Sharp Teeth - Sleep Token/Vessel FF

Chapter XVI

"What is this place?" I asked Vessel, glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The walls and floor shimmered with a scarlet, iridescent glow that resembled a dark kaleidoscope. We lay on a marble bed that felt both cold and smooth beneath me.

"This is Sleep's temple, located within his realm," Vessel replied and his brow furrowed. "But something isn't right. We shouldn't be able to enter his realm without drinking the sacred liquid." His muscles tensed, and I reached for his hand.

"I can't feel your hand, but I can hold it. How is that possible?"

"This realm exists in a different dimension. Physical touch doesn't translate here, but our bodies remain connected. Stay close, Ava. Sleep never summons me without warning. This is the first time I've entered his realm like this."

A thundering noise echoed through the room, and the door swung open to reveal a tall creature. It had four arms, no legs, and floated toward us. Its face was obscured by a lilac, translucent fabric, through which I could make out six piercing eyes.

"Master Sleep demands to see you, Vessel and Ava. Please follow me," the creature screeched, its voice sending a shiver down my spine. I clenched my jaw, determined not to show my discomfort.

We walked down a vast corridor that led to double doors made of what appeared to be liquid gold. As the doors opened, we entered a grand room with a dais on the northern wall. An altar stood to the right, and a throne was positioned at the center. The moment we stepped inside, the doors slammed shut behind us, and the room darkened. The scarlet iridescent walls shifted to black and gold, casting an eerie glow.

"It's been a long time, Vessel." A deep, resonant voice echoed in my mind. Sleep was here, but I couldn't see him. "You can't see me because I am everywhere. I am omnipresent. I am this room, these walls, and I am also a part of you," the voice continued, answering my unspoken thoughts. "Your thoughts are mine as well. I am you, and you are me. The only person in this realm whose thoughts I cannot hear is the man standing beside you. Have you told her nothing about us, Vessel? You were so eager to bond her soul to you without consulting me that you might have forgotten to teach her a thing or two about how we do things here and who you obey."

"I didn't think bonding her to me would be a problem, Master Sleep," Vessel bowed his head and crossed his hands behind his back, his body rigid with tension.

"Oh, but it is a problem. She's a Golden Soul, just like you. You must have known I would claim her as I claimed you. Yet, you bonded her to yourself, making her untouchable to me. I wonder if you did it on purpose." Sleep's voice was calm but carried a menacing tone.

"I didn't know she was a Golden Soul until after I bonded her. You can check my memories if you doubt that," Vessel's anxiety was palpable. "And you know that the bond cannot be undone without losing part of ourselves in the process."

"Of course it can, Vessel. You both only need to choose to break the connection. If it comes from your own will, no harm will be done." The voice reverberated so loudly inside my head that I couldn't hear my own thoughts. I started to feel like this wasn't going well. I wasn't ready to give up on Vessel, and neither was he.

"I will not break the bond. She is my soulmate. We belong together. I've waited an eternity to find her—you know that! You were the one who granted me immortality so I could meet her once our timelines crossed. You know everything I've endured and everything I've done for you, all the sacrifices I've made." A glistening tear fell from Vessel's cheek as he sobbed, his fists clenched so tightly that I wondered if he was hurting himself.

Suddenly, one of his lyrics echoed in my head, making more sense than ever:

And if you saw the marks on my dashboard

The new scars that I didn't ask for

Would you call, asking for answers?

Tear my arms off

"You are my perfect Soul Collector, and I will not lose you. But I also need Ava for my realm to truly thrive. I will not accept having her beyond my reach because of your bond. Break it now, or I will do it myself. And you know my methods are far from gentle." Suddenly, Sleep sounded so evil for a god.

"You have broken me time and time again. You have shaped me according to your will. You made me hate myself. You don't get to take her from me." Vessel challenged Sleep. He was challenging a god over me.

And I miss the man I was the moment we left off

And I hate who I have become

Every time I wake up

When we met, I could see dark signs.

"To answer my dear Ava's thoughts: Gods are both evil and good, benevolent and malevolent. We are two sides of the same coin. Humans chose to believe only in our good side because they are fools. They invented evil personas to explain the darkness we bring." The voice echoed deep inside my brain. "As for you, Vessel, you are starting to annoy me. Give her to me on your own will, or I will take her and you will both face the consequences."

"I will not give her to you. I cannot. She is mine, and mine alone." Vessel's voice was fierce and defiant. His fists remained clenched, his arms now stretched by his sides. I felt his breath hitch and wished I could touch him, to feel his presence. My feelings were a mess, my thoughts running through my mind at the speed of light.

"Have it your way, then." Sleep's voice struck like thunder crashing in the middle of a forest, loud and unrelenting.

"NO!" Vessel screamed, his body tossed aside like a rag doll by an invisible force. I tried to move, but something held my entire body in place.

A string of scarlet light enveloped me, and I felt my skin burn, my head spin, and my heart race as if I were running a marathon. Every joint in my body ached, my limbs shaking uncontrollably. Then I saw it—the golden tether that bound us began to fade away. The more it faded away, the more I felt a distance between Vessel and me like we were never going to be together again. Every second was agony, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hollow void that opened in my chest the moment the bond vanished completely.

Vessel fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he screamed my name. He tried to reach for me, but invisible restraints held him in place.

Sleep seemed pleased. "Interesting. I've never seen a bond break without consequences. All limbs seem to be in place, you are both conscious... But there's a first time for everything, I suppose, and even a god can learn new tricks. My will shall be fulfilled now. Ava will become the Guardian of my realm. Thank you for bringing her soul to me, Vessel. You will now return to Earth and continue collecting souls for me."

Vessel faded into nothingness right before my eyes, without any chance to say goodbye. My body was suddenly floating around the room and though I thought I could no longer feel emotions, rage filled my heart. And it was that rage that fueled my next move.