Seth lost love

Bedsheets twisted, and Seth took his foot from underneath the sheets yet again.

“I won’t ever be able to sleep again peacefully,” he thought, frustration thick in his chest.

“Darn it, Tamera! This is too much for any man!” He muttered under his breath, his heart aching from the uncertainty of her safety.

A streak of agony hit his heart, a sharp pang that seemed to come from deep within his soul. The thought of not knowing where she was, not being able to hold her or even hearing her voice, was unbearable. He clenched his fist tightly.

“Woman, you are so stubborn. I need to find out if you’re safe. I can’t live without you.” His voice trembled with emotion, but he knew that this was no time for weakness.

Seth slid out of bed and walked across the room, his footsteps heavy and slow. The world outside felt like it was crashing down around him, but he couldn’t stop moving. He touched a panel on the wall, and a small door opened with a soft click. Inside was a satin pouch with a drawstring, a small, simple thing that held more weight than it appeared to.

Seth opened the pouch to reveal a set of gold wedding rings, much smaller than his own, daintier, delicate. They resembled the rings he wore but in a way that symbolized something even more precious. He took them to his heart and squeezed his fist tightly, feeling the weight of them in his hand.

“I have to know if you’re safe. I know I promised, but this is too much!” His voice was strained, desperate. He turned away from the rings and walked toward another panel on the wall, his mind racing.

The panel opened to reveal a tray filled with stones and trinkets, each one with its own significance, its own meaning. Seth ran his fingers gently over an empty space on the tray, where one of the stones was missing. He remembered the day he placed that very stone around Tamera’s neck. He had looked into her eyes and said:

“This will keep you safe.”

He carefully selected a few more stones and placed them in the satin pouch with the rings. The weight of the pouch grew heavier with every item he added, but he didn’t care. He had to know that she was safe. He grabbed a few glass vials, each filled with different elements that could be useful, just in case.

“Just in case,” he whispered to himself, trying to reassure his worried mind.

Once the pouch was packed, he drew the strings closed and shoved it into his pocket. He glanced at the marks on his hand—those marks that tied him to a fate greater than any he had ever imagined. He hesitated for a moment, staring at them, and then spoke the words he knew would open the portal.

He touched his mark. “Portal open.”

A voice came from the distance, sharp and commanding: “STOP!!!”

Time froze. Everything around him came to a halt, as if the world itself had taken a breath and suspended it in the air.

“The first spear entered the domicile.”

“Nope,” a whisper echoed in his ear, sending a chill down his spine.

“Stay on the path,” the voice said, its tone calm yet firm.

Seth stood frozen, bewildered. “What is going on? Who is doing this?”

“Oh, you’re asking yourself. How am I even in the room, really? I can do almost anything, be anywhere I want to be, and you’re worried about me being in the shape of a spear??”

The voice was familiar, and yet… it felt so distant, so different.

Seth’s eyes widened. He could feel a tap on his head with an index finger, playful yet stern. “Really, Seth, my child,” the voice said with a chuckle.

Seth shook his head, trying to process what was happening. “What… who are you?”

The voice sighed as if it had expected this response. “Yes, I’m on a pillow under a glass. Yada yada yada… all the theatrics are for my other children, the originals. It keeps them from constantly summoning me. Trust me, after the first thousand years, you’ll be over it, too.”

Seth could only stare, his confusion mounting. “You’re not gonna ask me why I froze you in your tracks?” the voice continued, its tone now tinged with something deeper. “I’m quite sure your daughter Charlene told you the plan. And why are you not following the path laid out for you?”

Seth’s heart raced as he began to piece it all together. “Oh, I see… you’re one of those fates.”

The voice seemed to survey him, a quiet hum in the air, as if it could see right through him. It was almost as though she could read his very soul.

“I guess I’m gonna have to show you better than I can tell you,” she said with a sly smile. “Have a nice trip.”

With a flicker of light, they both disappeared from the room.

Seth landed hard on the ground with a thud, his body jolting from the sudden shift. He pushed himself up, brushing dust off his clothes, his heart still pounding in his chest. The world around him was unfamiliar—there was no sign of the home he had just left behind. The sky above him was scorched red, a fiery hue that reflected the devastation around him. There was no grass, only dust stretching as far as the eye could see.

“What happened here?” he muttered to himself.

“This is your future,” a voice responded.

Seth spun around, only to find himself staring at… himself.

He saw himself, but not the man he was now. This version of himself wore a leather eye patch over one eye, and his body was covered with scars, scrapes, and bruises. His clothes were tattered armor—knee pads and shoulder pads—protecting him from the harsh environment. The man before him was a version of Seth from the future, a version that had seen more pain and suffering than Seth could ever imagine.

“Where did you come from?” Seth asked, his voice trembling.

“I’ve been here, waiting for you,” the future Seth said, his voice hoarse. “You’re me from the past. I’m the future that awaits you if you don’t stop looking for Tamera.”

Seth stood frozen, the words sinking in. His heart skipped a beat as the future Seth turned slowly, showing him the wreckage. It was as if the destruction of the world itself had become his future, the very land they stood on a testament to failure.

“This is some kind of trick!” Seth shouted, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“No trick,” the future Seth replied solemnly. “You killed Tamera. We killed Tamera.”

Seth’s stomach churned at the thought, his eyes narrowing. “I would never harm my wife! You’re a liar!”

The future Seth shook his head slowly. “When we started looking for her, that’s when everything went wrong. Charlene told us… she told us the truth, but we didn’t listen."" We couldn’t see the bigger picture. And now… now we’re paying the price.”

Seth’s mind reeled, the implications of his actions hitting him hard. He couldn’t bring himself to accept the harsh reality of what he might become.

“You… you need to stop, Seth,” the future Seth said, his voice barely above a whisper. “This is the future you’re walking toward. If you don’t stop searching for Tamera, you will lose everything—your family, your life, and your soul. We both know how this ends.”

Seth stood in silence, his heart heavy with regret, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The future was not set in stone, but it was becoming clearer with each passing moment. If he didn’t change course now, the path ahead would lead him to a future of loss and pain—just as the future Seth had shown him