The Blue Divide

Chapter 29

Eko covered his ears but couldn't block out the sound of Poseidon's mindmusic. He was in the vault, reaching for the Heart, the shock coursing through his body like glass shattering in his veins. Mellusine was there, body squeezing the life out of him, teeth closing around his neck. Everything was streaked with blue blood. He saw his father bending over him, face contorted in grief. The Nyxus with his eyes on fire, ordering his death. All of Atlys burned in watery blue flames.

Eko screamed. He arched his back in terror and pain. A firm hand grabbed his arm, shaking him. His eyes snapped open and he looked around, sweat streaming down his brow. Why was he lying on a bed? Who was this man with violet eyes standing over him?

The man pinned both of his arms to the bed, keeping him still. "Did you reach the Heart?" he asked, his voice sounding far away even though he was close enough for Eko to feel his breath on his cheek. It smelled like ginger.

Eko turned his head away, taking deep breaths. He couldn't get his own heart to slow down.

The man put a hand on his head and forced him to look at him. He was starting to look familiar. "Did you reach it?"

Eko squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.

The large man whispered something to another figure that stood nearby. "He's making progress. Give him a higher dose."

"But that's the third dose today. Another one could drive him insane."

"It's the only way," came the response. "The dreams of a dead and vengeful god are merciless, I know, but I'm not going to stop when we're so close."

He leaned over Eko again and put his mouth against his ear. "Don't fight it, Ekrios. Become a part of the dream. When you are one with the mind of Poseidon you will have access to its power. You're almost there, I can feel it."

A sharp pain stabbed Eko's arm and the men disappeared, replaced by chaos. He saw death. Merrows lay heaped in piles, their bodies skeletal and rotting. Mellusine crouched nearby, feasting on the flesh. Nerine was among them, her eyes blank and unseeing. He looked up to see the ruins of Atlys. Nothing more than rubble. He saw human divers descending from above to marvel at the destruction.

The scene shifted and he was sitting at a table in the Upperworld. It was filled with countless varieties of food. Music played and beautiful girls danced as he ate. Out of nowhere a sharp pain entered his back, burrowing into his flesh and tearing at his heart. A hand reached in and ripped it out. Darkness swallowed him up and he drifted through a void with nothing but the feelings of anger and hate to prove that he still existed at all. Soon he would awaken and take his revenge.

For a moment the emotions were so clear and specific that Eko forgot himself. He entered another mind, a dark, vengeful mind. One that drifted alone in a shadowy prison; bodiless. It's sadness and anger as sharp as a crystal dagger. Vaguely, he recalled feeling this way before. He lay on a hospital bed, powerless to escape. Then a girl appeared with sunlight in her hair and warmth in her eyes. When he looked at her he found hope. She opened his eyes to a world without barriers, where anything was possible.

The image of her face slammed him back inside himself. He was Ekrios Fiskerd. The son of a fish herder. Once he recognized this he tried to pull away. All clarity dissolved. Great nightmarish waves rolled over him like dragons made of fire and ice. Shadows peeled off the walls and chased him into a pit full of living saltweed. The plants opened mouths and sprouted teeth, latching onto his arms and fins, and pulling him deeper and deeper.

Somewhere outside of himself he heard voices speaking in hushed tones. "That's enough for now. We'll let him sleep it off and then we'll try another round tomorrow." There was a click as a door closed. For an instant he could feel his body twitching back and forth on the bed. Sheets twisted around him, soaked in sweat. Then he sunk into a realm of devil faces, wise old gods, bright sunlight, and endless dark.