As Per Contract

Note:

This is the fourth issue of Soul Exchange - House of Trials. If you have not read the previous chapters, here they are: Prologue (1st issue), Save the Dogs (2nd issue), and The Rogue (3rd issue).

Fun Fact: House of Trial is the product of my repetitive nightmare. "Eliza" (I never really caught her name) was a character in my dream. In these nightmares, I'm an invisible bystander that was assigned to her, and my only job is to watch her adventures without intervening! Of course, this series is not the replica of my nightmares, and the details were changed to keep the plot moving. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy watching Eliza just like I did in my dreams.

Disclaimer: contains violence. Reader discretion is advised.

As Per Contract

Mona drove in silence as her mind repeated the mission. With the Director being out of commission, she was voluntold to handle the job that she normally would not have to. Her long-time friend, Li, sat at the passenger side, massaging his temples while he read the Case Files for their mission.

“I am fairly surprised that this is happening here on Earth, especially with what happened a couple of thousand years back in Rome,” Li commented as he turned off his Surface Pro 8 and put it back in his designer bag pack.

Mona scrunched her nose. “You know why that is.”

They both stayed silent as they passed by the endless trees on the side of the road.

Different Council representatives would meet every century and discuss dimensional politics. Thousands of years ago, the meeting had ended in bath blood and civil wars across the universe.

Since Earth had remained mostly untouched due to its neutrality and protected status (even after that one disastrous instance when the Titans and Daemons had a tiff about territories), the planet had become the safest place to meet.

Mona, a Nephil and a descendant of a minor Norse Goddess, became a stand-in for Eliza (the Director of the High Celestial Council) since she was Eliza’s right hand. Li was the Director that oversaw the Mages, the Spirituals, and the Unknown.

Unlike Eliza, his responsibility mostly consisted of watching over the education of the Supernaturals and eliminating the threats that came from the Spirit Dimension. Even though the High Celestial Council oversaw his department, Li and his coven acted independently and had their covenants they followed.

As long as Li maintained the secrecy and kept the humans ignorant of the Supernaturals, the High Celestial Council would never interfere.

“You think they’re going to try and take over Earth?” Li examined his black chipping nail polish and yawned.

“This is not like back then, Li. They have progressed.” Mona responded, fearing that she might say something in the meeting that would set off the brewing war.

“Have you heard about the Grigori twins?” Li asked and Mona raised her brows.

“No, but how is this relevant?”

Li tapped his finger on his lip. “Well, according to my sources, one of the Council members assassinated Tia Grigori, Death, herself, to upset the cycle of creation and chaos. Her soul had been missing since.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Have you not noticed why you haven’t heard from any of them? Are you that naïve to think that Uriel’s disappearance was a coincidence? The only being who shielded the twins from the High Celestial Council’s claws. The last time I heard too, Mikhail’s children went missing around the same time Tia did, and Hell Hounds have been spotted everywhere kidnapping children of all races…including in the Unknown. There were also talks about THE GODDESS Asherah returning and how Lucifer is all behind it.”

“Li, these are just rumours. Lucifer hates his parents. Well, hates his father, at least. Also, Asherah has been technically dead for…oh, I don’t know. Eternity?”

Li tsked, clearly not buying it. “Babe girl, what I’m trying to say is, be very careful. We may see another Celestial war very soon. My sources have never failed me. Have I failed you with Jace?”

Mona stayed quiet and Li used it as an opportunity to say what he had in mind. “Whatever happens, the High Celestial Council will not protect you or those you love. I want you to know that you will always have a place in my ranks. I will protect you. And if Eliza ever changes her loyalty, she too is welcome. You also must remember that the Council you currently serve has made many enemies. If bringing Asherah back meant the end of that Council’s reign, the others would join in.”

“Asherah would end us all and start fresh.”

“But wouldn’t that be for the best though?” Li muttered as he brushed back his dark hair with his fingers. “I know I’ve been hanging out on Earth a lot, but I also know that every dimension is pretty much the same. We’re all cancer to one another. We all want to conquer each other. Hell, the whole point of this trip is to examine each other’s strengths and decide whether it’s time to start a war. You and I have lived long enough to see how everyone barely changed. We may only be a couple of thousand years old but we’ve seen enough greed and death to know how everyone is.”

Mona chewed on her lower lip, a habit that she caught from Eliza. She didn’t want to agree with Li but they both knew that if it all came down to it, they would be willing to be absorbed by the Goddess once again. She was not sure if that made them villains or just tired pessimists.

The drive down to Salem was quiet and peaceful. Since they took the back roads, they mostly saw trees and historic houses. Li scrunched his nose in disgust and Mona knew that he was recalling the days when innocent women were prosecuted for witchcraft.

