When Inanna agreed to tell him what had transpired on Earth to displace him to this new world, he’d been a little hesitant about following through. Knowing what he now knew about the Origin and Omphalos and dungeons… it didn’t take a genius to theorize the true nature of his home planet and, more importantly, where it was heading in the near future.

And yet, there he was, safe and away from his dying planet, thrown into the clutches of this strange new world he knew next to nothing about.

There was also something else. People were not born with omphaloi. The obvious inference was that something planted it inside him instead. Something or… someone.

And he had the pendant of a suppressed and delusional goddess inside it latching to his neck, having made the transportation alongside him.

Was it all just a giant coincidence?

No. Too convenient.

He cupped his face, scratching at his thin, scraggly stubble.

“Your mental tangents are interesting, if nothing else.”

Lukas rolled his eyes. Really, this entire mind-reading thing was a mess. Whoever thought allowing one’s thoughts to be heard by another was a good idea clearly had no regard for personal privacy.

“You brought me here, to this subastra,” Lukas muttered.

It wasn’t a question. It was a fact.

He didn’t need formal acknowledgment from her to know he was spot-on. After all, Inanna had already implied something along those lines earlier, and she hadn’t lied to him. Not yet. And there was no reason for her to begin now.

“I’d hardly be a good liar if you saw through my deception, mortal.”

“Not helping,” Lukas scowled. “But how did you do it? Bring me here, I mean.”

“Trapped or not,” Inanna replied, a touch of coldness in her voice, “I am a goddess. The rightful queen of An and Ki. Every divine being is tied to the Origin.”

“But if you could do that anyway, why wait all this time? You could’ve gotten the pendant to return to this place far earlier. Manipulate some unsuspecting soul to pick it up and make a deal with the devil.”

Inanna’s face was stoic as ever.

“But you didn’t. And it can’t just be because you needed a host. This pendant,” he clutched the trinket tightly in his palm, “has been in my family for generations. If that was all that was stopping you, then you could’ve just had any of my ancestors do what I’m doing now. So there has to be a third component to this.”

He looked up. “Was it the Omphalos? Were you the one to destroy it— no, that doesn’t make sense. Someone capable of committing an act like that wouldn’t wait this long. It must have been something else.”

An elegant brow arched up. “And what makes you assume that?”

“We wouldn’t have been having this discussion otherwise,” he retorted. “You said it yourself, you’re trapped. Even as we’re having this very conversation, the pendant binds you. That means you only took advantage of the event— whatever caused the Omphalos to fragment. It also explains why you weren’t able to come to this place earlier.”

Lukas started to pace, his mind churning as he pieced together the mystery.

“An Omphalos has energy and potential, you said it yourself. Was that what you needed? A host and energy to fuel your displacement?”

A small smile tugged at the edges of her lips. It only accentuated how striking they were.

“If it was you that brought me here, chances are you’re also responsible for the omphalos shard inside of me, whatever the implications of that may be. That leaves one final question.”

The goddess inclined her head, and Lukas could feel the anticipation rolling off of her in waves.

“Why was I chosen?”

Inanna blinked.

“...What?” Lukas asked, feeling strangely defensive. The fact that her surprised expression brought out a different facet of her sensuality didn’t help matters.

“I do not understand your question, mortal.”

Well, that’s a first.

“The Omphalos shard. You bonded it to me. You brought me here. You demanded I be your vessel, and put me through challenges to prove my worth. It’s obvious, isn’t it? You chose me for some reason. I want to know why.”

Inanna blinked. Again.

“Chosen?” The incredulity in her tone was vivid. “Is that some human way of trying to raise your self-worth? And to think I thought you clever for a moment.”

“But—” Lukas spluttered at her look of utter disappointment.

“You think you were chosen because you’re so smart and talented? Don’t be so vain. It’s true that the Omphalos of your lost belt fragmented, and as a goddess associated with your lostbelt in the past, I was able to attract it to myself. My lack of a corporeal self was why it chose to bond with the next best alternative.”

