A New Companion

"Haaahaha! So NOW you can use your powers for simple earthly matters. I see how it is." Jack snapped and turned towards the goddess.

"Your matter isn't so simple to be called an earthly one and I think you should be aware of it as well. You shouldn't be in this world but yet, here you are. You're someone who has been sent here by the heavens and given an item of protection but that thing has now been stolen by someone trying to defy the heavens," the Goddess of Fate started explaining the situation.

Jack thought about Luke taking away his memento and started wondering whilst being suspicious about the whole situation, "Are you telling me that my brother is trying to defy the will of the heavens when even gods themselves can't do it? That doesn't sound plausible to me."

"Yes, indeed, this wouldn't be achievable if he was working alone but unfortunately I am quite certain that it is not just him. Someone is helping him from behind the scenes. Someone powerful," the goddess's face turned gloomy.

"Who?"

"I..." She sighed, "I don't know. They are hiding their tracks well but I can see that you are fated to fight against a great power someday."

"So what's the reason for you detaining me, if what you say is true, then every second should matter."

"I don't know who is backing Luke and I have no power to change your fate because the heavens have already determined it but I can still help you. I can guide you toward your fate."

"What's the use in guiding me, if everything I do has been determined anyway?"

"Even though you are fated to fight against the unknown being, it doesn't mean that you will survive until the day of your battle. For all we know, your item of protection could be destroyed, you could be stuck in this world forever and even the heavens can't help you then."

"So? What do you suggest then? Give me your all mighty guidance," Jack said with a sarcastic tone not believing that she could do anything.

"First, I need your permission to take out a piece of your soul and fate."

"You trying to make a slave out of me or something? I've read enough books to know that evil bitches use the soul to enslave others."

"For enslaving you, I would need to take out your whole soul but I wouldn't dare to defy the heavens," she said, seemingly annoyed with Jack.

The void turned silent while Jack was thinking. Losing a piece of soul was something that couldn't be reversed. Seeing her protect Katy and knowing that she was a goddess, he guessed that she could be trusted. But still, a slight doubt remained in him. He had trusted his intuition before that Bently was a nice person, he had fucked up everything.

What if this goddess was a fake? What if this was the person trying to defy the heavens, what if she was behind everything: killing his friends, manipulating Katy, trapping his father in this world?

But... even if true, he had absolutely nothing to lose. He was stuck in this world and the only way forward was to at least try and do something about it.

"Eh, well do whatever then. I don't think I've got anything to lose anyway."

The goddess nodded and moved closer to him.

"This part might hurt a bit," she said, and then with a smooth movement, she put her hand through Jack's chest and grabbed onto something.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Jack screamed out in pain.

The goddess smiled a bit. This was her payback for him slandering her before.

The next moment she pulled a thin transparent thread out of his body. Jack could guess that it was a piece of his soul.

It didn't end there.

The next moment, her hand went into his head from where she pulled out a thin golden thread, most likely Jack's fate.

"AAAAAHHHHH, YOU BITCH!!!" Jack screamed out due to not expecting her to go inside him the second time. The pain in Jack's head was worse than when she removed a piece of his soul and an awful lot worse than when he got the memories of his current body.

If getting the memories felt like a slight slap, and getting a piece of his soul removed felt like a powerful punch to the chest, then this one was more like getting hit in the head with a wrecking ball that is moving at the terminal velocity.

Saying nothing, she snapped her finger and a yarn spinner appeared out of nowhere in front of her. She went on to start weaving Jack's soul and fate.

In no time she had ended up with a ball of yarn. It looked just like the red yarn that he had seen earlier in the foyer of this apartment building. Putting the two together, he understood that the statue depicted the Goddess of Fate.

The goddess picked up that ball of yarn and handed it to Jack. As soon as he touched it, it started moving and building itself into some shape. Once finished, it didn't resemble the yarn before just the colors were the same.

Jack was now holding a little red dog with golden eyes in his hands.

He could do nothing else but just stand in awe. "Black magic," he muttered under his breath. "I love it."

Next to him, the goddess was standing smugly. "Hmpf, finally some praise from the idiot."

"The dog in your hands is the visual embodiment of your soul. In other words, he's your spirit animal. This little guy will guide you toward your fate and will help you along the long journey that awaits ahead."

Jack looked the cute dog in the eyes and felt as if these eyes could see right through him.

"He can see right through your soul and fate and knows what is supposed to happen. That is the power I gave him."

"Couldn't you have just given the power straight to me?"

"That would have been much simpler but I can not interfere with you directly due to the protection of the heavens. This is the best I could do. Hopefully, it will be enough."

Jack nodded but his right eye was still on the little guy. He felt a strong connection to him and had a feeling that even if this puppy was on the other side of the world, he would feel the connection and find him wherever he was. The red dog was standing, seemingly waiting for something.

With a strong feeling coming from his spirit animal, Jack understood and said, "Jake. That will be your name."

The next moment Jake jumped toward Jack and disappeared into his chest. Jack put his hand on the place where the dog disappeared and felt that the connection was still there. He was waiting inside him like a guardian angel.

The goddess broke the silence, "It is time for you to leave. You don't have to worry about sending the message to your father, since Katy can not go herself, I will be visiting him and letting him know about the situation. You are free until the day of the ceremony."

Everything turned black for a second and when the light appeared, he was standing in front of the apartment building as if he never even entered.

Inside the apartment, the goddess muttered to herself,

"So much weighing on a young soul but once the yarn of fate starts to unravel, only the person themselves can face what awaits them at the end."

"Many hidden wounds.

Spring is coming to an end.

Will the flower bloom?"