What Makes the Gods Weep

What Makes the Gods Weep Lila could see everything now. She could be anywhere, do anything. But not right now, not until Niko let her. Not until the time was right. She remembered everything, but for now, she was still mortal. Less than mortal. She was dead. She’d gained limited control over the physical world again. She could open a door, pick up a pen and write, but she couldn’t appear to anyone, couldn’t speak to them. She was an invisible, mute observer. Lila could see everything that was, everything that could be, but she couldn’t tell anyone about it. She had to get creative. For example, right now, Niko was speeding down the freeway, going far too fast for his own good. Niko wasn’t usually a bad driver, but listening to Cindy and Marcell’s insane tale of gladiator tournaments, crazy cultists, and incorrect philosophy had him a little distracted. If he kept this up, in another mile he would run into a drunk driver cruising on the wrong side of the road. He and Cindy would die. Marcell would survive, of course, but the sight of Cindy’s blood would drive him into a frenzy that would not be stopped. He’d disappear into the wild and never be seen again. And without the three of them, the whereabouts of the remaining Truth would not be discovered. And without Niko, the cosmos may very well have ceased to exist. This may have seemed like a very serious problem, but scenarios like this happened all the time to people everywhere. The future was a continuously shifting pool of possibilities, and it was Lila’s task to shift through them all to find the best outcome. Calmly, she reached an arm forward through the car, and turned on the radio. “What the—“ Niko frowned, turning it back off. “Anyway, you were saying about the prison?” Lila turned it on again. “The fuck is wrong with this thing?” Niko leaned closer to make sure he was hitting the right button, and consequently slowed down. Ahead on the freeway, the drunk driver managed to straighten himself out a small distance before he reached them, and passed right by. Cindy and Marcell both frowned. “That was weird,” Cindy commented. “I don’t know, man,” Niko said, shrugging. “Weird shit like that’s been happening all the time lately. It’s like she’s following me or something.” “She?” Marcell seemed confused. Grabbing his arm, Cindy whispered. “Lila, remember?” “Oh...” “It’s okay,” Niko continued. “You don’t have to be all hush-hush. She’s dead, it happens to everyone at one point or another.” “But you think she’s still here?” Cindy asked. Niko thought for a moment. “Yes, no, I don’t know. What I do know is this: I was going to leave Ede Valley, you know, right after she died. Was just gonna up and walk out of the hospital, go back to the city. But right before I was about to make like a tree, a message appeared on the bathroom mirror, said something only she would know. And so I stayed.” “And stuff like this keeps happening?” “Ever since,” he nodded. “I like to think she’s become, I dun know, a guardian angel or something.” Not quite an angel, but close enough, Lila supposed. If he wanted her to, that’s what she would be. If it made him less sad that she was gone, then so it shall be. It wouldn’t be forever. One way or another, they would be together again. But Lila wanted to make sure that it happened in the best, most stable way possible. “So,” she caught the next bit of the conversation as Marcell cut in. “What was this about figuring out the Truth?” “It’s... a long story,” Niko sighed. “You remember Servus, the automaton?” “Aurum’s helper?” Marcell nodded. “That’s the one. Well, he’s been increasingly sentient—wow, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear—and so Tommy and Aurum did some mumbo-jumbo to figure out what his deal was, and turns out he’s got a little piece of the Truth lodged in him. So we were going to see if we could dig even deeper and figure out what this thing actually is, but Aurum’s not strong enough. We need more power.” “And that’s where I come in, isn’t it?” Cindy grinned. They would find much more than that. Lila could see exactly where they were headed. It wasn’t pretty, not by a long shot, but for the good of all of them, and the cosmos at large, it was how it must be. She remembered what had been, even if he didn’t, and she cried for him, for he didn’t know that he should. That was her burden to bare for now. Until he was ready. This was the path, they were on it. But until it was time, she would be there to make sure that he didn’t stray. She loved him, from the beginning to the very end. And she would protect him until he could take up his mantle once again. ~~ o ~~ Abigail sat, alone in the dark, echoey rooms of her hideout, and waited. For once, everything was dead silent. She took a deep breath, and held it. If only she could have stopped her heart just for a moment, so that the stillness could be complete. But alas, it didn’t last. Abigail felt the air move behind her just as her headache returned. “How did you get in here?” she asked the darkness. “I opened the door, and walked in,” the man grinned, his spectacles flashing in the moonlight. “And what do you mean ‘how did you get in’? You’ve never met me.” “Don’t be coy,” she scoffed, trying not to wince, the pain increasing as he got closer to her. “It really doesn’t suit you. I know the whole Truth. Everything. It’s all right here in my head.” “It’s impossible for you to know everything.” “Well,” she conceded, “as close to everything as it’s possible to get.” “And this is what you’re going to do with that knowledge? Just sit here and wait for the end?” “It’s not like I can do much else. In case you haven’t noticed I’ve been sort of backed in a corner." “Ahh, but you of all people should know that there’s always a way out.” “Is it coming soon? The end, I mean?” “Yes, for now. It’s been a long time.” “That it has.” The room fell quiet for a moment as they both pondered this. “Tell me,” Abigail broke the silence finally, “because I’ve been wondering for a while now. What does make the gods weep?” He stared into her eyes, and nodded slowly. “An arch left unfinished.” “Well, you’ve just got all the answers, don’t you?” “Yes, I do.” “Don’t lie. And don’t patronize me. I know better.” “I wasn’t.” “No, you’re wrong,” her voice bounced feverishly off the walls as it grew in volume and intensity. “There’s one thing you’re missing. I know what I am, daemon, me and every other person in this goddamn prison. But what are you?” He stood there for a moment, expression unreadable. “I don’t know.” The words hung in the air, suspended in time and drawn out for forever. “But,” he continued, “I do know what I have to do. This meeting wasn’t planned. I’ll cease my intruding now.” He turned back towards the darkness. “Goodnight, Abigail,” he smiled. “And goodbye. I truly wish you the best of luck.”