I am so SORRY everyone. Not updating this story is inexcusable. I won’t even bother telling you why I didn’t update Nothing to Gain because no excuse is worth neglecting this story.
Dedicated to MrsGboys4ever because she’s amazing. Check out her story The ‘Almighty Alpha Thinks I’m His.’ It’s so good. If you do read it, STAY AWAY FROM DEREK! HE’S MY HUSBAND! Haha.
So with no further ado, enjoy!
Lia
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But this dark hour I must do nothing, though I’ve heard your unbearable cries. The power in your blood destroys all of the lies. Soon you’ll see past their unmerciful eyes. ...Now I can tell you why, she is why you must die. “Why” by Nichole Nordeman
Primula POV
"I don't understand...what do you mean Arion is the vessel?" Zero demanded angrily. At this point I was beyond shock as I stared at Selene in tears. Arion was still beside me - actually, he hasn't spoken a word since he discovered he was the vessel. Dean and Vates mouths were hanging open while Nereid looked sad. Jebidiah and Zero on the other hand were lively, as they demanded that Selene explained herself to them. She was very patient as she watched our expression - almost like we were her ignorant children.
"The vessel is a soul capable of containing all the evil absorbed by Tenebris. We knew that eventually the balance would be tip from the actions of our creations. And so we searched for a way to deliver the world when the end comes. In the end, only a damaged but intact soul can clean Tenebris without being destroyed. But our greatest obstacle was finding a place for all the evil collected over the years to be stored. It was not easy; we went through great length to find the container." She stopped, waiting for us to take in all the information she provided.
Everyone else listened tentatively except me - at this point I didn't care about her explanation. It wouldn't make a difference anyway.
"So the soul who can cleanse the shadow is Primula?" Vates asked sending a warm smile my way. I ignored her; there was nothing to smile about. Anyway, I already made my decision - I was just waiting for them to finish talking.
"What I'm interested in is the fact that you made my uncle the vessel!" Jebidiah said through clenched teeth. I could see he wanted to snap but he couldn't after all this was a goddess he was talking to. "And what do you mean he does not belong here?"
"It means this world is not his home. We retrieved him from another universe slightly parallel to this one. Because he was never meant to be here, he does not have a mate. He feels alone and empty in our world." She explained carefully gorging our expression. I think at this point she realized that we didn't like her plan.
"But he is my uncle not some -"
"Your grandmother was done having children when we found the vessel but he needed to be born in our world so we made it possible for her to deliver one more child." Selene interrupted Jebidiah as he tried protesting.
My eyes widened when what she said finally registered to me. "So he could have had a mate!" I whispered looking up at Selene in horror. "He would have had a family, real one not the one he was forced into." I was crying at this point as I stared at Arion who jaw was locked and face blanked. "You took him from his time, his space, world, mate...just so he could be your container?"
"Child you do not understand -"
"What would his mate be feeling right now?" I cut her off wondering if there was another person out there feeling empty because their other half was taken away. "Will this person feels empty like Arion does? Well they wonder why they don't have a mate?"
"Enough Primula!" Arion whispered quietly. I watched him closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, determination was the only emotion on his face. "What do you need me to do?" He asked Selene who smiled affectionately at him.
My jaw dropped and I gazed at him in betrayal. I could not believe he was agreeing to be their container. I snapped my eyes up to Selene when she spoke.
"You just need to be there when Primula cleanse -"
"That's assuming that 'Primula' will agree to do it!" I snapped. She didn't even asked me and assume that I would agree to shove some ancient evil inside Arion. They needed to find another abused victim to do their bidden. Both their head turned to me and Selene gazed at me like she was seeing me for the first time. I'm guessing she did not factor me rejecting her plan as a possibility.
"What?" She asked in disbelief.
"I'm not doing it." I repeated myself.
"Primula-" I snapped my eyes to Arion, glaring at him – he shut his mouth when he saw my face.
"Don't be selfish Primula. We are talking about the end of the world here." I slowly turned to Vates and swallowed the biting remark at the tip of my tongue. When I spoke, my voice was soft, sad and drained. I was just plain exhausted!
