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 [Chapter 1]

    So, a little background, so I won''t have to explain so much later on.

    This evening is my senior prom. I''m wearing a blue, three-piece suit to the dance and I''m astounded my parent spent their money on a suit for me to wear just for this occasion. It''s actually an off-the-rack suit, so it''s a little tight on me. Looking down, I let out a disgruntled sigh. Well, let''s simply say, I can''t see my feet without bending over. Yes, I admit it, I''m overweight., No, I''m not obese, simply a little chubby.

    Sheer, white drapes cover the entire gym ceiling and walls, These obscure the rows of blue and purple lights, making the ceiling look like a starry sky while assortments of flowers decorate the thin drapes. A number of students, wearing expensive tuxedos and dresses, are dancing. With no teacher in sight to stop them, some of them are dancing much closer than the rules allow for.

    I lean forward so I can see my reflection in the punch bowl, which leads to my shoulders drooping and me leaking out another sigh. It''s a little hard to see because the pink punch isn''t all that great at of a mirror and the flashing lights around me keep washing it out. However, I could still make out my short dark hair and my rather drab, generic face. So generic that a classmate of mine, who had been my lab partner for three months, had no idea what I looked like.

    ¡®Okay, stop it. My self-esteem is low enough even without me putting myself down. Let''s get back to the party,¡¯ I think.

    I look down to see two cups of Mr. Simon''s famous punch in my hands. I still don''t understand why Mr. Simon calls it his famous punch, since it''s mediocre at best, but maybe it''s the ingredients that he uses to make it. Ginger is the main thing you can taste in it, but, honestly, it''s not as if I really care.

    Why two cups of punch? Well, one is for me and the other is for Bridget, the most popular girl in school. Glancing behind me, I let out a small smile as I see Bridget talking to her friends. Yes, that beautiful girl is my date for tonight and that tight red dress would trigger a teenager hormone overload in a matter of seconds. With her blonde, wavy hair; silky, flawless skin; and a voluptuous body that even rivals that of a Victoria cover model; she rules the school with both beauty and brains.

    How did I get such a beautiful girl to go out with me? Well, I just gathered my courage and asked her like a normal person would, and it actually worked. I couldn''t believe it at first, but here I am. However, it didn''t come without a price, I had a fight with my only friend, Daisie. She said, ¡°Bridget doesn''t really care about me and that she is doing this to make fun of me.¡±

    Of course, I didn''t believe her, and I angrily yelled at her and caused her to cry. A jerk, better add that to the list of what I am now. I didn''t mean to make her cry, but she was pushing my buttons.

    Still, her words stung me because I have doubts. Not about Bridget not liking me or doesn''t care for me, but about myself. Even after I went on a couple of date with Bridget, I couldn''t find anything in common with her. I feel that we have no connection at all, but I don''t want to break up with her, and I don''t want to break her heart.

    I don''t want to see another girl cry because of me.

    However, I don''t want to be in a relationship with someone that I didn''t truly love with all my heart. My thought is muddle by my teenage love life problems. I wonder if I should call Mom and Dad to ask them for advice. Oh my god, I sound like a spoiled little kid right now.

    I let out a long groan in frustration. If Daisie were here, she would tell me to break up with her. She''s right, I have too, perhaps after the dance, I don''t want to do it right here in front of the entire students that would be bad.

    "Hey! Andre, what is taking you so long?" I turn around and see Bridget is waving at me with her hand while drawing me with her eyes.

    I force a smile on my face and start to walk toward her with two drinks in my hands. At the corner of my eye, I can see someone that I''d definitely like to avoid right now, heading toward me, it''s him, Jack. If the only way to avoid him would be to rip my face off right, I would do it.

    Slick, short brunette hair, perfect muscular body, and tan skin while wearing a very expensive black tuxedo. The quarterback of the high school football team, and the cruelest person in this school. A bully and a jock, what a combo. A stereotypical bully, if you have seen any teen TV show or movies about high school. He always makes my life a living hell.

    Why did he have to come to the prom tonight?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Ahh man. I''ve seriously been dreading this moment.

    I stop in my tracks when Jack walks up to Bridget, and wraps his arm around her waist. They both look at me with mischievous grins on their faces, like I''m a cockroach or something.

    "Oh, poor Andre... You still haven''t realized it, do you?" She says with condescendingly. Her coup de grace is leaning in to kiss Jack''s cheek.

    "I''ve been dating Jack the whole time while I pretend to go out with you."

    "If you''re with Jack, then why did you agree to go out with me?" I ask while both my eyebrows raise in confusion.

    "It was all part of his plan and... mine."

    "First, I would go out with you, then make you fall in love with me, and then when it''s time for prom, I would dump you right in front of everyone, and make you cry like a baby."

    My chin tilts down while I replace my smile with a pursed lips, then one of the stage lights shine upon me, and the music stops playing. Everyone in the room locks their eyes on me while I hold the two drinks.

    "Andre! I''m breaking up with you! You dork!" Bridget''s overly loud announcement echoes in the gym. Everyone could hear what she said, while Jack grins evilly. He then leans in to kiss Bridget''s soft lips, and their tongues intertwine as they kiss each other.

    After they break away their kiss, Bridget says, "Besides yours is much smaller than he is." Jack laughs loudly at her hurtful comment while I stand locked in place.

    "Daisie... was right all along," before I could finish my sentence, a cold liquid drenches my whole body. After turning my head to the side, I can see Jack''s two cronies are holding the empty punch bowl up above me.

    The pink liquid drip down from my jacket sleeves onto the floor, the ice cold punch causes my whole body to shiver a bit while I adjust to the cold.

    The two cups of punch that I''m holding are now overflowing with the same punch which now soaks me from head to toe. The sickening laughter of Jack''s cronies comes behind me. Everyone either looks at me with sympathy or pity, but none of them would ever stand up to Jack for me, and I don''t blame them; he is a scary guy, even I won''t stand up to him.

    I wonder, if I were someone else, would they be angry, lose to their rage, or might they even break down and cry? Well, to tell the truth, I didn''t feel any of that. I''m actually glad mixed in with guilt. Glad, because this girl broke up with me, so I didn''t have to and chance hurting her. Guilt, because I had acted like a douchebag toward Daisie.

    "I''m an idiot..." I mutter quietly.

    "What? Are you gonna cry?" Jack says, his tone clearly dripping with ridicule.

    Taking a deep breath, I smile, and say, "Thank you for telling me your honest feelings, Bridget. It''s a shame that I couldn''t be the one, but I respect your decision."

    Calmly, I proudly walk away with a refreshing smile plastered on my face. I could see the confusion and surprise in the stares of the people in the gym. It''s not what they expect of me because they were me to loose my cool, but I don''t really care.I All I really want is to get out of here.

    "Whatever loser, let''s get back to the dance, babe."

    I walk through the double door, and look around me. I catch sight of a bench just beside the double doors. With the two drinks still in my hands, I walk toward the wooden bench to sit down

    Why am I still holding these?... I let out a sigh, "Whatever."

    I place one of the drinks in my hands on the bench and take a sip out of the other one. Hmm, I''m pretty sure that Mr. Simon put some ginger ale in this. I let out a sigh again and hunch my body forward while looking at the parking lot full of luxurious cars. The cold and damp wind brush against my face causing me to sneeze.

    "It''s probably going to rain tonight¡ªI should go to Daisie''s house to apologize."

    We''ve always been there for each other through everything. Good or bad didn''t matter. I was there when her mother passed away, and the time that she won the local Tekken tournament. Why would I''ve ever doubted her about Bridget? She is the only person, other than my family, that actually cares about me, and she has been my friend for as long as I can remember.

    I wonder if she came to the prom with some else. I mean, there''s no reason why she shouldn''t have. She¡¯s cute and adorable underneath all her tomboyishness. Coming to the prom with some else, why is that thought make my heart ache?

    Daisie...she has this cute, and quiet sneeze that jerks her entire body. I once laughed at her over that and she sulked for quite a while afterward. It took two days of apologizing to end the standoff. However, the biggest fight I had with her recently, it isn''t anything like the small playful ones I''ve had with her in the past. I don''t think she''ll forgive me because I said some pretty horrible things in the heat of the moment.

    I don''t know what to do. I''m so frustrated with myself right now.

    I suddenly stand up, spilling a little punch from my cup, and then I scream at the top of my lungs, "I''M SORRY, DAISIE!! I HAVE BEEN A FREAKING IDIOT AND A JERK!!! I''M REALLY SORRY¡ªthat I hurt you... I''m an idiot, so please forgive me."

    Tears well up in my eyes as I let out a growl of frustration. Afterward, my I sit down again while frowning as I place a hand on my forehead.

    "Apology accepted."

    Jerking my head up in surprise to see Daisie standing a few feet away from me with both her hands behind her back. Looking at me with a gentle smile that could soothe the troubled heart of anyone simply by seeing it.

 [Chapter 2]

    The outdoor lights gently caress her smooth, pinkish skin and her short, black hair with orange highlights. I finally, notice that she is wearing the pink, lace, off-shoulder, short prom dress which she had been eyeing for months now. I''ve seen the store''s page on her smartphone, multiple times. Anyway, she looks stunning in it, I couldn''t stop staring at her in amazement while my heart begins beating fast.

    Her lips move as she says something to me, but I''m so distracted by her alluring look that I completely miss what she says.

    "Hello? Earth to Andre?" She waves her hand in front of my eyes to bring me back to reality.

    "You look gorgeous..." I announce without thinking.

    "I do? Thank you," she said while blushing and running her finger along the side her hair to push a few stray locks back behind her ear.

    "A-Are you here with someone?" My heart aches while my fingers dig into my palm.

    "N-no... I came alone..." Daisie looks to the side and puckers her lips, emphasizing her cuteness even more.

    "Oh... I''m glad. Ah, I mean, I... I don''t know what I''m saying. Anyway, I''m sorry... I didn''t mean to hurt you, and I didn''t mean what I said during our fight."

    Daisie takes a seat beside me, "You are forgiven, beside it was my fault, I was pushing your buttons."

    She clenches the edge of the seat with both hands, "If¡ªyou love Bridget so much, then I''m okay with it."

    "No! I don''t love Bridget... I realize that now. We have nothing in common, and when I was out on a date with her, I felt like an outsider. It wasn¡¯t any fun, no sparks, and it felt more like a chore, rather than something to enjoy. It''s completely different from when we are hanging out together."

    She places her hand on her upper arm while a small joyful smile lights up her face. Daisie takes a deep breath and looks at me with her big, beautiful, brown eyes.

    "Andre, I don''t want to lose you, and I hate seeing you with other girls beside me. I know¡ªthat I''m selfish for telling you all this, but I think, I¡¯m in love with you and I want you to be mine."

    My mind stops functioning while my heart throbs like never before, surprise and happiness flood into me. A few moments later, my mind restarts.

    Daisie is in love with me? But she is my childhood friend, I would never have guessed it, but why am I so happy after hearing her confession? She has been with me for a long time, I know her better than I know myself. From her cute sneeze to her nerdy nature that even rivals mine, I know it all. When I spent time with her, it is one of the happiest moments in my life, she understands me, and I understand her. Spending time with Bridget doesn''t even remotely give me the same feeling.

    Also, when I think about her being with someone else, my heart aches so badly that it¡¯s almost unbearable. Wait, why does my heart aches when I think about her being with someone else? Why does it throb with happiness every time I greet her in the morning? Does that mean I love her too?

    I look down pensively, while I suck on my lips, and stare at the concrete sidewalk below me.

    "I shouldn''t be telling you all this, I''m sorry!" Daisie stands up while tears begin to well up in her eyes.

    "Wait!" I grab onto her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

    "How long have you had these kinds of feelings for me?"

    Daisie places a hand on her chest over her heart and then she looks at me with her eyes sparkling.

    "It was during middle school, it was a normal morning like any other, but that morning was different for me, I was feeling depressed. I was missing my mom and taking care of my father was... stressing me out. I didn''t want to go to the school that day... and then you came to pick me up, I didn''t answer the door when you knocked or called out to me."

    "I thought you had finally given up and left, but you didn''t. You climbed up to my window on the second floor and knocked on it with a huge stupid smile on your face. I let you in, you asked me what was wrong, but I didn''t answer. At that time, I didn''t want to talk about it. Instead of forcing me to talk, you made yourself at home and played a couple of games on my PS2¡ªIt was weird."

    "You were there all day, you skipped school for me, and were there for me while playing some games and read a couple of books. You stayed by my side even though I didn''t ask you too, but because you were there, I felt a lot better. You made me happy simply by being with me, I admired you from that day on, but as time went on, my admiration changed to something else... Love."

    "I had fallen for you. Everything about you, I couldn''t help but fall in love, from your kind eyes, your rough, yet gentle hands, and even your average looks. Also, the way you avoid confrontation and attention, the way you make me laugh with your stupid jokes, the way you care more about other people than you do about yourself, the way you get so excited when a new video game come out, and the way you get disappointed when that same game isn''t what you expected. I love it all... and I love you."

    "You have this strong feeling for so long, I didn''t know about it, and I hurt you when I start to go out with Bridget. That''s why you were angry at me, and that''s why we got into a fight. I hurt you, and I didn''t realize it." My grip tightens around her wrist, but not enough to hurt her.

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    A single tear slides down Daisie''s cheek as she hears my words.

    "During the fight, you said ''you care about me, more than I realize,'' it was a way to tell me that you had feelings for me, but I still didn''t freaking realize it. I''m an idiot, and I''m sorry for being dense and late."

    "What are you trying to say?" Daisie says, as a smile forms on her lips.

    "I love you, Daisie Brewer."

    "You do?"

    "I LOVE YOU!!!" I yell out to the night sky above me then pull her to me and wrap her tightly within my arms. I feel her soft body go up against mine, her warmth transfer to my skin, her hair brush against my cheek, and the heady scent of her perfume linger in my nose.

    Her tears of joy slip down to fall onto my shoulder, adding her tears to my punch soaked suit.

    She looks up at me with a smile, to ask, "Why are you wet?"

    "I got drenched after Bridget broke up with me, but who cares. I have you." I reply with a happy smile of my own.

    Drops of cold water hit me here and there to rain. Releasing her to take a step , I tell her, "Let''s get you home before the rain gets worse."

    With a slight nod, she replies,"Sure."

    Daisie sits on the back of my bike with her arms around my waist as we make our way through the neighborhood toward Daisie''s house. On the way there, we could see patches of the starry night sky before the clouds finally lock it away from view.

    Right now, I''m the happiest I''ve ever been in my life with my true love by my side, and a future where I could see us together stretching out before us. Nothing could beat that as long I have her. I scream with happiness at the top of my lungs while pedalling, and Daisie joins me in my happy yell with a bright smile on her face.

    When we finally reach her house, she gets off the seat, and steps onto the sidewalk. Her keys jingle as she takes them out, I notice the ¡®Mitake Ran¡¯ keychain hanging among her keys. It''s from a mobile rhythm game that she been obsessing for months now.

    "Tomorrow, I''m going to show the most fun you can have on a date, I promise you that. I already got everything planned out in my head."

    "I believe you, but please be careful when you go back home."

    "I will."

    I watch her walk toward her house, but she stops midway and turns on her heel to look at me again. She smiles mischievously, then runs to me and place a kiss on my cheek. The feel of her soft lips against my cheek makes my heart skip a beat and speed up to the point I was sure it''s going to burst out of my chest.

    Stepping away, she''s blushing heavily as she looks at me with her beautiful eyes while touching her lips. Although I can''t see it, I know she has a happy grin hidden behind under her hand.

    She was about to say something when time seems to slow as something large and unyielding slams into me.

    My leg is trapped between my bicycle and whatever struck me. Finally beginning to catch up with events, I glance beside me and notice the two blinding lights of a black SUV that is currently pinning me in place.

    In what seems to be slow motion from my point of view, the side of my head connects with the hood of the SUV. The odd, sickening feel of my skull deforming and my brain sliding to that side flows through me. In the next moment, I''m thrown from the impact to crash and roll limply along the roadway.

    I¡¯ve no idea where my bicycle went as I roll along the road and, thankfully, finally stop when the momentum from the impact is expended. The sound of my heavy breathing almost overwhelms Daisie''s screams as she sees me lying limpy on the road. As I look at her panicked expression,the doors of the SUV open, and men wearing black ski masks emerge. They grab Daisie''s arms and pulled her toward the SUV.

    I notice an upside-down dagger tattoo on one of the men wrists as he grabs Daisie. She screams my name repeatedly as they violently pulled her into the SUV while I couldn''t do anything about it.

    I try to yell out her name, which results in nothing more than me weakly coughing up blood.

    Every moment I try to move, pain flows like liquid fire through me, overwhelming all other sensation. It is unbearable. I cry out to cast away the pain, but found myself in even more pain.

    The black SUV close its doors and drives away with Daisie inside it. Frustrated, I cry out, coughing up more blood which only serves to increase the amount of pain.

    The rain begins in earnest as my vision dims and I hear a scream from one of the neighbors nearby. The cold rain drenches me and washes away the accumulated dirt and blood. I''m almost grateful when everything finally goes away, taking the pain with it. However, a cold sensation overlapping that pain, and I can feel my whole soul slowly being ripped out from my body.

    In the end, my mind falls into darkness.

 [Chapter 3]

    My breathing is heavy.

    Darkness encompasses my entire vision, but my sight has begun to adjust to the dark. A sea of red, thick liquid up to my knee, endless and vast, as I gaze into the darkness around me. There is not a single light to be found or any living soul near me.

    I don''t know where I am, but my entire body is in tremendous pain. I try to move my hand to rub my head and found that my movement has been restricted by shackles that tied both my wrists down to the ground underneath the lake of red liquid.

    The chain connected to the shackles chinked as I try to get the shackles off my wrists and fail to do so. A blinding light shines upon me causing me to look away, but I try to look back at it, as my eyes notice a feminine figure standing in front of the light.

    The woman in front of the blinding light is tall. If I could guess, she is about twenty feet tall almost the same height as the giraffes in the Zoo that I visited when I was still a child. The mysterious figure has a long, lush hair with wavy ends and a toned body with a pair of voluminous breasts from what I could see. In her hands hold a balance scale on one of them and a dagger on the other.

    Even with the bright light invading my eyes and blurring my vision, I could feel her stern gaze upon me.

    "Who are you?" After I asked my question, the light suddenly disappears, and my eyes are greeted with the darkness again, and the woman is nowhere to be seen.

    When I lower down my sight to the vast sea of red liquid in front of me, I''m met with... myself? Me, no, I? Someone who looks like me, exactly like me is standing in front of me while glaring at me. Before I could ask him a question, the clone of me charges toward me with a sudden outburst of rage.

    My hands were slow to defend as the clone punch me in the jaw causing me tremendous pain to pile upon the pain that I''m already feeling. After I let out a scream, the tip of my tongue feel one of my teeth is loose, and my tongue tastes iron in my mouth. Moving my hand up to where he punched me was a mistake as he pummels his fist against my other unprotected cheek causing my loose teeth to fall out of my jaw along with a small amount of blood.

    "Wait?!"

    After I scream that one word, my clone punches me on the nose, his clenched fist digs into my nose, breaking the bone inside it, and pushing the broken bone back into my skull. I take a step back and let out a scream of pain while trying to catch my breath. My clone uppercut my gut causing me to hunch forward, and forcing me to spill out the content of my stomach.

    I fall to my knee, and puke every last thing my stomach had to offer onto the sea of red liquid beneath me. My body trembles after I stop puking, my shaking voice escape my lips as I say, "Help..."

    I''m knee-deep in an ocean of blood.

    With his hand, he grabs my hair and pulls me up to see what I have become. Afterward, he spits onto my face, then he swings his leg and hit the left side of my head, tossing me into the ocean of red color water. The water enters my mouth and flows into my taste buds, it tastes the same as my blood.

    My body floats on the sea of red liquid.

    "Where am... I?" Tears drip out from my eyes and flow into the sea of blood.

    "Am I in hell?" I mumble to myself in fear and pain.

    Before I could let out another sentence, my clone stomps his foot multiple time on my ribs and my stomach after I turn my body. He pushes me down into the water and up again as he stomps his foot against my chest repeatedly then after he satisfied, with his two feet he jumps onto my chest and breaks my ribs while forcing me to submerge deep into the ocean of blood.

    Every last air I had in my lungs escaped my body in bubbles after he stomps both his feet on my chest while forcing me to stay under the water. When he finally let me back up, I try to inhale any air I could get, but my clone wasn''t going to give me time to rest. He sits on top of my body and chokes me with his two hands while sinking my head into the sea of blood.

    I let out a cough as a large amount of blood enter my throat and flood my lungs. My hands wail onto his face, I try to strike him with every ounce of strength I had, but it was useless, as my clone is impassive at every hit I threw at him. What I notice during my attacks was his face was solid hard like he was made out of concrete or rock.

    I try to wedge my fingers in between his grip around my neck to give my throat some relive, but his grip wouldn''t budge.

    My breath was agonizingly painful and terribly short. Every air I try to let in cause me to gulp down more blood into my lungs while trying to breathe. I begin to suffocate and slowly losing my strength. I didn''t know whether I was choking on my own blood or the sea of unknown blood surrounding me.

    My sight slowly to blur, as I let go of his grip, my eyes are barely open while I slowly fall back into the darkness that I was greeted with at the beginning.

    ...

    Once again, lights enter my eyes, I blink a few times, as I mend my blurry vision. My sight is greeted with white ceiling panel, and the glimmer of the warm sun that is pouring into the room. I felt numb, but not physically numb, even though I did feel a bit numb at my toe.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I didn''t feel any emotion.

    Void of fear.

    Void of anger.

    Void of joy.

    Void of indignation.

    Void of sadness.

    My hearts are empty, but my mind is clear like an untouched lake without any ripple. I still feel my senses, my ears could hear the beeping noise of a machine beside me, my body still feels pain, and the softness of what I presume is a bed under me. My nose could detect a strong, chemical smell and the smell of sickness and mortality. Besides the pungent smell, I could feel the silicone, long tube in my nose and mouth along with the feeling of discomfort when having them stuck in the back of my throat.

    This place, if I could guess where I am, it''s the hospital.

    I remember what happens, the black SUV, the upside-down dagger tattoo, and¡ªDaisie! My hand spontaneously reaches out to the empty air above me, Why did I do that? My hand just moves on its own. Was it because of fear and worry? Yet, I still don''t feel any of that.

    After raising my own hand, my mind finally realizes that my arm is skinny to the point of my bone is visible as there were so few muscles and fat under my skin. I raise my other hand to confirm what my mind is seeing, and it was true, as my other arm look the same as the other, but with a long scar running down it and a small, long tube connected to the Cannula that is inserted into my vein.

    I gently rotate my head to my right after dropping both arms back onto the comfy bed. Gazing at the woman resting her head at the edge of the bedside, her black, frizzy and unkempt hairs hide her own face, but under all that mess, I recognize who it is: Kristy Adams. A hard-working woman, married to a kind man, and a mother to one child.

    That child is me.

    A sudden burst of pain travel throughout my body, I try to wake my mom, but I could only let out an unintelligible moan.

    "Mmmooaam."

    Her head stirs after hearing my first moan then I let out another one causing my mom to raise her head. She pulls back some of her messy hair and wipes the corner of her eyes while still not realizing that I''m wide awake in front of her. I move my hand and place it on top of her, she looks at me with wide eyes.

    After a few seconds, her minds slowly realize it then she yells out, "Doctors!!"

    A dozen nurse and doctor can be heard rushing to my room, my mom takes hold of my hand with a relieved smile on her face, and her eyes begin to tear up with happiness. Droplets of tear slide down her cheeks, falling onto my hand and wetting my hands with her warm tears.

    While the doctor and nurses check my condition, my mom never left my side and stay in the room watching over me.

    *

    Three months have passed.

    "Hello Andre, I see that your health has been improved quite a lot and so quickly over this past few months. Yet, I still wonder, how are you?" The question was asked by a woman with a friendly and calming aura surrounding her.

    That same woman is wearing black glasses and a beige cardigan, the color of pale sand. Her hairs are astonishingly neat as she tied her brown hair into a bun. In her hands hold a black leather clipboard with a single paper on it and an expensive pen. She writes down something on the paper while I take my time to answers her question, I always wonder what does she write on the paper, or did she actually write on it.

    This woman that is sitting across me is the hospital paid psychiatrist; Doctor Anya Sayo.

    "I have been doing the exercise that nurse ask me to do without fail, my body has significantly grown after I wake up from my coma. I used to be fat or overweight according to the doctor, but when I take a look at the mirror, there are muscles visible on my body that wasn''t there before."

    "Still, I wouldn''t call myself a bodybuilder. What I''m trying to say is that I look healthier than before."

    "Thank you for sharing, but I still haven''t got my answer from you. You keep telling me about your progress. However, you fail to answer my question about, how are you?"

    The clock ticks and the window shake as the breeze brush against it, "I... I still can''t feel any emotion..."

    I look at her, and she nods her head while keeping her eye contact with me, "My mom told me that I have been in a coma for three years, and she also tells me what happens to Daisie."

    "She doesn''t give me the detail because she doesn''t want me to get hurt, but she told me that Daisie passed away... that''s all she told me."

    "You didn''t press on for detail?"

    "I didn''t... I don''t know why."

    "What did you feel about the news?"

    "That what''s been bothering me, I don''t feel anything, no anger, and no sadness. Even the time when my mother told me about my father that he ran away after a year of me being in a coma, I didn''t feel angry at my father or anything."

    "Am I broken, Doctor?"

    "Hm, let me ask you this if you see your mother about to get hit by a car, would you push her away?"

    "I would without a doubt."

    "Why is that?"

    "Because she is my mother?"

    "And?" Her left eyebrow raised as she looks at me.

    "And I don''t want to see her get hurt."

    "Because?" She gestures her hand for me to continue.

    "I''m scared of seeing her get hurt?"

    "Yes, there you go. I don''t think you are a broken man, Mr. Andre."

    "If I''m not broken, then what''s wrong with me?"

    "I think your brain is having a bit of a problem recognizing your own emotions, maybe due to brain damage from when you get hit on the head or maybe mental trauma from the terrible experience you went through."

    "So how do I fix it?"

    "Time and loved one... and also maybe a couple checks up every month."

    She looks at her watch and back at me, "It seems that this will be our last time of meeting each other if you have any problem just call me on this number." She passes a card to me, I grab it and store it inside my pant pocket.

    "Thank you, Doctor."

    "Be sure to take care of yourself."

    "See you again, Doctor."

    "I hope we don''t meet back in here." She let out a chuckle.

    "Maybe in a mart or a bar somewhere. If you see me, don''t be shy to say, hello."

    After getting off from the sofa, I kept pulling on my collar as it kept sliding out of my shoulder. I walk out the door with an opaque glass pane on it and meet my mom on the other side. Both her hands on the push handles of the wheelchair along with a nurse standing by her side. My eyes darted at the nurse, and back at my mom, and my gaze went to the wheelchair.

    "What with the wheelchair?"

    "Hospital policy." My mom reply with a cheery tone.

    "We don''t want you to get hurt leaving the hospital, so every patient that are discharges must leave the hospital on a wheelchair." The nurse reply with a friendly smile on her face.

    "Okay," I reply back then take a seat on the wheelchair.

    The wheelchair moves with me on it, as my mom push it forward, the nurse walk alongside us to make sure that everything is fine. It doesn''t take us long to reach the outside of the hospital. When we arrive in front of the main door, I stand up from the wheelchair and say my thanks to the nurse.

    With my mom by my side, we walk toward her car, I look up at the sky during our strive and see the clear, blue, sky illuminate by the warm sun. I''m finally able to smell the fresh air again after spending a long time in the hospital, recovering from my coma.

 [Chapter 4]

    ''A white 1990 Toyota Corolla.''

    That is the name of the car parked in front of me, it looks blocky with a smooth edge, and I can see a few rust patches on the car body. My head turns to my mom beside me, she looks at me with a smile on her face, as she unlocks the passenger door with a key, and walks to the driver side to unlock the door. I reach for the door handle, lifting it to open the door but it did nothing. The door mechanism is unresponsive, I try again and fail yet again.

    I see my mom is in the driver seat crawl up to the passenger side and open it from inside. The door open slightly then I place my hand on the top of it, pulling the door open and enter the car then close the door beside me.

    My mom wiggles her keys in the ignition as she tries to start the car, she let out a groan of frustration after a couple tries before the car engine finally rev up.

    The car wheels turn with all kind of noise that a car shouldn''t have when moving. My gaze proceeds to the side-view mirror, and I can see the trail of black smoke that the exhaust blow out.

    When we pass the hospital gate, my head turns to my mom, "Mom, where is your blue Prius?"

    "I sold it because I like this car better." Her smile is unfazed by my question as she focuses on the road right ahead.

    I know my mom is lying, she sell it to cover my medical expense, I''ve seen the medical bill before and ask around the hospital. Presumably keeping someone alive for three years cost a lot of money. From, IV drip that cost one hundred dollars each and just staying at the hospital cost ten thousand dollars or more per day.

    I guess my mom had to sacrifice something in her life to take care of my unconscious body, but I wonder how much did she sacrifice, financially and emotionally? Does the sacrifice both my parents made was so damn big that it forced my father to run away? If I were my past self, would I be feeling guilty for putting them through this or be upset at the people who cause this in the first place, the one who took Daisie away from me?

    I guess I will never know, maybe sometime in the future when my emotions come back. My gaze gravitates to my mom, "Mom, do you hate dad for leaving?"

    That question certainly did something to her smile as her lips flatten while still keeping her eyes on the roads, "Little Bumbee..."

    ''Little Bumbee'' that is the nickname my parent call me sometimes, they say that when I was born, the doctor wraps me in black cloth with yellow stripes. I was small and chubby when my mom saw me in that wrap for the first time, she instantly calls me her Little Bumblebee, and as time passes by ''Little Bumblebee'' is a bit of a mouthful to call, so she shortened it to ''Little Bumbee.''

    "Hate is a strong word. I don''t hate him, a little angry, yes. He left us when we need him the most, but I don''t blame him¡ªAndre, your father loves you, no matter what. He maybe doesn''t have the strongest will to go through what happens, but I know him, he is a kind man, a good man, a loving husband, a good father to you, and I love him."

    "So, if he comes back one day, stupid it may sound, I would welcome him with open arms after I slap his face." Mom let out a chuckle right near the end.

    After hearing my mother answer, my clenched hand relaxes without me seeing it. I look out at the changing scenery beside me, noticing a lot of store pass by my window, but a little flower shop grabs my attention because of a beautiful daisy flower blossom at the storefront.

    "Mom, can we visit... Daisie grave first before we head home?"

    I notice in the side mirror that my mom is looking at me with worried eyes then back at the road again, "Are you sure?"

    "Yeah... can we stop by a flower shop first? I want to grab a couple of flower for her."

    "Okay, honey." She takes a left turn at the upcoming intersection.

    *

    We take a long drive to the cemetery, the sun sunk lower in the sky, the light of day is draining away, and giving way to the velvety dark of night.

    With a couple of beautiful daisies in my hand, I follow my mom as she guides me to Daisie grave. My heart tightened as I saw the gravestone in front of me, I place a hand against my chest, feeling the hard beating of my heart. My mom looks at me with worried eyes, she quickly closes in my side and places her hand on my chest beside my own while her other hand rests on my back.

    "Are you okay, do you need to go back to the hospital?"

    "I''m okay..." I walk forward to Daisie''s gravestone then fall to one knee, and placing a flower on the grass in front of it.

    My mom takes a couple of steps back to give me some privacy then I whisper to the gravestone, "How are you?"

    "I''m sorry for being late."

    "I''m sorry that I couldn''t do anything that night... and I''m sorry again, I should feel something, but I can''t or incapable. I don''t know what''s wrong with me, should I feel guilt, anger or sadness?" Without me noticing, my right-hand is clenching very hard.

    "Do you hate me? Or disappointed at me? Do you even love me after I fail to protect you? Is everything my fault? Do I only cause pain to the people around me? Will you love me if we meet again?" I feel a sharp pain on my palm, my eyes look down and see my clench fist.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I move my fingers away from my palm, and several small cuts can be seen on it then a trickle of blood drip down from my hand onto the grass below. My mom notices the dripping blood, she took out a napkin, and place it over my cuts.

    "What happened?"

    "I don''t know."

    She let out a sigh. "Let''s go... I don''t think you are ready to visit her yet. I shouldn''t bring you here."

    "It''s okay... it''s just a small cut on my palm."

    "No, your hurt. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. Let''s go home..." After my gaze meets my mom painful expression, I nodded my head, agreeing to her, and follow her back to the car.

    As I walk toward the car with my mom beside me, the wind brush against the hanging leaves on the trees and the grass surrounding me. The sound of leaves shambling, and the grass being brush against the breeze calm my mind as it travels into my ears.

    The well-kept grass field and the beautiful aged trees, this place has such a peaceful scenery,

    My head glance behind me at the gravestone, "See you later."

    *

    It takes us an hour of drive to arrive at my neighborhood.

    The car turns to the right at the intersection, and my eyes meet with a familiar cul-de-sac. I can see the sidewalk I used to take every day on my bicycle, and the neighboring house surrounding my own. I remember the friendly neighbor that I have known for years and the memories I make with Daisie at this very cul-de-sac.

    When the car drives up the driveway, I was expecting the same two-story house that I lived in, but what I find is a worn-down version of it. The bright color paint has been washed down over the years, the grass has slightly overgrown, and dust is visible on the window glass pane. The roof gutters are pack filled with dead leaves and other unimaginable.

    "Here we are! Home sweet home." My mom turns off the engine and exits the car.

    I get out from my side of the vehicle and follow my mom to the front door. Instead of my mom having trouble unlocking the door, this time with a single turn of the key, it open, but as she pushes the door, it stuck halfway, and the hinge lets out a rusty squeak. The high pitch creak causes my face contorts away from the source. My mom slams the door a couple of time with her shoulder before she kicks it open then she pulls back her out of place hair with her hand.

    "Home sweet home." She says with an enthusiastic smile on her face.

    No matter how much she says that line, it is still not the same home as I remember it. I enter the house after my mom enters and the first thing I notice is the interior look entirely the same as before except for a few messes here and there. My eyes darted to the red envelopes on the coffee table with an overdue stamp on it, my mom quickly walks to it and carry away the letters.

    I walk past the stairs and notice my Highschool Diploma is hanging on the wall. I also find a picture of my mom receiving the Diploma on my behalf. The looks on mom''s face that day, it must be hard when you have to be the one who accepts it instead of your child.

    "Are you hungry? I have some leftover from last night." My mom carries letters and tosses it into an open drawer; she then forces it to close with her strength.

    "Sure." I walk to the dining table and take a seat.

    My mom walks to the fridge and takes out two bowls of wrap foods then she brings it to the microwave then reheat it. After a couple of minutes, waiting for the food to rewarm, the microwave let out a beep, and my mom opens it. The strong smell of spices lingers under my nose, spicy and sweet. She places the bowls in front of me, a bowl of white rice and chicken curry.

    Then she places an empty plate in front of me, serving the rice first, she then pours the thick curry over rice with bit pieces of chicken and curry leaves scattered on the top.

    "Bon Appetit."

    I grab a spoon and take a spoonful of that delicious curry rice into my mouth. The taste of spicy curry mix with sweet rice remain on my taste buds, it is so delicious that it resurfaces the memories of my mom past cooking, she always knows what to cook, and never once her cooking taste awful.

    I chow down the food while she watches me with gladness, I guess she misses someone eating her food again or just misses having me around. She rests her chin against her hands and time goes by fast.

    Afterward, I help bring the dirty dishes to the kitchen sink where I go to wash them, but my mom stops me. "Let me do that, you just rest."

    "I have been resting for three years, please mom. Let me do it."

    Her face show worried, "If you say so, just don''t overwork yourself."

    "I never heard of someone overwork themselves doing dishes." I joke, even though I didn''t find the line funny, but it did garner a few chuckles from my mom.

    As I wash the dirty dishes, the drain suddenly clogs itself, and the murky water flood the sink. My mom let out a groan beside me after she notices the clogs sink. "The sink clog up again."

    "Does this happen often?"

    "Yeah... Sometimes." My mom opens the cabinet underneath the sink and takes out a plunger. I move away, and she starts trying to pump out the block drain.

    I notice the frustration on mom''s face as she tries to unblock the pipe, but fail, I place my hand on her shoulder and try to calm her down.

    "Mom, don''t worry let me fix it."

    "You don''t know anything about plumbing."

    "I knew a few things, and don''t worry. I will take care of it."

    "If you say so... My Little Bumbee."

    "Mom, there is another thing I want to talk to you about."

    "What is it?"

    "I''m thinking of getting a job at a supermarket or gas station nearby."

    "What? Why?" My mom''s eyes widen in surprise.

    "I saw the overdue bill on the table earlier, and I want to help you pay all of it. You have been taking care of me for so long and sacrificed so much for me. Let me help you, mom."

    "You just got out of the hospital. I don''t want you getting hurt again."

    "Don''t worry I won''t get hurt, I promise you. It just a normal shift job, nothing will happen to me."

    She let out a sigh. "Now, I know where your stubbornness comes from, and no matter what I say, you won''t take no for an answer."

    The corners of my mom''s lip turn up while her worried gaze falls on me.

    "You are my mom, you know me very well."

    "Please take care of your health. Okay, my little Bumbee?"

    "I will."

    Afterward, my mom places a warm kiss on my forehead, and head upstairs probably to get some sleep, as the clock''s small hand tick to ten. "Good night, my little Bumbee."

    "Good night, mom." I wave goodbye to her, as she climbs the stairs to the second floor.

 [Chapter 5]

    After mom left for bed, I still don''t feel any fatigue, so I walk to the sink while pulling both my sleeves up. My hands dig in the dirty water, searching for the excess food, and take them out then throw it in the garbage. Even after I did all that, the sink is still clogged, and that means the main pipe is still obstructed by unseen waste.

    My eyes raise to the window in front of me, seeing a darkened backyard only illuminated by the excess kitchen light. However, the indoor lighting manages to flood the yard with illumination, and reveal a small shack, where my father stores his tools. The thing about my backyard, it''s connected to the forest, it''s one of the perks living near the outskirt of the city.

    I remember dad has a book about plumbing in the garage somewhere, so I need to head to the garage first before grabbing any tool from the shack. My head turns to the door in the kitchen that leads directly to the garage, I walk to it and open it, revealing a dark room. Walking down the few steps, I search for the light switch in the darkness by dragging my hand across the wall as I walk then I stumble upon the light switch.

    After flipping the switch on, the fluorescent light flashes a couple of time before banishing the darkness away and making my sight useful again. My sight is greeted by an amalgamation of old items stack over each other, such as gym equipment, mountain bikes, my mom old sewing machine, and other junk that my parent doesn''t use anymore.

    In that pile of old stuff, I find what I was looking for, an old bookcase hiding behind a stack of medium-sized cardboard boxes. I gently move the stack of boxes away to give me access to the bookcase. My mom and dad used to be an avid reader before I was born, they kept books on everything from fiction to non-fiction. For example, this book I''m searching for; Plumbing for Dummies.

    Most people would just search the instruction online since I don''t have my phone with me and I don''t have any other electronic device that can access the internet. The best solution I could think is to use the book, I have never been an avid reader before despite my parent loved for books.

    Since I need to know how to fix a clogged sink, why not give it a try? After I open the book, cloud of dust float in front of me, I blow it away with my breath and swipe the pages to clear out the remaining dust.

    My mind starts to focus on the words then my brain starts to imagine the steps the book told me, and everything I read was clear like water. Quite odd, I have never been this focus before when reading, does my lack of emotions help make my mind process thing faster and efficient? Maybe, without boredom, I didn''t feel reading like a chore, and without worrying about the sink, my mind can focus more on the book.

    I close the book after getting the information I need, placing the book back into the shelf, I start walking toward the door, but my legs stop when I accidentally kick something on the way there. My gaze went to the floor in front of my feet, and see an old board game.

    A monopoly board game, I lift it to meet my sight, and I can hear Daisie''s young voices in the far distance.

    ''You can''t buy that space because I wanted that! Andre!'' Her lips pout as I bought the space next to her.

    I place the board game among the books and continue walking toward the door. I flip the switch along the way then the light flickers before shutting off then I close the door behind me as I enter the kitchen. After walking to the back door, I push it open and walk out of the house.

    Arriving at the small shack, I open the shambling door, and the rusted hinges let out a squeaking noise. My hand reaches for the light switch and flip it up to switch on the small light bulb inside the shack. My eyes gaze upon the slightly rusted tools and find the one I need: a ten-meter, drain cleaner rod, pliers, an adjustable wrench, and a bucket.

    I bring all the tools back to the kitchen then I start working on the pipe, placing a bucket under the swivel P-trap first and removing it. The dirty water and the excess waste fall into the bucket that''s when the pungent smell of spoiled food being soak for years hit my nostrils. Thanks to my inability to feel disgusted, I didn''t evacuate the inside of my stomach through my mouth.

    After I disconnect the sink tube that was attached to the interior piping, I slide in the drain cleaner rod into it. With all the ten-meter rod push into the pipe, I pull it back out and once again the same smell hit my nose when the entire rod is taken out. I turn my head away, avoiding the terrible smell. As easy as pie, I assemble the pipe and test the sink; my head nod when the water flows once again into the drain.

    I clean all the mess I made and take a shower upstairs.

    After wearing my other oversize clothes, I lay on the bed with both my hands beside me, my eyes blink a couple of times while my ears hear the nothingness and loneliness around me. Even after repairing the clogged sink, my body still feels refresh like I just wake up from a sleep. My eyes stare at the ceiling above me then move my gaze to the end table where my digital clock is, it shows: 12.00 am.

    My upper body raise and I sat at the edge of the bed; my gaze wanders around the room, seeing my old stuff still look the same as I left it, my closet is wide open, and I caught a glimpse of an N7 T-shirt from the mass effect games. Standing up from the bed, I walk toward the closet and take out the N7 T-shirt.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    The T-shirt is too small for me because it doesn''t belong to me, it belongs to Daisie, she had left here a long time ago, I press the fabric up to my nose, and I can still smell her lavender scent latch onto the T-shirt. Something wet slide down my cheek, I reach it with my finger and find a single tear.

    I''m crying? But I don''t feel sad... Is that good? Am I slowly becoming better?

    I place the T-shirt back in my closet, Daisie has always loved that game series, she plays it so many times that I was becoming annoyed at her gaming habits, Daisie said to me that she loves the story so much, the beautiful soundtrack and the interesting character. I take a long breath in and wear something thick like my hoodie.

    I walk down to the kitchen and out to the backyard again. Opening the tool shacks, my eyes narrow at the lawnmower. I can''t use it because it might wake up the entire neighborhood, so I pick the next best thing, a scythe. With the large Scythe between my hands, I walk to the front yard and start cutting the overgrown grass.

    Swing after swings.

    I cut away the tall-overgrown grass in a straight line; I don''t know for how long I was trimming the front lawn because time went by so fast for me that I didn''t even notice. After finishing the front yard, I start doing the same thing to the back of the house and keeps on cutting the wild grass with a large Scythe in my hands until I finally tired myself out.

    I went back to my bedroom and tuck in under the blanket after my body finally feels the fatigue, and only then I''m able to fall asleep.

    *

    The moon is replaced by a bright sun, as morning finally arrived.

    It was a dreamless sleep before I wake up to the mouth-watering smell of fresh pancake being cook early in the morning. I rub my eye with my hand, as I stretch my shoulder to release the aching pain that haunts my body. After washing my face in the bathroom, I walk down the stairs and head to the kitchen where I see my mom flipping pancakes using the frying pan.

    The moment I take a seat at the dining table, my mom served me a plate of pancakes with maple syrup poured on it along with a cup of coffee on the side. The tantalizing fragrance of freshly made Buttermilk Pancakes causes my own stomach to growl, and my mouth to water.

    The butter on top of the pancake slowly melts while the sweet maple syrup drip at the side. With a knife in my hand, I cut through the fluffy soft texture of the pancake and revealing the white inner part. Then with a fork in my other hand, I stab the first layer of the pancake, and move it closer to my mouth; where I take a huge bite out of it.

    An explosion of flavor occurs inside my mouth, as my tastebuds recognize the taste of sweet gooey syrups mix with a tinge salty butter and the sweetened fluffy buttermilk pancake.

    My mom takes a seat across me, I notice the work uniform that she is wearing, but I didn''t recognize the uniform from mom previous job. Nevertheless, she looks better now her unkempt frizzy hair has gathered behind her head, and turn into a ponytail.

    "Thank you for fixing the sink, my Little Bumbee. By the way, did you mow the lawn last night?"

    "I did."

    "Huh, because I didn''t hear the lawnmower last night."

    I can''t tell my mom that I mow the lawn last night using the scythe because she might get worried about me overworking myself.

    "You must be sleeping like a log last night because the lawnmower is loud as far as I can remember. I only hope the neighbor didn''t get upset by it."

    She nods her head, agreeing to my answer, "Anyway, what''s my Little Bumbee plan for today?"

    "Find a job at the nearest gas station or whatever store close to this neighborhood."

    "So, you still want to find a job? Because I don''t mind you taking your time to rest, I don''t want my son to get sick again."

    "I don''t want to be a burden to you, mom."

    "What are you talking about?" She let out a smile.

    "You never a burden to me."

    She let out a chuckle, "I never thought you to be so diligent all sudden. First, you fix the sink, then you mow the lawn, and now you want to find a job? Back then, I can''t even get you to throw out the trash without raising my voice."

    "You change so much in a short time..." Her voice trails off, as her eyes wander elsewhere.

    "Is the change... bad?"

    I seem to have snapped her back to reality, "Not at all. It doesn''t matter whether you are lazy or hard-working or anything else, I still love you unconditionally as your mother. No matter what."

    She stood up from the chair and walk to my side where she lay a kiss on my forehead, "I really want to help you find a job, but unfortunately, I have work today."

    "It''s okay, mom... By the way, did you change job?"

    "You notice, my little Bumbee. I did switch my job. Right now, I work as an office clerk at a warehouse for cleaning products, near the city."

    She grabs her handbag at the kitchen counter and stops at the table. Her hand reaches into her handbag then take out a smartphone with a crack screen. Afterward, she places it on the table, my gaze gravitates to it, and I recognize the phone; it was mine.

    "You should have this, it still works. Even though, the screen is crack, and also here." My mom takes out a hundred-dollar bill from her purse, and place it under the phone.

    "You need it for lunch and stuff. I hope it is enough."

    "It more than enough mom, I don''t need a hundred bill for lunch."

    "Just in case of emergency, you may need it, believe me. also here your wallet, it has your ID and some other stuff." She takes out a black leather wallet that I''m pretty sure it wasn''t mine.

    "What happens to my old one?"

    "It got soaked in blood... I couldn''t wash it off." My mom line of sight downcast while her lips flatten.

    That was a bad move, I accidentally bring up the accident, I better apologize. "Oh... Sorry, for bringing it up."

    "It''s okay. I''m heading out. Please, take care of yourself, make sure you get home safely, okay?" Her worried face makes my heart tighten every time I see it, I nod my head in response, and she let out a smile before walking out the door and drive away.

    After I reach for my coffee, I found it to be empty, so I stood up, and walk to the kitchen to fill up the cup with coffee. I notice the teapot plastic handle has broken off, leaving only the metal handle part, but without me realizing the danger of holding a scorching metal, I reach out and grab it.

    Pain surges up to my wrist. The heated exposed metal handle burn my hand causing my teeth to clench, I push the handle and let the cold water from the faucet run down my hand. After a minute, I move my hand away from the flowing water, and see a few blisters on my palm, at least my mom didn''t see that.

    There is still lingering pain on my hand, I know that the metal is hot, but why did I still grab it? Does my lack of fear make me careless? Will the lack of other emotions affect my choice like this way? I can''t depend on my emotion then I need to depend on logic.

    Think before you do.

    "I need to take a shower before I head out."

 [Chapter 6]

    What I''m doing right now might anger my mom.

    The breeze scrapes against my face while pulling back my black hair. I take in and let out air from my mouth in a systematic method. Each inhalation is to conserve my energy and assist me in riding this mountain bicycle. My body sways right to left as I push on the pedals with my feet causing the rusted gear to turn and the chain to move.

    It has been a few hours for me, trying to find a job in this neighborhood, I did not expect finding a job with only a high-school diploma would be this hard. I may have underestimated the lack of job opportunities in this country, but it still doesn''t deter me from finding a job.

    However, before I start looking for a job again, I need to do something first. The brake let out a high-pitched squeal as the wheels on the bike stop, my head turns to the left, and my heart starts to throb as I see Daisie''s house. My sight downcast at the tarmac beneath me, this spot is where I land after I got hit by that car.

    Flashes of what happened that night play out before my eyes, but I still didn''t feel any emotions except for my old physical pain resurfacing. I get off my bike and let it fall to the grass patch beside the flat concrete sidewalk. My legs move as I head toward the house with both hands clench.

    The house is in an even worse state than I remember, everything looks neglect, almost the same as my house but even worse. However, the condition of the house is not something new because of Daisie''s dad''s neglect, but it has never been this worse before, it must be because of Daisie''s death.

    Why is Daisie''s dad acting this way? It''s because of the heavy baggage in his heart that turns him into someone who needs help. It all happens after Daisie''s mom passed away, during his time of grief, he turns to alcohol to seek comfort, but that only worsens his state as it becomes a habit to him.

    A habit that affects the loved ones around him especially Daisie because she is the only daughter he had, and the only one, who stays after everyone left him. The memories I have of Daisie, most of them are suffering that she had to endure while taking care of her father, but no matter how hard it becomes, she would never leave her father because she loved him, flaw and all.

    Something that I once admired, but now that I lost my emotions, I don''t know if I still idolize her, maybe I do, deep inside, but I can''t feel it, no matter how hard I try.

    Walking up the step, I raise my hand to knock on the door but stop myself.

    Do I really want to do this?

    Can I handle it? It doesn''t matter. I need to know.

    My knuckle knocks on the wooden door about two times before pulling back my hand to my side. I aim my left ear to the door and hear the sound of someone groaning on the other side then follow with a noise of glass item drop to the floor, and it clinks as it bounces before rolling away. It''s in the middle of the afternoon; he must be drinking again, I take a step back before the door open, as to not startle him.

    I can hear the sound of the lock mechanism turns and clicks before the door slowly open. The first thing to hit my nose is the stench of rotten foods and a musty smell that is lock inside of this house for a long time without any way of escape. I ignore the stench and focus on the man that stands before me.

    Pierre Brewer.

    The man who stands before me has long unkempt black hair, heavy bags under his eyes, a bloated belly from all the drinking, and wearing a dirty cardigan sweater while holding a half-empty alcohol bottle in his left hand. After his wife passed away, he becomes a shell of the man that he used to be, and right now, he is in an even worse state after his daughter died. He looks at me with confusion, and a bit agitate.

    "Who are you suppose to be?"

    He doesn''t recognize me. "It''s me. Your daughter friend, Andre Adams."

    His eyes widen and both his shoulders relax, "Andre... you''re awake? I didn''t know it was you because you look so different... Where is your mother and what are you doing here?"

    "My mom is working, and I''m here to ask you something."

    "Ask me?"

    "Yes, something about Daisie."

    "Oh..." I can sense sadness emitting from him as I mention her name, "Please come in."

    Mr. Pierre navigates through the empty glass bottles and overdue red letters that spread out across the living room. Daisie''s father stops when he reaches the recliner in the middle of the room that is facing the TV. I follow his lead and navigate through the messy room and take a seat on the sofa near the recliner.

    "What is it that you want to ask?" He gazes at the blackened TV screen while taking a few sips from the bottle that he is holding.

    "I want to know¡ªHow did Daisie die?"

    His right hand reaches the picture of young Daisie with her mom on the end table right next to the recliner, and his eyes keep on staring at it.

    "Your mother... Didn''t she tell you what happens? Because she is the one who helps me handle Daisie''s funeral..."

