∞Mm, maybe you will.∞

  The air throbbed with a strange energy when Chaos spoke in his true form. Ever looked at the young couple. With every blink, twenty years seem to pass and ravage their forms.

  Blink, blink, blink, blink.

  Two piles of ashes remained, blowing into the cup of vanilla ice cream, the spoon sticking out of it. Their souls were nowhere to be seen.

  “You said you wouldn’t hurt them!” Ever shouted.

  The young couple stared at Ever completely unharmed but slightly alarmed. “Let’s get going,” the man said. With his cup of ice cream in one hand and his girlfriend’s hand in the other, they left the ice cream store in a hurry.

  “I had to find a way to get rid of them, we’re expecting visitors.” Chaos said with a smile, back to his svelte, human voice.

  Ever looked up at the clock: 5:15. Still 45 minutes left. But why was it pitch dark already outside? The sun set past 8pm.

  The door opened up. A woman strode in, dipping her head below the top of the door frame, followed by a man of normal height. Ever’s jaw hung open. This woman was like none that he had ever seen before.

  For one thing, she was seven feet tall. She wore a hood that was woven from a material that looked like you could stare into it, yet never penetrate it. Dustings of stars tumbled across them with every step she took, as if her movement made the constellations dance.

  “Nyx my progeny, you’re here,” Chaos said, smiling from ear to ear. “And you’ve brought little Momos.”

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  “I’m not little anymore, old man,” Momos snarled. He wore a mask painted in matte gold, his hair a shock of blonde-red curls.

  “Momos,” Nyx chided, “how many times have I told you? You must be nice to people, especially your grandfather.”

  “Mother, I’m the way that I am because of how you raised me. Was it not you who said that it was important for one to speak their mind?”

  Nyx sighed, raising a hand to her head. “I can’t take you out anywhere.”

  “This is your family?” Ever asked, looking at Chaos.

  “Only a branch of a branch.” Chaos looked at Momos fondly. “How about some ice cream, young one?”

  “Yeah, give me a scoop with every single flavor in it.”

  “I don’t think that’s -” Ever was cut off by Chaos raising a finger to his lips.

  The first being hovered his scoop over the vanilla. As he moved to scoop it out, Ever watched as somehow, his arm branched from his shoulder 24 times, one for each flavor, each scooping in unison.

  “Cup or cone?”

  Momos thought for a second. “Cone.”

  With his other hand, he delicately slid out a cone from the stack. Ever watched incredulously as he withdrew the scoops and somehow, the arms all merged back into one. He delicately slid the single scoop onto the cone, reached over and handed it to Momos.

  “Thank your grandfather, Momos.”

  “Thanks, old man.”

  Nyx rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ever was so mesmerised by the ice cream changing flavors every half a second that he didn’t even see Momos take off his mask to lick it.

  “How is my other son treating you?” Nyx asked, turning her gaze to Ever. A gentle smile crinkled her red lips.

  “Y-your other son?” Ever stammered.

  “Yes,” Nyx nodded. “I call him Thanatos, though he prefers to be called Death.”