The One Named Echo Alexander: Gone

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This book has dark and sensitive subjects such as murder, suicide, LGBTQ+ relationships, and more. If you're not comfortable with that kind of stuff, you should probably stop reading.

×

Echo walked into the cave. He had many therapy sessions here, if you could even call them that. Echo stopped coming.

He also stopped interacting with everyone he knew. You can't hurt someone over and over again if you just... leave. That was his logic.

Oh, remember Ace? He's back. Sort of.
We'll check back on Echo later.

×

Ace sat at the end of the bar closest to the door in Spade Tavern, mostly to avoid all human contact that isn't the barkeeper.

Except, of course, Luke happened to be the barkeeper today.

Luke walked to the side of the bar where Ace sat.

"What can I get you?" Luke asked. He didn't seem to notice it was Ace.

"Just a w-water..." Ace mumbled, like he always does.

Luke prepared a cup of water and floated it to Ace.

"There you go, Ace." Luke said, walking off.

Luke seemingly didn't care. Of course, he did, he thought he eliminat- I've said too much.

Ace didn't notice. He was staring down at the bar, probably thinking about stuff.

Winter walked into the tavern, and sat by Ace.

Luke walked over again.

"Oh, hey Winter. What can I get ya?" Luke asked.

"I really don't care, give me anything." Winter responded.

Luke also gave her water. Usually, he'd give her something like a cup of literal fire, but she had seemed sorta down recently.

Ace had hair similar to Echo's, half of his face covered in black hair, so if he wasn't looking up or talking, you might not realize it's him.

Ace was mumbling something, but it was quiet enough that Winter couldn't make it out.

She glanced at him.

"...Ace?" She asked.

Ace didn't look up. "Yup..."

×

Ace looked up from the fountain. There was someone on the other side of the fountain. They had a strong death aura, sort of like Echo's.

When Ace looked up, he wasn't that surprised. It was Echo.

"Of course..." Ace mumbled.

Echo was spaced out, staring at the water, like he always did.

Echo felt someone watching him and looked up. He saw Ace.

Echo wouldn't have cared, if he didn't know the prophecy. Technically, Ace was a child of death. He was created because Echo died.

This might've been a stretch, but Echo was desperate.

Oh, you don't know the prophecy yet. Here it is.

"A child of magic, and one of death,
Shall unite to bring a final breath
One shall perish by a lover's hand
But they will unite in the heroes land."

Some woman that had a godly aura had given it to him on a scroll. She didn't seem like any of the greek or roman gods.

Echo looked back down at the water. He guessed he'd have to find out in time.

As you know, Echo disappeared. For around a month. Or more. Now he's back. Nobody but Ace knows yet. See where I'm going with this?

Kopka walked out of Spade, walking past the fountain. He paused, turning his head towards the fountain. He saw Echo.

"And now he shows up... I'll let everyone else murder him." Kaden mumbled, turning back around and walking away.

×

Echo walked into his inn but sort of like an apartment room. Apparently, someone had been paying the rent. The inn-keeper, Dominic, said he seemed like a child of Apollo. Echo would ask Thomas about it after he got murdered by everyone.

He put his bag by his desk as he sat down. He took out a small clothes button, and threw it in the air. He caught his sword, Shadowmere, and placed it on the desk.

He looked out the window, at the tavern.

Echo got Shadowmere from some old lady in the town square. She rambled in greek, and Echo remembered pieces. Some stuff about heroes, saving the world, etc.

But there's one line he'll never forget. After the lady gave Echo Shadowmere, she said, "This sword is very powerful. It can easily kill monsters and demigods. I see you will use it against demigods eventually."

What did she mean by that? She's just a rambling old lady, right? But then, why did she have Shadowmere? Echo still didn't know years later.

Now, Echo dislikes using his sword on demigods. Or hurting them in general. Usually, if confronted, he'll probably try to run or avoid until they got tired. (Except when they mess with Jackson or his friends, he'd murder people then)

That's why he hates what he has to do next. Murder an innocent demigod. Oh, not just any demigod.

I think murdering his husband is a little extreme.

No, you didn't read that wrong.

Echo turned back to Shadowmere, and turned it back into a button. He left it on the desk, because he fell asleep.

How long had it been since he last slept?

×

"So, he was just there?" Winter asked Ace.

"Yeah, I guess." Ace responded. Ace knew more than he said. Like, why Echo was back. But he didn't say anything.

Thomas and Winter were talking to Ace while Kopka stayed in the background. He also knew that Echo was back, and could've told them, but he let Ace get bombarded with questions.

Kopka disappeared, reappearing in the entrance of the home of the Ecah gods.

Right as he walked in, Ecah appeared in front of him.

"Can you... not?" Kopka said.

Ecah pretended to think. "No." He replied. "We need you."

"Uh-huh, cool. I don't give a shit. Go away." Kopka started to walk away.

Ecah appeared behind him, stopped him, and turned him around. "Nope. Gotta try harder than that, thought you knew that by now."

A small noose appeared in Kopka's hand. He appeared to hold it like a lasso, like he could throw it around someone's neck or something.

"No need for violence." Ecah grinned, summoning a huge, galaxy textured sword.

Kopka didn't put away the noose. "Oh, I forgot, there's something I gotta tell you."

Ecah looked confused. "What is it?"

"I quit."