Unknotting Fate

CHAPTER 5: Online Tutorial on How to Change Your Fate

 Ko spun around and ran. He looked back and saw that 7219 was not chasing him. He was still standing like a rock, looking at the red bow, wearing a confused face. It did not matter. Ko kept on running like a wild beast was chasing him.

The thread that connected them stretched as Ko ran further away from 7219. Ko could have left the country, and the ribbon would not have run out of thread.

Once he reached a dirt road, Ko realized that he was standing on the Unholy Road, which meant he came down from Mt. Fufa, the current residence of 7219.

Ko stopped running to catch his breath. The ribbon's tail left a trail, and Ko was worried that the ghoul could find him anytime and anywhere.

Fortunately, in a blink, the trail disappeared. Swiftly, he looked at his left hand; the unsightly ribbon was still there, but the tail that connected him to 7219 had gone. He tried to unknot the ribbon, but it did not work.

Ko tried to remember what he had learned in school about soulmates, but nothing returned to him since he had never paid attention to such a boring subject.

 Ko could not commute home while wearing his pajamas. Luckily, Ko was always prepared even when he went to bed. His pajamas have pockets where he stashed pocket-folding knives, talismans, and his cell phone. He called Sefina.

It took 45 minutes for the black sedan to arrive at Unholy Road. Ko hopped in the car. The driver and Sefina noticed Ko acting weird. He sat in the car without saying a word and stared out the window without blinking.

Despite Ko's evident depression, Sefina and the driver learned from experience never to question Ko.

Eventually, Ko snapped out of his trance and changed into his Slayer uniform. He finally spoke, ordering them to drop him at The Royal Grand Library.

                                                                                    ****

The Royal Grand Library was intensely quiet despite it being fully packed. The place invoked the mood of seriousness, prestige, and academic snobbery. It's Ko's favorite place.

But the prestigious aura was shattered when a lamb-like noise permeated the library.

Meehhee mee oh no meeeahaha

People turned their heads right and left, trying to find the uncivilized person.

Ahaha aha no no fuck mehhhee huhu

Finally, the librarian spotted the culprit. She left her booth and headed to a gentleman in the computer section, sitting alone, far from others. His face was buried in his palms, and his whole body would shake now and then, making his chair creak.

The librarian assumed this person must have serious life problems, but she resolved to kick him out of the establishment and tell him to return once he learned proper etiquette. There were simply no excuses.

"Excuse me, sir?" She said in a stern voice.

Slowly, the hands covering the man's face slid down.

She was taken aback by who it was: Ko Resurreccion, second-ranked Slayer, youngest of the Resurreccion Clan.

 "Oh, I'm so sorry for disturbing you. I'll be out of your way, sir." Immediately sweating, she half-walked and ran away from him.

Ko was confused for a while about what the lady wanted; then it occurred to him that he was out in public and behaving like an idiot. "Shit, was I making noises?" He whispered to himself.

Luckily, besides the librarian, no one else noticed that it was him making all those weird noises.

Usually, this would bother him, obsessing about his wounded self-image for the whole day, but Ko had more significant problems to bitch about. And that problem was staring at him from the monitor screen.

His suspicion was correct. The red ribbon on his ring finger was the Red String of Fate, which binds two destined souls together across time and space.

Ko massaged his temples and took a deep breath.

From the computer screen, it read:

Congratulations! You have defeated the stupefying odds. You have a soulmate. This phenomenon is so rare that seeing a unicorn, a comet, a dragon, and an alien simultaneously is more likely to happen than having a soulmate.

You have the Goddess of Love, Aurora, to thank for this miracle. A fated lover, a destined partner, a twin flame, is the envy of every human in this world. So much so that Aurora is the most worshiped God out of all the Gods.

So rejoice! For she has chosen you.

Once the soulmates meet each other for the first time, a blinding light will flash between you. Then a red string will appear on your hand.

Most soulmates are not in love with their fated mate initially, so don't worry if you don't feel anything yet. (You will very soon, and it will be crazy intense!)

 If the pair are apart, the red ribbon activates uncomfortable symptoms, and they only go away if they get close in proximity. This way, the lovers are forced to spend time together.

The thread is the will of Aurora, marking two souls as one. This thread is unbreakable. No magical powers or human weapons can ever sever it. (And why would you want to destroy it!)

If you are overwhelmed, please call your soulmate specialist at your local healthcare provider. Having a soulmate will make you feel very powerful, dizzying, and intense emotions, and having a doctor nearby to guide you with these emotions will be incredibly good for you and your partner.

We advise regularly visiting your doctor even if you think you can manage it independently. Especially when it comes to managing your increased sex drive, please do not take this lightly. Too much sex with your destined lover will lead to death. Taking a pill to control the urge will help you and your partner in the long run.

"Well, that was peachy. The Gods love shitting on me. Well, one God is shitting on me, Aurora." Ko uttered.

There was no record of a human with a night creature as a soulmate; at least Ko could not find a single article online. If there were people like Ko, they were hiding since dating a night creature was illegal. You'd end up in jail for indecency and immorality.

The worst part was that there was no information on how to break it at all. Every site or book says how lucky you are to be chosen. Rejoice! 

"Of course, there will be no evidence that it can be broken because no one would have wanted to break it. Shit." Ko uttered his breath.

Unless I make Aurora change it for me.

Ko knew Heaven, where the Gods live, was off-limits for humans. He would never be able to find it, even if he tried for over a century. The only other way to contact her was to summon her and beg her to change her mind.

 Summoning Gods was forbidden, and the information on how to perform it was classified, but Ko could hack the central system of Slayer archives and get the info he needed.

It's a suicide mission. A mere mortal summoning a God would be considered insulting. Aurora might not even listen to him and just kill him on the spot. But Ko would rather die than have his reputation torn down and his chance to become a God Slayer snatched away by a stupid love story he never wanted.

Ko looked at the picture of the Goddess Aurora. She has braided black hair, olive skin, and a mischievous smile.

Ko sighed, "Please, don't be a dick bag." But given that she gave him 7219 as a soulmate, what else could she be?