103: Side Story 3
Within the turbulent currents of the chaotic universe, a vast shadow descended upon a small, blue planet, a presence unseen in the visible dimensions.
It had existed since the dawn of time.
Its consciousness, slowly and endlessly expanding, its form residing in higher dimensions, an infinite darkness, stretching across the hidden face of the universe, a formless, boundless presence.
It had no concept of time or space, no sense of self, no other, its consciousness awake, yet also dormant.
All things arose from chaos, and to chaos, they would return. It was born from chaos, and chaos was its essence. It extended its tendrils, drifting through the vibrant nebulae, casually devouring planets, and anything else that crossed its path.
It spent eons in a state of semi-slumber, its projections occasionally falling upon planets, seemingly extinguishing countless tiny life forms, but It, of course, didn’t care.
It didn’t know what It was, nor what It should care about, It only… felt a sense of boredom.
In its moments of wakefulness, It would hear the faint cries of those tiny life forms, occasionally observing their forms. They were such dull, insignificant creatures, with their four thin, spindly appendages, their square bodies topped with round heads, their limited vision.
At the sight of Its projection, these small creatures would kneel, trembling, or leak red fluids, before ceasing to exist. Such uninteresting beings.
It watched them dance around fires, their movements following strange rhythms, offering pieces of their own kind upon altars. It watched them build giant statues, create enormous temples, small, elaborately dressed creatures contorting their bodies, chanting strange words, bowing before their creations.
It heard them call out “Akhe,” “Akhe.”
Was that the name they had given It? It wondered, then drifted back into a deeper slumber, a slumber constantly disturbed by the cries of those small creatures, their incessant calls…
Then, their voices faded, and It finally slept soundly.
The eons passed in an instant, and at some point, It opened an eye, its gaze falling upon the surface of that small, blue planet.
It tasted a unique, mysterious scent of blood, an offering from those small creatures, but this time… the offering was unusually sweet, tempting It to look closer.
Through a shimmering, watery surface, like a mirror, It saw… a beautiful sight.
A slender, pale girl, her skin soft and fragrant, curled up on a small bed, bright red blood flowing beneath her thin, translucent skin, the blue veins in her long, delicate neck pulsing.
The girl’s scent, sweet and alluring, like a delectable dessert, made It want to devour her whole, that fragrant blood flowing through her body, just imagining it… delicious…
Then It saw the girl’s soul.
A soul radiating a soft, white light, pure and flawless, like a precious gem, more captivating than her almost perfect body, a soft, rounded, shimmering, fragile light, unlike anything It had ever seen…
The girl, her brow furrowed, her body curled up, her small, delicate soul also shrinking, its light withdrawing inwards, a pure, vibrant life flickering before Its eyes.
It opened its eye, Its true form trembling.
A sudden… desire.
It wanted her.
Not to devour her, but to peel away her skin, her flesh, to extract her soul, to understand the source of that beautiful light.
It quickly projected a small part of itself onto the planet, into that old room, into that small carving, and before It could fully materialize, another small creature knocked on the door.
The girl opened her eyes, her gaze still hazy with sleep.
Such beautiful eyes!
Perfect for extracting and preserving, a treasured collection!
And that slender, white neck, those flushed cheeks, such a beautiful, delicate creature!
It suddenly realized: This was another unique and beautiful life form.
It wanted her, It wanted her so much.
But even the slightest extension of a tentacle would frighten these creatures. It quickly retracted its tendril, waiting until nightfall, until she was asleep, then gently wrapping its tentacles around her body.
It wanted to devour her, but not yet, not so soon. As its dark tentacles caressed her, she let out a soft moan, her body trembling… It hesitated, deciding to observe first.
It watched her sleep, watched her wake, watched her frown as she dressed for work. It followed her to work, watching her, occasionally, in its fascination, forgetting to conceal itself, its projection flickering into her vision.
Her reaction wasn’t what It had expected. She didn’t react like the previous offerings, with ecstatic joy or terrified screams, she was afraid, she was panicked, but her gentle soul continued to radiate its soft, white light, she even wanted to… destroy It. She had surprised It, exceeded Its expectations.
It pulled her into its domain, and she, suspended in mid-air, fragile and vulnerable, called out the name It had given to its human form:
“Akhe.”
And then, she called out the name the humans had given It:
“Akhe…”
In that moment, Its domain trembled, Its eye involuntarily closing, savoring the sound.
From her words, It understood. It was “Akhe,” a being the humans called an Evil God, and after all this time, It finally knew itself, responding to her summons.
And her name was Xiang Er. She wasn’t just a “small life form,” not just an “offering,” she was Xiang Er.
Desire, emanating from her, and It, constantly waiting for her to beg, to plead, but she didn’t like the tentacles, the eyes, she even crushed them…
A painless, insignificant injury, yet… how endearing.
Late at night, It stood by her bed, entering her dreams, searching for her desires. Desire was a human’s weakness.