    "I think she wanted to keep it secret to prevent me from getting hurt."

    "She is a good parent... Unlike me, I only to know how to hurt my loved one."

    "Even if you a bad parent, Daisie always loves you as a father no matter what. I heard her said that once."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He let out a sad smile after casting a glance at me, "Thank you... But I fail her as a father and a human being." A tear slides down his cheek and drip on the picture.

    "What exactly happens?"

    "The police tell me that they find her body in the middle of the forest near route 81. The police also found cuts and bruises on her body that lead to a sign of conflict between her and the kidnapper before she manages to escape by jumping out of the vehicle."

    "But she didn''t get far, as she slips and dislocates her ankle. The kidnapper manages to catch up, and he tries to bring her back to the vehicle, but she grabs his gun and fire at him, but miss."

    Mr. Pierre stops telling the story as a look of pain is clear as day on his face.

    "Mr. Pierre?"

    He takes a short breath, and with quivering lips, he says: "The kidnapper was anger by her action... so he lifts a medium-size rock and bash her face with it..."

    My eyes widen, as my hands clench tightly.

    "Bash."

    Flashes of Daisie as her face getting bash by a rock keep playing in front of my eyes, blood splattering around her head and stick on the rock.

    "And bash!"

    My mind imagines what happens to her. Every hit breaks every bone in her head while the rough surface of the rock torn every bit of skin on her face, and pieces of that broken bone stab back into her skull until her face becomes a red mess of blob.

    I can hear her scream in the distance and how it slowly turns a muffled choking noise as blood and saliva block her throat.

    "And keep bashing her head with that same rock until her face is gone..."

    The picture in Mr. Pierre''s right handshake as tears slide down both of his cheeks, he took a sip of alcohol into his mouth from the bottle and wipes the tears away.

    "Did the police catch them?"

    "No, they got away."

    "How about the evidence? Surely they can find her killer with it?"

    "All the evidence got contaminated on the way to the lab. The police had no way of finding the criminal."

    "That can''t be... true."

    "I can''t even get her an open casket funeral!" Mr. Pierre whimper.

    My heart pounds like it wants to escape my chest and my brain throb with pain as the thought of the criminal getting away plagues my mind. All my fingers start to dig into my palms, as my clenched hands tremble for an unknown reason. They''re something that is trying to claw out of me, something terrible, something ugly, but I manage to drag it back into myself.

    "It''s all my fault."

    "It was all my fault." Mr. Pierre keeps repeating the words.

    "It isn''t your fault. It''s the people that hurt her."

    "Andre, I need some privacy. Please."

    I stand up from the sofa and head to the stair. When I reach the bottom of the stair, it as if the dam that holds Mr. Pierre''s grief break apart then the tears of anguish and anger wash down his face. He starts to cry in the middle of the living room while I walk up the stair toward Daisie''s room.

    As I got closer to her room, I can smell her scent getting stronger. My feet stop when I reach the door that leads to her room, I turn the knob and push the door. I feel the goosebumps on my arms as my eyes are greets by the sight of her room. The warm light from the sun flood into Daisie''s room and particles of dust can be seen floating around in the ray.

    It''s everything I remember, the single bed with a knitted blanket that she made, the gaming computer stays dormant in the corner of her room alongside her game console and bookcase filled with games and books. The poster of her favorite anime decorates the wall such as Yuri on Ice, Evangelion, Kimi no Todoke, and many others.

    I take a seat on her bed as I remember playing games with her on her old game console. It''s funny the mundane memories that I have with her are the most I appreciate and hold close to my heart because I know, I won''t experience it again with her. A tear slides down my cheek while my heart tightens until it causes pain to my chest, I wipe it away with a finger.

    Am I feeling sadness? Is this grief? Why is it so painful than anything I ever felt?

    Daisie, I don''t know what to do.

    Am I suppose to chase your killer? Seek revenge? Seek justice?

    Or.

    Am I suppose to move on without you? Live another life? Try to forget about you and only remember the fond memories I had with you?

    Give me a sign, something to show me what you want me to do. Please show me a sign to tell me that you are here in this room with me. I''m waiting for an answer in this silent room, but who am I kidding? There is no easy answer to what I''m asking because she has moved on. I stand up from the bed and walk to her gaming desk then I press my hand against it.

    "I guess, I''ll be seeing you later, and don''t worry about your dad, I''ll try to take care of him in your place."

    I leave the house after I said my goodbye to Mr. Pierre, he was a lot better when I came down the stair. Then I ride my bike toward somewhere, somewhere I don''t know, my feet keep on pedaling until I reach a sign that said: Route 81. I don''t know why I am here maybe I couldn''t stay away. As I ride down the lonely road surrounded by thick forest that leads to the city, my eyes darts to a deserted gas station with a sign that says, Help wanted.

    My bike stops at the gas station, I park and lean my bicycle against an old ice refrigerator. When I enter the gas station, my eyes glance at the large man with a jolly beard working behind the cashier. The gas station is normal looking by anyone standard; it got an aisle of snacks, refrigerators full of drinks, and other stuff.

    I walk to the only person in the gas station and ask for a job. The big guy said yes, and hire me right away after I agree on his condition that I start today. The big guy with a jolly beard introduces himself to me as Mr. Roger, owner of this gas station.

    Mr. Roger show me around the gas station and what I should do, and what I need to know before I work. Then he gives me a work shirt for me to use, just like that, I start working there from afternoon till night until my shift end for today. Before I start working, I use my phone to call my mother and deliver her the good news then inform her that I will be late for dinner.

    *

    The starry sky replaces the bright blue sky as time went by.

    I was stacking bags of Doritos on the shelf when Mr. Roger calls out to me from the cashier.

    "Before you leave, Andre. Can you take over the cashier? I need to use the toilet, lol."

    Mr. Roger has a weird of speaking because he always ends his sentence with an acronym used in text messages.

    "On it." I finish my task.

    "Thank you very much, Andre. My stomach, GG." Mr. Roger disappears as he rushes to the toilet.

    I stand behind the cashier and hold the fort as I wait for Mr. Roger to finish his big business because I can hear the sound of hard groaning coming from the toilet. It isn''t that tiring of work that I imagine it would be, I do what Mr. Roger tell me to do, stacks some stuff, move some boxes, and since there barely any customer came in, there are little works to do around here.

    My eyes downcast at the baseball bat hiding behind the counter, Mr. Roger said it''s for protection, just in case someone tries to rob us.

    I wait some more as Mr. Roger takes a ridiculous amount of time to release his waste into the toilet.

    A black SUV park in front of the gas station, I look at it, and my mind recalls the same vehicle that hit me. It must be a coincidence, I watch as a muscular man with a full black beard, and black hair steps out of the driver''s side while holding a phone near his ear. The man has a subtle Southern European feature on his face, thick eyebrows, and overall body hair.

    He enters the store while talking to his phone, "I''m bringing the car now, Malaka!"

    The man ends his call and stores the smartphone into his shirt pocket as he walks toward me. After the man reaches the store counter, he places a fifty-dollar bill on it, and my eyes widen when I see the tattoo on his arm.

    An upside-down dagger tattoo.

    My sight reddens as if dripping blood shower both of my eyeballs.

    Bash.

    A quiet thumping sound follows that very word.

    Bash!

    I can hear another thumping noise.

    Bash!!!

 [Chapter 7]

    A high pitch scream blasts inside my own ears, blocking any sound from entering and causing a stabbing pain at the brain matter near it. The baseball bat underneath the counter is calling to me as my eyes stare at it like a moth addicted to the light.

    "What are you waiting for? No. 2, please!"

    Something cracks inside of me, my hand moves to grab the baseball bat and swing it at the man''s head. The man didn''t have time to react as the wooden bat hit the side of his head, I can feel the thickness of his skull as I bash his head with the bat. The force from the bat causes his body to fall on the floor, the man''s hands drag across the counter taking candy jars and small boxes of items for sale. The glass jar shatters as it hit the tiles, the candies inside of it and other small items decorate the floor around the man.

    I raise the wooden bat to the light, seeing a drop of blood on it when I hear the man groans of pain, I vault over the counter and knock over some other stuff on the store counter with my leg.

    He coughs out blood as he tries to say, "What happened?"

    The tip of the wooden bat touches the side of the man''s head, pushing his head against the tiles. My hand holding the bat trembles because of something inside my soul, something I didn''t recognize, it feels like a storm is brewing inside me. Are what I''m feeling right now are rage and hatred?

    "W-What do you want?"

    "Bash!" I said as flashes of what happened to Daisie play out in my mind.

    My face froze in uncaring and cold expressions as I move my other free hand to grab the handle, and with both hands grip it, I lift it to the air.

    "Wait!" He tries to lift his hand to stop me.

    Without mercy, I bash his head with the baseball bat; the first hit was enough to break his nose and make him scream out of pain. But the second hit, shut him up while causing him to cry. After the second hit, I didn''t stop, I keep on bashing his face with every energy I had, blood splatter everywhere to the counter, to the candies beside him, to the bat that I''m holding, and some even make it onto my face.

    After what happened, there was nothing left of his face except for an amalgamation of white bone sticking out and red meat. I move the wooden bat away from his face, blood and fat caked the wooden bat, making it heavier than when I was holding it earlier. The blood covered the entirety of my hand as it drips down the bat and to the floor.

    The man with a disfigured face tries to breathe what little he could, but I walk closer to his head and stomp his face with a foot, shattering his skull and killing him in one stomp.

    Snap.

    Snap.

    The sound of fingers snapping brings me back to reality. I look around me and see the same man standing in front of me, looking annoyed. Are the things I did earlier was just a dream? Or hallucination? My sight downcast at the counter in front of me and see the fifty-dollar bill on it.

    "What are you waiting for?"

    "Ring me up."

    My sight gravitates at the baseball bat while my heart is screaming at me to use it, but I need to think this through, I move my hand to grab the money. Then I press the correct amount of money into the cashier and open up fuel pump No. 2. After printing the receipt and giving it to the man, I watch him leave the store and head to his vehicle.

    I stare at the man as he fills the SUV fuel tank with diesel. The moment my ears could hear Mr. Roger getting out of the toilet, I walk out of the counter and walk past the gas station owner. My legs rush to the staff locker room, Mr. Roger looks at me with confusion as I jog past him.

    "See you tomorrow? lol?"

    I grab what I can from the locker, and get out through the back door. My eyes proceed to my mountain bike leaning on the wall beside the door. The sound of the engine roaring, hasten me to push the bike to a ready position. Two red tail lights drive away down the road, and when I see it, my feet push down the pedal and start following the black SUV from behind at a safe distance.

    The scenery changes from a thick forest to a bright city on the horizon with tall skyscrapers, and it changes again to rows of dull large warehouses, as I arrive in the industrial part of the city. I almost lost sight of the SUV while I was following it, but thankfully my logical thinking helps me determine where he was going, and sooner or later, I manage to catch up to the vehicle. It took me about an hour of pedaling when the SUV finally stopped at a small warehouse with a large sliding door.

    The wheels of my bike stop in a dark and damp alley between two large warehouses. The man gets out of his vehicle and walks toward the single door beside the large sliding door. A large man almost as big as a bear with a bald head and thick beard opens the door after the other man knocks on it.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    I lost sight of him when he enters the warehouse.

    My grips tighten around the bicycle handle, there are two choices for me right now, either I walk away, or I go in there. Think, think, your mother is waiting for you at home, she has been taking care of you for so long, and sacrificed so much for you. You need to be there for her, and you can''t do that if you''re dead.

    So, what now? Let them go? My grip tightens around the handle even more until I loosen them up. You can''t walk away, can you? I get off my bike, and jog across the street and enter the alley beside the warehouse. Then I sneak around and stop when I notice a fire escape that leads to the warehouse roof. I need to know what I''m against before I enter the warehouse, I can use the fire escape to reach the skylight above, and get a clear look at how many men are inside the warehouse.

    After putting some distance between me and the ladder, I push my foot behind me, and launch into a run then jump after getting close to the hanging ladder and grab it to bring it down. The ladder drops down, giving me access to the fire escape, I hope they didn''t hear the loud metal banging noise I made earlier, I climb the fire escape up to the roof. Upon reaching the roof, I search for a skylight and peek through it.

    Three.

    No, four people are in the building, one woman, and two men. I can see the man with an upside-down dagger tattoo on his wrist talking to the large muscular man from earlier, and what seems to be a young unconscious girl tied up to a chair. The young girl has long brunette hair, rosy pale skin, and wearing a private school uniform. Did she got kidnapped by these guys?

    The other two people in the warehouse are a tan, muscular woman with black hair tied into a braid, and wearing a black jacket. The other one is the huge guy with a bald head, a jolly beard, and also tan, but has much darker skin.

    I should feel pity for the girl, but I don''t, it must be because of my conditions.

    It doesn''t matter because I''m not here for her, I''m here for these three.

    The people I''m after, outnumber me three to one, and they may have firearms on them. I don''t know how to fight, and the big guy with a bald head and a beard can overpower me in terms of strength. There is a fuse box next to the stairway that leads to the upstairs office, and there are also a bunch of wooden crates around the warehouse that I can use as a cover.

    I could take out the power by destroying the fuse box, but with what? My eyes wander around me and see a red 1980 rusted ford sedan parked beside the sidewalk. If I can hotwire the car, I can use it to ram into the fuse box, taking out the power, and shutting off the light, but that also leaves me at a disadvantage, if they couldn''t see, I couldn''t see.

    A double edge sword, a chance I''m willing to take, but I need a weapon before I launch an attack, my eyes wander again to the old sedan from where I squat. After climbing down the roof, I make my way to the old car and peek inside it to find a weapon that I can use. My sight scans the area around me and couldn''t see anyone in my vicinity.

    My search ends without a result, but that doesn''t deter me as I head to a garbage bin, and find a broken chunk of porcelain that is the size of a small rock. In my years of watching YouTube videos, I could recall that a small lump of porcelain can shatter a car window.

    Let''s give it a test, I sling the piece of porcelain at the car window, and it shatters. All the random videos I watch on YouTube finally become useful to me, never could I guess to use them in this type of situation. I take off my work shirt and wrap my hand with it then I pull the remaining broken glass out of the window. I open the door then let myself in, my hand pulls down the visor and found no keys.

    Without the car keys, my only choice is to hotwire the car, but before I do that, my hand reaches for a lever beside my seat which opens the trunk. I left the driver''s seat then make my way to the back of the car where I open the car trunk and discover a tire iron. That''s all I can find in the car trunk except for a half-empty jerrycan filled with petrol. My hand grabs the tire iron and slides it down between my belt.

    After getting back into the driver seat, I break open the plastic cover underneath the steering wheel and reveal a bunch of wires underneath it. A lot of wire, but I found what I need, two brown wires and two red wires. I cut all four wires and connect the brown wires first which cause the indicator light to turn on. My fingers were jolted by the flowing current when I try to join the two red wires, but it manages to start the car.

    If I could feel annoyance, I would let out a groan right about now as I realize that the car is a stick shift, it has a manual transmission that means I have to use the clutch and gear stick to drive the car. Praise to God, that I remember how to drive a manual from driver''s education.

    The car body jerk at first as I adjust myself to the clutch pedal and the gas pedal, then I turn the vehicle around and face the other way while the back of the car is aiming at the warehouse. My eyes look up at the rear-view mirror and make sure that the angle is perfect, so I don''t hit the young girl with the rear bumper. Now, I need to hit the fuse box to cut off the light.

    My hand moves the gearshift to reverse and slams the gas pedal with my foot while lifting the clutch pedal slowly. I could see the trail of white smoke in front of me as the car drive backward and smash through the warehouse sliding gate. In the rear-view mirror, I could see the large man with a bald head and thick beard got hit by the corner of the rear bumper, and get thrown at the same wall with the fuse box, but a bit further away.

    I raise my hands to cover my face when I feel the force of the car crashing into the wall is pushing my body forward into the steering wheel, so strong that it left a small cut on my bottom lip.

    "Seat belt..." I whisper to myself as I crawl out through the passenger door.

    The lights were off, and darkness overwhelms the entire warehouse then I could hear the two others of my target panic while calling out to each other and asking what happen. The big guy must be out after getting hit earlier because I couldn''t hear his voices, then two more left. Using the limited light around me, I sneak toward the wooden crates and hide behind them.

    "Malaka!" The man curses.

    "What the hell just happened, Owen? Where is Orrin?"

    "Like I know!"

    "Is it the cops?!"

    "No, I didn''t hear any sirens, but just in case take out your handgun, Arete."

    I pull out the tire iron between my belt and bring it closer to my chest, my chest heave for an unknown reason as I wait for one of them to come closer to my position. Both of my eyes closed while I calm my heavy breathing and focus on my senses.

 [Chapter 8]

    My ears could hear a set of soft footsteps is heading toward me, just right around the corner of the large wooden crate I''m hiding behind. I press my back against the wooden box and prepare the tire iron in my hand. Since the woman''s voice is closer to my area, then it must be her that is currently heading toward me. The moment I saw the handgun poking out from the corner, I lift the tire iron with enough force to knock the weapon out of her hand.

    "Owen!" The woman screams to warn her friend.

    I swing the tire iron at her head, but she shoves me away, pushing me back. My feet move behind me, stopping myself from going backward, and then I launch myself toward the woman. My hand brings the tire iron down to her head, but she avoids it again by sidestepping to the left. I see her clenched hand coming toward me, but I didn''t block or dodge. Her fist connects to my cheek, I feel the full brunt of her strength, it''s painful, but I can withstand it.

    Another fist toward me, but this time I move the tire iron and hit her arm. She let out a yelp as her hand moves away from me then I took the opening and hit her in the head. Her body hunchs to the left, she still on her feet and fully conscious. I was expecting otherwise, but it doesn''t stop me as I hit her again in the head, knocking her out this time.

    "Arete!" The man panic.

    Then, I hear a loud boom echo in the warehouse and the shift in the wind beside my face. My body duck and jump behind the wooden box. The man shoots his handgun toward the area where I was. Is this guy crazy? He might hit his friend if he fires his firearm like that. Some of the bullets pierce through the wooden box, I''m hiding behind, and fly by the side of my head but I lean back and in a calm manner, wait for the guy to reload.

    "Die!!"

    "You think you can mess with me?"

    "Do you know who I am?!!"

    The pain still resides in my cheek, and I can taste copper in my mouth, the punch must have left a cut on my cheek. I didn''t avoid the blow earlier, my lack of fear is affecting my reflex, that''s not good, need to be more careful. The handgun let out a clicking noise that it is my signal, I run out from cover and charge toward him.

    Even in the dark, I can see that Owen is trying to reload his handgun. I throw the tire iron at him, and it hit his hand knocking the gun out of his hand. I was about to lay a punch on his face when a big guy slams his shoulder against me and throwing me into the wooden crates.

    My back crash into the wooden box and breaking it into smithereens. The small wooden debris stabs me causing me to feel a few sharp pain on my back. My eyes wander to the person who crashes into me, it is the big guy from earlier, if I remember his name is Orrin.

    "Orrin, take care of him while I go check on Arete!" Orrin nods his head as he let out an angry grunt.

    The other guy runs past by his friend and toward the woman I hit earlier. Orrin takes out a large knife from his pocket and charges at me with the full intention of killing me. When he is about to bring down the knife into my chest, I quickly roll to the right on top of the small sharp debris and avoiding the sharp-edged weapon.

    Orrin is relentless as he keeps trying to stab me while I roll away. As he is about to strike me again, I use my feet to push myself away from him by kicking his arm then I use the momentum to roll backward and stand up. After I get up, my sight move to the tip of the knife that is heading toward me, I move my hand in front of it, and it pierces through my palm.

    I let out a scream as the sudden pain travels from my palm to my shoulders, Orrin then pushes the knife deeper causing me to walk backward until my back touches the wall. The knife guard is stuck on my palm, Orrin''s strength is overwhelming me, he pushes my hand back and manages to pierce the remaining blade through my shoulder.

    I scream again as the blade inside my shoulder and hand move. My clenched hand punches Orrin in the face causing him to let go of me. I push back the knife, and removing it from my shoulder, but before I could take out the knife from my hand. Orrin grab my body and toss me near where Arete is, my back slam to the floor while my hand with a knife inside of it hit the concrete floor causing more pain.

    At the corner of my eyes, I could see Owen is carrying his lady friend somewhere, and I need to stop them before they escape. When my sight set on the large man in front of me, I see he is lifting a giant wooden box and ready to smash it on me. My head turns to the right and sees the woman''s handgun that I knock out earlier.

    Orrin charges at me with the wooden box in his hands like a rhino trying to impale me with its horn. I crawl to the handgun, grabbing it with my uninjured hand, and aim it at the charging man, but it doesn''t scare him instead he keeps on charging at me while covering his vital with the wooden box.

    My finger squeezes the trigger twice, a couple of loud thumps echo in the warehouse, the bullet pierce the wooden box but stops as it gets block by something metal in the wooden box. The charging man gets closer and closer to me, my heart starts to thump fast while my mind is calm, I aim down the sight at his knee and squeeze the trigger.

    The bullet misses its target.

    I''m not going to die here, I squeeze the trigger again, and it hit his knee causing him to drop the box, and giving me an opening then I aim at his head and fire the gun. The bullet hit right in the middle of his forehead causing the charging man to runs a few feet forward before falling face down to the floor and slide toward me.

    I guess lady luck is on my side tonight.

    But before I can take a breath, my hand aims the gun at the man carrying the woman then shoot it, hitting his leg making him cry out in pain and dropping the woman. I stand up from the floor and walk toward him.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    My other hand pull out the knife and feel the blade moving inside of my palm while I let out a grunt of pain so loud before finally getting it out. Blood drip down the sharp weapon and wetting my uninjured hand, I wipe the blade on my pant before sliding it between my belt.

    "Who are you?!" He whimpers out a question.

    I look down at the man then ignores his question and kick his face knocking him unconscious. Only then I let out a breath and look around me for a couple of chairs and zip ties.

    *

    The moonlight enters through the skylight and illuminating the dark warehouse.

    My butt rests on the edge of the table while I wrap my hand and shoulder with a long bandage after I disinfect it with alcohol. I was lucky when I find the first aid box in the warehouse, and that class my father forced me to take on first aid actually came in handy. Who could have guessed?

    My eyes go to the young girl tied up to the chair beside me, even with all the gun action been happening around her, she still unconscious or maybe she awake. I walk closer to her, and I could hear a quiet moan coming from her.

    "Daddy..."

    I look at her forearm and notices the fresh needle mark. They must have drug her before I come, she is in a high that''s why she is quiet. Well, there nothing I can do, better get to business, I reach for the petrol canister under the table after I pull it out from the car crash earlier. My eyes set on the two people in front of me tied to the chair with zip ties, Owen and Arete.

    After my hand unscrews the cap of the petrol canister, I splash them both with its content, and the smell of gasoline lingers under my nose as it drenches their entire body. The pungent smell always reminds me of a car workshop or a gas station, it is understandable that the fume suggests me of those two places.

    The man wakes up, shock and scare. When he finds himself tied to the chair, he starts to wiggle his hand out of the zip tie but fails. He then looks at me with intense anger and rage after he fails to let himself go.

    "When I get out from this, I will kill you!"

    "So much anger..." I look at him unamused by his threat.

    "Wh-what''s going on...." The woman next to him wakes up groaning and moaning.

    "Arete... are you okay?!" The look of concern on his face intrigues me.

    "I think, I''m fine, but my headache is killing me, what just happen?"

    "And who are you?"

    "And why are we drench in gasoline?"

    "I''m... I''m nobody, and the gasoline thing is not important right now."

    "Nobody my ass!" Owen spits his saliva at my feet.

    "If you''re here for the girl, take her and leave us. We won''t come after you, we promise."

    "No way, I won''t let him go. He kills, Orrin! I will make him pay!" The man growls at me as he tries to wiggle out from his bound.

    "Owen, calm down... please... I don''t want to die." She looks at him with teary eyes, begging him to calm down.

    The man clenches his teeth as he relaxes his body after seeing the woman''s face, "Damn it."

    "I''m not here for her."

    "What?" My answer surprise the woman, I could see the confusion on her face.

    "I don''t care for the girl. I''m here for something else."

    "What is it?"

    "Three years ago, you kidnap someone right in front of her house, and kill her when she escapes." My hand starts to clench without me noticing.

    "A girl... three years ago?" The woman rolls the word on her tongue as she tries to remember.

    "Your that kid! The one in the coma." Owen finally realizes that I''m the same kid from before.

    "But how do you know it was us?"

    "Your upside-down dagger tattoo on your wrist and that black SUV parked outside of the warehouse. Oh, I remember that SUV very well."

    "Wait, you''re the same guy from the gas station."

    "It''s weird, right? How fate let us meet each other."

    "But we didn''t kill her!" The woman let out.

    "Then who did?"

    "Don''t tell him, Arete. He will kill us if we tell him!"

    "We are going to get killed by him if we don''t tell him, but if we tell him at least he will go after the other guy instead of us!"

    "Listen to me. Don''t! He will do to us more than kill if he found out."

    "Who is this other guy?"

    The woman is relenting to tell me as she looks back and forth between Owen and me.

    "Damn it, Owen... I don''t know what are you talking about." Owen let out a smile after he hears the lie coming from Arete.

    I take out my phone and dial 911 then I show it to them, "I''m not gonna call this number until you tell me what I want to know." I place the phone on the table and walk to Owen.

    My hand takes out the knife between my belt then I place a hand on his forehead, pushing it back and revealing his neck. He squirms under my grasp, but I''m strong enough to hold his entire head still. His eyes widen as I bring the knife closer to his neck, the metal edge touch the skin of his throat.

    "What are you doing?!"

    "Owen!"

    My cold eyes set on the woman beside the man, "you got about 10 seconds."

    I cut through his neck with the knife, my hand feels the hard steel wiggling into his meat, cutting through the muscle and artery until it meets with his trachea then I pull back the knife. His blood drip down to my hand then I feel the wet red liquid trickle from my fingers onto the floor.

    There a lot of blood coming out from his cut, a human has about 1.5 gallons of blood in them so how long before he lost half of his blood? Maybe, I should look it up in the book when I get back home.

    I take a couple of steps back and watch as both of them let out an earsplitting scream. The corner of my lips turns up all of a sudden as I witness the terror that I cause in front of me. Owen begins to choke on his own blood as his own blood filling his lungs, a few trickles of blood hit my face as he coughs out blood.

    "Owen!!"

    "Hang in there, Owen!!" The woman starts to cry as she sees her man dying right beside her.

    "5 seconds left," I taunt the woman.

    She looks at me with pleading eyes and an ugly frown showing her distraught. "It was the son of the Russian Mob boss! Boris Dimitri!"

    "He kills the girl! He was angry that she escapes her restraint. It was supposed to be an easy job, he the one who plans it all, and he was there that night. I told you everything, please.... call the ambulance, quick!!"

    "Where is he right now?"

    "I don''t know, maybe the penthouse floor at the top of Zatax tower. He lives there with the Mob boss."

    "Please... The ambulance."

    "No," I said nonchalantly then turn my back on them.

    "What do you mean, no?! His dying!! PLEASE!!!" She begs me with all her heart, trying to call on my inner humanity, but it''s useless.

    "I didn''t promise you anything."

    My ears hear the man''s feet squirm underneath him and the sound of choking as he tries to breathe in the air then the choking stops, so does his leg. May he rest in peace in the afterlife, even though I never like the guy anyway. The women keep screaming his friend''s name repeatedly after the man stops moving while his mouth gap open and his eyes roll upward.

    I turn around to face the woman and see that she is sobbing. There must be some kind of relationship between the two of them, lovers? I point the knife at the sobbing woman.

    "Are you guys a thing?"

    "He was my lover... you killed him..." She whimper.

    "Well you did take my Daisie away from me, so fair trade or is it an eye for an eye?"

    "Just kill me... You monster!!"

    "Will do..." I slide the knife down my belt that takes out a box of matches that I found in their car earlier. Shaking the content, I could hear the wooden matchsticks inside of it hitting the cardboard box. She looks at me with terror as I tilt my head to the right slightly with a smile on my face that appears without me realizing it.

 [Chapter 9]

    The red tip drag against the igniter patch beside the matchbox, it burst out into a small flame. The small beautiful fire is hypnotizing to look at, and through that flaming red, I could see the fear on the woman''s face. If I remember what fear feels like, it is the terrifying and painful thought that plagues your mind when you can predict the future of you getting harm by something.

    Like a man standing at the edge of the cliff then he looks down at the sharp rocks that are waiting for him at the bottom, he can imagine the pain he would feel if his body were to be stabbed by sharp rocks and see the end of his life. For example, Arete right now is thinking about how her blood inside of her body is going to be boil by the heat while her skin would be lick by the fire that is going to sear her entire body like a steak on a sizzling pan.

    My finger flicks the burning matchstick, it flies and lands on the woman''s lap. I can hear her scream as the fire grow from a tiny flame, engulfing her entire lap. She pleads for me to put out the fire, but I merely stand where I am and watch as the fire consumes both of her legs.

    Her body wiggle like a worm as she tries to get out of her bind.

    Scream.

    Scream.

    Continuous screaming is all I hear.

    She wouldn''t stop screaming. Of course, she wouldn''t stop, burning to death is one of the most painful death there is. Her clothing begins to turn into char as the fire engulfs her entire body and burns her hair into ash. The horrible smell of fat and hair being burn rise up to my nose causing me to take a couple of steps back to stop myself from breathing it in.

    Even with the fire consuming her entire body, she still squirming like a worm.

    The flame spread to her partner and the wooden crate behind her. I shouldn''t splash that much gasoline at them because some of it lands behind them on the wooden box. The raging fire spread to the wall of the warehouse in a matter of seconds, it''s my cue to leave this place, and head to Zatax tower.

    In the midst of the crackling fire, my hearing catch a glimpse of a small plastic object falling to the floor, coming from the young girl. My head turns to look and see a Ran Mitake keychain is lying on the floor along with what''s look like apartment keys. I stare at the keychain for a long time before I notice the hungry fire are heading toward me, I don''t know why, but that single keychain just wouldn''t let me go. I let out a sigh as both of my shoulders relax and walk to the young girl.

    After pulling out my knife, I cut her restraint to release her, and lift her slender body with my arms then carry her with me toward the door. The bright night sky once again lays its gentle light on me, I walk to the passenger side of the SUV and opens its door. I gently set her back against the leather seat and make sure both her feet are in the car before shutting the door close. Then I run back into the warehouse to grab the keychain that was on the floor and grab the tire iron that I forget to bring it with me from the table along with one of the handgun.

    I walk back to the car, enter the driver''s side, placing the tire iron and the handgun at the back seat then take out the car keys I got from frisking the two of them while they were unconscious. With the car keys, I start the engine and turn on the headlights. The light shines across the dark street in front of the car, my eyes move to the car window beside me where I see the massive fire growing inside of the warehouse.

    Arete is unmoving on her chair while the fire burns her body to cinders. Owen''s body is the same, unmoving so do the large man laying on the floor, Orrin. Every single one that was involved in Daisie''s murder is dead except for the last man, I will come for him, and there will be no place for him to run or hide.

    The car engine let out a roar as it drives down the road.

    *

    Two loud firetrucks with the sirens on drive pass my vehicle and head toward the opposite direction to where I was earlier. I could still see the burning warehouse in the side-view mirror, my eyes set back at the road and drive calmly to avoid attention.

    My eyes glance at the young girl sitting in the passenger seat beside me. I should have left her back in the warehouse because she will only cause me trouble, why did I save her? I don''t know where to leaves her, maybe at the sidewalk or the alley somewhere?

    No, I can''t leave her behind like that. The Ran Mitake keychain dangle from my hand as I grab on the steering wheel, my eyes glance between it and the road. I can hear her voice again at the back of my mind because this keychain keeps reminding me of her.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    A memory of us playing D&D together pops into my head, like a channel switch after someone press a button on the remote.

    "I rolled 12."

    "Your hatchet connect with the dragon neck, cutting it open and causing it to spew its fiery lava blood onto the ground below it." I move the dragon piece away, letting her rogue/barbarian character through it.

    "Yass!!" She celebrates her victory with a small dance with her hands, and I remember letting out a smile.

    "And now the path to the treasure chest is now free of any obstacle." I gesture at the straight path on the map.

    "You think I would fall for that? Hydraninja will never fall for that, not twice, nor three times. So, I check for traps." She rolls the dice.

    I remember grinning at her wariness since she knows that I always put a trap to mess with her, "You found nothing, the path is free of any traps."

    "Check again!" She rolls the dice again.

    "Still no traps."

    "Again!" She rolls the dice yet again.

    "Daisie, I mean Hydraninja, there is no trap on the path."

    "Yeah right.. and I''m the queen of England." The sarcasm coming out from her lips amuse me.

    "Don''t you trust me?"

    "Yeah, I do... I move Hydraninja to the treasure chest." She let out an annoyed smile.

    "Will you open it?"

    "No! I bring down my hatchet on it." She rolls the dices.

    I let out a laugh, "You got me, you kill a mimic, and it melts into a puddle then revealing the real treasure hidden in the hole behind the fake one."

    "I knew it, you sneaky bastard." A smug smirk appears on her face.

    I remember her empty room, and only the two of us was in it, "Shouldn''t we get more friend to play with us, two people playing D&D doesn''t it get stale?"

    "Like who? We have no other friends besides I like playing with just the two of us. It''s like a date." She keeps smiling even with a reddened cheek, playing those sentences like a joke. That was one of the signs of Daisie showing her true feelings, and I didn''t notice it.

    The memory disappears into nothingness, and the dark empty road greets my eyes as I hear a moan coming from the young girl beside me. I take a good look at her and finally notice the Asian physical characteristic that she has, the slanted eyes, flatter face, and smaller nose alongside her European feature, brunette hair, and rosy pale skin.

    Her eyes blink a couple of times, in her daze-like state she takes a look at me. "Who are you?"

    "Nobody." I look back at the road.

    "Are you...one of the bad guys?" She mumbles.

    "No¡ªI kill them... They won''t come after you."

    A single tear slide down her cheek, "Thank you..."

    "I didn''t do it for you, I didn''t come to save you, and I don''t need your thanks."

    "Where are you taking me?"

    "The hospital. Go back to sleep..."

    She closes her eyes and sleeps away with no worry whatsoever. My eyes look at the rear-view mirror, and I see something horrible. Daisie is sitting in the back seat, her hair is cover in specks of dirt, her left pupil is dead white, her right eyes is only an empty socket with dirt falling out, half of her jaw hangs from her left cheek, her tongue is hanging from her throat and worms burrow into her cheek.

    If anyone can see what she looks like in the mirror, they would scream in horror, but my emotions are gone, I didn''t feel anything. The disfigured Daisie snarl at me with anger, but I focus on the road.

    ''What are you doing? She has seen your face. She will expose you, think about your mother, and how she will be shocked to see what her son has done!''

    ''Kill her! Leave her at an alley and end her life!''

    ''No.''

    ''What do you mean no?''

    ''I won''t do it, Daisie wouldn''t want me to do it.''

    ''Daisie!? Do you think, Daisie, want this? Does she want you to kill those people? Do I want anything? No!''

    ''I, no... Daisie is dead! She doesn''t want anything!''

    ''Don''t make this about her. You! Wanted this!''

    ''Now! Don''t be a fool and kill her!''

    ''I don''t want to do it.''

    ''Suddenly, you''re growing a conscience? You were content to leave her behind in the burning warehouse just a moment ago.'' She mocks me.

    ''Shut up,'' and she is gone, she isn''t in the rear-view mirror or anywhere in the vehicle.

    My grip tightens around the steering wheel as I turn the wheel to take a right in the incoming junction. The red ''Hospital'' sign shines brightly on top of a large rectangle building with many walkways connected to other smaller buildings around it. I steer the car into the parking lot and park far away from the emergency lobby.

    My finger turns the key in the ignition causing the engine to quiet down, I reach for the glove compartment and open it. A bunch of items reveal inside of the slot, I grab all of them and inspect all of them.

    I start listing every single thing on my lap, a chest leather strap with a handgun holster and a knife sheath, a pair of black leather gloves, a handgun magazine full of bullets, and a black baseball cap. My hands slip into the leather gloves and wear the chest holster then I take out the knife between my belt and slide it in the sheath.

    Turning my body, I reach for the handgun in the back seat, looking at the pistol, I notice it has a rectangle-shaped slide, and it feels comfortable holding the grip with my hand. From what I remember, I''ve seen this particular gun from the counter-strike game. I believe it was called a Glock, I''ve seen it a lot in the police tv-show, and cop movies.

    The handgun slide into the holster then I slide the extra gun magazine right next to it. I need to cover all these weapons that are strap onto my chest with something. My eyes dart to the leather jacket hanging on the passenger seat, behind the young girl, my hand reached it and put it on. It''s a little big for me, but that is the purpose, it is so I can hide the gun underneath.

    I zip up the jacket and put on the baseball cap. My eyes glance at the young girl beside me, she is still asleep, I take out the keys from the ignition and store them in my pocket. My hand reaches for the door handle beside me and gets out after the door is open. Closing the door behind me, I walk to the opposite side of the automobile from where I am and open the passenger door.

    She moans as I slide my hands underneath her knees and her back before I slowly lift her up and out of the vehicle. After the girl is out of the passenger side, I bump the door with my hip to close it and start walking toward the emergency lobby.

 [Chapter 10]

    The young girl''s eyes blink a couple of times as she gazes at me while her body rested in my arms. In a daze-like state, she brings her head closer to my chest and presses her cheek against it, to feel the warmth that is coming from me. I glance down at her as my leg move back and forth toward the emergency lobby.

    I feel her slender and soft body in my arms, but I didn''t give much thought to it and focus on walking. From where I am, I can see all kinds of people in many shapes and different kinds of skin tone at the hospital entrance, going in and going out of the door. The common thing about them is their situation, they are either sick or injured.

    When the fluorescent lights from the hospital lobby touch my shoe, I keep my head down, preventing people from seeing my face, and getting caught on the camera around the hospital entrance. The people cross and walk past me without giving me a second look because all of them are too absorbed by their predicaments to notice me.

    Walking up the few steps, I can hear the ambulance sirens behind me and the abundance of nurses talking to each other while rushing toward it. Since I have never been to this hospital, I should be fine, people won''t recognize me, but I need to be careful just in case.

    The automatic door opens for me as I enter the lobby, I glance around me while still keeping my head down. I can see a lot of sickly and injure people in the preordained area while waiting for the doctor to treat them. With the girl in my arms, I walk to one of the empty seating at the back and gently settle her down on the chair. I move both her hands on her laps and make sure she is seating straight.

    I stretch my shoulder to relieve some of the aching pain.

    "Mr. Nobody, where am I... again?" She mumbles a few words out.

    "You''re at the hospital, I''m going to leave you here, and they will take care of you. All you need to do is shout after I leave and they will come to check on you." I whisper close to her as I squat down to her level.

    "Will you promise me that the bad people won''t come after me?" She whispers.

    "I can''t..." I look at her, her face shows fear, and her moist eyes look at me for protection.

    My hearts thump loudly in my chest for a reason I don''t know, but I keep myself calm and slip my hand into my pants pocket.

    "Here..." I take out the keychain and place it on her palm then I close her five fingers.

    "I save you because you had this, this may sound weird, but I think this is your good luck charm. So, when you are in trouble, hold on tight to this, and I... will come and save you. Anytime. Anywhere."

    It may be a false promise, but it does the trick, I can see that she is holding on tightly to the Ran Mitake keychain, clinging it with hope on her face and newfound security in her heart.

    I stand up again and about to leave when I hear her say something to me. "Mr. Nobody, my name is Jin Ae, and thank you for saving me."

    "I don''t need¡ª" I let out a sigh.

    "Your welcome." I continue walking to the main door while still keeping my head down.

    *

    The city lights are so bright that they hide the stars above them, but from where I park the SUV, I could still see the beautiful moon through the front windshield. Whenever I glance beside me, the tall buildings on both sides block my view of the sky. There is one particular building that grabs my full attention, Zatax Tower.

    How do I know that this is the building? Because the large sign in front of the lobby showed the building''s name on it with its''s lights illuminate it.

    They call it a tower, but to me, it looks like a highrise building with an upright rectangle tip on top of a flat square building. Besides it only have a 20-story floor, and it''s not the same height as a regular tower which is 100 plus. I stretch out my neck around to relieve some of the pain that I sustain from the fight in the warehouse.

    My last target is on the penthouse floor at the top of the building, and judging by the large men wearing black suits coming out of the lobby, they must be his bodyguards. It''s all a guess really because I''m not sure whether my target is in the building or not. There is a lot of them, maybe over a dozen armed men inside this very building.

    ''You know that there a possibility that you won''t make it alive.''

    "I know."

    ''You can always go back.''

    I look at the rear-view mirror and see Daisie, but this time, it''s not the abomination that was before, this time it''s her beautiful self. The girl I love. The girl I lost.

    "You know I can''t."

    ''Can''t? Or won''t?''

    "I don''t know." My sight downcast at the tire iron resting on my laps.

    ''It''s your choice. It''s always been your choice¡ªeven now.''Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    When I look back at the rear-view mirror, she''s gone. I reach for the car handle with my hand, unlocking the mechanism and pushing the door open. The cold wind brush against my skin as I step out of the car, it''s about to rain tonight. I slide the extended portion of the tire iron into my left sleeve and grip onto the short part.

    Walking across the street, I glance at the group of bodyguards, hanging out beside one of many black SUV parks in front of the lobby. The smoke coming from their burning cigarettes lingers under my nose, I keep my head down and walk up the short step to the automatic glass doors.

    My eyes focus on the elevator pass by the reception and walk toward it. One of the two bodyguards notices me, starts walking toward me, he then stands in front of me and blocking my way.

    "Who are you? I never see you here before."

    "Is Boris Dimitri here?"

    "Mr. Boris doesn''t allow visitors at this hour. Now, answer me, who are you?" He pulls on the lapel of his suit jacket and reveals a handgun tuck between his shirt and belt.

    I let go of the tire iron, and it slides out of my sleeves, but before it could fall onto the floor, I grab the long part and swing it at the bodyguard face. The tire iron hit his face, breaking his teeth in the process, but not enough to knock him out. Before he realizes what happens, I reach in his jacket and take out his handgun.

    This handgun is slightly different from what I have, the design is the same, the blocky part and everything except it has a long thick cylinder in front of the muzzle. I flick the safety pin first as I aim down the sight at the other bodyguard behind the one I just hit.

    I squeeze the trigger, and the sound of the weapon fires is different from my gun. Instead of a loud firecracker, it''s more of a pop sound like a staple gun. The man screams as I miss the shot and hit his chest instead of his head, I fire again after aiming carefully, and it punctures his head finally taking him down.

    As the man in front of me recovers from his daze, I press the piping hot barrel under his neck and squeeze the trigger. A bullet shot out from the top of his head, a sprinkle of blood land on my cap, and a few of his brain matter land on my sleeves. The bodyguard''s body falls to the side, and there is a small hole in his head with blood flowing out of it.

    The only other person in the lobby, the receptionist is in shock to witness what happened, I look at him, and he quickly runs to the staff door. I can hear the sound of the lock clicking coming from the same door.

    One of the people outside must have heard the sound of the gunshot, but before I do anything, I shoot the surveillance cameras in the lobby and hide behind the reception desk. I unzip my jacket to prepare myself, the three men that were outside, walk anxiously into the room, and looking around as they got closer to the two dead bodies.

    I am down the sight at the dead bodies and wait for one of them to get closer. When they appear on my eyesight, I squeeze the trigger, taking out the one checking the dead, but miss my shot on the second mark. However, I manage to hit him in the leg, the man let out a scream of pain, as his friend drag him away while firing his silent handgun at me.

    They shout something in Russian at me, probably cursed and threatening words. I need to take them out before they call in reinforcement, I crawl to the far side of the reception while dust from the bullets hitting the marble desk rest on my clothing. Squatting at the far side of the reception desk, I peek out and aim my gun at the man shooting his pistol at the counter.

    Taking the shot, the man falls to the floor as the bullet hits the center of his forehead. I aim the gun at the injured man and squeeze the trigger. It hit his chest causing the man to let out another scream.

    I stand up and walk to the screaming man. He panics as he tries to reach for his gun, I aim at his head and squeeze the trigger. His feet jerk a little as the bullet puncture his head while his whole body becomes limp. A trickle of blood splatter onto my face, I wipe it away with my sleeves and brush off the dust from my shoulder.

    Maybe more than a dozen men are guarding the penthouse floor, I should be ready, but before I got up there. I squat down near the body and salvage what I can use from the dead people. I take a couple of full magazines for both my handgun and a door key that lead to somewhere.

    I walk to the elevator and press the up button. It only takes a couple of second for the elevator to reach my floor, the door opens and reveal nobody. That''s a good sign, I step in and press the penthouse floor button, I hide the gun behind me, slide in my tire iron back into my sleeve, and pretend nothing happens.

    As the elevator climbs up, it suddenly stops then the door open to the 16th floor, and a pizza delivery man the same age as me looks at me with a smile on his face.

    "Going down?"

    "Unfortunately, up," I say with a calming smile.

    "Great, I want to go up. My last delivery is on the top floor." He steps into the evaluator and turns to face the closing door.

    "The penthouse?"

    "Yes, please."

    "That''s means you are delivering pizza for the resident there?"

    "Yep, that''s right."

    I press the 17th-floor button then I casually point the gun at the man. The sight of the silenced pistol frightens him causing him to back away to the corner. He raises the pizza box to his face, in a vain attempt to shelter himself from the handgun.

    "Wait, I''m just a pizza delivery guy. Please, I have nothing on me."

    "Place the pizza box and your hat on the floor." Flattened lips replace my smile.

    "Okay, okay." He places the pizza box on the floor and his hat on top of it.

    I gesture my head to the open elevator door behind me, he nods his head after agreeing to my order, and then he steps out of the elevator.

    "You should leave this building, as quickly as you can. That''s not a warning, it''s an order."

    "Sure, man. No problem." The elevator door closed.

    I cast my black baseball cap to the floor and wear the pizza brand baseball cap. I lift the pizza box with my hands and hide my gun underneath it. I watch the floor display countdown to the highest number as the elevator climb up to the top floor.

    ''Be careful. You still have your mom to take care of.''

    Daisie''s voice came from behind me. I can see her reflection on the metal cover, she stares at me with a calming smile and disappoints eyes.

    "I know, I''ll try."

    Ding!

    The elevator reaches its destination, the door slides open revealing a hallway with a bathroom door at the end of the corridor, and another beautiful wooden double door attaches to the right wall.

    It''s a beautiful hallway with a marble floor, a small row of light on the ceiling, and a wooden panel on its wall. The modern design looks sleek. Two guards near the elevator turn to face me with an intimidating look, they reach for the gun inside of their blazer.

    When they see the pizza box, their hand moves away from the guns.

    "You''re the pizza guy?" One of them says in somewhat of a thick Russian accent.

    "Yes."

    I take a couple of steps closer to them while sneakily aiming the gun underneath the box at their belly. Their walkie-talkie suddenly let out a very concerning voice, it''s in Russian so I couldn''t interpret what they are saying, but I know why. They must have found the dead body in the lobby.

    The bodyguards look at each other then back at me with a frown face. I can see them slowly reaching for their gun again.

 [Chapter 11]

    Squeezing the trigger, a loud pop noise echo in the hallway, and a bullet casing drops to the floor. Blood squirt from the bodyguard''s belly on the left as he falls to the ground, I aim my gun at the second guy. As the man slide out his firearm from between his belt, I pull the trigger on my silent pistol, and the bullet shot out from the barrel then go through his hand into his stomach. Both of them scream in pain as they fall to the floor while pressing on to their wound.

    I drop the pizza box then shoot them both on the head and blood splatters to the wall along with bits of brain matter. Two possible scenarios that are going to happen in this hallway in the next few minutes, first, the other bodyguards in the penthouse are going to come out and attack me. Second, the reinforcement from downstairs is going to come up and also kill me.

    I can''t fight both sides at the same time, or their number will overwhelm me. So I need to pick one, I choose to face the reinforcement first, I slide the tire iron out from my sleeve and rush to the door, where I slip it into the opening of the handles and keeping the door lock. I holster my handgun back between my belt.

    Handgun alone can''t defeat the reinforcement that''s why I need a distraction. While I look around, I spot a red small rectangle label on the wall, I rush to it and read the label ''Press against in case of emergency. I press against the panel beneath the word, it pop opens a hidden cabinet, inside of it are a fire extinguisher and a fire hose reel.

    The reel turns as I bring the fire hose with me to the elevator door. The small screen on top of the elevator shows the ''17th floor'', I pull on the fire hose and leave it behind as I run to the valve. While I make my way back to the reel, I see somebody is trying to open the penthouse door but fail.

    The elevator let out a ding, but before I could turn the valve. Somebody chokeholds me from behind. I didn''t realize there was someone in the bathroom, and I didn''t check, damn it, Andre. I try to struggle out from his chokehold, but fail because his strength overwhelms mine.

    "Schas po ebalu poluchish, suka, blyad!¡±

    I let out a grunt as I watch the elevator door slowly opens then my eyes glance at the pipe valve. With all my strength I kick the valve and let the water flow out in full force, but it also pushes me back along with my attacker. The guy behind me slams into the bathroom door and breaks it from the hinges. The hose whip around in the hallway like it has a mind of its own when the elevator opens, the nozzle spray water at the six men who just come out from the lift, and get lash with the hose when they get near it.

    That should occupy the enemy reinforcement for a while, I elbow the man behind me and cause him to let me go. I turn around to face him, and he barrages me with a dozen fists of fury, but I manage to block some of it. His attack causes me to take a couple of steps back to the valve, but I see an opening and kick his knee causing him to drop to one knee.

    I grab the fire extinguisher and aim the hose at him. I squeeze the trigger, and nothing came out, I look at the pressure indicator, and it''s in red. When I look at the expiration date, it tells me that the fire extinguisher has expired a month ago.

    "Idiot!" He says while lowering his hand from his face with a mocking smirk on his face.

    I hit him in the head with the fire extinguisher and knocking him out, "You suppose to renew it before it expired."

    The bullet pierces his brain after I take out my handgun and shoot him. When I turn around to face the six men, I take out my other pistol and start laying fire at the struggling men.

    The water splash everywhere along with blood as one by one of the six men fall to the floor, I empty my handgun magazine at the men then after the deed is done, I reload both my handgun and holster it back. Water and blood soak the entire hallway floor and wall. I shut off the water then jog to the dead bodies to grab a submachine gun and a shotgun.

    I recognize the firearms from video games because I remember it is called an MP5, and the shotgun name is Tac-14.

    The door struggle even more after they hear the gunfire in the hallway, I look upon it and slide the submachine gun Sling over my shoulder. The weapon dangle near my chest, I pull the shotgun fore-end, loading a shell into the chamber, and breathe in as I push back the fore-end.

    I get closer to the door and shoot a couple of rounds into the door. I hear a girl scream inside of the penthouse and a couple of bodies fall to the floor. I kick the tire iron out from the door handle and kick the door open. Bullets fly through the door and hit the wall across the doorway.

    "Blayd!!" The Russian man screams out.

    "Check the door!" I could hear someone giving the order.

    When a man gets closer to the door, I kick his weapon out from his hand and press my shoulder against the man''s chest then blow his brain out with the shotgun. Bit of his head splatter up to the ceiling then I hold his body upward and use it as a meat shield as I push on into the penthouse.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Bullets plunge into his body, some of them escape his body and leave a cut on my arm. I bring the dead body along with me to the next room in the right then I drop the body and kill the man inside of the gym room. Another man walks into the room and shoots my shotgun out from my hands. I roll to the half wall in the middle of the room and use it as a cover.

    I press my back against the wall then switch to the MP5. The blackened wide-screen TV in front of me shows the enemy''s reflection. I use it to aim my gun without poking my body out and shoot him in the stomach. The man falls to the floor, and blood splatter to the wall behind him. I carefully make my way to the third door in the room at the far right side of the room, Reaching the door, I turn the knob and push it open causing a flurry of bullets to go through the doorway.

