Chapter 234 – Rings

Dream appeared behind Iris. Luna and Alice understood what he was doing and decided to continue with the ceremony while he handled her. 

Iris naturally detected his presence, but didn't turn around. She continued to stare at a bottle of alcohol in front of her.

Seeing this, Dream turned and took a seat on one of the couches. The two sat in silence for a while. 

"...Having second thoughts?"

Dream spoke as he picked up a wine bottle and glass from a coffee table in front of him. He filled the glass and swirled the blood red liquid within. 

Iris slightly lifted her head, her eyes zoning in. 

"Something like that."

"You heard what I spoke to my dad about."

"If you didn't want me to, you wouldn't have spoken so openly."

"Well, I knew you would want to listen."

Dream smiled as he took a sip of the red wine. Iris straightened her back, flipping around on her stool to face the awfully nonchalant Dream.

"So? The one you're closest with is Alice. And you most enjoy Luna. You said I was detached. What does that mean?"

Iris asked as she recalled Dream's conversation. He had said those exact words. For a man about to marry three women, it was dangerously blatant. He had placed a seemingly non-equal value on them. And to Iris who received the lesser score, it was a bit shocking. She couldn't help but think she meant the least despite knowing Dream likely meant something else by his words. 

Thus, she waited to speak with him. Hearing the angel's grand speech though, she felt worse. Unlike Alice and Luna, she found it difficult to imagine her and Dream in such grand scenarios. They were such different people who pursued very different paths. Dream couldn't live a life of constant bloodshed, and she couldn't live a life of study and research. It was the difference between a scholar and a warrior. 

But still, she waited for him, and now she wanted answers. Dream thought carefully before responding to her. 

"...For the most part, I meant what I said. You're unlike me and Luna. Alice is your closest comparison, but even she has different motivations. In the state we are now, where you're forced to wait for me to open the doors to the inner universe, you aren't exactly working with me or spending time with me. You sleep for several months at a time, only waking when we have little occasions. If that isn't detached, I don't know what is."

"So what, I should start spending more time with you? Should I just stand to the side while you play with rocks for months on end?"

"Oh, goodness no. Your very presence disturbs the fabric of space. It would interfere with my work."

"So?"

Iris crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. Dream sighed.

"Iris, I have no problem with you sleeping. If anything, I want you to."

"But that would mean I'm still detached. You don't like me as much as Luna or Alice. I don't play queen and I don't have wise conversations with you. I'm just here. I'm just the violent fox who loves killing. We have little in common and haven't cooperated on anything."

Iris gradually flared up in anger and frustration. Dream could tell she was beginning to vent, so he stayed neutral.

"Part of what you said is true."

"So then what am I to you? What are we? Are we just some people who have sex every so often? Am I just a hot piece of ass you like to keep around for the hell of it? Or do you keep me around for Luna's sake? Because it doesn't seem like you need me with you!"

"Well of course I don't need you with me."

"So then what is this?!"

"But I also don't need Luna or Alice with me."

Iris yelled, and Dream responded with a serious tone. He glanced at her in the eye, causing her to go quiet. The power hidden behind those eyes was bone-chilling, but being the fiery spirit she was, she only shirked back a bit. 

Seeing her sober up a bit, Dream continued. 

"Iris, I don't need any of you three. I could simply leave to the inner universe by myself and I'm sure I would get by perfectly fine. I could hole up in a void somewhere, doing experiments until the day I die. But I've decided that I don't want that kind of life. I want you three. I desire to keep all of you by my side. I wish to see you three prosper, but I guess I'm a bit selfish in the fact that I want to be a significant part of your lives as well. I desire your affection, your commitment, and also your wellbeing. These are all wants. I will not die should I go without them. Just like how you would also do just fine without my presence. If you wanted, I could temporarily remedy the issue between you and your sister that makes you kill each other. Then I could send you guys away, us having nothing to do with each other from now on. But do you want that?"

Dream asked, his gaze piercing into Iris. She trembled as he did so. She imagined Dream removing their connection, removing all things that bound them together, and then sending her off by herself. She would travel the universe alone, having no guide, no direction, and nothing to love. Thinking of such a heartless separation, she hurt. Her chest tightened, and she felt scared. 

But she didn't want to admit that. This, however, is where her issue lay. She was scared that Dream didn't feel such things for her, that compared to her sister or Alice, she was just another girl who he happened to be somewhat close with. She wanted to know that, if she were to leave, he would hurt too. Just like how he wanted her commitment, she wanted his. But she had her doubts. 