“A vessel,” Lukas muttered thoughtfully.

“A mortal vessel, yes,” Inanna spoke sharply. “You just happened to be the creature wearing my pendant during the event. Nothing else.”

Lukas held out the pendant again, frowning. “That can’t be everything. I’ve had this pendant for as long as I can remember. My grandfather had this before me and he got it from someone else. He told me it was a lucky charm, so I kept it on me at all times. If this pendant belongs to you, then maybe an ancestor of mine used to be your favorite priest or something. Why else would you have given away such a trinket?”

Inanna daintily cocked her head. “Your question amuses me, mortal. Do you remember what scraps you throw to dogs?”

Whatever Lukas had expected her to say, that was certainly not it. It was like he was being introduced to a whole new side of her, one that considered herself so far above humanity that she thought them to be lesser beings. Vermins. And deep down, he could tell she was being completely honest, not condescending or facetious.

It was an interesting dichotomy, forcing him to rethink everything he knew about her. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger at her callous words.

“So that’s it, huh?” Lukas scowled. “You decided to absorb the Omphalos shard for whatever reason, and then brought me here to fulfill your wishes. Is that it?” He was practically yelling now. “You snatched my life away from me like a self-centered—”

Snap!

His jaws snapped shut so forcefully that it hurt. Infuriated, Lukas tried opening his mouth, then tried to pry his jaws open with his hands no less, but to no avail. He grunted and shook his head angrily, like a rabid dog trying to shake something off of itself.

It did nothing.

His own body was out of his control.

Angered, he rushed towards her. But the goddess didn’t even blink, and he immediately found the rest of his body frozen. His legs were no longer his own, nor were his arms. It felt like his body was disconnected from his consciousness as he dropped to the floor like a log.

He was bound and completely at her whim.

“Behave,” the goddess chastised. “You can be civil, or you can be restrained like vermin.”

Her words only served to incense him further. This— this bitch had the gall to talk about civility when she was the one responsible for bringing him here in the first place. She was the reason behind his suffering. Her and her blasted pendant snatched his life away without a care.

“You disappoint me, mortal. Are you so naive as to think that the shattering of an Omphalos has no repercussions?”

That brought him to a pause.

“It is the doorway through which the realm receives potential for growth and power for survival. For a lostbelt, it is the very source.”

Lukas fell silent. Common sense told him that his planet was gone for good, that the shattering of the Omphalos had caused some natural disaster and that was that. But disasters happened all the time, didn't they? Volcanic eruptions, tsunami, massive earthquakes— they happened over and over, yet Earth never stopped revolving before.

Life went on.

There was probably a lot of death and destruction, but surely people were alright? Mostly? Everything would be under control within weeks, and things would continue the way they always did. Which was more than he could say for himself, what with being stuck in a slaughterfest inside this dungeon.

All because of the whims of a single goddess.

After a few moments of silence, Lukas finally exhaled as he felt control over his body return. Pushing himself off the floor, he stood up and regarded the goddess in front of him more neutrally, pushing aside his ire.

“What happened to Earth?”

“I really couldn’t say.”

Lukas drew a blank. “...What do you mean?”

It was Inanna’s turn to look conflicted. Frowning faintly, she spoke up. “I have been trapped inside the pendant for millennia. While there, my ability to interact with the world was limited to the point of non-existence.”

“Then how do you know about the earthquake? Didn’t you—”

“Because I am still able to perceive it through my relic— the one you wear around your neck. It is no mere pendant.”

“Then what is it?”

“Something beyond your comprehension.”

Lukas crossed his arms. “Try me.”

The goddess seemed almost annoyed, and a part of him wondered if he had pushed her a bit too much. His own anger at the goddess and her involvement in his current circumstances didn’t help, either.

He grasped at the pendant hanging around his neck, an heirloom that became a deep prussian blue as soon as he entered the dungeon. It only spoke of just how much this place had affected him that he’d practically ignored the change until now.

“Can you show me what you saw?”

