Death had a pocket full of black gemstone tears when he arrived at his destination. When the Fates were still around, he had no access to their world. It was completely blocked off to him. He only ever had access when they willed it. Now, he stood in their world. The silence was profound.
Death saw his twin brother sitting at the Fates' spinning wheel, smoking a cigarette.
"You're late." Death's eyes traced over the wooden wheel surrounded by the baskets of string.
"Actually, I'm right on time," Hypnos said. "I've been waiting here for you all night. You're the one who's late."
"I just found out. Could have used your help." Death wandered over to an unfinished blanket the Fates had been weaving. Its strings, not tied off, were dangling from the edges.
Hypnos said, "I've been looking at that thing too. You know, if you pulled one of those strings, and kept pulling and pulling, some universe, somewhere would just... unravel... And I was helping, by staying the hell out of your way."
"You never seem to be in my way when I need you to be." Death turned to the Book of Fate, which hovered just a few inches off its pedestal.
"Nah, see, that's when you step in and get in your own way, Thanny. I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that." Hypnos stood to join him.
They both crossed the powdery grey dirt to the Book of Fate. Death flipped the book open straight to the end, where the words on the skin-like pages were still being written. They saw the ancient Greek lettering drying on the page.
"Well, no surprise there." Hypnos tossed his cigarette to the dust and crushed it with his heavily buckled combat boots.
The Fates were still hard at work, still writing down the future, past, and present of the Cosmos.
Death said, "The Bowl of Fate, The Book of Fate, and the Spinning Wheel of Fate. All three were born of the Fates, made from their very flesh and bone. Damien might have killed them, or at least their bodily representations, yet here they still remain, still... weaving."
The treadle of the spinning wheel began to creak, and the wheel began to turn on its own.
"Tough old birds, aren't they?" Hypnos said.
"Inevitable, one might say." Death added. He flipped through the last few pages of the book. They were currently writing the story of a future two thousand years from now. He shook his head and laughed to himself. "Of course. Of course, they thought that far ahead. I'd do the same thing if I were them."
The pages of the book began to flip by themselves. Death and Dream waited patiently for the book to reveal the story it wanted them to read. When the book settled, Death translated the ancient text.
He read aloud, "The pages of the book began to flip by themselves. Death and Dream waited patiently for the book to reveal the story it wanted them to read. When the book settled, Death translated the ancient text. It said, 'Death takes The Book of Fate and the Wheel of Fate back to his private collection. He locks them away separately, hoping the separation of the Fates' symbols would somehow prevent them from talking to each other, despite the fact that he knows they are one in the same. But, every now and again, he will peek at this book to see if he is on the right path, or to see what the future will hold, foolishly hoping he can change it and outwit it. But, he can't. It is written in blood. Can't you see, Death? We've already won.' He slammed the-"
He slammed the book closed. For a moment, he thought of throwing both the book and the spinning wheel over the crumbling cliff into the void in which this world floated, but then he thought better of it.
"Well, they told you, Thanny, didn't they? Just can't seem to win, can you?" Hypnos laced his fingers behind his head.
Death's fists were clenched. "Fuck you." He pulled out his pocket watch, and when he did, several black tears tumbled out of his pocket. He didn't bother to reclaim them. He didn't care. Sighing, he put the watch back into his pocket, and he put the book under his arm. "Get the wheel."
Hypnos shrugged and returned to the spinning wheel. He hoisted the awkward thing up and over his back.
As Hypnos crossed back over to him, Death said, "Watch over Damien for me?"
His twin brother laughed. "I've been watching over the lad since long before you even knew he was born. But if it makes you feel better to think it's your idea, fine. You got it, oh brother of mine."
Hypnos stepped out of the Fates' realm with their spinning wheel. Death gave the crumbling world of Fate one last look. He made sure to turn out the light, then he closed the door to their realm and locked it behind him.