“You’d think that the Councils would step in and take reign on religion,” Li muttered and Mona tapped her fingers on the wheel.

“They can’t. If they did, that would disturb the humans’ fates. You of all people should know that we do not upset the Fates. They are almost as old as The God and The Goddess.”

“They can’t or they won’t?”

Mona turned into a bend and drove down the gravel driveway without answering back. The trees grew sparse as they reached a dilapidated wooden cabin.

Li waved his hand when they both got out of the car and grabbed their belongings. The air rippled as the glamour dropped, revealing a castle decorated with exotic florae from different dimensions and planets.

They strolled on the grounds in silence as different creatures eyed them. They saw tall green women with leaves and flowers for hair—the Elysians, Shadow people that absorbed light around them, Spider women and men from a far galaxy, and several cryptids that Mona care not to acknowledge.

Then she saw the different Gods and Goddesses from different dimensions, they argued amongst themselves but so far, no Immortal blood had been spilled.

The Daemons lurked in the dark and spoke quietly amongst themselves. There were at least three thousand representatives in the castle and only Mona and Li looked remotely human except for—Mona stopped in her tracks and stared at a human child lounging on the purple velvet sofa by herself.

She was no older than twelve and yet she showed no discomfort in being surrounded by Otherworldly creatures. She had bright crimson hair that glowed like flames under the sunlight, her eyes were as green as grass, and she was pale like the moon.

“Hello, Mona and Li. Representatives of the High Celestial Council and the Spiritual Council,” the child spoke and she closed her leather-bound journal. With a wave of her hand, the journal vanished into thin air.

“You are human,” Li said as he eyed the child. “What are you doing here?”

The child scoffed and flipped her hair away. “The same as you, Magus. I am here to represent.”

Mona’s brows stitched together. There never was a human representative for a very important reason: most creatures have a taste for human flesh. Yet, the human—a child, nonetheless, was sent here.

Then there was this uncomfortable feeling that gnawed inside her. The child looked far too familiar. Someone who seemed to be important to her in her early years.

“I’m sorry. But do you know what you are?” Li asked, voicing Mona’s concerns. “You are a human child. You are defenceless. You are a meal to everyone here.”

The child laughed and it sounded like wind chimes. “I appreciate your concern, my dears. But I am older than any of you combined. So, let me properly introduce myself: I am Eve—the purest fragment of The Goddess Asherah Herself.”

Then Eve walked toward them and smiled brightly. “It is interesting though how you both see me as a child with different physical traits. But I assure you, that I am not.”

“You’re a myth,” Mona muttered and she immediately regretted saying it as soon as Eve’s pupils glowed golden just like the Celestials’ did.

“The Eve in the religions and stories you know is a myth and an insult to my being,” Eve snapped. “But I assure you, child, that I am not who you all think I am.”

Li held Mona’s hand to grab her attention. Irritated, she shot him a look but as soon as she saw the other representatives form a circle around them, she kept her mouth shut.

Some of the creatures knelt and bowed their heads at Eve. The Daemons stood back, tensed, and weary. The rest observed the situation with curiosity.

“Welcome, children,” Eve announced, her voice ringing in their ears. Li squirmed uncomfortably as his pulse rose.

“Goddess,” the others whispered in acknowledgment as they devotedly stared at her.

Mona, if you can hear me, please respond.

Mona’s eye twitched. Li, what now?

We have to go. RIGHT NOW.

What are you on? We can’t. The Council will have our heads.

Li whimpered as sweat beaded down at the back of his neck. Although he kept himself composed, Mona could see the pain behind his dark eyes.

“Magus,” the Goddess addressed him. “What is the matter? Are you seeing visions?”

Li squeezed Mona’s hand as he faked a grin. “Nothing is wrong.”

“If that’s the case, then let’s begin.”

They were transported to the Great Hall with a snap of her fingers. The tapestry depicted histories from different dimensions. The crystal floor reflected the three red moons—the waxing, the full, and the waning, from above them.

The ceiling was filled with distant stars and galaxies. The stained-glass windows portrayed the constant Creation and Chaos in the Multiverse.

Li immediately fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His throat burned with bile as his body rebelled against the lack of oxygen. He knew that the pain was all in his head—all caused by Her, but he could not fight Her presence in his mind. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that it would be over soon.

However, it didn’t.

Instead, he was subjected to feeling everything She felt, and hearing the thoughts that flooded Her being.

Blood dripped from his eyes as his brain tried to grasp that was Everything and yet Nothing. His body convulsed in protest as his stomach emptied whatever he had eaten during the day.

Just take me. Li begged in between the bloody tears that rolled down his cheeks. Just end this.

No, Magus. Not yet. She said as he felt Her roots wrap around his soul—seeking the answers that only he could provide.