"No, I think this is the perfect time for me to be selfish. You see, I live in this world for sixteen years and I see no redeeming qualities in it. There's nothing to save and ending it would be the best thing someone ever did. So sorry, but you are going to have to find another pawn who you watched get abuse for years just so she could make your plan work."
I got up and stump away. I was tired listening to Selene. At this point I was feeling sad and hopeless. I prayed to that woman for years for crying out loud. Now imagine my shock when I learned she was basically routing for me to be tormented so their plan could work. I was not about to help her and the other gods destroyed the one good thing in my life. Arion was the main reason I agreed to help the supernatural world in the first. It hurts, it really hurts knowing that every step we took, every move we made was all leading to destroying him. I just couldn't do it.
I wandered endlessly through the seers' cave - the place was like a labyrinth. After wandering aimlessly, I finally found myself outside. I walked to a big tree in front of the cave and sat down. I didn't want to think or feel because I was tired of the pain, hurt and lost. Was I being selfish like Vastes said for not agreeing to the gods’ plan?
This was Arion we are talking about; if he died I don't know what I would do. That's another thing, I had no idea what would become of him if he does take in this massive amount of evil. After all this thing had been gathering for thousands of years, so how can one man handle all that evil? I held my face in my hands as silent tears started to fall from my eyes. "Primrose, someone, anyone help me!" I cried silently.
"May I sit?" I stiffened when I heard Jebidiah's voice but didn't make a move to acknowledge him. I heard him sat down; he was silent, not saying anything just listening to me cry. After some time I lifted my head and whip my tears. "You're going to tell me how selfish I'm being?" I asked in a disgruntled voice.
"You are not being selfish." I turn to him surprise. When he saw my surprised face he smiled sadly. "You are being asked to save a world that has done nothing but show you cruelty. So not wanting to do it is not selfishness. Think of it as you finally taking a stand."
"But if I don't the world will end." I was very confused. I wanted him to tell me how self-center I was being but instead he agreed with me. It was messing with my mind.
"Let it end." My jaw dropped in shock when those words came from his mouth. "I'm tired of this life Primula. I cannot count a single good thing I have done. I just want to start clean again. I want my past to be a blank slate so I can rewrite it the way I want. But I know it won't turn out this way after all we will be living in a zombie world." He chuckled dryly, staring off into space.
"Shouldn't you be encouraging me to save the world?" I asked trying to dismiss the depressing atmosphere he was creating. I was depressed but his was just ridiculous.
"I'm not the right person for that."
"Then who is?" I ask wanting to know who he had in mind.
"You! Only you can decide that."
"What about Arion? What will he decide?" I was hoping he'd tell me that Arion changed his mind.
He let out a deep breath and turned to me. "He won't change his mind if that's what you are wondering."
I felt tears burn in my eyes at being reminded that Arion still plan to be this vessel thing.
"Why him? He's such a good person!" I cried trying to find a reason why it has to be someone else. I know this is selfish of me but couldn't it have been Jebidiah or even Dean?
"It is because he's a good person. He's not selfish and always puts other people first. Even when the Nadia and Samuel incident happened he never got angry. There was so much he could have done but he swallowed his pride and shame just so his friends could be happy. Only someone that selfless could be this vessel thing or whatever it's call. I know him more than I know myself so I know he will never change his mind about being the vessel. He wants to do it for the world but that's just a small part of the main reason he will do it."
He sighed and stood up to leave but stop when I spoke. "What's the main reason?"
He turned to me and squatted down, gazing into my eyes. "It is not my place to say," he sighed looking irritated. He kissed my forehead and walked away leaving me staring after him in confusion.
Before I could decipher Jebidiah's cryptic words I felt a presence at my back. "I'm not talking to you," I snapped at Arion angrily. He chuckled and sat in front of me.
