Chapter 003 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Part Two)
Even more terrifying, a pair of eyes appeared on the cheek of this demon, forming a bizarre square with his original two eyes
Do you mean your contract
The Phantom Stranger stood up, glanced back at the sleeping Merlin, then opened the window and leaped into the night. Behind him, a gentle breeze stirred the window, closing it once more.
It collided with a bus
Thoroughly, engulfing everything
Before Merlin fainted, only the last two thoughts echoed in his mind
I am no longer interested in looking for a third one, so I apologize, I ... ...
James has gone to work. Strangely enough, the principal made a special phone call this morning, asking James to go to school earlier
Moments later, the fueled Lola let out a roar, and the red convertible sports car shot out of Colson Farm like an arrow released from a bow
buzz
Brother, you absolutely cannot imagine what kind of dream I had last night! A strange old man with white hair wanted me to sign a contract with him, but I flatly refused. The coolest part is, you would never guess the true identity of that man. He is a ...
Merlin interrupted Phil's words, quickly rushing to his brother's side, grabbing his hand, and heading towards the garage
Mephistopheles, old fellow! Did you see? I also have... my own 'knight' now!
The most important thing is, didn't we agree... that I should make my own choices?
... ...
So, my esteemed colleague, did you intentionally alter the world line and also modify the personality of the Third Palace? If you are capable of such feats, could you assist me in changing Pandora's personality so that she no longer bothers me
But just as James reached out his hand once more, the flames, the erupting flames, completely engulfed everything
Strength
Thus, his eyes were filled with suspicion
Moreover, Merlin actually still remembers the vague memories of the night when his parents died in a fire, one month after his birth, the strange and mysterious figure dressed in a blue cloak and black suit, and the flames that were separated by this mysterious person
buzz
Merlin closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep once more. He thought it would be difficult, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy. A few minutes later, a faint snore began to sound in the room
Phil screamed as he stood up, but was pulled back down by Merlin, who pressed him into his seat. Merlin opened the car door himself and ran towards James, and just after he had run 100 meters...
The person's fingers traced in the air, a flickering halo spread before Merlin, and within that fragmented halo, he saw his father, James Coulson
It is the voice of a big shot
Of course, everything as you wish, my overlord
Scattered everywhere are bloodied shards of glass, moans of the wounded fill the air, and a pervasive atmosphere of death looms all around
Merlin squinted his eyes; if that was not a dream, it meant that James would not die, for the demon had said that James would survive
The image is not very clear, but Merlin can see that in the scene, James is struggling to crawl on the ground, leaving a trail of bright red blood beneath him.
... ...
That does not seem much like a dream
I actually believed in the promise of a demon, I actually believed in that contract
There is still a flame ... ... a dancing flame
Can you try to change it
Before you refuse, mortal, listen to me
But if that is not a dream, then it means that James might really... tomorrow
He was forced to sign the contract, and no one respected his choice, nor did anyone want to hear his choice. All of this was predetermined long before he was pulled into this dream, no, even earlier than that.
Before Merlin could voice his refusal, the white-haired man interrupted him.
In the darkness, he seemed to be speaking to himself
The suffocating scene unfolded at this moment, and Merlin's breathing became somewhat hurried. He looked at the white-haired man before him and said
The white-haired man before him no longer concealed his power; the terrifying oppression, merely the pressure of his aura, caused Merlin's body to collapse to the ground, like a fallen stone pillar
Red, blazing, explosive flames like those of a bomb
No longer concealing his demons, he nodded with satisfaction, then roughly threw a scroll filled with dark red runes in front of Merlin. With a beckoning gesture, Merlin's fingers felt as if they had been sliced by thousands of blades, blood oozing onto the scroll.
A person who appears to be quite abnormal requests Merlin to become his "son"
Demon
Merlin let out a shriek, as if he had been subjected to extreme fright, and sat up abruptly from his bed
However, even so, Merlin has never encountered such an awkward situation before
Is it a ... ... dream
No ! ! !
I prefer this method of 'selection'; most importantly, I do not like... your gaze
Surely, something significant has occurred
This is ?
He lay in a pool of blood, amidst the chaotic scene, with a panicked crowd surrounding him. In front of that crowd was a shattered black pickup truck, and the twisted license plate confirmed that it was the vehicle James drove to work on a regular basis
Who is this demon? Mephistopheles, who is he?
Merlin knelt on the ground in humiliation, struggling to rise.
Simple smoked meat toast, yet it is truly a remarkable delicacy
The flame in the man's hand became a bit fluffy, and he looked at Merlin and said
Events that will occur tomorrow
This gaze seemed to infuriate the being before him. Under Merlin's scrutiny, the long hair of the white-haired man swayed slightly. It was not until this moment that Merlin realized it was not truly white hair; it resembled more the white smoke formed after a flame had extinguished.
And at the head of Merlin's bed, in the unnoticed darkness, a mysterious figure dressed in a black suit and a blue cloak sat there with a relaxed expression, just as he had stated, witnessing everything as an observer
The light in the man's eyes flickered for a moment, and he said
Merlin walked to the window, opened it, and took a few deep breaths of the night air. He casually picked up the cup of water beside him and gulped down a mouthful.
The demon completed the contract, and with satisfaction, he retrieved the scroll. He looked down at the wailing Merlin and said:
Lola raced along the road from the farm to the school, and after turning a corner, Merlin's eyes widened in surprise
He looked out the window, where a bright moonlight was shining beside the window of the plum grove. Outside, it was another peaceful night at Colson Farm
For instance, in 1980, when Merlin was 9 years old, he once saw a meteor wrapped in blazing flames falling towards the southeastern night sky from his family's farm. It is said that it was a meteor that struck Kansas, and it was one of the most sensational events of that year
The white-haired man moved his arms, and the black fabric of his upper body suit shattered into pieces, transforming into burning red flames that vanished into the air, revealing his robust torso, which was covered in ominous dark red magical runes.
At 8 o'clock in the morning, Merlin woke up on time and went downstairs. Anna Colson, his mother, had already prepared breakfast for him and Phil
Everything
Having finished washing up, Merlin sat on the chair, picked up a slice of toast, and took a bite. Hmm, still the familiar taste. He casually asked a question, to which Mrs. Coulson, busy in the kitchen, responded:
He emphasized his tone
At this moment, the young man feels as if he is carrying a great mountain on his back, and he can even hear the groans emanating from his own bones
For instance, in 1985, when Merlin was 14 years old, he saw on a television program that the water level of Lake Michigan had risen dramatically that year, nearly flooding Chicago. That was also a sensational event of that year
From the very beginning, he knew that beneath the facade of normalcy, the true trajectory of this world operated in an entirely different manner
There are baseless rumors suggesting that the meteor is actually an alien spacecraft
That was a deep voice, tinged with a hint of hoarseness
Another voice answered his question in the darkness
The essence of death permeates your unique soul, a quality that those foolish mortals cannot aspire to. Your birth was accompanied by death, and you have at least crossed the threshold of death once, which has rendered your soul purer and more precious. In my eyes, this purity signifies potential
He looked at Merlin, still expressionless. He let the dark red flames dance on his fingers, as if enduring extreme impatience. He said:
Merlin's somewhat reclusive personality was never due to his inherent nature, but rather because this child was either more fortunate or more unfortunate than other mortals
The serious expression on Merlin's face rendered Phil unable to speak, as he had never seen his usually wise and composed brother display such a demeanor.
I have two fathers
Very good
Merlin took a step back, looking at the mysterious figure before him. He gradually illuminated the wrench behind him and said
I am graciously granting you power, mortal, you should not refuse. Furthermore, I believe you should take a look at this ... ...
Of course, you can take it as a joke, I assure you that when you wake from your dream, you will not notice anything unusual, you will happily sleep until tomorrow, and then receive the news of your father's passing, or perhaps...
bang
In his brief life of 18 years, Merlin did not encounter a lack of strange occurrences
The toast in Merlin's hand fell onto the plate. Before he could stand up, Phil Coulson, who was rubbing his eyes and walking down the stairs, shouted to Merlin
"Very well, the ant should have the appearance of an ant"
The demon extended a finger resembling a dagger, pressing it against Merlin's forehead, which was contorted in pain, and a malicious light shone in his eerie dark red eyes
Boom
Of course not, Phantom Stranger, that is the power of fate. Do you really think that the name of the Fate Bone Dice is a joke? And one last thing, come back once you have completed it
Forget it, let's not have James come to work tomorrow
The contract will officially take effect at midnight the day after tomorrow, at which point I will grant you...
The next morning, the sun shone brightly, a truly fine day
On this man's forehead, a pair of black horns pierced through the skin, and beneath his ears, there emerged a pair of even thicker horns, resembling those of a bull, serving as the final embellishment of a demon.
Ah, I may truly be going mad
bang
Once again, become calm
Not right
The world today is becoming increasingly filthy, akin to a pond emitting a foul odor, and fish like you are becoming fewer and fewer.
The contract is complete, my 'son'. Your precious and pure soul now belongs to me, and your pitiful father will receive 'redemption', ugh, I truly despise this hypocritical word, as hypocritical as the angel who invented it! But unfortunately, the other little fellow rejected me, so... only half of the 'redemption', which is quite fair.
Father
Merlin's mind was working quickly, but he was also someone who had heard fairy tales and read superhero comics; he did not consider what was before him to be an "opportunity"
I truly did not expect that the rude and boorish San Gong, akin to a barbarian, would one day also adhere to a covenant... Its politeness has made it somewhat unrecognizable to me.
Amidst the wreckage, a familiar figure is struggling to crawl out of that hell
He gasped for breath as he extended his hands, moving them in front of him. He looked at his intact hands, the skin and flesh so complete, showing no signs of being severed.
Ah!
Those mythological stories are all fictional
He seemed to have released his true self, and he... no, it moved its body with a refreshing ease and said in a deeper voice:
Mortal, I have had enough of your incessant chatter. Perhaps I should treat you like the other 'sons' and casually shove a ball of hellfire into your body, forcing you to endure the burning growth, or be reduced to ashes.
Where has Dad gone, Mom
So real that Merlin even held his breath, in the reflection in his eyes, he could clearly see the despair, pain, and an unmistakable longing in James's eyes
At that moment, the world surrounding Merlin shattered completely like broken glass, and in the instant of that world's collapse, Merlin heard the triumphant voice of the demon
He is attempting to escape from that hell
"Bah, Mephistopheles' methods are utterly ineffective. They are as detestable as the cunning of that old devil..."
At the end of the street before him, a chaotic crowd screamed in an attempt to escape, while at the forefront of the crowd, a black pickup truck collided with a bus, leaving shattered, bloodied glass scattered everywhere, with injured people all around
A faint glow of fire coiled around the man's arm, as he stared at Merlin, a fierce aura emanating from him, like an invisible and heavy force pressing down on Merlin's shoulders
Merlin grabbed his hair and returned to the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling above. He muttered to himself:
Everything feels too real