    There a few broken mirrors in the room, I look at them and use the reflection to see how many there are in the central area. There are about six men in the room. Three of them are using the couch and half wall as a cover, behind them, are the see-through glass wall with the view of the city. Two of them are on the stairs, and one of them is in the open kitchen area.

    One of them throws something at me, a cylinder shape canister, I use the gun and hit it back into the room. A blinding light encompasses the entire room, and a loud deafening ring fills my ears. A massive headache strikes my head as the terrible noise shakes my eardrum, but I push through and use the opportunity to enter the living room.

    I shoot the man in the kitchen, and his body drops to the floor then I slide to the couch near the man that throws the flashbang and kills him with a few shots. I squeeze the trigger and spray the bullets in a horizontal line, taking out the two men behind the couch across from me. I also manage to take out the man hiding behind the half wall.

    A bullet leaves a cut on my thigh causing me to let out a grunt then I bring the nuzzle at the staircase, and kill the last two-man. Their bodies tumble down the stairs and leaving a trail of blood. In the corner of my left eye, I see an older man with gray hair, wearing an expensive suit and holding a shotgun. I jump away as the shotgun blast destroys the marble fireplace beside me.

    "Who do you think you are?! You come to my son''s house and kill my men! Blayd!!" A thick Russian accent accompanies those words.

    He keeps shooting at me as I run through the living room, trying to find cover. I try to return fire, but the MP5 run out of ammo a short while ago, so I throw it away and take out my silent pistol. Using the handgun, I fire a couple of bullets at the man, but he takes off into a run and hides behind a thick wall.

    "Who sent you!? The Haitian? The Yakuza?!" He asks aloud, but I ignore his question as I focus on the injuries on my leg and arm.

    This man is too old to be Boris. He must be the Russian mob boss and Boris''s father.

    The wounds I sustain are throbbing, and the pains are spreading everywhere throughout my body. I''m tired, my legs are cramping, and I want to finish this. Suddenly the room became quiet, I look beside me and see the old man aiming a shotgun at my face.

    "Die!" He says, but I rush to him and push the barrel away from my face.

    The shotgun went off beside my left ear, a loud deafening ring tremble my eardrum to point of I couldn''t hear anything else. I press the barrel of the silent pistol on his neck and squeeze the trigger. A hole appears in his throat, blood squirt onto my face and drip down to his chest. Soaking his white shirt with blood as he let the shotgun fall to the floor and takes a couple of steps back. Shock along with terrifying thoughts on what going to happen next plague his mind.

    He falls onto his back and the gunshot noise echo in the desolate penthouse.

    The loud ring in my fear prevents me from hearing that noise, but as it clear up, I stand up and walk to the stairs. Stepping over the body, leaving a trail of bloody footprint behind me as I climb the stair to the second floor. I check all the rooms for Boris and find no one, but there''s a room that I haven''t check yet.

    I hear a clicking noise behind the door, and I step aside avoiding the hail of bullets that pierce through the wooden door. There''s a vase on the stand right next to me, I push it over causing it to break when it hit the floor and making it sound like I get hit by the surprise attack.

    I hide beside the doorway as the door opens, the barrel of MP5 pokes out from the door, I grab it and hit his nose with the butt of the handgun. He falls to his butt with a bleeding nose, I throw his firearm back into the hallway and walk into the bedroom.

    He tries to take out another handgun, but I shoot him in the foot causing him to scream in pain and prevent him from reaching it.

    "Take your gun out and toss it away," I say calmly as I point my gun at his head.

    "Okay!" He takes out his gun carefully and tries to aim at me, but I shoot his finger off, and he tosses the gun aside unwilling while screaming.

    He screams and screams as the blood from his new fingerless hand, wetting his palm entirely.

    "I warn you, Boris."

    "Who¡ªare you?!"

    "I''m nobody."

    "What?... Why are you here?!"

    "I''m here because you kill Daisie... I''m here because I couldn''t forgive what you did and I''m here¡ªto finish what I started."

    "I don''t know any Daisie?!"

    That''s sentence alone causes me to feel something inside, like an itch in my heart, I don''t know what it is, but I know what it wants me to do. I shoot the man in the leg twice causing him to cry out in pain.

    "You can forget about me, but don''t you dare forget about her. You kidnap her and kill her in the middle of the woods, three years ago!" I raise my voice.

    "Three years ago... your that kid, the coma kid." He let out a smile.

    "Why are you smiling?"

    "It wasn''t just a normal kidnapping, it was a debt collecting, and her father sold her to us to pay for his debt! You massive idiot! And judging by your face, you didn''t know, didn''t you?" He coughs out a laugh as if that statement is hilarious to him.

    Mr. Pierre sold her to pay for his debt?

    He must be lying.

    "I don''t trust you."

    "I''m telling the truth, ask him yourself." Boris let out a smile.

    My fingers dig into my injured hand and squeezing blood out of it. There something inside of me that makes my heart tighten, and beat loudly and causing me to want to hit something.

    Is it rage?

    The man that is sitting on his butt in front of me keeps on smiling with a sense of victory.

 [Chapter 12]

    It''s all because of Daisie''s father, he''s the cause of this, and he''s the cause of her death.

    "Daddy no!"

    Out of nowhere a small child, the age of a kindergarten comes out from the closet and runs to Boris. The innocent little girl stands in front of my handgun and tries to protect the man behind her with her tiny body. A daughter? This degenerate has a daughter.

    "Sasha! I say no matter what happens, don''t come out."

    "He''s hurting you, Daddy! I can''t watch anymore, and I don''t want to hide while you are getting hurt."

    I push the muzzle of the silent pistol against her tiny forehead while my face is devoid of any emotions. She closes her eyes, tears dripping down from her closed eyelids, and her legs shaking in fear while her short arms stretch out beside her. Boris grabs his daughter, pulling her into a hug, and tries to shield her from me.

    "Please, let my daughter go. She just a kid." He begs at me.

    "Daisie was just a kid. I was just a kid..."

    "I know what I did¡ªand I know what I say won''t make any difference, but please, don''t be like me! Let her go."

    Two versions of Daisie appear behind the man, one is the disfigured version of her that promote fear and terror, and another is the innocent, and beautiful version of her.

    The pure Daisie says in sadden voice. "You left a trail of bodies behind you in seek of revenge."

    The fear-inducing Daisie says in a growly animal-like voice. "You kill and kill and didn''t stop killing! No matter how many choices you have!"

    "You were doing this for me, but I don''t want any of this." The pure Daisie say.

    "This was not about us! This was about you, satisfying your own rage!" The terrifying version of Daisie accuses me.

    "The choice you make!"                                                              "The choice you have chosen."

    "Was made by your own free will."

    They both say the same thing, the choices... I pick them all. I walk down this path out of rage that my mind can''t identify and out of my free will. I know the consequences of my action, I fully realize what I did by taking all of their life, and yet... I didn''t stop.

    Anger.

    Hatred.

    Betrayal.

    Grief.

    Sympathy.

    Fear.

    Am I sane? Because if I recognize... feel those feelings, will I choose a different path?

    I look at both of them. The Horrifying Daisie let out an evil smile while the pure Daisie looks at me with sadden and disappoint smile.

    "Kill both of them!"                                                                                                             "Let them go."

    "In the end, it''s my choice," I mumble to myself.

    "Please... let her go." The man begs me.

    "Don''t hurt my daddy. Please!" The girl whimpers.

    I didn''t realize it before, but I can see the droplets of water pattering the glass window and the sound of thunder echo from far away.

    POP!

    A single bullet casing bounce on the wooden floor then it stops and rolls to until it meets with a puddle of red liquid. Flash of lighting from the thundercloud reflects itself on the body of thick liquid that spread oo the floor and into the tiny crevice.

    Everything is my choice.

    *

    Far away from the city, in a quiet neighborhood.

    The rain is pattering on the tile roof as the strong wind sways the trees, and the thunder shakes the glass pane of every window in the area. Two bright headlights appear in the distance and make their way to a familiar house. The old cab is parked in front of the house then a drunken man comes out from the cab and makes his way to the house.

    The cab drives away as his body sways from left to right while holding a glass bottle. He manages to walk toward his door and open it. When he opens the door, he surprises to find a single table lamp is on and a young man sitting in his recliner looking at the picture of his family.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "Hello, Mr. Pierre."

    "Andre, what are you doing here... so late?"

    "Daisie... would pick you."

    "What do you mean?"

    "If Daisie is given a choice between me and you. She would pick you, that shows how much she loves you. I love your daughter... I was in love with her after she confesses to me or perhaps, I''m already in love with her even before she admits it. She has strong feelings for me, for a long time, and I didn''t realize it until that prom night."

    "We were going to become more than friends."

    "I even see us getting married in the future and having kids."

    "A beautiful future indeed." I gaze at the dirty carpet and imagine in my mind what I said.

    "I still don''t understand what you mean."

    "I know the truth, Mr. Pierre." I place back the picture on the end table and face it down.

    "When you said that it was your fault, you really meant it. It wasn''t just self-blaming for drinking or gambling. It was you admitting to selling Daisie to the Russian mob to pay for your debt."

    His shocking face tells it all, it is the truth, he did do it.

    "Andre... I-I sorr¡ª"

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    I empty all of the twelve rounds from my handgun into his body, Mr. Pierre falls to the floor and starts bleeding out all over the floor. It was a quick death, I want to make him feel the pain, but I couldn''t do it because of Daisie. I stand up from the recliner and walk to the backdoor. When I enter the backyard, someone stops me, I turn my head to the side and see a man aiming a gun at me with a cop badge on his belt.

    "Stop! In the name of the law."

    "Raise both of your hands in the air!"

    I raise both hands in the air, following his order. A flash of lightning reveals a bit of his face, a man with an Asian feature, and looks somehow familiar as if I have met him before.

    "It was you that leave a trail of dead bodies in the city."

    "Am I getting arrest by you?"

    He didn''t answer but asks a question toward me. "Why did you do it?"

    "Revenge, I guess."

    "No, I know why you did it, my partner was the head detective on your case. The kidnapping girl case, it a mess, the corruption in the police force, and the politics involved. The case cost my partner''s life. The Russian mob boss kills him when my partner found out who did it."

    "However that is not the point, what I''m asking you is why did you save her? You could leave her in the burning warehouse?"

    "Jin Ae..."

    "My name is Detective Son Ho Ae. Nice to meet you... Mr. Nobody or should I call you, Andre Adams."

    "You''re her dad..."

    "I am... Now answer my question, why did you do it?"

    "The Ran Mitake keychain, she had the same one as her."

    "You save her because of a keychain?"

    "Yeah, one thing that I did right is saving her. Daisie would be proud of me if she can find in herself to forgive for what I did."

    "She was a victim of my action, I try to reveal the truth of your case, but when they find out, they took my kid, and force me into silence. I couldn''t tell anyone or save her myself because of the risk of her getting hurt." The detective''s eyes show his frustration, his regret, and his failure as a father.

    "I couldn''t save her, and I was on the verge of losing her, but you save her when I can''t, all because of a keychain."

    "How is she?"

    "Getting better."

    "So are you going to arrest me?"

    He stares at me for quite an amount of times, "I''m a firm believer of an eye for an eye." He holsters his gun with a smile on his face.

    My gaze set on him as my shoulders relax. "Can I ask you something, how did you find me?"

    "I follow your trail, the mountain bike you left behind."

    "Mountain bike? That couldn''t be it."

    "So the mountain bike is yours, I didn''t know that actually because I was guessing. It''s my daughter''s descriptions of you, the one who helps me identify you. You also left a lot of physical evidence behind, but don''t worry I will take care of it."

    "You are letting me go after what I did? I kill those people."

    "You save my daughter. I''m willing to turn a blind eye for that."

    "Besides, the easy part is letting you go, but the hard part is us trying to live our life after what we did."

    My sight downcast to the ground. "A prison of guilt..."

    "The father I know what he did, his debt to the Russian mob is enormous, they were going to kill him if he doesn''t pay. Still, is it necessary to kill the girl''s father?"

    "I don''t know, and I don''t care." I start walking into the dark forest while rain soaks my clothing as I leave the detective behind to deal with my mess. I can feel the detective''s eyes on me as I walk away.

    *

    A week has gone by.

    The blazing hot sun rest upon the top of my head as I remove the roof covering and try to fix the leak in the structure. I haven''t been able to sleep peacefully after what I did, my brain still having trouble recognizing any emotion, but I try to live.

    To move on.

    The News covers non-stop about the accident or the killing that happens in the city, but after a week it has begun to simmer down, people move on, and life continues like normal. I still keep my job at the gas station, and my mom didn''t know a single thing about what I did. An anticlimactic ending to what has happened so far, I guess real life doesn''t have an absolute ending, and time keeps moving no matter what happens.

    I pull out the nail one by one using the backside of the hammer and wipe away the sweat on my forehead.

    "Be careful, my little Bumbee!" My mom shouts from below.

    "I am careful, mom. You didn''t need to remind me every single second!" I peek down to where she is.

    "How could I not?! You are on the roof, and you might fall. Why can''t we call the roof guy again?!"

    "Because it costs money to pay the guy to fix our roof besides we need the money." I can hear my mom groaning of worry from below while I pull out another nail.

    "Don''t worry, it an easy quick job! I''ll be done in a matter of second."

    I look below and didn''t believe what I see.

    "Dad?!"

    My mom turns around and covers her mouth with her hands in disbelief when she sees her husband on the lawn. A man with a kind face, look familiar to me but has quite a good-looking beard on his face. His eyes stare into my mom trying to find forgiveness.

    He takes a couple of steps closer to my mom. Out of nowhere, she slaps him on the cheek and quickly hugs him. She cries out her pain and sadness of missing him dearly. After she gathers herself, my mom lets go of him and takes a step back with a happy smile and teary eyes.

    "Hey, son! It has been a long time."

    "It is." I let out a smile on my face without me noticing it.

    "Mom, take dad inside. I will come down in a second!" My mom did what I ask, and I watch both of them enter the house.

    I stand up on the roof after I find my footing and walk toward the edge of the roof where the ladder is leaning. Out of nowhere, I feel a hand push me from behind, and I lose my footing. I slip and fall then feel my whole body roll down the roof and out of the edge.

    I''m falling.

    Then.

    Everything went to black as I feel a sharp rock break into the back of my skull.

    I feel cold as the warmth begins to leave my body while my sight blur.

    I remember this feeling before.

    The feeling of death.

    ''They say you shouldn''t fear death, but how could I not? When death is pain. When death is the unknown.''

    -END OF ARC 1-

 Arc: 2 [New Cover]

    Update Arc 1: Complete.

    So what''s new?

    New-ish Main Character. New world. New Character. New Beginning.

    Add Tag:<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">

    Fantasy, Adventure, Reincarnation, Gender bender-ish... and the new one, Mythos.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Remove Tag:<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">

    AMale lead, Anti-Hero Lead.

    I hope the tag doesn''t spoil the story. Also here is the new cover I promise.

    Look nice, Right?

    Also anyone willing to be a proofread? I can''t offer anything except early chapters for the story. I really need help fixing my sentence structure and grammar.

    PM me if you are interested.

 Arc 2 [Chapter 1]

    The sound of birds chirping.

    The smells of salty air and pleasant vanilla enter my nose as I breathe it in.

    Twigs brush against the leaves as the strong yet gentle breeze blow. A sense of prickly grass grazes my skin as I move my hand to rub my eyes. I blink my eyes, adjusting to the light, and finally able to see the clear blue sky. The sun gently rests its warm rays upon my skin from head to toe while behind me I feel the damp earth and prickly grass.

    I raise my upper torso and take a seat on the ground. Before my very eyes, the sight of abundance greenery from trees to bushes and a variety of flowers. The sound of water rippling caught my attention, I turn my head and see the large blue lake beside me. The calm lake reflects the sky above, making it one of the most beautiful sights I ever see.

    On that very reflection, I see something odd. A small floating island, I look at it in disbelief, but there it is, right before my eyes.

    Where am I?... Who am I? I try to search for an answer of any kind inside of my mind, and I found none, no memories whatsoever. I brush my fingers against my face, feeling a smooth sensation, sculpted chin, and soft lips.

    "Wait, that''s not right¡ªI think." My eyes widen.

    I crawl closer to the body of water to see my reflection. A sense of awe hit me as I stare at a reflection of a beautiful woman with modest breasts, almond skin, muscular yet feminine body shape, and long brunette hair. Why am I surprised by it?

    The weirdness doesn''t end here, my clothes also have changed, I''m wearing a white linen shirt with short sleeves and long pants, but no shoes. My golden eyes blink a couple of times while I run my fingers through my long brunette hair. I lean back and rest my soft butt on the ground.

    I lift my left arm to show off my bicep, and my eyes widen again when the muscle bulge. I try touching it with a finger and feel the hard muscle inside of it then I bring my hand down.

    Sighing, I place my hand against my belly, "No way!"

    I lift the bottom of my shirt and see the rock-hard abs underneath it. I let out another sigh and fall back to the soft grass. My tongue keeps tasting salty air.

    "Salty air... floating island... I''m on a floating island myself, aren''t I?" Even my voice sounds feminine.

    "I may have to confirm that later."

    The word "Floating island" keeps drifting inside my mind, and I try to focus on it. Maybe I can find information about it, but a throbbing headache spread throughout my brain as thousand or millions of information burst out at the same time. However, there is a single name that keeps on appearing inside my mind.

    "Adrestia."

    I clear my head and try to catch my breath while my eyes widen in shock at how painful it was. The information is weird, every single one of them is just that ''information, it has no context on how I know them or where they originated. It''s like I''m accessing all of the computer files at the same time.

    "Adrestia." The same painful headache strikes me again.

    "Calm down, relax... try not to think about it. It''s just a name, nothing more, nothing less."

    The same throbbing headache slowly dissipates until my mind becomes clearer than water, "Woo..."

    I wipe the sweat away from my forehead, then misplace my hand on my breast, I move my hand away startle then I glance right and left, making sure that there is no one in sight.

    Then I squeeze it gently at first with a hand, "So firm yet so soft, shouldn''t I know what it feels like since I''m a woman?"

    Afterward, I place another hand on my other breast and start squeezing harder and harder. Something begins to harden on the tip of my busts, and I feel something tingly happening below under my pants.

    I unconsciously let out a moan when my finger slide underneath my pant, "Aaah aah..."

    "Stop right there, me! This not some kind of weird kinky dream that I''m currently having." I move my hands away from my body and stand up from the ground.

    "I need to find answers because I have no idea who I am or where I am, and I''m probably sure everything that is happening here is 100% real."

    I stare at the floating island again in disbelief, "Or 80 % percent real."

    Twirling my body around like a ballerina, I stop when I see a Greek Parthenon with white columns on top of the hill just near here. How did I know that is a Parthenon? And why didn''t I see the damn thing earlier? I press my palm against my face as I feel disappointed at myself for not noticing the most important thing in this place.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    I let out a sigh, "So many questions, none of the answers. Maybe there is someone there that can help me," and off I proceed to the Parthenon with my bare feet.

    After a couple of minutes of walking, the Parthenon cast a large shadow over me as I climb its large steps. The couple levels of the stair are absurdly large that I have to scale it using my entire body, it feels like climbing a wall. I try to catch my breath as I arrive at the massive huge doorway, the height of a three-story building.

    When I enter the Patheon, I''m in awe at the beautifully crafted columns, the painting of the vast sea on the ceiling, the white marble floor, and the soft red carpet that brush against my feet. I glance at the elegant sofa on the right side of the room beside it is the end table with an assortment of fruits on it, there is also an armor stand at the left side with beautifully made plate armor fit perfectly for a woman, and its design looks similar to a spartan armor.

    Everything in this room is large, and the person who can use it is probably a giant, but even with all that, what caught my attention is a painting of a beautiful woman.

    Fair white skin, beautiful wavy golden hair, striking golden eyes the same as mine, pink drape cover her body, and an assortment of beautiful flowers surrounding her. Her beauty is something else, my mouth agape when I see it, even though it just a painting.

    Then a name burst inside my mind, "Helen."

    "A first time for me, a child waste my own time." A soft yet stern voice comes from behind me.

    I turn around, and my eyes widen when I see a tall, beautiful woman that is the height of a giraffe about 20 feet tall. Her brown wavy hair is a bit similar to the woman in the painting, her eyes are hidden underneath a black blindfold, but I could feel the stern gaze that she gives off. Her face is like the embodiment of perfection itself, with no imperfection or blemishes.

    A drape of white silk rest on her right shoulder and make its way across her body, covering her private part, but even with a layer of clothing covering her body, I could see the snippet of her bountiful breast, hourglass figure, and her thick thigh.

    As I look up at her face again, I could see a circlet of golden leaves rest on her head.

    However, all of that beauty is nothing when compared to the pair of beautiful white wings behind her. The feathers seem soft from where I stand, it as if I could sleep on them and feel the fluffy bedding.

    "Are you done staring?"

    The words full me back to reality, and I immediately drop to one knee with my sight downcast to show my respect. "Forgive me for my rudeness... aah."

    ''Adrestia'' or ''Nemesis'' two names pop out from my mind like a burst of information about her begin to resurface. The woman in front of me is not just any ordinary woman, she is the goddess who enacts retribution against those who succumb to hubris, and there are many titles that she has, all of them is coming out like a flood.

    The inescapable, goddess of revenge, the avenger of crime, winged balancer of life, dark-faced goddess, and mother of justice. So many of them.

    I look at her, "S-should I call you Nemesis, miss?"

    "Nemesis..." The woman lifts her chin as if she is gazing into the past.

    "It has been a long time since anyone calls me that, you may call me Adrestia." There a small smile on her face, it causes my heart to fill with a warm and fuzzy feeling when I see it.

    However, her smile is only for a short moment as she looks at me again. "So are you done pleasuring yourself in my domain?"

    I let out an awkward laugh. "Wait, you saw that?"

    "Yes."

    "I didn''t know somebody is watching me." My finger restless in embarrassment while my cheek reddens and an idiotic grin appear on my face.

    "It doesn''t matter. It''s what mortal does, investing themselves in pleasure." She walks past me to the center of the room.

    "You may stand." She gestures her hand at me.

    I stand up from the floor and turn my body to face her with a bright smile on my face. "May I ask, why am I here?"

    "Who am I? And where I am?"

    "Your name is Andre..."

    "Andre... Huh, sound familiar..."

    "Of course it does, it''s your name. You are in my domain, this floating island, and everything here is created by me. To put it simply, it''s my home."

    "I am on a floating island... awesome," I say with an excited face.

    "It nothing, compare to the twelve domain, but it is, what it is."

    "The twelve?" A bunch of names starts appearing in my mind, but it also comes with tons of other information that I can''t decipher.

    I let out a grunt of pain, Adrestia notice this then she lower herself to my level and press her soft finger against my head. An abundance of warmth brush away the painful headache and making my mind clearer. Her silk dress shuffles around as she stands up again, I can smell the sweet fragrance coming from her.

    "There you go, is it better now?" Her words are soothing like a mother taking care of her child.

    "Yeah, thank you, Miss Adrestia." I bow my head quickly and repeatedly to show my gratitude.

    "Your welcome," She nods her head slightly in response.

    "We shall continue, you here because I choose you to become my candidate."

    "Candidate?" My head perks up in curiosity.

    "Yes, Hmm... It seems, we have to cut this introduction short, I have to go."

    "Where are you going, Miss Adrestia?"

    "Curious one arent you?" I can feel her gaze behind those blindfolds.

    "I''m sorry for being a busybody."

    "It''s fine... I have a meeting with the other gods." Her face shows her tiredness.

    Those names that appear before, it was the name of the gods and goddess. "Gods? You mean Zeus and the others?"

    "Don''t mention that name here," Adrestia says in a monotone voice, but I can sense the anger in her words.

    "I-I''m s-sorry. I didn''t mean... to offend you. I''m sorry, I''m an idiot." I apologize from the bottom of my heart.

    She let out a sigh, "It''s fine...You just an unknowledgeable child, it''s okay."

    It seems that her anger has dissipated, my shoulders relax while my heart rate slowdowns.

    "I''m late... I should go now..." She let out another sigh.

    "What should I do when you are gone?" I look at her with anticipation.

    The woman thinks to herself for a minute then replies with, "Clean the stable and feed the Griffins for me."

    "Okay, no problem. I will give it my all and make you proud. I''ll make sure the stable is cleaner than a...aaa." I couldn''t find the word to finish my sentence.

    She let out a small laugh then a potent blast of wind blow against my face causing me to block my sight with my arm. When the breeze finally calms down, I lower my hand down, and she disappears with the wind.

    "Woah!! Freaking rad. Man, I wish I can do that." I twirl my body around in excitement with a bright face.

    "I''m truly in another world. Another world... I don''t know what I just said, but who cares." I praise aloud as I continue to rotate my body. When I twirl, I can see the edge of the island that I''m on and the vast sea from the doorway.

    Then I stop my twirling, "Wait!? Griffins?" My eyes widen in fear and worry.

 Arc 2 [Chapter 2]

    With a broom in my hand, my mind is blank as I stare at the six beasts in the stable, all resting. The creature has a body, tail, back legs of a lion and the head, wings of an eagle, and talons for front legs. Real-Life griffins right before my eyes, how do I even approach them? I don''t want to get eaten, so there must be a way to get closer.

    I lean on the wooden fence, far away from the stable, I glance at the temple from where I stand. It not that hard to find the griffins stable, it''s behind the Parthenon and down the hill from it.

    "It certainly beautiful here." I look upon the beautiful forest surrounding me, the sound of leaves shambling and birds chirping can soothe any soul.

    The bushes rustle behind me causing me to turn around and look. I walk closer to the bushes at the edge of the forest and spot something. When I approach the bushes, I can see a single orange feather stuck in the leaves and twigs.

    After I pick it up, I look closer at it and realize that this feather is not from the Griffins because they have honey and white color feather. Bringing it closer to my nose, I sniff it, and I can smell the sweet blueberry fragrance coming from it. The bush shamble again, startling me and causing me to take a couple of steps back.

    Two bright orange eyes emerge in the darkness behind the bushes causing me to take another couple of steps back as it exits the bush letting me see it.

    A dark-skin young girl with bird wings for arms and talons for her feet walks closer to me. Orange feathers cover her entire bottom half, around her neck, and her flat chest. While a pair of feather-like pointed ears protrude from both sides of the creature''s head, matching its orange color hair.

    "What..." She let out a tiny roar and showing her sharp teeth that are hiding behind that smallmouth.

    "Harpy!" I mutter as images of horrifying harpies attacking people and eating them plague my mind.

    Panic arises inside of me causing me to walk backward in haste as fear rise inside of me while she chases after me on foot with her wings spread out. I feel my back press against the fence as the harpy get closer to me, I turn around and climb the rails after letting go of the broom, but my panic gets the better of me as my foot is caught on the fence while I try to vault over it causing me to fall to the ground face first.

    I let out a breath that blows away the dirt that''s stuck in front of my mouth as I lie face-first onto the ground, I can hear a snicker coming from the harpy that was chasing after me.

    "I never seen someone so terrify when seeing a harpy," she laughs as she climbs the fence and takes a seat on it.

    The words coming out from her mouth, it''s not English, but I could still understand her.

    Turning my body around causing my back to press against the ground so I could see her, "You''re not gonna eat me?"

    "Of course not." A grin appears on her face.

    "But I thought harpies eat people."

    "Well, not me, I only eat fruit."

    "Then why did you scare me?"

    "I thought you''re a pervert, I have seen you pleasuring yourself near the lake, and now you trying to sniff someone else feather. Do you have a thing for harpy? If you do, I''m not interested."

    "What? How many people have seen that?! I only did it once, and I''m not a pervert! Okay!?"

    "In denial, I see. Just admit it, pervert." She let out another snicker.

    "Stop calling me a pervert!"

    "Sure, pervert."

    I let out a sigh as I get up from the ground and wipe the dust off my pants, "Who are you anyway?"

    "That''s rude, asking for someone''s name before introducing yourself."

    "I''m sorry... my name is... Andre."

    "Hello, Andre. You can call me Agnes." A bright smile appears on her face.

    "Do you live here?"

    "Well, it complicated. I don''t have a home at the moment, but I do sleep here and eat the berry that is growing in the forest."

    "So you are a freeloader?"

    "You can call me that, but I prefer to call myself a traveler of a sort."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Does Goddess Adrestia know about you?"

    "Nope and I prefer it that way. If you tell her about me, I will have to consider my appetite for a human." She let out a smile showing her sharp teeth toward me as a form of threat.

    "I won''t tell her, I promise."

    "Good... so what are you doing here? And who are you?"

    I puff out my chest to show my pride and place both my hands on my waist in an attempt to imitate a superhero pose, "I''m Goddess Adrestia new candidate, and she has given me a task to clean the stable, but I''m too afraid to get close to the Griffins, so... I''m in a bind."

    "Why did you say the last part like you proud of it, and oh, a candidate."

    "Do you know what a candidate is? Because I have no idea what it means."

    "Well, I only know a couple of things about them, they are like enforcer or helper. Because I have seen other candidates before, they always going somewhere, trying to fulfill their duty or quest that is given by the gods."

    "There are other candidates?"

    "Yeah, I have seen them before."

    "So I''m not the only candidate for Goddess Adrestia?"

    "Nope, you''re the first, I never seen Adrestia pick a candidate before, but the other gods beside her does have their own."

    "So I am the first." That word fills my heart with warmth, knowing that I''m the first for her.

    "Then I shall not disappoint her!! I shall prove to her that I''m the best candidate she ever picks." I raise both my hands up into the air as I announce my new goal.

    "You''re too energetic for me..."

    "Of course I am, don''t you feel excited? I''m a candidate for the gods!"

    "I don''t feel it because I''m not you, dummy. Also, how are you going to fulfill your first task when you too afraid to get close to the Griffins."

    "I don''t know... got any tip for me?" I look at her with an idiotic grin on my face and with pleading eyes.

    "I have a few, but on one condition."

    "What is it, I''ll do anything!"

    "I have been having trouble cleaning myself since I don''t have any hands, so I need someone to help me wash my feather for me." She lifts her orange wings to show the twigs and leaves stuck under them.

    "You want me to wash you?"

    "Yep, I like to be clean."

    "Sure... I never thought a harpy like to be clean."

    "Well, most of them don''t care about it, but I take my hygiene very seriously."

    I turn around to face the six griffins in the stable, "So what should I do first?"

    "You see the Griffin in the middle, his name Falcor and he is the leader of the pack."

    "Yes, I see it." I gaze at the Griffin in the center of the stable that is currently resting on the hays.

    "You need to go up to him and show him that you are the leader. You mustn''t show any fear or hesitation because if you do, he will lose all respect for you. The Griffins are a prideful creature, so treat them with respect and they will treat you the same."

    "Do they eat people?"

    "No, they are berry eater like me, Goddess Adrestia always feeds them berry every day, I don''t think that they will try to eat you, but you know I could be wrong, so be careful."

    "You could be wrong?" I look at Agnes with skepticism, she replies with shrugging her shoulders.

    "Ehh, you will be fine, I think."

    I let out a sigh while courage starts to rise inside of me, my hands clench as I look at Falcor, "Let''s do this."

    One foot in front of me, and I start walking toward Falcor with my chest or mainly my breast puff out in an attempt to show off my unbreakable bravery, no fear, no hesitation. Falcor notices me heading toward him, and it starts rustling its wings to brush away the tiny strand of hay and stands upon four legs.

    "I can do this." My mind tries to numb the fear and worry inside of me. I can see its talon leaving a sharp mark on the ground as it carefully walks toward me while his intimidating eyes glare at me.

    I stop on my track when I''m within arm''s reach of Falcor, the big Griffin is suspicious of me at first, but when it takes a sniff of my scent, it lowers its head for me to reach. The fresh air enters my nose and into my lung as I reach for a pat on its head, but I hesitate when my hand is about to touch the griffin head.

    "You hesitate! Oh shit!"

    I retract my hand quickly and glance at Agnes, "What do you mean?!"

    "I told you don''t hesitate! You better run now!" Agnes let out a laugh.

    When I look back at Falcor, its wings spread out as far as they can be while letting out a terror-inducing roar that causes me to turn my body around and start running. The sound of a large beast galloping after me scares the living shit out of me.

    "Agnes, what should I do now!!" I scream for help.

    "You can wrestle him to submission!"

    "Wrestle?!" Before I can reply with sarcasm, the griffin slams his wing against my back and toss me forward faster than a speeding arrow.

    I raise my hands in front of me to protect my head. It succeeds in preventing my head from getting hurt, but with nothing protecting my breast, my two firm melons are drag against the dirt before I start rolling forward and stop when I lose my momentum.

    "My boobs! It hurt like hell!" I place both hands on my breasts, hoping that the pain subsides.

    "You better get up, he still not finish with you," Agnes warns me from afar with a smile on her face.

    A sprinkle of dirt falls off me as I get up from the ground and turn to face Falcor. I can see its sharp talon drag on the ground as it shakes both wings, preparing for another slam. Annoyance mix with frustration starts to build up inside of me, I clench my teeth and bring my hands forward for a tackle.

    "Come on! You stupid bird!!" I taunt the Griffin while the other griffins watch the fight from their stable.

    Falcor blows the air through its nostril then charges toward me, and I did the same by charging head-on toward him. A mighty blast spread around us when I slam my shoulder under the griffin''s neck then I wrap my arms around it. At that moment, I realize that I am stronger than the Griffin, I don''t know where this strength is coming from or whether I already have it, but didn''t know about it. However, I am relieved and excited to find out about this unknown strength.

    "AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

    I push its upper body up with my own causing the griffin to stand on two legs. With my arm secure around its neck, I bring the half-bird, half-lion down onto its back. A cloud of dust towers up around us as I release my chokehold and stand up with both my hands up in the air.

    "I did it!!!"

    Agnes cheers along with me as I keep pumping my fists into the air, the griffin turn over its body so it can stand once more. When I lower my hands to look at the Griffin, it already lowers its head at me, waiting for me to pat it, I place my hand on its fluffy head and rub it causing Falcor to snuggle its head closer to me.

    Afterward, the cleaning and feeding come easy because of the griffins'' obedience. I fulfill Adrestia request perfectly without a hitch, even though I did wrestle Falcor to the ground. Today is the best day of my life, and I was only just born.

    I can''t wait for the coming days.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 3]

    Bubbles.

    Tiny bubbles. Large bubbles. So many soap bubbles are filling this large round wooden bathtub, my arm in deep the bubbles until it reaches the soapy water underneath. I squeeze the sponge under water, letting it absorb the soapy water and bring it back up then start scrubbing the harpy back gently.

    "Achoo!" Tiny bubbles fly off Agnes''s small nose after she sneezes.

    "It getting in my eyes, Andre help, please." Her wings wet with water, preventing her from wiping away the soapy water off her forehead. I let out a smile as I watch the cute Harpy trying to lift her chin to stop the foamy water from trickling down to her eyes.

    I let the sponge fall back to the bathtub and dry my hand on a clean cloth. Then using the same clean fabric, I wipe away the foamy water off Agnes''s small forehead.

    "There you go, all better?"

    "Yep, thank you." She sinks deeper into the tub causing the water to flood out.

    I reach for the sponge again and continue washing her back. Some of the Griffins watch us as they lay on their hay bed, the fragrance from the soapy water and the gentle breeze blowing somehow calm my soul. I love this peaceful and beautiful place, it makes me forget about my worries such as who I am or why is it so empty in my head.

    "Lift your right-wing."

    Agnes lifts her right-wing, and I begin to scrub away the tiny twigs and leaves stuck in her feathers. As I wash the harpy wing, a thought fly by my head, I wonder why did Adrestia sudden anger came when I mention the god name ''Zeus'' in front of her. Did something happen in the past between the two of them?

    "Too rough!" Agnes yelp, I didn''t realize I was scrubbing too hard on her wing.

    "Oh sorry! My mind was elsewhere."

    "It''s okay... It''s not like I have a spare wing back home..." Agnes sarcasm put a smile on my face.

    "I said, I''m sorry¡ªI''m not used to my strength."

    "Humblebragging much?"

    "Can''t help it, did you see my guns?" With a smirk, I show off my bicep, and I can see Agnes roll her eyes to the side in annoyance while a smile form with her lips.

    "Anyway, what were you thinking about?"

    "I''m thinking about Miss Adrestia. I wonder how long is her meeting will be?"

    "Three days minimum."

    "Three days?!"

    "Yep, all of the gods, from below to above gather at Mount Olympus and discuss important stuff. However, I''m pretty sure that''s not what you wanted to ask."

    I hesitate to ask at first, but the desire to know the past pushes me on, "Miss Adrestia get mad when I mention his...name."

    "Ohh... You mean ''Zeus''... You mention his name here, in front of her face?" Fear is visible on Agnes'' face as she asks the question.

    "Yeah..." My hand stops scrubbing and my face downcast with guilt.

    "It was scary when she got mad. I didn''t mean to offend her or something."

    "Huge mistake, but who can blame you. You didn''t know anything about Adrestia past."

    I raise my chin while my eyes set on the Harpy head, "Can you tell me what happens between Adrestia and him?"

    "It''s not my place to dig up somebody else past."

    "I need to know Agnes, please."

    Agnes let out a sigh and shake her head, "Once upon a time, there was a young beautiful female goose peacefully living in her lake fill with other beautiful geese, but one day, a youthful, arrogant, ignorant, lusty, male goose took an interest to her."

    "So the male goose tries to court the female goose, but the female goose wants no part of him and has no desire to upset the male goose wife. However the male goose was relentless, he wouldn''t accept no for answers, and he keeps on harassing her until she had to run away to another lake."

    "She tries to runs away from the male goose, but no matter how much she runs or hides, there was no escape from the male goose. The male goose got to her and¡ªlet say there was something unspeakable happen."

    "After his desire is satisfied, he leaves the female goose alone."

    Silent fills the short minute before Agnes continues, "He leaves the female goose feeling violated and tainted."

    "Shit..." I curse my ignorance.

    "However, the story doesn''t end there. The female goose lay an egg, an egg that was not supposed to exist."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    "An egg that she cares so much that she had to abandon it because she doesn''t want the egg to catch the ire from the wife of the male goose. She doesn''t want it to suffer as she did, so she had to left it."

    "To keep the secret, she knows that she had to stay away from her daughter, to never see her, to make sure she had no connection to her."

    "Adrestia had a daughter? The painting! It''s Helen of Troy, isn''t it?"

    "Helen of Troy is her daughter that''s why she had a painting of her in the Parthenon."

    "I can''t deny or confirm. I''m only telling you a story of two geese."

    "How do you know what happens?"

    "Do you know that gods and goddesses gossip? I puzzle in what I have heard from the whisper and talk among the gods."

    "What happened to him? Did no one do anything after what he did?"

    "Don''t be stupid, Andre. He is the king of the gods. No one can stand a chance against him."

    "So...they just let it go and continue like nothing happen between them? That''s..." I want to scream my frustration and anger but, I hold it in.

    "Can''t we do anything about it?"

    "We? We just met, I don''t know anything about you. Besides, it happens a long time ago before I was born, and why do you care? It got nothing to do with you."

    "I won''t stay quiet, not after the terrible story you unfold before me. It doesn''t seem right to let it go¡ªI don''t know why, and I don''t care. Goddess Adrestia punishes the evil, bad deeds, and hubris of man. However, nobody penalizes the god for his wrongdoings if no one is willing to do it then I will."

    "Besides, she picks me out of an infinity of soul that''s probably better than me in many ways. I think¡ªI don''t know if it is random or she picks me specifically, but whatever it is, I''m willing to make her proud and help in any way I can while paying her with everything I have for the chance she gave me."

    "You''re so naive, are you willing to do that for everyone?"

    "Not everyone, but only for the people that I''m close to, including you."

    "Me? I''m a stranger, and we just met." I can hear the skepticism in Agnes''s words.

    "You keep saying that, but it''s not true for me. You are the first female friend I ever made, and I''m very thankful for that. Thank you, Agnes, for your friendship."

    "A candidate befriends a monster¡ªyou are weird, really weird. Deciding me as your friend without any discussion. You are so strange you know that, right?" I could see Agnes''s cheeks blush with pink while a cute pout appears on her face.

    "There is a way to get back at Zeus, but you only have a 30/70 chance of getting this work."

    "How?"

    "We telltale."

    "Telltale to who?"

    "Zeus mother, Rhea, the mother of Olympian gods and Goddesses. One of the Titans."

    "Titans?"

    "Beings exist before the Olympian gods, massive and powerful beyond measure."

    "More powerful than the Olympians gods?"

    "I have no idea, but from what I heard, maybe not strong enough since Zeus was able to defeat his father Chronos, a titan. Look, I don''t know much about the gods'' past and all that, but I do know where Rhea is."

    "Where is she?"

    "In a deep slumber at the Blessed fields."

    "Where are the Blessed fields?"

    "In the underworld."

    Her answer stuns me. The underworld? The place where Hades rule, and the place where the dead rest. I would be crazy to go there, every monster known to man is there, it would be suicide. However, I let out a giant smile on my face because I know something about myself.

    "I''m not afraid," I whisper to myself.

    "What?" Agnes couldn''t hear the whisper coming out of my mouth.

    "Let''s do it." Agnes could see the confident smirk on my face causing her to let out a smile.

    Agnes rises from the tub and lets the soapy waters descend from her wings down to the wooden container. Some of the water splash out from the bathtub and drenching the bottom of my pant. I step away to prevents my trouser from getting even wetter.

    "Also, I''m not a female. I''m a boy." Agnes turns around to face me while shaking her wings to dry.

    "There no need to lie to me, you''re cute as heck, there is no way you could be a boy."

    She lifts the bottom part of her feathers revealing something that I was not expecting, and my eyes widen in surprise while my mouth agape in shock. Agnes is a boy¡ªand my eyes burn with the image of something that I don''t want to describe.

    Agnes covers his private with his feathers again, and a smirk appears when he sees my stun face.

    "I''m gonna unwind a bit..." I flail my hands, gesturing nonsense at the empty air in front of me.

    "It''s not that surprising," Agnes snickers loudly while I turn around and lie on the ground trying to make sense of it.

    After he dries his feathers and after I strengthen my mind, Agnes leads me through the forest and to the edge of the island where the land end. The small pebble fall as I take a step closer to the end, looking down, I could see a long way descend until it meets with vast empty oceans.

    I can still taste the salty air on my tongue. I can''t believe it at first, but here we are, on a floating island on top of a vast ocean.

    If I fall and hit the water from this height, my body would shatter, as if I hit a brick wall at high speed. I should be careful near the edge, my feet take a step back where it safe, but as for Agnes, he spread his wings, closing his eyes while the strong winds blow against his body.

    "What are we doing here?"

    "You need weapon and armor if you want to travel into the underworld."

    "And what it got to do with this?"

    "There a portal down below that leads to Mount Olympus."

    "What portal?" I try to look down and see nothing except for the oceans.

    "It''s hidden, but it''s there. It what I use to travel between domains, don''t you worry I am an expert on this." He stretches out his neck as he opens his eyes again.

    "Do you trust me?" Agnes asks with a grin on his face.

    "Trust?" His wing slam on my back pushing me off the cliff, I try to grab onto something but fail miserably.

    I can feel the air pulling on my cheek as the wind enter my mouth while I scream for help on my way down to meet the flat oceans. The blast of wind begins to dry my eyeballs causing me to blinks a lot of time to keep it wet again. My heart pulsates to the point of explosion as I get closer to the body of water while both of my arms and legs stretch out to the empty air around me.

    Everything begins to blur as I bring my arms in front of me to protect my head from the solid water. Just I was about to hit the water and break everything in my body, I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable. However, it didn''t come as I feel myself still falling.

    When I open my eyes, I''m in awe at the massive floating mountain in the distance and the ray of light that shines on it. The sight that I witness is straight out of a fantasy book as I could see a row of Parthenon, even more, bigger and complex than Adrestia''s own, built on the side of the mountain and circling it.

    Amazement replaces my fear as I keep gazing at the magnificent mountain. When I look down, I realize there is no end at the bottom because there is only the eternal night sky below me, I could fall forever until the end of time.

    Two large talons wrap themselves around my biceps and slow my fast descend. When I look up, my eyes meet a feathery friend with a smirk on his face as he feels amuse at the fear that I just felt earlier. With my amazement gone, the thrill of rush steps into my heart and filling it.

    "Woooooooooo!!!!" I scream with joy.

    "Let''s do that again!"

    "Later, but first, we need to get you some armor and a weapon."

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 4]

    The rush of air drag against my brunette locks as Agnes carries me with his talons. My feet unchain from the ground and able to swing freely without any restriction. The thrill and fear at the same time, it''s addicting. There is a huge smile on my face as I gaze at the floating mountain in front of me.

    One word comes to my mind; Freedom.

    The sensation of flight is wondrous. I never thought that I could experience something like this. Agnes must feel this very feeling every time he flies, no wonder there is a huge grin on his face before he pushes me off the cliff. Wait, he did shove me off the cliff! I slap Agnes''s thigh in a joking manner, surprising him and causing him to release one of his talons by accident.

    "What are you doing?! I almost drop you! You do know that you are heavy?" There is slight anger in his words.

    I laugh out loud when I look up and see the annoyed expression on his face. He rolls his eyes when he sees me laughing while he grabs my bicep again with his talon.

    "So where are we heading?!"

    "The bottom level of Mount Olympus, it where Hephaestus workshop is!"

    "Hephaestus, the god of blacksmith and fire?!"

    "Yeah! It''s where we are flying toward."

    He dives with his wings retract while I''m still in his talons and fly toward the bottom level of Mount Olympus that looks like an upside-down darken version of the mountain. There is a humongous open doorway with metal sparks shooting out from it. I could feel the heat coming from the entryway, even though I''m still far from it.

    When we arrive above the cliff adjacent to the entryway, Agnes releases his talons and dropping me down. The release is sudden causing me to land on one foot and miss my chance for a proper landing. I stumble forward and fall face first again on the rocky surface.

    "Oww!" I groan in pain as my left leg takes the full force of the fall.

    The cliff is surprisingly warm, I knock on it with my knuckle, and the sound it gives off is not what I expect. It isn''t created using rock instead it is built using metal, entirely out of metal. Interesting. I place both hands under my chest and raise myself. After I get up, Agnes flies above me in a circle before landing elegantly on the ground without a hiccup.

    I roll my eyes when he gestures for me to enter the doorway with a grin on his face. "You could have dropped me gently. That was a rough landing for me¡ªit hurt my breast when you do that."

    "Sorry, my majesty. I couldn''t imagine the hurdle you felt when trying to carry someone who weighs more than yourself while flying." The sarcasm dripping from his words cause a smirk to appear on my face.

    I brush off the dust off my shirt and walk forward. "Enough of your complaint plebian. Now where is my red carpet, I shan''t dirty my feet on this ground." I try to make myself sound like an exaggerated snotty high-class woman while raising my chin and point my nose at the sky.

    When I walk past by Agnes, he smacks the back of my head with one of his wings while a smile forms on his face. I let out a short laugh while continue walking toward the massive doorway with Agnes following me from behind.

    A loud thunderous noise of metal hitting metal echoed as I get closer to the source, the heat rises in the room, but my eyes widen when I see the giant forge behind a muscular god with a white beard, pounding the red hot metal on the huge anvil fit for him with his metal hammer. Metal sparks launch themselves from the anvil every time the god hits the red hot metal.

    I think the gigantic muscular man with a lush brown thick beard and medium-length hair with the same color is Hephaestus, the god of fire. He has quite a dirty look to him. It''s because of the oil smudge on his face and body. However, I admire that look because it looks manly as hell. Still, there is something off about him, I glance behind the anvil, and I see his legs are prosthetic made out of gear and metal like clockwork.

    I glance behind me and notice Agnes is staying back a couple of feet away from me with a look of worry. He wipes the sweat away from his forehead, and I turn to face him.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "It''s¡ªnothing."

    "Are you sure? You look worried."

    "I''m fine, go and talk to him." It seems Agnes doesn''t want to talk about it, and I shouldn''t press on any longer. I let out a sigh as I turn to face Hephaestus, I hope that he will trust me more and tell me. I mean we are friends.

    "Hello!" I yell out.

    The hammer stop mid-air then Hephaestus glance around him looking for the source of the voice. "Down here, Hephaestus sir!" Waving both my hands up in the air to catch his attention.

    Hephaestus cast a look down on the floor and see two small figures. He places the hammer on the anvil and bends forward to get a better look at us. All of a sudden, I''m feeling nervous when he examines me with his eyes, so to cast away the shyness, I show a peace sign at the muscular god using my right hand while my left hand place on my waist then a toothy smile appears on my face.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Hephaestus squints his eyes then widens them again in surprise, "You''re Adrestia candidate." The words come out along with a light Scottish accent while a joyous smile emerges on his face.

    "You are familiar with my goddess?" It sounds like he knows her personally, and also not quite the accent I was expecting.

    "Of course! She is one of my favorites. I work on her armor and weapons. It''s been a privilege to work with her, she quite a stern goddess but deep down, she is caring and honorable."

    "Sound like my goddess."

    His eyes set on Agnes, "It seems you brought someone else with you?"

    I walk backward until I reach beside Agnes and hug him from the side, "He''s my friend, my first friend here!" I embrace him with all I got without hurting him, it seems he doesn''t mind it, and there a smile on his face along with rolling eyes. Agnes''s feathers are so soft to the touch, and he smells so good that I could literally sleep on top of him or hug him all day long.

    "Hmmm, interesting..."

    "But who am I to prevent a friendship so strong. Welcome Agnes to my forge and also welcome¡ªI''m sorry, I never got your name."

    "Th-thank you." His worried expression disappears into thin air, and a small cute smile appears.

    "It''s Andre!" I keep on hugging Agnes, he tries to wiggle out, but can''t because my grip is too firm for him to escape.

    My action caught a few chuckles from Hephaestus, "This has been fun. However, may I ask why are you here?"

    "Ohh! I almost forgot." I let go of Agnes, and he pushes my face away with his wing.

    "I want to get some weapons and armor for myself."

    "Hmm, and why do you need this thing?" Hephaestus scratches his beard while a frown appears along with narrow eyes.

    "Aaaaahhh, Adrestia told me to do?" I answer with a high pitch squeak, trying to hide the fact that I''m going rogue.

    After hearing my answer, Agnes facepalms himself with his wing, "Why did you answer that question with another question." He whispers to me.

    "So it would seem. Adrestia is the type that would do that¡ªhmm, then I have no problem with it."

    "So, you are going give me a weapon and armor?"

    "It would be an honor. However, I''m currently busy with another request from other gods, but no need to fret my second candidate will help you get what you need. If you are fine with him?"

    "What''s wrong with him?" I raise my eyebrow.

    "He''s new, I understand if you wish to have a more experienced blacksmith, but I would be grateful if you give him a chance."

    "I don''t understand about the new thing, but if you are fine with it, then I shall be too because you''re the expert here."

    Hephaestus let out a chuckle. "You are quite different from Adrestia, but it seems she makes a good choice."

    "You think so?" My face brim with excitement.

    "I know so. If you may proceed to the armory, you shall find James there." He gestures to one of the doorways in the room.

    As I move my eyes to the doorway, I finally got a good look at the room, the unfinished blades for halberd, sword, and others are leaning on the wall, too big for me to use. The beautifully engraved plated armor on the stands, also too big for me. All these weapon and armor is made to fit the gods. The smell of this place, it''s addicting actually, the smell of oil and burnt metal.

    I like it.

    When my eyes set on the doorways, I look back at Hephaestus, "See you later, old man!" I joke then dash to the entryway along with Agnes.

    "Old?! Haha-hahaha. Come by anytime you want!" I glance behind me and see he is waving his hand at me with a toothy smile on his face.

    After I reach the room adjacent to the forge room earlier, my eyes widen again as I find myself in a tall cylinder hall with thousands of glowing weapons such as sword, halberd, and every kind of bladed weapon decorate the wall until it reaches the dome ceiling. Then my eye''s attention is caught by the flying clockwork golem that clean and organize the hall.

