Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

69. Shared Enemies (2)

Erebus and Leo sat in silence for a long while after Erebus mentioned the Soul Stone. Leo had taken out a flask, and they were sipping on the honeyed ale. The moon was still bright in the sky, but clouds had started to gather, casting long shadows on the ground.

The alcohol had started to influence Leo, and he was slightly flushed. He nuzzled closer to Erebus. 

"Erebus?" He quietly called out. Erebus hummed, showing he was listening. "You escaped the Soul Stone, right? Does that mean its horror is exaggerated?"

Erebus could hear the hope in Leo's voice, begging for an indication that he didn't suffer greatly. He could lie in this moment and spare Leo the truth. It would be an act of kindness, but Leo would never appreciate it. At the same time, Erebus loathed the thought because Leo deserved his truth. 

"The Soul Stone is a prison that breaks your spirits before it destroys your soul. You are forced to watch it crack like a countdown to your doom. The larger the Soul Stone, the longer you linger until time has run its course and your soul shatters. You are forced to watch everything happen around you... voiceless and unmoving... It's a special kind of torture that makes you yearn for an everlasting death."

Erebus' voice was heavy with emotion, and he chose to take another drink to wash away the memories.

Leo shivered at Erebus' words. "But you survived."

A warm smile touched Erebus' lips.  "I did. It took me many years to figure out why, but it was because of Fenrir. My soul was on the verge of dissipating out of despair during our last battle. So, Fenrir gave the last of his soul to protect mine, and it accompanied me in my imprisonment. When the Soul Stone sounded its final crack, Fenrir's soul sheltered mine long enough for the Shadow Deity to bring me into the Nothingness."

Leo sighed. "He's a good friend."

"He truly is," Erebus said quietly. "But I fear telling him about the Soul Stone."

"He doesn't know?"

Erebus shook his head. "I want to tell him, but I'm not sure how. He would be so angry... and so heartbroken."

"Wouldn't he be more upset if you kept it from him?"

Erebus ran his hands through his hair. "Yes. Terribly so. I'll have to do it sooner rather than later. He also doesn't know much about the Nothingness."

Leo looked at Erebus thoughtfully. "What's the Nothingness?"

Erebus released a long breath. "I'm still not sure—a place in between everything. The Shadow Deity never told its history, except it is where the Deities had retreated for eons. However, I suspect the Titans are imprisoned there in the depths of darkness."

Leo whistled, then took another drink from the flask. "How did you leave?"

Erebus took the flask from Leo and downed the liquid courage for this narrative. "There was a child who was severely abused by his family... his own blood. After being broken many times, he gave up on the world and chose his own ending by walking off a cliff. Instead of dying, the Shadow Deity pulled him into the Nothingness with me. He let me see his terrible memories, and even I knew that his soul was too gentle for this harsh world. Then, the child asked that I take his place, finish my war, and make a kinder world."

Leo jolted when he heard this. The Shadow Deity had mentioned this child before.

Erebus let out a long sigh. "I admit that I wanted to try again, but not at the cost of his life, so I refused. But he decided for me, and I reemerged into the world. This is his body, but my old soul possesses it."