Ameera had specifically told Van that he was, in any circumstances, not allowed to touch any of the female Eisis. But now, here he was, shaking the hand of probably the most prominent and important Eisis of all, Queen Vivati.

Van then turned his head towards Ameera, his eyes wanting to ask what he should do in this situation. Ameera, however, only had her eyes wide open, her gulp almost reverberating through the entire room.

Van then once again turned his attention towards Queen Vivati, who did not seem to mind that he shook her hand. But why would she? Van then thought-- she was the one who offered it to Van in the first place.

And so, with that, Van concluded that everything was alright. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen Vivati."

Van then once again shook her hand, but when he was about to release it, he found that he could not do so.

"..."

"The pleasure is all mine, King Evans."

"I--"

And before Van could even say another word, the scenery around him was instantly covered in darkness.

"..." Van immediately turned his head towards where Ameera was, only to find that besides him and Queen Vivati, no one else was in the darkness. The darkness… was also weird. There should be no light at all shining upon them, but he still could clearly see Queen Vivati, their hands still intertwined.

"What… is the meaning of this, Queen Vivati?"

"Please forgive me for my brashness. It is just that I have been waiting for someone like you for a very long time," Queen Vivati's whispers echoed throughout the strange darkness, "You will be able to offer me an offspring capable of advancing my race biologically thousands of years into the future."

"You… plan to mate with me?"

"I see your liaison has briefed you of our species," Queen Vivati then said as she finally let go of Van's hand, "And that is correct, I wish to mate with you and bear your child, King Evans."

"That's…"

"You do not have to do anything, King Evans. We mate differently than most species; our bond is… spiritual, in a way," Queen Vivati then said as she started walking around.

"I don't like being taken advantage of, Queen."

"Oh no, not at all," Vivati waved her hand, "Our bodies… Your body is completely separate from this act. Right now, in the physical world, we are still probably holding each other's hand, completely still as the world around us continues to move-- As I said, it is spiritual.

But if you want to hear a more scientific explanation, then... As soon as we touched, my body was able to extract your genetic code from the very bits of moisture resting on your hand."

"...What?" Van was completely at a loss as Queen Vivati started talking in a way that probably only Athena could understand.

"The only downside is that by extracting your… essence, my body has also unconsciously excreted a sort of liquid that creates a neural-- that connects our minds together in a sort of telepathic way."

"..." Van should be immune to any mind-controlling abilities due to the effects he got from [Gift of Dionysus]. Is the System not treating this as something like that? Perhaps it was the same reason why he got intoxicated from consuming alcohol back in Muspelheim.

"So… there's a baby being created… inside you right now?"

"I suppose if you put it that way, yes," Vivati let out a small chuckle, "But you seem to be too calm about this?"

"I've… encountered weirder things."

"I see, then I suppose I will have the pleasure of encountering them as well," Vivati then said as she took in a long and deep breath, "There is actually one thing I am violating by doing this, King Evans. And for that, I apologize."

"...What is it?"

"By extracting your… essence, I will also have temporary access to the things you have experienced; and I will experience them as well," Vivati then explained as she looked Van straight in the eyes,

"It… is a very intimate act, I will get to know who you are in the span it would take for a human to blink."

"Oh," And as soon as Van heard Vivati's words, he could not help but let out a small hum, "You… are going to experience my life?"

"Yes, from the very moment of your birth."

"I see," Van then let out a long and deep sigh as he sat on the floor, "Then…

...I should be the one apologizing."

"...What? What do you--"

And before Vivati could finish her words images started flashing in the darkness-- and soon, it was followed by a cry.

"..." Van also looked at the image. When Vivati said that she would experience everything; even from the very moment of his birth, he did not think it was in a literal way. Even he himself doesn't remember this moment-- there wasn't anything to see as well, everything was… blurry. No doubt because he was still not able to see.

"It's… warm."

Van then turned to look at Vivati, who was now crouched on the ground in a fetal position.

"..."

"So, this is what it feels like to be born of your kind," Vivati then whispered, "You… feel so happy, King Evans."

...Happy? Van then turned to look at the images, only to see… his father laughing. Laughing as he threw him in the air several times.

Van could then hear Vivati retching, but laughing afterwards as someone else caught Van.

"...Evangeline?"

Van then stood up as he stared at the image of his memories.

"This… is your mother? She's beautiful, King Evans… and warm as well."

Van could only furrow his eyebrows as he saw Evangeline reprimanding his father for throwing him too hard.

"..."

Evangeline… was smiling? She was smiling while cradling Van in her arms. His father was there as well, trying his best to make him laugh as Van cried his lungs out from puking.

So… there really was a time that they were happy once-- Evangeline had told him that back when her memories were in shambles… but to think she wasn't lying.

If only time stopped for this family in front of him… then maybe they could have had a chance to retain the happiness they were feeling right now. But alas, Van knew that it would not last long.

"This… your mother left? Why? She seemed so happy."

"Who… is that man? What is he doing to your father?"

"Wait… What's happening to your father?"

"N… no, why is he looking…"

"Wait, wait… No… No!"

"Stay away… please, please don't!"

"..." With Vivati shrieking and crying in pain, Van could only let out a long and deep sigh as he looked away from the images being shown to them and returned to where he was previously sitting.

Van was initially going to make Vivati pay for doing their weird mating ritual to him without asking for his consent… but experiencing his life was probably enough. She… would be stuck in a loop of suffering and pain for a very long time, wondering why the world was punishing her.

Van could only watch as Vivati continued to writhe in pain; crying when she wasn't doing so. But soon, her face started to calm down-- like she no longer worried about her life.

It was then followed by a childlike excitement as the images showed Van entering the Academy for the first time; but then once again, Vivati screamed in pain as Gerald and the others continued to beat him until he couldn't walk anymore.

And then… there was nothing.

"...What?"

The images suddenly disappeared. Van immediately turned to look towards Vivati, only to see her lying in the darkness-- her breaths completely stopped.

"Queen Vivati, what's going-- Wait…" Van then whispered, "Did… Did I actually just die? What the fuck, Gerald."

And soon, after a few more seconds of nothing, images once again appeared in front of Van-- the empty skies of the Academy.

He could hear Vivati gasping for air, but he didn't give her any mind as he continued to watch the images being shown to him. He always wondered how he got home safely back then, but to think he would actually get to see it now.

The view of the skies continued to shift as his body seemed to float above the ground, almost like an invisible string was pulling him up. The scenery continued to change as his body slowly stood straight, and slowly, the arena showed itself to him.

"...What?"

There was, however, something blocking his view; or rather… someone.

...Did someone actually help him when he was unconscious?

"You died. Weird…" the silhouette then whispered, "...I don't think that's part of the angel's plan for you. So consider this as my first gift…

my son."

"...Son?" Van could not help but lean closer to the image as he tried his best to see who it was. Hermes? Is it Hermes?

No… even though his face wasn't clear, he looked completely different. And if he was remembering it right, Hermes wasn't this short.

...Short.

Could it be… this is the other god that Arachnaea mentioned to him? The one that was supposed to be his… 3rd parent? So… 

...his height came from him?

"Well then…" The man then leaned closer towards Van, allowing him to get a clear view of his face, "...Off you go then. Do whatever it is you're meant to do."

"What… what the fuck?" Van then let out a curse as he stared at the man's face. He looked a little older, but the man's face…

....looked exactly like him.

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