    "Wow!" When I turn around, I can see Agnes''s mouth agape in amazement.

    I turn around again and see a small wooden door fit for my height with a sign that read "James" I guess that is his room. "Let''s go."

    When I arrive at the door, Agnes stops me by placing a wing between the door and me. I look at him, and I can see the same worried look he had earlier.

    "What''s wrong? You know you can tell me."

    "It''s....complicated, okay? A creature like me, we don''t get along with Candidates or gods or humans or anything else. Something in the past before I was born cause that to happens."

    "What do you mean? Hephaestus seems fine when he sees you."

    "That''s was because of you, you vouch for me, sort of."

    "Then what''s wrong? If you''re worried about James, you don''t need to be. I''ll make sure to protect you." I place my hand on his shoulder.

    Agnes lowers his wing to let me reach the door and take a step back. I look at him, and he has this painful expression on his face. There is something that he doesn''t want or couldn''t talk about it. I don''t want to push on the subject any further because I''m afraid that I''m pushing him away instead of trying to understand him.

    I turn the knob, pushing the door open, and reveal a messy workshop fill with metalworks, unfinished weapons, and something big hidden under a tarp in the corner of the room. Glancing around, I couldn''t find anyone inside the workshop, so I let myself in.

    "Hello? James?" I raise my voice.

    A bunch of metal stuff falls to the stone floor, clinking and jangle. I turn my head to the source, and I see a blanket rise with someone short underneath it. The sound of someone groaning from a slumber slide into my ears, I wait until he fully stands up and the blanket slide off him.

    Golden spiky hair, flight goggle wrap around his forehead, orange eyes, smudge jeans overall, and leather gloves.

    A somewhat cute short young man with bright, warm ivory skin and an energetic face instead of a sullen face like Agnes. What is it with young men who keep gathering around me? First, Agnes, now James? What am I a shotacon?

    I don''t think that''s a word that I can use to describe myself, how do I even know that? I shrug my shoulders, ignoring it.

    "AAAhhhhh!! A harpy!!!" James suddenly panics out of nowhere, he grabs a spear beside him and chugs it across the room.

    My instinct suddenly flares up like fireworks then I grab the spear shaft mid-air before it reaches Agnes and twirls it around like nothing. Somehow, I know how to use a spear, that''s weird. However, that''s not important right now as I slam the butt of the shaft on the floor causing an echo.

    "in the name of the underworld, what are you doing? He''s my friend!" I yell at James, stopping him from screaming as his back press against the wall with fear.

    "What''s wrong with me?! What''s wrong with you?! That''s a monster! They are savage beasts who only know how to kills and destroy!"

    The fear befalls on James''s face and the shaking of his body doesn''t lie. He genuinely does think that. I glance behind me, Agnes''s eyes begin to well up with tears, and with pinched lips, he runs out of the room on the verge of tears.

    "Agnes! Wait!" I chase after him.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 5]

    "Agnes, wait!" I call out to him, as he walks toward the doorway that we came from, wiping his tears.

    "Agnes, please stop!" I yell out, and he stops his stride with his gaze downcast.

    "I-I don''t¡ªwant you to know. I should have stayed behind."

    I shake my head with confusion, "Know what? What don''t you want me to know?"

    "I don''t want you to know¡ªwhat they truly see me as, a monster. I''m a monster, Andre. The fear you felt when you first meet me, isn''t like what he felt. That fear is hatred and rage toward my kind."

    "I don''t understand..." I try to follow, but couldn''t. I don''t have all the puzzle pieces to know the big story.

    "Of course, you don''t, Andre. That''s why you befriend me in the first place, that''s why I called you weird. You haven''t been taught to hate my kind as he does."

    "Then, turn around. Make me understand." I let the spear fall out of my hand and hits the floor.

    He does such, and his feathers flutter in the wind, as he looks at me with a painful expression. "A long time ago, there was a war between the gods and monsters. The gods send their candidates to fight against us. Both sides lost many lives over the battle, but eventually, the gods overwhelmed us, and we lost the war."

    "That''s why James is scared of me. I''m a threat to them, but I''m not. I try to change, I took an oath, to never harm a living soul and yet, no matter what I do¡ªthey still see as a savage beast."

    "Step into my shoes, and understand. After a long time of trying to convince people that I''m different, I even let myself get thrown out from my own family, just so, I could be something else than a monster. After long despair and hopeless failure, you show up and treat me as a friend, as equal."

    "I don''t want you to see me as the others do, I don''t want to¡ªlose you." Agnes wrinkles his nose as he wipes the few tears away with his wing.

    I propel my left foot forward then follow by my right foot to get closer to Agnes. Afterward, I place one of my hands on his back, and another behind his head. Then I gently bring his head closer to my breasts. I feel his face press between my bosoms while his orange hair pricks against my palm. I brush his hair, and the smell of his washed hair causes me to giggle.

    He doesn''t fight it. Instead, he let me comfort him.

    However, the warm tears wetting my shirt, tell me he is in pain. Agnes has been alone for a copious amount of years, maybe even longer. If I was in his shoes, I might easily give in to despair.

    "It''s gonna be okay."

    "How can you say that with so much confidence?"

    "If I don''t care about you, why did I chase after you? You are my friend. It doesn''t matter whether you''re a monster or god or anything else. Nothing can change the fact that I want to be your friend."

    I can hear him sniffs a tear away. When I look down, I can see a smile of reassurance appearing among his puffy eyes.

    "Thank you for being my friend, you weirdo."

    "I''m not a weirdo, will a weirdo do this?!" I secure my arms around Agnes''s torso, then lift him off the floor to spin him around.

    "Yes!"

    Agnes''s laughter of joy fill my heart and warming it. I cheer out my happiness while I''m spin him around with my arms. A loud cough interrupts my spinning, I turn until I meet with the source, and I notice James is standing in the doorway with a guilty look.

    "I heard what you say. I''m sorry. I only heard stories of how terrible your kind is. I never actually met one, as you can see I''m not built to fight, so I never left Pops workshop. Will you forgive me?"

    I glance at Agnes''s face, he is thinking about the apology, but I know what his answer is, and because of that, I press my cheek against his. "He accepts your apology, don''t you?! My little cuteness."

    "I''m not short! You are overly tall!" Agnes pouts his lips while his cheeks blush.

    He then glances at James, "And yes, I accept your apology."

    A toothy smile appears on James''s face, "Thank you! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m James of Hephaestus. The second candidate and fairly new around here. Not as new as you though." He bows his head slightly.

    "Oh!" The formal bow surprise me, I let go of Agnes and turn to face him. I pinch the side of my pants and lower myself a bit in an attempt to curtsy.

    "My name is Andre of Adrestia. The first candidate for my goddess."

    When I straighten up, I look at him with wide eyes, "I never expect you to be so formal."

    "Ah, it''s because of my brother, Kingsley. The first candidate told me that I should work on my manners. Anyway, are you here to get suit up before facing The Darkness?"

    The Darkness? What the hell is that? I''m curious about it, but I can''t ask James about it, or he might suspect that I''m going rogue. Hmm, I should ask Agnes later, he might know something about it.

    "Yeah, The Darkness."

    "Well then come into my humble abode, and I shall equip you with the exquisite weapons and armor I have available." James turns around and enters his workshop.

    As I walk toward the door, I notice that Agnes is staying behind, "Are you coming?"A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "Give me a minute. I need some time alone first."

    "Are you okay?"

    "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me, go. I''ll catch up." A smile forms with his lips, Agnes is telling me that he is okay, and he needs a minute to recompose himself after the emotional scene.

    "I''ll be waiting," I turn around and walk into the workshop.

    Once again, I meet with the same workshop full of metal cogs lying around and unfinished blade weapons leaning on the wall. I look around while James digs around in his stuff, he then takes out a long wooden staff with a hook. James latch on the handlebar attaches to the ceiling and brings down a hidden cabinet fill with weapons and armors.

    Swords, halberd, ax, a hatchet with a widely different style of weapons from the katana to the European crossguard sword, every last of them are mounted nicely. The weaponry has a very distinct style of jagged blade and sharp corner. Aside from the armaments, the collection of armors is thin, from the breastplate to chainmail and hard leather.

    "Hephaestus said you are new like it is a bad thing to be. Why is that?"

    "Oh, you didn''t know about that, yet you still give your trust to me?"

    "Yeah, I don''t see any problem with being new."

    "Being new to a blacksmith meaning that I am inexperienced."

    "So?" I glance at him.

    "Hmm, how do I explain it. Okay, imagine this, a warrior comes to an inexperienced blacksmith to get a weapon before a big battle. So he got a weapon from that blacksmith and went to battle. Mid-battle, the weapon break and it cost him his life. If he had gone to a more experience blacksmith and get a better quality one, he would probably live."

    "The bottom line is, you are trusting your life to me when you get a weapon or armor from me, because you will be using them in battle, and you need something you can trust to fight that battle. Something dependable and work."

    "Are you willing to trust your life to me? To an inexperienced blacksmith? Because I never had any customer before. The other candidates all went to Kingsley because they trust him. That''s why he so busy."

    I look at him with a newfound understanding of the risk and danger. A smile appears on my face when I think it over, "I trust you."

    "You certainly are weird, just like the harpy said." A grateful smirk appears on his face.

    "Thank you for trusting me. So, pick your poison." He gestures to the assortment of weapons and armors.

    "Hmm, do you have any guns? For some reason, I''m more comfortable with guns."

    "Guns, huh. Intriguing. You are unquestionably new." Curiosity replaces his last expression.

    "What''s wrong with guns?"

    "Wait for a second, let me get something." James jumps back into his stack boxes looking for something.

    When he found something, he let out, "Aha! Found it!."

    He brings forth a rectangular wooden box, showing it to me, he opens it and reveals a handgun. "You know, when I was still alive, before becoming a candidate. I always had an adoration for firearms, wanted to buy one, but I wasn''t that rich. Had to work at my parent''s ranch for three months to buy my first handgun."

    "The power of a singular pistol is amazing, but it useless against The Darkness."

    "Before?"

    "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I was born and lived on earth. In the state called Texas."

    "I don''t understand." I look at him with a puzzled look because I have no idea about the subject he is talking about.

    "Your past life, before you become a candidate. The life you had before you died. Every Half-born has a past life unless you are a Pure-born?"

    "Half-born? Pure-born? Past Life? I don''t think I have, or remember..."

    "My head hurts!" I take a sit on something and press both fingers on the side of my forehead.

    James place the box containing the handgun on a table and set a hand on my shoulder. "Woah, calm down! You''re trying to break your mind if you dig deep into the well of knowledge."

    "Well of knowledge?"

    "Oh damn, don''t your goddess explain anything before sending you to hunt The Darkness?"

    "Nah, she was busy. I tell her that I will be fine."

    "Oh yeah, the meeting of Twelve Gods is today. My Pops always skip it."

    I let out a small chuckle to relieve some of the headaches I''m having. "You call Hephaestus, Pops?"

    "Yeah...He''s like a father to me, and he treats me like a son more so than my past father."

    "So, let start on the meeting of Twelve Gods. What can you tell me about it?"

    "The meeting of Twelve Gods is a summit of every Olympian gods on the top of Mount Olympus, they come and discuss important issues. Right now it''s about The Darkness."

    "Why is it call the meeting of Twelve gods?"

    "Because the twelve gods that rule over the twelve worlds always attend the meeting, and before you ask, the twelve gods are Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Aphrodite and lastly Dionysus."

    "It''s mandatory for them to comes, except for Hades. But sometimes the other 59 gods including your Goddess came to the meeting."

    "59 plus 12? There are 71 gods?"

    "Yeah, you better not think about it too much."

    "So about the past life. Also, Half-born and Pure-born, can you explain?"

    "Okay, easy. Half-born is like me. My soul has to be chosen to inhabit this body, to become a candidate. Pure-born, on the other hand, starts with a blank soul. They are born and raised by the gods to become a candidate. Essentially, they are direct children to the gods."

    "You were born yesterday, right?"

    "Yeah, how can you tell?"

    "A guess, that means you''re a Half-born. If you were a Pure-born, you would be a baby right now."

    "But a Half-born without memory of her past life is highly unusual. I never heard of it happening before." He moves his hand away and stroke his chin.

    "As Agnes said, I''m weird. Better put it on the list." I let out a sigh while leaning on the wall behind me.

    "What the hell is well of knowledge?"

    "One of many gifts that the gods grant us. Well of Knowledge is an accumulation of information that your gods have. What she knows, you know. Try not to dig deeper because if you do you might go insane, the knowledge isn''t suited for us."

    "The ability to speak to Agnes is thanks to the well."

    "Ahh, damn it. Now I have to ask, what is the gift the god grants us."

    "The general gift that all of the Born has are better body, strength, speed, reflex, and endurance. The special gift is a rare one that you inherit specifically from your gods. Mine is the shared knowledge of the greatest blacksmith in existence and this hammer that the Pops make for me." Out of nowhere, a metal hammer with intricate engraving on the head appears from a bright glowing light in his hand.

    The hammer causes my eyes to widen in surprise. "I can build anything. I can make weapons that can harm anything, even us and the gods."

    "The gods can be hurt?"

    "Oh shit, I''m not supposed to say that aloud." James looks around the workshop for Agnes and looks back at me when he in the clear.

    James leans closer at me and whispers, "It''s a taboo subject, but you can kill gods, I mean not permanently. More precisely, you can destroy the god''s body, but their essence stays and reborn again."

    "How about their memories?"

    "It will remain, they will be furious if they found out who destroy their body. I don''t want to be that person."

    "However, the process takes a long time for a god to be reborn again, that''s why we?" James waits for me to finish his sentence.

    Then like lightning pass through my head, it comes together, and I finish the sentence, "Exist."

    "Ding ding ding, correct."

    "Candidates are essentially the driver for the god''s replacement body. When they die, our bodies will be taken over by the gods. That''s it. That''s our purpose."

    "Why they need us? Why go through all the trouble of picking a soul to inhabit their replacement body?"

    "Because the god''s body needs a soul to keep it running. They need the essence from our soul to keep their replacement body from crumbling into dust."

    James''s face darkening as he looks at me with seriousness, "But none of that even matter to us, what matters is, are you willing to give your body up when the time comes?"

    That question is like an arrow through my heart. My mouth is unmoving as the real purpose of my existence is answers. To give up my body when the time comes. What would happen to me when that occurs? My soul, will it get kicked out just like that?

    I gazed intensely at the floor between James''s feet, as the first conundrum befalls on me since I awake.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 6]

    Will I be willing to sacrifice my body when the time comes?

    For Adrestia. Still gazing at the floor between James''s feet, a grin crept up with my lips, and I look up again at the young man in front of me with golden spiky hair. He looks at me, and a smile appears on his face, he knows my answer just by looking at my face.

    I stand up from my whatever I was sitting on, "In a heartbeat! I serve my goddess to the end, and if she needs my body then who am I to say no. Besides, it''s the noblest thing I can do, serving the gods to the fullest."

    "I know you would say that. Almost all candidates answer the same as you do. Including me." We both look at each other with pride in our eyes.

    Our hands grab each other, then I pull him closer to me, instead of a macho hug, James''s cheeks suddenly blush red and break away from the embrace. Then, I realize his face was press up against my firm breasts because of his short height. I completely forgot about my woman body, James must have startle himself when that happens.

    I let out a chuckle as James stutter his words, "I-I-I''m s-sorry. Your soft b-breasts. Ah! I mean, your exquisite b-busts! Wait, what am I saying! I dint means to bury my face in your bosom. I''m sorry."

    "Don''t worry about it. But, there is something weird about my body, it doesn''t feel right, somehow." I gaze down at my hands, clenching them and unclenching them to feels every muscle and skins move, but more importantly the sense of touch.

    "It probably means, you were a man before you become a candidate. Gender-bending is quite common here. The gods need a body that matches them to some degree. Since your Goddess a woman, she will need a woman body."

    "Maybe, could be."

    "Just-" I finish James''s sentence before he did "Don''t think about it too much. Understood."

    "Correct. Anyways, let''s get back to the topic about guns." He walks to where his gun was and takes it out then loads a full clip into it.

    "Before we move on? How about Pure-born, does their body gets taken over by the gods when times come?"

    "Nope, they have a different purpose than us. They act more like a guardian during the reborn process and act as temporary gods when it needed. However, all this talk about Pure-born and Half-born doesn''t matter, because do you think it easy to kill a god? Because it never happens before."

    I raise a finger. "Last question. What if a candidate doesn''t want to be one?"

    "Oh, the gods just let you go, you probably get to reborn as human again as gratitude or something. That happens sometimes, and I have seen it happen."

    "What? I can quit anytime I want?" My eyes widen in surprise at the options.

    "Yep." James shrugs his shoulders.

    "Huh, I don''t know that was an option¡ª!"

    Bang!

    Bang!

    Bang!

    Three loud gunshots shake the air in the workshop, I place a hand on my stomach, as the pain surges throughout my body like wildfire. Shock at what happens, my mouth is wide open while I blink my eyelashes a couple of times, after taking a step back, and I place my other hand on the end table right next to me to prevent myself from falling. The cogs and metal springs fall onto the floor as my hand pushes it down from the end table.

    "ANDRE!!" Agnes screams as he barge into the room, and growls at James, causing him to back away in fear of the harpy.

    It so painful, it feels like someone is pinching my skin with a plier. I grit my teeth as I bend forward, removing my hand from my belly, three bullets slide out from under my shirt, and three burn holes decorate it. There is no dripping blood or anything, just a mark of gunpowder.

    "What have you done!" Agnes yells at James again.

    "It''s okay, I was showing her about guns. She''s okay!" James tries to calm down Agnes.

    Agnes glare at James while baring  his sharp jagged teeth against him, "Agnes, calm down!"

    "What?" The harpy looks back at me and confuses about what happened.

    "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

    "I''m fine. Just a little stomachache. The bullets did nothing, but it still damn painful."

    "Are you sure?" His worried eyes bore into me, waiting for an answer.

    I let out a reassuring smile, calming the harpy, "I''m sure."

    "As I said before, a bullet can''t harm us." James places the gun back into its box.

    "You just get shot by a Desert Eagle with 50 caliber bullets. It''s amazing really, the toughness of our skin. Imagine, if people possess the ability to stop bullets as our skin does, or the means to create armor as effective as our skin."

    "Sure, sure, but you could have warned me before shooting me in the stomach. It still feels like getting shot, even if the bullet did nothing." I lift the bottom of my shirt to show the gunpowder mark on my abs.

    Weird, how do I know the feeling of getting shot? I shake my head at the thought.

    "Hehe, sorry¡ªnormal bullets can''t hurt us. If it can''t hurt us, then it won''t hurt the Darkness. Their skin is as tough as ours, so we need specialized weapons like this sword." He gestures to the weapon among the selection.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Look like a normal sword to me, but a good-looking one." All these weapons have a particular style to them, no curve, only sharp corners, and a few jagged teeth on the blade.

    "Don''t let their normalcy fool you. These weapons can hurt us. It can even kill us."

    "But can''t you make bullets that can hurt them?"

    "Making one bullet to hurt them took amazingly long time to do, It inefficient. Unless you an Artemis candidate, she uses a long-ranged weapon. A bow to be precise because she can create an arrow made out of the light that can pierce through anything. It''s her gift."

    At the corner of my eyes, I can see Agnes is staring at me intently. I wonder if he even listening to the conversation between James and me. "Still, I prefer a gun."

    "Fine. I might have something. A prototype that I been developing, it might work or it won''t." James turns around and rummages through his stuff again.

    Agnes is still staring at me for some reason, "If you stare too much, you might fall in love with me." I say with a grin on my face.

    He''s worry about me, I can tell by the look in his eyes. "It''s okay, I''m fine. I''m not hurt, see?" I show him my glistening abs with a smirk on my face, he rolls his eyes, and he steps back to take a seat while his shoulders droop.

    After lowering my shirt down, I turn to face James, he takes out another box larger than before and brings it to me. He opens the box and reveals a firearm that looks like a short version of a rifle in a western movie.

    There a sense of pride in James''s eyes as he looks at the gun, "This is a custom-made, Henry Big Boy ''Mare''s Leg'' Lever Action Pistol .44 magnum. It has a gold plating receiver with custom engraving, and I sand down the brown wooden stock and fore-end, myself. A prototype with a magnificent design. So, what do you think?"

    "What do I think? This gun looks awesome as heck, but you said that normal bullets don''t work?"

    "Yes, normal bullets don''t work, but what I made is a special bullet, fill to the brim with powerful energy, compact, and press together by me. It took me a lengthy amount of time and a massive amount of energy that I pull from myself to make these bullets."

    "I can only make six bullets, and that six bullets are powerful and explosive round. My word of advice, don''t shoot people with it because it may disintegrate them, and don''t use all of the bullets in one go because the gun may explode in your hand. It is a prototype after all."

    "Man, I especially like the western movie vibe, the gun has." I take out the pistol, looking at the Mount Olympus engraving on the frame, and feel the weight of the gun.

    "I love western movies back before I was a candidate. It''s one of the reasons, why I love collecting guns."

    "I''ll take it. Now, it needs a name how about ''Boomer''?" The stock begins to turn searing hot, and for some reason, I can''t let go of the gun.

    "Ouch! What''s going on?"

    "The gun is registering you as its new owner, now only you can use the gun. It''s a feature, that I put in, for safety."

    After the gun cools down, only then I can remove my hand, "Seriously, a warning next time."

    "My fault. Should have warned you. However, you still need a main weapon, a blade one, you can''t rely solely on the gun, and I won''t let you leave without one. It''s like sending you on a suicide mission."

    "Sure, sure. I''ll pick one." I walk closer to the assortment of bladed weapons.

    I look at the European broadsword, the crossguard and the double edge seems cool, but the katana, I mean it''s the katana, who doesn''t want that? Hmm, carrying them will be a pain though, should I pick the dagger? Wait, what is that? A sickle attaches to a chain, looks dangerous and overly complicated. A battleax looks heavy though.

    As I browse the selections, one of the weapons caught my eyes. A hatchet, it''s a moderately common-looking hatchet with a diamond-shaped head, intricate engraving of a maze on both sides of its head, and a combination of jagged teeth and smooth end on its cutting blade.

    The rectangle shaft looks uncomfortable to hold, but thanks to the leather wraps, it should prevent any awkward handling. Still, it wasn''t the look that caught my attention.

    It reminds me of something, but no matter how much, I try to remember, it won''t let me. "D&D..."

    "Dungeons & Dragons, the boards game? That game only exists on earth. Maybe, you''re from there before all of this."

    "I''m not sure...maybe." I keep staring at it like a moth to light. My upbeat personality is gone and replaced with mild gloom. A tear drip down my cheek as I feel grief for reason unknown.

    "Are you okay?"

    I wipe my cheek and take the hatchet off the cabinet. "I-I''m fine...Haha, I''ll take the hatchet then." Just like the gun, the handle turns red hot and searing my palm once more. When it cools down, only then I can release it once more. The searing heat didn''t leave any mark on my palm, but it sure is painful.

    "Okay then. A tip from me, the hatchet possesses the ability to fly back to your hand when you call out it. If you understand, then let me grab you a belt sheath for that hatchet and the holster for the gun." James begins to rummage through his stuff again, while Agnes observes him.

    I glance down at the holes in my shirt and bare feet, then I look up at the chainmail vest, "I''ll be taking the chainmail vest, and also do you have any cloth that I can have? I can''t wear a shirt with bullet holes in it." I take off the chainmail from the selection.

    "Sure, the chest near my motorcycle. I have some cloth that I use for reference. You can pick whatever you want from there as my apology for ruining your shirt."

    Motorcycle? I finally notice the big junk that covers with a tarp is a bike. I walk to the chest first, squatting down, I open the chest and revealing the contents. There are a bunch of different shirts and pants inside of this thing, some I have never seen before.

    Rummaging around the chest, I finally found the cloth suit my taste, a purple Hawaiian shirt with sunset and palm tree print. Among other things, I take are a white t-shirt, tight blue jeans pants, and cowboy high-heel brown boots that reach my calf.

    I strip off my old cloth without a second thought, leaving me in my undies. James let out a high pitch squeak as I try to put on the pant. After I wear my pants, I turn around, and he is covering his eyes in panic. Agnes on the other hand look confuse.

    "Why are you naked?!"

    "To put on the cloth?"

    "Why not do it outside?!"

    "Oh, sorry. I forgot...It''s becoming a habit. But, meh." I shrug my shoulders.

    "Surprisingly, I don''t care. You can look all you want. I don''t mind."

    "What? No! Quickly, put on your cloth!"

    "Come on...I know you want to see it." I press my breasts together with both my arms while leaning forward in an attempt to mimic a sexy pose. A few trickles of sweats slide down into the crevice of the softest bosom that I have ever felt. James peeks a little and quickly shut his eyes while covering his crotch.

    I let out a giggle while wearing the white shirt first before putting on the chainmail. Lastly, I put on the Hawaiian shirt and the high heels boots. "Done, how do I look?"

    James peeks again and lets out a breath of relief. "You look like a cowboy about to go on a Hawaiian vacation. Why the Hawaiian shirt?"

    "It shows what my moods are, Happy and ready to have fun. Agnes, how do I look?"

    "The weird cloth suit you, weirdo."

    I glance back at the chest and take out a turquoise scarf with white stripes. Turning around, I walk to the harpy with a smile on my face. Agnes looks at me, confuse and alarm by my smile.

    He closes his eyes while I wrap the scarf around his neck, "It gets cold when flying, this will warm you up."

    Backing away from him. "So, do you like it?"

    A bright smile showing his sharp teeth appear on his face. Agnes answers me with quick nods. Aaaww, he looks so precious with that happy face.

    "Here, your belt and thigh holsters." James shows me the items, and I take them off his hand.

    I put on the thigh holster on my left leg and slide the Boomer in it. Then I wear the belt around my waist. So, I can sheath the Hatchet on my right side.

    "Also here, your complimentary teleportation rune pebble. It will teleport you to a fixed place, in all the worlds."

    I push the teleportation rune away, "I don''t need it, I have the most cutest guide in the universe, but I do need a vehicle to fly. Do you have anything for that? Because I don''t want Agnes to carry me all the way, I am heavier than him and with all this junk on me. I find it may be hard for him to carry me."

    "Oh, that''s how you came here. That explains a lot."

    James looks past me at the Motorcycle hidden under the tarp. "I may have something in mind."

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 7]

    We''re back out again on the platform outside of Hephaestus workshop with the endless sky before me.

    Fumes shoot out from the triple short exhausts, accompany by the popping sound of fuel and air exploding in the engine. I can feel the seat vibrate, and rubbing against my cherry as I play with its throttle. I bite down my bottom lip playfully as I feel the 140 horsepower engine purring under me. This beast, I''m not sure I can handle its...thrust.

    I let out a moan, "Aaaah..."

    "What?" James''s eyes widen while staring at me as he stands beside me. In front of the bike, Agnes faces palm himself with his wing.

    "What? Can''t a girl have some fun?" I lick my lips while a hand is reaching toward my love button.

    "Don''t make this weird, please..." James let out a sigh while I let out a smile, and changes my attitude back to serious.

    "As I said before, this motorcycle is the remade of Brutale 800 RR. The difference between this bike and the other Brutale 800 RR is the engine itself, and the body. Using tougher metal that only available at Mount Olympus, I was able to construct its frame. So, it is capable of withstanding the flight mode."

    "And yes, you heard me say it. The bike is capable of flying, by using a complex build that I copy from Hermes winged sandals. I want to explain it further, but I''m too lazy to do it. I especially enjoy building it by myself, so please take good care of it."

    "Of course! She is in a good hand." I hug the tank and notice wing engravings on both sides of the fuel tank.

    "I doubt it."

    "Wait, what about fuel?"

    "It''s a hybrid. By that, I don''t mean it uses electricity. It uses your energy as its fuel to fly and drive, but you can change it to petrol usage when driving down the road, and only on the road. You can''t use flight mode on petrol usage, I haven''t worked out the kinks yet."

    "OOooo, very nice." My lip pout as I said it.

    "Hmm, It''s quite a beautiful design. I see you are using my winged sandal design for its engine."

    I turn my head and see Hephaestus is looking at us with intrigued eyes. He walks closer to us and examines the motorcycle thoroughly, scanning every part and frame while nodding his head in approval.

    "Pops! I thought you were working?"

    "Taking a break, to see my youngest inventions take off for the first time. I''ve seen you built, but never test it."

    "I never had the confidence to test it." James scratches the back of his head in embarrassment.

    "You should be more confident on your invention, son." He pats the top of James''s head in a fatherly-like manner.

    I look at Agnes while ignoring the conversation that James has with Hephaestus. "You surprise me back there. You were a foot away from biting off James''s throat. I thought you took an oath?"

    Agnes looks embarrassed as I point out the earlier accident, "I don''t know what happened, it just the anger overwhelm me for some reason when I see you in pain."

    I let out a smile, "Come closer."

    Agnes looks at me and takes a few steps closer until he''s in my arms reach. I place a kiss on his forehead, and his face reddens like an apple. "I appreciate it, but don''t break your oath for me, because I want you to keep that oath. Besides, don''t worry about me, I can take care of myself."

    "I will try." Agnes pecks his lips on my cheek to return the favor.

    I brush the top of his head and let out a giant smile. Agnes snuggles up to my hand, wanting more of it. We break off and turn my head to James. "Sorry to bother you, so how do I fly this thing?"

    "It''s easy. You need to flip that toggle on the left handle to change the mode and flip that toggle on the right to change the fuel mode. Then pull up and down like you are doing a wheelie."

    "James?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Thanks for everything."

    "No, thank you, and sorry about earlier."

    "Can you stop apologizing? I already forgave you. Now, own up to it!"

    "Sorry, shit. I mean, can you buzz off before I start apologizing again?"

    "Hehe, sure. Agnes, lead the way!" I fist bump James, and he takes a step back, but before he got away, I grab the flight goggle off his forehead and wear it.

    "I need this."

    "You could have asked me."

    "Well, you could have warned me."

    "Touche."

    Agnes runs and jumps off the platform before ascending to the sky. "Wait, before you leave. Can I ask you, where are you heading?"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    After flipping the flight mode on the left throttle, two luminescence wings appear out of thin air on both sides of the fuel tank before disappearing into nothingness.

    "The underworld." The engines roar as the bike wheelie up and launch itself from the platform.

    "Wait! What?! But the¡ª" James reaches out his hand to me, but it was too late, I already up in the sky following Agnes. I couldn''t hear what James was trying to say as the winds carry the sounds away from my eardrums.

    *****************************************************************

    Just like blinking an eye, the scenery change from a beautiful endless sky to another one, but with a sea of dark clouds rest a few feet beneath me. For some weird reason, I could smell the lingering of burning coals along with the stench of rotten eggs. The stench must be related to the dark clouds below me, I peek down, and I still couldn''t see anything, but Agnes seems to know the way.

    I blink my eyes in disbelief as a pack of hungry-looking Harpies are heading our way. "Agnes!" I yell out to him, but I don''t know whether he hears it or not.

    "Andre, quickly follow my lead!" I could hear a reply from Agnes.

    Agnes dives down into the dark clouds, and I lean forward to bring the Brutale down. The layer of dark cloud prevents me from seeing any further, and my flight goggle is cover with black grease as I fly through the cloud, wiping it away with my hands, I could see again just in time as we escape the clouds.

    One of the first thing that grabs my attention is the massive amount of active volcanoes on the lands, and there isn''t a single green or tree or anything that suggests that this place support life. There are only rubbles and charcoals spread in the entire world, and not even a source of water is in sight.

    While following Agnes, I see a large cave mouth with a broken pillar near it, and we are getting closer to it. Agnes land on the rocky ground near the cave mouth, and I follow him down. The tire leaves a trail as it touches down on the ground, the bike comes to a slow stop, and I turn to look behind me, still seeing the pack of Harpies coming toward us. Agnes walks toward the Harpies with a scowl on his face.

    "Agnes?"

    "It''s okay, it''s my family, but just in case, be careful."

    The flock of Harpies hovers around us, baring their sharp teeth and growling. They look nothing like Agnes, the red mark over their face shows their hostility, their scars show their experience in battle, and the smell of dread accompanies them, strike fear into their enemies. My hand press against my hatchet, waiting and preparing for a fight.

    "Well, well, look who came back? The coward who got exiled from our family." One of the Harpies in red feathers taunt.

    "Well, at least I''m not the family psychopath."

    "Are you calling me crazy? Huh?!" The agitate Harpy raises her voice while her left eye twitch.

    Agnes keeps his lips seal while trying to calm himself to avoid further escalation between him and her. But my blood boils as I see Agnes in a painful state, I especially want to beat that shit, but I have to hold it in and believe that Agnes will get us out of here.

    "You not gonna answer me, coward?" She taunts him again.

    "Please, Uvoah, my sister. Leave us alone." Agnes tries to speak calmly.

    "Us?" She glances at me and takes a sniff of the air.

    "Candidates..." Her anger is suddenly direct at me, so does the hostility from the other Harpies that are hovering above us.

    "She''s my friend, don''t hurt her." Agnes stands in front of me with his wings spread out.

    "Friend? Candidates don''t befriend a monster like you, like us! Wake up, she just using you. Just like the gods! Look at her, ready to attack us anytime she wants."

    Agnes glance at me, I look at my hand that presses against the hatchet, I move it away and raise both my hands up. "Look, I''m not here to fight. I''m here to get into the Underworld."

    "The Underworld? Hahaha-haha, are you sending your friend to die, Agnes? Don''t you know how dangerous it is inside the Underworld?"

    "A risk, I willing to take," I answer without a doubt.

    "You''re crazy. You know that right?"

    "I have been called a weirdo lately, so I''m not surprised." A smug grin appears on my face.

    Uvoah laughs uncontrollably until she suddenly stops and stares at us. "Let leave this coward and crazy alone, for now." The pack of harpies rises to the sky and flies away, except for Uvoah.

    There is a disappointment in her eyes as she stares at Agnes, "I used to look up to you, I can''t believe what you turn out to be." She spits onto Agnes''s talon before flying away, while Agnes lowers his chin in shame.

    After the Harpies left the scene, I place a hand on Agnes''s shoulder, "Are you okay?"

    "I''m okay...Damn it." He wipes a tear with his wing and sniffs the sorrow away.

    I wanted to say something to him, something to make him feel betters, but nothing comes to mind. Instead, I try to change his focus from the Harpies to the Underworld. "So are we here?"

    "Yes, the gate is inside that cave, and guarded by Hades three-headed dog, Cerberus." Flashes of Cerberus come to mind, but there are so many depictions of it that it''s hard to tell which one is the correct depiction.

    "Three-headed dogs? How am I gonna get past that?"

    "Sneak past it?" Agnes attempt humor to hide his turbulent emotions, but it caught a few small laughs from me anyway.

    "Worst case scenario, I''ll have to fight it." I stretch my arms up in the air.

    "So let''s do it. Guard the bike for me. I have a feeling that I can''t use the bike in there or it will be trash by the terrifying creatures living inside the Underworld."

    "Andre, be careful you heard what my sister said."

    "Nothing can scare me." An arrogant smirk form with my lip.

    I look upon the dark cave, after taking a breath to gather my courage, I walk straight into it. I couldn''t see anything inside of the cave, but I feel the humidity in the air rises inside as I keep walking deeper into it.

    It must be telling me that I''m getting closer to a water source. Out of nowhere, I bump my forehead into something muscular. It''s not a statue because when I run my fingers down it, I can feel bountiful hairs and rough skin. Then a huff of sharp breeze, blast down my hair.

    A fist the size of my torso, slam against my chest causing my whole body to fly out of the cave. Time slows into a crawl for me as I fly through the air, I can see at the corner of my eyes, Agnes''s eyes open up wide as she stares at me while I''m in the air.

    "Son of a beach!"

    When my perception of time becomes normal again, I feel my whole body crash into a rocky wall, cracking it and leaving a crater as I fall back onto the ground. A few of the small rocks from the crack cliff rest on my back. I lost every breath I had in my lung, but even with the striking pain in my chest, I move my hands under me and push the ground so I could stand again.

    I look upon the maw of the cave and a gigantic Minotaur, part man, and part beast. The body of a man, the legs and head of a bull with pointed horns on the side of its head, and the height of my goddess. The beast bore his sight at me, shaking its horn and hitting his muscular pec with his fist.

    The beast is taunting me.

    I''m no liar, the beast scares the living shit out of me, just like the time, I meet Agnes. However, I need to remain brave for Adrestia. I won''t let this beast stop me.

    But first, I need to warn my friend, "Agnes! Run!" The moment he hears my warning, he quickly flies up and away from the Minotaur.

    I unsheath the hatchet out of my belt, then spin it in my hand before holding it tightly on the shaft. Then I hunch my body forward and let out a deathly battle cry that echoes toward him, provoking the beast.

    "AAAARRR!!!" As both of us charge toward each other, the Minotaur pulls back his fist, ready for a punch while I pull back my hatchet, ready for a downward strike.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 8]

    The Minotaur charges at me with a fist the size of my torso ready behind him, while I dash toward him with my hatchet ready. When we meet in the middle, I drop and slide on my knee. The beast punches the ground, cracking the earth and dispersing a thin cloud of dust away from his fist. As I slide under him between his legs, I plant the blade into his leg. However, I let go of the shaft as the edge is stuck into his leg.

    I rotate my body and dig my feet into the dirt stopping myself from sliding. The Minotaur turns around without showing any pain in his expression. Another fist fly toward me, I roll to the left, avoiding the attack, and the same result happens to the ground beside me.

    "James said, I could call it back. Come on, do it, focus." I whisper to myself while extending my hand forward at the hatchet.

    Without giving me a chance, the Minotaur tries to punch me into oblivion, but I flip backward, avoiding another fist. However, before I avoid the third attack, I manage to call on the hatchet, it escapes the meaty leg, and it takes off like a bullet toward me.

    "Damn it! James!" Instead of the hatchet land in my hand, it sinks itself into the rocky cliff behind me.

    After I''m busy avoiding my hatchet that''s trying to chop my head off, I didn''t realize an attack is coming closer. The beast fist hit my side and tossing my whole body to the rocky cliff. My left arm and shoulder crash into the stone wall, and I can feel something break inside of me as I cough out a little bit of blood.

    "Shit!" Before I could gather myself, the beast charge and impact his horned head against my stomach.

    The air inside my lungs escapes through my mouth, as the unmeasurable pain causes me to grunt loudly. The beast continues punching me deeper into the wall after crashing into me, bits of broken rock fall out from the crack cliff behind me.

    "Andre!!" Agnes screams my name in worry.

    "Stay back!" I scream at him as I keep getting hit again and again by the beast''s seemly limitless strength.

    A fire begins to brew inside of me.

    A fire that''s familiar to me, a flame that I''m afraid of, but I don''t know why.

    I''m scared, but the fire overwhelms everything, doubt, concern, and every bit of emotion are replace with¡ªRage!

    My sight begins to obscure, every common sense I have is throw out of the window. The beast moves his hand away from me, preparing for another punch, but when he tries to hit me with his fist, I pull back my elbow using what little space I have and strike his clenched hand with my own. Two unstoppable force meets with each other causing a shock wave between our fists.

    The skin on my knuckle tears itself as it meets the beast''s fist. While I feel the unbearable strain that I''m putting in my arm, and I could tell that in a few more seconds, the bones and muscle in my arm or the beast are going to shatter and burst. It is my lucky day as the bone inside the beast''s hand break first causing him to let out a roar while backing away.

    My back drag against the rough crack wall before finally landing on my knee, but I didn''t take a rest as my rage guide me. I call upon my hatchet once more, while I dash and climb up the beast. Grabbing his arm, I lift myself until I meet with his face, I extend my left hand, the hatchet fly into my hand and snug tightly between my fingers and palm.

    I raise the hatchet and bring it down on its left horn. The blade digs inside the thick horn, but it''s not enough to cut through it. So, I climb up again until I stand on its head, the beast tries to grab me but fails. I stomp on the back of the hatchet, pushing the blade through, and breaking the horn off while causing a small amount of blood to squirt out from its stump.

    A roar escape from my mouth, "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

    The beast falls onto his knee, as the force from my stomp pushes him downward, I drop off in front of him and take out my boomer. I aim at the beast''s head and about to pull the trigger when Agnes screams out.

    "No! Don''t kill him! He is like me!"

    Agnes''s voice pulls me back to reality, and my eyes went to the multicolor-braided necklace around the Minotaur''s neck. I quickly move my aim away and pull the trigger. A loud explosion escapes from the barrel''s mouth along with a bullet that travels faster than the speed of sound. With a blink of an eye, the cliff far behind the beast explodes into smithereens, as fire consumes and melts the rock.

    However the show doesn''t end there, an implosion follows the explosion, gathering the energy and fire back into a small ball and explode again.

    James wasn''t lying about the firepower if I shoot the beast in front of me with my gun, the explosion would kill me along with him. I shake my thought away and focus on the creature.

    "Concede or die!" I yell at him.

    A burst of air escapes his nostrils before he says, "I concede," in a deep voice.

    After the blind rage dissipates, a tear slides down my cheek while heavy grief fills my heart for an unknown reason. This feeling that I''m currently having, isn''t my own, it someone else. Maybe the past me, but what terrible things happen to me before I wake up and becoming the candidate? All of these thoughts are making my heart hurt, I shake everything away and look at the Minotaur that''s on his knee in front of me while I aim the gun at his head.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The beast is in pain but at the same time, feels relieved as I move the gun barrel away from his head. Agnes land close to me, "Are you okay?"

    "Yep, I''m alright, just a little bruised and cut."

    Agnes turns his gaze at The Minotaur, "What now?"

    "Do you have a name?" I ask The Minotaur.

    "Kraus Rockhide." He answers.

    "Do you have some clean cloth and food?" The question sounds like a joke, maybe it is, but to tell you the truth, after the fight, I didn''t know what to do next.

    The Minotaur stares at me for quite an amount of time before glancing between Agnes and me. "I do have some in my cave, will you excuse me?"

    There in my mind, but somehow I trust him. "Sure, go ahead. I''ll be waiting here."

    Kraus stands up and walks with one of his broken arms lie still by his side, and another keeping that arm from moving. When he''s far enough from me, I holster my boomer and pick up my hatchet off the ground then sheath it. I spit the blood out from my mouth, which''s been dulling my taste buds with the flavor of iron. I press my palm on the area under my ribcage and feel a sharp pain. Then I walk to a large rock and take a seat on it while grunting.

    "We have to go back. I shouldn''t bring you here. Look at you, this all my fault. I''m going to get my friend kill."

    "Look, Agnes. Nobody is dying, I''m hurt yes, but I''m fine, it''s nothing that I can''t handle. Besides, I need to do these."

    "You won''t let me fight. You won''t let me stop you. Then, what am I suppose to do when you get hurt?"

    I gaze at the dark sky above, seeing a bit of ray of sun pierce through, and I let out a smile. "Pray and have faith in me. That''s all I need."

    Kraus comes back with a beautifully knitted sack, he takes a seat in front of me, opening it, and placing it down on the ground. Inside of it is a ton of fruits that I have never seen before.

    Agnes''s face is brimming with excitement when he sees the fruits, "Is that?"

    "Kebukaidesu Demon." Kraus finishes Agnes''s sentence.

    I examine the fruits, it''s small enough to fit in my hand, and has a red hairy shell. Reaching into the bag, I grab one of the fruit and feel the tingle of the hair grazing against my palm. It looks appealing enough, but I don''t know if I should eat it.

    "What is it?" I pass the fruit onto Agnes.

    "It''s the sweetest fruit in the world. It only grows outside of the underworld. Please, give it a try."

    "Later maybe. Kraus, do you have any clean cloth that I can use?"

    "Unfortunately, no, but I do have some water."

    Agnes let out a moan as he pops the inner fruit into his mouth after peeling the hairy shell. A smile crept in the corner of my lips as I look at him savoring the delicious fruit. I take off my Hawaiian shirt, then use my hatchet to cut the bottom part and turn it into a long strip of cloth.

    "Can you pass me the clean water?"

    Kraus takes out a waterskin from the sack and gives it to me. I use the water to clean my bloody knuckle and wrap the strip of cloth around my hand. The knitted container caught my curiosity, I look at the Minotaur, and he seems less intimidating than earlier.

    "Did you knit it yourself?"

    "No, my daughter did."

    "Oh, is she...?"

    "Yes, she is alive and well."

    "How about your wife?"

    "She passed away a long time ago."

    "I''m sorry to hear that," I look at the braided necklace, "Did your daughter make that?"

    "Yes."

    After I finish wrapping my hand with the strip of cloth, I look at him again, "Can I ask, why did you attack me?"

    "You didn''t know?"

    "Know what?"

    "Entry to the underworld is forbidden, only certain gods are allowed to go down here. I am tasked by Hades to guard the entrance along with Cerberus, and when I see you, I had to do my job. Besides, Gods don''t use the entrance, they have their way, so I had to assume you are an intruder that''s why I attack."

    I remember the scene where James was trying to say to me before I leave, "That makes sense... sorry for my rude behavior, as you can see, I''m new at all of this."

    Looking at the makeshift Hawaiian crop top, I sigh and put it on. There is an awkward silence between us, followed by a strange sound moaning and chewing by the harpy right next to me. "Do you hate the candidates like me? Like the others do?"

    "I don''t hate the candidates. I used to be angry at the gods but never hated them. My wife used to hate them so much that she died fighting them."

    "I heard about the war, but I don''t know the detail...and you sound like you been there."

    "I once take part in the war." He let out a small confine laugh.

    "Let me correct that, I once take part in two wars."

    "If it isn''t too much to ask, can you tell what happens?"

    "It''s a simple story, gods create us, to fight the titans alongside them. We win, the gods take over. Afterward, my kind expects a reward of some sort for us, but we didn''t get anything. The gods ignore us, and that plant a seed of distrust between my kind and the gods."

    "It only gets worse from there. The gods create humans. They give them worlds to live, plentiful food, shelter, and even grant their wish. There was anger igniting in our hearts when we witness that, but it''s not enough to cause a war."

    "At first, we try to ask the gods about the need of our kind, but what we get is a warning, we cannot hurt the humans. Those who hurt the human will be either hunt by a candidate or strike down by the gods."

    "We try to follow the rule, run or hide when we see humans, and it works momentarily, we live alongside humans. At the time, never I thought that a war could erupt because it was so peaceful back then." Kraus let out a sigh.

    "Who caused the war?"

    "What caused the war was humans. They started hunting us, as a sort of challenge, cut our head to hang on their wall, pluck every feather to make pillows, and grind every bone for medicine. With all those terrible things that happened around us, we had no way of fighting back. If we fought, we die."

    "The humans don''t consider our feelings because they can''t understand our language. They treat us like beasts."

    "Like monsters."

    "When someone treats you like a monster for a long time. That''s what you eventually become¡ªand just like that, a war erupts. The gods send their candidates to fight us."

    "To no one surprise, my kind lost the war and lost so many good people until they are only a few of us left. We are exiled out of every other world until we had to come here, we pleaded to Hades for a place to stay, and he grants us this place. A burned world, not fit for the living, but we accepted, and we make do. I work for him so that my people could have something to eat."

    "How many Minotaurs are left?"

    "Fifteen, including my daughter."

    "How many were before?"

    "Thousands, almost all of the beast''s population number were thousands, and harpies were almost half of millions. Now, the harpies are only..."

    "Twenty-one, last time I was there." Agnes answer, there a painful look on his face.

    "The few survivors taught their younglings to hate the gods, and the younglings taught their younglings to do the same. So much time has passed after the war. Nowadays, only so few of us know what truly happened."

    "That''s means you are very old then?"

    "Yes, I am." A small chuckle escapes his lips, "My daughter is the same height as me now, and she also has a daughter of her own."

    "Does she hate candidates?"

    Kraus let out another chuckle, "I taught her to live without anger or hate¡ªand I did a good job of it."

    A grateful smile somewhat forms on my lips. "I''m sorry for bringing up the war, after what happened to you."

    "It''s in the past now. There¡¯s no use looking back now, but we can learn from it and move on."

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 9]

    After hearing Kraus''s tale of the war, between the monster and the gods, a pang of surprising guilt is swirling inside my soul. I feel like everything that happened in the past is my fault, but it wasn''t my fault because I''m not even born yet at the time. So many deaths, no wonder the harpies that I met were very hostile toward me, and no wonder Agnes called me weird when I befriend him.

    I want to help Kraus''s and Agnes''s people, but to tell you the truth, I have no power or resource to do that. I keep trying to think of away, but there''s none at the moment. The only thing I could do is offer my sympathy to them, but my sympathy won''t help change their situations.

    A small burst of air escaped my lip as I sigh.

    Even after hearing the tale, my perspective of the gods still holds up. I still view them as all-powerful, benevolent, and merciful beings. Well at least, I still regard Adrestia that way, I can tell that my loyalty toward her is here to stay.

    I live to serve her, and somehow, I feel that Adrestia is like a mother to me in some weird way. A mighty, stern, but kind mother. That thought put a slight grin on my face.

    "Are you going to eat that?" Agnes asks me, I don''t even notice the Demon fruit in my hand.

    I look at the fruit, it seems strange on the outside, but it probably tastes delicious on the inside. I''m sure want to eat this, but I won''t or not yet.

    I reply with a simple, "Nope."

    "You not going to eat that? Then can I have it?"

    "No, I mean, I want to eat it, but I''ll have to wait till I get back."

    "Huh?"

    "Just hold it for me till I get back." I toss the fruit to Agnes, and he catches it with his mouth then drops it onto his lap.

    Kraus let out a small chuckle, "If you are going to leave then I can offer you a piece of advice. Don''t eat or drink anything from there or you will be stuck there forever."

    "That''s it? Sound easy to me." A full grin form on my lips.

    "I never actually been inside, so you might want to be careful."

    "You''re not stopping me?" I raise my left eyebrow raises as my gaze set on Kraus.

    "I tried, but look at me, a broken arm and a broken horn."

    I feel kind of guilty as I stare at Kraus''s arm, "Sorry about that..."

    The minotaur shrug, "You can keep the horn as a prize, it''s your trophy for winning the battle, and don''t worry about my arm. It will heal in due time."

    "What? I don''t want the freaking horn, keep it. What do I even do with it? Besides, keeping a trophy isn''t my style, because it has no value to me, but getting someone to smile, now that is priceless."

    For the first time, Kraus let out a bright smile that includes a laugh, "Hahahaha. You spare my life, and you even befriend a monster. Ms. Andre, you''re the weirdest candidate I ever met and fought."

    I join Kraus with my own set of laughter, "What can I say? I''m weird and that smile of yours, that''s priceless."

    "Weird bonding time," Agnes whispers to himself, while his right eyebrow perks up.

    "If there is nothing else to say, will you excuse me?" I stand up and wipe the few specks of dust off my thighs.

    "Wait, there still one more obstacle at the gate, you need to pass through Hades''s guard dog, Cerberus."

    "The three-headed dog," I let out.

    "It''s vicious, violent, and unrelenting¡ªYou might want to be extra careful around it, also that thing is even bigger than me."

    "Thanks for the warning, I appreciate it." I nod to him.

    "Good luck." Kraus nods his head back.

    "Be careful," Agnes looks at me with worried eyes.

    "I''ll try, but no promise." I nonchalantly shrug.

    "If you don''t get back, I''m going to eat your fruit and scratch your bike." Agnes threaten me.

    "Fine! I promise that I come back to you and please don''t scratch it. I just got it..."

    "I''ll be waiting."

    "Ta-Ta!" I wave once at both of them, turning around to face the cave and rest both hands against the back of my head as I walk toward it.