Iris bit her lip, not answering him. She didn't need to though. Dream seemed to read her like an open book. She felt vulnerable in front of him who sat there like some kind of king. 

Seeing this bitterness of hers though, Dream felt his own anguish inside. He turned his gaze away before speaking. 

"Iris, we're different people. Perhaps our paths are only connected by how we feel about each other. In every other aspect, they diverge greatly. We may never cooperate together, we may never see eye to eye, and we may conflict with each other. But... despite all this, I'm still here. I've still asked that you marry me. Do you know why?"

Dream stood, walking over to her. He put his hand under her lowered chin, bringing it up. He let out a low voice.

"I've asked you to marry me simply because I want you. I couldn't give a damn about what we have in common. A long time ago, I said I would devote my life to you. That was because I love you. I love your very existence. Everything else is secondary, a bonus. You think I only care about your looks? We haven't had sex in almost a year. If it were a problem, it would have been brought up by now. Iris, I want you because you are you. Look at me. Gaze into my soul. I need you to see just how much you are to me."

"..."

Iris was quiet as the two looked into each other's eyes. In that moment, from the depths of his gaze, she realized what she was to Dream. 

She realized that his desire for her didn't stem from lust or greed or anything material. He didn't just keep her around to keep Luna happy. No, his desire for her went beyond anything mortal. At their level, the things they felt went far beyond shallow desires of the flesh. It was so deep she was almost scared by it. It was like a dangerous obsession. Suddenly, she remembered something. 

When Alice had appeared, Dream's mind space had cracked. She had felt that catastrophic change in his psyche from over their connection, thus prompting her and Luna to rush over and find them. During that time, she had wondered why Dream reacted so violently to Alice's appearance. How could someone possibly mean so much to him that he would break down over them? Now, she was realizing what that was. 

The importance he attached to them was monumental. It was so great that it could break him. Before he had been transported across worlds, it actually had broken him. Dream held a deep love for not only wondrous discovery, but also certain people. Alice had been one of those people. Now, Luna was one, and Iris was another. Their mere presence in his life, their existence, was a foundational part of who he wished to be and how he had built himself. Sure he could survive without them, but it would be a life of loneliness and anguish. To the endless darkness that was his cosmic form, they were the small stars that filled him with color and wonder.

Iris could sense this. She felt it from his very soul that he opened up to her. This feeling made her frantic. She suddenly had an excessive desire for him. 

"I... I understand. I want you. I want to marry you."

Iris stuttered, her emotions overwhelming her. Dream nodded calmly.

"As do I."

"I want you to want me. I want everything you are. I want to be someone you would suffer without. Because I would suffer without you. Do you know how far I would go for you? I would eat entire civilizations, despite their innocence. Entire worlds despite their prosperity! How far would you go for me?"

"Farther than the farthest reaches of space. I would quench stars. I would wield the souls of billions as a mere weapon. That's how far I would go."

Dream stroked Iris's face. In this moment, the two of them felt a stronger desire than ever to be with each other. Iris grabbed his shirt as if she wanted to keep him from slipping away.

"Dream, tell me you love me."

"I love you. Tell me you can't live without me."

"If you were to die, I may as well confront death myself to bring you back. If I failed, at least we would be together."

"I love it. But promise me something."

"Anything."

Iris looked at him with blazing passion, as if she were ready to give up her soul for him. 

"If you challenge the very foundation and rules of the universe, make sure you're powerful enough first. Become the strongest existence you can be. For me, live until then. For me, have patience."

Dream put his finger on Iris's lip with a smile. 

"As for me, I'll pledge to you again. I will break open the universe, understand its secrets, and become an existence that will never perish even across countless eons. I will do this so I can be with you for an eternity. We may not be the same, but for each other we will do anything. I desire this from and for us. Do you feel the same?"

"I do."

"Then let's go make it official."

Saying that, Dream took Iris's hand. He then teleported, appearing next to Luna and Alice. They were within a room inside the main building where the marriage would be carried out. 

"Ladies, I think it's time."

He smiled, and Luna began the ceremony.

............

Within the hall, all the guests sat among rows of wooden seats. Beneath their feet was the milky white marble, and above them were the floating shards that spiraled into the sky. Amazingly, they could see a little blue dot when looking up through the roof. That blue dot was Earth, perfectly aligned in that moment with the tower they were in. 

