Meir laid Lily into her bed, carefully pulling her cover over her body, putting on her bonnet carefully. He smiled, looking around the room. It was dark. Creepy.

It was good. They let her be herself. He sat next to her, his scythe in hand, watching her sleep, her face even and peaceful.

"How do you continue this miserable existence," Michael said from behind him.

Meir said nothing for a moment. Lily's face screwed up a bit. He put his hand on her head, watching her face even out.

"I do it for her. For them. But eventually they will be gone, Michael. And I will not continue. Not my existence. Not yours. Not anything. It will end."

Meir smiled. "So do the things you want now, Michael, instead of watching me. Human lives are short, after all."

Micheal watched Meir.

"I truly believe they will live their short existences in happiness. I do not have many things, Michael. But I have her smile. And that's why I continue to exist. And if...after I've destroyed everything, I continue to linger, I will use the power I have amassed to make a universe with just us three."

Meir glanced back with a smile. "And so...Michael, I am suffering now. But I will get what I want eventually. Rest or happiness."

Michael blinked. "Well then. God speaks."

Meri scoffed. "God. Apocalypse. You always call me by names I don't like. My name is Meir."

• • •

Lana stared at the post it note on her mirror. She couldn't seem to take it down. It was hastily written, her handwriting barely recognizable.

It was one word.

Remember.

She frowned, pulling her hair up, still wet from her shower. Remember what? An appointment? Her birth control? Maybe a call she was supposed to make.

She should've taken it down by now, but she just...couldn't. Not until she could remember.

She looked back.

"This again,"

"This always,"

Micheal lingered behind her swallowing.

"I've taking my meds. Maybe I need to change them again." She murmured to herself.

Michael smiled. "Psychiatric medication cannot get rid of me, Lana. I am real."

"No I am real. You are not. I'll just take some deep breaths, ground myself—"

"I...worry for him. I worry for his state of mind. I know he plans to end the world. I thought surely...I thought I had avoided the crisis. But this has spiraled into something worse."

He looked away. "I thought keeping you and Lily away from him would keep him from devolving. Making similar mistakes. Now he just plans to eradicate everything once you two pass. Which is a blink of an eye for us."

Lana learned to ignore her delusion. She stared at the posted note instead.

Remember.

Don't talk to the delusion it'll only make it more real. Ground yourself. Only interact with what is real.

"So then, what is the best thing for the human race," Michael continued. "If you two disappear, he will turn into the true meaning of Apocalypse."

Michael sighed, waving his hand in exhaustion. "It never sued to be this hard to God's right hand man. Then again, he didn't use to be a man eating maniac."

"I know you want to get rid if the delusion. Just sign this paper, and I'll go away for good." Michael soothed.

Lana glanced back. "I know better than to make shoddy deals. Even with my schizophrenic projections."

Michael chuckled. "I find that so ironic. Then again, you never actually formed a contract with him, did you? Because he loves you. And he always has."

Michael looked her over. She was beautiful. But all humans were beautiful in their way. He couldn't see what inspired such devotion. He understood the child. He'd intertwined his DNA with hers, took care of her from before her birth. Nurturers her to health, incubated her fetus until she was term.

It made sense, why Meir loved Lily. But Lana?

Lana closed her eyes. "Seems like I won't remember today."

Michael walked away shaking his head. He stopped at the sidewalk, finding a familiar presence.

"You shouldn't be lurking around her. If Meir finds out he'll kill you, you know?"

Michael shrugged. "What are you?"

The figured leaned against the house. "Clone. When I'm absorbed my memories will merge with this. And he'll come to kill you."

Michael sighed. "Not if I do what needs to be done first. And what about you clone?"

The clone looked up. "Hm...I have his memories. You want to put them back together? Us back together?"

Michael nodded.

The clone skunk away. "Then I didn't see you here."