Tyranny of the Blessed Race: Chapter 3 – Another Broken Soul

Chapter 3 – Another Broken Soul

I am brought to a farm that doesn’t sit too far outside a town that doesn’t look too dissimilar from the one I lived in. This farm has a woman with black and red hair, yellow eyes, wearing a gold shawl, a red shirt, black boots, and a gold skirt. Next to her is a man with a scar on his right eye, brown hair, blue eyes, a brown shirt, black boots, and blue pants. They seem to be a couple, a fact that I confirm once I get closer and see the wedding rings on their fingers. Two children, one boy and one girl who are dressed like their parents show them what they picked and then run off to fill the baskets on a carriage all the while being escorted by a dog that seems to be their protector.

“The woman is Priscilla, my most trusted friend and ally,” Evander says.

“She’s human. After all these centuries, I would’ve thought an elf like you would’ve been the one you trusted the most,” I say.

“She’s gone through many experiments to extend her lifespan. Believe it or not, she’s a few centuries old or so despite keeping the look she had when I first met her. Do be nice to her. I’ll be watching.”

Priscilla finally seems to notice me in front of her and seems startled for a second.

“I’m sorry I didn’t see you there,” Priscilla says before putting a smile back on her face. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“My name is Cystitis. Evander brought me here to listen to you talk about this dream reality we’re in,” I say.

Her eyes narrow and there looks to be a danger in them.

“Ah! That explains why I didn’t see you. You must’ve just appeared here thanks to him. Let’s talk in private. I’ll be back in a few minutes, Dominic.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Dominic asks.

“Yes, I’m sure. I won’t be gone for long.”

Priscilla kisses Dominic on the lips before walking towards her house. I follow her until I feel something wrong in the air around me. Looking back at Dominic, I see him and the children frozen in their work.

“What problem do you have with the paradise we live in?” Priscilla asks while turning around to look at me, her eyes even more hostile than the first time.

“It’s…wrong. When I left the dream’s light, I was no different than I was when it first took my mind, meaning that my heart isn’t totally devoted to God and won’t be saved,” I say.

“How did you even break free? I know who you are, Cystitis. I was the one who Evander sent out to retrieve you and you had no magical abilities when I fought you.”

“I broke free with this dark light magic that I found,” I say with it in my hands, “It dispelled the dream and revealed to me the truth, but I don’t have much control of it.”

“Hmm. It is strange. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t lose it and you’re wrong in thinking that you won’t be saved. I’m sure Evander has shown and told you why. You’re one of many who tried breaking free and failed and will fail, so why don’t you accept the happiness that Evander has given you and the salvation of God?”

“Why would I accept this happiness when it’s false? Even if I forget that it’s fake, I won’t be saved.”

“Look at my life. I’m happily married to the husband I’ve always wanted, two children, and a quiet life free from the horrors of the world.”

“I…know who your husband is. Residuals of Evander’s memories tell me that Dominic was a close friend of yours. Wasn’t he married to another woman named Persephone and had a family with her?”

“Yes, he was.”

I think I accidentally hit a nerve. Priscilla looks more irritated now.

“From what I remember, he never divorced her and one of his descendants became Pope.”

“You’re right.”

I wait for Priscilla to say something else, but since she doesn’t, I continue, “So, why is he married to you?”

“I’ve had many husbands over the years to replace him thinking that since God brought Persephone and Dominic together then he wasn’t meant for me, however, none of the husbands I’ve been with have made me happy nor did they make me feel the way Dominic did. I wasn’t even able to conceive of any children in the real reality.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Then you should be happy for me to have my dreams come true here. Evander has let me know that you have a happy family of your own here, one that you should’ve had to begin with.”

“My family in this dream did make me happy while I was with them. Still, I…I can’t let my happiness blind me to the fact that they’re fake. Dominic isn’t your real husband and your children here aren’t real-”

“Shut up! You don’t know how much I’ve gone through to get this dream that I couldn’t get in reality!”

“I do. Evander’s memories have-”

“I said shut up! You don’t know anything about true virtue and suffering.  You’re even not yourself.”

“Then you know I’m not truly saved. You know that this is all fake and does nothing for the world than keep it in an eternal slumber.”

Feeling compelled to use the dark light magic I have, I project my will through it, dispelling the dream and erasing everything around Priscilla and me. My appearance changes to its real one while Priscilla stays mostly the same except, she is wearing brown, elven-made leather armor. We stand in a gold and black void with holes that reveal the real reality.

“Look at the disgusting thing you are in reality. Is this truly who you want to be?” Priscilla asks.

“It’s who I must embrace as being me, so that I may repent from it,” I say while struggling to hold back my temptations.

Priscilla looks more desirable with my real eyes and would be a unique pleasure to experience-no! Stay in control!

“People like you don’t easily change. Let’s say you manage to break free from the dream and don’t repent. What then?”

“Then I ask that you kill me and pray that I may truly embrace God’s love so that I may be saved, despite being unworthy of it.”

Priscilla looks at me as if surprised by my answer. My temptations begin to take hold of me as I run at her but am stopped by Evander appearing and putting us back in Priscilla’s dream.

“Priscilla, are you okay?” Evander asks.

“Yes…I’m fine,” Priscilla says.

I walk away from Priscilla while saying, “I’m sorry. Despite my giving in to my temptations, I know that you know what I said was true. You both do,” I say.

“You do have the faintness of virtue, but that only proves that my dream reality works.”

“Yeah…”

“Priscilla?” Evander says. “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing…”

“I sense doubt in your voice. You know you can’t hide anything from me and I know how you are. What’s the matter? Has this ratman somehow convinced you of his perspective?”

“It…does have merit to it.”

“It has the appearance of it but lacks an understanding of the world and the alternative. Let us all go see my other friends.”

Priscilla and I are taken to see many other dreams and the people that inhabit them, most of which are high elves, as I expected, though there are many others from different races. They all share the same sentiment in that they’ve lived hard painful lives, been faithful to God, are done dealing with the worst of the world, and just want to live in peace. I give them the same response I gave Priscilla to which they either dismiss me, angrily yell at me, or say I have a point but say the dream is the better option for humanity. By the end of it, my mind hasn’t changed much to Evander’s frustration.

“I see that you’re more stubborn than most, Cystitis. Priscilla. Your mood doesn’t seem to have changed. Will you tell me what’s wrong yet? You know you can say anything to me and I will never get mad or push your concerns away,” Evander says.

“…it’s just that Cystitis reminds me of Dominic in a strange way,” Priscilla admits.

“In what way?”

“He’s willing to do what God wants even if he doesn’t really want to. Dominic didn’t want to be with Persephone at first but did it anyway because it’s what God wanted and Cystitis doesn’t really want to break from the dream but wants to because he thinks it’s what God wants.”

“Hmm. I see. Very well then. I’ll have to show both of you the horrors that I protect you from.”

“Evander, you don’t have to bring me along.”

“I do because it seems like I’m losing your support. Don’t worry. It’ll be quick.”

Do I really remind Priscilla of Dominic? It must be a good thing, and if anything, means that I’m doing well and God is truly with me, helping me get through this. Evander seems to be getting frustrated and running out of ideas to get me to submit to his dream. Hopefully, it’ll all be over soon.