"I understand you're angry but I'm not changing my mind-"
"Why Arion?" I snarled. "Can't you see what they did to you? You could have had a mate, family, and many more instead they ripped you away from everything just to stuff some super evil inside you. Why would you agree to that? Why does it have to be you?"
I choked unable to breathe just thinking about everything he probably lost and everything he will lose. He picked me up and sat me on his lap, soothing my hair back. I cried into his shoulder praying that all of this was just a dream.
"I have thought about all those things. But they are all about what could have been and I can't think about that. This is the now Primula. I'm considering the future of this world and throwing tantrums because I was a pawn in the gods' plan won't solve anything. The only thing left for me is to do what I was brought here."
I lifted my head from his shoulder, and stare at him with sadness in my eyes. "But your mate-"
"It doesn't matter because I never met her. For all I know she could have had green skin and antennas with seven eyes." He shouldered making a face. I try not to laugh but his facial expression looked so ridiculous. He laughed with me as he came up with all the ways his mate could have looked. "She's probably headless with her eyes on her back, like a crab."
I frowned, for some reason the idea of there being a girl out there that was made specifically for him did not sit well with me.
"She could have feet in her mouth-"
"You know what your problem is?" I asked, cutting him off. He raised his brows at me in amusement. "You are only thinking outside the box."
He gasped at what I said. "You don't think she looked like a pumpkin do you? I can just imagine –"
"Or she could have been a ‘he’." I said nonchalantly.
He was annoying me going on and on about some girl. His eyes snapped to me and he tilted his head to the side studying me. "Huh, I never thought of that. Hmm, my mate, a guy." He watched my face and smiled. "That's fine having a guy as my mate because you are the only girl allowed to be in my life." I smiled feeling relief settled in the pit of my stomach.
"But he better be drop dead gorgeous!" He said seriously.
"Why?" I asked.
He looked at me in disbelief like I had some loose screws. "What do you mean why? I mean look at me!"
I rolled my eyes at him, "you are so conceited."
"Thank you," he smiled brightly.
"It wasn't a compliment," I snapped covering my poor eyes from his bright smile.
After that we remained silent lost in our own thoughts. The quiet was bringing back unpleasant memories and I couldn't help but think about how this might be our last time talking like this. I had to somehow convince him to change his mind.
"Arion you don't have to do this." I begged him hoping he’d hear me.
He lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes seriously. "I will tell you the real reason I will do this." I nodded eager to hear his reasons. "I'm doing it for you. Not for the world or the gods but for YOU. I will fight for this world so you can have a please in it. It won't be easy but you will find a please you belong, somewhere you are happy. You've been through hell and back. I see how you battle forces inside and outside of you all the time. I know you are scare about what lies ahead because you don't know what you should do. So this is my answer. I want to prepare the way for you. I am going to save this world so you can live in it with all the freedom and happiness it has to offer. I want the world to know you and remember your story."
I closed my eyes, tears rolling down my cheek. "You sound like Primrose." I sniffed.
"She's very wise." He said fondly.
"I'm not worth it Arion."
"From the moment I gaze into your eyes, I knew you were worth fighting for. So I will fight for you even if it destroys me. All your life, the world told you no, but this is me saying yes. This world I'm about to save is a gift from me to you. Take it and create a legend no one will ever forget!"
I was crying hard at this point. Nobody has ever said those things to me before. I wanted to tell him that he was the only gift I wanted but I shut my mouth although he seemed to understand. He kissed my tears away, his lips trailing to my cheek; he stopped and stared at my lips but then move on and kissed my forehead and my neck. He continued trailing kisses all over my face, avoiding my lips until I calmed down.
When my tears were dry, I swallowed my pain and made a heart breaking decision. “I will do it. I will be this cleaner thing or whatever she called it,” I conceded bitterly.
He smiled sadly and gazed at my lips, licking his. I felt butterfly in my stomach and my heart pounding in anticipation. He closed his eyes and locked his jaw. After a while he breathed out and opened his eyes. He got up, sitting me on my feet and taking my hand leading us back to where everyone else was. I felt my stomach twisted in disappointment, confusing me greatly. Why was I disappointed?