“Li!” Mona reached out for him but a force threw her back to the silver benches that formed a semi-circle around the thrones.

Eve sat on the sapphire throne on the right. A lioness napped by her feet, as a golden tree sprouted behind her throne. The obsidian throne on her left remained empty as the shadowy entities that danced around it absorbed the light from the tree.

Li continued to squirm in pain on the floor as blood oozed out from his eyes and mouth. Mona tried to run to him once more but found her body stuck to the bench.

“It’s useless, child. This is her domain.” A God with golden eyes beside her muttered. He wore a silver mask made of gems, and his long silky dark hair went past his waist. He wore a silver silk cloak with diamonds stitched at its trims. His horns just curled above his head.

“Baal,” Mona hissed under her breath. She didn’t mean to say His name with so much hostility but she was not feeling too friendly since she was forced to watch her best friend suffer. Baal regarded her from the corner of his eye as he fiddled with his obsidian ring.

“I have warned you all before about waking Her. Now, here we are,” his voice echoed in her brain and she had to take a deep breath to keep herself from vomiting. The sheer telepathic force made her nauseated and drained.

Baal immediately put his hand on her shoulder to keep her from toppling over. “I apologize. I often forget my strength.”

Warmth seeped into her skin, keeping her conscious.

“What does she want with Li?” Mona responded.

Baal shook his head. “This goes beyond your friend, child.”

“What do you mean—”

But her question was immediately answered when hundreds of children from different races appeared before them. They too, along with Li, screamed silently in pain, begging Eve to end it all.

Eve smiled warmly as she stood from her throne and opened her arms. The lioness opened an eye but decided to stay asleep instead. “Welcome, my other children.”

Her gaze found Baal and She gave Him a curt nod. Baal remained still and reflective. With the mask on and his impenetrable barrier around his psyche, Mona was unable to get a read of his emotions.

Mona was ashamed to admit that she knew very little of the Goddess and even Baal. She knew of them but the extent of her knowledge was limited. They were myths even to the Immortals.

Since the Celestial Council did its best to eradicate their history at every dimension, the Deities became the horror story that the Immortals told their children.

“It has come to my attention that I may have been asleep for far too long that you all have forgotten who I am.” She paced, ignoring the children in front of her that was screaming in agony.

Baal squeezed Mona’s shoulder and she winced in pain. She opened her mouth to protest but immediately shut it when she witnessed everyone screaming as they tried to claw their eyes out. The ones who did not, bowed their heads in shame.

Baal protected her from Her.

Why? She questioned but received no answer from Him.

Out of anyone He would choose to protect, she was the least worthy. She was merely a stand-in for Eliza—the purest and most amazing being she knew. Mona was selfish, vain, and powerless compared to her and everyone else.

Her loyalty always wavered.

Even when Li and she just had the conversation about being absorbed by Asherah before they got there, she was already going back on her word.

Mona did not want this. She did not realize how awful it would be. She did not realize how much she cared for everyone even when she hated each one of them including herself. I’m sorry. Mona prayed, not knowing who was listening and why she was apologizing. It just felt right to do so. It felt right to be ashamed.

Eve shook her head disapprovingly. “After all these years of evolution, none of you could even look me directly in the eyes unlike the select Celestial children of mine—even then, they are still too weak to withstand my full presence. When would you all realize that I am you and you are me?”

Agony flooded Mona and tears ran down from her eyes. There was so much suffering and she felt helpless.

Child. She heard Baal in her head but Mona continued to sob. She was not sure if the emotions came from her or if—when she met Her eyes, whatever protection Baal had cast around her shattered.

Mona let Her in and unlike the others, she finally felt at peace.

“I also have noticed that all of you have been severely violent toward each other.” Asherah continued as her appearance shifted from a ball of light to a shadow, then to other incoherent images that no one else could fathom. “What part did you not get about being kind to one another? Did I miss something?

“Maybe I have then.” She stopped in front of Li as her fingers caressed his temples. “Perhaps, this Magus is right. I need to recreate this new universe. You were all my mistakes. I did this. I have hurt you all. I have hurt myself. You are all my corruption and so, I will take the responsibility for it all.”

“Asherah.” Baal teleported beside her. “There are other ways. You don’t have to do this. I know you are hurt, but they are all so young and have so much to learn. You don’t have to remake them. You don’t have to remake the universe.”

When She did not say something, He took her hand. “What would El say?”

“El.” She whispered. Her gaze softened at the mention of the name. However, it was immediately replaced by uncontrolled fury as soon as She was reminded of the horrifying things that everyone did to each other by the tapestries. “I am doing this for El. El has not come back because of them. Because of my creations. Because of me.”

