Fractures of Eternity

If I didn’t have my brooch, surely, I would’ve been shining like a star, as anger wasn’t the only thing coursing through my body.

Why do I feel this way? It’s pathetic! I shouldn’t care! It’s pitiful even to be this way! You were just a pawn!

Yet I couldn’t divert my eyes away from the casket that Oswald was curled up on. Every step I took towards her felt heavier than the last, as the warlock didn’t move from where he was. His hands were covering his face, while Zephier, who was still pitch black, was softly brushing her face on his shoulder.

I took one happiness tonight. Jin’s words rang within me before I fell onto my knees before the bot that held the girl who had no right to be in my heart. I placed my hands on the wooden, feeling powerless to change this one fate. Unlike my death, hers had no changes in what our fates would be.

“Oi… This isn’t funny. Emma, get up.” I declared as my breath hitched, ensuring tears trailed down my cheek.

My voice caused Oswald to gaze at me as Loki stood behind me. Until this point, I never thought I would cry for anyone other than my prince. However, it seemed anyone who held a piece of my heart would be able to break it out of me.

Ah… this was why I didn’t want to feel anymore. It hurts to care! Would I have felt this way if Loki had opened my heart? No, this isn’t him. He didn’t do this to me. No, it was you and your undying devotion to me. Now… you’re gone and I… I can’t risk doing anything.

Hah… what a horrible goddess I am. Hey… did I ever thank you for anything you did for me?

Oswald gripped onto his shirt before finding his feet.

“Vivian, she protected—” His voice was quivering, but I didn’t let him finish.

“Shut up! I don’t care that she saved your ass! She deserved more than this! We all should’ve treated her better!” I snapped at the warlock, which caused him to take a step back from me, wincing.

“I…” He bit his lip without finishing as I kept my gaze locked on the casket before me.

“Emma, get up!” I screamed, stomping on the damn wood that separated us.

If I were a useful god, perhaps I could’ve saved her, but as I was now, I was utterly useless. My time magic was nothing like an everyday eternal witch, which meant I had the power to reverse time, yet with the rift, it would’ve been a matter of time until that dreadful god found me. No witch had ever tried to go into the past before, as even Alijah was propelled into the future rather than back.

If I try… I could fracture all of reality, and I know… You wouldn’t have wanted that. You… would’ve wanted me to have more time, but… what about yours? Can I…

“Vivi, she isn’t going to.” Loki grabbed onto my hand, jerking me into him.

Tears flowed down my face and onto his shirt as I pushed away from him, trying to face the box that held her. I wasn’t the type of girl who would crumble into his arms over this, no, I was rabid, wishing I had taken my time killing Jin for what he had done.

“No! This wasn’t supposed to happen! I was supposed to keep you all safe! What type of useless goddess am I when I can’t do anything to save a simple girl?!” I cried, not caring who was there to hear me.

Much to my surprise, Oswald engulfed me in his arms from behind, leaving his twin before me with his eyes open wide, while his arms were trembling, keeping me close to his body.

Eh? Did you hear what I said? I’m—

“Of course, Emma wasn’t supposed to die, but it happened, and there was nothing anyone, not even you, could’ve done! She didn’t hesitate to jump in front of me, and now she’s gone.” Oz said, holding me tightly. “Vivian, she wouldn’t want you to do anything other than live.”

Instantly, my eyes locked onto his as they had dark circles again, alerting me that this boy hadn’t slept at all.

“We… We never even patched things up correctly. Shit… I was a prideful fool, and now I won’t be able to say what I wanted.” He mumbled, voice shaky.

“Oz… It isn’t your fault either.” Loki sighed.

“I know that, still I… I allowed my bias to screw everything up!” Oswald growled.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, grabbing onto his arms, triggering him to loosen his grip on me slowly.

“Fucking life is unfair most of the time. Though I’m glad Loki got to you in time. It would’ve been a bigger mess if something had happened to you, too,” He sighed, trailing off before gazing at his brother.

My prince shook his head as his eyes glossed before biting his lip. I didn’t know what the two had gone through while I was with Jin, but it seemed their bond was still strong.

“I wouldn’t have been there on time to do anything if it weren’t for you, Oz,” Loki assured him.

Letting me go, Oswald placed his hands on his hips.

“I guess. You owe me more than one this time.” He shrugged, gazing at Eli, which prompted his eyes to twitch. “Hm… Do I even want to ask?” Oswald scowled at Loki, who appeared surprised.

“Actually, I was wondering if anything happened to your link.” Loki nervously chuckled, grabbing Eli, whose beautiful white scales were too eye-catching.

The warlock sighed, shaking his head. “It’s gone.”

Huh?! Gone?! What did I…

There was no way to know what I had done, yet if the bond were redone, it would mean placing a greater burden on Loki.

“What?” My prince mumbled, letting go of Eli, who slowly floated towards me.

I… screwed everything, didn’t I?

Undoing his blouse, Oz showed how the black mark was nowhere to be seen.

“It is. What the fuck have you gotten yourself into, brother?” He asked.

Even though the symbol was gone, I still felt a weak link to the warlock, leaving me to wonder if it was changing too or fading away, while Loki’s was stronger than ever. I didn’t know much about the Amor Aeternum bond, other than that it bound us for eternity, which saved him from the gods killing him.

But at what cost? Eternal torture is all that you can expect in your future now, and the scary part is that you know it.

In every way I was linked to him, it meant agony awaited him

“Uh… I don’t even know fully.” My prince gazed at me as I altogether avoided him.

Argh… I need to get it together!

“That makes me wonder if fate is fixing itself. Oswald was never supposed to die with you.” I announced, wiping my tears as mourning was something I couldn’t thoroughly do in the situation we found ourselves in.

“Huh?” The twins mumbled at the same time as I clasped onto Eli, who coiled around my waist.

“In the vision Edna warned about, you’re placed into prison for trying to murder the crown prince after he killed Loki.” I sighed, holding the snake tightly.

The future was always fitting to stay in a straight line, which was why only gods could change it, yet doing so caused ripples that we wouldn’t be able to see until they happened.

“Yeah, that’s true, but didn’t the changes make it something else? I mean… You won’t allow it to happen, right?” Oz asked.

Why are you speaking to me like you usually do?

“Well, all and dandy if they were gods who made it, but they weren’t. Destiny is hard to overcome; the goddess of creation ensured that.” I sighed, gazing down at Emma’s casket.

The order within the chaos will always try to reign. Hah… I need to make sure your death means something.

I didn’t have time to feel like this, yet in my heart, there was a hole she used to fill, which was empty with her departure. However, what was more critical was saving Loki and me, as it saved the world we currently live in, which was the reason she gave her life.

I… Will not allow it to be in vain. Your death… will be for something.

“It’s why my existence created discord among the gods and now mortals.” I sighed, clenching my hands into fists.

There is nothing to stop the flow of time.