a few of our girls, as if everything had gone according to plan.
“Vivi, morning.” He greeted me with a slight hug.
I smiled at him—the only man who would ever gaze at me with those gentle, loving eyes.
“Morning, Papa,” I simpered, trying to hide the nerves that wanted to flow out of me.
Though if I showed them, no one would care. In all this time, not a single soul had tried to get to know me.
And who’s that? I don’t know. I wish I knew her, too.
All I ever played was my part, and that was it. I would let anyone label me for themselves.
If I were a god, I would be one. Same with a monster.
I had worn one too many masks, and this day was no different. Dad turned towards the other girls, who waited for their introductions.
“Let me introduce you to your partners in this endeavor. These two girls are Zoe and Emma. They’ll be working with you to protect the two twins.” He introduced the duo, who quickly bowed down to me.
Unimpressed…
Slowly, I nodded before also slightly bowing down to them in respect. However, their eyes showed something towards me I couldn’t quite identify. Both girls were partial eternal witches, which made their influence on time a simple fraction of what it truly could be.
Zoe had green eyes, vibrant red hair, and pale skin, while Emma had dark skin, curly blond hair, and blue eyes. They were both beautiful girls, but none would rival my appearance, and that wasn’t because I was full of myself.
The moment I hit puberty, not only did I grow into a full-fledged woman, but I also became the pinnacle of beauty. Pureblood eternal witches like me were the messengers of the gods, making them semi-divine beings.
However, this body of mine held the true soul of a celestial being as well, leaving me with an angelic and flawless appearance.
A curse to me.
“Greetings, Lady Vivian.” The girls smiled as I shifted my gaze towards Papa, who had dark circles under his eyes.
Hah… Have you rested at all these days?
That probably was also my fault. Dad and Lilith were made to make sure the living gods would stay in their realms. My mortal mother, Edna, made a crystal core for them from a shadow beast—the soul of dead god-like beings she captured long ago.
This essentially made the two of them immortals, unless they aimed for their core, which no one had been able to do. This also allowed my father to use the soul cairn to create the little spheres Nene used that day.
Mini portable portals for the realm that held the dead gods’ souls. It seemed the living gods were sloppy since their prison kept being invaded by mortals, while they were blissfully unaware, or perhaps they didn’t care.
Papa and Lilith always traveled around the world to check if any cracks appeared between our realms, which could allow the living gods to leak into our world. For the time being, it seemed like they were sticking to the celestial plane, but that could change at any minute.
Rifts were unexpected things, much like the random gates that opened from the Soul Cairn around the world.
“As you know, you three will start working in the vampire’s royal castle in Night City today. Loki and Oswald have been there for the past five years, and the tensions for the throne got higher because of Asher’s progressing sickness.” Papa paused, focusing his gaze on me.
He wasn’t a fan of this plan, but there was no other way. I was the only one who could change their fate, and if they came, they’d be made out within seconds.
“While you know Lilith and I can’t get near there because of how easily we would be detected, so I’ll need to send you in to make sure that the last prediction Edna had about their future doesn’t happen.” He informed us of our current mission.
Loki and Oswald, also known as Oz, were the two boys who ran into me that fateful day six years ago. Even though we were supposed to meet much later, or at least Dad planned it that way. Sadly, fate was a fickle thing that brought us together before it was the right time.
Just like he said, Mother had predicted Loki’s death at the hands of their half-brother, Alistair, because of the rivalry for the throne.
Why? Aren’t they family?Some might ask, well, greed usually fuels just about anything.
It all began when the vampires lost their magic, and since my encounter with Loki caused him to regain it, the throne’s succession was riddled with drama.
How did this apex species lose its magic? Well, they angered their living god, and he took it away from them.
The only thing vampires could do before Loki came along was control blood within a certain radius around them. My interaction with him caused his potential to expand exponentially, as he already had special abilities because his mother was the strongest witch ever to live.
She, like Papa, possessed the power to control the soul cairn, too, but it came naturally to her. The same grave that allowed the elves to make those powerful artifacts. Oswald didn’t stay behind as his magic was also close, if not more potent, than what my father had.
That part of themselves was supposed to remain sealed until we were older. Mom and Vera hoped it would last until Alistair claimed the crown, yet the encounter between us placed that plan into flames.
According to Dad, I was also the reason the eternal witches got their time magic back, too.
I’m the gift that keeps on giving.
These two boys were too much for the half-breed Rem and her lover Lycan to control once their power awakened. Reports stated that Loki accidentally hurt one of their girls, the eldest, Thea, which marked the end of their trips around the world.
Well, for the twins, at least.
Both Loki and Oswald surrendered themselves to the vampires. His power was too strong to control, and it was why they turned to their kin, who were immune to his blood magic. Something Asher, the king of vampires, welcomed as they all wanted to get their hands on the potential to have their powers back in future generations.
Loki’s and Oswald’s father was Leonard, one of the strongest vampires ever to exist, who was Asher’s son. This essentially made the boys hybrids, since Vera was human, yet Loki’s vampire genes dominated over his human side, while his brother reflected the opposite, emphasizing the human side.
Even though Night City marked danger for both of them, it was also the safest place for Loki. Oswald also stayed behind with his brother, which left us to wonder if they were aware of their predicament.
Sadly, our information was limited in that front, leaving much to speculate. By this point, Loki had learned to control his blood magic, but he never used it. It was said that he did this so he couldn’t hurt anyone again; yet, his power was coveted, which led to him being named a crowned prince, competing against his older brother for it.
The queen and king did this so Loki couldn’t leave the castle as easily and made poor Alistair look like he was second-class compared to his younger brother. Even with the change in plans, that woman, Rem, would come frequently to check on the twins. Fortunately for me, her work to purge the demons that emerged from the soul cairn kept her away most of the time.
My goal in this mission was to protect the boys without killing the half-brother, but if I had no choice, I had no qualms about his blood spilling on the floor. The pacifist choice was the ideal one since it wouldn’t incur the wrath of the vampires on us.
Plus… Fates always try to correct themselves. If I kill Alistair, it may cause further troubles down the line.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Vi? If you aren’t, I can send someone else.” Father sighed, turning back towards me, grabbing my hands into his.
He was worried about my well-being, but my heart was unwavering.
There is no way I can place this task on someone else. My life is my own—the perfect task for a goddess such as myself.