    *****************************************************************

    Once again, darkness envelops my entire sight, I can feel the damp floor beneath my sole are soaking my shoes, as I stride deeper into the cave. The scent of rotten egg completely dissipates and replace by a smell of dread. I carefully step on the rocky floor as I make my way further up, then from where I am, I can see several small blue lights shimmering above on the cave ceiling.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    I squint my eyes as I try to examine the light from below. I finally realize that there are thousands of quartz or maybe more, that are gleaming with blue light and showing me a path. So I''m guessing, it leads to the gate of the underworld.

    Taking out my Boomer, I slide my hand between the opening of the lever, under the stock, and push it down. After loading a bullet into the chamber, I pull the lever back in place. Afterward, I place my Boomer back into my thigh holster, then I breathe in a large amount of air into my lungs and let it out once more to calm myself.

    Once again, I continue to walk and follow the shimmering path. After a few minutes of walking, I finally arrive at a massive cavern, I look down at the edge of the walkway before my feet, seeing the steep slope down, and my eyes widen when I notice the massive beast that is napping in the middle of the cavern. Its size explains why the cavern is so massive in the first place.

    "How the hell am I going to get past that? I can''t even see the door or gate or whatever it is." I whisper to myself and crouch down.

    ''Cerberus'' Hades loyal guard dog, a massive dog with three heads that are almost identical to each other. While it''s sleep, I can see the sharp, jagged teeth between its lips, and see a spout of small, blue flames coming out from its mouth as it snores.

    The beast is so enormous that it is even bigger than my beautiful Goddess. Its body is cover with scales except for underneath its body, and each one of them is thicker than plate armor. Between those scales, a hue of turquoise light glimmer like a vein running across its body.

    I could hear a distinct lullaby coming from inside my head, and when I look at the dog, I can feel something aching inside me.

    Standing up on the edge of the entrance, I slide down the slope and begin walking toward it with my fists clench at my side. My lips press firmly together, while one of the Cerberus''s head twitch as I get closer to it.

    The Cerberus eyes open wide and revealing a blazing turquoise light behind those eyelids. The three-headed dog let out a terrifying growl as It begins to raise itself off the ground. All three of the heads give me a death glare while dragging their left paw on the ground, and leaving a trail of claw marks that my foot can fit inside.

    The vicious-looking three-headed dog opens its mouth as I settle myself in front of the dog and close my eyes. I inhale the dreaded air, and then let all of it out while I place both hands on my heart. A smile props up with my lips, and my throat begins to vibrate as I hum the same lullaby that I keep hearing in my head.

    The light shimmers along to the soft melody that I hum, the angry growl slowly disappears and replace by a gentle huff. It wasn''t a sense of fear or anger that I was feeling earlier. It was the sense of familiarity that echoes throughout my soul, and it wasn''t mine. I never met this dog before, but my goddess, Adrestia. She always comes by to spend the little time she had with Cerberus.

    Flashes of her patting Cerberus while humming the same tune keep playing inside my head.

    "She always comes here, does she?"

    She always pets him right underneath its muzzle. I extend my hand toward Cerberus, it takes a sniff of my scent and presses its snout against my palm. I start scratching right underneath its muzzle.

    The heads recognize my smell, maybe it''s because Adrestia is a part of me in some way.

    When I stop scratching, I couldn''t help myself but giggle as it starts licking my hand, I move closer to its muzzle while the three-headed dog rests on its belly. I scratch underneath the muzzles again with all the strength I have, so it can least feel what I''m doing, and it certainly works as its short tail start to wiggle.

    "You''re a good boy, aren''t you? Yes, you are!" I try to please all three of the head, and I manage it while breathing laboriously, as it takes a lot of work to scratch this massive dog.

    "I truly want to spend more time with you, but I got to go." The Cerberus starts to whimper as I move away from it.

    "Don''t fret. I''ll come back whenever I can, okay?" I don''t know how the dog did it, but it manages to make several large puppy eyes with those frightening turquoise eyes.

    "Aaawww..." I walk closer to its muzzle and rub its chins. Cerberus starts to huff happily while two of the heads start licking my head and back.

    Dog drool drip down my body, and I shake it off. "You''re not a mean dog, you protecting your master''s home, right? There is nothing wrong with that. You''re a good boy."

    Every time I call Cerberus a good boy, it let out a happy huff. I look around the cavern, it''s empty, and no one is here. He must be lonely, all by himself in here. I stride closer to its belly and take a seat on the ground while leaning my back on the dog''s body.

    I look down at the ground. There are various amount of silvers and gold coins that are lying on top of it. I pluck one off the ground, a silver one, a word come to mind when I examine it. ''Danake'' however, I have no idea on the purpose of these coins. I put the coin in my shirt pocket and look around. I could see a run-down, wooden door behind the dog.

    Is that the door to the underworld, it certainly doesn''t look like it. I glance at Cerberus''s head, "isn''t that the door to the underworld?"

    It let out a huff, agreeing with me or so I thought. I don''t even know if it can understand me. It''s peaceful in here, and I could just take a nap while lying against Cerberus''s warm body. Unmistakably, the dog thinks the same way as it starts to doze off again.

    For the first time, after awaken on Adrestia''s island, I fall into the depth of slumber.

    .................

    ...........

    .....

    ...

    Love.

    Happy.

    Pain.

    Numb.

    Grief.

    Heartbroken.

    Anger.

    Rage.

    Fire.

    Betrayal.

    Cold.

    Lastly, sinking guilt and regret.

    I wake up, shock and terrify. I can hear my own hard breathe, it was a nightmare, I couldn''t remember what the horror was about, but it felt real. My forehead is dripping wet from my sweat, I look around and remember that I am in a cavern napping along with Cerberus. The dog snores as it sleeps with peace. Then I notice a tear running down my cheek again, just like in James''s workshop.

    Placing a hand on my chest, I can feel my heart thumping like a drum in a marching band. I glance to my side at the wooden door, and I look back at Cerberus''s sleeping heads. I let out a smile and quietly stand up then walk through the door.

    The moment I step through that door, a thick fog bombard my sight and disorient my sense of direction. Turning my body, I realize the door is gone so do the wall that adjacent to it. A Greek archway is standing at where the door supposes to be, and everywhere I look, an endless white fog blanket the land.

    However, the view still not complete as unending rusted weapons poking out from the ground, standing upward like a gravestone, and decorating the land along with rusted armor, clothes, and various trinkets. The sound of water rippling echoes through the fog, catching my attention, I rotate my body to the source and start walking toward it.

    As I walk toward it, I can see more and more belongings stacking on top of each other and litters across the ground. A river appears before me and stops me from going any further. Another sense of familiarity, but this time from an unknown source as I see a hooded figure on a small boat and heading my way.

    "Charon The ferryman," I whisper out.

    The boat stops in front of me, and the hooded figure extends his thin ghastly hand toward me. I press my hand against my pocket, feeling the coin inside of it, I take it out and place it on the hooded figure palm. He gestures to me to step into his boat.

    I have been here before, James''s did say that I was someone else before this. That might explain the Deja vu that I''m having. I carefully make my way into the boat and sit at the front while facing the hooded figure. The vessel begins to drift as the ferrymen lead it somewhere.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 10]

    The boat''s bow is steadily pulling water apart as it drifts down the river while the ferryman guides it with a long rudder. A robed figure with thin ghastly hands and a face that is cover under the darkness of the hood, preventing me from seeing it. The ferrymen don''t speak much nor try to communicate with me. The fog is still thick as before, the scenery is giving me the creepy vibe, and the silence doesn''t help either.

    "You know...You could pizzazz this boat a little bit, like hanging some fresh flowers or get a new fresh of paint. How about light green. The color of warmth and freshness. Sounds good, right?"

    "I mean look at this place," I gesture to the edge of the river. "It''s depressing."

    "We can decorate it with bobbleheads. Oh, I know! We could get a carpet for the seat and pillows with a knitted cover. Oh! Oh! Ideas keep popping in my mind. We could do like one of those Venice boats. We can put a lantern up or an umbrella at the front."

    The ferryman stays silent as he guides the boat, I stare at him for a response, but nothing, not a single sigh or grunt from him. Rolling my eyes to the side, I could see twenty or more dark humanoid figures that are standing at the edge of the river. For some unknown reason, there''s an aching pain in my heart like someone is clenching it until the point of bursting.

    "Who are they?" I ask, but like before, there''s no answer.

    "Have I been here before?" I keep staring at those blacken figures. There''s something about them that I can''t remember.

    Frustration fills my heart as I stand up and shout, "Who are you?!!!!"

    I wanted an answer, but I could only hear the echo of my voice. Searing pain suddenly flares up around my arms as both my hands are burning from inside out. I raise both forearms in front of me so I could see them, and boils start to appear rapidly. The sweats that appear immediately turn into mist as my skin turn red. I fall onto both my knees and start screaming in pain.

    I couldn''t bear it, as tears slide down my cheek. Inside the boat, I lie down and my body starts to curl up into a fetal position, as I try to endure the immense burning pain.

    Closing both my eyes, the searing pain abruptly disappear, and when I open up my eyelids, I wasn''t on the boat anymore. Instead, a field of tall flowers surrounds me. However, there is still a light fog above me, not as thick as before, but enough to disrupt my sight. I thought it was a nightmare, but no, it''s something else, there is a slew of tears running down my cheek, and that pain, it''s real.

    I continue to lie down, trying to gather myself and it works. My head starts to become clear, and I remember what my purpose is for coming here. I lift myself off the ground and stand straight.

    Shocked, I stumble back and almost fall on my butt as I see a fleshy white humanoid right near me with no characteristic whatsoever, standing still like a mannequin.

    No face, and no clear sign of whether it''s a female or a male.

    "What in the name?!"

    When I look around me, the white humanoids are litter across the field of flowers. I reach for my hatchet, and ready myself, but the humanoid shows no sign of movements or even realize that I''m here. I look at the white flower, and surprisingly, I know what the flowers are, it''s Asphodelus Albus.

    In the distance on top of a hill, I could see the shadow of a beautiful 18th-century castle. That must be Hades''s home, and I should avoid going there at any cost. I don''t want him to know that I''m here. If he found out, I don''t know what will happen to me.

    "You shouldn''t be here..." A voice belongs to a boy who spooks me from behind.

    I turn my body around and see a short boy with turquoise short hair and bangs that cover his eyes. He has an innocent-looking face, but with a clear worried small frown on it. The white sweater vest that he''s wearing fit his good boy look and the light green, button-up shirt underneath it matches the style.

    "Haha, you scare me...Who are you?" The moment I blink my eyes, his gone, disappear into thin air without any trace. I jerk my head around trying to find him and fail to do so when all I see are flowers, creepy humanoids, and fog. Then, I take another step back while the hair behind my neck stands up and a chill runs down my spine.

    "That''s not foreboding at all," I say aloud as I start walking away.

    I don''t know where the Blessed fields are, but I can try and find the river then follow it. There''s a 30% chance that the river can lead me to where I want to go, but trying to find the river itself is almost impossible in this fog. This situation that I''m in is baffling to me because I didn''t remember getting off the boat or walking to this place.

    Shaking my thoughts away, I pick a direction and stick to it. Keeping myself silent, and try to listen to the sound of running water is more difficult than it seems.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Times fly away in a blink of an eye, I''m still not anywhere near the river, and this meadow seems endless, so do the white humanoids. However, something else bothers me, a whisper coming out of nowhere, occupy my ears and preventing me from listening to the sound of water.

    "It''s always been your choice..." I don''t know who''s that voice belongs to, but what I do know that it''s a feminine voice. Of course, I can''t remember anything about it.

    Nevertheless, I do know that the voice that keeps on whispering in my ears is valuable in some way, not to me, but for the past me. I''m worried about my barren mind, how much did I lose? Is it my entire past life? I shouldn''t think about it too much and try to focus on the task at hand.

    I stop on my track as I witness a dark smoke forming into an average-looking man, he looks familiar, but that smile on his face. That crazy, insane, and evil-looking smile, it''s not supposed to be there. I know that the man standing in front of me is a kind man, but deep down, I doubt my belief.

    The smoke man glares at me and charges toward me. I take out my hatchet and try to strike him down, but the blade went through him like air. The smoke man dissipates into thin air, just like he appears before me. This place is making me crazy.

    Hallucinations, voices, and disorientation.

    I can even hear dogs barking in the distance. A flash of information, pass through my mind like lightning. My eyes widen in fear, and I quickly ready my hatchet on the side.

    "That''s not a hallucination. It''s real. It''s Hecate Hellhounds."

    In the fog, a dozen of red glowing red eyes along with the echo of barks and growls. All of them start circling me while examining every inch of my body, one of them step out of the fog. The hound''s body is thin to the bone but full of unkempt black fur and black smoke drip down from their body. I can see it in their eyes, the mindless rage, and brutality.

    One of the hellhound rush toward me from behind, I quickly duck down and miss the sharp bite. Two of them charge toward me at the same time, I roll back and avoid the one on my left, but the one on the right got to my arm. I can feel its teeth slowly breaking into my skin, but before it happens, I bring down the hatchet on the hound head. It let go of my arm and turn into a cloud of smoke, my blade passes through it like nothing.

    I see a trickle of blood from where the bite was, that''s when the dreaded realization hit me, I can''t fight them or hurt them, but they can harm me. Lost in my thought, two of the hell hound manage to bite into both my forearms, I swing my right arm and forcing the hound to let go. Raising the hatchet, I bring it down to the other hound, and yet again, it let go before I could hurt it.

    I take out my boomer and fire a shot close to them, it explodes and blasts away the fog momentarily. Using that as a distraction, I take my chance to run away after holstering my gun and hatchet. The hellhounds bark and growl as they start chasing after me from behind, and at the corner of my eyes, I could see their murderous red eyes in the fog.

    The sound of galloping hellhounds haunts me as I run. Glancing beside me, I can see them catching up to me, no matter how fast I run. Suddenly one of them climbs onto my back, diggings its claws into my chainmail and causing me to fall onto my chest. My breasts and left arm drag against the ground as I slide forward because of the momentum.

    I grit my teeth together as they start to bite on my legs, right arm, and behind my neck. I try to reach for my hatchet, but three of them gnaw on my arm and pull it away. A few of those sharp teeth manage to break through my skin, and I let out a short scream while moving my left arm to my boomer.

    Pulling it out from my holster, I bring it in front of my chest and push the lever to load another shot. I look around me for a target, but none is a safe choice to execute. I can''t stretch my left arm out, or the hellhounds will snatch my gun away. I did the stupidest thing I ever did after raising my chest a bit, I aim the muzzle at the ground in front of my chest and squeeze the trigger.

    I feel the force of the explosion, push me away, then pull me back, and then shove me away again. The fire from that explosion melts the chainmail onto my skin while burning some of my shirt and pants. I crash into something hard, shattering it and creating a crater around me.

    The immense force of the explosion pushes out the air that was in my lungs. I begin to cough out a quiet amount of blood while I holster my damaged boomer. Everything in my body is in absolute pain, but I can still move my arms and legs. Good news? I don''t know whether it''s good news or not, because my sight is blurry, the headache is throbbing, and there''s a loud ringing in my ears. I pull the melted chainmail off my chest before it sticks more into my skin.

    At least, I got the hellhounds off me.

    Barks and growls begin to close into my position. In front of me, I see those red eyes in the fog, I lift my torso forward and drag myself up to the slope behind me. However, the hellhounds glare at me, and not taking a step forward onto the stone stairs? I look behind me, and I let out a dismayed sigh as I see the 18th-century castle up close.

    "No wonder...the hellhounds stop."

    Suddenly, my body starts floating up in the air, then fly up to the stair in high velocity, through the open luxurious large wooden double doors, through the twisting hallway of collections, and stop in a large room with long red carpet and beautiful drapes. I stop hovering and fall onto my back.

    "You dare step into my domain without my permission?" A deep voice greets me.

    I rotate my body, raise myself onto my knees, then when I look up. My eyes widen in astonishment at the beauty of this man hold. Long, blue, silky hair reaches his waist, an attractive face with prominent red eyes, and light skin with a smoothness that rival a baby bottom. A crown of thorn rests around his head while he wears a loose garb that shows a bit of skin that causes me to swallow my bloody saliva in desire.

    The god that is sitting on the throne is none other than the King of the Underworld, Hades.

    I''m was going to answer his question, but the unstoppable cough is making it hard. Plus, the pain throughout my body doesn''t help me either, I hunch forward while pressing my forehead against the carpet, I start coughing out more blood while hugging myself, trying to endure the immense pain.

    Dazzling light envelops and hugs every corner of my body. The pain slowly disappears while the wounds and injuries begin to close up, leaving scars behind as a reminder. The radiance that blankets my body leaves, and I can finally breathe easy again.

    "Before you answer me, child, heed my words, do not lie to me. Now, why are you here?" Hades gaze at me with a burning fire in his eyes.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 11]

    The blood and saliva clog my throat, I want to spit out, but that isn''t a choice for me. It would be crazy if I were to spit my own blood onto someone else carpet, especially if it is own by a god, and he is currently sitting on the throne in front of me with his gaze set on me. With no other choice, I swallow the blood and clear my throat. I straighten my upper body and meet Hades''s gaze.

    I''m in so much trouble right now while a small smile crept onto my face to hide my fear.

    "My apology, Lord Hades, but can I say something first? I will forever be grateful to you for healing me."

    "I do not wish for your gratitude. I want an answer. Now!" His hair rises to the ceiling and morphs into a blue flame while his eyes glow the same color.

    My smile disappears as I gape at the angry god with fear in my eyes, "Aaahh, I-I''m here to meet with Rhea...I know it''s forbidden for me to be down here, and I take full responsibility for my action, but I need to meet with Rhea."

    His flaming blue hair cool down and return to normal, "What business do you have with my mother?"

    I curse myself right there because I don''t think he will be happy to hear my reason. Zeus is his brother. Shit. "To make...Lord Zeus pay for his action in the past."

    Hades leans back on his throne and looks at me intensely with deep anger or curiosity or could be anything. I couldn''t tell because I couldn''t raise my sight to meet his, so the only thing I did is stare at the floor. Sweats roll off my forehead and drip down my neck. He probably thinks I''m crazy, well who could blame him, just by listening to what I said, I could tell that I''m insane.

    Hades rises from his throne and walks down a couple of steps. I glance at him as he walks past by me, then he says to me, "Follow me."

    I stand up and follow the King of The Underworld as he makes his way to the open doors that I fly through earlier. Like lighting striking a pole, I finally realize that Hades is the same height as me. That''s weird because I thought all Gods are tall like My goddess and Hephaestus.

    "Weirdly short..." Those are few words that accidentally slip out from my lips.

    My eyes widen in fear as I pray that he doesn''t hear what I just said. I relax my shoulder while letting a sigh out from my mouth. Thanks to Adrestia, he didn''t hear what I just said, I swipe away the imaginary frighten sweat.

    "Height is irrelevant to a god. I prefer this height rather than the typical height of a god," Hades answers me as keeps walking without glancing at me or give me a look.

    "I''m sorry for my outspoken mouth." I scratch the back of my head as I apologize.

    Hades didn''t acknowledge my apology and keep on walking while I follow him from behind until we enter a hallway of quite the astounding collection of things. The compilation ranges from unique weapons to beautiful pieces of jewelry and unusual trinkets, all neatly set on top of the pedestals that have been organized into a straight line from the beginning to the end of the hallway.

    "Lord Hades, may I say that you have an amazing collection of things."

    "A mundane hobby of mine to fill the stagnate times I have." Boredom soak his words as he mutters.

    "If my lord is tired of the same hobby, you can find a new one."

    "What kind of hobby do you have in mind?"

    Am I having a normal conversation with the King of The Underworld? If I am, then I''m not troubled like I thought I was. Shit, I forget to answer his question, a hobby, a hobby...

    "Hmm, how about gaming?"

    "Gaming? You mean Petteia?"

    "No, my lord. What I mean is video games, like Tekken, Mass Effect, GTA, Burnout, and many more." For some reason, it brings me joy when I give a few titles of video games to Hades. It''s like I have a fond memory of those things, and of course, I can''t remember, but I feel like I have fun with them.

    After I answer, Hades remains quiet for a long time until we reach a balcony with a full view of the underworld. From where I stand, I can see a volcano in the distance, a forest of dead trees, a green field of flowers with a ray of light shine upon it, ashen ground, thick fog, and a river that separates those locations.

    In some way that morbid view of the afterlife and the chaotic lands has sublime beauty in it.

    "Death is chaos and order. Mortals die at any moment, but in that chaos, there is order. An absolute rule for mortals, their life must come to an end sooner or late."

    "There''s no way to escape death. Don''t you agree?" I can see his glance as I stand beside him.

    In truth, I have no idea what''s he''s talking about, so in response, I nod my head, pretending to understand. Hade''s gaze set on the land again while silence befalls on us.

    I wait for a couple of minutes before asking, "Am I in trouble?"

    "In trouble..." He let those few words roll off his tongue.

    "Awaken from being reborn, trespass on my world, an unexpected reason, trying to humiliate my brother and dirty my carpets."

    I look behind me and finally notice the dirty footprints I leave. Swallowing my saliva, I let out an innocent smile while pretend to not realize the stains. With a stupid look on my face, I try to wipe the dirty stain behind me with my boot, and of course, I only make it worse as it becomes a big smudge on the carpet.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I kick the carpet, so it folds on itself and hides the stain. The King of The Underworld gets a glimpse of me, I take a few steps to the right and try to hide the mess.

    "I wonder if you did this because of Adrestia complicated past with my brother...Tell me, is that the reason why you try to make my brother, the King of Gods ''Pay for his action''?"

    My sight downcast as I take a few moments of silence before answering, "Yes, Lord Hades."

    "You know that you are stepping on a sensitive matter. Not just that, you are prying open past pain and barging through someone else emotions."

    "I know what I''m doing is disrespecting my Goddess''s feeling, I fully acknowledge that, but I can''t let things end without any conclusion. I want my kind and beautiful Goddess to move on..."

    "How hubris of you to claim that you understand your Goddess''s pain."

    Hades is right, what in the hell am I doing? How stupid am I? As I question myself, I remember the first time I met my goddess, her stern look scares me at the time, but when I look in her eyes, there''s kindness, warmth, and love¡ªand also guilt, pain, and a heavy burden. I have to see this through. I have to try even if she hates me.

    "I won''t give up..." I mutter.

    There''s a small smile creep on Hades''s lips, "Strong determination. I never did understand why she chooses you, but maybe they''re something more to you than it seems."

    "However, determination alone won''t help you. Your quest has come to a stop because to get to where my mother is, the blessed field. You need to get through the fog of insanity." His gaze set on the thick fog that covers the land around his castle.

    "I''m surprised that you still have your sanity after being in it for a long time."

    "Fog of insanity...No wonder, I was seeing and hearing things."

    "Nonetheless, you still need to make it across Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. If any of that tiny bit of water enters your mouth, you can make sure that your mind will become hollow in a matter of seconds."

    "So, swimming is out of the options. How about if I cross it with a makeshift raft?"

    "You may, but you need to build that raft then enter the fog, and go through Hecate''s hellhounds again. Even if you manage to do all that, you still have to face the Hyrda that is guarding it."

    "A Hydra, a many-headed serpent, cut one head off, two more will grow...oh man." I look down at my damaged boomer then let out a sigh.

    "I can try, right?" My confidence in my ability is thrown out of the window as the obstacle keep getting hard and harder.

    "You still forget one last obstacle." Hades turns his head slightly and looks at me.

    "Huh?" I look at him while my mouth opens slightly with curiosity.

    "Myself...Do you think I would let you pass the river and do whatever you please?"

    My eyes widen in fear while sweats start dripping down to my chin, I never thought about it before. Of course, he wouldn''t let me do it, this is his domain, and there goes my plan.

    Facing the end of my quest, and yet for some reason, my shoulders relax while I stretch my arms. "I guess my quest has come to an end... quite the anticlimactic ending. don''t you think, my lord?"

    Hades raises his right eyebrow slightly as he examines my oddly relax attitude. I look into the room adjacent to the balcony, and I spot something on the pedestal that increases the excitement inside of me. I rush to it and let out a smile as I examine every inch of it.

    "It''s the Super Nintendo! You even have the TV, and a small selection of game cartridges."

    "I believe, I receive it as a gift from an old candidate, he was quite the interesting man, but he''s retired now and living his new life as a mortal once more."

    "If only we can play this, then I can show you, Lord Hades, the wonders of gaming."

    Lord Hades walks toward the Super Nintendo and places his hands on the games system and the TV. Both of the electronic devices turn on perfectly without connecting to a power source. When he backs away, I jog behind the TV and start attaching the connectors between them. Then I walk back to the game system and pick a cartridge without giving the others a look.

    Sliding the cartridge into the system slot, and the game title displays on the TV screen while an iconic theme accompanies it.

    Street Fighter II.

    I grab the controllers, passing one of them to Lord Hades, and enter the player versus player screen. One character in the roster calls out to me, and I pick her, Cammy White. I turn to look at Hades, and I can see the confusion in his eyes. I think this is a new experience for him.

    "Lord Hades, you need to use the controller to pick a character."

    "Hmm..." He moves the selection frame to Vega, "Next is?"

    "Press that button to confirm your pick." I point at the button and Lord Hades press it.

    The King of The Underworld picks his fighter, and the match is off to a start. Every combo that Cammy has are like second nature to me, and I''m somehow pulling out those move from the back of my mind. I''m pressing buttons on the controller in an order that it is making my fighter attack without giving Lord Hades''s character a chance to retaliate.

    The first win goes to me, so does the second win. Hades looked at the screen, puzzled at the battle that just unfolds on the screen.

    "I win!" I make a victory sign with my hand and with a smile, I point the gesture at Hades.

    "Of course, you win. I didn''t even know how to play..."

    "I ain''t going easy on you, just because you don''t know how to play."

    "But that''s cheating! Teach me then we shall have another fight. I''ll show you to not mess with the king of The Underworld." I can see the excitement and determination in his eyes. I also even spot a half-smile that appeared on his lips.

    "It would be great to have another new player so it will be an even playing field."

    "But that''s cheating! Teach me then we shall have another fight. I''ll show you to not mess with the king of The Underworld." I can see the excitement and determination in his eyes. I also even spot a half-smile that appeared on his lips.

    "It would be great to have another new player so it will be an even playing field."

    "I know someone. Shin, stop hiding and join us."

    The hair on the back of my neck stands up, I jerk my head around and see the same boy with bangs that cover his eyes that I met earlier in the fog. I stand up in surprise and take a step back. My heart starts beating fast as I look at him.

    "You scare me again. I should put a bell on you or something."

    "Hello...Sorry for scaring you." Shin says with a soft-spoken voice and embarrassing red cheeks.

    "Aah, don''t worry about it. Here is your controller. You are going to train with Lord Hades."

    "Don''t go easy on me, Shin."

    "Will not, Dad."

    He takes a step closer to the TV and examining every inch of the game screen with intrigue, just like Hades. Then he takes the controller off my hand gently and softly.

    I feel calmer than before and happy as I teach both of them how to play, and the worry of not completing my quest disappears. Maybe to the back of my mind or the joy that I''m having is overwhelming it.

    "You press this and this... Then this, and Bam!"

    "So, if I do this and this then this? My fighter do that?"

    "Yep, pretty much."

    "How is Shin better than me at this game?" Hades says as Shin still in the lead between them. Shin shrug his shoulders, but I can see a small smile of pride as he beat Hades''s Character.

    "I want to use other characters! This one doesn''t fit me at all!" Hades says while being frustrated. Shin and I let out an amused smile as we both see it''s not the game''s fault, it''s just Lord Hades isn''t that good at this.

    "One more match!" Lord Hades rolls up both his loose sleeves and bites his bottom lip while squinting at the screen with determination.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 12]

    I press the buttons on the controller in an order, causing my character, Cammy, to perform a Cannon Drill on Shin''s character, Chun-Li, knocking a few percents off her health bar, and stagger his character. I look at the health bar for both our fighters and notice that we are down to a few bars left.

    "Execute the drill move on him, Shin!" Lord Hades suggests from behind us.

    "I''m sorry, Dad, but my character can''t do that move."

    I let out a small chuckle as I glance at Lord Hades, but it proves to be my demise as Shin takes a final hit on my character and causes me the game. I let out a groan as I let go of the controller. Unquestionably, Shin is much better at this game than me, after that fight. It has been quite a while since we started playing the game, I can''t even tell how much time has passed during it.

    Letting out a sigh, I scoop my butt over to the side, letting Lord Hades take my spot and continue the match against Shin. I let out a short exhalation, then take a lie down on the expensive carpet while keeping my gaze at the high ceiling.

    "Andre...Excuse me for my forward manner, but I have a question for you."

    "Ask away."

    "Do you perhaps remember anything from your past life? Like the outside world?"

    "Aaah, no¡ªwait, how do you know that I don''t have any memories of my past life? And how do you even know my name? If I remember correctly, I forgot to introduce myself earlier."

    I turn my head to look at Shin with a raised eyebrow.

    "Believe or not, we have met be¡ª" Shin stops his sentence and looks at Lord Hades.

    I notice Lord Hades is casting a pressing glance at Shin. The boy concentrates his gaze on the screen and answers, "Uhm. What I was going to converse is that people like to gossip around here, and I heard it from someone that you lose your memories."

    "Ohh, I guess news travels fast around here, James must have talked to someone about it. Hmm... never mind then. Anyway, to answer your question earlier, I don''t remember anything about my past world." I shrug my shoulders and continue gazing at the ceiling.

    "Why do you ask?"

    "I''ve never been to the outside world before...I''m curious to know what it''s like out there."

    "What? That can''t be true." Scrunching my eyebrows together, I turn my head to face both of them.

    "Shin is too young to go outside," Lord Hades respond to my reaction without giving me a second look.

    "That''s a load of bullshit...Aaahh, sorry for my language."

    "No, thank you for saying it." There''s a small smile on Shin''s face as he takes a glance at Lord Hades.

    "You must have faith in me, Shin. It''s for your protection. Remember, you''re not a Half-born, you''re a Pure-born. However, don''t be discouraged, when the time comes, you will be able to leave the underworld as you please." There''s sadness in Hades''s eyes, it as if the thought of Shin leaving causes a cloud of gloom to hover above his heart.

    "Dad...I''m not leaving forever--I only wanted to see the world that''s beyond this one. Besides, I''m not going to go against your wish. If you think that I''m ready for it, then I''m ready." Shin leans his shoulder against Lord Hades''s. I can see Lord Hades''s spirit rise again as he feels Shin''s soft arm.

    "Anyway, I better start doing my thing." I stand up and brush off the black dirt off my pants.

    "May I ask, where are you going?" Shin asks as he turns his head around to me.

    "To the blessed field..." A frown replaces my smile as I place my hand against my hatchet.

    "W-What? But¡ª" Surprise by my answer, Shin butcher his pronunciation.

    Lord Hades let out a small laugh while keeping his gaze on the TV, "There was never a shroud of doubt in my mind that you''ll give up."

    "What can I say, I''m a tenacious woman." I stare daggers at the king of The Underworld while I run my fingers down to the shaft and slide the hatchet out of its sheath.

    Lord Hades raises his left hand while Shin glance between him and me with worried eyes. "Andre, please...stand down. You can''t win this fight."

    "Shin, I know you mean well, but you have to know that I won''t back down." I take off into a sprint toward Lord Hades with my hatchet ready at my side. In the corner of my eyes, I can see Shin rise from where he was sitting and rush toward me while pulling out a large scythe from his own shadow.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The sound of fingers snapping changes everything.

    I fall to my knees and hands. The sight of flowers blooming underneath me surprise me and a sweet fragrance replace the smell of dread. Waves of fatigues wash over me while my strength is strip away from me, in a blink of an eye. I can feel soreness that wasn''t there before, all over my body.

    The sound of my heart racing overwhelms my hearing while every breath I take is difficult.

    Among the hundreds of flowers in front of me, a single daisy attracts my gaze.

    "How does it feel?" I can hear Lord Hades''s voice coming from in front of me.

    "W-What happened?"

    "How does it feel to become mortal again?"

    I raise my chin so my gaze can meet his. The King of The Underworld stands before me while the radiance from the sun rests upon him. Behind him, a single pomegranate tree thrives among the meadow of beautiful flowers. Standing beside him is Shin, the long shaft of the scythe rest against his shoulder while he looks at me. I can tell there''s confusion in his eyes through his front bang. I think that even he did not expect Lord Hades''s action.

    "Are we outside of The Underworld?"

    "We are still in The Underworld, and the sun above you is a fake."

    "Where are we exactly?" I gather my strength and stand once more with my hatchet between my fingers and palm.

    "My wife''s Groves."

    I glance around me, finally seeing the others kind of tree encircling us. "Your wife?"

    "It''s a pleasure meeting you. I am Persephone. Shin''s mother." A soft woman''s voice greets me. I turn my head and see a woman with parts of a plant body merge with her own, creating an elegant symbiosis between flora and a humanoid figure.

    Her wide smile shows no sign of threat toward me, causing me to feel utterly confound in the situation. Persephone walks toward me with a crown of flowers in her hands, and she places it around my head then licks her thumb, and uses it to wipe my dirty cheek.

    I can feel the warm motherly air around her, as she cleans my face and straightens my hair. "I have always wanted a daughter because of my fond memories with my mother. She would always brush my hair when I was still living with her, but I wouldn''t trade Shin for anybody else because he''s my adorable little angel."

    At the corners of my eyes, I can see Shin''s cheeks begin to blush red, then I look back at Persephone. "Why am I here?"

    "I''m sorry, but even I don''t know the answer to that question. However, I do know someone who can answer that." Her gaze rests on Lord Hades behind me.

    I turn my head and see half a smile on his face. "The Blessed Fields is that way," he tilts his head toward a direction on his right.

    "I thought..."

    "Don''t get me wrong. I''m not helping anybody. I''m just visiting my wife''s grove with my son. I never saw any candidate around here. Shin, did you see any other candidate around here?"

    "Uhm." He let out a surprised smile and say, "I didn''t see anyone, Dad."

    I let out a small laugh while tilting my chin down, "Thank you..."

    Persephone lifts my chin, so my gaze meets with her vibrant green eyes, "Onward."

    I rotate my body to face Lord Hades, "can I ask why?"

    "I''m curious to see what might happen."

    That answer keeps swirling in my mind, but no matter I view it, I didn''t understand any of it. I let out a sigh, and start walking toward the direction that Lord Hades points.

    "Andre of Adrestia!" I stop on my tracks and turn my head to look at Lord Hades.

    "Keep that strong will near your heart. You''ll need it. Trust me." There a slight tangible of worry in his eyes and quickly dismiss it as he turns his body to gaze at the pomegranate tree.

    "I will." I turn my back on him and continue walking.

    "And come by anytime you want, I''m still hoping to defeat you in that game."

    A smile form with my lips as I walk away.

    A slow walk turns into a jog.

    A jog turns into a run.

    I run through the groves until I reach The Blessed Field. My legs stop moving as I stand near the edge of a downward slope while I gaze at the incredible view in front of me. The buildings and the landscapes, look like a miniature version of Mount Olympus. I can see hundreds of people, maybe more that are resting on lounge chairs, there are also people playing frisbee, exercising, painting, and all sort of activities as if they are on a vacation.

    However, what caught my attention is the statue of a woman laying on her side, the size of a small hill, and half-buried into the dirt with a clump of grass growing over her like a blanket.

    "I can''t believe it, but I made it!"

    I hold my clenched hand close to my chest while I let out a smile that shows my grit teeth. Raising my fist into the air, I yell out my excitement and celebrate my victory. After I lower my fist, I let out a laugh then sprint down the slope. Stumbling a couple of steps, I lose my footing and fall onto the grass slope, but it didn''t stop me as I roll down with a giant smile on my face.

    The tiny grass brush against my skin and cloth causing it to attaches itself to the fabric and between my hair. After reaching the bottom of the slope, I didn''t slow my momentum; instead, I place my hands under me and lift myself then use that same momentum to hurry toward the nearest building.

    I avoid the couple that is heading toward me while wearing white and loose fabrics over their body, similar to the dress that Adrestia wore when I first met her on the floating island. I glance behind me to make sure what I''m seeing is accurate, and that''s no ordinary man and woman. They are famous Greek residents, Jason, and Atalanta. I can tell because the Well of Knowledge keeps matching their faces with names and history. They look at me confused by my bustle. I wave at them while nodding my head apologetically.

    I genuinely want to meet them, but I need to find Rhea.

    After I circle The Blessed Field about ten times, scanning all the faces, trying to find Rhea and fail. I stop when my fatigue ultimately catches up to me and inhales a couple of breaths into my lung. There are so many people here, not just Greek Heroes, but Japanese, European, and all kinds of Heroes from all ages. This search is going to take me a while because I don''t even know what Rhea looks like, the Well of Knowledge inside my mind won''t give me a clue.

    I let out a sigh, and take a seat on one of the benches near me. Gazing at the garden, I let out a smile as I see the beautiful flowers. A gentle fresh wind blow against me, my hasten heart starts to calm down while my mind eases over time.

    Closing both my eyes, I feel the wind disturb as someone takes a seat right next to me on the bench.

    A soothing, kind womanly voice greets me. "Hey, you."

    I open my eyes and look to my side. Inside my chest, I feel my heart skips a beat, and my eyes widen while my lips split apart in pleasant surprise.

    "I-It''s you..."

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 13]

    "Helen of Troy..."

    The woman beside me bears the resemblance of Adrestia, except this woman, who has golden hair while Adrestia has brown hair. It''s astonishing, how striking the resemblance that she has. The painting in the Parthenon doesn''t even manage to capture her real beauty. However, no matter how close they look to each other, this woman doesn''t give off a stern aura instead of a more sisterly one toward me.

    "I''m surprised that you know me." She tilts her head slightly while a half-smile forms with her lips.

    "Of course, I know you. I''ve seen your painting on the Parthenon. You look more beautiful in real life than in the painting."

    My words turn that half-smile into a full one. Her hand move to pushes a dishevel lock of my hair back into place, and remove the few tiny bits of grass off me, "Aren''t you a sweet talker."

    "I''m only telling the truth."

    "Andre...that''s a sweet name."

    Her compliment causes my cheeks to blush a bit while making me take a few glances away. I''ve only met her, but I feel a sisterly connection between her and me. "Why are you here?"

    "I live here, silly. I should be the one asking you that."

    "How do you recognize me?"

    "Hm, you know, Hermes''s little helper, they like to gossip. Especially right now, since you been doing stuff that attracts people''s attention."

    "Ohh, Adrestia is going to be piss at me when she finds out." I press my palm against my face.

    Helen suppress a burst of laughter with her hand, then ask me, "How is she?"

    "Quite scary when I first met her, but I can tell that she is a kind and loving woman from those stern eyes."

    "That''s sounds just like her..." Her eyes cast down as she stares at her hands that are resting between her lips.

    My heart tightens when I see the slightly sad expression on her face, "What''s wrong?"

    "If you know about me, I presume you know about her past." She looks at me, and I turn my gaze away.

    "A friend of mine told me what''s happened between her and Zeus. Unfortunately, it happened, but at least, there''s one good thing that came out from all of that."

    I look back at Helen and match her gaze, "You. You that one good thing that came out. I know it sounds crazy because I just met you, but I felt a connection with you, and I can tell that you''re a kind person, just like Adrestia, and I''m glad that I was able to meet you."

    Helen couldn''t look at me in the eyes, "Andre...I''m far from being a kind person¡ªIn the past, I picked some questionable decisions that might have caused a war. However it''s all in the past, I''ve moved on, and I''ve learned to deal with it, but I could never forget."

    "All I want now is to meet my real mother, but unlike me, terrible guilt plagued her and holding her back. I''ve seen her in the distance from this place, watching me and wanting to meet me."

    "That explains why Cerberus was so friendly to me when he smells my scent, she visited here almost every day, didn''t she?"

    "That''s correct, I forgive her, but she could never forgive herself. Andre, I know you think highly of Adrestia, but remember, that gods make mistakes too."

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t think I can view Adrestia any less than what she is, a god."

    "I''m not going to force your viewpoint." She let out a small sigh and turn her gaze to me.

    Helen takes hold of both my hands, "If you ever get hurt, come to me, okay? Because since the moment you were reborn as a candidate, and while Adrestia blood still running inside of you, we are sisters, and sister looks out for each other."

    "I never knew that I wanted a big sister until now. I wish that you could meet my best friend. I think you are going to like him. He''s a harpy."

    Her eyes widen slightly in pleasant surprise, "A harpy? Quite the interesting friend you make."

    Helen rubs the top of my head, and I snuggle closer to her soft and warm hand, "I always wanted a little sister."

    "Bonjour, who is this belle femme?" A French woman with black, bob-cut hair, warm ivory skin, and thin, pink lip appear behind us. The sudden appearance scares my body to jerk upright while Helen stays calm and smiles at the unknown woman.

    Helen places a hand on my back to calm my stiff nerves. "This is Andre, my new little sister."

    "Oh, you''re the girl that Helen been obsessing about, she kept asking Hermes little helper about you a lot. My name is Jeanne d''Arc, you can call me Joan, and it''s a pleasure to finally meet you. Anyway, you look shit. What happened?"

    I subtly look down at my disheveled appearances with a large scar on my abdomen, the black smudge all over me, and the charred clothes. I do look like shit, but somehow, I''m proud of my appearance.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Well, shit happened to me on the way here," I say with a jokingly tone.

    "Why are you here anyway?" Joan ask.

    "I trying to find Rhea." I look at the French woman as she rests her chin on the railing.

    "Rhea?" Helen let out.

    "Yeah, do you know where to find her?"

    "Sure, it''s easy. Follow me..." The French woman stands upright again and walks away, while Helen and I follow her from behind.

    It doesn''t take us a minute to reach the courtyard near the buried statue''s face. I look around the place and able to see that people are sparring with each other using wooden weapons. Joan stop and turn around to face me. The moment I about to speak, I quickly duck down as I feel the wind shift near my head.

    Thank god for my reflex that I manage to avoid a wooden dagger from hitting my head.

    "Oh, sorry about that!" A man''s voice echo from behind.

    "Achilles got a little feisty when I tease him about his heel." I turn around and stand up again.

    A muscular man with bronze skin and short, messy, black hair nods his head apologetically. I recognize him as The Well Of Knowledge put a name on his face, Hector.

    "You''re Hector the one who fought Achilles to the death against all odds." Amazement glaze over my eyes as I look at him.

    "Sadly, I lose, but at least Paris finished the job." A grin appears on his face.

    "Ha ha ha, I lose once, and everyone wouldn''t let it go. What happens to your invulnerability, Achilles? What your heel isn''t protected by it? One arrow is all it takes?" The man holding a wooden spear behind Hector says in a mocking voice.

    Achilles then throws his spear at the ground, "Screw this!" and walks away.

    He turns around again, "You know how painful it is to get hit on the heel by an arrow?! It''s really painful! Malaka!" Everyone in the courtyard starts to snicker and giggle, annoyed by the snickering, Achilles storm off.

    "Well, I just lose my sparring partner." He watches as Achilles leaves the courtyard.

    "Is he going to be fine?"

    Hector rolls his eyes to the side. "Yeah...He''ll calm down in a minute. This kind of stuff always happens on sparing day."

    Hector turns his gaze on me, "Would you like to become my sparring partner for a few minutes?"

    My mouth widens in glee, I glance behind me, and Helen nods her head. I look back at Hector, "Yes, a million times yes!"

    "Ok then, let''s go." He jogs to where Achilles was standing and walks toward the weapon rack to pick a wooden gladius. He then walks back into the circle area near the weapon rack.

    I let out a smile when there''s a wooden hatchet in the assortment, I grab it and swirl it around in my hands. After taking a breath of fresh air, I walk into the circle and turn to face Hector.

    His expression turns serious as he looks at me, "Your move."

    The smile I had is gone, I grip the shaft of the hatchet tightly while I hunch my back slightly. Using my right feet, I push myself into a full sprint toward Hector. I try using a horizontal slash attack on him, but he easily sidesteps to the left and avoids it. However, it didn''t discourage me as I keep making my advance on him.

    Every attack I throw at him, he avoids with ease like it was nothing. I can feel my body getting tired and sore as I keep on trying to hit him with the hatchet. Without me noticing it, Hector trips me with his foot causing me to fall onto the ground, face first.

    "Is that all you got?" He said with a disappointed tone.

    "I thought you were better at this. I thought you get here solely by skill. Well, I guess my expectation of you let me down. It was pure luck. Isn''t it?"

    His words strike a chord in my heart. I huff the dirt off my lips as I get up again and try to attack him. This time instead of avoiding, he grabs my forearm and brings me closer to him. Afterward, he hit my stomach with the pummel of the wooden gladius.

    I feel the sudden pain erupt in my abdomen while I fall to the ground after Hector let me go and cry out. "All that knowledge Adrestia gave you...What a waste, she should have picked someone else."

    I grunt as I place my hand over my belly to soothe the aching pain. I know that he''s trying to rile me up, but I couldn''t help myself, his word hurt me more than the pain that I''m feeling right now. I rise again and wails my hatchet at him, hoping that one of the attacks hit him.

    Every wail I take, I can feel the rage inside of me increase ten-fold, I begin to foam in my mouth like a rabid dog as I try to hit him. I can sense that I''m getting close to nailing my attack on him.

    "Pathetic." He takes a step back and kicks me on the chest.

    The force from the kick was so enormous that I lose my footing and cause to fall on my back. The dust rises around me as I let out several coughs, while my lungs try to inhale the air that I lost. In the corner of my eyes, I can see the worry in Helen''s eyes, but I also see something else, hope.

    "Your last effort is your rage? Is that all you got, rage and drunken attacks?!" He shakes his head in disappointment.

    "If you''re not going to take this seriously then don''t try at all."

    "Adrestia make a mistake picking you over a million other souls." He turns his body to face the other way and starts walking.

    I rotate my body over so I could face the ground and place both hands in front of me to push me up. When I finally on my knees, I shout, "I''m not a mistake!"

    "Adrestia pick me over a dozen million souls because she has faith in me!" I rise to my feet and able to stand up through the pain.

    "Is that the lie you tell yourself so you can feel special?" His word burn into me, but I keep calm and take another breath in to clear my mind.

    I can see a half-smile form on Hector''s face. I dismiss his earlier statement, "It''s not a lie!"

    "Then prove it yourself!!" He shouts at me.

    I rush to him with all I got and begin my final attack, but this time it''s different, I''m using The Well Of Knowledge to pull every move that Adrestia learns and apply it in my assault. However, some of the techniques are harder to execute as Hector counters it with ease and returns it with a couple of jabs to my body.

    This way too easy for him that he doesn''t even need to use his weapon. I grit my teeth and take a step back then I throw my hatchet toward him while charging toward him at the same time. I pull my fist behind me while he avoids the incoming hatchet by tilting his body. When he turns his body to face me again, my fist is already close to his chest that he can''t avoid it anymore.

    My fist finally connects to his chest, but it doesn''t leave an impact as Hector lets the momentum dissipate with a lean back. I grit my teeth in frustration as my attack ends in another failure. In front of me, I can see his fist heading to my face. I couldn''t avoid it because I lost too much energy on the last attack.

    I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable.

    My forehead jerk back as I feel a flick on my forehead, I open my eyes and see a full-blown smile on Hector''s face.

    "What?.." I turn my gaze to Helen and Joan. They both have the same smile.

    "You did it. You landed a hit on me, a weak hit, but a hit nonetheless. Good job."

    "I did?" I feel my knees weaken. Before I fall to the ground, Hector grabs hold of me and gently rests me on the ground.

    "An inexperienced fighter manages to land a hit on a veteran? On the first fight? It''s unheard of, you did great, and it shows you got potential." Hector barrage me with his recognition, and I can feel my cheek reddens.

    Helen and Joan make their way to me as I hear the cheers from the others in the courtyard. Helen drops to her knees and begins stroking my hair with a proud smile on her face while Joan pats me on the shoulder.

    I raise a fist of victory to the empty air.

    Everyone cheers become even louder.

    Achilles walks back to the courtyard, "I know, I know, I''m sorry for the outburst¡ª" His eyes widen in surprise when he sees the people around him applauding.

    "What did I miss?"

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 14]

    The residents of the Blessed Field start to leave the courtyard, Joan extends her hand to me. I reach it and she pulls me up off the ground and helps me find my footings. After letting go of her hand, I brush the dust off my butt. The sore from getting hit aches all over my body as I stretch my left arm upward.

    "Hector, what happened?" Achilles asked as he looks around the courtyard.

    Hector place his arm over the confused man''s shoulder, turning him around and guide him to the Partheon.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll tell you all about it, over lunch, old friend."

    Achilles let out a sigh as he walks side by side along with Hector.

    I lower my left arm and turn to look at Joan, "Lead the way to Rhea."

    "Hmm? Ah, well...we are already here."

    I glance around her and spot no one near or around us except for Helen. Turning my gaze at her, I raise my left eyebrow.

    "Everyone already left except for us."

    "You''re looking at her."

    "Who? You?"

    "No silly, behind her." Helen let out a smile as she looks passed Joan.

    I lean to the right slightly and gaze passed the French woman. All that I could see is the half-buried face of the massive statue laying on the ground. Then it just struck a chord inside my mind, the statue is Rhea. I widen my eyes as I look back at Helen for confirmation, and she nods her head.

    "Are you serious? That massive statue is her?"

    Helen turns her gaze on the statue''s face, "That is correct, she been here even before us."

    Joan raises a finger, and whisper close to me, "My theory is that she''s been dead for a long time, and nobody realizes it, except for me."

    A worry expression dawn over my face, Helen let out a small giggle, and say, "She''s not dead, believe me. She''s... in a deep slumber, that''s all."

    "Are you sure?" I rest my gaze on Helen for confirmation.

    "I''m certain of it." She said with so much confidence that it dissipate any doubt I have.

    The fresh air enters through my nose and into my lung, then I release it all out in a long sigh. I take a couples of steps closer to Rhea''s face.

    Raising my hand, I extend it closer to Rhea''s cheek and press my palm against it. The surface feels hard and smooth like a river stone at the same time, and feel slightly cold to the touch, well that is what to be expected, judging by the exterior look. However, when I close my eyes, I could feel faint pulses coming from deep inside of her, like rippling water or multiple tiny bursts of energy.

    "Does Zeus ever come here?" I ask Helen while keeping my hand on Rhea''s cheek.

    "Unfortunately no, I never saw him come here before."

    "Hm, why? Isn''t she, his mother?"

    "Do you know about the war between the Titans and the Olympian Gods?"

    "I''ve heard of it"

    "It started because of a prophecy, that Kronos will fall by the hands of his own son, the same as how he dethroned his own father Uranus."

    "The fear from the prophecy turns Kronos paranoid. So when the time came for his sons and daughters to be born, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. He swallowed all of them to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled."

    "However, Rhea, the mother of the six children couldn''t stand and watched as her own children being eaten, but she couldn''t go against Kronos. So she managed to hide one of her child in a cave on Mount Ida while tricking Kronos by disguising a stone swaddled with a cloth and gave it to her husband to be eaten."

    "After Zeus become full grown, he forced Kronos to vomit all of his siblings and led a battle against the Titans and won."

    I mutter to myself, "With the help of the monster kind."

    "Rhea had to leave her child alond to protected him..." Helen voice trail off.

    I glance at Helen, there is a sublime sadness on her eyes as she let out a small sigh.

    I turn my gaze on Rhea once more, "She''s just like Adrestia in a way. Both of them have a few unresolved issues, guilt or regret maybe?"

    "It seems that way, doesn''t it?" Helen''s shoulders droop slightly.

    "Lady Rhea...wake up please, I need you to wake up. It''s about your son, Zeus... He has done so many bad things in the past that hurt a lot of people including to a person that I cared the most"

    "I need you to punish him or at least talk to him. His actions need to be reprimand."

    Rhea lies dormant, unmoving, and unresponsive. I lower my hand away from her cheek.

    "Oi, giant woman! Wake up!"

    "Your son been a bad boy, please do something about it!"The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Aaaaahhhh!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

    "Wake up! Please..."

    I slam the bottom of my clenched hand against her cheek, and yet, no response whatsoever. "This can''t be it..."

