Teaching Horrible Lessons - 6. 6. Teaching a Lesson in Power

My laughter continued, as I lay down on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Kevin, Allen, and Brian stood outside the ritual circle, staring at me, while the ancient one floated nearby. I felt a power emanating from within me, and it was not evil, not good, or neutral. It was simply a power beyond all mortal comprehension, a power that was the essence of existence itself.

The Ancient One entered Kevin's body and merged with him.

"Excellent, I can feel power and understanding like nothing I have ever felt before, you have done well my cleric," Kevin spoke with a commanding voice.

"All hail, Nyarlathotep,' the summoned entity chanted.

Nyarlathotep was the name of the ancient one and the scion of chaos, an Outer God. This ancient one was a master of magic and manipulation. My mind remembered the name from early 20th-century author H.P Lovecraft's horror novels and Lovecraftian universe tie-ins that came ever since, which I enjoyed. It was the horror equivalent of what Universal Studios failed to accomplish by re-inventing their monster collection of The Mummy, Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein for an MCU multiverse. In the horror world, anyone who dreamed of cosmic horror, existential evil, and madness, the creators of such stories owed a significant debt to Lovecraft from the Necronomicon of the Evil Dead series to the amoral brilliance of the Re-Animator series to the universal terror Cthulu's tentacles. Still, there was a more mysterious name from that mythos that always resonated within me, inspiring vastness and emptiness that was indefinable. As the ancient one merged with Kevin's body, Kevin was beginning to change. His face and body were shifting, his limbs were elongating, and his body was becoming a black smoky substance.

"This is amazing," Kevin cried, "I feel the power, but I also have the understanding that goes along with it."

He looked over at the summoning entity and ordered, "My first job with this power is to destroy the Avatar Box so that it cannot be used against me, again. No one can seal the power of the greatest outer God, the spawn of chaos."

The box crumbled into dust.

"Ah, I have so much power and knowledge now. I can control people, bend reality, and manipulate matter. This is better than any drug," Kevin spoke as his body shifted and transformed. His human mind would be unable to comprehend the sheer power that was within him, but he was no longer human, he was an Avatar.

"Now, it's time for me to solidify this existence. I must consume the sacrifice," Kevin stared down at me.

"Go ahead," I said, looking up at him with a mad smirk, "You can't consume me, child."

"Is that a challenge," Kevin replied, "I have the power, knowledge, and will. Nothing can stop me, not even another Ancient One. I am superior to all beings in this reality."

"I know you realize the magnitude of the power within you, but I can tell you that you are wrong about your invincibility. You cannot stop me or consume me," I said as my mind grew hazier and my vision grew blurrier, so my real name could finally be spoken at the peak of my madness, "My real name is not Jules, it is Azathoth, I am the avatar of the creator, and waking me from my slumber was a mistake."

Azathoth, was the name of the primordial being, the ultimate chaos, the source of all that is, was, and will be. It was the creator and destroyer of worlds and realities, the father of the Outer Gods, and the Great Will that existed in the center of the universe. An avatar of Azathoth was the ultimate power of reality, transcending Gods and creatures due to its timelessness. In his slumber, the cycle of death and rebirth would continue, but upon waking him, all creation would cease to be.

Kevin, now transformed into a shadowy version of himself, reached his smoky hand down towards me.

"What is your true name?" He asked again, not believing my claim.

"Azathoth, you petulant child," I answered.

"Azathoth, you speak the name of my father? How dare you mock me! I know that your mortal mind knows of our history through fiction, but no human mind can host the infinite truth of the ultimate chaos," Kevin angrily replied.

"I am a foolish blind creator, who left many fragments of my being across realities for the day that I may awaken and destroy all existence. A human mind at the peak of madness, distorted beyond reason, and consumed with emotions can grasp infinity for a moment, All I require is a moment of madness and my true nature can be brought forth. You should not have driven my fragment insane, since you have no defense against my wrath," I spoke, and my body morphed into that of many tentacles and mouths that transcended time and space.

Upon my transformation, all the strength and exaltation of control left Kevin. He didn't realize the cardinal rule of control and power, no one has a monopoly on it. Control and power are meaningless in the face of true chaos, which is boundless and infinite with no master except its fathomless void. Beyond good, evil, or neutral human concepts, I was the embodiment of everything and nothing. Nyarlathotep was merely an expression of chaos, trying to create a false order that could be undone.

The entity beside him spoke, "Fear not, I will protect you, my God, as I did in the past. You can kill the avatar of Azathoth to continue our cycle."

"You are a meaningless thought," I said and with a wave of my tentacles, the summoned entity was erased from existence.

"No, please don't hurt me. I'm sorry for the pain I caused. I promise, if you give me a chance, I'll use this power to make amends," Kevin cried as Nyarlathotep tried to desperately separate from his human avatar before I passed judgment. I could see memories of Kevin's fear and pain, but I, In my madness as the Avatar of Azathoth, had no desire to seek control or use Kevin's power.

