Eden

I'm not sure when we fell asleep, or how long we've been asleep.

But the loud growls coming from Ajal are what alerts us to someone's presence, though when I glance at him I see he's being held down by glowing chains. And somehow I already know who it is. There's only one being who could possibly sneak up on a Reaper, even a sleeping one.

A god.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Aries voice drawls out condescendingly.

Jericho's arms tighten around me, unsure of what to do, both of us still in undress. He looks into my eyes, and I can see how angry he is about the whole situation.

She caught us off guard.

"What's wrong, Eden? You're not going to say hello to me? Haven't you missed me? Or have you been too busy getting fucked by this demon to care?" She spits her words out at me.

"Aries-I.." I have no idea what to say or do, this wasn't supposed to happen like this. We were supposed to catch her off guard. Not the other way around.

"Pathetic that you choose to ambush us in such a state." Jericho growls out at her. "The only way you could get the upper hand I suppose." He says.

"Ha! I could beat you with both hands tied behind my back, demon." She says, raising her chin in the air slightly, something she's always done when she wants to feel superior.

"Prove it." Jericho says simply.

Aries gestures at our clothes nearby. "I've been waiting for you to dress. See? I'm not so big and bad." She says, smiling sweetly.

Jericho looks between her and our clothes, seeming to debate on what to do next, obviously not trusting her to actually wait for us to be ready to take her on.

"Just gonna stand there and fucking watch?" Jericho growls out at her.

"I don't see why not, I've already seen everything sweet little Eden here has to offer." As she says this her eyes move from Jericho to my face. "Or did you not tell him about us, Eden?" She questions.

"There is no 'us', Aries. There never has been." I say to her.

"Oh really? Then I'm imagining what happened between us that night so long ago?" She smirks at me.

"Enough!" Jericho shouts, before yanking the blanket off of himself, standing he strides quickly over to his pants before yanking them on, though I don't miss the glance Aries shoots down his body, and apparently neither does Jericho as he glares at her.

He grabs my clothes and brings them over to me, and he stands in front of me, trying to shield me from Aries view as I quickly dress.

"Now that everyone's decent," Aries chimes out happily. "I'll be taking Eden with me, but not before I slaughter you with my own two hands, Reaper." She says, glaring at Jericho.

Her words are met with Jericho's humorless laughter echoing off the cave walls. "I'd like to see you try. You won't be taking my mate anywhere. She's mine. And it's laughable you think you stand a chance against me." He says.

"Take me with you?!" I shout, in turn making them both look at me. "You sent fucking ghouls after me! You tried to have me killed!"

Aries eyes soften at my words. "I never sent them to kill you, didn't they tell you they were sent there to bring you to me? Do you really think I'd do something like that?" She questions.

"One bit me! I did almost die!" I yell at her.

"Eden, I didn't mean for-"

"Don't fucking look at her!" Jericho shouts, cutting Aries off mid sentence. "You foul fucking witch!"

Aries ignores Jericho's words as she continues to stare at me, the look in her eyes confusing me.

"Did what we have mean nothing?" She asks quietly. My throat feels like it's closing in as Jericho looks between me and Aries.

"Aries, that was so long ago.. It was only one time.. We had both agreed it was a mistake.." I say to her, the memories of a warm summer night many years ago, we had both drank too much wine by the moon pools, and mistakes were made.

"No.. You were the one claiming it was a mistake, tossing my feelings aside. I agreed with you to keep peace between us. I agreed so I didn't have to lose you completely." She says as tears begin to stream down her face. "And now here you stand, reaking of this Reapers cum." She says to me as her face twists into one of disgust.

"Aries.. You know I didn't feel that way towards you.. I'm sorry, I never should have-" I begin, her words bringing forth feelings of guilt. "You owe her no answers, no apologies. She's manipulating your feelings to keep you distracted." Jericho says to me.

I look up at him, wanting desperately to know what's going on inside his mind. He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "Anything you did with other people before we met doesn't matter to me, you should know that. I'm only upset that she's trying to manipulate your feelings towards her, she's trying to mess with your head, Eden." Jericho says to me, I let out a soft exhale, feeling relieved that he really seems to not care about what happened in my past.

"It was a mistake.." I say quietly to him, he nods slightly before turning his gaze back to Aries.

"A mistake? Yes. That's all I've ever been, to anyone! I was never wanted!" Aries shouts, tears streaming down her face suddenly. "Not even by my own parents." She whispers. "Do you know what it's like to find out you're just a sacrifice?" She turns and begins walking along the cave, circling her way towards us.

"Do you know what it's like to have visions of your flesh being ripped away from your bones? The dreams began after I was granted this power." She says as she glances down at her hands. "The dreams never stopped. I'm to fight this darkness alone. And I will die many times over to do it." She cries. "How is this fair that this has always been my fate?!"

Her eyes blaze with rage. "But why would I fight the darkness, why would I sacrifice myself, when I could just consume it and absorb it's power? Why would I choose to die for this putrid realm, when I could rule it instead? The whole realm will bow to me when I'm finished."

"You." She points her finger in my direction. "You have come to try to kill me, haven't you, sweet Eden?" She smiles through her tears. "My best friend." She says to me.

