Ghost (B.C) one shots.

After the ritual

Well, to say that Terzo had it easy would be a lie. Maybe he had some privileges in his life, but that doesn't take away the mental pain he had to endure.

Nihil was never a good father, or rather, he was never really a father at all. He was always absent. In what? Nobody knew, he was just not there, so it fell to Primo, the eldest of the three Emeritus brothers, to raise the other two: Secondo and, of course, Terzo.

Very young, Terzo had to give up most of his freedoms as he was practically forced to become a Cardinal and prepare for when he would inherit the Papacy. Although he couldn’t care less, he would still go to parties, live recklessly, and sleep around with any sister (and sometimes brother) of sin. He didn’t realize it, but he had wasted his moments of freedom, spending them on fleeting pleasures instead of seeking things that could have given him longer-lasting joy (and happiness).

Time passed, Primo’s era, Opus Eponymous, came to an end. He was there, he saw how everyone applauded his older brother, saw how they screamed his name… Saw how the Papacy was passed to his other older brother: Secondo. He watched how the Infestissuman era was a huge success.

With that came even more pressure. Sister Imperator was on him constantly, boasting about what his brothers had done and telling him that he had to do the same… or better. All of this pushed him further into partying and sleeping with anyone who would have him.

Once again, time passed faster than he expected, and the Infestissuman era ended. That was the worst and, at the same time, best day of his life.

The entire day he was anxious, thinking about what would happen, how he would do it, his papal painting, his outfit—it all stressed him out. Adding the pressure of basically the entire ministry, nothing sat well with him… And while everyone told him they expected the best from him, that they hoped he would do well, and other such things, there was someone who said more than that. Omega, a Ghoul he hadn’t interacted with much beyond casual meetings or formal greetings, noticed how tense he was. He approached Terzo and told him he knew he would do well, and even offered his help if anything went wrong.

Those words, as simple as they were, were everything Terzo needed—they were the push he needed. And once the ritual was over, Terzo approached the Ghoul to ask for his opinion. Such a simple interaction was enough to make both hearts beat for each other.

Who would have thought? A Ghoul and a human. But can you blame them? To Omega, Terzo was the most magnificent man, a complete flirt, a total seducer, someone who was more than what he appeared to be. And to Terzo, Omega was the first to see him not as a Papa, not as an Emeritus, but as Terzo—who he truly was.

Terzo finally felt he had someone to succeed for, something (beyond the Papacy) to stand out for, and he certainly did. Meliora and Popestar were huge successes; he even won a Grammy, a damn Grammy! (Which he wouldn’t stop bragging about, by the way).

Everything was going well… or so it appeared.

What seemed like a normal tour, what seemed like a normal concert, ended with Terzo’s worst fear.

While he was singing Monstrance Clock, some men entered and dragged him offstage. He was confused and scared—what was happening? Why was it happening?

And while all those thoughts raced through his mind, Omega quickly ran after them.

— “Let him go!” he shouted as he chased after them, but was stopped by another voice. A voice of superior command.

— “Omega,” Someone spoke in a serious tone. “Return to where you were.” Omega turned, and to his surprise, there was Nihil. And with no choice, Omega complied, returning to his place.