Chapter 145 - Barter

Chapter 145 - Barter


As the purification of the Moon Goddess starts, I am overwhelmed by my own memories. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The pain is excruciating, and I scream out in agony.

But as time passes, the pain only intensifies. Tears flow down my face. But judging from the sting as it flows across my face, I think it is blood.

I can feel my mind slipping away from the pain, and I can hear the screams of the werewolves inside my head.

Suddenly, a warm hand grabs mine, squeezing it tightly.

“Stay with me, Kaiya,” a voice says. Inanna. She presses her forehead against mine and whispers words of comfort. I can feel the calming magic from her as well.

Through the pain, I manage to grasp onto her hands, anchoring myself to reality. Her magic and tone stabilize me, and slowly, I begin to focus on what’s happening around us.

The Moon Goddess is suspended as her purification process starts. I can hear screams from outside the mimicked Realm that Inanna has done.

“Don’t give up now...” she whispers again.

And I realize that the pain has dulled. Yet, my body is still uncontrollably trembling. I am dying. I know it. My memories are too great that a mere human can’t handle them. No. I was supposed to be reaped long before, but I keep on forgetting things to survive. That’s why when everything is returned, I am dying. No. That is not called reaping. It is merely a transfer of body. I am confused. There are just too many memories that I need to process.

“We’re close, Kaiya,” she says, her voice ringing amidst the chaos.

My body continues to shiver, tears fall and all I can think of is Theo’s face, and the pain I will cause him once I die.

“You can’t, Kaiya,” she says. “Don’t die on me, please.”

“Inanna! Come out! Ninus needs help! Please!”

It is Ruth. I can hear growls from a monster. No. It’s from Ninus who’s acting weirdly violent. He is fighting back the Pitchford generals who are trying to bring down the shield that Inanna has done.

Then I lay my eyes on Theo. He is also trying to bring the shield down. He is calling my name. Seeing his worried face, the tremors in my body die down, but it only scares Inanna. This time, anger flashes through her face.

“Blood God! You asshole! You fucking promised! You’ve done everything to me! And I fucking let you! Now, you got what you wanted so you need to answer to me! Keep the end of your bargain!” the soft-spoken Inanna screams.

After a while, a deep voice finally answers, “I can’t. I was thrown back here, remember?”

“You asshole! I know you can come here if you wanted to!”

“You arrogant little bitch. Stop calling my brother an asshole.”

Inanna whips around to face the newcomer. A god who is tall, with broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes that seem to see straight through everyone.

“Who are you?” Inanna demands, her hands glowing with dangerous energy.

“I am...Hm, doesn’t matter,” he says, his voice low and gravelly. Then he points at me, and the pain vanishes. “That’s only temporary relief, human. So you are not yet saved. Once I leave, you will still die.”

He is right. The pain has dulled,  but I still can’t move around.

“What do you want?” Inanna’s eyes narrow, asking the same question I have in mind.

“That human has done something cruel to a goddess,” the newcomer god answers. “She deserves it. However, I will give her one last chance.”

“What kind of chance?” she asks suspiciously.

“Oh, great. You are learning. I think that distrust is because of my brother.” He looks around and impatiently waves his hands. “These humans are too noisy. Why not let them in?”

And in that instant, the barrier that no one can come in disintegrates, including the mimicked Realm that Inanna created has dispersed. However, instead of action, everyone freezes at the sight of the god.

“Good, good. They can sense divinity when faced with it,” he says.

After taking a deep breath, he explains, “This woman is dying from the amount of memory she has. Anyone who’s willing to sacrifice their future for another human? It just so happens that I also like to create an Apostle here. But I will create one in the correct way, so the other divinities can learn from me.”

Theo is about to step forward when he says, “No. Not you. I need a woman. Oh, no one’s available except you, little vampire pet.” Then he gestures his hand in a dramatic flair, “Where are all the women?! Gosh, this is war. Why are they missing?!”

“Future? Not my life?” Ruth asks, going straight to the point.

“You heard it.”

“Since I don’t have a future, you can take it.”

“Why can’t you just help without asking for payment?!” Inanna interjects. “Especially when your brother owes me!”

The newcomer god moves closer to Inanna. “My brother did ask me for a favor to come down here, unfortunately…” he pauses. “My brother and I run on different principles

Then he turns to Ruth. “You have offered your future for this woman. That shows courage and selflessness, as opposed to the woman you are trying to save.”

“It’s not her that I am trying to save...” she whispers.

As if on a trigger, the whimper of a monster echoes through the hall. The newcomer god clicks his tongue.

“Ah, that,” he whisks his hand, and Ninus reverts into his human form. None of the fangs and none of his violent tendencies. “Well then, let’s say it’s a gift,” he adds. “I will give you the opportunity to become my apostle, to serve as an agent of my divinity. In return, I will help this woman so that she can live out her remaining days in peace.”

Ruth hesitates for a moment. Becoming an apostle of a god is a heavy responsibility.

“Don’t do it, Ruth...” I say, panting.

“Oh, shut it,” the newcomer god says. “A god coming down on his own is not an everyday occurrence, don’t you think? Be opportunistic.”

Ruth takes a deep breath and looks at the god standing before her. “I accept your offer,” she says, her voice unwavering.

The god nods. “Very well.”

He steps forward and places his hand on each side of Ruth’s face. A bright light emanates from the god’s hand and envelops her. Ruth freezes as if she is seeing visions of opposing ideals in her head. When it’s done, her aura changes.

“From this day forth, you shall be my apostle. You will be called the Mermaid Queen, as how the woman you are saving is called the Alpha Queen.”

As if remembering something less important, he walks towards me and lightly touches my head.

“I will turn your overwhelming memories to foam. These foams, once they regain their own awareness, will become mermaids ruled by the Mermaid Queen. Once all of these memories become mermaids, the human named Ruth will become a full-fledged Mermaid Queen.”

I feel a pang of fear and confusion as the god’s words sink in. My memories turning to foams? Becoming a mermaid ruled by this woman I barely know? But before I can protest, the god’s hand begins to glow again, and a sharp pain shoots through my head.

For a moment, everything goes white, and then it fades to blackness. When I open my eyes again, I find myself standing on the edge of a rocky outcropping overlooking a vast and glittering sea. My legs are gone, replaced by a tail that shimmers with iridescent scales.

All around me, I see others like me–mermaids of various colors and sizes, some laughing and playing in the waves while others swim deeper into the ocean, their tails flashing in the sunlight.

I try to speak, but all that comes out is a series of bubbly clicks and chirps. Panic begins to set in as I realize the enormity of what has happened to me. I am no longer human. I am a mermaid.

As I struggle to come to terms with my new form, I feel a presence beside me. I turn to see Ruth, her own tail shimmering in the light of the sun. She smiles at me and extends a hand.

“Seems like you finally gained consciousness,” she says. “Welcome to your new life.”

Then, another series of pain wakes me up, and I am back in the hall. The newcomer god is looking down at me with mischief. “I will save you by turning your memories into foams. However, you will forget everything.”

He touches my forehead again, and then I black out.