Our wedding night soon turned into a wedding week.

All five of us were stuck in the bridal chambers experimenting on various sexual positions and ways to pleasure each other. Rounds turned into hours, and hours turned into days. And before we knew it, a whole week had passed.

Throughout the week of debauchery, I made sure to instil as much pleasure as possible to my four blushing brides, and they were filled to the brim with my essence, both mentally and physically. After those nights, I was confident that none of them would ever consider cheating ever again, as they’d reconfirmed their devotion and love towards me.

And with our little wedding tryst concluded, my mind was now clear from jealousy, and I could reflect on everything.

Firstly, our wedding was gate-crashed by a mysterious Outer Demon, one that was stronger than all of the past Demon Lords I’d faced combined. Since I could not find a method to defeat the monster, I had no choice but to go for my last resort. Using the Space and Life rings, I managed to summon myself from the future and possess my current body.

It was a gamble on my part. I had no way of knowing if it would work.

My future self might have been strong, or he might have passed on. After all, I couldn’t peer into the future. I could only pray that future me was strong enough to handle the new Outer Demon that threatened my life.

However, what happened next exceeded my wildest imagination.

Due to my connection with my four wives, I could peer into their memories easily, giving me a chance to relive that experience all over again. But this time, through my wives’ perspectives. The man I summoned was far stronger than I’d ever thought.

Descending like a God, future me possessed the power to force every living creature onto its knees. Even powerful ancient Vampires like Matriarch Innocence weren’t an exception. Their eyes would bleed if they dared to gaze upon my visage, and their souls would be overwhelmed by my presence. Controlling the power of all life and death, I could destroy planets with a thought and ultimately, cause the decay of our Universe.

That was how powerful I would become in the future.

I had mixed feelings while watching the memory of future me dominating the battlefield.

On the one hand, I was elated to see how powerful I would become. I’d always known that I had the potential to turn into something great, but actually seeing it in person affirmed that my path was right. If I continue to grow at my current pace, I will unquestionably turn into that monster and live to dominate the world.

But at the same time… I was conflicted.

According to the memories I’d seen, everything had been preordained by my future self. My birth to my parents, meeting with Irina and the other girls, the Outer Demon that attacked me… Everything was controlled by fate and the ‘timeline’ he’d written.

Heck, future me even said that I was the one who created that mysterious Demon that possessed Death. The more I listened in, the more confused I got.

Does that mean I was living a script I wrote for myself all this time? I didn’t have freedom of choice, and all my actions were predetermined in the future? And what did future me mean by him creating the Outer Demon? Was I responsible for mortally wounding myself in the past? That didn’t make much sense…

Also, what did he mean by my true power?

I stared at the five rings, now glistening with life and power, particularly the one on my pinky. I’d been trying to awaken the fifth ring for the longest time and tried various methods to rouse it into being. However, no matter what I did, the final ring remained stagnant.

Until my future self absorbed the power of Death from the Outer Demon…

I sat solemnly alone in my office, brooding over the possible implications. Future me… Preserve the timeline… Thanatos was created by me… My existence in the future… Everything was looming over my head, and I couldn’t quite figure out the final piece of the puzzle.

“Jin? What are you doing here?”

As I was busy contemplating what my true power was… A serene voice resonated within my office walls.

Peering my eyes up, I saw a blonde, transcendent beauty walking in with sheepish eyes. Her white nightgown had been worn out and loosened, a relic of the nightly battle I had with her over the past week. Though, that didn’t mean she was dirty. Washed clean and holding up a beautiful pose, the Goddess sashayed to my side and placed her arms around my neck.

Digging her face down into my nape, Lilith lazily rested her body on mine while taking in the occasional sniff or two. Smiling at her coquettish behaviour, I wrapped my arms around her waist and dragged her down onto my lap. The two of us cuddled for a few seconds before one of us finally broke the silence:

“Where are the others?”

“They’re still sleeping,” Lilith replied shyly. “You’ve worn us down over the past week, after all. Seriously, how good is your stamina? You actually made four transcendent Vampires faint from exhaustion! Even Ysabelle couldn’t keep up with your lust!”

“I had to teach you girls a lesson,” I smiled in jest. “That way, you won’t ever think of cheating on me again.”

“W-We won’t ever cheat on you!”

“But the thought did cross your mind, right?”

“Y-you…”

Lilith beat my chest with her tiny fists adorably.

“Alright, I’ll stop messing with you.” Laughing with a wide grin on my face, I held onto Lilith’s wrists and calmed her down with head pats.

“If you’re not too tired, I wish to discuss something with you.”

“… Is it about your future self?”

“Yes,” I sighed and raised my right hand. “He said something about my true power, and I should figure out what my Vampire Aspect really is. But the more I think about it, the more I draw blank. Am I really in control of my actions? Is everything just playing out on a script written by a higher power? I’m starting to have second doubts about my origins…”

The events that led to this moment were far too coincidental to be attributed to pure luck.

“But if everything was written on a script, why did it play out this way?”

“What do you mean?”

“If future me wrote my destiny, why did he make us suffer? Why did he choose such a roundabout method of awakening my power? Why did he almost kill me in the past? Why did he force the four of you to tear pieces of your souls to save mine? I don’t understand why it must pan out that way.”

“Ah, I see what you mean…”

As expected of my muse, Lilith instantly understood my doubts. Scratching the bottom of her chin, the intellectual Goddess started thinking, twirling her head around.

p

“Huh?”

“Have you ever thought about the true nature of your Soul Armament? Why you’re able to use the power of Spacetime, Creation, Destruction, Life and Death?”

“Hmmm…”

Come to think of it; I hadn’t given it much thought. I was content with using such overpowered powers that I’d never really investigated deep into the root cause.

“I have thought about it, but I believe the reason why you could awaken such powerful abilities was due to the special circumstances that you were created in.”

“Created?”

“Yes,” Lilith nodded her head. “Do you remember the ritual that made you into a Vampire?”

“Of course I do,” I chuckled. “Irina used the Contract of Equals to elevate me into a True Vampire, right?”

“That’s right, but you’re forgetting one major thing. Before you became a Vampire, your soul was shattered by the Outer Demon that attacked you. And because of that, your body became a vessel for a piece of our souls. We did that to mend your soul, but unknowingly, it may have altered its composition.”

“Altered its composition?”

“Yes,” Lilith continued to theorise. “And during the night that you were in the hospital, the night of the Blood Moon, your transformed soul resonated with ours and created something special… It created a soul that was impossible to make even if we recreated it step-by-step… A soul that could create a miracle.”

“…”

I listened intently to Lilith’s words. As if a key was created in my mind, I waited patiently for her words to finally make sense and turn into the final piece of the puzzle that I was missing.

“And Irina’s Contract of Equals was the final step… The final key to creating your unique soul… What if…”

“…”

“What if… In your desperation, you made a wish? A wish that could only be granted when you’re in possession of such a soul? Perhaps… That’s your true power…”

“!!!”

I see… I finally understand!!!

What I was missing all this time!

My true power wasn’t Spacetime. It wasn’t Creation or Destruction. Neither was it life or death!

I lamented the fact that I was a cripple. I hated that I was dependent on others to survive. I was angry that… I had no control over my life.

And so, in that very bed those many moons ago, while on my deathbed and struggling for my final breath… I made a wish.

I will not die… without any control over my life.

What I yearned for, what my Vampire Aspect was, what my true power was…

‘Control.’