Chapter 3, Act I - Meeting the Relatives.
The weasel farted, and I held back a smile. "Hello, son. I heard that you're causing quite the stirrup. Falling from the sky, to start with, and as I heard, no memories of your life, either." Hecate, the goddess of magic, began. "That's about right." I reply carefully. I didn't know whether to fully trust her yet or not. She may be my mother, but she's also supposed to be on the Titan's side during this next war. A side which I won't be fighting on.
"Well, Lord Poseidon informed me of your... intriguing situation. Nikomedes, you did have a life before whoever you used to be got thrust into your consciousness. The real Nikomedes is likely dead. But I do find that you were likely put into his place for a reason, so I will not doubt these higher powers, for now. You are my child, and your situation won't change such a thing." I pondered her words for a moment, and just threw every piece of information about my circumstances I knew at her. She needed to know.
As she continued to listen, her eyebrows slowly rose, Mist flowing almost more intensely, if that makes sense, from her robes. "That's against the Ancient Laws. Whoever did such a thing to put you here is playing the role of an all-encompassing deity. I won't hurt you. It's not your fault that you're here. It seems almost like this gaming system power of yours is making you immortal, and planning for you to continue universe-hopping." She deduces.
"I agree. I was also wondering if you, by any chance, could find something to prevent it from happening again? I don't think I should pursue my memories from whatever previous lives I may have had. I'm happy without them for now. But I don't want to be stuck, just dying to be reborn repeatedly." I reason.
"I'll keep an eye out, Nikomedes. Thank you for trusting me with this." Hecate finishes, standing up from a chair to leave. "Mother, a few last things before you go, if I may." She turns back to look at me, and motions for me to continue.
"I know the Titans are rising again. I know you want justice, and that you've been wronged by the Olympians, and dubbed a minor god. But give them one last chance, okay? I've seen what happens if you side with the Titans. Your children that side with you get hunted, by both camps, and by the remnants of the Titan army, in the end. You'll be given honor, at the end of the war." I ramble.
"I'll consider your words. You have something more to say. Go on." She says simply. "I'm having some trouble with my powers. Is there any chance you could teach me the basics of magic?" She arches a brow at my request, but briskly walks towards me, and places her thumb on my head. "I'll plant some knowledge for your abilities to work with in your head. As to prevent any mental strain, however, I must bid you a good night." As soon as she finished saying that, my world faded to black.
Let me just say, this may be the first time I'm sleeping in the Riordanverse, but by gods are the dreams worse than described. I seemed to be standing in a vast cave, a palace in the distance, miles of fields surrounding me. But only when I looked forward did I see something that made my stomach drop, almost literally.
I stood at the Underworld entrance to Tartarus itself, and I immediately knew what was about to happen. "Well, well, little demigod. I've heard you aren't from this world. I wonder, do you miss home? Your mother may not know where you came from, but the past is my domain. I know where you come from." A wretched voice scrapes out, like thousands of knives scratching lines into a chalkboard.
As he finishes talking, an image of a group of people flashes in front of my eyes. They all seemed so familiar, and I could only assume they were from the other world. They were my friends. My heart stung, as did my eyes. "Sorry, great-uncle K, but you can't just convince me like that." I say feebly. I'll be honest, I wanted to know. Not knowing hurt.
"Oh, what a shame you don't want to go back, Cyrus, to your little group. They're mourning you. I could bring you back to them. You'd no longer be breaking one of the most important laws of the universe, and you'd be alive again, and happy with your friends. In fact, I'll let this speak for itself. Let me remind you." My head was stinging from the words from Kronos, the Titan of time. The information was hurting me. I wasn't supposed to know some of this.
My vision goes dark again. I see a vast bunker, an elevator as I go down with three girls, and a dude. It opens to reveal three houses, two of them strikingly familiar. "I really looked like that?" I ask myself, looking over the brown-haired man. I see my former self split off with one of the girls, Mana, I think, and the other two enter the elevator again, then the memory cuts off.
Then I see it. I see my former self's death. I saw as one of the lab rats, my own brother, shot me, held me at gunpoint, and tossed me through that rift. Kara leapt towards the rift, screaming, and it closed right before she could get to it. She turned to my brother, and a strange purple energy came from her, a beam of it connecting with my brother.
He knelt from the pain, his skin turning pale, and he started to shrivel up before flopping to the ground. I felt terrible. I left them like that. I died on them, and left them alone, without a leader.
I felt myself solidify a little, and call it intuition from my time as a Jedi, dark or no, but I knew I could talk, that I could be seen. "Kara." I start. She turns to me, and frowns, tears still streaking down her face. "Who are you?" She asks, her voice broken.
"You won't believe me. None of you will, except maybe Mana. That rift that the Empowered tossed Cyrus through? It was a door to the multiverse. I was Cyrus. Not anymore, though. Revan warned me of it, and I failed. I know it hurts. But I need you to destroy that machine. Don't look for me. The System's making me hop universes, I think. I'll be back, hopefully. I'll find a way. But I need the three of you to lead on without me. For me. Okay?" I ramble.
Kara turns to Mana. "Is it true?" Mana looks over me, and frowns. "Yeah. It's him." She says, a little sadly. "Kara, I absolutely forbid you from going after me. You'll end up stranded in the multiverse, alone, and without any help, and no chance to find me. I don't know how much longer I'm here for, but I need the machine to be broken beyond repair. It breaks sacred laws, and we don't want anyone hurt for it. But I'll find my way back. I swear it." I say, my voice cracking a bit.
"Fine. For you, Cy. I can't believe I'm saying this, but goodbye. I... I loved you. I still do. You're forever going to be in our hearts. You better find your way back, or we'll all find a way to kick your ass ourselves." Kara started crying again, drawing her lightsaber again to destroy the machine. "Mana. I trust you know what to do with my lightsabers?" I say, gesturing towards my weapons laying by where the rift was. She nods, and picks it up.
"Hazel. Take care of Kara for me, okay? Be a good mother for her. I'll see y'all soon. Goodbye, you three. You three mean everything to me, okay? I'll never forget you guys." I promise, as Kara raises her lightsaber above the machine, and everything goes dark again.
A/N: Now, I know what y'all are gonna say. "But author, why make him not remember anything if you're gonna immediately give his memories back?" Those memories aren't staying. The memories hurt him, and the System is supposed to keep him in peak condition, to include mentally. Those memories are getting restrained in his mind until the time is right, after this dream. Niko's gonna remember that Kronos bribed him with his past, and that he saw something of importance, but he won't know what. I don't fully establish it, so I'm establishing that here.