At this time, Dream stood on the altar. He was dressed in a suit that had embroideries which shone with cosmic darkness. He retained his bodily shell, and other than the impressively built suit, he looked rather normal. 

Next to him stood the Archangel Giros. At first, Luna had arranged for Vythica, the elven ancient, to officiate the wedding. But after the angel came, he offered to officiate it himself. Hearing this, Vythica was quick to step down, and thus the angel was now the one on the altar. While Luna had been a bit sorry to Vythica, she couldn't help but think that getting an angel to officiate a wedding was rather perfect. 

"Here they come!"

Suddenly, two grand doors opened. Everyone turned while music began to play. 

Because Dream had his own plans, there weren't any ring bearers that walked down first. Only some family members ushered themselves down the aisle. Then, it was Melody who came in. She was the flower girl. 

Melody wore a brilliant red dress, her hair tied up and her sword on her waist. After walking in, she unsheathed her sword and pointed the tip forward. Then, with a step, she vanished. 

A red line streaked down the aisle, soft but imposing. This red line cut through space, and then exploded as Melody reappeared at the end of the aisle. That explosion released thousands of little blood-red petals that floated down to the floor. The red of the petals stood out against the milky white marble, even seemingly staining the ground and seeping down into the white marble like ink. 

Everyone sighed in awe as Melody stepped to the side, winking at Dream. He smiled and shook his head. 

After Melody were the brides. When the blood petals settled, three people stepped forward. 

Riddick and his two daughters, one on each side. On the right, Luna stood out with a stunning blue and silver dress, her signature colors. The dress was both slimming and frilly, a perfect balance between both that widened the eyes of anyone who saw. Her silver hair was tied into an intricate bun with thin strips hanging down by her ears. Her hair seemed almost ethereal as it softly flowed with her steps. To those around her, she gave off a feeling of purity and vitality as if she held the secret to eternal youth and happiness. 

Then, there was Iris, who's gaze immediately locked onto Dream upon walking in. She wore a soft but bold dark red dress. If anything could describe her, it was devastatingly beautiful. This look could truly topple empires. Her black hair was left down and flowed with waves. Looking at it, it seemed like it radiated darkness. The contrast against her pale skin and red eyes was mesmerizing. She was no less enrapturing than Luna, only the two gave off opposite auras. 

The three walked up. Upon reaching the steps of the altar, Riddick sighed before turning to each of his daughters and giving them a kiss. Dream stepped down and shook his hand with a smile. 

"Could you have predicted this, old man?"

"I stopped trying to predict anything a while ago. At the very least, I don't regret giving them away to your wise ass."

Riddick shook Dream's hand with a smirk. Dream chuckled a bit before the two separated. Luna and Iris walked up. 

But that wasn't all. The next moment, two other people walked in. It was Alice and her mother. 

Alice was dressed in a white gown, one that almost looked like a standard wedding dress. It didn't have any extremely defining features. However, both Alice and the dress seemed ethereal, almost as if she were some kind of spirit drifting through the mortal world. She could be compared to a wraith, only she was very much alive, and her presence gave off an illusory feeling. It seemed like her mother was her anchor to the material world, and if she were let go, she would drift off into nothingness. 

"Mrs. Hache."

Dream nodded to the mother, stepping down. The two hugged, the mother grabbing Dream's hand.

"Oh, I always prayed for this day. I couldn't think of a better man than you, Dream. Only, to think things have gone the way they have. Sometimes I still think I'm living in a fantasy."

The mother chuckled. Dream smiled, though inwardly he was sighing. Her words sent complicated emotions through him, though he didn't let that show. 

Thus, Alice was handed off. The three women stood before Dream. He stood in front of them, his back facing the rows of people. 

Finally, Giros spread his white wings, rising up slightly above the heads of Dream and his women. Everyone was in awe at the beauty of those wings while the angel let out his serene voice. 

"Today we have gathered to celebrate the joining of these four people. Luna, Iris, Alice, and Dream. Through time and across worlds, they have come together by the hands of fate and formed the strongest of bonds. And now, through this ceremony, they declare to the universe their undying love that shall last for eternity..."

