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"What did you think? Pretty cool, huh?"
Barbatos' eyes were drawn to you as you slid the laptop away. A couple of weeks ago, a favorite YouTuber of yours released an ambitious create-your-own adventure based on space and the multiverse. In the excitement, you'd forgotten access to human world websites wasn't as easy as typing the URL into a search page in the Devildom. So with a bit of coercion and no small amount of finesse, you'd convinced Leviathan to assist. The computer-savvy demon was thrilled to put his skills to the test as long as he was the first to experience it with you. You'd agreed to his deal and spent the next week sharing the fruits of your labor with everyone you considered a friend. Today was Barbatos' turn.
He smiled, taking in the view of you in the castle's garden. "Oh yes. It is quite a creative use of the video streaming service. I can only imagine the effort it took to accomplish."
Barbatos drained the cup of tea he'd been nursing with hidden dissatisfaction. The tea had gone cold, and the delicate flavor of elderflower was no longer detectable. A shame. He'd brewed that specific blend to pair with the cookies he'd prepared for your outing. But the combination was best enjoyed when the tea was still hot. Perhaps he should consider investing in a teapot warmer. His gaze shifted to you, a half-eaten Hellfire mushroom cigar cookie in your hand as you chewed. They were a special request. You almost begged him to make them. Despite Lucifer's attempts to replicate the treat at the House of Lamentation, it seemed Barbatos was still the only one capable of doing so. A fact that widened his ever-present grin.
Just before you popped the rest in your mouth, you turned to speak. "What did you think of the multiverse-"
-is littered with the corpses of your failures.
He blinked, his smile faltering slightly as time seemed to rewind, the quote from the videos fresh in his mind. You popped a half-eaten blood macaron into your mouth and wiped both hands to remove any crumbs. Weren't you eating a Hellfire mushroom cigar cookie a moment ago? A quick glimpse at the table revealed a platter of blood macarons in place of the cigar cookies he was sure he'd baked. He swallowed hard. He hadn't experienced these types of hallucinations in a while. He had to stay composed, for your sake and his own.
You sipped your tea, clearing your throat to catch his attention. "What did you think of the concept? I've heard many people talk about the multiverse theory, but this is one of the coolest representations. I can't help but be curious about how accurate it is. With your powers, you must have first-hand knowledge, right?"
He shook his head with a genuine grin. Of course, you would ask him about that. "My knowledge is limited, in the grand scheme of things, though I must say, this Markiplier's interpretation is intriguing." If not scarily accurate, but he couldn't tell you that. "Even if I had the answers you seek, the vast extent of information would hardly be a subject for tea-time discussion. Wouldn't you agree?" He hoped that would quell your curiosity, at least for the moment. There were few topics of conversation he actively avoided. This just happened to be one of them.
You pouted, causing Barbatos to stifle a snicker as he glimpsed down at the empty teacup he held between gloved fingers. Your voice floated across the table, sweeter than the bergamot aftertaste lingering on his tongue. Or was it elderflower?
"I guess not." You sighed. "Man, I was really hoping you knew something. I mean, come on. Time jumping, wormholes, the multiverse. It's all just a bunch of theories on Earth. No one's actually been able to prove that any of it exists. I find the whole concept fascinating. And the way he shows it?" You shook your head in disbelief. "It's just mind-blowing, you know?"
You reached for his hand, loosening it from the cup with a gentle grasp. Dried blood coated your fingers for an instant, gone in a blink. "Hey," You said, as Barbatos lifted his eyes, your starlike ones overlayed by a lifeless pair. A projection only he could see. "Do you think, maybe, someday, you could show me your abilities? I've seen the brothers pull some crazy stunts with theirs, and I've even caught Dia using his occasionally. Yours is the only one I haven't really experienced beyond…well, you know."
Your eyes shifted away, no doubt due to memories of that night. The night the youngest of the Avatars murdered you for being human. The night Barbatos sent you back from another timeline to investigate who released Belphegor in the first place, sending you into the panther's den. The night Barbatos used his power for the best possible outcome in the face of tragedy.
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
Barbatos squeezed your hand, concealing his concern when your outfit shifted from the green you'd arrived in. The temporal distortions worsened, but you were oblivious to what was happening. Your face showed no signs of discomfort. You were relaxed, a lack of tension in your shoulders as you squeezed his hand back. As calm as ever, you met his eyes unbeknownst to the growing turmoil beneath his stoic facade. "I'd like to see what you can do, Barbatos."
Oh, y/n. Poor, sweet little naive human. If only you knew just how wrong you were. "Of course. Someday perhaps."
