Erebus froze, montarily caught off guard by Jack's response. He had heard such declarations before—souls yearning for release, claiming they desired death. But they never truly ant it.
They clung to life, even in their darkest monts, desperate for another chance.
But Jack was different. The emptiness in his eyes, the unwavering resolve in his tone—this wasn't bluster.
Erebus crossed his arms, masking his irritation with a forced smile. But beneath the surface, his thoughts churned.
'So this was Olion's actual plan all along,' he mused bitterly. 'Trapping , eternal and powerless, within this husk of a body. Tch.'
It was infuriating. And staring at Jack—this defiant, broken soul—only aggravated him further.
'What the hell is wrong with this idiot? Why would anyone want to die so badly?' Erebus clenched his fists, a vein pulsing visibly on his temple. But Jack didn't flinch.
Jack's eyes were steady, his resolve unshaken. He'd already made his decision. Death wasn't just an escape—it was a release.
"I'm just… tired of everything," Jack said softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Erebus forced a smile, though it felt like a razor blade against his pride. "You have to be joking. You don't an what you said, do you?"
Jack's gaze didn't waver. "I ant every word. You wanted to kill , right? What's stopping you now?"
The casualness of Jack's reply was almost maddening. Erebus studied him closely, searching for even a flicker of hesitation. But there was none.
It was as if Jack had been stripped of everything that once made him human. The fire that had driven him to rise above his circumstances, to beco a conqueror capable of bending worlds to his will—extinguished. All that remained was a hollow shell, desperate for eternal rest.
Erebus chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "You're serious, aren't you? You'd really throw it all away?"
Jack's expression didn't change. "I don't care about this world anymore. I don't care about the next one either. I'm done."
Erebus's patience began to wear thin. This wasn't just stubbornness—it was sothing far worse.
"Well," Erebus said, his tone laced with mock enthusiasm, "since you're so eager to throw yourself into oblivion, how about a compromise? You activate the altar for , and I'll take over the body. You can stay here, locked away in your precious void. No pain, no responsibilities. Just… nothingness."
Jack's response was imdiate and cold. "No. I want my soul to be destroyed completely. I don't want to exist. Not here. Not anywhere."
The god's forced calm shattered like glass. His jaw tightened, and his fists trembled at his sides.
'You've got to be kidding ,' Erebus thought, his frustration boiling over. 'What kind of stubborn fool am I dealing with? In all my existence, no soul has ever rejected the chance to live again. What makes this one so different?'
Erebus's voice rose, his anger spilling out in a torrent.
"Idiot! What the hell is wrong with you? You think you're the only one who's had a rough life? Everyone faces struggles, you self-absorbed fool! You're not special. Hell, I'm dealing with my own nightmare right now—stuck here, powerless, with soone like you!"
Jack didn't react to Erebus's outburst. His gaze grew distant, his mind retreating into the depths of his mories.
The stinging pain that had haunted him his entire existence resurfaced, suffocating him like a heavy fog.
"I've never… had anything," Jack muttered, his voice cracking. "Not the life I wanted. Not the freedom I craved. Nothing."
A single tear escaped, carving a path down his cheek. He didn't bother wiping it away.
"I'm.... cursed," Jack paused, rembering when he had uttered the sa words for Asriel.
He continued, his words barely above a whisper. "Useless. No one's ever needed . And I don't need them either. I just want it all to stop. To be away from everyone… everything."
Erebus's anger faltered.
For the first ti, he truly looked at Jack—not as an obstacle, but as a person. The depth of Jack's despair, his complete detachnt from the world, struck a chord within the god.
'So that's it,' Erebus thought, a glint of realization flashing in his eyes.
'This is why Olion chose him. It's not about power—it's about potential. And here I was, thinking that ddling fool just wanted to annoy .'
A slow, almost sinister laugh escaped Erebus's lips, echoing through the chamber. Jack blinked, his focus snapping back to the present.
"What's so funny?" Jack asked, his tone edged with irritation.
Erebus grinned, his amusent unrestrained. "Oh, nothing. I just realized how perfect you are for this."
