Ch 6: An Unfair Deal

Deimos probed Jack's fractured memories, sifting through layers of pain, regret, and helplessness. Each fragment revealed the depths of his suffering, years of illness, sacrifices made by his family, the crushing weight of guilt that pressed heavily on his spirit. Yet, amid the chaos, something unexpected caught Deimos's divine perception: a faint, flickering ember, an indomitable will still burning within Jack. It shimmered like a fragile, dying star, barely illuminating the darkness but undeniably present, a divine light refusing to be extinguished.

"Pathetic," Deimos muttered with irritation, his voice echoing in the void of Jack's mind. "Even here, in this pit of despair, a stubborn spark persists. How stubborn you are, mortal, clinging to hope as if it's some kind of lifeline. Foolish, fragile thing, that hope, yet, it burns brighter than you realize."

Annoyed, Deimos unleashed a wave of pure chaos, an unrelenting flood of dread, despair, and terror, aimed directly at Jack's mind. Shadows of nightmares, whispers of eternal suffering, visions of hopelessness coalesced into a maelstrom of divine malevolence. His voice boomed with wrath, dark and thunderous:

"Feel this! Let it drown you! Surrender to the abyss, there is no escape! Your hope is nothing but a flickering candle in the vast, consuming darkness! Bend and break beneath the weight of chaos, I will see your soul shattered, piece by piece!"

But just as the chaos threatened to swallow Jack whole, a divine shield shimmered into existence, a radiant barrier woven from pure, luminous energy. It radiated an unearthly glow, deflecting Deimos's assault with unyielding resilience. The wave of chaos shattered against this barrier, dissipating into nothingness. Jack's mind was momentarily spared, the faint glow of hope flickering stronger, defiant.

Deimos's voice hissed in frustration, his tone darkening like a storm cloud. "What is this? Some divine trickery? Some feeble illusion? No matter. I will break through, mark my words, I will crush that fragile light, or drown it in the blood of your soul!"

A voice, calm but commanding, cut through the maelstrom: "Not so fast, Deimos."

A radiant figure appeared briefly in Jack's mind's eye, her presence a stark contrast to Deimos's chaos, a shining beacon of Hope. "Your rage blinds you," she said calmly, yet with undeniable authority. "You will not destroy what little hope still flickers here. Not in this place."

Deimos growled, snarling like a beast cornered. "You think you can stop me? I am chaos incarnate, the primal force that devours worlds and sculpts nightmares from the bones of despair. That mortal's hope? It's a weakness I will crush beneath my heel, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

The voice hardened, unwavering: "It is precisely what you underestimate, that makes it your greatest weakness. Even in the darkest night, the tiniest spark of light endures. You cannot erase Hope's glow entirely, it's etched into the very fabric of existence."

Deimos paused, his fury simmering beneath a veneer of contempt, his voice low and guttural. "Fine. Then we shall strike a bargain, if you're so eager to meddle in chaos." His eyes gleamed with wicked intent. "If Jack agrees to help me craft a game so terrifying, so profound, that it will shake the mortal realm to its core, if he cooperates, I will spare his family. I will grant him a fragment of his flesh back, enough to feel the world around him, enough to remember what it means to be alive. But know this, refuse, and I will tear everything from him. His hopes, his body, his very soul, devoured and remade in my image. And his loved ones? They will bleed first, their screams echoing as I carve away their hope, their lives, before his eyes."

A tense silence stretched. Jack, battered and trembling within his fractured mind, barely dared to speak. "Y-You're serious? You want me to… help you make your nightmare?"

Deimos's voice was cold, sharp as a blade, with a sinister undercurrent. "Oh, I am deadly serious, mortal. Either you cooperate, help me forge a chaos so exquisite it will shatter their very minds, or I will turn your world into a hellscape you'll never escape. Your choice is simple: submit, or watch everything you love burn and be reborn in ash."

The voice softened but remained unyielding, almost a whisper of steel: "Think carefully, Jack. Hope is fragile, yes, but it's also the strongest weapon we possess. Don't let darkness snuff it out before it's had a chance to grow."

Jack's voice was barely a whisper, trembling with dread. "Alright… I'll help. But only because I have no choice. Just… don't hurt them."

Deimos's eyes gleamed with malevolent satisfaction, a wicked smile curling his lips. "Good. Then let's begin. Your suffering will be the foundation of my nightmare, an unending feast for chaos. And perhaps, in the end, you'll find a twisted pleasure in what we create, whether you realize it or not."

End of Ch 6: An Unfair Deal