Chapter 4

"Holy shit!" I gasped. "It worked!"

The air around me crackled with energy, the residual effects of the spell I had just cast lingering in the dimly lit cavern. My heart was pounding in my chest, a mix of fear and awe coursing through me as I stared at the figure that had materialized before me. I could hardly believe it—my ritual had actually worked!

He stood before me, towering at eight feet tall, whisps of hair brushing the cavern's roof.

And good God, he was breathtaking!

His beauty was otherworldly, a perfect blend of grace and power, with a face carved from something more exquisite than any mortal could ever hope to possess. His skin was pale, almost luminous in the faint light, and his eyes glowed with an inner fire that made my breath catch. 

His hair, black as a starless night, cascaded down his broad shoulders, and his wings—fuck—spread out behind him, dark and ominous like shadows given form.

But it wasn't just his appearance that left me dumbfounded. It was the sheer power that radiated from him, a palpable force that seemed to make the very air tremble. My legs felt weak, and I struggled to find my voice, my mind grappling with the reality that one of the Fates, one of the most powerful beings in existence, was standing before me.

Finally, I managed to speak, my voice a whisper. "Who... who are you?"

He didn't answer immediately, his eyes narrowing as he regarded me. Then, in a voice that was both beautiful and terrifying, he said, "I am much more interested in knowing who you are."

He took a step forward, the ground seeming to vibrate beneath his feet, and I instinctively stepped back, only to realize that he had come to a halt, his advance stopped by an invisible barrier. His expression darkened, and he pressed his hands against the boundary of the runes I had drawn on the ground.

"What is this spell?" he demanded, confusion lacing his voice. When a fear-tinged silence greeted his question, he turned those fire-rimmed eyes on me and I nearly yelped at it's intensity. "Speak, human. Before I decide to be unpleasant."

I swallowed hard, my bravado faltering under the weight of his anger. "I—I don't know," I stammered. "It was in a scroll I found. It said it would allow me to call upon one of the fates."

"A scroll you found?" he echoed, incredulous. "You go around reciting random fucking spells you find? What if a demon had answered your call and not me?"

"Lucky then," I said, "it's only you." I've lost my mind. Truly.

He sneered, his lips curling into a vicious grin as he took another step towards the barrier. "If you only knew the thoughts swirling around in my head, human, you wouldn't be talking—you'd be running."

My heart sputtered in my chest, and I took a shaky step back, suddenly feeling very small and very vulnerable. This wasn't going at all how I had imagined. I had thought I could control this, that I could summon a Fate and get him to help me. But standing in front of him now, seeing the barely restrained fury in his eyes, I realized just how foolish that had been.

"Now," he said, his voice dangerously calm, "the spell. I won't ask again."

I fumbled for the words, my mind scrambling to recall the incantation I had spoken just moments before. When I finally recited it, his reaction was immediate and explosive. He cursed, the sound reverberating through the cavern like a clap of thunder.

"You didn't just call me here," he growled, his hands curling into fists. "You've bound me to you, indefinitely."

My eyes widened in shock. "What does that mean?"

"It means," he said, his voice low and filled with barely contained rage, "you'd better fix this."

I stood there, my mind reeling, trying to process what I had done. I had bound him to me? One of the three Fates was standing before me, and I had somehow tethered him to my will? It was absurd, impossible. And yet, here he was.

But as the reality of the situation settled in, so did a strange sense of resolve. I couldn't let this opportunity pass. I had been desperate enough to summon a Fate, to risk everything for a chance at survival. And now, against all odds, I had him here. I couldn't afford to let fear paralyze me, not when this might be my only chance.

"I don't think I will," I said, surprising even myself with the firmness in my voice.

"What?" His eyes blazed with anger, and for a moment, I thought he might break through the barrier by sheer force of will alone.

"You will help me first," I said, my voice wavering slightly but holding its ground.

To my surprise, he laughed—a dark, humorless sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "I must give it to you, human. Your bravery is amusing. I might even reconsider killing you when I break this bond."

I stiffened.

"You're in no position to demand anything of a Fate," he said, his tone dripping with disdain.

"It sure looks that way to me," I retorted, lifting my chin to gesture to the binding circle for good measure..  "You can't get to me."

His smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "I'd avoid speaking in absolutes if I were you. My brothers say I have a bad habit of taking it as a challenge."

Another shiver ran through me at the threat in his words, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude for the spell that was keeping him from reaching me. But I couldn't back down now. I had to see this through, whatever the cost.

"And which of your brothers are you?" I asked, somehow dreading the answer.

He regarded me for a long moment, his gaze unreadable, and then he smiled—a slow, dangerous smile that made my blood run cold. "My name?" he said softly. "My name is Kaius. Fate of Night and Death, and Ruler of the Valley of the Dead."

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning. My breath caught in my throat as the full weight of what I had done crashed down on me. Kaius. I had summoned Kaius, the Fate of Death himself. The one Fate I had hoped to avoid at all costs.

I had called the wrong fucking Fate.

Panic surged through me, my mind racing as I tried to comprehend the implications of this revelation. I had bound the Fate of Death to me, the very entity that was most feared among the Fates. What had I done? How could I have been so foolish?

Kaius watched me, his expression one of dark amusement as he took in my dawning horror. "Realizing your mistake, are we?" he said, his voice laced with mockery.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. I had no idea what to do, no idea how to fix this. I was in way over my head, and the gravity of the situation was starting to crush me.

But even as the fear threatened to overwhelm me, a small, stubborn voice in the back of my mind whispered that this was still my only chance. That I couldn't afford to be paralyzed by fear. I had to be strong, had to find a way to turn this to my advantage.

"I—" I began, my voice shaking. "I didn't mean to summon you."

"Clearly," he said dryly.

"But... since you're here," I continued, forcing myself to meet his gaze, "I need your help."

Kaius raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "And why, exactly, would I help you?"

"Because you're bound to me," I said, more confident than I felt. "And because if you help me, I'll help you."

It was a bluff. I hadn't the slightest idea, how I would do that.

He stared at me for a long moment, and then, to my surprise, he chuckled—a low, rumbling sound that sent a fresh wave of unease through me. "You're playing a very dangerous game, little human." 

Kaius regarded me with something almost akin to respect, though his eyes still glinted with malice. "Very well," he said finally. "Let's hear it."