"Enough talk. You will fight me now." Jericho growls out, reaching his hand behind his back as he did that night the ghouls attacked. In an instant he transforms into his Reaper form.

He stands taller, his eyes dark, with curved horns adorning his head, his large scythe gripped tightly in his right hand.

"Stay back, Eden. Please." He says without looking at me.

My eyes dart to Ajal at that moment, and I abandon Jericho's side and make my way towards his hellhound, deciding if I must stay out of the way I'm not going to completely useless.

I kneel down on the ground beside the hellhound, before I whisper a releasing spell over the chains. Slowly they lose their glow and fall from Ajals body. His large head turns towards me, giving me a look of I'm assuming gratitude, before laying down with an audible huff.

The chains drained his energy.
I lightly stoke the beasts head, as I turn my attention back towards Jericho and Aries.

He's the first to make a move, unsurprising to me. He darts towards her faster than I can register, his form coming across as barely a blur.

Without even breaking a sweat Aries dodges him, matching his speed easily.

My heart begins to thunder in my chest as I realize Jericho is evenly matched.

Aries brings forth a large sword, and the two are immediately at it. The sound of metal against metal echos through the caves as they fight with their weapons.

For every attack Jericho swings her way, Aries has a counter attack, though I don't think I've seen either of them land a blow to the others body yet.

I look down at Ajal briefly to see he's asleep, exhausted from the energy draining chains.

A scream fills the air and my heart leaps in my chest as I turn my gaze back to the two people fighting.

Jericho?

"Foolish boy, did you think I wouldn't come prepared? This is the sword of saints, and any wound given to a creature of darkness by this blade is quite impressive." Aries smirks at Jericho's form on the ground. "My father is a silly male, did he really think one of his Reapers could defeat a goddess? Did they assume I'd be weak?!" She shouts. "You're all fools to doubt my strength!"

"No!" I'm instantly up and running towards Jericho, nothing matters, I need to get to him immediately!

"No, Eden, stay back!" He yells at me, making me falter for just a moment before I begin running towards him again.

Aries watches the interaction with no emotion, but she doesn't stop me as I throw myself on the ground with Jericho, covering his body with my own in a feeble attempt to shield him from Aries.

"The damage is already done. If he goes untreated he'll die." She whispers to me.

"No! You can't take him from me! Please, Aries! Please you can't do this!" I cry out to her, glancing down at Jericho's side I see where she struck him. A deep gash where blood pools from, the sight leaving me in a panic.

"Jericho? Jericho? Please. Please open your eyes.. talk to me!" I plead to him, before rolling him over and onto my lap so I can cradle is head. "Please.." I whisper to him as my tears fall from my face and onto his.

"Eden.." He croaks out. "I'm so fucking sorry.."

"No, no, don't say that, you're still here." I whisper back to him.

He reaches up and cups my face in his hand. "I love you, my Eden."

Suddenly I'm being dragged away from Jericho. "She's my Eden, now." Aries says to him.

"No! You can't do this! I love him! Aries please! I beg of you! Save him! Please..." I'm sobbing at this point as I stare at Jericho while I'm forcefully dragged away from him.

Rage builds up within me, I won't let her do this.

"Ignis!" I shout out to my magic, bringing my power forth.
Flames erupt all around me and Aries.

"I just took down the all mighty Reaper, and you think you stand a chance against me? You're a simple witch, your powers are not even your own, you had to be given your power." She says to me.

I cover my hand in flame's and grasp her wrist, forcing her to let go long enough for me to take a few steps back, creating distance between us.

"Why?!" I yell at her as tears begin running down my face, I glance at Jericho and back at Aries.

"We could rule together, you know.. we would make a great team, we always have.." She says softly, as if my soulmate isn't dying out a few feet from her.

"I would never rule with someone as selfish as you." I state calmly.

"Selfish? I am selfish for not wanting to sacrifice myself? Did you ever think I'm scared, Eden? I've always been alone, having to bare this burden myself all these years. I couldn't bring myself to die in such a way.." Her eyes are rimmed with tears as she speaks. "I don't want to die." She says so quietly I can barely hear her.

The flames I had surrounding us slowly flicker away as I stare at Aries tear stained face.

"Maybe.. maybe you don't have to, Aries.. maybe there's another way." I say, trying to calm her.

"I've looked into my future so many times.. it's always the same outcome." She states.

"Then why? Why run when your vision never changes?" I ask, confused.

"Because, I create my own god damn destiny." She says in strong tone. "And I will not be my parents sacrifice."

I can hear Jericho's quiet coughing, I glance over at him for a moment to see him staring at me as he lays on the floor.

Don't die, Jericho. Please.

"Please, Aries.. He needs help." I say, my voice cracking with emotion.

"There is no help for him. He will die here today." She says, not looking at me.

"You will not take him from me!" I scream at her, the force of my voice causing my throat to hurt.

Without thinking about it I grab Jericho's scythe that is laying nearby, using my magic to electrify it I begin charging Aries, large scythe raised.

Aries looks stunned that I decided on such a bold attack, but quickly recovers herself as I watch her literally vanish before my eyes, causing me to stop dead in my tracks.

"Eden, no!"

Jericho's screams are the last thing I hear as I'm attacked from behind, my whole world going dark in an instant..

(Edited on 11/30/24)