"…what am I looking at here?"
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could think. I slapped a hand across my mouth with wide eyes and glanced at the three others awakened in the room.
Blair's unsettling demon mask fixed me with the usual unmoving, emotionally imperceptible look. Orochi snickered, his black tattooed flames dancing on his face under his gray hair. Lucius, for the first time, barely regarded and tapped the static surface of the prism again.
The sparkling figure of light encased within the dark prison of the prism nodded off to sleep, its head hanging down.
A vein on Lucius' forehead popped, prompting him to pummel the prism with his palm. The entire ballroom rattled under the force and a few chunks of mirror flew into the air.
The sparkling figure rose its head and an almost irritated look lined its featureless face, then shook its head.
It flicked a finger and a wave of light swallowed the mirror ballroom.
When I opened my eyes to an open landscape of flowing long grass and vibrant blue skies, I could barely utter a sound.
In front of me was a long, ornate red wooden table lined with an array of irresistible food. Along with them was Blair, Orochi and Lucius seated at the head of the table with a knowing smirk on his face.
I swallowed and shook my head. I can't keep acting shocked. I've only been awake a few hours at most, yet these three individuals keep flipping my brain upside down with the spectacles they presented to me. I can't deny that I was extremely entertained, if not terrified of what kept happening to me, but I can't keep acting like a newborn experiencing rain or snow for the first time.
I composed myself, hopefully for the final time, and took a seat at the end of the table across from Lucius.
He seemed to take note of my changed demeanor. Behind him was the black prism that contained the sparkling figure in fetal position, its face pointed in my direction. Goosebumps ran down my arm but I set my gaze at Lucius.
"What's next?" I say, trying to keep my voice composed.
Lucius nudged his chin and looked down his nose at me, "I suppose it's time you understand what I have planned."
He extended six fingers at me, "I'll make this simple so we can get things in gear. You're aware there are six gods, yes?"
I nodded, "War, Heart, Beast, Sun, Storm, and Shadow. But they're dead."
"Yes, most people think the influence of the gods ended with their deaths, however, like most things in the dream realm, it's never that simple."
Lucius picked up a knife and looked down at the slab of steak in front of him. He sliced it open and a pool of blood spilled out the meat. "They left remnants of themselves which can be passed down. Sometimes those remnants are items, sometimes knowledge, sometimes structures, and sometimes, in rare cases–lineages."
Lucius pointed the bloodied knife at me, red dripping down from its edge onto the table cloth.
"You've acquired the lineage belonging to the goddess of desire, hunting, blood, and the cycle of life and death."
That description… was chalk full of things associated with the Beast God. I had the lineage of the Beast God?
…
… …
Lucius smirked at me while closing his eyes, "Yes, you're very special. A very rare few have the lineage of gods. Only the direct family of the Great Clan leaders have attributes similar to the gods, and even fewer that have the lineage themselves. Remember this, Vincent: you are a miraculous person–I'm truly in awe–"
Lucius's monologue was interrupted by my laugh.
I was laughing and I couldn't stop.
It was so hilarious, everything that was happening to me was already unbelievable, yet now I also carry the lineage of a god?
Someone like me?
Nah, that would never happen.
I didn't understand why. Yet the images came to my mind.
Me, on my knees as I stared at the swarm of red ants threatening to devour me in their embrace as I cradled my own guts in arms. Later, in front of Itri as he stared down at me with the longsword in hand. Again, I watched helplessly as Ford and Lorelei fought Blair and Orochi.
Every time, I had the chance to do something and I messed it up. Every single time someone had to save me and in the last two occurrences, it always led to injury and death. Especially the latest one, when Blair and Orochi ambushed us–I'm starting to hear now from Lucius that the reason they did that was to get me.
Oh gods, it's really all my fucking fault.
I caused all of this, and now I'm supposed to be some legendary wielder of a goddess's lineage?
The laughter kept coming, I couldn't stop the tears and choking either.
Fuck no, remember what Eternity said, yes, it's not my fault.
And where was she now?
…
"That can't be right," I said as my laughter started to die down, "I don't have a lineage, no, that can't be true. I keep messing everything up, I keep doing everything wrong, and when I have the chance to fix something–I alway hesitate and hide. NO, YOU CAN'T TELL ME THIS! "
I jumped out of my seat, knocking my wooden chair. "No, what do you mean? Is this a joke? Are you messing with me? Didn't you already have your fun ripping up my body, stop, gods–why?"
My words had no sense behind them but they kept spilling out my mouth like vomit.
"No, no, no, no." I kept muttering to myself as my throat tightened. My mind buzzed with colors and my breath turned ragged. "Please, I-"
I stopped when I noticed Lucius's open hand, without the bloodied knife.
In that same moment I felt something lodge in my throat.
Lucius stared at me with his black and white pupils, a frown on his face as he rubbed his temples with one hand.
"I've lost my patience."