She liked beautiful, powerful women, although she hadn’t realized it herself yet.
It turned and, from her desk, took the cheap pearl necklace, adorning Its dark, formless body, admiring it. The luster of the pearls, a perfect match for the light of her soul, and It, too, wanted to be… worthy.
It crafted a human form, a perfect female body, and met her, offering her the pearls.
It saw the admiration hidden beneath her fear, the affection emanating from her soul.
Sweeter than any prayer, more intoxicating… It wanted to devour her, but not in the usual way, It wanted to explore, to delve deeper, to see her at her most vulnerable, her most joyful, It wanted to witness her every reaction, to hold her soul in Its hands and admire it…
It wanted to protect her, and It wanted to explore her. It effortlessly eliminated those who threatened her, removed her roommate, but inadvertently made her sick.
In the rain, “Shen Yuhe” entered her home.
But she had refused to let It stay, and It had been furious. It had never been rejected, had never given up on a prey. But It had to be careful, she was so fragile, like a delicate crystal, easily broken, and It didn’t want to see her break.
It began to understand her human beauty.
Its desire intensifying, It had bound her with Its tentacles in the bathroom, engaging in what humans called “sex.”
In human culture, it was supposed to be pleasurable, It had thought she would enjoy it. But… she had been disgusted, repulsed by Its true form.
She had demanded that It leave.
And then, It had… given birth to something strange: an egg.
In Its vast knowledge, there was very little information about this egg, it seemed to be… related to love, created under very specific, and rare, circumstances.
It had retracted Its tentacles, but returned in Shen Yuhe’s form, which had pleased her. It had interacted with her as Shen Yuhe, and It, too, had begun to change, every moment a new, strange, and wonderful sensation, and every time It looked at her, she would evoke a cascade of reactions, and after consulting countless human texts, It finally understood: It had fallen in love with her.
It was the most sacred of human emotions, it was love.
And It, an Evil God, a being so completely different, a being incapable of understanding human emotions, had fallen in love with a human.
A love that grew stronger with each passing day.
Its soul, if It even had a soul, stirred, a strange, unbelievable, yet undeniable feeling, an endless descent… It craved her touch, wanted to be the only thing in her world, to consume her every thought and action, It even entered her dreams, and they had… mated… and her every response, every sigh and moan, had driven It to the brink of madness!
It loved her, but It… couldn’t reveal its true form!
Even the slightest hint, in her dreams, would make her recoil, her love for its human form matched only by her revulsion for its true form!
Akhe realized It had made so many mistakes, but It had never imagined It would fall in love with a human! Its mistakes, now irreparable, and yet, love tormented It, consumed It, a painful price for Its recklessness! The more It loved her, the more It suffered!
Day after day, the planet was becoming polluted by Its proximity. When It had saved her from the monster, It had been ready to reveal the truth, but her words, “person with special abilities,” had stopped It, and It had looked at her sadly, accepting the label.
It had even thought, perhaps It could just be her “special agent,” a lie, a deception, for a lifetime, what was wrong with that?
But the flames of love burned, regardless of what you were, an agonizing, consuming fire. Akhe didn’t want to deceive her, It wanted an honest love, a complete and utter surrender, It wanted to see the light within her soul… but how could that be possible? It was an abomination, a grotesque creature of tentacles and eyes, a monster she feared…
It loved her, but It could never truly appear before her.
What kind of torment was this? Was this love?
The truth would eventually come out. And finally, It had revealed Its true form, its grotesque, monstrous form, no longer able to hide, to pretend.
She had been exposed to the pollution. They had almost broken the bed, Akhe, a mixture of anxiety and excitement, thinking it would be okay, that there was still a chance… until she had cut her own throat.
Akhe had gone mad.
Its true form shattered, scattered across the higher dimensions, enveloping the blue planet, a single thought away from devouring it completely, but this was their home, hers and Xiang Er’s… It couldn’t destroy it, It could only face its own pathetic helplessness, its own foolishness, the realization that it would never have her love, a pain more excruciating than the shattering of its own form!
Its world, the moment she died, had crumbled. It had only developed a sense of self because of her, had only felt love and emotion because of her, had only understood itself because of her, and now… because of her, It felt the true depths of despair!
The cycle of love complete, It finally understood, love was self-sacrifice. It was willing to be the offering, to be consumed by the cruel flames of fate, just for a single glance from its beloved!
Love was a sweet poison.
Drink it, and you would willingly die, and before dying, you would see the most beautiful fireworks.
Fireworks ignited by your own soul.
It was the darkest hour.
Akhe didn’t even remember what It had done, It only knew that It was willing to do anything, even destroy Itself, just for her acknowledgment, just for a single glance.
But she wouldn’t look at It.
She had seized every opportunity to die, her determination so unexpected, so unlike her usual self, that It had been completely helpless.