“I would caution you against that, mortal. You may possess some fortitude, but there are countless things in this universe that your mortal mind is simply not meant to comprehend.”

“Wouldn’t know unless I try, and you swore to answer my question.”

“To tell you how your world was related to this. The fate of your home was not part of our bargain.”

“And now I’m asking you to tell me about it.”

Inanna stared at him, as if seeing him for the first time. “Be warned, mortal. I have decimated civilizations for less.”

“And yet you’re stuck in a pendant, dependent upon me to get you out of it.”

“As we bargained.”

“And you owe me an answer.”

The goddess arched an eyebrow.

“You put me here in the first place. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be back on Earth with all my friends. I’d be attending university, doing my job, living my life. Instead, I’m stuck here in this hellhole. It’s all because of you.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Inanna mocked. “Cry afoul? Try to escape the conditions of our accord? Or will you simply break your word?”

Lukas grit his teeth as a torrent of emotions began to overwhelm him. The utter helplessness he was feeling was eating away at him. And from the helplessness came rage, the desire to vent, to attack something, to—

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself.

The best fighter is never angry, his grandfather used to say. It was something he admittedly needed to work on.

His mind was now blank, razor-sharp, and singularly focused on the task at hand. It was a familiar feeling, one he specifically used to break down large problems into manageable pieces.

Like his relationship with Inanna.

He thought about what he’d received from her so far. The manner in which he was given these things. What they meant to someone so far above humanity. What equivalent exchange meant to her, and to himself. What he represented. Who he was. What he wanted. What Inanna wanted. The means of transaction for their deal. What was on the table? What wasn't? What could be safely removed? Factoring in pride— both his and her own.

After what seemed like eternity, Lukas bore his gaze into Inanna’s. Hard.

“No.”

“No?”

“I won’t honor our agreement.”

“You would scorn me after I’ve kept my end of the bargain?”

“Not quite. You put your interests above mine when you brought me here. I’m just putting them back next to yours.”

That seemed to make her falter.

“You see, my life hasn’t exactly been rosy recently, and falling into this anomaly only made things worse. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned so far, it’s this. If something’s too good to be true, then it probably is. Exhibit A— your offer to help me grow strong.”

“I assure you, you cannot fathom how little that matters to me.”

“Perhaps,” Lukas nodded, a familiar sensation of calmness settling over himself. “During our original negotiations, you wished for me to be your pet. A dog. Someone that would follow your every command. Then, you called it all a farce— a test of sorts to judge my worthiness.”

Inanna said nothing.

“A vessel, a host. Good, nice-sounding names for a servant. That’s what you asked of me. Someone that you’d help grow strong and help survive, in exchange for helping you manifest in the real world.”

Inanna’s eyes widened slightly, enough that he could see white all the way around her beautiful green pupils.

“You say it’s a bargain, but so far I don’t see any equivalent exchange happening. You’re cheating me, so yes, I’m calling it off. No deal.”

“I am? I can’t fathom how.”

Lukas nodded again. “You are paying me with something I’d naturally need to fulfill your task in the first place. If I die, then you’re stuck in the pendant. Ergo, helping me survive is part of the process, part of my end of the bargain. You helping me, teaching me things, granting me information, it was all under the charade of your end of a false bargain.”

He smirked. “Very neat. Very professional. I’m almost awed at how well you had me there.”

His words had an immediate impact. Inanna’s conceited, arrogant expression dissolved, leaving behind a cold, preternaturally beautiful visage, empty of any human emotion.

It almost looked alien on a face that stunning.

Lukas felt his throat tighten, wondering if he’d finally pushed too many of her buttons. This whole conversation could either go very right, or very wrong. But if he was lucky, he’d finally be able to barter something proper out of the goddess.

And maybe a khorkhoi would give him a piggyback ride if he asked nicely.

“Our original bargain was a promise of protection and growth in return for vassalage,” Lukas hurriedly spoke, wanting to get his point across before Inanna decided to just kill him and be done with it. “But you yourself are responsible for dragging me into this mess in the first place. The way I see it, it's practically extortion.”

