(Intermission) Destined Lovers or Enemies - Chapter 10: A Familiar Meeting

Chapter 10: A Familiar Meeting

The next day.

Zeth walks out on the sidewalks of the city, wearing a red cap on his head.

Zeth thinks to himself. “I’m going to discover the entrance to the Dimension of Deities today.”

He passes by an alley. As he does so, someone puts their hand on his shoulder.

“Come with me, Zeth,” the person says in a slightly quiet voice.

Zeth opens his eyes wide.

The person who put their hand on his shoulder is wearing a brown hooded robe to disguise their appearance.

Zeth quickly turns around to face the person.

“Who are you!?” he demands.

“I want to talk to you in private,” the robed person says.

The robed person quickly grabs Zeth by his left arm and pulls him into the alley. He soon breaks free from the person’s grip.

“Why the hell should I talk to you!?” he asks with anger.

The person pulls down the hood of their robe. That person is Pearl.

Zeth bends his knees and arms to get in a fighting stance. “Pearl!”

“Calm down,” Pearl states. “I’m not here to fight you. I’m acting on my own.”

Zeth stays in his fighting stance. “Then why are you here? You tried to stop me and Sasha from escaping. And how did you recognize me so easily?”

Pearl stares at Zeth with a serious expression as she replies. “Even with that cap on, I’ve spent enough time with you that I can easily recognize your face. But the reason I want to talk to you is that I want your side of the story.”

Zeth just stares at her, but he gets out of his fighting stance.

Pearl continues, “All of us in your unit followed your lead. We embraced your words of making the enemy drown in a pool of their own blood, and yet, there you were in a naked embrace with the princess of darkness. Why did you betray us?”

“Make no mistake, I fought Sasha with every intent to kill her,” Zeth replies with a serious tone.

Pearl grits her teeth in frustration. “Then why did you not!? Did she use seductive magic on you!? What happened!?”

Zeth stares at her for a moment as if he’s not sure how to answer.

“I… don’t know,” Zeth finally responds. “We were both barely able to even stand at that point. Those feelings that developed for me also developed for her. It’s like we just started having an attractive magnetic pull towards each other. After that, the hate and killing intent we felt just disappeared. I know that isn’t a satisfactory answer, but it’s the truth. We are on neither side now, so we are going to escape. Don’t even try to take me into custody.”

Pearl takes a deep breath. “Okay… I understand.”

“You do?” Zeth says with surprise.

Pearl holds her right hand up to her chest as she speaks. “Although this union of light and dark is absolutely forbidden, if you really aren’t helping the enemy, then I can accept your… self-exile. You’re planning to go to the Dimension of Deities, aren’t you?”

“How did you know?” Zeth asks.

“Where else would you go?” Pearl replies. “That’s the only place in the Earth Dimensions where Heaven has no jurisdiction. Well, other than Hell, anyway. You don’t know where the entrance is, do you?”

Zeth opens his eyes wider. “How did—?”

Pearl interrupts him. “I’ve been with you long enough that you are so easy to read. You wouldn’t still be in this underworld otherwise. It’s located at the top of a cliff edge just 24 miles east of this city. Be warned, though, you’re not going to get there without a fight. The forces of Heaven are guarding it.”

“Why are you helping me?” Zeth asks.

Pearl looks down at the ground, her eyes drooping with sadness. “Because even though it’s frustrating to see you fall for the princess of darkness… I still care about you.”

She then looks directly at Zeth with a serious expression, her eyes focused. “I don’t want you to die. If you get captured, they will assuredly execute you.”

“Pearl… You don’t have to do this,” Zeth says. “If that’s true, then if they find out you helped me, you will be executed.”

A few tears flow down Pearl’s cheeks. “If that happens, then so be it. Either way, this may be the last time I get to see you. Once you go to the Dimension of Deities and become branded as a deity, you won’t be allowed to come back here.”

Zeth turns around and starts walking away. As he walks away, he holds up his left hand to wave goodbye. “Pearl… Thank you.” He then puts his arm down.

“Good luck, Zeth,” Pearl says, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

***

Later. Back in the apartment.

Zeth enters through the door to his apartment room and sees Sasha, relaxing on the couch.

“We need to go,” Zeth states.

“Where?” Sasha asks in reply.

Zeth holds up his index finger. “I know where the entrance to the Dimension of Deities is. I learned this information from Pearl. She says she acted on her own, but I’m betting others in Heaven are closing in on this city because she was concealing herself with a hooded robe. So, we need to go now.”

Sasha stands up and nods. “Right.”

***

Zeth and Sasha leave their apartment with almost none of their possessions. Zeth is still wearing his cap while Sasha has the hood of her jacket covering her head.

“Which way do we go?” Sasha asks.

“She said 24 miles east of this city, so let’s get going,” Zeth replies.

***

Heading toward the exit of the city, they start heading east. The front side of the clock tower stands tall in the background behind them. They turn their heads around to look up at the large clock on the clock tower one last time as they move.

Zeth smiles. “I’m going to miss looking at that clock.”

The clock tower starts to rumble, shaking like it’s being rocked by an earthquake.

“What’s going on?” Sasha asks, unease starting to sink in.

The clock itself starts to crack, crack lines forming in nearly all directions from the center.

Zeth clenches his teeth, eyes trembling with nerves. “It’s cracking…”

Finally, the clock is blown out as a giant three-headed dog demon bursts out from it, scattering the clock’s remains down on the street below. It’s Cerberus, the tri-headed demon dog from Hell.

Narrator: Zeth and Sasha are on their way out of the city, but Cerberus bursts out from the clock! What does this mean!?

Chapter 10 END

To be Continued in DLoE – Chapter 11: Fight For Freedom!