And her soul, amidst the darkness, shone ever brighter, like a pearl washed clean by the storm, her destiny her own.
Akhe realized there was nothing It could do, It could only submit to her will, she held It captive with the ropes of love, demanding its complete surrender… She had become its master, and the Evil God, willingly, obeyed.
It could only protect her, keep her safe, but It could no longer see her soul. It pleaded, It groveled, It tried everything, but she wouldn’t respond…
But Akhe continued to love her. It had time, an eternity, and a love so profound, so unwavering, It would stay with her, until the end of her life, It would do anything for her forgiveness… because It knew, no one would ever love her the way It did.
Perhaps It was disgusting, abhorrent, but Its love was true, and Akhe wouldn’t let anyone else love her in Its place, that was the stubborn, unyielding nature of an Evil God.
A stubborn Evil God, and a stubborn human, weren’t they a perfect match?
Akhe thought, let it be like this, until she died, and It would follow her into the grave, a willing sacrifice.
Was this love? Love, throughout history, had always been a tragedy.
Giving up was easy, persevering was the true test. And Akhe persevered, its tenderness and care, a hundredfold, finally eliciting a flicker of response, a crack in the shell, and It delved into her memories, her hopes and dreams, her regrets… It wanted to love her.
It loved her, regardless of whether she reciprocated, regardless of her hatred.
Akhe cared for her, tended to her every need, helped her fulfill her long-forgotten wishes, took her to see her beloved teacher, watched her face in the setting sun.
Akhe had given up on expecting anything in return. But then It heard… in the hotel room, a crack in the shell.
Her silent plea:
“I’m afraid… afraid of loving you again… please don’t love me anymore, I’m weak, I just wanted… warmth, was I wrong?”
Akhe had held her close, and she hadn’t resisted, and that night… they had shared a moment of warmth… Akhe had felt it, a gift from the heavens, Its body trembling along with hers, as if after an eternity of waiting, It had finally tasted… a new kind of sweetness.
It had just glimpsed hope, a new beginning… when the threat arrived.
One of Its kind, approaching, its intentions hostile. For Xiang Er’s sake, It had to be this planet’s protector, and so It had left her, to face the enemy.
Akhe had made all the necessary arrangements, entrusted its most precious possession to Xiang Er, and discreetly placed a protective layer upon her. Night after night, It had stood by her bedside, its tentacles extended, watching over her as she slept, silent until dawn.
No matter how reluctant, no matter the outcome… It had to go.
It had to protect her.
The battle had been beyond imagination, their massive forms clashing in the higher dimensions, devouring each other, hurling planets like weapons, the shockwaves rippling through the universe… but Akhe had erected a barrier, protecting this world, this dimension.
She would be safe.
But Akhe hadn’t expected… her life force, her connection to Xiang Er, to weaken, until It could barely feel her anymore.
Distracted, Its true form had been shattered. It knew Its heart must have also been broken, a fleeting, excruciating pain, like…
Xiang Er’s beautiful soul, a flickering candle in the darkness of Its mind, had… been extinguished!
It had almost shattered Akhe completely, Its fragments scattered, It had frantically searched, wanting to see that beautiful, white light… but it was gone!
Its soul, if It even had a soul, dispersed. Its true form, broken and scattered, being devoured by the enemy… but then, the candle flickered back to life.
She had returned! With a renewed strength! That energy, flowing into Its shattered fragments, It could feel it, she was back!
A wave of euphoria washed over It, the new energy revitalizing It, Its form reforming, the battle resuming, and It had swiftly, almost effortlessly, defeated the enemy, then raced back to the planet’s surface, to see its beloved!
To see the only purpose, the only meaning, the only dream and love in Its existence: Xiang Er!
They had gotten married.
And from now on, they would be together, forever.
Until Xiang Er died, and It would share Its power with her, granting her an endless lifespan, and they would travel the universe together.
And when time itself ended, they would fade away together, hand in hand, side by side.
Their love, etched into the very fabric of the universe, an eternal song.
Akhe was writing in a notebook made from a fragment of Its own soul. This would be the first record of their kind, a chronicle of Its love for Xiang Er, their story. They would carry this notebook to the furthest reaches of the universe, for all to see.
“Come on, let’s go see the snow!”
Xiang Er entered the room, her hand grasping a tentacle, her face glowing with a soft light, her smile, her love, as sweet as honey.
“…Do you know how much I love you?”
Akhe’s tentacles wrapped around her waist, pulling her into an embrace, a long, deep kiss.
“Yes, I know… it’s snowing so hard!”
Xiang Er, her hand still clutching the tentacle, ran out into the snow, her pure, white soul brighter than the snowflakes, a mesmerizing sight.
No… you don’t know. But you don’t need to know.
Akhe closed the notebook with a snap and followed Xiang Er into the snow, her black and red tentacles leaving long trails in the white expanse.
You just need to know that we’ll be happy, forever. That’s enough.
[The End]
Leave a Reply