Chapter Text
Minato’s binds were tight, they needed to be to contain his prisoner. The collective death wish of humanity, it struggled and thrashed. It was pure agony, every hit against the chains made from his soul. Minato persisted. The attacks were expected by now, it was easy to drown them out and think of other things.
Did time pass here? That was a question that Minato found himself musing on quite often. He was sure it had to exist, and yet he was blind to it. It could have been only a few days, or even a century that he had been here, and Minato would be none the wiser. Sometimes, he’d dream though. He’d dream of a world covered in fog, and a bright light would pierce it and give way to a beautiful sunny sky.
Other times, he’d dream of a girl in a yellow sweater, with an angry looking man wearing a spiked collar standing over her protectively. Sometimes, he’d dream of his friends.
These times where he entered a sleep-like state were few and far between, yet Minato strangely looked forward to the next one. Despite the hissing and screaming and claws on his back, he was at peace.
And yet something in his stomach churned. A pit formed in his chest and a buzzing filled his head. Something was wrong, very wrong. Something was coming. Minato was bound to this seal, he couldn’t loosen his own bonds, but he could tighten them, and tighten he did. Even Erebus seemed to sense the change, protests stopping mercifully.
“The great seal. So this is the resting place of the great wild card of love. A love for life, look where that got you, trapped in eternal torment.”
The voice was heavy with reverb, it was deep and masculine. Erebus pulled further back into his prison, and despite their animosity, Minato felt that they were in agreement. This new presence was dangerous.
“Ah. When I had been told you were a quiet one, I didn’t expect it to this degree. Now then, Wild Card, I must ask that you surrender the desire for death to me.”
Erebus cried out, it was a horrible sound, and Minato tightened his binds even tighter. This was his purpose, to protect humanity by containing their desire for death. He would not give Erebus up to anyone.
“I see. I suppose you do take your job quite seriously. I should inform you then, that I am not the goddess of death. I am the god that is made of human desire. As what you guard is a human desire, it belongs to me.”
Minato didn’t trust it. Gods made from humans seemed to destroy their own charges more often than not. Humans were flawed beings, he knew this intimately, but their desires had a tendency to change on a whim. How could a god of desire itself exist when it was so vague?
“I see you are difficult. Very well. You have made an oversight, you are a seal made you keep Erebus in, not me out. I tried to be merciful, wild card.”
Minato felt panic rise in their being. How was it that their bonds were being loosened? It felt like electricity, and even though Minato had no voice to scream with, his soul cried from the pain. He felt like his very essence was being torn apart. Erebus’ screeching hurt their ears. Minato could feel that he was slowly disappearing, being absorbed into this new “god”
He hit the ground, he felt so weak. Why couldn’t he move?
“Now, to clip the wings of your power. You are human, a single one. With the damage to your soul, no persona will come. You will be cast off into the depths of consciousness.”
This couldn’t be happening. Elizabeth, please warn the velvet room. Find a new wild card. Igor, be warned of the one who would take the remains of past false gods.
Minato was sinking, his body felt heavy, and yet, he felt something around his hand. Maybe he was moving. Perhaps a shadow found him?
Everything went dark.