Disc 1: The Many Streams. Ch. 2: Destiny?

The so-called Satis continued her speech, paying no heed to his snickering.

“Behold my return, man, and rejoice to be my First Servant on this day of awakening. I can now flow through this Black Land once more. You shall be the First Witness of the mischief that I, and I alone, shall spread across.”

Her words echoed off the rocks, and only the awkward silence that followed allowed him to hear once more the sound of water dripping somewhere nearby. They were surrounded by street garbage that had fallen during the earthquake. Uncertain if this was truly the best course of action, he lowered himself to one knee.

“Oh, Satis, Demoness among demonesses, I shall forever be in your debt for this new life and this new eye. Let me be your helper and bringer of evil unto Humankind. Let me be your First Step, your First Guide upon the Earth once again. But first of all—and excuse my ignorance, am I right to understand that we have made a pact?”

Satis, overjoyed by his humble words—and without noticing his wry smile—stepped forward, treading among the street’s discarded papers. She brought her face close to his.

“Now, now, lucky me to find a proper servant. Yes, after my impr… retirement from the toils of mortal life, I have been sleeping in this temple. Your desperate situation called for my aid, so I allowed you to trade with me, servant. You may not realize it yet, but what you now possess is my Left Eye! Use it wisely, and nothing will escape your sight”.

She seemed to enjoy waving her arms around while talking.

“This is just a minor example of the new powers I’ve granted you in exchange for your soul! Now—let us find the way out of this island.”

“Satis, my Mistress, please forgive my question. It’s clear to me that my soul, in exchange for your demonic blessings, was preordained all along. I understand my duty to comply with all your demands—but there are two points I, in my ignorance, do not fully grasp.”

“Then speak your questions!”

“You see—and I’m aware this could be a matter of academic debate—am I right to assume you conceive this portion of land as a proper island? Don’t get me wrong! For your evilness transcends any piece of man’s land, but since childhood, I’ve always considered these communities to be part of a peninsula, if I may be so bold.”

The demoness, shifting from an expression of malevolent delight to one of honest confusion, took a step back and was about to reply—but he continued.

“But all of this is somewhat irrelevant in our current age. What truly concerns me, My Lady, is what you mentioned at the beginning. As you’ve already noticed, I will gladly carry out your wicked wishes.” He began picking up some of the papers scattered around. “But you may want to confirm when the deadline is for that.” He held up one of the pamphlets:

THE END IS ON THE HORIZON

GOD IS DEATH AND SCIENCE KILLED IT

LET US BE REUNITED BEFORE THE FALL

Satis was now the one on her knees, staring at the different colorful pamphlets filled with variations of the same cringe phrases. Most were just headlines and announcements, offering little context.

“When…?”

“Not long ago (and please forgive me—I never paid much attention to the news), a group of researchers from various communities accomplished two of the greatest feats a human can achieve: they proved, without a doubt, the existence of god…and then they killed it.”

Satis stood frozen and forlorn in the middle of the darkness.

“Ah, but what really matters now—at least for you and me—is that the world will end thanks to it. If my calculations are correct, that will happen in about a year.”

He ended the last sentence with an innocent and sincere smile.

“You..you mentioned this is not an island?”

The anxiety was growing on her face.

“I thought you were watching me from up there. Anyway, why don’t I show you my home community?”

He helped her to stand up on her feet, as she couldn’t overcome the shock—still clutching the pamphlets in her hands. Amid the wreckage, a small, steep slope seemed to lead to the avenue. Once they climbed up, Satis couldn’t believe her eyes.

In front of her stood a forest of rectangular, severely damaged pillars that reached almost to the gray sky. Behind her stretched what seemed like a jungle for ancient giants.

She collapsed to the ground, weeping inconsolably.

Common Day never really knew how to deal with people like that.

“I imagine that during your awakening, you didn’t pay much attentions to yout surroundings, so…well, as far as I know, what used to be your temple—and is now little more than ruins—was originally a donation from a desert community far to the east. And yeah, you can probably already tell that was centuries ago. Since this is your first time outside…welcome!”

The puddle of tears began to grow even more. It seems she has plenty of fluids to waste so freely. He now had no choice but to act like a responsible adult.

“My name is Common Day, and from now on, your name will be Rowdy Deer.” She looked up at him from the ground, eagerly, though tearlessly. “Yeah, you’re imprisoned no more, and yes, I’m grateful for the revival, the eye, and all that… but it seems I already paid with my soul, so I’d say we’re even.’

She seemed like she might start crying again.

“But I think we can reach some compromises.”

“Some…compromises, you say?” she asked. She was sobbing now.

“To be honest, I was planning to just stay in my home up there until the very end. But this community won’t last much longer, from what I can see now. However, with your gif…I’ve changed my mind. Get up—because I’ll help you to bring true evil to this world.”

Satis was now standing, gazing at him intently.

“Yes, it’s true, for no more than a year… but it's a much freer world than before. In exchange for my services, you’ll help me reach a certain place.”

He paused for a moment as they both felt a faint tremor. He looked toward the gray horizon, where the Sun was beginning to rise again. Am I not a lucky guy? This is the best Sunday ever.

He pointed toward the sunrise in the northwest.

“Far away from this Community, there’s a city in which the last people are gathering to watch the end of the world. My family traveled there months ago, but since I’m more of a stay-at-home kind of person, I just let them go. With your assistance, we'll cross all the Nine Outer Rings, pass through the Land of Castles, and catch up with my family. And all the while, we spread evil among those who remain.”

He had finally said it. Common Day was sure now that everything that had happened in the last 24 hours had been a warning to move on. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of visiting his family; it was more that he wasn’t the kind of person to actually do something about it.

He extended his hand toward hers, and they shared a handshake.

Somehow, Satis looked cheerful.

“You advised me well, so after reflecting on your offer, I gladly accept.”

The broad, devilish smile returned—slowly but surely.

They didn't know it at the time, but from that day forward, Common Day and Rowdy Deer (sometimes Satis) traveled together, dismantling every last scrap of civilization—until the final sunset. She is kind of beautiful when she is not being a total mess.

Survivors had started gathering around the S-market, paying them no attention. It seemed that the shock of the first earthquake in the Many Streams in centuries had already been replaced by hunger.

This woeful scene contrasted with the now-blue, bright sky, dotted with fluffy clouds that resembled an oil painting from ages past.

Satis was already toward the sunrise.

“Where the hell are you going?” He sounded annoyed again.

“Huh? Isn’t that the way?”

Common Day’s left eye began to throb with a sudden force.

“Oh, my dear, you still have a lot to learn. Did you mention this Eye is good for looking for stuff? There are three guys I’m searching for.”