Sharp Teeth - Sleep Token/Vessel FF

Chapter XVIII

I never thought I would hate the silence. It was the worst part.

Not the hollow ache in my chest where Ava should have been. Not the way the walls of my house seemed to close in, shrinking with each passing hour to match the cage of my ribs. No, it was the silence—the absence of her voice, her breath, the way she used to say my name like it meant something sacred.

Sleep had taken her and barred me from his realm as if to flex his power. I tried the scarlet liquid, whispered the old hymns, made offerings, but nothing worked.

Two months had passed since Ava and I were separated. II, III, and IV had been doing their best to help me find a way into Sleep's realm, but none of their efforts bore fruit.

I went to the chapel I had built beneath my house—the only place Ava had never known—and whispered my pleas into the dark, to any God that might listen. I hadn't expected a response, I doubted any God would care. But after days of constant prayer and offerings, I felt something ancient answering me. Something Dark. Powerful.

I summoned III, IV, and II. They were furious with Sleep themselves, and I had always known I could rely on my brothers. That's why I had bonded with them. Together, we were stronger.

The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and burnt offerings. I didn't need to explain, they already knew. One by one, as an unspoken gesture of respect, they removed their masks.

"Sorry for the sudden summoning, brothers," I said, my voice raw. "But I think I've found a way into Sleep's realm."

IV said nothing. He only watched me, his silence like stone.

II's fingers twitched, sensing the power in the air. "Vessel... do you mean-"

"You called to any God," III finished, eyes dark, a smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth. "And one answered. Let's see which."

The air split, and the candles died. A warm, sharp wind swept through the chapel as something vast and grinning slithered up from the dark. His eyes burned yellow, and his skin was the color of the deep sea. Where legs should have been, a tail coiled endlessly. Four long, elegant arms extended from his torso. Compared to him, we were nothing.

"Invoker," the voice crooned—silk wrapped in steel. "You reek of desperation. Who dares call The One Below?"

"I am Vessel," I said, bowing my head. "I beg you, One Below—help me. I must reach Sleep's realm, but the scarlet liquid no longer grants me passage. Do you know another way?"

A laugh like thunder cracked through the stone. "Why should I care about your pathetic crusade to a realm that doesn't belong to me?"

"Because I would give anything to enter his realm again," I said, lifting my gaze to meet his. "And because I intend to destroy it."

My brothers stood still, wide-eyed, frozen beneath the weight of the God before us. The One Below said nothing for a long, breathless moment.

"And how," he said at last, "do you intend to defeat a God as old and mighty as Sleep, my greedy Invoker?"

"I am a Golden Soul," I replied, my voice steady. "And with a fragment of your power, I know I can match his."

Whether or not I believed it didn't matter. Ava's life depended on this, and I would rather die trying than live in this silence.

"Greedy indeed. You dare ask a God for power. What makes you think I want Sleep's realm destroyed?" His tone dripped with mockery, but I could sense the flicker of interest beneath it.

"I've been stealing souls for him for centuries. Don't you think he's taken enough? Don't you think it's time for balance?"

"Your offer is tempting," he said finally. "Very well. I will grant you a piece of my power, and in exchange, I want all souls from Sleep's realm once you destroy it. But if you fail to uphold your end of the bargain, you will find that Sleep is merciful compared to me."

"I would never break the deal, One Below. One more thing: Me, my brothers and my soulmate get to live on Earth, untouched."

"Ah... so this is about love," he mused. "It always is. Very well. I'm bored, I guess I could use a battle in my favor. We have a deal. Take, greedy child."

He slit his wrist, black blood pouring out, thick and shimmering like oil. I drank from the source.

It scorched my throat like burning coal. His blood carved itself into me, searing through every vein. I bit down hard to keep from screaming. Copper and sacrifice filled my mouth. When it was over, I trembled.

But I was no longer empty. Power thrummed beneath my skin—black and gold, hungry for vengeance.

"Call my name when it is done, and I will come to claim my reward. Ah, take these, too." He handed me two silver swords, their blades etched with inscriptions in an ancient tongue, each line pulsing faintly with power. "I'm feeling... benevolent. Farewell, Invoker."

And just like that, the God vanished.

"Vessel," II whispered, pale and shaking. "What have you done?"

"What I had to," I said. "I can't do this anymore, it's not just about Ava. I can't live another day with the burden of delivering souls to Sleep. Without his realm, he's nothing. And if he's nothing, then I'm finally free to be everything."

III spoke at last, his voice low. "What now?"

I rose, the echo of divine power still singing through me.

"Now," I said, "I'll show Sleep my wrath."

You know it isn't over until I say it's over

No more little angels sitting on my shoulders

So give me the edge of a blade and a time and a place

And I'll leave them cold and pushing up boulders