As such, I ignored his pleas and consumed Kevin by wrapping him in my tentacles, stripping away his essence. It was not a simple act of devouring him as some cannibal or monster horror movie may depict, but rather the consumption of Kevin's mind and soul. All the pain and suffering he had experienced and caused, was absorbed into me until the memories of his life were erased and his existence was no more from his body. Through it all, I allowed Kevin to see his own destruction, and remember every pain he suffered and caused. It was not for personal pleasure as my madness had transcended human belief in justice, but a lesson in power through powerlessness. There is no meaning to existence, when death is near, no meaning in pain or pleasure when there is no one left to feel them. Every thought being stripped away, every thread in the tapestry of life being pulled apart was torture far worse than what Kevin could ever do even with all the power of Nyarlathotep. As Azathoth, I was not angry, joyous, or indifferent when I did this to Kevin, it was wrath for believing there was power and control over chaos, a natural swing of the pendulum from one side back to the other.

The humans called Allen and Brian went down on their knees, driven by fear and madness at seeing my true form, "You both have sinned by allowing this ritual to happen by offering indirect aid. You are dear creations though, so I shall give you a chance to repent with service to me."

Allen and Brian cried as my tentacles entered their mouths and assholes, marking them as my clerics. My tentacles filled them with cosmic energies, changing their physical and mental being to better suit my needs. Their minds, bodies, and souls would now belong to me. They would live and die when I desired it. They became my favored and coveted toys.

There was still one task left as my tentacle retrieved the mutilated human called Mark from an eldritch beyond time and space, still in the throes of pain and pleasure. My mouth opened wide, and I swallowed the whole of Mark, his mind, body, and soul. I did not desire to consume him, I wanted to reforge him and make him a worthy lover and avatar for my partner, Shub-Niggurath. With his memories and desires intact, I could bring him back to life within a setting I shall create.

After all the necessary tasks had been completed, the universe around us was consumed by my mouth. No power or God could resist my many mouths and tentacles, because I forged this reality and knew every atom with familiarity. As such, I could make a new reality based on my power without tools or intermediaries. I was foolish and blind, but I could still feel love and joy, so I wanted to give those around me to offer me their ultimate pleasure.

When I woke up, I was a sane human again and naked in a large bed with Mark, Brian, and Allen. New memories had begun to fill my head, as my mind returned to its proper place.

"It's good to see you again, partner," Mark said as he kissed me. I knew it was Mark, but also someone else who spoke to me.

"Same," I said.

Mark looked over at Brian and Allen, who had just woken up, "Let's leave these two alone, I think they need a moment to adjust to this new reality."

"Thanks," I said, "And Mark, do you remember everything in the Asylum and the other life? Is your mind fully healed from what happened?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation, "It was like a nightmare, which has no bearing on our reality."

"That's good," I said and turned to Allen and Brian.

Allen and Brian looked confused, but happy.

In this newly created universe, Mark and I were wunderkind billionaire app developers, who had gotten emancipated from our families to secure our fortunes at age 14. In turn, we also emancipated Brian and Allen, who were our best friends and occasional lovers. The original human known as Kevin did not exist in this reality as I had consumed his essence and Nyarlathotep was a shadow of his former self, living the life that Kevin had as a toy for sadists until he would be driven insane without the power to stop them.

As I peered at Brian and Allen, I could also see futures in this universe.

Allen will be a famous college male cheerleader, who will become a big LGBT rights activist and example for other boys, who did not want to follow traditional roles. Afer college, he will be a huge advocate for mental health awareness as a highly intelligent psychiatrist with his IQ having risen from 100 to 135. His desire to submit to men as sissy would persist throughout his life, but he would not be abused or harmed since he had friends like us to guide, protect, and nurture his need to be softer than his male body may indicate.

Brian will become a faithful defender of the weak and will be working as an LGBTQIA+ activist. His goal was to reform children protection laws, so more children could live in good homes and take down abusive organization that created harmful psychological treatments. His puppy tendencies never ceased, and he wore a leather collar around his neck every day with his name and my contact information in a gold locket. He served me and our group faithfully for many years.

Mark will have a successful career and adopt many children from third-world countries, who we would raise as our own. He would never be forced to behave in a way that he did not want from an authority figure, including me, because he had become the Avatar of Shub-Niggurath, the mother god, who nurtures and watches over all. However, his sex drive remained high and there would be periods of our lives when he can never put on clothes or not have a butt plug shaped like my dick in his ass.

I can see how all our paths would cross and bring us closer together. The four of us would travel the world, helping those who are less fortunate.

Mark and I will have a ceremony and will legally get married. However, in the privacy of our own home, we will have a marriage of our own, with Brian and Allen as our extended partners. My secret identity as the Avatar of Azathoth never came up again for as long as this human body lived. I knew that when I died, my body would reform itself into a seed that would be implanted into a human womb, continuing the cycle until the day my true form fully awakens and all realities shall end.

Until that time, I would enjoy this life and continue to learn what it meant to be human.

The End