When we entered, everyone turned staring at us – Arion automatically dropped my hand causing me to frown. I shrugged it off and turned to Selene. She did not look so good, she was sweating and her skin looked ashy. I’m guessing the Oracle was reaching her limit of sustaining Selene.
“I will do it,” I told her making a note not to waste any more time as to not hurt the Oracle further.
She smiled at me but I didn’t return the gesture. There was nothing to smile about.
“We need to hurry because the longer we wait the more souls Tenebris corrupts.” I cannot believe that was all she had to say, but then again she was a goddess so our petty lives did not mean that much to her.
“Alright, how does this work?” Arion asked.
“I must take you and Primula with me when I leave the Oracle’s body. There is only two ways to enter purgatory. One, through death and the other is with a divine escort. I will give you a few minutes to say your goodbyes.”
My eyes widened. Now? I was going to lose Arion this soon? Nobody told me it would be now! I froze as the others started to say their goodbye to Arion and wishing him good luck. I mean we don’t’ even know what he would become but they were saying good luck like he was casually playing some football game.
I jumped when I felt someone touched my hands. I turned to see Dean looking at me with a sad expression on his face. “I never told you I was sorry because I don’t deserve to even speak those words. I already lose everything before I could get the chance to even know what it means, so please don’t let me lose you too. Be careful and stay safe.” I opened my mouth to respond but he hugged me, squeezing the life out of me. He pulled back and walked away, not giving me the chance to speak.
After Dean left, Vates came towards me, smiling. I frowned slightly, a little unnerved by her happy expression.
“Stay safe okay?” She hugged me, “your mother would be so proud of you.”
I swallowed and cleared my mind of all emotions, not wanting to think about the woman whose death I was blamed for. It’s funny, I wanted to know more about her but after meeting Vates I changed my mind.
“May I cut in?” Nereid asked and Vates nodded, giving us privacy. Nereid looked at me for a long time and I had no doubt she could see my pain. She didn’t say anything for which I was grateful; I couldn’t take anyone else wishing me good luck. She opened her arms and I walked into them. Her arms felt warm and motherly. She was the mother I never had – right now I wanted to hug her forever and never let go. For once, I wanted someone to protect me from the world. I locked my jaw and drew back from her trying hard not to cry.
I lifted my head and saw Zero standing on the side. The emotion on his face was indescribable as he gazed from me to Arion. He sent me a small and sad smile, turning away before I could respond. Things were moving so fast, I didn’t even have the time to say what I wanted to say. I looked to Selene – she was waiting but even I could see our time was running out. The Oracle’s body was looking worse for wear.
My vision was blocked by a presence which turned out to be Jebidiah. His face was blanked as he searched my face. I didn’t know what he saw but he pulled on my hands, drawing me closer to him. I hugged him back, laying my head on his shoulder.
“When, where and how will we move past this?” He whispered in my ear, his voice choked with emotions. “I can’t see a future, not for you, my uncle and certainly not me. This is my fault. I should have been the vessel but then again, I am not worthy of that sacrifice.” I listened to him talk and a small part of me wished he was worthy enough to be the vessel.
Finally, he drew back and kissed my cheek softly, “you were never mine. I see that now. Take care of each other.”
My jaw dropped at what he said but he pushed me to a surprise Arion before I could say anything. Arion looked confused but righted our balance, looking at Jebidiah wide eye.
Jebidiah shrugged his face morphed in pain. “Now you have my permission.” I look from him to Arion, extremely confused. They only gazed at each other, not saying anything. I bet they were talking in their heads, so annoying.
“We should go now!” Selene said, her eyes brightening. Before I could react, Arion grabbed my hands and a bright light flashed, blinding us.
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*Smile nervously* Sorry for not updating sooner. One more thing, I have taken into account all your comments and I will think about them and choose the best possible outcome befitting the story. Now some people might not like it, but I think it’s the only good ending I can come up with or the story will feel rush. So look forward to that in the future. The story is almost done and hopefully I can finish it this month. *Fingers crossed*