Chapter 8: Loophole
Humans called what the gods did LUCK. Luck was what allowed a bus to hit a man and he'll make it out with nothing but a broken wrist. Luck was what allowed buildings to collapse and for some reason, no one would be inside. Luck was what allowed bombs and falling airplanes to explode and cause no casualties. (LOL)
He had stopped counting the souls he had for a while though he continued collecting them. 999 souls were stored, all he needed was one more customer and he would be able to redeem his place in the heavenly realm.
"Oh?" Ikarus felt a man walking inside the cave, his footsteps abrupt and he was already so close.
"Are you the choosing god?" The man asked as he looked at Ikarus.
"So you're the stalactite, what's your name?" Ikarus evaluated what he said after he had already muttered it out. This was probably the first time he had asked that question before.
"That's the range of your hearing." He laughed. "My name is Ivanovic Petrov. My friends call me Ivan."
"Why are you here?" Ikarus was slowly losing his cool.
Rain began to fall and at least Ikarus could hear that, the pitter-patter of the dropping vapor tapped on the roof of the cave and sent a little chill into it. "What do you wish to attain mortal?"
"Your death, that's all that matters to be honest." Ivan walked around the cave as if looking for something.
"Petrov. Wait."
"It would seem you've linked it, I'm Yuliana Petrov's brother from Spain. A country so far you couldn't hear about my antics. She was supposed to see the future and that would complement my wish but you fucked her over."
"I did not do anything, that was her fault." Ikarus spoke defensively, a tone he had never taken before.
"It's not just about Yuli or me, there are blessed ones in the world and there are lost ones. The ones that kill themselves after making sacrifices for a wish."
"You cannot kill me mortal, regardless of what you try. It's in the contract." Ikarus was assured.
"You would've granted her wish to see the future even though you know there was a way for your downfall. This plus the countless pieces of information the blessed ones have shared. I believe I know a way." Ivan walked in a circle.
"Enlighten me."
"Phillip van Gogh spoke with you for many hours, he uncovered many things about the gods and with the gift you granted for him there was no way he was gonna let the information go." Ivan saw a room behind Ikarus and surmised that's where Yuliana was being kept. "Thomas Faraday made a wish that said you should kill yourself. This wasn't part of the contract so it shouldn't have been accepted however you granted it."
"You don't talk plain..." Ikarus said, annoyed.
"Neither do you." He walked back in front of Ikarus and stared into his eyes. "Your eyes turn dark whenever you grant a wish, your eyes turned dark after Thomas made his wish but it had no effect due to the contract stipulations.
"What exactly does he want?" Ikarus thought to himself.
"You showed up and you ruined lives, you ruined the life of my sister. Though I don't feel bad about Rob's death. You've taken so many innocent souls and it's about time you gave them back."
"Even if I die the world will remain like this, all the souls will stay with me." Ikarus didn't know who he was right now, the egotistical god had been reduced to this.
Fear causes LIES.
"Hahahahahaha!" Ivan laughed till he started coughing. "You told Phillip that if you die all the wishes you granted would vanish, and if you ascended all the souls you had would be destroyed."
"..." Ikarus had lied, a trait he could only exhibit because he was a broken god.
"Give me my choices CHOOSING GOD!" Ivan danced around the cave to a tune Ikarus couldn't hear.
"Your choices are... your choices are... slice your right arm off using a knife in the other room, or kill Yuliana."
"I'll be doing the first, Yuliana made this possible." Ivan walked into the room he saw behind Ikarus and brought out a knife. "This one Deus?"
"Yes..." Ikarus had kept himself in thought, how did the psycho in his cave even want to successfully kill him?
Blood splashed all over the floor but Ivan had cut his arm off using the same knife to break through the bone. "Done," Ivan said as he ripped his shirt to tie his arm. Effectively stopping the bleeding. "Now for my wish."
"What do you wish for mortal."
"For another choosing god to be summoned into this cave."
Fluctuate.
Ikarus had now understood what the man wanted to wish for but it was too late, the wish had already been granted. The pitter-patter of the rain kept hitting and rolling off the roof of the cave. This was exactly how it was when he entered the cave four years ago. Ikarus laughed.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone