Yes, Alaric intended to awaken Antigonus... or rather, to suppress the Celestial Worthy's will within him, allowing Antigonus to regain clarity.
His reasons were straightforward. First, this was part of an experiment, and Alaric needed Antigonus as a test subject to hone his skills. Second, he required Antigonus's memories of despair or emotions of sorrow, which necessitated his return to lucidity.
As for what to do with Antigonus's Seer characteristics and the Fool's Uniqueness once he was awake... that depended on how cooperative Antigonus proved to be.
If Antigonus was a sensible, obedient dog, Alaric wouldn't mind having another King of Angels under his command. When Klein or Bethel needed the Fool's Uniqueness later, they could fight it out to decide its fate. Alaric was confident that neither Klein nor Bethel would disappoint him... Klein had the Sefirah Castle's boost, making him no weaker than Antigonus at Sequence 1, and Mr. Door, once free of corruption, could ascend to godhood directly.
But if Antigonus turned out to be a bad dog, Alaric wouldn't hesitate to strip him of the Fool's Uniqueness and Seer characteristics. He was capable of it... those tainted by Nyarlathotep's corruption could be manipulated, much like an Outer Deity. Alaric had already tested this during Roselle's procedure.
Normally, though, Alaric wouldn't resort to such measures. Puppets were dull to him; he preferred vibrant, living beings with their endless possibilities.
"Here's hoping you're a good dog…" Alaric said with a smile. The power of Nyarlathotep surged within him, silently infiltrating Antigonus's soul.
…
Antigonus knew he was dreaming.
He had been dreaming for a long, long time. The dreams were chaotic, but they often revolved around a single theme... the fall of the Nation of the Evernight, his sister's disappearance, and his own uncontrollable self.
Antigonus didn't know why he was plagued by these strange nightmares, nor could he ponder why. In this endless cycle of dreams, his consciousness wavered between clarity and confusion.
Occasionally, he glimpsed odd scenes through the dreams... his familiar palace, but with a grotesque, twisted monster occupying his cherished throne.
Antigonus wasn't lucid enough to grasp what it meant. He only felt occasional bursts of anger.
That was his favorite throne. Even in his muddled state, Antigonus remembered transforming into a demon wolf and napping on it while his sister teased him for being childish, brushing his fur.
But now, a monster had claimed his throne.
Antigonus felt a flicker of rage, but it never lasted long before he forgot and sank back into the endless nightmares.
Yet, not all his dreams were nightmares. Every so often, he had good dreams... dreams of the Nation of the Evernight as a peaceful little kingdom, his sister as she always was. Antigonus would lazily bask in the sun, watching his weak but stubborn followers fuss over some festival whose purpose even he didn't understand.
Antigonus couldn't fathom what his followers were thinking or why these events mattered, but since they wanted to fuss, he didn't bother stopping them.
Sometimes, though, Antigonus felt an inexplicable sadness.
How strange.
In his dream, the demon wolf yawned, gazing at the Nation of the Evernight. His muddled mind couldn't handle complex thoughts. He could only stare in confusion at his followers, searching for the source of his sorrow.
Naturally, Antigonus found nothing. But for some reason, his mind flashed with images... crumbling churches, followers lying in pools of blood, and his sister staring at him with an expressionless face.
As a Seer, Antigonus should've paid attention to these visions, but the demon wolf merely shook his head, dismissing them. He returned to lounging on his throne, watching the kingdom he had built and protected.
"Finding you was no easy task, Antigonus."
A strange voice suddenly broke through. Antigonus instinctively looked over, finding an unfamiliar figure beside him.
It was a refined-looking man with slightly curly black hair and eyes as radiant as sunlight. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the air of a cultured scholar.
But Antigonus, despite his near-total loss of reason, sensed the man's danger through his Seer instincts.
"Who are you?" Antigonus asked.
"Me? You can call me Lucifer," The man replied with a smile. He looked at Antigonus unhurriedly. "But more importantly, Antigonus, do you really want to keep sinking into this dream?"
This wasn't reality but Antigonus's consciousness space... his dream. When Alaric used Nyarlathotep's power to suppress the Celestial Worthy's will, he found that part of Antigonus's own will was trapped in a nightmare.
So, since he was already here, Alaric decided to dive into the dream and awaken that fragment of Antigonus's will.
"Dream?" Antigonus's eyes seemed clear but remained clouded, unmoved by Alaric's words.
"Looks like we'll need a bit of force. Hope you don't end up too traumatized!" Alaric said, shaking his head. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers with a sharp "pop."
Crash!
The sound of something shattering echoed as the dream collapsed. But beyond the broken dream wasn't reality... just a chilling expanse of twisted chaos.
…
Antigonus opened his eyes.
Fear lingered in his gaze. The once-renowned half-Fool, in this moment, curled up like a frightened pup. The writhing mass of worms bore an air of helplessness, as if he were not a King of Angels wielding a Uniqueness but a weak, pitiful, defenseless dog.
"Awake?"
***
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