It has been 16 hours since I've seen Monika. I'm going insane. I try to track down the woman. She seems to haven't vanished without a trace.

So I'm back here at her temple. I should start destroying things. Crumbling countries at a time.

"I wouldn't, Slade."

It's that woman again. I turn around sword in hand. She looks different now. A shape shifter.

"Tell me where she is," I demand.

She smiles. Her hair is dark as night. So are her eyes. Not in a beautiful way like my Monika. In a disturbing way. No soul behind those eyes. Not for a while.

"Tell me what you are?"

She smiles. "Why tell you. When I can show you."

And I'm no longer at Monika's temple. It's black. Pure black. "Monika?!"

"When I created you, I thought here will be a strong one," she says from the darkness.

This is what she described. Not the void. Just pure blackness.

"Monika!" I shout.

"Doesn't he resemble you, Ofair?"

"Hm. No. Look how emotional he is, he's so...where's my wife. Who took my wife."

I turn around, flaming my sword. "Show your self you coward."

A man stands in front of me. He looks. I pause before putting my sword at his throat. He cocks his head before grinning, mouth full of teeth.

Why...is he stronger than me.

"Who the hell are you?"

He chuckles. "If we want to be technical. I am your father. Your creator. Call me Ofair. This is your mother, my goddess."

F-Father...I frown. "I am born of the void. I have no father no mother. And I don't care about these things. I want my wife. Show me her."

Ofair sighs. He throws his arm over my shoulder.

"My fairest I know how much you adore the dark but give our boy some light will you?" He booms.

She sighs. Where am I. What's happening? Where is Monika?

Light floods the space. It's like cave. And there she is. I come up to her, cupping her face. She's in her godly form.

"Oh my goodness, my baby." I smile, kissing her face. She looks tired. Her face is soaked with sweat.

"What have you done to her?" I demand. She looks to at me with bleary eyes.

"Slade..."

Ofair looks down at her. "Her? She's a god we didn't create. She must be eliminated."

I push her behind me. "You will do no such thing. This is my goddess. And you will pay for touching her."

"Pay? Will I really?"

I'll have to kill them and deal with the consequences later.

I pull my sword.

"Before you do something I'll have to smite you for I should let you know," he says. "We are the orginal gods. Gods of chaos. The Gods who created you. You cannot kill us like you did Orion."

He knows about they. They know. I pick Monika up, going back home.

She huffed holding her chest. "It's been so dark," she holds my chest.

"I won't let them take you again. I won't leave you alone, Monika. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I set my boundary up as high as I can and I hold her, in the middle of the dining room table where we happened to land as she cries in my arms because I failed her.

Again.

• • •

Monika's eyes won't change back. Maybe because she's still afraid. Maybe because she knows I'm can't protect her from everything, and we both thought I could.

"Slade?" She whispers. "It's not your fault."

Monika is kind enough to attempt absolve a god of guilt. I kiss her head in silence. I will not let her leave my sight. I will keep her in my arms and they will have to pry her from my cold, dead, hands.

I press my lips against her head again, pulling her closer. She snuggled into my chest, her nails digging into my back.

"I will get stronger," I swear. "I will protect you."

She shakes her head. "I just want you here right now. Never let me go."

She frowns. "They were stronger than me. Did I do badly, Slade?"

I shake my head. "They're too strong. It wasn't you: you are an unstoppable goddess. They are....other."