A red and black cloak caught his eye as Lucifer entered the far end of the garden, standing by the gate. Unlike his brothers, he knew better than to suspect any troublesome behavior from the dutiful butler. Something Barbatos was glad of, especially in a moment like this. The butler rose to help you from your seat. "It appears we are out of time. We shall have to do this again, y/n. I do so enjoy our little chats."
You took his arm, strolling next to him as beautiful as ever. "As do I, Barbatos. As do I." He relinquished you halfway to the gate, calling behind as you walked away, "Though you should finish your tea next time. Such a shame for it to go to waste."
Barbatos offered a soft smile, bowing gracefully with a hand to his chest. He followed you with his eyes as you left the grounds, maintaining his plastered smile until you were out of sight. He didn't want you to worry. It would do you no good. As his mask fell, he returned to the table to find his teacup half-full of a yellowish tea. A tea he was sure he had drunk, though the color was off. More glitches.
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
He gathered the remaining macarons and table settings, leaving them in the kitchen before hiding away in his room. His master had given him the day off to spend with you. A fortunate circumstance given his current state. Lord Diavolo couldn't see Barbatos like this. His leather gloves groaned as he clenched his fists. You didn't know how eye-opening and terrifying that choose-your-own-adventure was. How dangerous it could be if you realized the truth. His truth. And his lies. Thoughts spiraled out of control as that quote rang through his mind. A constant alarm. A warning.
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
Altering the timeline was easy. A single deviation in choice created a new branching path that led to new options and possibilities. Such was the nature of life. A simple enough concept to understand. From a fundamental perspective, he could peer into the past and the future. But the future was uncertain without a set of initial conditions. The consequences of deviations were incalculable until a decision was made.
Barbatos told you he could convert one timeline into the sole reality. That was a lie. He couldn't enforce a singular reality. All he could do was reshape events, so 'you' replaced yourself in that timeline. In doing so, you continued to live with the combined consciousness of both versions of you. But one of you still died that night.
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
He followed the stairs in his room to the lowermost floor to find a lone door devoid of decoration. The wood was worn, older than it should've been compared to the age of the castle. He grasped the door handle with a trembling hand. A voice in his head begged him not to open it. Barbatos knew all too well what lay in the darkness within. He'd created the space himself as a reminder whenever he felt the urge to use his powers. Those days had grown rarer until your arrival. Until the night Belphegor killed you. He knew the risks better than anyone, as did Diavolo. Barbatos had sworn never to use his abilities without his lord's permission. He should've known how it would end.
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
The door opened with a loud creak, the hinges long since needing oil. Magical sconces within burst into flame, lighting the black chamber with a soft orange glow. Barbatos stepped inside as the door closed on its own. His heart thudded in his ears as he stared at the walls, shelves upon shelves of coffins, a picture placed by each one. Reaching for one with shaking hands, he rubbed the name free of dust. 'Y/n' it read. The other you. And you weren't alone.
He was a murderer. A killer. No matter how hard he tried to prevent travesty or how many iterations and loops he ran through, his tampering always led to the reaper snuffing a candle. So he'd start over in another timeline, another branch in the ever-growing tree, the other inhabitants none the wiser as they lived their lives. And he'd lie, to you, to everyone. Of course, he knew the trajectory of certain choices. But there was always something he hadn't tried, will always be something he hasn't tried. He was a cheat. And you. Poor, innocent little human. You fell for his gambit. Hook, line, and sinker.
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
Despite evidence to the contrary, you died because of him. It might not have been his hands that wrung the life from your body nor his laughter that haunted your nightmares. But he was no mere lesser demon, oblivious to the destructive nature of his abilities. Barbatos let you walk into that portal, knowing what awaited you on the other side. He didn't even give you the courtesy of a warning. What if he had? Would you still have gone through with it? Or would you have refused and left Belphegor to his fate? A fate that would have rekindled the brother's rebellious spirit and torn the Devildom apart in a storm of fire and blood?
The multiverse is littered with the corpses of your failures.
Your death was a small price to pay for a better future, but at what cost? Never before did he question weighing the price of life. It used to be a number's game, the least risk for the greatest reward. Sacrifice the few to save the many. It was the logical choice. Then why was he so guilty? When you held his hand with such tenderness and warmth, why did he feel the lingering cold? When he met your eyes that glittered like gems in sunlight, why did their depths haunt his memories? You were meant to be no different than everyone else. But he grew to care for you like the brothers and his master, constructing that chamber in memory of those whose lives he forfeited. Only a fraction compared to the true enormity of his crime.
The multiverse was littered with the corpses of his failures. And he would live with that knowledge for all eternity.