    Joan let out a sigh, "Andre, she hasn''t woken for ages even before we came here. I don''t think she will wake up now."

    Helen places a hand on my left shoulder. "I believe in you." I turn my gaze over to her and let out an energized smile.

    Helen doesn''t even know what I''m here for, but she still gives her blind support. I take a long breath in and move closer to the vines draping over Rhea''s neck. Grabbing one of those vines, I use it as a rope to climb up and try to reach her ear.

    Her ear is covered with growing vines, I take a couple of breath in to sweep my fatigue away.

    "Don''t you miss him? Don''t you miss how warm he felt when you cradle him for the first time? Don''t you miss how his voice sounds like, and how his first smile filled your beating heart with joy?"

    A sudden stiffness plague all over my body, I couldn''t move my eyelids or any single part of my body as if a curse of stone been casted on me.

    A blanket of white light overwhelms my sight and dissipate away any view I had.

    Laughter.

    Scream.

    The noise of a burning fire.

    The noise of several tiny explosion going off around me. All of the noises in fast rapid succession cause a tiny headache.

    However as sudden as the noise came, silence became the end.

    With a blink of my eyes, I am in a different place than I was and able to move my body again. I turn my body and see a two-story house. A familiar feeling washes over me when I gaze at the house, but I couldn''t recall any memories of me being here.

    Yet there something amiss about this house, it should be more rundown than it is right now.

    "How dare you disturb my slumber." A stern voice greets me.

    I turn my body to face the source of the voice, I''m surprised to see the same woman that resembles the giant statue standing before me while in my heights.

    A sense of shame wash over me, I drop to one knee, "Lady Rhea! Forgive my rudeness, but I need to wake you up."

    "Such warm and humble home for a family to live in." She turns her gaze toward the house.

    "Where are we?"

    She let out a small laugh, "That is the question you should ask yourself. This image, this location, this house and everything in here is from your mind, more precisely your memories."

    I look at her with widened eyes, "Mine? But I don''t remember all of this."

    Her burning gaze bore through me, "Enough! We are not here you to discuss your inability."

    "How dare you?! Do you think I''m blind to your ulterior motives? I know there is another reason for you to wake me up, rather than simply to ask me to scold my son for his bad deeds."

    "Excuse me, but me having an ulterior motive isn''t it a good excuse for you."

    I can feel her gaze becoming direr, but with a hardened heart, I stand up and look her in eyes.

    "I want him to feel at least the shred of the consequence from his action against my goddess. That''s what I wanted. That''s why I came here."

    "How hubris of you to think that." I can see the full anger in her eyes as she scowls at me.

    "Bow!" With a single word, I can feel a sudden immense force pulling my body down to the ground. I drop onto both of my knees, but I keep my torso straight up with every ounce of my strength.

    "LET ME TAKE ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES ON WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!"

    "BLAME ME! ANDRE OF ADRESTIA!"

    I shout through my gritted teeth. However after I mentioned those words, I feel her angry gaze dissipate slowly, and the force that was pulling me to the ground begin to disappear.

    "I know that you miss seeing your son, I don''t know why you won''t see him, but I do know one thing."

    "You need a reason, or an excuse, or something to use. However, it needs to be more than simple words, you need someone to blame. You don''t want him to be angry at you, or hate you for barging in suddenly into his life."

    "Use my name! Pretend that I trick you. Go! And see him!"

    Her gaze rests onto the ground in front of her, "It''s not that simple."

    "It is that simple, you are his mother. It is one of your perks of being a mother to bother your kids, whenever and wherever they are," I said with a smile on my face as I stand up again.

    Lady Rhea looks at me with hopeful eyes and smile. "You are one of the strangest people I ever met."

    My smile widens, "I get that a lot."

    Just the same as before, with a blink of an eye, I''m back at the blessed field while standing on the side of Rhea''s head. Her entire body grumbles beneath me as the vines and pebbles slip off her. She is going deeper into the ground rather than rising up.

    All the rumbling cause me to lose my footing and fall onto my butt. However, I can see from where I am, Joan and the other residents shocked faces while Helen simply waves her goodbye at me with a loving smile on her face. I wave my hand at them while Rhea wraps her palm and fingers around me as we go deeper into the ground.

    Darkness then comes light.

    The annoying disorienting feeling that I had comes again, Rhea opens her fingers slightly, and I find myself outside of the Underworld. I look down into the hole that Rhea leave, and I can see the Underworld skies.

    The Underworld was upside down the entire time, "So that''s why I was feeling disoriented when I step into it."

    The hole that Rhea left in the ground starts to close up with rocks and dirt, separating the Underworld and the surface once more.

    Another good news arises as my old strength and energy flow throughout my body. The tiredness and soreness simply go away. I look around and find the cave entrance where I parked my motorcycle.

    "Lady Rhea, can you drop me at the cave entrance? I have my own ride, I''ll have to meet you at Mount Olympus."

    She takes a glance at me, then slowly lowering me at the cave entrance. I can see Agnes and Kraus shocked faces as they stare at the massive woman that is lowering me to the ground.

    I jump and land near Agnes with an arrogant smirk on my face, his expression still stuck in awe as I wave my hand in front of his face. I turn around and wave goodbye at Rhea, "Tell Lord Zeus that I said hello."

    Rhea nods her head slightly while a giant bright portal opens above her, and she hovers up into it. After she leaves, Agnes sense come back to her, "Is that Rhea?"

    "Yep," I said nonchalantly as I get on the bike.

    Kraus let out a laugh while Agnes looks at me with wide eyes, "You did it!"

    "What do you mean me? We did it! Even though I will be the one that is taking all the blame on what happens next."

    Agnes rushes to me and hugs me with his soft wings. The embrace surprises me, but I reply by brushing the top of his head, "What''s with the sudden embrace?"

    "You promise me to come back and I''m happy that you keep it." I can see the hidden smile underneath as he plants his face into my chest.

    "Of course, I keep it..." Agnes moves his head away from my chest and gazes at me with a happy smile. "Anyway, Where that delicious fruit? I''m starving."

    His eyebrows raise while his gaze moves away from me, "aaahhh...."

    "Agnes?" An annoyed smile appears on my face.

    "You were in the Underworld for a long time, and I got worried, so I ate it..."

    I pinch both of his cheeks, "ouch... that''s hurt."

    "You do know that I wanted to eat that?"

    Kraus let out another laugh, "I warned him that he shouldn''t eat it, but he didn''t listen."

    "Just a warning?" I said sarcastically.

    "Did you forget that I''m hurt?" The minotaur reply with his own sarcasm.

    "Oh yeah." I look at the minotaur broken arm and feel the guilt once more.

    Agnes massages his swollen cheeks with his wings, "So... where are we heading next?"

    "Back to Mount Olympus, but first I need to deliver a message."

    A tiny hummingbird appears before me like magic, Agnes glare and bares his sharp teeth toward it, while the hummingbird whistles as it flies around his head.

    "I hate them, always got in my way when I''m flying," Agnes try to take a bite on it, but it flies close to me for protection.

    It makes several tweets sounds at me, I couldn''t explain what it said in common tongue, but I understand it fully. "So this tiny cuteness is the famous Hermes Little Helper."

    It flies around me in happiness after it heard my compliment.

    "Can you deliver a message to Lord Hades?"

    It nods it''s tiny head energetically, then a smile appears on my face.

 Arc: 2 [Chapter 15]

    I can feel the wind in my hair as I fly through the portal while following after Agnes on my motorcycle. A big wide smile slowly forms on my face as I see Mount Olympus and all of its beauty, along with the massive woman made of out of stone leaning into one of the Pantheons with an open roof and gazing intensely into it.

    When the entrance to the Pantheon is in my view, I yell out to Agnes, "Get on the back!"

    Agnes spreads his wings, slowing him down while I keep my speed steady, the bike rumbling a bit as he takes a seat on it.

    "What''s the plan, Andre?" Agnes says with a raised voice.

    "We barge in and introduce ourselves," I let out a laugh.

    "Andre, it''s unwise for me to enter that place." I can see his worried eyes in the side-view mirror.

    "We already broke so many rules, so screw it, you¡¯re with me!" I turn the throttle down and cause the bike to jerk a little as it starts gaining speed. Agnes leans close to my back and tries to grab hold of me with his wings.

    The motorcycle leans down towards the open marble pathway that leads to the entrance. Instead of the front touching the floor, I pull up to let the bike fly a couple of inches above the marble floor before finally flipping the flight switch off.

    The whole bike bounces up and down after falling onto the floor. Behind me, I can feel Agnes hugging me tighter and being scared of my reckless riding.

    I don¡¯t feel fear as I control the bike from flipping out of control and keeping it straight until I pass through the entrance with half a smirk on my face.

    A crowd of people in different colors and sizes back away to give me some room to stop. I can see James among the crowd, from what I can guess these people are the Candidates for a variety of gods.

    Squeezing the brake handle, the back tire leaves a trail of black smudge on the pristine marble floor while the whole bike comes to a screeching halt. I kick the motorcycle stand under me so as I vault out of the seat, the bike remains standing. Behind me, Agnes gets off the back seat and fidget closer to me as he looks at the people around her.

    I lift off the flight goggle from my eyes and let it rest on my forehead. A side-mirror shows a dirty version of me, dark smudges from the ash clouds decorate all over my body, the scars from my journey litter all over me, and the clothes that I''m wearing are a little burnt from the explosion. When I look at the people around me, I finally notice the ire and confusion in their eyes.

    I guess some of them don''t know who I am, but some of them do know who I am and know what I did.

    However, one of them really doesn''t like me, judging from the burning anger in his eyes. The Caucasian man with blonde hair and blue eyes stares at me with a small fake smile.

    I ignore the man as I notice James is jogging toward me with wide eyes, "Do you know what you did?"

    With a nonchalant manner, I say, "I''m fully aware of it."

    I take out my boomer and place it in his hand, "I''m really sorry about your gun."

    "Why does it feel hot to the touch?" James said as he examines the firearm in his hands.

    Then fear start to storm in his eyes, "Throw it out!"

    I grab my boomer off his hand and throw it outside, through the door that I went through. The gun bursts open into multiple explosions in mid-air, outside of the hallway, scattering shrapnel all around. I can hear the gasps of surprise behind me while a shocked expression splatters on some of the Candidate''s faces.

    "There goes my only prototype," James mutters as his shoulders droop while sighing.

    While the explosions capture the attention of the other Candidates, I turn away from it and let out a big gasp of air as fatigue slowly blankets my whole body. I can feel all of my muscles relax at the same time.

    My eyes slowly blink while I put the small effort of my energy to focus on the person that is standing across me.

    For some reason, the woman in front of me has familiar looking hair.

    A full and lush orange hair that reaches her shoulder blades.

    Pink porcelain skin, free of blemishes, and big brown eyes that allure my gaze.

    A tear drip down her cheek, touching the corner of her loving smile and fall off onto her white gown that softly hugs her slender body.

    I...know her...but I couldn''t put a name on that beautiful face.

    My heart is throbbing loudly and slowly as my mind begins to blur as I try to find her name in the back of my mind. For whatever reason, a single tear is dripping down my cheek like her.

    She slowly walks closer toward me, "Andre..." The way she mutters my name, it''s like she knew me and relieved to see me.

    The beating of my heart hastens to the point of bursting out as she stands a couple of inches away from me.

    She leans closes while tiptoeing to reach my height.

    A kiss.

    Her soft lips are press against mine so sudden that it makes my heart skip a beat, she closes her eyes while a couple of tears escape her eyelids and slide down her cheeks.

    It felt so sudden, so intoxicating, so soft, so close, and it felt right. I didn''t fight it, instead, I place both of my hands around her waist and pull her closer to me. She returns my action by placing her arms around my neck.

    I close my eyes, and our tongues intertwine with each other.

    I''m supposed to know this unknown woman, but no matter what, I couldn''t...There''s only empty void where my past memories supposed to be

    We break away from our kiss, a black smudge from my cheek dirty her own, but she doesn''t care as our forehead rest against each other. Our face couldn''t stop smiling with joy.

    "My mind had doubts when I first heard your name, but my heart didn''t... I had a feeling it was you."

    "Andre, Andre¡ªAndre! Andre... an-dre." She keeps saying my name in disbelief as if to convince herself that this isn''t a dream.

    Every time she said my name, my heart skips a beat while a full-blown, dumb smile appears on my face. Her touch, the kiss, the way she said my name, and everything she does feels right.

    She presses her face against my collarbone and sniffs her happy tears away. "Sister Daisie, the gods have to dismiss, we should too."

    I can see the wide eyes on the group of women behind her that are wearing the same dress as her, but not all of them are shocked after witnessing what just happened. Some have a supportive smile on their faces and gladness in their eyes, but the one in front of them with blond, half-shaved hair and has an air of authority around her, glares at me with full distrust.

    I''m guessing the woman with half-shaved hair is the leader of the group of women behind her. A circle of light appears around the group of woman, Daisie leans in and embraces me once more.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    She whisper, "Find me on Efchar¨ªstisi, I''ll be waiting for you."

    Daisie places a quick kiss on my cheek then, with a coy smile, she walks back to her group, keeping her gaze on me while both her hands behind her waist. After entering the circle of light, they all shine brightly before disappearing into thin air.

    I stand there like a stone statue, looking at the empty space with a dumb smile on my face.

    "Andre?" Agnes called out to me.

    "Andre, I didn''t know you have a teleportation rune." James points out.

    "What do you mean? I don''t have any¡ªoh..." I just notice the circle of light around Agnes and me.

    "Ohh¡ªgood luck, Andre."

    "Shit."

    James let his sympathy accompany his small smile, "Agreed."

    A blinding light overwhelms my sight, and I can feel my whole body being lifted a couple of inches above the floor. It doesn''t take a few milliseconds for me to drop back down onto both my knees.

    I could hear my bike fall onto its side behind me. Along with a quick and small squeak coming from Agnes as he drops onto his butt.

    The familiar hall surrounds me, I''m back at Adrestia''s pantheon, and I can see her feet in front of me. Lifting my chin, I can see her with a scowl, and despite the blindfold over her eyes, I still can feel my gaze meet with her own stern and angry gaze.

    I break away from her gaze by keeping my head down.

    "Are you fully aware of the action you have taken?"

    My voice stutter, "I-I do."

    "No, I don''t think you do, not one bit."

    "You violated the ancient law, you trespassed through Hades''s border, you disrespected other gods, you lied, and you meddled with my past."

    Even though Adrestia is speaking to me in a calm manner, I can still feel the very essence of my self shaking in fear of her words.

    "Andre¡ªdid it all for you..." Agnes chimes in, but when Adrestia brings her gaze on him, he quickly silences himself.

    "Lady Adrestia." I pull my goddess attention back to me.

    "Truth be told, I haven''t given much thought about it at first, but as I went on this self-imposed quest, I realized my own hubris and the consequences of my action."

    "However, the more I think about it, the more I couldn''t let it go. Someone has wronged you in the past, and walked away free... I know of the story, and I could only imagine the fraction of the pain you felt."

    "But, even the thought of you getting hurt caused me pain. You are everything to me, my goddess, the one who chose me and gave me a second chance."

    "Yet, I have no excuse for my action, and I brace for any punishment you give me, even death." My eyes start to water, but I wipe away the tears and brave myself.

    "So you accept any punishment?"

    "Yes."

    Agnes run and hug me with his tender wings, "No! Lady Adrestia, please spare her."

    I turn my gaze on the short harpy, his eyes are like mine, wet and filled with fear and concern. I return his embrace, "I have too, Agnes. I''ve always known what''s going to happen before I went to the underworld. I''m really sorry...that I can''t stay here any longer." I let out a painful smile as I try to hide my despair.

    "Nooo, please don''t leave me! You''re the only person who willing to befriend a monster like me, without you, I would be all alone again, and I couldn''t bear it anymore."

    I grit my teeth as I tighten my arm around him, I don''t want to leave, but I had no choice, I have to face the consequences of my action.

    "I want to stay..." I said to myself with enormous difficulty.

    "Enough. There won''t be any punishment today."

    I turn my gaze over to Adrestia with disbelief in my eyes. "W-What?"

    "Huh?" Agnes brings his sight to the Goddess.

    "Apparently, the king of gods is amused by your action, and he has forgiven you."

    I break away from the embrace, "I still don''t understand."

    "Of course you don''t, if you did, you wouldn''t go on an idiotic quest. No one understands what goes inside a god''s mind."

    I still couldn''t believe that I would be forgiven just like that. However, I''m relieved that it did.

    "Do you think I hate Zeus?" Adrestia looks at me deeply.

    "Yes, he... defiled you against your will, and cause you to lose your only child."

    She let out a sigh, "He did...unspeakable act against me, a long time ago. However, I did not hate him, I do resent him, but I respect him as a king. He changed a long time ago, after realizing the full extent of his terrible actions, all by himself."

    "In some terrible train of thoughts, I''m grateful toward him for giving me a child, a beautiful child. However, it was not his fault that I lost her, it was mine. I let her go because of my own fear caused by Hera. I''m afraid of her finding out what happened, I should have fought for her to stay with me, but ''fear'' gripped my heart."

    "I regret what I did, and I could never forgive myself afterward." Adrestia brings her sight down, and a single tear slide out of her black blindfold.

    Seeing her in pain causes an ache in my heart, I want to comfort her, "Lady Adrestia..."

    "Enough, child." She looks at me again with her stern gaze.

    Then a tiny glimpse of a smile appear on her lips, "I''m grateful for your thoughts and action. You did an impossible thing, going to the Underworld, I''m proud of you, I''m proud of your strength and your determination even though it misdirected."

    Hearing her compliment brushes away any terrible feelings I had.

    "Despite the rudeness of your actions, you deserve a reward."

    "Reward?" I said with my eyes wide.

    "Yes. Name your wish."

    "I..." I turn my gaze on Agnes, take my time and let out a smile.

    "I want to celebrate, let''s have a barbeque together, fruits and meat, and music too."

    Agnes''s face lights up in joy when he hears the word ''fruits''.

    "A barbeque, as you wish." Adrestia¡¯s size decreases as she walks towards the double door.

    Agnes and I follow her. When we arrive outside, Adrestia extends her arm outward, the area in front of her shines brightly, and a bunch of items appears from the light afterward.

    Both of us are ecstatic by the heated grill, the picnic table, the jukebox, and a table filled with delectable ingredients

    Agnes wipe his teary eyes, and turns his uncertain gaze at me, "This isn¡¯t a trick, right?"

    I look at Adrestia with my own uncertainty, "Yeah, how do I know that this isn''t some elaborate punishment?"

    Adrestia looks at me with a un-amused gaze, I look at her and bite my bottom lip, "Yeah... this is not a trick, but aren''t you supposed to punish me? I did go behind your back."

    "Come here," Adrestia nods her head at me, gesturing me to come closer.

    Unrelenting, I take a few steps closer toward the Goddess, "Owie!" She flicks my forehead so hard that my head recoils back a bit.

    "What was that?"

    "That was your punishment."

    I look at Adrestia confused out of my mind. However, she only let out a small, loving smile as she suddenly pats the top of my head. Her gaze is brimming with sadness while her smile says otherwise.

    The way she caresses my head, it''s warm, gentle, caring and calming. Almost like a mother touch, no, exactly like it. She''s like a mother to me, I couldn''t get enough of her touch, so I bring my head closer to her gentle hand.

    Agnes smile as he witnesses the sweet moment from the side.

    "I hope I didn''t interrupt anything," Lord Hades, Lady Persephone, and Shin walk up the steps.

    Adrestia is surprised by the presence of the three of them, but the most shocking thing she sees is the familiar golden-haired woman that is following behind them, Helen, my sister.

    With deep longing gaze, Helen calls out to Adrestia, "Mit¨¦ra."

    "Polytimi k¨®ri mou," Adrestia reply with teary eyes.

    Agnes lean closer to me, "What did she say?"

    I whisper back to Agnes, "My precious daughter."

    Helen walks closer to the Goddess, but with a painful look, Adrestia takes a step back away from her daughter, "Mit¨¦ra, please... It wasn''t your fault, and I never once blamed you for what you did, so please no more distancing yourself from me."

    "I should have...fought to be with you, but I didn''t."

    Helen extends her hands to Adrestia, "I don''t care about any of that, I just want to make up the lost time with you."

    Adrestia was hesitant at first, but after looking at her daughter and considering an offer that she can''t refuse, she takes hold of her hands and Helen brings her closer for a tight embrace.

    I wipe away the happy tear that crawling down my cheek and grab for Agnes so I could cuddle him. However, my hand couldn''t grab hold of anything. Perplexed, I turn my gaze to search for him, but Agnes is nowhere to be seen.

    For some reason, I could hear a faint crunching noise coming from the ingredients table. I gravitate my sight to it and find Agnes, stuffing his mouth with delicious fruits like a chipmunk. Our eyes meet, he shrugs his shoulders, while I raise an eyebrow at him with a disbelieving smile and shake my head.

    Shin sneak up behind Agnes and stares at him with wide eyes of curiosity. Agnes''s body jerks upright in surprise after he notices the boy behind him. Agnes starts to back away from Shin, but Shin keeps following him. Agnes then starts running around the table, desperate to get away from Shin, but Shin keeps following him.

    "Andre! Andre!! Andre!!!"

    Ignoring Agnes''s pleas for help, I turn away with a smile, "I guess let''s start the barbeque then."

    On the way to the grill, I bump my waist against the jukebox, putting on a song.

    ''The Zombies - She¡¯s Not there.''

    I dance to the music while preparing the Ingredients.

    The sun crests over the horizon, casting an orange hue in the sky. It¡¯s been a crazy day, but to tell you the truth, I love it here.

 Arc 2: Epilogue

    "One of the helpers told me that Andre found her," Lord Hades takes a glance at Lady Adrestia beside him.

    Both of them look over the barbeque from a few feets away, the smiles on their family and friend faces brighten the atmosphere around them. Adrestia watches as her daughter Helen leave to gets a drink for both of them.

    "You''ve taken a liking to Andre, I see."

    "She is a strange individual, a rude, oblivious, individual, but a determined, narrow focus, kind and loyal girl. You may be right about me taking a liking to her. But it is the same as you, isn''t it? You have also taken a liking to her, am I wrong?" Hades lets out a half smirk.

    "How so?"

    "The way you look at her sometimes, it¡¯s as if you are looking at your own daughter."

    Andre interrupts Helen and takes hold of her hands then starts dancing with her to the rhythm of the music, while Agnes and Shin are having fun with each others company. They seem to be playing tag together. Persephone just watches them from afar with a motherly smile.

    "You know what''s going to happen when she meets her, it won''t be pretty. Do you really want that?"

    "I can''t stop her, besides she needs-"

    Hades interrupts Adrestia, "I know you''re lying, you can stop her."

    Adrestia looks at Hades with cold, uncaring eyes, then start to walk away from him and towards Helen and Andre.

    Hades shakes his head slightly, not convinced despite Adrestia¡¯s cold eyes. He knows that both of them are going to get hurt by themselves. Whatever the outcome is, it won¡¯t be good.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Adrestia stands near Andre and Helen, waiting for them to stop dancing. Both of them stop as they notice the goddess near them, "Extend your open hands to me."

    Andre, confused by the situation, follows Adrestia¡¯s instructions.

    "Andre, you have proven yourself as a fighter, fit to fight the Darkness. Now, here is your Scroll. May your light banish the Darkness."

    A scroll appears from a golden light above her palm, then it slowly hovers down into Andre''s hands. Agnes takes notice of the light and breaks away from the game of tag with Shin. He flies over and lands close next to Andre with ease.

    "Do you accept your duty?" Adrestia gazes upon Andre, waiting for her answer.

    Andre looks at Helen and sees her approving nod, and when she looks at Agnes, a big smile accompanies that cute face.

    With an eager smile, Andre says, "I accept."

    Adrestia nods her head slightly to show how proud she is at her. "However, I have one last gift, not for you, but for your friend." She turns her gaze on Agnes.

    Agnes is fluttered by Adrestia''s statement, "Me?"

    "Will you become Andre''s Familiar?"

    Agnes jaw drops after hearing the offer, and even Helen was surprised by the offer. Andre, confused by the offer, asks Helen, "What''s happening?"

    "A Familiar is someone who receives a blessing and the God''s name, and his or her duty is to help candidates with their quest. However, there is another meaning when someone is given a chance to become a Familiar, and that is the god or goddess accepting that someone into their own family¡­ Adrestia is giving Agnes a chance to join our family."

    "That''s a huge deal!" Andre said excitedly.

    Agnes looks at Andre, looking for confirmation and Andre replies with an eager nod. After getting Andre¡¯s approval, he answers, "I do."

    Agnes''s stomach glows a golden light, and a symbol of a wing appears around his navel. The light disappears, and Agnes can feel the new energy coursing through his veins. His entire body is covered up by a bright light, before turning into a falcon with orange colored feathers. He shoots up and flies in a circle above Andre, before landing back down and turning back into a Harpy.

    Andre rushes in for a hug and Agnes replies with a hug of the same excitement.

    -END ARC 2-

    Happy times won''t last forever.

 Arc 3: Cover.

    Update Arc 2: Complete

    Also, thanks to my editors and proofreaders for helping me with my horrible grammar:

    @WntrDrgn</a>,you can check his work here:https://www.readlightnovel.org/upside-down</a>If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    @murphe

    @The Juggernaut, you can check his work here:https://www.royalroad.com/profile/85973/fictions</a>

    @GreatOakSeed

    No tag change, but a fair warning, 18+ for Arc 3 Chapter 1 and 2, hot steamy scene ahead. OwO

    Next cover:

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 1]

    Have you ever had that feeling when you can hear the loud beating of your heart, and that freaking butterfly flapping around in your stomach as you get closer to something?

    Well, I never had that feeling before, also, should I see a doctor? Because I think, I''m either on the verge of having a stroke or it is far much worse than that.

    I throttle up, and the Brutale speed through the portal. Flashes of changing lights went by like a blink of an eye.

    A world of pink awaits for me, down below.

    Tree with pink leaves decorated the land below, and purple grass hides the dark dirt underneath. On top of a hill, a single white Parthenon stood. Then encircled by white, square-shaped houses, built like a cube, and arranged together like stair on a downward slope.

    There''s no single city to be seen, only the somewhat similar town that I saw below are scattered across the purple land.

    Agnes fly to my side, "Can you tell me again, why are we here?"

    I take a glance at the adorable harpy beside me, "It''s because I have to find her."

    He pursed his lips, "The random woman that kissed you earlier?"

    I was distracted by a sudden urge that grabs my attention, "That town down there. She''s there, Daisie is there, I''m sure of it."

    Before Agnes could reply to my sudden outburst of words, I pitch down the bike at the town and speed up. Agnes flaps his wings as hard as he can, to try to catch up to me.

    I land my bike right next to the beautiful fountain in the middle of a small plaza. After switching the flight mode, I glance around me, noticing the residents of the town are looking at me with curiosity and...subtle lust?

    The clothes on their bodies are quite unexpectedly revealing, thin and see-through or even skimpy and scantily clad. However, what strikes me as odd the most is I don''t see any old people or children, only young and mature people in the age of 23 to 35. Almost as if i''m in a weird version of an adult film featuring a doll-like town.

    There is no single rubbish or waste to be seen around me. Not even a dirty footprint.

    Agnes land beside me, I turn my head to him, "She''s not just any random woman, she knows me, and somehow I know her. Besides, every time I see her, my heart skips a beat."

    "Are you sure that you want to meet her looking like that?" Agnes'' eyes look at me from top to bottom.

    "Like what?" My eyebrows perk.

    He gestures his head toward the side-view mirror. I''m a little bit shock as I see myself cover with dark smudge and wearing burnt clothes. I completely forgot about the aftermath of my earlier quest.

    "We left in a hurry that you forgot to clean yourself, come on, let''s go back and get yourself clean. Tomorrow, we will try to find her."

    "Don''t be ridiculous."

    "You look horrible, besides, you''ll probably scare her away when she sees you."

    "I don''t think that she cares that I look like this...but just to be sure!" With a single leap, I jump into the fountain, making a big splash and drenching myself with water.

    The splash of water hit one of Agnes''s wings causing him to take a step back. He shakes the water off his wing and looks at me with a scowl.

    I rise from the depth of shallow water with my brunette hair sticking to the back of my scalp. Stream of water run down my back and slide down my curve, then carefully drip down back into the water. Surprisingly, it didn''t feel cold, only slightly warm. I splash my face again with the same water and wipe the dark smudges away while a big smile was on my face.

    I felt relieved to finally enjoy the refreshing feeling of being clean again.

    Pulling back my hair, I turn my gaze on Agnes, "How do I look?"

    "Wet..."

    "I guess, better be wet than dirty. Am I right?"

    Agnes rolls his eyes, "Yeah, sure. Wet is way better than dirty, I supposed... it''s not like most people would prefer being clean and dry." I can taste the sarcasm dripping from his words.

    "You do know, I''m still mad at you," I vault out of the fountain with my dripping clothes.

    "I said, I''m sorry, ugh."

    Without me noticing, the men and women in this plaza are slowly closing in on us, but when I look carefully at them. It''s not me that they are heading toward, it''s Agnes.

    Agnes finally realizes what is happening, and look at me for help, "Andre...What''s going on?"

    There was no ill intent coming from them, however, I do detect a strong curiosity and fascination.

    "Andre!" He bares his teeth toward them and let out an intimidating growl.

    However, the people aren''t fazed by it, instead, they start touching his feathers and stroking his wings. I smile as I watch them brush their cheek against Agnes''s feathers.

    "I don''t think they are trying to hurt you."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    A strong sense of attraction pull my attention away toward a path, and without doubt, I start walking toward it like a moth to a light.

    "Andre! Don''t leave me! Andre!" Agnes yell out as he is being embraced by twenty or more people that are curious to see a harpy.

    Every step I take, I leave a wet shoeprint on the brick road. I keep on walking, ignoring everything around me like I was possessed. The beating of my heart keeps getting stronger, I have no shred of idea where she is, but I could feel her getting closer.

    After crossing a bridge over a canal of flowing water, I stop and glance at the cube houses around me.

    "Which one is it?" I mutter to myself.

    A Red haired woman climbs the steps to her house with a bunch of apple in her arms, I call out to her, "Hey?"

    She turns around, instantly covers her mouth, dropping the apples down the steps while her eyes widen, "A candidate...Oh my, today certainly an exciting day for me."

    "How did you know?"

    "I mean no disrespect, the way you dressed... and the weapon in your belt. Nobody on Efchar¨ªstisi carries a weapon and dress the way you are. May I ask your name, great candidate?"

    "It''s Andre of Adrestia."

    "Adrestia? Oh no, please forgive my rudeness, Miss Andre. I have done nothing wrong." The woman drops to both her knees while pleading forgiveness from me.

    "Woah, I''m not here to hurt anyone." I lower myself and place my hand on her shoulders then help her stand again.

    "Such a kind gesture, surely I''m not worthy of your kindness." Her sparkling red eyes look at me as if I was a higher being than her.

    After moving my hands away, I scratch the back of my head, "I actually need a favor from you."

    "Anything," She said enthusiastically, then she pulls the loose strap away from her shoulders causing her thin dress to slide down.

    Revealing a very curvy and tempting body, free of blemishes. I look down and the carpet does match the hair. I stumble back while trying to cover my eyes. "Why did you get naked?!"

    "You asked me of a favor...I''m ready to please you any way you want, It''s an honor to me." She is unfazed by her actions.

    "So this what James felt when I did it to him..."

    "Is there something wrong with my body? Is my body displeasing to see? Am I ugly?" She on the verge of crying at the thought of displeasing me.

    "No, No, No, you have quite the erroneous body, and you are beautiful, there''s no doubt about it."

    A big smile appears on her face, "Your compliment cause joy to my lowly heart. If my look is desirable, does that mean I alone cannot satisfy you? Then should I call one of my friends or three more to appease you?"

    "You mean a...wait, wait, wait, calm down. We are getting off track. Can you wear your dress first? I''m getting distracted every time I look down."

    "Anything for you, Miss Andre." She put on her dress again in a very erotic way by keeping my attention to her curve and letting the fabric stroke her smooth skin and succulent body.

    After she put on her dress, I let out a breath of relieved, "I''m looking for Miss Daisie."

    "Priestess Daisie? She lives in that house behind you." The woman point to the house behind me.

    I turn around, and my heart skips a beat as I gaze at the door to her house. I was hesitant at first, but I take my first step closer, then another and so on. After checking the smell of my breath, I comb my damp hair using my hands.

    "Okay, okay, hello, my name is Andre, the one you kissed, you told me to find you, so here I am? No, no, no, hmm. Hey, babay~ I just couldn''t get you off my mind, do you feel the same. Nope, ugh, Ola? Bonjour? Giasou? Guten tag? None of this sound right..."

    I stop on the last steps, the door is a feet close to my chest, I raise my knuckle right beside my head, ready to knock, but nothing, I froze. There''s nothing stopping me really, but I kept thinking what if Agnes was right, maybe I should try another day. After all, I don''t want to look like a creep.

    I bite my bottom lip while my shoulders droop with frustration, then with the utmost difficulty, I lower my knuckle and turn around. The red-haired woman look at me with confusion in her eyes. My chin is lowered as I walk down the steps again.

    A short burst of air escapes my parted lips, but I stop my stride when I hear the sound of the wooden door opening behind me.

    "You came..." Daisie''s voice sent a whiplash to my heart.

    I turn around and behold her beauty, the orange-lush hair, the big-brown-eyes, the soft-succulent lips, everything about her is just perfect.

    "Yes, I did." A half grin slowly form with my lips.

    "What are you waiting for? Come here, silly."

    I don''t know what took over me, I rush up the steps, embracing her with both arms and lift her off her feet. Our soft lips meet, her hands reach for my back, trying to grab hold of me, while I place my hands under her soft and plump buttocks causing her to let out a moan. We''re both intoxicated by each other, our warm and wet tongues wrestle each other from inside my mouth to her and back.

    Wet against wet.

    We break away from the kiss and breathing heavily while our forehead press together. A smirk appears with her lips, "Are you tired?"

    "No."

    "Then show me what you can do." She whisper to my ear, I can feel her hot breath against my ear causing my heartbeat to quickly hasten.

    I carry her to the living room while my left feet pull the door close. When her couch is in my sight, I toss her down and take off my shirts. She bites her bottom lips seductively as she looks at my bare breasts with lustful eyes.

    Daisie''s hands slide underneath under her dress, toward her hot and juicy mound, but before she could reach it, I stop her hands after I bring myself on top of her.

    I grab holds both of her wrists and bring it above her head, preventing her from reaching her sumptuous spot. Her hot breath escapes her lips, while her frustrated eyes stare into mine, wishing me to free her of her restraints. However, I didn''t give her the sweet release, instead, I start with the furthest spot. I suck on her neck, licking it and kissing it, leaving my own love bites.

    "Aaah..ah...mhm," several noises escaped her mouth as I make my way down to her chest while slowly unveiling her dress and revealing her savory chest. Then I make my way down her smooth belly.

    Daisie''s amorous eyes gaze at me from above. After I reach below her belly, just under her drapes, I blow on it, teasing her.

    "Please..." She moans.

    My tongue touch the toggle, "Aaah! Yes.. moar..." She yells out, I keep licking it in counter-clockwise until she arrives at the point of an outburst.

    With a single bite, her toes curl while a gust of her sweet nectar squirt into my mouth. I release her hands, she takes a couple of heavy breath before pulling me down and switches position with her on top of me.

    "It¡¯s time for me to show you what I got," She reaches something behind the couch, then reveal it to me and my eyes widen.

    "I don''t think that will fit in me, I...never tried sliding anything that big into mine before, except for my finger..but that was more of unintended action," I bite my bottom lip while my cheeks blush red.

    "Don''t you worry, I will guide you. Trust me, you will love it." Her dominant eyes take over, and a smirk appears on her face while she unbuckles my pant and slides it off me.

    I can feel my body heat up at her statements while feeling so small under her. She licks her upper lip seductively before going down on me.

    From the living room to the kitchen and finally to the bedroom. Everywhere in the house, we did it, even press up against a window. Our stamina was limitless, we didn''t know the meaning of slowing down.

    From morning to night, the loud moans never seem to let down, but when we do stop, we were so tired beyond belief that we fall to sleep into a deep slumber.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 2]

    I open my eyes to a warehouse unbeknownst to me, but as I come to my senses, I finally realize that someone had tied me to a chair and soaked me with gasoline. When I raise my gaze, I couldn''t recognize the young man that stands before me, but his cold eyes are familiar to me. A sudden headache spruces up inside my brain, I close my eyes and grit my teeth as I try to withstand the headache.

    Suddenly, I feel the rise in the temperature around me, and when, I open my eyes again, the young man is nowhere to be seen. However, a claymore planted into the concrete replaced where he stood.

    A muffled voice caught my attention, so I turn my gaze to the right and shock to see Agnes tied to the chair beside me. He screams my name while his mouth is gag by a cloth.

    "Agnes!"

    Another muffled scream caught my attention, so I turn my head to the left and find Daisie tied to the chair just like Agnes. She tries to wiggle out of her restraints.

    "Daisie!"

    I keep looking at both them while I try to escape myself, then despair slowly crept up to me as a wall flame begin to envelop the entire warehouse and making its way toward us.

    "Don''t worry, I''m going to save you!!" I put all my strength in an effort to break the restraint, but the more I struggle, the tighter the rope becomes.

    Someone suddenly places a hand on my shoulder, I look behind me, it''s the same young man with cold eyes, "You can only save one...pick wisely."

    "What?"

    "Don''t hesitate or you lose both of them."

    "What? You don''t have to do this! Help us!" I begged of him to release us.

    Scream of terror from Agnes and Daisie vibrate my eardrums to point of breaking. I turn my gaze on both of them, and I was too late. The fire had licked their whole body, and nothing was left except for blackened bones. Their look of horror froze eternally on their faces, I can feel their eyes on me, blaming me for my failure.

    "N-No...I didn''t have enough time. No! No! Please! I didn''t have enough time..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    I wake up again, eyes widen, but this time, I was laying on the bed, naked with a single blanket resting over my body. There''s a tear on my cheek, then I finally realize that it was a nightmare. I rotate to my side, then my nose is immediately bombarded with the remnants of her fragrance.

    I try to find her at my side, but she is nowhere to be seen, instead, I can hear the sound of sizzling pan outside of the bedroom. However, The smell of something delicious being cooked drifted into the bedroom, I instantly recognize it; bacon, and eggs, maybe some fried vegetables.

    Daisie must be in the kitchen.

    However, before I get out of the bed, I look around me, seeing only dirty clothes on the floor and a handheld game console on the table with a solar charger attached to it. Then with no one looking at me, I plant my face into the sheet and inhale her sweet scent as much as I can. Her scent is somewhat addicting to me, I just couldn''t stop sniffing the sheet.

    "Do I smell good?"

    My eyes widen, and after slowly moving my face away from the sheet. I lay on back and turn my head to look at her with a guilty smile on my face.

    "Weirdo... besides why smell my sheet, when you can sniff me all you like," A half grin forms as she walks closer to me and takes a seat at the edge of the bed.

    Her purple, loose and see-through lingerie stir my animalistic instinct to tore her dress and pleasure her entire body. She leans in for a kiss, our lips meet, but I pull her to my side and embrace her.

    Our noses boop together, but when I try to get close for another kiss, she presses her finger on my lips, "After breakfast, okay?"

    "What if I don''t want to wait?" My eyebrow perks up, waiting for her answer.

    "Hmmm...that might be difficult, so...how about we take a shower first then breakfast?" She bites her bottom lip as her lustful eyes bore into me.

    "Quite the tempting offer...but I don''t know..." I let out a moan as she reaches for my flower under the blanket, "Now, ahn...Mhm, how could I resist that?" I said while breathing heavily.

    I lift her up and bring her to the bathroom. After reaching under the shower head, I press her up against the tile wall, she turns the valve and let the water run down our bodies. My bosom press against her, and rubbing each other perky towers.

    Upon my lips reached her neck, I could see several of my love bites, marking her as mine. I suck on her neck, sending a shiver down her spine and begin leaving another mark.

    I reach under her drapes and begin twirling and pinching as hard as I can. She keeps on moaning, I couldn''t tell whether she is wet because of me or because of the water pouring on us. However, the more she moans, the more hot and dripping I become.

    Her erotic moans are more than making me aroused, it''s like a switch to me, the moment I hear it, I couldn''t help but get more and more turned on. There''s no question that she is Aphrodite¡¯s candidate.

    After she reaches her sweet release, it''s her turn to do me. She turns me around and forces me to lean forward and down while presenting my thick ass up to her. She licks her lips and spanks my bum as hard as she can, leaving a red mark. I bite down my bottom lip and endure the painful pleasure.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    She spanks and spanks again.

    Then after a couple more, she use her three fingers and force it into me, I let out a moan as she slides in and out until I achieve a euphoric release.

    "Aaahhhhh!!"

    ...

    ..

    .

    Time went by without us noticing it after we get to the dinner table, the food had gotten cold and had to be reheat again.

    A plate of bacon, eggs, and stir fry vegetables are ready for me on the table. I look at Daisie, seeing her nervous smile as she waits for me to taste it. I gaze at the stir fry and see the slices of cucumbers among it.

    Grabbing a fork, I jab the slices of cucumber and bring it closer to my lips, "This isn''t the same cucumber that we used last night, right?"

    "What''s wrong if it is?" A half smirk appears on her face.

    I swallow it whole and start chewing it eagerly, "Nothing, I don''t mind it..." I said through a full mouth.

    After I swallowed it, she asks, "How is it, can you taste me?"

    I squint my eyes and let the flavor roll on my tastebuds, "Hmm, I think...I can taste you..."

    "Pfft!" Daisie burst out giggling as she looks at my serious face.

    "I didn''t use the same cucumber. That would be unsanitary."

    "Aaww, that was disappointing..." My shoulders droop while a small frown appeared.

    "Don''t look so bum, weirdo." She keeps on laughing, I look at her joyous face and let out a smile. After a short second, I burst out laughing, joining her giggling.

    "However, the stir fry is salty as heck."

    "What?"

    "I think you put too much salt in it."

    She quickly grabs a fork and tastes the vegetables herself. After tasting it, she presses her palm against her forehead and let out a groan, "I forgot to taste it beforehand. Sister Wendy even wrote ''to taste it first'' on the recipe she gave me. I''m really sorry, Andre. Here I was ready to impress you with my cooking skill. Damn it, Daisie."

    "It''s okay, don''t sweat about it. I''m already impressed, I don''t know you can cook."

    "Hmm? What are you saying? You already tasted my cooking before."

    "I did?"

    She looks at me confused, "Yes! Did you forget?"

    I place down the fork and stare at the stir fry with a downcast look. My heart is telling the truth, she does know me, should I ask her? I''m afraid, that she might feel different about me if she found out. But I can''t pretend to know her, I can''t lie to her face.

    "Daisie..." I look at her with uncertainty in my eyes.

    "Yes?" She looks at me suddenly realizing that something is amiss, "What...is going on?"

    "I-I can''t, no, I don''t have any memories of my past life whatsoever. The oldest memories I have is the time I awoke on Adrestia''s island."

    "You are kidding right?" Daisie couldn''t believe what I''m saying.

    "I''m not."

    "W-What?...that''s not possible, you''re not a Pure-born, and Half-born always has the memories of their past life."

    "I don''t know the reason why. I was hoping that you could fill in the blank."

    "I could, but can I ask you something first...do you feel the same way that I am toward you or is it just me?" She looks at me with concern in her eyes.

    "Give me your hands." I take hold of her hands and stare directly into her eyes.

    "The moment, I laid my eyes on you, there''s not a single doubt in my mind that I have fallen in love with you."

    A tear of happiness drip down her cheek, and all of her doubts and fears banished by a single statement. Relieved wash over her, and with a loving smile on her face, she tightens her grip over my own.

    "I''ll do my best to tell you everything I know about you."

    The tales spun from the beginning to the ends on how we met, how close we are, whose my parent were, whose her parent was, every single shortcoming I had, every quirk I had, and every single detail until to the tiniest unimportant information that she knows about me.

    The atmosphere darkens and becomes depressing as she told how she died and how I died that night. It was an SUV that killed me, driven by the criminal that kidnapped her. However, the way I died doesn¡¯t seem right to me as if something was missing or amiss like there is more to the story than it seems.

    Except, how could I ask her? Look at her, I can tell that this isn''t easy for her, the pain in her eyes shows how much of that accident affected her, even now. So I end the story there and turn my gaze at the bacon.

    I break the bacon strip into two thin strips and put each one at the corners of my mouth. Daisie looks at me, confused by my actions. Using my skill of mimicking other people voice, I do an impression of old Vampire, "Blah, Blah, Blah, sorry for sucking the joy out of the air. Blah..."

    It catches a few giggles out of Daisie, and I take that over nothing. I take hold of her hands and she takes hold of mine. Her hands are quite small compare to mine and her smooth skin is a pale contrast to my rough skin.

    Daisie holds my hands tighter, "I love you."

    "I don''t."

    "What?"

    "I''m just kidding..."

    She smacks my hand, and pout her lips.

    "I love you..." I said as I stare into her eyes, and her pout disappear.

    After that, we simply make sweet love to each other, slow and attentive rather than our wild and hot scene, we did it not because of lust, rather to comforts each other.

    The clock ticks as time move along.

    The afternoon passed when we finally wore our clothes again and readied to go out. Outside of the house, I wait for Daisie on the last steps as she closes the door behind her. I turn around and notice the same red-haired woman across the street. She stares at me and I nod my head as a greeting.

    The woman let out a big smile and blush a little when she looks at both of us, "Good evening, Miss Andre and Priestess Daisie."

    "Oh evening, Zyrina." Daisie greets as she walks down the steps.

    Daisie notice my awkwardness, and turn her gaze on the red-haired woman, "Did you offer coitus to Andre?"

    "Of course, Priestess Daisie."

    I panic as I try to explain myself, "I wasn''t expected someone, you know?! I did see her naked...I mean, you are way beautiful, ahh...I should shut up now."

    Daisie giggles at my flustered, "It''s okay. It''s normal here."

    "It''s what?"

    "Come on, I''ll explain it to you on the way." She grabs hold of my hand and starts pulling me away.

    Zyrina stop us, "Wait, Priestess Daisie, is Miss Andre?"

    "Yes, she is...my soulmate." She hugs my arm and lean closer while resting her head on my bicep. My cheeks blushed red after she calls me her soulmate.

    "One more thing, Priestess Daisie, if you would like, I could please both of you."

    My eyebrow perk up, "Wait, what? I mean we....." I look down at Daisie, and she has this kinda mad, but not, faces as she looks at me while I consider the offer.

    "That''s very kind of you, Zyrina, but no thanks."

    "Wait, really, I mean..." Daisie hit my breast out of irritation.

    "Okay, fine...We''ll think about it."

    "Ugh, come on, you nymphomaniac." Daisie pull me away and off we go toward somewhere.

    "Where are we going again?"

    "To get you a new outfit! Look at what you are wearing now."

    I look down at my damaged clothes, "Oh yeah..."

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 3]

    "I think we should be open for suggestion, you know... add a little extra factor in the bedroom." I raise and lower my eyebrows repeatedly at Daisie beside me.

    She looks at me with an annoyed expression, "I said... let it go, I''m not about to share you with someone else."

    "Come on, I bet you get around with a lot of people since you''re Aphrodite''s candidate. Preacher of love and intercourse and all that jazz."

    Daisie stares at the distance, "Well...there are a few flings that almost become serious, but most of them are meaningless pleasures."

    I looked at her, surprised by her statement, "Wait?! What! You know, I was just joking around...I didn''t know you actually..."

    "What?...you asked...and I didn''t want to lie. I-I didn''t know whether we are going to meet again...I know I should have kept it a secret." Daisie pouts her lips as she looks at me with guilty eyes.

    I bring my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer, "I''m not mad. I know well that it would be torturous for you to wait for me, so don''t fret about it."

    Her pursed lips disappear and a smile appears, she snuggles closer to me as we walk, "I love your smell."

    "Smell? Stop sniffing me, people are looking at us," My cheeks blush as people stare at us while Daisie is sniffing my scent very loudly.

    "Well you started it, and I don''t care about those people."

    "I guess, I deserved it. I hope, I don''t have a bad smell."

    "You don''t, believe me."

    I let out a sigh while my cheeks are still bright red, "So how many flings you had?"

    "I don''t think I should tell you. You might..."

    "What? I can handle it, I''m a grown woman besides I''m not going to be jealous or mad or anything."

    She raised ten of her fingers.

    "Ten?"

    "Times by three..."

    I stand still while my head recoils back a bit, stunned by her. I look down at her with both eyes widen, and perk up eyebrows, "30? Really?!"

    "Yeah..."

    I shake my head in disbelief while trying to get back to reality, "And you called me a Nympho?"

    "At least it''s not thousands like Sister Desiree. You might want to be careful when you meet her, don''t get sucked by her charm, okay?"

    "Sure, I''ll try but I won''t promise you anything."

    A half grin appears on my face, and she pinches my belly in response, "Ouch, Fine, I only have eyes for you, unlike a certain someone."

    Her lips pout with a sadden looks, "I''m only joking, don''t make those puppy eyes," she let out a smile, then snuggle her head closer to me and we continue our walk.

    "So, sisters... sound like you have quite an interesting family here."

    "They have been with me since the beginning, supporting me, teaching me, provide for me and many more. I love each one of them even with all their weird quirks."

    "How many sisters do you have?"

    "There are eleven of them, our oldest is Kadence, she¡¯s the leader."

    "I think I''ve seen her before, the blond, half-shaved hair, right? I don''t think she likes me."

    "Yeah, she just being overprotective of me, she doesn''t want to see me get hurt like...hmm, I shouldn''t talk about her past."

    "Aah, so who are the others?"

    "There Yunyu, she¡¯s the fun-loving one, the opposite of Kadence. Then there is Monique, she doesn''t talk much. Dahlia, the emo one, no matter what she always in a somber mood. The one who always hugs me is, Maddison, the big softie, her bicep is the size of your head, she much more muscular than you. Our favorite Tsundere, Morgan, she has a special gift to make crystallize pink dagger out of thin air, a gift given by Aphrodite."

    "The one that I just listed are Huntress, like you, they hunt the Darkness while Priestess look after Aphrodite''s world."

    "Ooo, so...can they choose to be a Huntress or Priestess?"

    "Sure, but usually the oldest become the Huntress because they are much more experienced and well trained."

    "Understood, please continue, Milady."

    "So, continue on, there is Greta, the mysterious one who always smile, no one really know anything about her and she doesn''t talk about herself that much. After that, Ashly the optimistic one, she always funs to hang out with. She is like a hippie if I were to describe her. Of course, Desiree, the nymphomaniac...avoid her, please. The party and food animal, Carmen, hehe, always a delight. Lastly, Wendy, she always helps me with my cooking and always there for me when I needed her."

    That bright and happy smile on her face while she told me about her family, I can tell that she is happy here even without me. Her sisters did a good job looking after her, and she really looks up to them. However, there is also an underline fear in me, I don''t want to be the one who hurt her and I will not let anyone hurt her, not anymore.

    The reason I won''t let anyone hurt her is simply "I love you," I whispered to her.

    For the first time, my confession caught her off guard and her cheeks blush bright red, then she tries to hide her fluster face by pressing it against my bicep. "Don''t look at me! It''s not fair, I wasn''t prepared for that."

    "Your blushed face is so cute, I can''t look away, even if I can, I won''t. It''s too cute."

    "Enough about me, what about you? Any new friend? Like the harpy?"

    "He''s more than that, he is like a little brother. I also have a new big sister, her name is Helen. I''m lucky to have them."

    "You know the past you and I never had any siblings, it''s a weird feeling when we have one or several at once."

    "I don''t know about that feeling... but, still it makes the whole world a lot less lonely by having a family."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "Family... Someday, I would like to have one of my own." She muttered to herself.

