“Clear as mud…” Ookami mumbled. “Sure, I’ll play along.”

Eru chuckled, returning to his studies. “So long as you consent I’m happy. You’ll believe me soon enough.”

Ookami left the elf to his reading with his mind swarming with unanswered questions. Eru and Sarasa had been married, and had kids. Yet, Sarasa didn’t know about any of this. To her, she was a single, carefree girl. Why didn’t she remember her previous family?

Eru said that she had died… How could she have come back to life, then?! That’s necromancy! But she didn’t stink of the undead…

While Ookami grew more and more frustrated at the confusion, a figure crept up behind Eru.

“You shouldn’t have done that, you know…” the being murmured. “Now I have more work to do.”

Eru didn’t even twitch. “You said nothing about me not telling anyone else of our current situation, Adam.”

The figure made a face of annoyance. “You know not to call me by that name, Sam.”

Eru flinched at the use of his first name. Not only did no one call him that, but it also brought up unpleasant memories. “Then tell me what I am to call you…”

Adam sighed. “You know what you are suppose to call me…”

Eru swiveled his gaze up. “Tet?”

The mixed-matched gaze bore down on him. He was not in the mood for such games, and Eru knew it. Unfortunately, because Eru knew it, he pushed. It helped when you had a healthy disgust for the man.

“Pardon, an Imanity like yourself would never be honored with the name of the god…”

“I am a god-like being myself, and you know that,” Adam informed.

“You are Aru. Created for one purpose, and one purpose only. Once you have fulfilled that purpose, you will be destroyed, while we will live on.”

Eru turned back to his book.

The man walked away.

“You even think about erasing memories in here, and I will be sure to send you to your maker in tiny pieces.”

The footsteps halted.

Eru waited.

They continued again, and faded until gone.

Ookami (who had watched this due to curiosity at the footsteps) blinked a few times, his blue gaze falling on Eru.

"...What... Just happened...?"

Eru sighed. "That man, as you know him, is Cain."

"I knew that. Why did you call him Adam?"

Eru heaved a great sigh and set his book aside. "It appears that I have more work cut out for me... Do you remember the man that I claimed to be the overseer of all worlds?"

Ookami nodded. "You said that his name was Adam, didn't you? Why is he called Cain here, and why isn't he at his place thingy?"

"Because I'm everywhere," Cain's voice spake from behind the werebeast.

Ookami whirled around and Cain smirked. "I am everywhere," he repeated. "I see everything that goes on in this realm at any given moment. As we speak, I am back in Hetalia where Eru and Sasa met, helping a conflict there. As you look at me, I am in Ouran, where Sasa was murdered, helping Eru's past self with a medical problem. As we speak, I am watching over their children, and their hardships in the holding world."

Eru flew to his feet. "What are you talking about?!" he demanded.

Cain blinked at him. "You read it yourself. When two parents leave, their children are taken to a holding world. Same for the states, or twins. If one leaves, they all leave. Your daughter--Zelda, was it?--is being held a sexual hostage by insestual siblings. Preuss is blind. Perisa is no longer the innocent princess, but a seasoned fighter. Dastan has lost his suave touches."

Eru's eyes went wide. "No... No, they can't..."

"You brought his upon them yourself," Cain pointed out matter-of-factly. "So don't go blaming me like I know you will. I can't go there, but only watch, and prevent them from going there if I have warning. I had no warning, so I could not keep it from happening."

"You're wrong," Eru decided, his body shaking with rage.

"You can't change facts, Fox," Cain pointed out. "And if you keep like this, Sarasa will stray farther from your grasp."

Eru's eyes flashed like a knife in light, sending chills down Ookami's spine. He snatched his book from the ground and whipped around, his cloak whirling about him as he left.

"Killed two birds with one stone," Cain noted with a pleased raised brow. "Got him to understand and to leave us alone. I need to speak with you, Ookami."

The wolf blinked.

Cain sat on the spot that Eru had originally occupied. "Have a seat."

Ookami eyed him and sat.

"Do you know who you are?"

Ookami started. He was Ookami!

"Who your parents are, how you came to be?"

Well, no...

"Why you're even here?"

Ookami started. "N-no..."

"I figured as much... Ookami, your parents are from the real world, like Eru and Sarasa. They came here, and had you long before Blank came. They probably even fought in the war."

"How is that possible?!"

"They entered this realm after reading or seeing a time before the plot started," Cain informed him. "In the end, they had you, and had to leave. They knew about the holding world, and warned me. I was able to erase you from the system until you were ready to enter that world. But it wasn't erased, but more hid. The system is starting to find it. Have you noticed that you will have dreams?"

Ookami nodded slowly. He had been having odd dreams of dimly lit halls and creepy monsters... He never told anyone about them, though. Could Cain read minds?

"That is the system trying to pull you into the holding world. I can't keep it up, but I can move your file to a place that will enable you to be free without your parent's return. If you don't accept my offer by tomorrow night, then the system will fully uncover your file and drag you into that nightmare world."

Ookami was stunned. He didn't know what to say. Suddenly, he was faced with a decision: leave willingly or unwillingly. What the Tet?!

"Have all of you gone off the deep end?" Ookami asked, voice level. "What have you been eating?"

"Me? Last thing I had to eat or drink was... Last week, I think. Programs don't need it or sleep. Moving on," Cain continued, ignoring Ookami's blinking face. "You need to make a decision my tomorrow morning so I can get your file prepped. If you go willingly, then I can get you out in two years. That is, if you survive two years. If you don't go willingly, then you'll be stuck there forever." He stood and brushed himself off. "I give you your choice. But like Eruestan said... Don't fuck up and tell Sarasa any of this."

Ookami jolted at the sudden use of language. Then again, he should have expected it. Still, he would have thought that a god would be above that...

He was left alone in the bit of forest to meddle in his thoughts. But I think we both know which he was going to choose, now, don't we?

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Yush! We finally get rolling on this blasted plotline! Hey, now we've got two major things going on at once... Oops. xD Didn't mean for that to happen that way, but oh, well. Onward to another chapter!

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