“Indeed?” Inanna spoke after a long moment of silence. “And what would a real bargain be?”

“Equivalent exchange, for one. You wish to be free, and I’m not arrogant enough to believe I can survive this hell without your aid.”

Inanna waited for him to continue.

“I’ll willingly help you escape your pendant. But in exchange, you will not hide information from me. No tricks. Just like you wish to reclaim your physical form, I wish to return to my own world.”

“And what if I forced you to… how do you mortals put it, be my bitch?”

“I’d say that’s expected. Not everyone is capable of winning through sound argument. Intimidation and violence is far easier.”

He hoped he only imagined the tiny tick on her forehead.

“That said, there is a difference between a wild animal on a leash, and an accomplice whose goals coincide with yours. Make no mistake, I will never be your dog. I will never kneel at your feet. But I’m offering to willingly do my best to get you out of that pendant, to work with you instead of butting heads all the time. But only if you’re willing to help me find my way back home.”

He extended his hand out.

“Do we have an accord?”

Inanna seemed unfazed. “And I assume this includes knowledge of what transpired on your home planet?”

Lukas shrugged. “I’ve got friends there. Family. An ex-girlfriend. My career. Things I care about.”

Inanna inclined her head, silent. After a few moments of contemplation, she sighed. “So be it, mortal. This is what happened during the earthquake.”

The aftermath of her words made him stagger, bombarding him with thousands of impressions. It was like a thick pad of cloth muffled his senses all this time, only for it to be removed without preamble. He could smell the mud and fish and animals and trees and— and something that felt like life. No, teeming with life.

And he saw ferocious winds and cloudy storms tearing across the sky, and vicious magma erupting out of the crust and cloaking the world with its smoke and fog and inky blackness. He could feel the wet drops of rain on his cheek, all the while suffering from the summer sun rays scorching his face while icy winter froze his veins.

It was thoroughly maddening.

The roar of energies came next. Wild, crimson and golden light emanated from one direction, followed by choking, searing heat that threatened to overwhelm his entire existence. Cold, horrible, deathly powers followed suit— winter and frost made manifest —soared up at full strength to meet their nemeses, colliding in the middle. No matter what Lukas tried, he couldn’t make heaven or hell out of these abstract senses as they thrashed his entire existence around. One force pulled at his emotions, making him weep and cry in happiness and despair while another made him want to rage and annihilate everything in his path. He was like an ant in between two brawling elephants, with the jungle itself suffering the wrath of the behemoths. It was the kind of power that cowed mortals and made them believe in the demonic and the divine. Powers too great for their feeble minds to even begin to comprehend, lest they be driven insane just by being in their very presence.

Lukas didn’t remember when his knees had given away— when he had fallen down to the ground, curling into himself like a newborn and weeping tears of joy and sadness, of hatred and remorse. Every word he tried to express came out as gibberish. Every thought he conjured shattered like a raindrop hitting the earth from above.

He screamed.

And in the middle of it all was the Earth itself. Not the beautiful and familiar world he knew all too well, but the real Earth— a wellspring of potential now swamped with corruption and death, slowly sinking into the inky blackness of its own creations. Dark emotions— greed, lust, hatred and rage —hung over it like a thick shroud, covering it, engulfing it, distorting it. Every single inch of space was filled with extreme malevolence and a burning tar-like substance that threatened to suck in light and life and leave cataclysms in its wake. Ghosts, wraiths and restless spirits soared everywhere, and skulls of all shapes formed entire mountains as far as the eye could see. It was a ghastly sight, the likes of which he could never have imagined in his worst nightmares.

His eyes burned like coals as his taut muscles strained even further, silent screams escaping his throat. His mind recoiled at the horrors he was witnessing, and they never stopped.

This was Death. Solid, tangible, real death draped atop the world around him. Death by fire, death by penalty, death by betrayal, death by murder, death by burning and death and death and death and—

Darkness engulfed him.