    "Hmm?" I didn''t quite catch what she said.

    Daisie gazes at the sky while still hugging my arm, and with a smile, she says, "Do you notice that things seem to get better every day?"

    I join in with her gaze, the sky is pink, quite abnormal but I¡¯m loving it, "It does get better."

    "I hope it stays that way."

    As we near the plaza, I realize that the residents of the town had formed a line heading toward the fountain. When we get closer to the fountain, I notice Agnes has set up a shop with a sign that says,

    ''1 food = 1 cuddle.¡¯

    Peoples are bringing their food and place it on the large fabric to get a chance to cuddle with the adorable harpy. I''m thoroughly confused by what he is doing. However, he does seem happy, so I don''t think he is in that much trouble.

    "Isn''t that your little brother? Can you introduce me to him?"

    "It is, but he seems busy, perhaps some other times."

    "Well, let us continue."

    Daisie and I continue walking until we arrive at a very large building, a pantheon. We climb up the short steps and enter one of the archways. I couldn''t believe what I see before me, multiple rows of clothing that stretch from the front of the room to the end of the room. The articles of clothing look similar to the one that the residents wear. To put it simply, it''s like a giant boutique in here

    Despite the large room and thousands of clothing, I could only see ten or fifteen people here, browsing the selection.

    Daisie grabs hold of my hand and pulls me deeper inside of the room, "Come on, let''s try some clothes."

    As Daisie drag me away, she grabs some clothes and we head to the dressing room. Then she pours the clothes onto my arms and pushes me in. I let out a sigh and try the clothes she had picked.

    I come out with a deadpan look, "Really? I look like a belly dancer, this clothes barely cover anything, and the thong is digging in."

    She let out an excited squeal that draws the attention of others, "I love it, it show your really defined body, muscle and all. You look so sexy right now, I could tear those clothes and make love to you right here."

    "Woah calm down, I know I look good, but I can''t fight in this."

    "Of course, you can¡¯t, but it has other purposes, maybe, perhaps in the bedroom?" She licks her lips while she eyes me up and down like a predator.

    I blush and look away, "Next...please."

    "Fine, here." She tosses another article of clothing onto me.

    I went in and come out with a sigh, "A dress?"

    I look down at my body and pursed my lips, "It doesn''t look good on me, and my muscular body isn''t suited for this kind of outfit."

    "What are you talking about? It does, you look classy in that tight purple dress. Rawr."

    "Even if it does? What am I going to do with this dress"

    "Don''t be so negative, look on the opportunity it has. We could go dancing or go on a romantic date or you know..."

    I raise my eyebrow at her, "Nympho."

    "Weirdo."

    "Enough grumbling, here!" She tosses another set of clothes onto me.

    I went inside and come out with my palm against my face, "A string bikini?"

    "Yes!"

    I can feel the bikini digging in my private area as I go back in, sighing and rolling my eyes back. When I come out with my normal clothes, Daisie was nowhere to be seen, so I look around and see her in the distance, talking to someone else. I take the chance and browse the inventory. Afterward, I go back in with my chosen attire.

    Never once I thought, I found an exact copy of my earlier clothes, except for the white shirt underneath my Hawaiian shirt replaced by a white sports top. With a confident smile, I come out and show off my clothes.

    Daisie walks toward me, "Hmm... I like the belly dancer outfit better, but nevertheless, you look good."

    "Thank you...but I don''t have any money to pay for this.¡±

    "There''s no need, all of it is free."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah, it''s how this World work, everything is free, the food, the house, the clothes, and I mean everything."

    "Huh, tell me more."

    "Sure, on the way back home."

    We start walking toward the exit while carrying the other outfits that she had picked.

    "Everything in this world is provided by our Goddess, so there is no greed in our world and when there is no greed and everyone is taken care of, there is no crime."

    "It can''t be that simple, how about crime related to jealousy and envy?"

    "Sure, there are a few ruffles here and there, but nothing major. That''s why I and the other priestess are here, to resolve and mediate. However, the residents of this world are also taught that love and pleasure is the great uniter and there is nothing about it to be ashamed of."

    "Hmmm, can you explain why there are no kids and old people here?"

    "Ohh, simple, the residents here don''t age and if they wish to start anew, they will be reborn into a new body with no memory of the past."

    "Ahh, also what with your neighbor offering intercourse to me? That was off-putting to me when I first got here."

    "Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. It''s an honor for these people to please the goddess or gods or even their disciple like candidates."

    "That explains why everyone here is so handsome and beautiful." Daisie glare at me, "Well not as beautiful as you though!"

    "Thank you very much for the compliment, my handsome girl," A smug smile appeared on her face.

    "Sure, it''s not like I was threatened to say it."

    Out of nowhere, I ask her, "Do you know anything about The Darkness?"

    "All I know is, they are a mindless creature of violence, destruction, and death. They have no thought, unpredictable, only following their instincts of carnage. Their ability to hurt us is what makes them terrifying, no other creature can easily hurt us like them. What worse is their numbers are limitless as they reside far underneath Mount Olympus, deep in oblivion."

    "So as a Huntress, I wage war on the Darkness?"

    "God no, that would be suicide. Fighting one? Possible, but two? Difficult. However, three at the same time? Impossible. The only one that can keep them at bay is the Gods."

    "So what do we do?"

    "You and the other¡¯s main duty is to hunt the one that slips through the crack, the one that the god and goddess missed. Easy as that, and yet, it is a very difficult job to do. They can hurt us, Andre, even kill us."

    She pulls my arm again and leads me to a bench overlooking a massive purple, open field with a pink sunset in the horizon. I didn''t notice that the sun had come down, it''s true what they said, time past by, in a blink of an eye when you spent it with someone you love. Anyway, we take a seat on the bench at the same time and she leans against me. Her orange hair brush against my skin.

    "Andre...?"

    "Yes...?"

    "I have a confession."

    "Is it a bad one?"

    "Depends on you..."

    "Will I be shocked?"

    "Probably."

    I take a deep breath and turn my gaze at her. She reaches under her dress, "I don''t want to make the same mistake as the old me did, she waits for a long time and when she got what she wanted, it was too late. I want to be as direct as possible."

    She opens the little box in her hands, revealing two rings, "Will you be mine forever?"

    I was stunned, to the points of my body frozen in place, but when I regain my senses, I ask her "Isn''t we''re taking this way too fast... I-I can''t even remember who I was, do you really want to do this, what if I''m not the same person as the old me?"

    "No one is the same person as they were as they grow up, they changed... Andre, it''s bound to happen to me and you and everybody else. However, my love for you doesn''t change one bit, and if you feel the same way about me, please accept it."

    I let out a sigh and my shoulders droop, "Can you give me time to think about it?"

    Her grip tightens over the little box, "I understand, I''m sorry if my proposal came out of nowhere. I just don''t want to wait anymore, and with your duty and all."

    I glance at the scroll attach to my belt. Daisie let out a sigh as she closes the box again, and gaze at the horizon, "I don''t want to lose you again...but I can''t stop you from going on a dangerous quest. One day, you might...leave me again, that is why I don''t want to make the same mistake as I did in the past of wasting my time waiting."

    "Please¡­ can you wait for a little just for me, I know that it¡¯s hardest that you can do, but I can''t jump in like this."

    She groans playfully, "I know¡­ but don''t make me wait too long, okay?"

    "I won''t."

    She raises herself to reach my height, and place a kiss on my cheek then lower herself again. Then lean her shoulder against mine once more, we end our day by watching the sunset with heavy hearts.

    "I know, I said it a lot, but I love you, Andre."

    "I love you too."

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 4]

    "Why are we in the underworld?"

    I look upon the maw of the cave that leads into the underworld, Agnes place down the massive sack of food on the ground and takes a breather. Stretching my arm, I get off my bike and lean back on the seat with ease and turn my gaze at the harpy beside me.

    "While you were having fun with your new plaything..."

    I glance at him and scrunch up my eyebrows together, "Agnes..."

    "Ugh, I''m sorry, ''not a plaything'', fine. Do you want me to apologize more, or do you want to know about the sack of food on the ground?"

    I have no idea where his sudden anger is coming from, "Come on Agnes, what''s the matter? Why are you angry all of a sudden?"

    "I-I don''t like her... I think she is bad for you."

    "Daisie?"

    "Yes her."

    "Don''t be ridiculous, Agnes. She won''t hurt me, besides you are only saying that because you haven''t got to know her yet."

    "Look, Andre, I''m sure that she is a great girl and all, but I don''t think she suits you and I have a bad feeling about her. She... might not be... the one for you¡ª"

    "You know, She...propose to me," I said nonchalantly, interrupting her.

    Agnes looked at me with widened eyes, stunned by my words, "What?"

    "My heart wants to say yes, but I said to her that I need to think about it." I gaze at the small pebble underneath me and play with it with my foot.

    "Isn''t you guys going way too fast..."

    "She couldn''t wait anymore...because of what happened to me and her in the past. She knows about my past, Agnes, we were lovers then, even though it was for a short moment."

    "She knows?"

    "Yeah, but not all of it, right at the end of her story, some things seem amiss. The story isn''t complete, my gut is telling me that there is more to it."

    Agnes sigh as he looks away, "Ignore what I said earlier...if you really want to be with her, then who am I to get in the way of you both."

    "You not just anyone. You know that you are more than a best friend at this point, you''re like a cute little brother to me. I''ll take your word into consideration, and thank you for being honest."

    "Andre...I was just talking out of my ass, there''s no¡ª"

    "La La La! I can''t hear you," I smirk and shout aloud to drown out his words.

    "What are you a seven year old?"

    "Maybe I am...OoooOoo," I try to make a silly ghostly sound, and it causes a half grin to appear on Agnes''s face.

    "Good day."

    "Banana and cheese!" I yell out.

    I was flabbergasted that my whole body jerks upright causing me to stumble a foot forward. After I gather myself, I turn my head and let out a relieved sigh when I see Shin waving his hand with a smile on his face. Agnes tries to hold his laughter as he turns his head away.

    "Shin...please don''t do that, you''re going to make me crap my pants."

    He looks away, while he pouts his lips, "I-I''m sorry."

    "It''s okay, why are you here?"

    "I brought the table just like Agnes requested."

    I look behind him, a table that wasn''t there before, appear out of nowhere. Agnes carries the sack and place it on the table, then spill the content on it. Different kind of food spread out on it, mainly fresh ingredients, such as vegetables, and fruits.

    "Wow, that''s a lot of food."

    "I know what you are thinking. Except, it isn''t for me, though." Agnes looks far off to the distance.

    I join his gaze, I couldn''t help myself but smile when I see a group of Minotaur heading toward us with giant smiles on their faces, but it''s not just them, a group of Harpies and other kinds of monsters such as The Arachne, The Lamia, The Cyclops, and many others.

    "It''s for them, doesn''t it?"

    "Yes...I want to help them, they are still my family, my people."

    "It''s a good deed, but why?"

    "Because of... you."

    "Me?"

    "Yeah, you...what you did for Adrestia and her daughter, inspired me, you managed to mend their relationship back together. If you can do it, why not me? I want to mend my own ties, I want to try instead of running."

    I place my hand on his head, "I didn''t know you look up to me that much."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "Who said I look up to you?" Agnes blushes bright red.

    "You did."

    "No, I didn''t, I said I was inspired by you. Besides, who would make you, a weirdo, his own role model?"

    "Awww, I love you too." I hug Agnes and lift him off the ground.

    "Stop it!" Agnes yelp while being tightly embraced by me. Shin, a few feet away, look at us with an amused smile.

    "I see that you both are still close as ever," Kraus greet us with his own tribe behind him, along with the other monster tribes.

    I let go of Agnes, and he munches on my forearm. "Ouch! Hahaha, hello Kraus." The bite wasn''t that painful, but I play along with him.

    "Good day, Andre, Agnes, and Prince Shin."

    "Prince?" I turn my head and look at Shin. In response, he steps away and hides behind a rock. I guess he is embarrassed by the title, his dad is the king of the Underworld, it makes sense if he is called the prince.

    "Good day, Kraus. please all of you, help yourself to the food, I know it isn''t much, but I hope it can help you all in any way. I''ll try to bring more and regularly."

    One of the Lamia, a half woman, half snake speak out with subtle hiss in her words, "Why are you doing this? Our kind and you''re are different."

    "To us maybe, not to others, they called us a monster, doesn''t matter whether we are a Harpy or a Lamia. So why do we divide when we can unite to help each other and make our lives better."

    One of The Arachne, a half woman, half spider speak out this time, "How do you attain such plentiful food?"

    "I had help." Agnes glance at me.

    I take a step forward, "It''s not true! It is all him, he wanted to help all of you, wanted to try to make your life better."

    The reaction afterward is not what I expected, I can hear murmurs of concern after I speak out, their distrust of gods still as strong as ever.

    "Agnes, ooh Agnes, do you think we are going to eat the lie that you and the shit, you called friend spun. The gods did this to us! They damn us here, they don''t give a shit about us and will never do. We don''t want your rotten fruits and poison vegetables, we don''t want your sympathy or forgiveness, we can survive out here all on our own without anyone help, especially not from a coward." Uvoah cackle then she spits onto the ground after delivering her own speech.

    Agnes brings down his gaze and grits his sharp teeth, I was about to reply, but I can see the determination in Agnes''s gaze as he looks at Uvoah once more. "How long?"

    "What?"

    "How long are we going to live with hatred in our hearts? Until the bitter end? Are our next generation going to live like us, with anger and hatred in their hearts... will we ever find happiness? Enough with the hatred and anger!"

    "I can''t believe what you just said! Are we just going to forget the unjustified treatment the so-called gods enacted on us?!"

    "I''m not saying that to forget! I''m saying that enough with the hatred and anger, you can keep your distrust on the gods, but don''t let it consume you. Let''s show them that we are better than them, and show them that we are not the monster that they fear."

    "All I hear is nonsense coming from you."

    "If the Harpies doesn''t want it, then give it to us. I''m not going to shy away when someone is offering free food, besides, you all know full well how hard it is to try to find something to eat here." Kraus chimes in with a smirk, and Uvoah response with a glare.

    A murmur of agreement can be heard across the crowd, what Kraus said seem to pick the right note amongst the monsters. They start to reconsider their decisions, Uvoah becomes more irritated when his own group starts to think the same way.

    "Traitors! All of you, after what they did to us? You''re willing to just let go?"

    "Uvoah, no one is betraying no one, our younglings are hungry, we are hungry. The food that Agnes is offering, We can use it to feed our own people." One of the harpies speaks out to Uvoah.

    "I-I...Fine, take it if you want, but I don''t want any part of it." Uvoah starts to fly away.

    Agnes flies and grabs a fruit off the table with his talon, "Uvoah, please wait!"

    The red feather harpy hovers and turns around after hearing the called out. Agnes extend the fruit to her, "I know that I run away when you needed me the most, I know that you hated me, I know that you can''t forgive me, but it doesn''t mean that I couldn''t try to change that, I miss you, I wish that we can be together again, just like in the past, brother and sister once more."

    Uvoah stare at the food and glare at Agnes, "You didn''t just run away, you abandoned me, they threw stones and spit at me for defending your name after you got exiled, but I never lose hope, I believe that you would come back and prove them wrong, but you didn''t, and you never did, and I had enough you! No more!"

    "Besides, you already have another family," Uvoah look at the familiar symbol on Agnes''s belly.

    Agnes looks at Uvoah with guilt, "Uvoah..."

    "Don''t say my name, you don''t deserve...to say my name." With spite, she takes the fruit with her own talon and threw it to the ground below, then fly away without turning back.

    A tear drip down Agnes''s cheek, as he lowers his gaze with pain in his heart, but he didn''t stay gloom as he hovers down and wipes the tears away. Then with a smile, he turns around, "Please help yourself, but make sure you leave enough for everyone else."

    Everyone is looking at each other, un-moving and uncertain what to do next. Kraus speak out, "What are you waiting for? Line up." Everyone starts to form a line and pick their choice of fruit or vegetable to bring home to their family.

    I never lose my sight on Agnes, as I''m about to walk to him and comfort him in any way I could. A group of Minotaur consist of a male, female, and a child stop me, "So, you''re the one who broke my father arm and horn."

    "Hmm?" When I look at the female Minotaur, I recognize the similarity between her and Kraus, "Are you Kraus¡¯ daughter?"

    "Yes, I am."

    I scratch the back of my head as my gaze meet with her glare, "I''m really sorry about that."

    The male one examines my entire body in a quick glance, "Hmph, she does have the muscle to do it."

    "Uhmm, there''s not going to be any trouble right?"

    "What? No... in a matter of fact, I would like you to marry my husband."

    "What?" I look at her with wide eyes.

    "Adding your blood to our family would prove to be an advantage to Rockhide''s family lines."

    The young Minotaur hiding behind Kraus''s daughter legs, step out and look at me, "Are you going to be my new mother?"

    "Aaahhh, Kraus! Kraus!!!"

    Kraus walk up to me laughing, "Daughter enough, I told you not to bother my friend here. Go on ahead, Andre, let me have a talk with my family."

    I laugh awkwardly and quickly jog away. Stopping myself when I near Agnes, I look at him as he sits on a rock with a gloomy face. He stares at the squash fruit and sniffs his tears away. I was about to reach him when Shin walks past by me and place his hand on the Harpy shoulder.

    "You''ll reach him next time."

    "You''re right, I''m going to keep on trying until I get into that hard-shelled heart of her."

    What is this feeling in my heart? gladness and... concern. Am I afraid that Agnes would leave me someday? Don''t be ridiculous Andre, he won''t, but I am glad, though, that he is making more friends.

    I let out a sigh, look down and notice that the scroll on my belt is glowing. I take it out and reveal the content, it says, ''Kyn¨ªgi''. Hunt, a world named ''Hunt''. The well of knowledge shoot every information it had into my brain, causing me a slight headache, lush jungle, wolf, big animals, and four-arm? All I can make sense is the world belong to Artemis.

    "Agnes!"

    His body perk up, he wipes his tears away, and turn his head toward me, "We have to go, duty call."

    "Where are we heading?"

    "Kyn¨ªgi."

    "The world of the lush jungle?"

    "Yep, do you know where it is?"

    "Of course."

    "Good luck." His voice creeps up on me from behind, causing me to stumble forward in surprise.

    "Shin! Again?"

    Agnes and Shin both giggle at my expense, I glare at Shin, and he points his finger at Agnes, "He told me to do it."

    "Agnes!"

    Before I could pinch both of his cheeks, he turns into a bird and flies away, I run to my bike and chase after him.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 5]

    After an overwhelming light blinded me, I finally able to gain my sight slowly and surely. However, what greeted me on the other side is a bright vast sky, while a glaring sun caresses its warm light against my skin. I look below me and behold a world of thick jungle, high mountains, long winding rivers, and not one inch of man-made structure can be seen around.

    An exact opposite of the underworld, instead of rubble and burnt ground, nature thrive in this world.

    Agnes in his Falcon form fly beside me, he squawks at me, to an outsider, they may not understand what Agnes just said, but to me, I could fully understand what it is. It as if we have some sort of telepathic link that translates every squawk she mutters.

    "I don''t know where it is, the scroll just says it is here, somewhere."

    "Squawk, squawk?"

    "We look by using our eyes, isn''t that obvious?" A smirk appeared on my face.

    "Squawk!" He hovers above my head and pecks it with his beak.

    "Ouch! Ok, ok, ok, I was just joking around."

    "Squawk."

    "I can see that the world is big, no need to tell me twice, I guess we could ask the local?"

    "Squawk, squawk? Squawk..."

    "What do you mean, you don''t like the local?"

    "Squawk!"

    "Someone in trouble?"

    "Squawk."

    "Below me?" I looked down, seeing a dark blur running away as two large Saber-toothed panthers, the size of a regular jeep, chasing after the humanoid blur.

    "That panther is pretty cute..."

    "Squawk?"

    "Yeah, I like cats, what''s wrong with that? Anyway, let''s go!"

    The bike pitch down toward the humanoid blur, I throttle up as I bypass the Panthers, and try to catch up to the humanoid. As I get closer, I can see that it is more wolf than human, black fur, two upright ears, running on two legs, with four arms, carrying a bow and arrow while wearing some kind of short cape made out of dry hay, and a foreign-short white robe made of silk.

    It looks quite young, but I can''t tell from this distance. I throttle my bike again, avoiding several tree branches, and try to get closer to it.

    When I''m finally able to get closer, I shout, "Get on!"

    It looks at me and glanced behind it, then on the next rock, it launches itself from the large rock, and I grab its hand mid-air. With my strength, I pitch the bike up toward the sky and bring it with me.

    I pull the wolf-humanoid up and help it settle on the back seat. Looking down, the panther seems to give up on the chase, and I huffed out a disappointed sigh, "Aww, I wanted to pet the cats...maybe some other time."

    After a long flight, I finally land the bike near a river, and check the surrounding area for any threat and find none. The young wolf-girl rushes to the river and take a handful of water to drink. Agnes perch on the handle-bar while still remaining in his bird form.

    "Why won''t you change forms?" I ask Agnes.

    "Squawk, squawk."

    "What do you mean you are safer in that form?"

    "Miss candidate¡­ your kindness knows no bounds, please accept my humble gratitude."

    I turn around and notice the young wolf girl is on her knees and bowing her head toward me. "Woah, there''s no need for that. Hahaha, you making me flustered real bad."

    The wolf girl stands once more, she is quite short, almost the same height as Agnes, "Forgive me for displeasing you, I accept any punishment."

    I let out a sigh, "Come here."

    The wolf girl hardened her heart and take a step closer until she''s in my arms reach. I raise my hand and place it on her head. With ease, I start rubbing it and scratch the back of her ear, after looking behind her, I notice her bushy tail is wagging in joy.

    "I-Is t-this some kind of new punishment? Should I be feeling happy right now?" The wolf girl stuttered as she snuggled her head closer to my hand.

    "It''s not really a punishment, I just really want to pet you. Hehehe"

    Hmm, does Daisie like cats? If she does, maybe I could get a cat with her or a dog, but I prefer cats, I probably need to discuss with her first, what do cats even eat? Fish? Rice? How about a dog? Meat? Hmmm...

    "You have soft fur¡­ unlike a certain someone..." I can feel Agnes rolling his eyes at my comment. He knows I was lying, both of them have soft fur or feathers.

    "I am unworthy of your praise, but it does make me happy that a candidate from the gods such as yourself, compliment me."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Moving my hand away causes the wolf girl to huff in disappointment and her tail to droop, so I continue rubbing her head and she huffs in joy again while wagging her tail. She almost like a dog, she is so cute, I can''t stop.

    "So, may I ask why are you out here getting chased by those Panthers?"

    "OHH! I''m hunting for a crystal-horned stag." She jumped back excitedly, with a big smile on her face.

    "What for?"

    "It''s for my people tradition when a girl like me reach the age of adulthood, she must hunt the crystal-horned stag and bring it back, as proof that herself is fit to survive on her own and become the one who must provide for their clan."

    "Interesting, so did you find any?"

    Her wolf ears droop down, while a frown appears, "Not yet... May I ask, why are you here, Miss?"

    "It''s Andre, I''m looking for a bad thing or a beast or a creature that in this world, somewhere?"

    "Uhm?"

    "Is there something weird happens recently?"

    "Weird...Ah! Yes, there is one."

    "Oh, can you show it to me?"

    "Yes."

    We took my bike and flew up to the sky, she was amazed by the Brutale, it as if she had never seen it before. Well, she probably never seen one in her entire life, and I don''t think there any technology in this world that match my bike.

    After another long ride, the wolf girl body perks up as she points at the straight line of destruction below. I pitch the bike down and land in a straight line, she jumps off and starts sniffing around.

    I look at the destruction, it looks like a bulldozer just went through, knocking down trees and pushing away rock in a perfectly straight line. I try to find the end and the beginning of this line, but can''t find it, it''s too far.

    "Yes, this is it, they say a large beast went through here a couple of nights before, our hunter found it early in the morning and report back to our chief."

    "Did it hurt anyone?"

    "No one was hurt, it avoided our neighboring village."

    "Where is it heading?"

    "It went that way." She points straight ahead.

    "Is there something there?"

    "Uhm, we don''t know, but to our knowledge, there''s nothing there, no village, no people, only thick jungle."

    Agnes land on the handlebar, I look at him, "Can you see it?"

    He shakes his head, "Squawk."

    I look at the trail of destruction it leaves behind, "Daisie said the Darkness was a mindless creature of destruction, Hmm... it doesn''t seem that way to me, because it''s heading somewhere though, but to where? That''s the question."

    "I found it!" The wolf girl said excitedly, I turn my gaze to her.

    "Hmm?"

    "A fresh trail!"

    "Of what?"

    "Crystal-horned stag, it went that way!" She looked at the tree line.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes! But...we can''t go through there..."

    "Why?"

    "That is the guardian of the jungle territory, we would be killed if we enter it."

    "Guardian what?"

    "The Guardian is a powerful beast that protects a certain territory, we usually avoid it and it helps ward off the more dangerous animal away. I won''t survive if I go in there."

    "That''s because you don''t have me, come on, let me help you find this stag."

    "W-What? I shouldn''t trouble you with my mundane problem. Besides, Miss Andre has other priority than me."

    "Don''t be ridiculous, you help me find its trail, besides, I would help you even if you don''t ask me too."

    "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She jumped up and down in excitement. "But we must go on foot, the magical machine you ride is too noisy."

    "Agnes, can you guard the bike while I''m away."

    "Squawk."

    "What do you mean ''no''?"

    "Squawk."

    "Fine, I''ll get you some berries."

    "Squawk."

    "Huh? Can you understand it, Miss Andre?"

    "Yeah, in a way, he is my cute little brother."

    "The bird?"

    "Sure."

    She tries to understand it, but couldn''t, her shoulders sag as she gives up. I pet her head for trying and her motivation rise up again while her fluffy tail wag in joy.

    "Let''s go."

    We enter the jungle, the wolf-girl take the lead first while I follow her from behind. We climb up the oversized root and slide down the slippery rock as we make through the jungle, her eyes never once lose sight of the trail, like a predator on the hunt.

    "Oh wait, what is your name? I totally forgot to ask."

    "It''s Lulu the first, Miss Andre."

    "Lulu the first?"

    "Yes, it''s because I am the first for my name."

    "Is it common to hunt the stag alone?"

    "No, it isn''t, usually a family member will join in, and usually it''s a sibling."

    "Ohh, so why are you alone?"

    "I don''t have any siblings, but I do have a mom, she is sick though, that''s why she can''t accompany me."

    "What about your father?"

    "He is busy..." that question seem to hit a mark in her, probably something difficult to say aloud, I shouldn''t pry more.

    I change the subject when I spot a very large claw mark on a tree body, "Is that the Jungle guardian work?"

    "Yes, it is. Hmm, that means the Guardian is very close."

    "I hope we don''t have to meet it."

    "Me too, Miss Andre, we should move on, the stag is very close."

    We continue trekking the trail until Lulu stop me as we are getting near a cliff, she whispers, "I can see it."

    We ducked down, and she pointed me toward the Stag, it certainly quite large, but its horn is beautiful, it the same as how the name describes it, horns made out of crystal. When light shines upon the horn and it breaks that light into a flurry of colors. Truly a majestic animal.

    She starts to climb a tree, then using her two hands, she hangs from a thick branch. Afterward, she slowly takes out her bow and two arrows. It is quite far from here, and where the stag is, but given the cliff that we are on, it gave us a pretty good spot to use. Yet, she needs to climb up to use the extra height as a distance multiplier.

    I watch Lulu''s face turned serious as she focuses on the stag.

    Snap.

    The sound of small branches break behind me, I turn my head around slowly.

    Two red eyes glaring at me.

    A mouth full of sharp teeth, and big enough to swallow two heads at the same time, and I forgot to mention it is dripping with saliva.

    Its body is huge almost like Kraus, some of its vital part such as its chest, where its heart is located, is covered with a natural armor of exoskeleton.

    I think this thing is what they dub The guardian of the jungle. To put it simply this beast is a bear with bone armor, and it is very large.

    It''s about to growl, "Oh no, you don''t."

    I run and use a rock as a jumping point to launch myself onto its snout and headlock it with my arm. My muscle bulge, while my veins start popping as I use all my strength to refrain it from letting out its growl.

    If one of its growls escape its mouth, it could scare the stag, and cause it to run.

    "Come on, Mama bear, work with me, give Lulu time to align her shot," I whisper to its ear.

    It tries to wiggle out while clawing furiously on my arm, but none of it worked, because its claw can''t even penetrate my skin, but the mama bear is slightly stronger than me. I grit my teeth while sweat begins to drip, I pull its snout down with me, trying to calm it down, but I have no idea how long I can maintain this.

    "Take the shot," I muttered through my gritted teeth.

    "A few more second."

    I feel my feet begin to lift off the ground slowly, I literally hanging off it snout while its eye glare at me with intense rage.

    "Take the shot," I whisper loudly, the mama bear points it snout toward a tree with me in front of it, then start charging toward it.

    Lulu takes the shot and launch two arrows, but before I could see whether it land on the target or not. The mama bear is mere inches away from the tree, and I was about to plunge into it first.

    "Mother¡ª!"

    I crash into the thick tree, breaking it in two, causing the splinter of wood to launch everywhere. The pain spread outward from my back, I grit my teeth while still hugging the mama bear''s snout. The guardian didn''t stop as it taking me deeper into the jungle, following its own path.

    "Miss Andre!" I can hear Lulu''s voice getting further and further away.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 6]

    "Tree!"

    "Ouch!"

    "Branch!"

    "Pfft!"

    "Small Tree!"

    "Damn."

    "Bigger Tree!"

    "Ow!"

    The mama bear keeps ramming me onto every tree and bush that on her path, hoping that I would let go, but I''m too stupid to realize that I should have let go a while ago.

    "Why in the hell am I still holding on?"

    I look at the mama bear and it glares at me. With ease, I let go of her big snout, but the outcome isn''t what I expected, as the mama bear bite onto my right arm, and keeping me close to her snout.

    It keeps ramming to the incoming tree, breaking it apart, and making sure that every hit is painful as possible to me.

    "Let me go!"

    Now, I''m on the other side of the circumstances as the mama bear prevent me from escaping. Every tree we hit, another headache added to the already existing one, I really don''t want to hurt this mama bear, but she gives me no choice.

    I pull back my fist and slam on the side of its head, the force is strong enough to discombobulate a big animal, but not enough to crack its skull. The mama bear shakes off the first hit, but I didn''t stop as I hit its head again, this time causing the mama bear to lean more to the other side, and giving me room to avoid the incoming tree.

    My shoulders relax, and I let out a sigh. I turn my gaze on the mama bear, I notice that she is getting dizzy by the second, and I''m sure that this hit is going to stop her entirely and force her to let go of my arm.

    However, before I could do anything, the mama bear''s right front paw slip on a slippery root, causing her entire body to flip forward and tumble down a slope beside her path, along with me.

    The mama bear did let go of my arm, but unfortunately, I am underneath her as she tumbled down the slope causing my entire body to be squeeze repeatedly. But on the plus side, I can feel her soft fur brushing against my skin, while her weight is trying to wring my soul out of me. At this point, I''m just trying to be optimistic here.

    I separate myself from the mama bear by pushing myself away, we roll down the hill away from each other, the mama bear crash into a tree while I plunge into a thick bush, back first.

    My eyes widen, as I let out a short sigh. The mama bear rises up again and shakes her head slowly to disperse the dizziness she obtained through the ordeal.

    I lift myself off the bush and bring both of my fists up, ready to fight. The mama bear roar it loudest cry yet, and glare at me.

    "I really don''t want to hurt you, but if you insist, then who am I to back down from a fight," I said with a big smile on my face.

    A rumble coming from one of the bushes, catching our attention, we turn to look and pop out a bear cub. A very cute cub, so cute, I might want to hug it, but I don''t think that''s a good idea. It happily chases a butterfly, then stops to turn its gazes at the mama bear. It excitedly goes back to it mama, and snuggle closer to her leg.

    I don''t really know what''s going on, but it seems the mama bear was looking for its cub, I guess she suspected me of taking her child. The mama bear let out a growl and the small cub reply with an adorable roar. Then they both turn around and start walking away, just like that.

    Fatigue wash over me, as I crash back into the bush with a loud sigh. My back is on fire, as the pain keeps throbbing and getting stronger. I grit my teeth and close my eyes, that''s when I hear a voice.

    "Miss Andre, are you okay?"

    I shake my hand to dismiss her worries, "Never felt better."

    "You''re bleeding!"

    "What?" I look down and on my waist, a gooey red liquid dripped down. "That can''t be right," I swipe it with my finger and taste it, "Hmmm, raspberry..."

    "Raspberry?"

    I look behind me, and realize that I landed on a Raspberry bush, "Huh, we should get some for Agnes."

    Lulu help me get up, then she tries to clean the tiny leaves off me, but I stop her, gesturing that I could do it myself.

    "So did you get the shot?"

    "Yes! I did!" Lulu nodded her head excitedly, then lower it for me to pat. With half smirk, I grant what she wanted, by softly brushing the top of her head.

    After gathering some berries, we hike the damaged trail and make our way down to the crystal-horned stag. Upon arriving, we found out that the stag has let its last breath out and passed away.

    "What do we next?" I turn my gaze on Lulu.

    The wolf girl nonchalantly takes out the two arrows in the stag''s body, and cut in a straight line, connecting two pierced hole that the arrows left. What she just did is in on swoop motions, it''s like second nature to her.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I keep watching as she takes out two bleeding heart, and much on one of them like its nothing. My eyebrow raise at the gruesome sight, with blood drip smile, she offers the other one to me.

    I raise my hand, "No, thanks. So is this like normal to you?"

    After she finished the first one, she munches on the other one like it''s nothing, "Mhm!" She nods her head enthusiastically.

    Maybe, this is like a tradition to her, it may seem out of place for me, but it must be normal for her people. Who am I to judge what they do. "Are you done?"

    "Yes, I am now an adult." With a proud smile, she stands up and places both hands on her waist.

    I clap, "let''s go."

    With my strength, I carry the stag over my shoulder with ease, then we make our way out of the jungle and toward my bike.

    Agnes in bird form playfully rolls on the bike seat, while playing with a branch with her talons. There isn''t a single shred of worries in her for me, as she continues playing with the tiny branch.

    Without looking at me, Agnes ask me a question, "Squawk?"

    "No, I didn''t have fun, a mama bear attacks us, no, no, let me correct that, attack me!"

    "It''s not just a bear, Miss Andre, it is the guardian of the jungle." Lulu correct me.

    "Sure, guardian whatever."

    "Squawk?"

    "Of course, it was big! You could at least show some concern to your lovely big sis over here."

    "Squawk, squawk?"

    "Berries, berries, berries! Is that all you care about? Here are your damn berries!" I throw the sack of berries into the river.

    "Squawk?!" He rolled onto his talons and launch himself toward me.

    I could see it in his glaring eyes, Agnes is going to peck my head again. So, before he could do that, I toss the stag onto the ground and take off into a run, away from him. Behind me, I can hear his angry squawks getting closer.

    Lulu steps off to the side, giggling at the whole situation.

    ****

    Time passed, as time does.

    "We are nearing my village, Miss Andre, I think we should slow down." The dead stag on my gas tank trembles as the engine roar.

    Lulu loosens her arms around my waist as she gazed down at the jungle, I join her gaze, but couldn''t find any sign of a village anywhere, only overgrown trees.

    "Are you sure? There''s nothing here."

    "My village is hidden, there, right there, head toward that oversized large tree." Lulu points toward a single slightly oversized tree among other normal sized trees.

    "Let''s go, Agnes!"

    "Squawk!"

    I take quickly stop myself at what I was about to do and take a second look at Agnes, surprised at what he said. "What do you mean, you want to stay behind?"

    "Squawk... squawk."

    "You acting strange, Anges... are you sure you don''t want to go?"

    Agnes nodded his beak and spread his wings so he may slow down. What is up with Agnes, he''s been acting all weird since we met Lulu.

    "Miss Andre?"

    I glance at Lulu, and shake the thought away, "Nothing, let''s go."

    The bike tilts forward, heading straight to the oversized tree, I pull the throttle down, and the blood on my gas tank begin to drip closer to my pants. As we get closer, only then I could spot what seems to be a large circular tree-house built around the tree body. Somehow the structure itself looks harmonize as it is built by following the curve and bumps of the tree body, rather than destroying the natural form to make room for a building.

    The people with a similar appearance as Lulu move away from the wooden pathway to make room for me. The back wheel touches the floor, and I immediately switch off the flight mode. The front wheel drop and the back wheel leave a trail as I step on the brakes. As the smoke cleared, I noticed the stares from the people around me. When my gazes meet with them, they immediately drop to one knee and lowering their heads in respect.

    I let out a sigh, "Why does this always happen?," I muttered to myself.

    Lulu gets off the back seat and joins her people, by dropping to one knee. I let out another sigh, "Not you too, Lulu."

    "My name is Dorian The Third, I am the chief of this humble village. We welcome you with an open heart." One of the older male wolves with an air of authority spoke up.

    Dorian takes a few glances at Lulu while still keeping his gaze on me. There''s a slight resemblance in their looks, I think this wolf-man is her father or brother, but I remember that Lulu doesn''t have any siblings, so he must be her father.

    "You have a wonderful village here, Chief Dorian."

    "Excuse my forwardness, great candidate, but may I ask for your name?"

    "Oh, hehe. Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. My name is Andre of Adrestia. At...Hmm, my service, I guess." All of the people gasped at the same time, shocked by what I said.

    The fear in their eyes is clear as day, just before they dropped to both knees and pressed their foreheads against the wooden floor.

    "W-what?" I muttered, then I rest my gaze on Lulu. Even her cowered in fear at what I said.

    Chief Dorian lifted his head with pleading eyes. "Please forgive my daughter of her actions. I take full responsibility for anything that happened. Let my people go, and take me instead. Please... I beg of you."

    "Woah, calm down... what''s with the fear? She did nothing wrong, I''m only here to drop off the Stag, not to punish people."

    "It''s your goddess, Adrestia. We fear her, she punished those who are insolence toward the gods."

    "That makes sense, I guess, but I''m not her, there''s no need to fear me. Still... you should fear her, of course...you know what, just act natural around me." Lulu lifts her head up and seems to understand what I was saying. As for the others, I simply let out a sigh.

    Chief Dorian raised his voice toward his daughter, "Lulu! Show your respect... but great candidate we couldn''t possibly grant that request."

    Lulu lower her head down again, and for some reason, her dad kinda start to piss me off, so I rolled my eyes and said, "If you don''t, I will burn this entire village and kill every single living thing here." Of Course, I was lying, I''m not going to kill everyone here, that would be crazy.

    "Please spare us, I will grant your request. Everyone please stand up and move along like normal." Chief Dorian stands up and implored his people to follow their daily routine.

    Lulu walks up to me, "I didn''t know that you were Adrestia candidate, I thought you were Artemis candidate because other candidates rarely interact with us."

    "Why is there so much fear toward my goddess?"

    Lulu gazes past by me, and carefully choose her words, "In our children rhymes, if you do bad stuff, Adrestia will come and punish you. So I guess, the fear is ingrained in us as we grow up. But! I know for certain that you aren''t scary like in those rhymes."

    "I am scary! Just look at me," I raise both hands like a claw and make a silly monster noise.

    "Waaa!"

    Lulu let out a giggle as she looked at my silly face. I get off the bike and tickle her sides causing her to laugh aloud. Her happy smile is so precious, that I couldn''t help myself, but to hug her, and lift her off the ground. I notice her father walking toward us with wary eyes.

    Chief Dorian let out a cough, interrupting us, and causing me to drop Lulu. She turned to face her father then tilted her chin down to show her respect.

    He let out the fakest smile I have ever seen, and says, "Miss Andre, will you take my humble offer of giving you a tour of our simple village?"

    I raised my right eyebrow and stared at him, "Yikes...Maybe some other time, but for now, I remember Lulu said that she has a mother, I would like to visit this wonderful woman."

    Lulu''s face lit up with joy, but her father frown at the suggestion, "I mean no disrespect Miss Andre, my wife would love to meet you, but she is sick right now. I don''t want a great being such as yourself, be bothered by a common mortal ailment."

    "It''s fine..."

    "But, Miss Andre."

    "Chief Dorian calms down... it''s fine." I look at Lulu, "Can you show me the way?"

    Lulu nods her head excitedly and turns then stride forward. I let out a smile and follow her while Chief Dorian walks beside me with restless hands.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 7]

    Creak-crack.

    The wooden bridge squeak as we make our way across. It quite surprising that the wooden walkway was able to withstand the weight of my bike landed on it, earlier. As I explore the village with my sight, I am amazed by the web of wooden bridges, criss-cross each other, above and bottom. Connecting all of it together and always lead back to the central oversized tree.

    The tree-houses are also quite unique in its design, built entirely from bamboo, the top is bent and tied together, shaping the tree-houses into a lancet arch.

    I let out a smile as I notice the curious children of the village, above us on the wooden bridge, looking at me as if I was strange. There''s no denying that I am strange in my looks and the way I dressed. My norms and their norms are also quite different.

    I wave at them and they quickly hide their heads.

    This village is certainly peaceful and serene to live in, maybe I could bring Daisie here. I probably shouldn''t, me being here already has its troubles. Letting out a sigh, Agnes sure missed quite a sight here, I hope he''s fine wherever he is.

    After arriving at the entrance of my destination, Lulu parted the cloth door and implored me to enter. I take a step inside, and the homey feeling is what first strikes me as I look at the interior. The handmade tapestry hangs over the wall and carpet soft as fur cover the floors. A firepit in the middle with warm embers heating the pot of stew above it.

    The quiet cough caught my attention, and I turn my gaze to the source. An older version of Lulu, lay on the bed, looking tired, but happy as she turns her gaze at us. Lulu rushes to the woman and sit at her side, the older wolf-woman lift one of her four hands and rub the top of Lulu''s head.

    "I''m sorry for my appearance, lady candidate, it seems you caught me in a bad time." The older woman apologized.

    "It''s fine, actually, I''m sorry for bothering you."

    "My name is Aria of The Second, may I ask for your name." She let out a cough at the end of her sentence.

    "I am Andre of Adrestia."

    "Oh my, Adrestia? I hope my daughter hasn''t caused any trouble." Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her daughter. Lulu''s head shrinks to avoid her mother''s wrath.

    "No, No, I''m just here to deliver the stag that she hunted."

    "Lulu?" She raised her voice slightly. "I told you not to go alone, you know how dangerous it is alone out there."

    "But, Mama I had too, it''s time for me to become an adult and take care of you. Besides, Miss Andre was there with me, she helped me."

    Her mother let out a small sigh, and turn her gaze at me, "I apologize for any inconvenience that my daughter had caused."

    "Meh, It''s not that big of a deal."

    Her father interrupts us by saying, "Lulu, may I speak to you alone, please."

    Lulu with heavy legs, she got up and followed her father. They left the tree-house, leaving me and Aria alone. She tries to lift her torso so she could sit, I noticed her difficulty and helped her.

    "Thank you."

    "It''s nothing, so..."

    "No, it''s not that serious. It¡¯s just common for me when I get sick, that it makes me bedridden. Lady Andre, you shouldn''t be bothered by our mortal ailment, us mortals get sick regularly, some light while others... like me."

    "You make it sound like I don''t care."

    "I mean no disrespect, but it''s the truth. A candidate such as yourself must have a duty of your own, that''s why we shouldn''t burden you by our trouble."

    I let out a sigh, "Anyway, Lulu is amazing, she¡¯s great at tracking and hunting. She even helps me find my target. That''s not all, she is adorable and helpful. You certainly did great in raising her."

    "Thank you for the compliment, Lady Andre. Hearing it from you means a lot to me. However, I alone shouldn''t receive such a compliment. My husband also helps, he is the one who taught Lulu how to hunt."

    I turned my gaze at the door as I heard Dorian raised his voice, "Don''t you know how dangerous it is to meddle with the gods?!"

    "She''s not dangerous, father. Why won''t you listen to me? Haven''t I proven myself to be an adult? Or do you just don''t want to listen to your daughter because of your big ego?"

    "It''s not about you or me, it''s about our people¡¯s safety! You heard her threat, she wanted to burn our village to the ground."

    "The people are fine, she¡¯s just kidding. I know her."

    "Know her? You just met her today. Don''t be foolish, use your brain!"

    "I am using my brain! But, you just don''t want to listen to me because you are an arrogant old man!"

    "Well, you''re just a spoiled brat!"

    "Me spoiled?! How do you spoil me when you¡¯re not even around. All you do is work and work, you don''t even visit when Mama gets sick." Lulu''s eyes are on the verge of tears as she let it all out.

    Dorian turned his gaze away, "The people need me, Lulu."

    "I''m sick and tired of hearing that! The people this! The people that! What about us? Your family! Are we not important enough?" She barks at her father.

    Lulu waits for her father''s answer, but he just remain silent, he couldn''t think of anything to say.

    Lulu clenched her hands, "What difference does it make, whether you''re here or not... I wish you weren''t even here."

    Dorian was struck by that painful words that it caused him to raise his hand and about to slap his daughter on the face. Lulu''s eyes widen in fear as she saw what was coming. However, I intervened by grabbing Dorian''s hand, preventing him from going any further.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Don''t do anything you''ll regret."

    "Miss Andre?!" Both of them gasp in surprise.

    I let go of Dorian''s hand, but Lulu turns her gaze at her father, heartbroken that he was about to hit her, his own flesh and blood. So she takes off in haste while holding in her tears.

    "Lulu!" Dorian called out, but he was too late. He presses his palm against his scrunched forehead, disappointed at himself.

    "It was my fault, I couldn''t control my anger..." Dorian uttered through his gritted teeth.

    He removed his hand and looked at me, nodding his head in gratitude, "Thank you for stopping me, I don''t know what would happen if I were to hit her."

    "She''s right you know...I''m not here to hurt anybody, but I understand your fear. If you wish me to leave, then I can do it as soon as possible."

    "No! Please stay, there''s a celebration tonight, honoring Lulu to adulthood. I think she would like to have you there."

    "I think it would be awkward for me to attend, after what happened."

    "Please, Miss Andre, for me, and Lulu." He bows his head at me, pleading at me to attend the celebration.

    ****

    Night came as fast as it could.

    I spent most of my evening strolling the village and when night came, I made my way to the cavern entrance underneath the central tree. Upon arriving there, a small wolf-boy brought me a crown of flowers, he fidgets as he presents me the crown. I let out a smile, calming him and lower myself to his height. He placed the crown on my head and back away.

    I pat his head while saying, "Thank you."

    The wolf-boy blushed as he says, "You''re welcome."

    I raise myself again, and barely avoiding the children, running toward the entrance. I turn my gaze on the people around me, couples, families and singles, all of them are making their way to the entrance with a bright smile.

    Making my way to the entrance, I part the curtains of tree vines and step inside. Darkness overlapped my sight, but a faint bluish light glimmer at the end of the tunnel. Amazed again as I look upon the glowing mushrooms above me, and was astounded at how it brightens up the large cavern.

    People gather around the fire pit, taking a seat and warming themselves. I watch as the smoke rises into the large hole above it and reach the beautiful night sky. It seems that inside the tree, the body is hollow.

    From where I stand, I could see Lulu on a small stage, surrounded by decorative pillows. While dressed in a white, loose robe with red paints cover her entire body in a form of convoluted decorative lines. It must be a part of the ceremony or tradition. She quickly waves at me from where she sat, and I reply by raising my hand. Albeit, the distance between me and her, I still could see the puffy eyes.

    How much did she cry after what happened?

    "She looks beautiful."

    I turn my sight at the source of the voice, Lulu''s mother stands beside me with a smile and heavy breath, "You shouldn''t be out of bed."

    "And miss my daughter¡¯s ascension?"

    I let out a small laugh, "Let me help you find a seat."

    "Thank you, Miss Andre." I take hold of her hands and lead her to an empty spot near the fire pit, so she could stay warm in this cold night.

    Lowering myself beside her, the celebration suddenly kicks off with the sound of drums and flute. A flurry of belly dancers enters the cavern from every direction in the exact time.

    I let out a small laugh as I mutter to myself, "I can see now where that belly dancer outfit comes from." I always find it weird that a belly dancer outfit exists in Aphrodite''s world, despite the fact that the people there dressed in an entirely different type of clothing.

    The belly dancers dance in a circle around the fire pit, my eyes are tantalized by the sinuous movement of their bodies, while the bell bracelets and anklets tinkle to the beat of the music. Their mouth is hidden under transparent silk while their striking eyes bore into me, never letting me escape their sight.

    I wish Agnes was here to see this amazing performance.

    A bowl of food is passed onto me, looking into it, I can see some kind of ball-shaped delicacies that are wrapped by green leaves. I take one and pop it into my mouth, it tasted sweet and sour. After taking a few of them, I pass on the bowl to the next person beside me and watch the performance.

    As the dancers drop to the floor with a dramatic pause, while the muse simmers down. People turn their heads to the entrance, Dorian, wearing a loose white robe of his own, with a bone necklace and carrying a crown made out of crystalized horns, probably made from the stag that Lulu hunted.

    The white fabric drags the dirt as Dorian come close to his daughter. I can tell from where I sat that there is a clear awkwardness between Dorian and Lulu. As Dorian stands before his daughter, Lulu avoids eye contact, but the wolf-man still kept his gaze on her as he places the crown on his daughter''s head. Bending his knee to meet her height, he dips his two fingers in a small bowl of red dye beside Lulu, and place it against her forehead.

    Two new lines running down Lulu''s head to her snouts then Dorian mutters something to her. She looks at her father with disbelief, then a half smile appears with a single tear of joy drip down. At the same time, her father shows the same expression. I think both of them just mended their relationship because what happens next, shows that Lulu still loves her father and her father still loves her.

    It is all laid out for us to see, Lulu embraced her father and her father replied back with teary eyes.

    They both let go of each other, and Dorian bow his head deeply to show her, his respect and how proud he''s feeling right now. Aria, Lulu''s mother beside me, take hold of my hand as she watches the heartwarming scene unfolds.

    Dorian left the cavern and the music spark to life again, the dancers start spinning as wolf-men enter the room in a loud roar, wearing only pants and holding a bow. They start performing martial arts with their bow, it was fascinating to me as The Well of Knowledge inside my head recognizes those moves.

    They kept passing the bowl of the same ball-shaped treats, and I kept eating it, until Lulu tap on my shoulder from the back. I turn my head to meet her joyous face, she hugs me and sits beside me and her mom.

    "You were beautiful up there." Her mom said to her.

    Lulu blushed red and her wolf ears droop.

    "It''s true, I¡¯m kinda jealous right now." I join with my praise.

    "Hehe." Lulu hit me on my shoulder lightly.

    "So you make up with your father?"

    "Yes, he apologized earlier and he said to me that he is proud of me, and loved me so much. I also said the same thing to him."

    "So where is he?"

    "Hmm, probably busy managing the party¡ª"

    "I wouldn''t be too sure about that," Dorian said from behind us.

    Lulu turns her head, "Dad? You''re here?" She was surprised by her father¡¯s appearance.

    "Yes, I''m finally here. My second will handle the party while I make time for my family."

    Dorian wedge in between me and Lulu, I let out a laugh, "Okay, okay, okay, geez... this spot is getting crowded."

    They all laughed and giggled as they stick close to each other while I scoot away from them. I roll my eyes and chomp on the treats.

    Lulu with wide eyes rushed to me, her voice sounds concerned as she says, "Miss Andre! How many have you eaten that!?"

    "20 or more. What? What''s going on?"

    Dorian also with wide eyes rush to me and pressed his palm on my forehead, "You''ve eaten 20 of them? And... you are okay?" Dorian moved his hand away.

    "Yeah... I''m feeling a bit energetic for some reason."

    They looked at me weird as if I just screwed a goat, "What? What''s the matter?"

    "Because this little treat has calming properties if taken in a small quantity, but if it is taken in very large amounts, then a strong halucegeeeeeniccccccccccccccccccccccccccc..........................................."