Giros spoke his words with clarity, his voice singing in the ears of all those present. Though, his words about the 'hands of fate' caused Dream's eye to twitch the tiniest bit. The girls saw this and couldn't help but chuckle. Unfortunately, Giros had no clue about Dream's little conflict with a god, so he couldn't be blamed. 

He gave a small speech not unlike the one he gave prior to the ceremony. Everyone listened, their emotions not able to resist being swept along with his words. 

Upon finishing, he was quick to hand things off. He looked to Dream, who nodded in understanding. 

"Ladies."

Dream faced the three women in front of him who each perked up. 

"...I suppose I should make this declaration one more time. You three are more important to me than anyone else can fathom. As someone who is capable of attaining power beyond mortals, it is my obligation to gain such power and ensure the wellbeing of each of you in the face of an immortal universe. For you, I will give more than just my life. I will give you my future, my potential. I will empower you until you no longer need me. I wish for this because when we have reached heights where nothing is impossible, we will have the purest form of love for each other. We shall love without such veils like necessity. Our love shall go beyond all differences and conflict. When we become immortals, I wish for us to have similarly eternal love. For this, I will pledge my very soul."

At this point, Dream raised his hand. A parchment appeared in it, and Alice was surprised. He had taken it directly from her inventory, though she didn't know how he did it. 

On this parchment were three names. Alice's was at the top, signed in white letters. Luna's was below, signed in gold letters. Last was Iris's, who signed in black. Alice had them sign it just before they walked up, and now, Dream was the last one. 

This contract would establish an equal bond among them. It would share a portion of each other's soul between each one. This meant that everyone would have a piece of each person's soul. Alice wouldn't only bond with Dream, but with Luna and Iris as well. 

This contract wouldn't do any such thing as link each other's lives, but that wasn't its purpose. It was a soul bond, something that brought people together closer than any form of intimacy could possibly hope to match. It basically opened up each person's soul to the other. 

Dream didn't believe this was necessary. However, he couldn't help but admit this was the perfect way to pledge himself to them. He had to put away his reservations for them. 

But that didn't mean he didn't have his own ideas on how it would be utilized. Before any of them could say anything, Dream placed his palm on the paper. It surged with light, shooting toward him. 

[[Nexus] connections evolving...]

At that moment, Sophia spoke with a notification. Dream could feel the connections within him change, several soul strings rearranging themselves.

[Building sub-skill: [Soul Bond]. Integrating under [Arcana].]

<Alert! You have gained the title: [Husband]>

More notifications appeared, one from Sophia and one from the System. Dream thought for a second before taking control of the skill construction personally.

"I shall create a family under my name as Sylus Dreamer. You three will bear my name, and this will by the ring by which we officiate our bond."

Saying that, Dream exposed his cosmic form. The space around him darkened, the mana freezing, his figure becoming the center of all attention. He manipulated the soul contract. Suddenly, three identical rings were created in the air above everyone's heads. They were cosmic in nature, born from his very soul. The girls put out their hands, the rings slipping over their ring fingers. They then felt a slight sting as the ring imprinted upon their soul. They first felt the connection with Dream, and then they felt the connection with each other. 

They looked at their fingers, understanding that the ring was the symbol of their marriage. The ring was just the right size, and it looked mesmerizing. Surprisingly, they couldn't take it off or hide it. This ring wasn't just some material, but an imprint upon their soul. Only by creating a shell could they hide this ring, otherwise their main bodies, their spirit bodies, would always expose this ring. While hiding the ring with a shell wasn't that difficult to do, and Dream didn't restrict such a thing because he believed in versatility, they wouldn't do it even if they could. This was the evidence of their new bond. 

And looking closely within the cosmic ring, they could see letters written in gold. They spelled 'Dreamer', the family name. This single word radiated kingly power, and each of the girls were surprised to find out that the word was made from soul strings, not golden script or otherwise. It was written using Dream's very soul as the pen. 

It wasn't long before Dream reverted back to his normal human form, his aura slightly weaker. By now, the parchment had disappeared, its power being held within those rings and within Dream. Now, even he had a ring. This ring shifted from illusory, to icy, and then to fiery. The ring held the power of each wife. 

Thus, their soul bond was complete. Dream looked at his new [Husband] title and found that it listed the names of Luna, Iris, and Alice as his wives. This was now his second title next to [Origin Seeker]. He was amazed because every title he had gained so far had been wiped by [Origin Seeker]. But now, this seemingly inconsequential one had stayed. He couldn't help but smile in resignation.