Ch. 82: Far Back Or Jump Forward (II) (Hermes POV)
I pulled my aching, battle- worn body forward, every step heavy, my legs quivering under the strain. Each time I moved, pain shot through me, urging me to stop. A string of fear tugged at my gut, warning me to turn back, to run far away. But the sound— that strange, eerie noise—beckoned me forward, like a dark omen I couldn’t ignore. Talos? Hades? My mind raced with thoughts of those I had left behind, but something darker lurked in the back of my consciousness.
The sky above was thick with swirling storm clouds, ominous and endless. It was night, yet the strange glow of the storm gave everything an unnatural hue. My breath was labored, and only then did I realize something else was off. My clothes… They were different from what I remembered. I was no longer wearing the tattered rags soaked in blood. Instead, my body was clad in something unfamiliar— almost ceremonial. When had I changed? Just one drink and my head is already up in a bind. I won’t drink again… The resolution felt hollow, though, considering the impossibility of my current situation.
I forced myself to keep moving, drawn toward the source of the sound. What was it? It cut through the air like a jagged knife scraping against metal. The closer I got, the more I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Every instinct screamed at me to turn away, but I had to know what was happening. Maybe it was Talos. Or maybe… Hades. Was he still alive? I clung to hope, even as doubt gnawed at my core.
KRRRRRRZ!
There it was again— that noise, sharp and unnatural. It gave me the chills . I pushed through the smoke and rubble, emerging into an open space littered with debris. Charred remains of what once had been structures lay scattered like forgotten bones. Atop a smoking pile of wreckage, I saw him— a lone figure, standing tall. His silhouette was framed by the crackling embers of destruction, the storm rumbling overhead.
A surge of hope shot through me. Maybe he was looking for other survivors. Someone who could explain this madness. My heart quickened, and I started to stumble toward him, unsteady but desperate. “Hey! Buddy! Over here!” I called, my voice rough but full of relief.
I ran, but my body betrayed me. Each step felt like knives piercing my feet. I glanced down, my breath catching as I saw the soles of my feet were raw, bloodied. Barefoot. When had I lost my shoes? Why was my body in such ruin? My legs wobbled, and I slowed to a painful limp, struggling to keep going. What the hell is happening to me?
Smoke swirled around me, thick and choking, as I neared the figure. Almost there, I thought, my heart pounding in anticipation. Just a few more steps. But then, through the haze of burning wreckage, I saw something that stopped me cold.
A body. Lying prone on the ground. Long, blue hair matted with blood, splayed across the debris.
“No…” I whispered, my voice trembling as I recognized the figure. My stomach twisted violently, and I collapsed to my knees, gagging. Hades. His once- imposing figure lay broken, his face mutilated beyond recognition. His eyes— gone. The hollow, bloody sockets stared back at me, accusing and empty. I doubled over, retching in the dirt, bile rising as I struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. This wasn’t right. This couldn’t be real.
“Talos…?” My voice cracked as I looked up in horror at the figure standing over Hades’ body.
It was her. She was unmistakable, even through the billowing smoke and the distorted flicker of the flames. The long black leather suit, the sharp, angular features. But something about her was wrong. Terribly wrong. She looked down at me, her dark eyes void of the warmth and humor I once knew. Her expression was cold, lifeless, as if the very essence of her soul had been drained away.
“Talos!?” I screamed, my voice ragged with a mix of rage and despair. My body trembled as I tried to stand, but I was too weak, too disoriented. My mind swirled with disbelief. She had always been distant, yes, but this— this was different. Her hair… longer, flowing down past her shoulders, a strange contrast to the short, cropped look she always wore. It made no sense. How long had I been gone?
No! How far back had I jumped…?
I staggered back, my heart thudding in my chest. This can’t be real. I can’t be in the future, can I?
Talos stared down at me, her gaze mechanical, almost robotic. She tilted her head, as if considering me for a moment before speaking. “You must be Hermes, the messenger god. Your presence here is not within the plan. I will have to eliminate you immediately.”
Her voice was cold and hollow, devoid of any recognition or emotion. A chill crept up my spine. “What?!” I gasped. “No… no, you’ve got it wrong, Talos! Don’t you remember me? I’m Matt Spenser, your friend— the guy from the big city! Remember?!”
She straightened, her eyes narrowing as if analyzing my words, but her expression remained blank. “Negative,” she replied in a monotone voice. “I have no memory of you.”
I felt the ground slip beneath me, my mind racing with panic. “Talos, what’s happened to you? Why did you kill Hades? What is going on here?” I shouted, my voice breaking.
Her movements were deliberate and slow as she took a step forward. “You seem confused, messenger god. Allow me to elucidate. My directive is to gather knowledge of this world and preserve it. I have no desire to interfere with its natural progression, except in cases of self- defense. Your existence here was never meant to be. You should have perished in the battle.”
“Battle?” I stammered. “What battle? What the hell are you talking about?”
Talos’s expression remained blank. “Affirmative. This world fell during the great war between the gods and the entity known as Mr. Anonymous. Zeus, god of the sky, obliterated all in his path, including the god realm. Hades perished by his hands. I have come to collect the cursed eyes of the gods.”
The words washed over me like ice water. “Cursed eyes?” I echoed in disbelief. “This… this can’t be the future. How far ahead am I?”
Talos didn’t seem to care about my questions. Her voice remained cold, clinical. “You have no purpose here, Hermes. Your life should have ended. You were not meant to witness this.”
I stared at her, my pulse racing. This is the future? A desolate, war-torn future where the gods were destroyed, and Talos had become some heartless machine? It was too much to process. My mind reeled with the implications.
“I have one more question!” I yelled, desperation creeping into my voice. “What happened to Hephaestus, your father?”
Her expression flickered, just for a moment. “I have no parentage. As for the god of the forge, Hephaestus, he perished defending the last stronghold of the gods.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek, but her face remained expressionless. She was still in there, somewhere, I realized, buried beneath the cold, unfeeling exterior. She was in pain, but trapped.
“What are you using the cursed eyes for?” I asked, but I could see the moment slipping away.
Her body tensed as she prepared to move.
WHOOSH!
“You requested to elongate your life by the span of one question and that has been fulfilled. Now I will carry out my duty and kill you!” She was already before me.
“Whose duty?” I screamed out.
I couldn’t react fast enough— my body was too broken, too damaged. I saw her fist hurtling toward me, just before the world turned black.
Then, I heard the chime of an elevator door.
“Umm… who are you?” I asked in shock. What on earth was going on? I was back here again!
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