“Asherah—”

She snatched her hand away from Him and shook her head. The palace began to crumble as she took shaky breaths. “They corrupted something. I have to restart and nip this corruption in the bud. I have to—”

“I need a Vessel.” Before Baal could stop her, She was already at Mona’s side. She took her hand and the child dazedly looked at Her. “A Vessel that is strong enough to withstand all the souls that I would reclaim.”

“She is a child!” Baal shouted but She was no longer listening. She was right. There had been corruption because this was not the Goddess that He knew. This was not Her.

“Accept me.”

Mona blinked and no matter how much He tried to reach the child, She already had Her claws around her psyche.

There was no saving her.

There was no saving the both of them.

“Yes.”

With one last look at Him, Asherah vanished.

The palace began to crumble as Mona convulsed on the floor. Wings sprouted from her back as her body was destroyed and remade over and over again.

Baal watched in horror as the tapestries attempt to retell history, each one diverging into multiple timelines until there was nothing but chaos and destruction. One by one, the soul in the hall was reabsorbed by Her until the girl became unrecognizable.

The Magus that came with the girl gripped the trim of his cloak and with all his strength he said, “there’s a way to stop Her. Use me.”

Baal shook His head. His loyalty had always belonged to Her.

“For f*ck sake!” The Magus cursed and coughed blood. “You stupid ancient Gods!”

“Excuse me?!”

The Magus wiped the blood from his eyes. “We don’t have time for this bullshit. Do you love Her or not?”

He stayed silent as the Magus weakly stood to meet his eyes. He was a couple of feet taller than he but that did not matter to the Magus. “If you loved Her, you would have known how much She loved all Her creation. That’s why She is like this. She wanted to stop us from destroying ourselves. So, stop Her from destroying us and Herself in the process.”

“I don’t know how.” He admitted.

“I do.” The Magus said. “You just have to trust me, old guy.”

He ground his teeth. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to smite the creature before Him or whether He was in awe by its audacity.

“We don’t have much time,” the Magus panted. “Just decide, God dammit.”

Baal gripped the Magus by the neck and before He could change His mind, the words slithered from His lips, “do you accept me, Magus?”

The Magus managed to give him a triumphant smirk. “You bet, Grandpa.”

You dare betray me?! Were the last things He heard from Her before His consciousness became one with the Magus.

Li dropped to the floor as he felt Baal fix every broken bone and cell in his body. He was not sure what happened but the God took a backseat and let Li take reign in his mind. When nausea lifted, Li glanced at Mona—no, at Asherah.

The Golden Serpent grew in size as it reclaimed everything and everyone around them. Its blazing eyes met his and Li was not sure if what he saw was hatred or love.

However, unlike the useless Gods and Goddesses he met, he wasted no time overanalyzing everything. He sprinted and snatched one of the tapestries.

Asherah clued into what he was up to and the Serpent slithered toward him. With the Godly speed that he acquired from Baal, Li was able to outrun her by jumping into different portals.

Against all his beliefs in tampering with time, Li opened a portal to a parallel Earth 22 years before and jumped. The portal sealed itself before Asherah could come after him.

***

Li dropped onto the damp grass, his body ached from the impact and screamed with exhaustion. Even with Baal’s help, jumping dimensional portals with another powerful Goddess on their tail took too much energy.

He panted heavily as he struggled to get up. Fireflies hung low as his nose was attacked by the fragrant flowers in the garden.

“Hello, Magus,” she paused. “And hello, Other Father.”

He sighed as he met her golden eyes—the same eyes as her insane mother. However, the angel before him was kinder and more human than he expected.

“Lady Uriel,” Magus bowed ever so slightly. Her brows stitched together as she examined him.

“She has awakened. Hasn’t She?”

“Yes and no.” Li shook his head. “Will you help?”

Before she could answer, a toddler with blond curls came running toward them. “Momma?”

Uriel smiled sadly at him before she picked up the toddler and secured her in an embrace.

“Who’s that, momma?” The toddler asked.

“A friend, Angela,” she answered. “A very old friend of mine from a different time and world. As per our contract from a long time ago, I have to help him.”

- End of the issue - to be continued.

Hi, I'm CyCy!

Thank you for reading. I truly appreciate it.

I usually create darker content, whether art, video shorts, or stories. If this is something that you also enjoy, let's be friends :)

You can connect with me on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok @cyrls_corner and read my Lux et Obscurum issues at https://cyrlscorner.com/short-stories/lux-et-obscurum-grimoire/.

P.S. I would truly appreciate your support whether it would be subscribing, sharing this page with your friends, leaving me a tip, or giving your pledge (which is $2.99/month). If you also want updates on my latest releases, sign up for my newsletter here.

P.P.S. I also offer Beta-Reader services if you are a writer/author and need a Beta-Reader. Check out my Fiverr link here.