Jack's eyes narrowed. "Perfect for what?"
Erebus leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "For fixing this ss. You see, Jack Hunter, you might just be the key to saving us all. Before the Council ruins everything."
Jack recoiled, confusion and anger flashing across his face.
"I don't care about your Council or your ss. I'm not doing this. Not for you. Not for anyone."
Erebus's grin didn't waver. "It's not about choice, Jack. This isn't so path you can walk away from. Destiny has its claws in you now, and there's no escaping it."
"Destiny?" Jack spat, his voice rising. "Screw destiny! Screw fate! Aren't you supposed to be a god? Change it! Do sothing, damn it!"
Erebus's eyes widened, montarily stunned by Jack's outburst. Then he threw his head back and laughed—a deep, resonant sound that shook the room.
"You," Erebus said, pointing at Jack with genuine amusent, "are sothing else. Painfully stubborn… but amusing."
Jack glared at him, fists clenched. "I'm not playing your ga, Erebus."
The god smirked, stepping back. With a casual flick of his wrist, the chamber transford. A translucent screen appeared before Jack, displaying a scene from the outside world.
Alisha stood as the group's anchor. Her face, usually serene, was taut with strain. Sweat stread down her cheeks as her hands tightened around her staff.
Light surged from the crystalline orb at its tip, illuminating the battlefield with an unrelenting brilliance. She summoned pillars of divine radiance, slamming them into the ground, holding back the undead army that pressed forward.
Yet, for every pillar that fell, cracks appeared in her defenses.
Missy, her once rosy complexion drained, appeared ghostly pale. Her skin was as white as chalk, and she swayed on her feet, barely holding her ground.
She was throwing weak barriers into place, but the shimring shields flickered and shattered under the relentless onslaught of skeletal warriors.
The entire group was engaged in a losing battle.
Erebus's voice slithered into Jack's mind, its tone dripping with both malice and persuasion.
"Look at them, Jack. Your companions are barely clinging to life, and even then, they fight for you. For this world. For a future you seem so eager to throw away."
Jack's lips curled into a sneer, but he didn't respond.
"Ah, but it's worse than you think," Erebus continued, his voice smooth yet sinister.
"This battlefield—your battlefield—is no ordinary ground. Beneath their feet lies the Soil Essence Flower, a plant that blooms once every millennium. Its essence feeds on souls, Jack. And this is its millionth cycle. It grows hungrier with each passing age."
Erebus gestured to the scene unfolding below. The skeletal giant that had once ford the throne of this cursed land began to crumble.
Bones, ancient and brittle, splintered apart. They rattled as they hit the earth, rolling into an unholy union, forming a swarming tide of undead warriors.
"Do you see now?" Erebus asked. "I brought you here for this very reason. That body—it holds the power of countless eons, forged long before your existence. Within this cursed land, it will not stop until every soul has been consud. Yours, included."
Jack's gaze flickered briefly toward Alisha. Her staff wavered as she conjured another volley of light spears, their golden brilliance tearing through the skeletal horde. Yet, for all her efforts, it was a losing battle. Her breathing had grown ragged, and her arms trembled from the strain of maintaining her spells.
"They've already lost the fight, Jack," Erebus said, his tone dropping into a sinister whisper.
"Unless you act. Quickly."
Jack scoffed, folding his arms.
"Friends? Is that what you think they are? Don't make laugh. They can all die for all I care. If I die, I won't need her anymore. She was only ever a tool to die in my place. That's all she was preparing for."
Erebus chuckled darkly.
"You keep telling yourself that lie. But let ask you sothing—did you truly prefer your life of solitude? Do you really believe that the lonely existence you clung to was better than this?"
Jack's expression didn't falter, but his silence spoke volus.
"They've relieved you of your burden, Jack," Erebus continued, his voice softening, almost gentle.
"Even if you refuse to admit it. These humans, flawed and fragile as they are, have given you a sense of belonging you never thought possible."
Jack's lips twitched, but he didn't respond.
He focused instead on the chaos below.
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