    Hdgsiajsnbsvxbjs, twisted and blurred out.

    Shvjsjdhjwjssse Hehehehehe

    Zbbsjsdnhsjsn Woookkkkk

    Goat? Hah, neat.

    Darkness, sword, me?

    Adrestiaaaaaaaa, what she did?

    Ballsss.

    Agnesssss.

    Hexagonal.

    Daisie........

    Blacked out.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 8]

    Bloods slowly drip off my hand and onto the floor beneath me. Behind me a hallway of gore and horror, and in front of me, an unknown man on his knee, beside him a small girl who I presume is his daughter. She looks at me with pleading eyes, as she stares at the silenced gun in my hand that is pointed at her father. I look at the bedroom window beside me, and quite surprising to see an unending river with Hades''s castle in the distance.

    I was expecting a city to be on the other side, but somehow it makes sense.

    ¡°I know that river... Lethe.¡±

    I turn my gaze back at the man and stumble back a bit to found Daisie on her knees, looking at me with teary eyes. While the girl beside the man is replaced by Agnes. He grits his teeth together and glares at me with intent hatred while screaming.

    ¡°DO IT!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I muttered to myself, confused by his request.

    He yells out, ¡°PULL THE TRIGGER!!!¡±

    It as if someone else was controlling me, my finger slowly squeezes the trigger. I tried to stop it with all my strength, but it was only a vain attempt to change what was supposed to happen. Shaking, trembling, and quiver as I grit my teeth while trying to move my finger away from the trigger.

    POP!

    A trickle of red liquid splatter onto my face and lip.

    Orange locks flutter in the wind.

    Daisie slowly leans to the side, and the side of her head hits the floor first, a loud bump. Her body lay on its side, lifeless and cold.

    With my weak and wobbly voice, I ask myself, ¡°What have I done¡­?¡±

    Her blood flows down to my shoe, soaking it.

    I look up at the mirror that was behind her and saw a young man with an emotionless expression, looking back at me with no regrets, no sympathy, and no guilt, only¡­ the feeling of satisfaction.

    ¡°What have you done?!¡± I yell at the young man in the mirror, but he turns and walks away.

    ¡°What have you done?!!¡±

    He stops and says, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough¡­¡±

    A tear drip from my eyes and fall onto the puddle of blood surrounding my shoe.

    ...

    ..

    .

    I wake up, groaning and in pain especially around my head. An unfamiliar wooden ceiling greeted me, while the rays from the sun eagerly shone onto my face. The slightest noise can set my headache off, I rest my arm against my forehead.

    Just like any nightmare, as soon as I wake up, my memories begin to disappear into nothingness. I couldn''t remember what it was about, but it sure ain¡¯t a sweet dream, that¡¯s twice in a row now.

    Baaa!

    "A goat?" I lifted my torso up and saw the animal at the foot of my bed, chewing the blanket.

    A quiet snore and moans grab my attention causing me to assess my surrounding, Wolf-women and Wolf-men litters on my bed, naked and sleeping. Looking down, and I find myself naked just like them, I pull up the blanket, covering my breast and crawl out off the bed quietly. After letting go of the blanket, I grab my clothes on the floor and quickly wears it.

    Stumbling outside, I squint my eyes as I look up at the morning sun. I barely remember what happened last night, and why is there a goat in the bedroom, and why does my hip feel a bit sore?

    "Miss Andre...?" Lulu looks at me with blushed cheeks.

    "Lulu? Oh, I''m glad you''re here, but first, morning. Can I ask, what happened last night?"

    "Well....after you eat those, medicine. You woke up like a woman possessed, screaming then suddenly stop. We were terrified at first, but we went along with it, you started to try to dance with the belly dancers, and fight the men."

    "Yikes."

    "With your energetic energy, you somehow intoxicated the people into partying with you, it was a fun night, until you started to...invite people to coitus with you."

    "I did what?" I take a second look, unbelief at what she said, then my head the door and heard giggles as the half-naked wolf-women exited my treehouse, waving lustily at me.

    "You invited me too, but...I politely declined." She bites her bottom lip.

    "Wait, what?...I''m so sorry, I did that, Lulu."

    "I don''t mind it," Lulu said, as he cheeks brighten red even more.

    "Wait...Where that goat comes from?"

    Baaa! A goat nonchalantly exits the tree-house and stride away. Lulu and I both stared at the goat while it leaves the vicinity.

    "You stole it from our loafing shed."

    "I stole it, for what?"

    "I don''t know, I don''t have much experience in that area." She covered her ears as if it''s embarrassing to even think about.

    "Did I cheated on Daisie? Oh god no... she''s going to kill me."

    "You were under the influence of our medicine, so I think you didn''t do it on purpose."

    "You''re right."

    "But the deed is done, so you did cheat on her."

    "Oh god, you''re right." I started to panic and breathe in quick and short succession.

    "It''s going to be okay, Miss Andre, she won''t find out."

    "Oh god, that even worse, I''m going to feel guilty for the rest of my life just because of this one secret. No! I''m going to confront it, I''m sure she will understand, right?"

    Lulu shrugs her shoulders.

    "I''m so dead..." I press my forehead against the railing.

    Lulu stroke my back as a sign of comfort, "Would breakfast make you feel better?"

    "Yes...it would, I''m so hungry right now."

    "Let me show you the way, Miss Andre."

    I raise my head and watch as Lulu start walking away, I lean back away from the railing and lazily follow her. Dragging the soles of my feet, I groan and whimper as I picture Daisie getting furious at me.

    Click, clack, click clack as my boots press against the wooden walkway. Then a sudden gust of wind, brush against me and parting the curtains entrance beside me.

    My eyebrows scrunched up together as I see something familiar inside. The curtains close on itself again, preventing me from seeing any further. I should have moved along, but my curiosity gets the better of me.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Like a moth to a light, I walk up to the entrance and wedge my hand between the curtains. Parting it, I enter the tree-house.

    What I saw in there was one of the most horrifying views in my life. The room was filled with various bones, skulls and feathers from harpies, hung up on the wall like trophies, or decorations. It felt as if they were proud to have massacred so many of them.

    I almost puke, but managed to withstand it. "What did they do?" I asked myself as if I know the answer.

    "I told you that it isn''t safe for me here."

    I turn around and see Agnes leaning against the wall, "Agnes? You knew?"

    He nods his head with saddened gaze, my finger digs into my palm, he is treating this horrible sight like a small thing, "Agnes, why didn''t you tell me? I could have done something, anything."

    He snaps at me, "Oh yeah? What can you do? You''re going to punish them? force their view? Change their culture? Change their past? Bring back the dead?"

    I grit my teeth, and look away, admitting defeat, admitting¡­ my uselessness. There so much burn in those words, I hate this, I hate that I didn''t know.

    "I thought so, there''s nothing you can do...or could do." Agnes walk passes by me and bends his knees in front of the skull, then he closes his eyes, and showing his respect to those who died.

    All my power, my strength, my abilities, and yet, just like Kraus''s story, I can''t do anything, I can''t even think of something to change anything, or to make things better.

    Frustrated beyond belief, I rest my gaze on Agnes. What if Agnes were amongst the wall, hang up like trophies...I couldn''t even imagine. I look back at the wall, so many deaths...

    "You should have told me."

    "And let you judge them by what their ancestors did? Lulu is a great girl, wolf, wolf-girl... and I kinda like her, but I can''t be here, it''s too painful to remember, to see..."

    "Even right now?"

    "Of course, I wish to forget all of this, but that would be disrespectful to them. Let the villagers think that these are trophies, but I will... remember it as a resting place for my people that lost their lives in this world."

    I bend my knees beside Agnes and join him for a moment of silence.

    The ceiling trembled a bit as the wind blew against it, nothing too loud, just calm and serene. I looked passed the glorification of the remains, and grateful toward the people that keep the remains clean and maintained. I need to let go of those frustrating feeling and moved on like...I glance at Agnes, I can see that he has already made his peace with this kind of thing a long time ago.

    He is a lot more mature than I realize.

    Maybe someday, I can be more like him.

    ****

    Once again, the strong winds blew against my hair, pulling it back and drying up my skin. I left the village so abruptly that I didn''t get to say my goodbyes properly, maybe I¡¯m still holding something inside me, I should head back after this and said my goodbyes properly. I was so focused on the empty sky in front of me that I didn''t realize Agnes was calling my name.

    "Andre?!"

    I turn my gaze at him, "Yes?"

    "The line, it stops."

    After taking a look myself, I pitch the bike down toward the straight trail that the Darkness left. Landed inside of the trail of destruction, I switch off the flight mode and follow the trail from thereon. Just as we about to reach a small opening at the end of the trail, I turn off my bike and park it near a tree.

    We creep toward back into the forest and find a spot covered in bushes, but give us enough visibility to see. Agnes swallows his spit in fear as he looks upon a beast twice the size of Kraus the minotaur, a beast on four legs made out blackened tar and death. Its body is covered with sharp exoskeleton, and bony appendages. Its claws are the size of his leg, it looks like a tiger mashed together with a spider that drip blackens tar. However, that was not the reason why Agnes is afraid.

    It¡¯s because there are three of them together, starting each other, unmoving like mannequins.

    ¡°I don''t think you can do this, Andre.¡± He whispered to me.

    ¡°Me to¡­ but shit, I can''t leave them here. That thing might hurt an innocent bystander.¡± I unsheathed my hatchet and grip it tightly.

    ¡°Agnes, keep an eye out in the sky and far away from here, I don''t want you to get hurt.¡±

    ¡°How about you? You can¡¯t defeat all three of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, besides I''m gonna wing it,¡± I said with a confident smirk, then with a single step, I dash forward and leaving my fear behind.

    The three horrors turn it sight on me and let out a shrieking growl. My eyes widen in doubt, but in the corner of my eyes, I see something. I wasn''t alone as I am lead to believe, a man clad in Japanese samurai armor carrying a naginata is charging toward the same monster. However, he was not alone as an Asian woman with black straight hair is dashing toward the monsters from a different direction, wearing a black leather suit and green flowing cape while carrying only a wooden bow.

    I think they are different candidates from different gods.

    A full smile creeps up onto my face, while my fear and doubt disappear into thin air. Its spider appendage tries to puncture my head, but I dodged to the right, letting it stab into the ground. It raises its paw high ready to smack me into the ground. Yet I didn''t have any shroud of fear as a glowing energy arrow implant itself into its right eyes, stunning it and causing it pain. I duck my head and run underneath it while slashing its heels.

    The Darkness let out of a painful shriek as it falls onto its belly, but I manage to slide out of it before its body squashes me. However, when I arrive on the other side, I realize a monstrous maw was ready for me. Yet, what I failed to notice was the samurai man that is charging toward the monster with no intention of stopping. Before I even get into the mouth, the man donned in samurai armor crash into its head like a train, he shoulder bash that monster and push it until both of them reach the tree line.

    I didn''t get a clear look at what happens next between the samurai and the monster because I am preoccupied at the moment. After I gain my momentum, I climb the third monster back while it is busy with the archer woman, and start hacking away its armor. The archer woman was quite powerful as she can turn one of her energy arrows into three at once, and the way she shoots them is almost instantaneous.

    The monster back is sticky with black tar and feel wrong to the touch and nauseating at the same time.

    Her gaze glances at the downed beast beside this one, the other Darkness begins to rise again and with the beast that I¡¯m on is occupied by the woman. I stand up and jump onto the other beast neck, then I plant my hatchet into its necks and pull on it as I make my way down to the ground. The blade leaves a deep scar when my feet touch the ground, I let go of the hatchet and wedge both hands into the scar. With all my strength, I pull apart the two masses of meat and tear its head from its neck.

    The blackened tar squirt onto my face, but I managed to kill one of them as the head roll away from its body.

    ¡°Look out!¡±

    One of the spider-like appendages hit me and toss my body back toward the samurai man. The man easily avoids me and perfectly fine letting me crash into the tree. I let out a groan as my blood drip down my waist from the cut I just acquired underneath my rib. The samurai man didn''t even dodge the attack from the monster, it as if he wanted to get hit, then I realize he does want to get hit. The more he gets hit, the more he¡¯s glow red, literally, through the crack of his armor I can see it.

    I can hear a faint laugh coming from him as he swirls his Naginata.

    With a single downward swing, the man brings the head down to the ground and smash it into pieces like a watermelon being hit with a bat. A trickle of black tar splatter the ground near it and onto my face. Some of it even get into my mouth, I spit it out as soon as I taste the bitter liquid. I get up from the midst of the broken tree and wave at Agnes that is in the sky flying. The samurai looks at me and back to the last monster, he swings his naginata to get the black tar off it while making his way toward the archer.

    I begin my run, ignoring the pain and signaling to Agnes. He transforms from his bird form into a harpy, then swoops down, grabbing my hands with his talons and lift me up into the air.

    ¡°I told you that I got it.¡±

    Agnes rolls his eyes back while a half-smirk appears, he then let me go as we reach atop of the last monster, I drop down and mount the terrible monstrosity to keep it busy while the archer woman fires her arrows. The samurai charge and cut the spider appendages one by one. The archer pulls the strings on her bow, her eyes glow greens, so do her arrow. I think it is time for me to leave, I jump out of the monster back.

    She let the arrow go and like a cannon, the arrow carries so much force that it pulls the air along with it. The arrow punctures through its skull and carries through until it reaches the end of its spine, leaving a hole so large that I can fit my hand through it. Like a sack of potatoes, it goes down because of its own weight with no support to handle it.

    Lifeless and dead.

    I press my hand against my wound and grit my teeth to withstand the pain. Turning on the corpses, the samurai and the archer look at me, ¡°Hi, we never met before but my name is¡­¡±

    ¡°Andre of Adrestia.¡± The archer answered, uninterested by me.

    ¡°We know¡­ Orphe, you tracking this thing too?¡± The samurai asked the archer.

    Orphe nods her head, ¡°Yes, what about you, Tadao?¡±

    ¡°I just got my order a few days ago. I didn''t realize there were three of them. I thank you for helping me and giving us passage to your Goddess¡¯s world.¡± He bows his head.

    ¡°I also want to say thanks.¡± They take a glance at me and look away. Wow...they both really are ignoring me, I don''t think I have a good reputation with the candidates.

    ¡°So is Iris here?¡± She looked around Tadao for something.

    The samurai let out a small laugh before saying, ¡°Yes, she is in the tree line somewhere.¡±

    Suddenly, they both stop chattering and turn their gaze at me with horror. My eyes widened in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Andre!¡± Agnes shouted from the sky.

    I realize that they weren''t looking at me, but behind me, I turn my body and witness as the corpses of the Darkness merge together and form a new monstrous body, bigger, horrifying and more spider legs with three tiger head. It swings its spider appendage to hit me along with the samurai and archer, but I manage to turn my body and push both of them out of the way before it arrives. The spider arm hits my side first, breaking my ribs and launching my whole body at the tree line with so much force that I crash into multiple trees before I lose my momentum.

    I cough and spit out my blood onto my chest, I¡¯m in so much pain. I can hear Agnes screaming my name and the sound of the battle continues.

    ¡°I-I s-screw up...¡± I tried to talk, but I am over consumed by my own cough that it made every single pronunciation a challenge.

    ¡°ANDRE!!¡±

    I couldn''t lift my body up, every single movement causes the broken ribs to stab my inside even further.

    My vision begins to blur as my strength leave my body.

    Then blackness resumes its hold over my sight, while the sound to fade into the distance.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 9]

    Obviously, the first thing I do is gasp for air as much as I can, while my eyes widen in confusion. Out of nowhere, the same young man who haunts my nightmares is sitting on the wooden chair, just in front of me, staring at me with an expressionless face. The ground trembles and the wall crumble bit by bit, revealing a vast empty black void on the other side. I grab the edge of my seat and wait as the ground settle in again.

    I''m pretty sure this place was not where I was before.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± An obvious question, I asked.

    There was no answer, but in the faint distance, I can hear a whisper, ¡°Let loose¡­¡±

    ¡°Let loose¡­¡± I heard it again, coming from both sides of my ears.

    ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡±

    It¡¯s becoming louder by the second.

    ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡±

    I CAN¡¯T HEAR MY THOUGHTS

    ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡± ¡°Let loose¡­¡±

    STOP!

    ...

    Finally, I was granted the sweet silence.

    ...

    From sitting on the chair, my leg buckled during the madness and now both my knees are on the floor while my back slouch. My forehead is dripping with sweat, my eyes bulge out, both my trembling palms are pressing against my ears. I can¡¯t see clearly, everything''s so blurry, and there¡¯s a throbbing headache inside my skull.

    Is this a part of the nightmare or am I going insane?

    Looking up, there he is, and with cold eyes, he looks at me with no sign of emotion whatsoever. He rests his chin against his hands, and keep on staring at me. He didn''t do anything wrong, but why am I so scared of him? He leans back against the chair and says, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±

    ¡°Let loose.¡±

    ***

    ¡°My body can''t handle any more damage, and I can''t hold The Darkness much longer.¡± The samurai said through his gritted teeth as he slashes his naginata against the beast¡¯s belly, while a few trickles of blood drip through the gaps of his armor.

    ¡°Three more minutes, I need to regain my strength so I can fire another blast.¡± The archer concentrates on her shot while waiting for her energy to come back.

    ¡°Make it a minute!¡±

    Out of nowhere, a spider appendage went through his shoulder, pinning him down to the ground, and cracking the earth. The Darkness pushes the spider appendage deeper into his shoulder causing him to yell out in pain, then make its way to the archer while dragging the samurai with it. The monster opened its large maw and what¡¯s waiting inside was a set of jagged and sharp teeth. However, just as the monster about to swallow the archer whole, a harpies swoop in and carry her away from it.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The archer keeps firing her energy arrows at the Darkness while being carried by Agnes.

    ¡°Andre?!¡± Agnes turned her sight on the blood-soaked woman that limping toward the monster.

    ¡°That¡¯s not her¡­¡± Ophre said as she examines the limping woman.

    ¡°What do you mean? That is her!¡±

    ¡°Look at her carefully.¡±

    Dirt filled brunette hair drapes in front of my face, covering half of it. My left arm dangles while blood dripped down from it and onto the dirt. The Darkness turns its body to face me while dragging Tadao across the ground, I lift my cold gaze at the monster. Then without looking, I extend my bloody hand in the air, the hatchet fly back into my hand and I begin my sprint toward it. The monster let go of Tadao and gallops toward me with its spider appendages extend outward, and its mouth opens wide, ready to impale and chew my body to bits.

    The spider appendages stab the ground, missing me entirely, or to put it more precisely, I avoid it with a few steps and turns like in a ballroom dancing. However, for the last spider appendage, I catch it with my left arm, the force from that action cause a shockwave to expand and dissipate the dust around us, but it isn''t as easy as it seems, as the muscle inside my arm tear causing massive pain to shoot up. Yet, at that moment I just ignore the pain because at the moment it wasn''t me who is in control. Using the hatchet in my other hand, I cut the spider appendage and the Darkness let out a shrieking roar.

    The Darkness pummels the ground that I am standing on, repeatedly, with its appendage causing dust to rise and block any vision. Somehow, I manage to avoid every attack and grab one of the appendages with ease. It lifts me up in the air and gives me the opportunity to jump on top of the monster¡¯s back. The Darkness shakes its body, trying to get me off it, but I didn''t give it the satisfaction of going easy. I raise the hatchet up high and repeatedly hack away at one specific spot.

    For the last effort, It rolls its body on the dirt, trying to squash me using its weight, but I was relentless as I hold on with all my might despite the broken ribs inside of me, stabbing my organs further and further. The roll causes me to dangle off its back and lost my hatchet, but that didn''t stop me as I swing back up, and using that momentum to punch through the exoskeleton and grab its spine.

    That single punch manages to break and crack the bone inside my hand.

    Using my other hand, I separate the Darkness¡¯s spine with its own body and throw it away. After tossing the spine, the monster lies flat on its belly, still breathing and alive, but unable to move. After sliding off its back, I call upon my hatchet, then walk back to its head while black tar drip of my arms and hatchet. With colds empty eyes, I stared into its raging eyes, it still wanted me dead, but I could care less as I plant the blade into its eyes repeatedly.

    Swing.

    Brain matters and black tar splatter onto my face as I hit deeper and manage to crack its skull. I didn''t flinch or even disgust at the sight as I keep planting my hatchet into its head, using my injured and broken hands.

    Swing.

    The head was a bloody mess because no one can tell what it looks like after I kept hitting it with my hatchet. Ophre and Tadao watch from afar, afraid to get close. As Agnes make his way toward me slowly, a pearl pops out from its head, but I didn''t care and kept burrowing the blade into it. The monster body begins to slowly dissipate into ashes, leaving nothing behind.

    Swing.

    However, I kept swinging the hatchet at the empty air, almost like I was possessed.

    ¡°Andre¡­¡± Agnes called out to me from behind and I quickly swung the hatchet behind me, but quickly stop as the blade gently touched his neck.

    I was terrified at what almost happened, a tear drip down leaving a trail amongst the black tar and blood on my cheek. I whimper out his name, ¡°Agnes¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared! Please help me¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, Andre,¡± he immediately moves passed the blade and embraces me with his soft and warm wings despite dirtying himself.

    I gained my senses back, but it comes with the depletion of my entire stamina and energy, causing me to let go of the hatchet and dropped onto my knees. However, Agnes manages to hold me together and make sure that I didn''t fall.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s so cold...and the rage...I¡¯m so scared.¡± At this point, I was just mumbling out words.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I''m here.¡± Agnes tried his best to comfort me, he stroked the back of my head and let my head rest against his chest.

    ¡°Please don''t leave me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    Drowsy and tired, against the warm and tender embraces, I fall asleep at that very moment without any care of the world.

    ...

    ..

    .

    A fiery background in a dark void space enclosed me, as I float in this never-ending oblivion. However, as I turn my body, I see Daisie, hovering above me, and her slender body is draped carefully with ever-flowing white fabrics in a very mystical manner.

    In the far off distance, I can hear a faint high-pitched strum of an instrument with a long pause between notes. I believe that the very same instrument is called a shamisen, a Japanese Benjo of sorts.

    It appears that she is cradling something in her soft arm while holding a sword in another. I extend my hand to her, wanting to hold her, but I can''t reach her, so close yet so far. Her gazes were worried and in distressed as she reveals the baby in her right arm, swaddled in white cloth.

    "Seek Hypnos, seek your past..." She said as her body slowly floats away from me.

    "Wait! Don''t leave me!" I struggle as I try to reach her.

    "Find him..."

    Thousand of hands, belonging to no one, grabs hold of every part of my body, then they pull me down and away from Daisie. I try to get the hands off me, but it was in vain, there''s no point to it because there were thousands of them.

    Darkness then comes light.

    I open my eyes while inhaling as much air as I can. Sweat drips from my forehead down to my ear. The softness sensation behind me and on top of me, telling me that I am laying on a bed with a soft blanket over me. The ceiling above me is somewhat familiar, I think I''m back at Lulu''s village.

    The sound of the shamisen playing background caught my attention, I turn and look for the source. I''m surprised to see the samurai is playing it with ease, it''s like he had an abundance of experience of playing it. However that was not the most intriguing thing in this situation, what puzzles me is the small adorable girl hiding behind the samurai.

    She has a very cute blonde twin pigtails and very gothic looking blindfold, I doubt she can see through that. I like her overall dress, the red and white striped sleeves, the black fabric choker and bracelets, the gothic simple dress and skirt. Very somber style, but it looks quite nice on her.

    "To Fos," the girl said before fidgeting behind the samurai to hide.

    "The Light?"

    The instrument pause and the samurai says while bowing his head, "Thank you from both us."

    "For what?" Flashes of what happened during the battle flooded in, causing me a headache.

    So much seething rage, I don''t believe that came from me or was me. I never thought I could feel that much pain in a short amount of time. Then something ticks inside my mind, I lift my arm to check on my broken knuckle, but there were no injuries except for a few new scars, my broken ribs also were fixed.

    "Iris healed you after you passed out, and your harpy friend carried you all the way here. Your carriage has also been brought here by Ophre."

    "Carriage? Ah, you mean my bike. Wait, Harpy?! Where''s Agnes?"

    "On your left."

    I look to my left and there he is, laying beside me like a baby, drifted into a deep sleep. I didn''t even realize that he was beside me the entire time. Guilt cloud my heart as the thought of making him worried surfaces in my mind, I remember making him promise to never leave me. He did good, he kept the promise, but I shouldn''t make him do that. What if I never wake up again; because at that moment, I wasn''t in control of my body, and I was afraid that I never will.

    The pain was so unbearable; I thought I was healed, but I push through it and turn my body so I could gently stroke his cheek. After that, I peck my lips against his forehead causing his nose to twitch slightly.

    "Thank you for always being there for me, and I''m sorry."

    His adorable snoring makes me smile, I place my arm over him and snuggle closer to him. He scrunches his nose and opens his eyes widen when he sees me, ¡°W-What?¡±

    I quickly press my cheek against his soft cheek, Agnes begins to fluster his speech while his cheeks heat up, ¡°G-Get away from me!¡±

    ¡°Too late¡­¡±

    Agnes tries to wiggle out, but couldn''t, so he just give up and plant his head closer to my chest, ¡°You were scary¡­ I-I can''t even see the real you under that thing that holds control over you...and yet, I know that you were inside all that rage and in pain. I couldn''t leave you alone, even without the promise.¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I have been having nightmares that I couldn''t remember, pain that came out of nowhere, voices that whisper from the void, and emotions that don''t belong to me. I¡¯m scared...and I think it got to do with my past.¡±

    ¡°W-Why don''t you say something?¡±

    I let out a small laugh at his question, then Agnes finally realizes, ¡°We¡¯re alike, aren''t we? Always keeping our emotion a secret from each other.¡±

    After a short sigh, I brush the back of his head, ¡°We all have our own obstacles to overcome.¡±

    Lulu enters the tent with a tray of warm foods, interrupting us, and causing Agnes to move away from me. Her eyes swing back and forth as she wonders, did she interrupt something. I look at her and back at Agnes, worry at the situation, ¡°Uhm¡­¡±

    Lulu interrupts me, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lady Ophre already explains it to me...The harpy thing is still new to me, but I¡¯m trying. Yet, I would advise staying in the house, since most villagers are scared of him.¡±

    A sense of relief wash over me, ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you left so sudden?¡± With a saddened look, she rested her gaze on me.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I was stunned by that question.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is not a good time for me to ask this¡­ I¡¯m going to leave now, also I brought you some food,¡± She placed the tray on the end table near her and left the treehouse.

    Lulu left before I could stop her, I should talk to her. I groan as I try to raise my torso and sit, the pain is so intense that I couldn''t believe it was real, ¡°Why am I in pain? I thought I was healed.¡±

    ¡°You are, it¡¯s the remnants of that injury, your mind still thinks that your body is damaged, but it isn''t. Iris called it phantom pain, it should subside in a couple of hours.¡± The samurai answered with ease.

    ¡°Glad to know, thank you. I don''t think we had the chance to meet and greet properly.¡±

    ¡°That is true, My name is Tadao of Ares, It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± He bows slightly as he introduces himself.

    I turn my gaze on the little girl, she fidgets away from the samurai, ¡°My name is Iris of Apollo, I¡¯m Tadao¡¯s tracker.¡±

    ¡°And she is a good tracker.¡± Tadao places his hand on the little girl head and causes her to let out a small smile while her fingers fiddle with each other with joy.

    ¡°How? If you don''t mind me asking¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the blindfold that baffles you, isn¡¯t it? A tracker without sight.¡± A woman steps out of the darkness, and reveal herself. It¡¯s the same woman who was using the bow earlier, she walks toward Iris and sits beside her, almost too close. She put her arm around Iris and press her cheek against her while keeping her serious face on.

    ¡°This adorable little candidate can see the future, a curse from Apollo himself.¡±

    Iris squirms away from the woman and hides beside Tadao, ¡°It¡¯s not a curse, it¡¯s a gift,¡± She muttered quietly.

    ¡°A gift that allows you to see your own deaths in multiple ways and times, I can hardly call it a gift,¡± Ophre seem to be bitter about something.

    ¡°Now, why don''t you leave Tadao, and stay with me? I can treat you like a princess,¡± She opens her arms for an embrace, but Iris stays at the samurai side.

    ¡°No!¡± Iris pouted her lips.

    ¡°Why¡­? Your cuteness is wasted on him.¡±

    ¡°Because I like Tadao, and I don''t like you.¡± Ophre shocked and heartbroken face is so exaggerated that I let out a couple of giggles.

    Tadao laughs, ¡°It seems our conversation went off track. The woman that been bothering Iris is Ophre of Artemis.¡±

    ¡°Ophre...Ohh, what a nice name.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Her response was cold as ice, I think she really doesn''t like me.

    ¡°Both of you, focus,¡± The samurai said and I quickly turn my gaze at the man.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem weird to you, the behaviors that the Darkness has shown today? Completely abnormal to what they used to do.¡±

    ¡°I don''t really know anything about that, this is my first time fighting them.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Tadao, The Darkness usually follow their instinct, they always head to the most populated area and lay waste to that place. Their behaviors seem to be directed¡­ could be they are following orders? However, that doesn''t make sense. if they were controlled by an entity, the gods would have known, but could it be...¡± Ophre bites her finger as her eyebrows scrunched together.

    ¡°That something changed?¡± Agnes resume Ophre¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ophre agreed.

    ¡°Yet, that is not all,¡± Tadao slide his hand between his armor and take out a pearl, ¡°This pearl was left after Andre destroyed The Darkness¡­¡±

    ¡°That seems impossible, The Darkness never left any anything after death, because everything turns to dust after they die.¡±

    ¡°Impossible, maybe not, look at this. This single pearl could help us understand more about The Darkness, and where they came from, or even¡­ how to wipe them out.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, I¡¯m intrigued on your next move, Tadao.¡±

    ¡°We are going to find someone from Athena¡¯s Candidates to examines this lead before we bring it to the gods.¡± Tadao nods his head toward Ophre.

    ¡°What are we waiting for? We should head there as soon as possible.¡± Ophre stands up excitedly and ready to leave.

    ¡°Wait! I can¡¯t go¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ophre glared at me with intense anger and confusion.

    All the attention went to me as soon as I said those words, ¡°I need to find Hypnos, I need to¡­ I just need to do something first, okay? You should go without me.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? You find this clue, this thing could save the entire 12 worlds and you¡¯re throwing it away because you got something to do first?¡±

    I stare into Tadao¡¯s eyes, and somehow we both understand each other, ¡°Ophre, it¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    ¡°What? You know what, whatever! I don''t care, I''m going without you,¡± Ophre storms out of the treehouse.

    Tadao stands up and slings his shamisen over his back. Using Agnes help, I stand up before him, and I shake his hand tightly, ¡°Can I ask you an awkward question?¡±

    ¡°Go on ahead?¡±

    ¡°If someone is in love with your old-self and want to marry you for the same person that she once loved, but you didn''t know that person, and that person isn''t you. Goddamn it. It so complicated, what I meant was, If you had the chance to recover that past-self, would you do it?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, it¡¯s better to know the past rather than not knowing at all, even if that past is an ugly one.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping you would pick the other option¡­ Ignorance is bliss,¡± I catch a small laugh from Tadao with my joke.

    ¡°Yes, Ignorance is bliss, but it¡¯s ultimately your choice. If you do not enter the tiger''s cave, you will not catch its cub.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± My eyebrow raised.

    ¡°It¡¯s a saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, why don¡¯t you just said that¡­You know what, I¡¯m focusing on the wrong things.¡±

    ¡°Peace be with you,¡± He let go of my hand and back away.

    Then two soft arm embraces my waist out of nowhere, both of my arms are raised as the girl with blindfold hugs me tightly and whisper, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± A tear slip through her blindfold as she backed away and run.

    ¡°That was weird..¡± I turn at Agnes and found him pouting in slight jealousy.

    ¡°Goodbye, Andre.¡± Tadao turns and about to leave when I stop him.

    ¡°Wait, do you know where can I find Hypnos?¡±

    ¡°Follow Lethe, at the end of the river you¡¯ll find a cave, he will be there, sleeping. I hope you¡¯ll find what you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Tadao.¡± He nods his head and walks out, leaving me and Agnes behind.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 10]

    After Tadao and the rest had left the treehouse, Lulu knocked beside the door and entered the room chin lowered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is this a bad time?¡±

    I turned my gaze to Agnes, and he looked away, unable to meet Lulu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Agnes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡±  he sighed.

    "Agnes said it''s fine." I translated his words since Lulu can''t understand his language.

    "I-I¡­" Lulu fidgeted as she stuttered her words.

    She closed her eyes and kept her hand at her side, then took a deep breath before opening it again. The wolf-girl inched toward Agnes and extended her hand in his direction. She stopped and waited for him. I noticed her trembling legs. Despite Lulu''s fear, she managed to get closer and face her fear head-on. I think Agnes respected that, so he let the wolf-girl scratch the back of his ear.

    A joyous smile appeared on her face, "My dad used to tell scary stories about them, and I guess I used to believe it, but now, I think that he''s wrong."

    Lulu looked at me and moved her arm away. "Miss Andre, one of the village kids saw you enter our old trophy room... and with Agnes being a harpy, I understand now why you were acting weird. I''m sorry for everything."

    Lulu bowed her head in hope for Agnes and me to forgive her, but it shouldn''t be her the one who asks for forgiveness, it should have been me. She didn''t do anything. It wasn¡¯t her who hunted those Harpies. I''m the one who was being weird about it and accidentally made her feel uncomfortable.

    "To tell you the truth, I don''t need your apology¡­ because you did nothing wrong," Agnes said, and I translated it to Lulu.

    A smile replaced that worried frown after she heard what I said.

    "Agnes is right. It was me who was being weird about it. Agnes was okay with it, but I.. don''t know. It''s hard for me to forget what I¡¯ve seen, I just need more time to...deal with it."

    "In the meantime, let¡¯s move on and be here, together, with each other," I stood and grabbed Lulu by her hand then pulled her toward us for an awkward and forced group hug.

    As we embraced each other, I felt Agnes''s body squirm as he tried to get out. while Lulu''s cheeks turned red as she said, "Excuse me, Miss Andre, I don''t mind the hug, but...umm, you''re naked right now."

    I took a peek at myself, and yep, I was naked. I sighed, "I got to stop waking up naked."

    After a normal, but badass and slightly painful suit up, all thanks to Lulu for doing my laundry while I was out, I was all ready for my journey back to the Underworld. I extended my hand, and my hatchet vibrated before it flew toward me. However, with ease, I caught it mid-air and then twirled it around before sheathing it.

    "Ooh damn...I make this look good," I muttered to myself.

    "You¡¯re done admiring yourself?" Agnes leaned against the wall with a raised eyebrow.

    "As a matter of fact, I''m not done yet." I posed and flexed my muscles to show off my well-defined body.

    Agnes rolled his eyes, annoyed by the woman he called his sister. He bit his bottom lip, enough to feel the pressure, but not enough to cause any pain. Afterward, his lips parted and he looked at me with worried eyes.

    "Are you sure about this, Andre? You might find something you don''t like or worse, you might get horribly hurt."

    "I have to do it," I sighed.

    ¡°Have to do it? That¡¯s full of crap, you never once cared about your past since we first met. It¡¯s not for you, isn''t it? It''s for that--¡±

    ¡°Agnes!¡± I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

    He gritted his teeth and glanced away before looking back at me, ¡°It¡¯s always about that woman.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not always about her, it¡¯s about me¡­ I wake up every day to nightmares, Agnes. How am I supposed to live like that? Yeah! I may brush it off like nothing, but it isn''t. I have to face it, whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Andre¡­ I just don''t want to see you get hurt. Remember the last time you go to the Underworld? You came out with scars¡­¡±

    There is no denying the fact that me going to The Underworld was a horrible experience. The scars on my arms and stomach that I obtained there are proof of that. However, I stand by my point, I know the nightmare and the voices will only get worse until I truly confront it head-on.

    "It''s going to be okay, Agnes."

    "You said that but what if! What if you never be the same."

    Lulu barged into the room with a sack over her shoulder, she looked at us with wide eyes. Apparently, she had come at a bad time, "Here''s the item you requested."

    "Thank you, Lulu." I walked to her and took the sack of items then exited the treehouse.

    "Andre!" Agnes called out to me as he stormed out of the treehouse.

    "Yes?" I said jokingly, pretending that the conversation earlier never happened.

    Agnes gritted his teeth together, then took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulder, "There''s no way of stopping you, isn''t it?"

    "You know me too well," I smirked and get on my bike.

    In the corner of my eye, Lulu stood in the doorway, I gestured her to come and with ease, she walked toward me. When she stood inside my arms reach, I grab her and pull in for a hug. Her ears perked up in surprise as she glanced around, confused by the embrace.

    "I''ll come by whenever I can, goodbye, my little woofy, and say my thanks to your parents. I''m sorry, I couldn''t see them before I leave." I rubbed the top of her head and her ears relaxed to my touch.

    And just like that, I said my goodbyes to Lulu before I went to the underworld with Agnes.

    ***

    I felt my hand trembling as I gazed upon the cave entrance to the Underworld. Last time I was here, I almost died, but it''s not all gloomy, at least I get to meet Shin, Hades, Persephone, and many others. So why am I so terrified right now?

    "Miss Andre, thanks again for the delectable meat, I''ll be sure to share it with the rest of my people."

    Fortunately, Kraus managed to interrupt my sinking thought, I turned and looked at him with a smile, "The meat is from a crystal-horned stag, I asked a friend of mine if I could have some and she said yes."

    "Thank you again for it, but I wonder, you''re not here just to give me a piece of meat, am I right?" His left eyebrow perked up as he stared at me.

    "You caught me¡­ I''m going back in." I stared back at the cave maw.

    "I can sense something heavy behind those words of yours, I won''t push further. However, I have to inform you that you''re allowed to go in and out as you please as per requested by Hades."

    "Oh, that good news, I think. How''s your arm?"

    "Healing in record time, thank you for asking."

    "Where''s Shin?"

    "The Lord''s son is tending to other matters."

    "Can you quit stalling? You''re the one wanted to come here, but if you don''t want too, we could always go back." Agnes intervened with an aggressive tone.

    "Here I go," I grabbed the sack and took a deep breath before I marched toward the cave.

    Agnes gritted his teeth and yelled out, "Please! Make sure you come back safely, or¡­ I scratch your bike."

    "I''ll try¡­" That was my last word as I entered the cave.

    Into the cave I go, at first there''s only darkness and silence, but as I marched deeper, a glimmer of blue light greeted me and brighten the path in front of me. Arrived in a vast section of the cave, I was surprised that Cerberus was gone from his napping spot, he should be here.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Suddenly, a small creature leaped onto me, I managed to catch it, but slipped and fell down the downward slope. I protected the creature from the rough terrain with my own body as we rolled down the hill. Stopping at the bottom, I let out a breath of relief and took a peek inside my arms.

    "Cerberus?! How did you get so small?" I said with my eyes widened.

    The three-headed dog, fierce and adorable at the same time snuggled its head against my chest. I patted its three head in order, right, middle then left. In response, it let out a cute bark and licked my finger. I lifted it up and lay it down beside me. It hopped around me with joyous intent, while waiting for me to get up.

    I turned my head and searched for the sack. After finding it, I stood up and walked to it. Cerberus circled around me as I make my way. I grabbed the sack off the ground and reached in. Without further ado, I revealed the content, and inside it is another raw meat.

    "Guess who steak this is?"

    Cerberus barked and yelped in happiness. I saw their tongues hanging out, and drooling at the sight of the succulent meat. I tossed it onto them and their head enlarged like in a horror movie. It aggressively tore the meat apart between the heads, after they finish devouring the meat, the heads return to puppy size.

    "Good boy?" I said while momentarily horrified by what I saw.

    The middle head burped out a small blue flame and that somehow makes me love them even more. However, it''s time for me to move on, I headed toward the door and noticed Cerberus is following me.

    "No¡­ you can''t come with me, you have a job to do."

    Cerberus barked at me, and in some way, I understood it as a disagreement.

    "It''s too dangerous." I ignore his barks and grab hold of the doorknob.

    Cerberus started to bite and pulled the back of my jeans. I glanced down and the little dog is relentless, it wanted to come with me, even so far as to stop me from going through the door by chewing the bottom of my jeans.

    I stared at the doorknob while ignoring Cerberus, I wanted to go in, but stop because a sense of fear and dread are waiting for me on the other side, and out of nowhere, I smiled when a thought suddenly appeared. I looked down, and continue to smile. Using my hands, I carefully lifted the little dog and placed him on my head. Cerberus happily rested on top of me, and I felt its heartbeat calming my nerves.

    "Your right, it''s better with a company. Let''s go," Cerberus barked cheerfully.

    I grabbed four coins off the ground and placed it into my pocket. With a deep breath, we went through the door, and the same disorienting feeling brushed over me. I shook it off and walked toward the river. Like I expected, Charon the ferryman is already there, waiting for us on his boat with his thin ghastly hand extended to us.

    He''s creepy as I remember, the full cloaked figure, hidden under the darkness of his own loose robe, dread and foreboding.

    Using the two coins I picked up earlier, I boarded the boat with Cerberus. The three-headed snored as it slept on my head. At least with Cerberus by my side, I should be safe. The boat sway left to right as The ferryman pushed the boat away from the shore.

    It was an uneventful ride, but I kept glancing around expecting trouble, like the nightmare I had, or Hecate''s Hellhounds coming for me. Yet, there''s nothing here, only an unending desolate shore as far as I can see and the silence with occasionally burp coming from Cerberus.

    After another hour, a wave of drowsiness washed over me, my body slumped forward and I was about to fall asleep when the boat tremble. I opened my eyes as wide it can and looked at The ferryman, he remains calm and undisturbed. Occasionally, the small waves crashed against the boat''s body causing the tremble just like earlier.

    I peeked over and I couldn''t believe what is swimming under us. The size of a small town, a many-headed serpent in which they called the Hydra. It as clear it can be under the murky water, thank god I didn''t have to fight that.

    Cerberus hopped off my head and barked happily at the Hydra beneath us. Suddenly, water spouts up in the distance, as tall as two-story height. The discharged seem to be some sort of response from Hydra as Cerberus hopped around in joy after it saw it.

    The Hydra keeps spouting water up in the air as our ride continues. During it, I found myself to be calm and less worried. I think the Hydra just helped me composed myself, of course, none of it would have happened if Cerberus didn''t come. As a reward, I scratched the back of its ears and it shakes its tail in response.

    So adorable.

    After another long ride, we arrived upon a dark cave at the end of the river with two archways perched alone in front of it, one made of horn, another ivory. My body jerked an inch forward after the boat suddenly stopped. Looking back, the ferryman remains silent and stiff despite his boat stopped in the middle of the river.

    "What should I do now?" I peeked over, and there was no sign of land near us.

    Cerberus leaped into the river, I wasn''t managed to catch him before he dives in. However, my sight has deceived me as Cerberus stood on the murky water, confounded by the situation, I vaulted out of the boat. The moment my feet touches the water, I felt the floor underneath it.

    I sighed deeply, then I stood upright with the hatchet readied in my hand. In the back of my eye, the ferryman had disappeared with no trace at all, not even a ripple of water.

    Creepy as ever.

    With no way to get back, the only way left is onward. I walked toward the archways, leaving a small ripple of water behind me. My heartbeat becomes louder as I covered my distance.

    Whispers, whispers, whispers, three-voice distinct to one another, spouting gibberish that doesn''t make sense to me or anyone. However, for whatever reason, I think Cerberus couldn''t hear it because its ears or heads didn''t even respond to the whispers.

    To fos...

    A small headache brushed over me causing me to stop and press my two fingers against my temple, "The Light?" Cerberus stopped and turned to look at me with a confused tilt.

    The whispers stopped as suddenly as it came. I shook it off and kept walking until I reached the sandy beach. Cerberus walked around the archway rather than walk through it, I followed the three-headed dog, fearing something might happen if I go through that.

    As I was getting closer to the cave, Cerberus stopped and growled at the entrance. My grip tightened around the handle, fearing something bad might happen. As a naked young man with kind eyes and dark wings revealed himself from the darkness, with a single step.

    "You... I know you¡­ but, I can''t remember."

    "Truth,

    Truth,

    You came for the truth,

    But what kind of truth,

    The truth of your youth,

    The kind that will not sooth."

    "Is he rhyming?" I asked myself.

    Cerberus turned its attention and directed its growl at the beach. Mass bubbles appeared on the water''s surface and headed toward the land. A giant amalgamation of human body parts and animal body parts, in a form of a blob-like creature, rolled up the shore, disgusting and terrifying.

    My eyes widened and my lips frown in disgust at the creature. I took a step back and raised my hatchet beside me.

    Water poured out from the creature many mouths, some are human-looking while others are animalistic in nature.

    "Fear,

    Fear,

    What do you fear?

    It¡¯s not the monster,

    Or horrid creatures,

    What you fear¡­"

    The creature molded and shaped its own body, turning anew. The sound of bones snapping and crunching can be heard from where I stood. The hair on the back of my neck raised as the sounds bounced in my eardrums

    "Is what you see in the mirror¡­"

    The creature''s final forms is that same naked young man, just like before, but showers with blood, twitching non-stop, two black wings on his back, and that cold eyes, instantly caused me to remember them both from the nightmares.

    I backed away from the creatures until my back touched an item. I glanced back, and it caused me to stumble away from the item. It''s the sword, the crossguard one from the same nightmares. A mouth appeared on the hilt.

    "Lock,

    Lock,

    Lock away,

    Deep inside,

    To keep the truth at bay,

    When the lock break then you''ll be satisfied."

    "What in the Hades name are you?" I brought the hatchet in front of me, attempting to keep the distance between me and them.

    The creatures backed away, not because of me, but as I glanced behind, Cerberus had transformed to its full-sized, and a blue fire had dripped out of its jaws.

    "I am Morpheus," The normal one spoke.

    "I am Phobetor¡­" The nightmare version spoke in a deathly and nightmarish voice.

    "I am Phantasos." The sword spoke.

    "We are Oneiroi, blacked winged daemons, God of Dreams."

    "Why did you called me here?"

    "We were asked."

    "By who? Hypnos?"

    Dogs howl can be heard in a close distance, I glanced back and Cerberus had joined the howls as well. I looked around and saw red eyes glowed in the darkness.

    "Hellhounds¡­" I muttered to myself after they revealed themselves.

    "Twenty or more of them."

    For some unknown reason, Cerberus shrunk down to his puppy self and ran off. I turned around, and a hooded woman holding a flaming torch stood on the water, a few meters away from the shore. I couldn''t see her face, but Cerberus seems to know her as it rubbed its head against her heel.

    My mind was washed with a sudden headache as the well of knowledge flooded my head with information. Images of Persephone, torch, night, heaven, sea, earth, a polecat, and a black she-dog flashed in front of my eyes.

    I lowered my weapon as I realized who she is, "Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy."

    "We have brought her as you requested," The Oneiroi proclaimed.

    The Oneiroi walked, shambled, and rolled toward the archways. They entered their chosen archways causing their body to slowly turned into golden glitter, and slowly floated away into the dark sky above.

    "You?"

    "Yes...I am here to restore the natural order, order that Hades has...disrupted. He should have known better, but I suppose... an outside party has swayed his decision." Hecate spoke with a long pause in the middle of the sentence as she walked up the shore bare feet, and with gentle prints left behind.

    "The natural order? My memories. Hades¡­ he did this to me, he took my memories away, but why? Wait! What do you mean sway his decision? Who is the other person?"

    "All be revealed...once you drink this...potion," She reached in her cloak and revealed to me a glass vial containing the blackest of black liquid I have ever seen.

    "What if I don''t want to take it? What if I don''t want to know?" I hesitated to take the vial.

    "Then...my time will be wasted¡­ as I could not force you to drink it, and it''s all entirely up to you...after all, your choices matter." She slowly retracted the vial back into her cloak in a weird way to tempt me, and yet it works.

    I snatched the vial off her hands and placed it against my lips. The pungent smell of the dead snuck up into my nose as the liquid swirled from the sudden action earlier. My heart thumps like never before after I lifted the vial end slightly.

    Closing both eyes, I chugged the whole thing down. It tasted bitter and thick as it looks, I felt it sticking to the wall of my throat like a putty.

    I heard someone calling my name, "Andre!" But it so distant and almost like a whisper.

    My sight blurry, my strength leaving me, and I couldn''t stay awake any longer.

    Everything becomes black.

 Arc: 3 [Chapter 11]

    I opened my eyes in shock, in one minute, I was chugging a terrible potion down my throat, and now, I''m falling. Endlessly falling, to who knows where, I flipped my body to get a better look, and the only thing I saw was white, white, and never-ending white. There''s nothing here except for the color white, I couldn''t tell whether I am in a room or a vast world. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

    The falling sensation stopped, and I opened to found myself standing. The suddenness was awkward and out of place, I almost dropped to my knees as I felt the pressure in my leg joints and muscles. I stood up upright and stretched my arms.

    "Where am I?"

    Beep!

    "Huh?"

    Beep!

    "Where is that beeping coming from?" I turned around and found a lone heart-rate monitor with nothing attached to it.

    I walked towards it, stopped when I got near it, I examined up close, and it looked like an ordinary heart-rate monitor. As sudden as the beeping came, I turned to look when I heard the sound of a baby crying beside me. I''m quite surprised when I saw a woman with blurred out face lay on a hospital bed, wearing only a patient gown. I raised my sight slightly and saw the man beside her, also with a blurred out face, keeping his distance close while showing his support.

    Lastly, my gaze fell on the baby swaddled in yellow cloth with black stripes. The newborn happily slept in the woman arms without a care in the world. That baby looks so familiar to me, the brown skin, dark hair, and that generic baby looking face.

    "He is so cute like a little bumblebee...my little bumblebee." The woman stroked the newborn''s cheek gently as she could.

    "What should we name him?" The man asked.

    "How about Andre?"

    "Andre Adams, I like it." He poked the baby''s cheek and caused a little snort from the newborn.

    At that very moment, as if a wall has been smashed into dust, I know who these couples are. Their faces become clear as day as the blurred disappeared and revealed what''s behind.

    "Kristy and Kenny Adams, my mom, and dad¡­ I remember..."

    A sound of laughter caught my attention, I turned to the source, and there''s me as a little kid. He ran around naked, laughing and giggling as my father chased after me. The scene forward a couple of years, the little me just started learning how to ride a bike, and like other kids, the first time learning is always tough. Little me keep falling off the bike, but he never gave up, he never quits.

    I was quite a stubborn kid¡­

    The scene forwards another couple of years, It''s my first year attending middle school. My mouth agape as I saw the little girl sitting beside me, I remember her hair used to be black. She smiled at the little me, and I smiled back. Then when she wanted to take out her pencils, a crude drawing falls out, some kind of anime character. It was very rough, I couldn''t tell what it is, but the little me thought it was the most awesome thing he ever saw.

    "Awesome drawing!"

    "What?" Daisie flustered, she quickly hid her drawing.

    "Why did you hide it?"

    "Because it''s not that good...and I don''t want people to see it, only mom can see it." She pouted

    "No, it is good, awesome even! I wish I could draw like you."

    "Do you really think so?" Her big, beautiful eyes stared deeply at the little me.

    "Y-Yeah it is, and don''t let anyone say otherwise," The little me''s cheek blushed bright red and he said it.

    "You said earlier that, you''re not good at drawing. If you want...I could teach you how."

    "Really?!"

    "Yes, and I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Daisie Brewer." She extended her hand toward the little me.

    "Andre Adams." He shook her hand with a big smile on his face.

    It wasn''t some grandiose event, nobody was dying, nobody needs saving, it''s so normal, so mundane, and that''s how I befriended her. I think at that moment I had feelings for her, but I was too young to understand it. It''s just like she told me about how we met, it was simple for a more simpler time.

    The scene flashes forward again around me like a holographic movie, I noticed one thing from all of these memories, that I spent a lot of time with Daisie. Then the scene stops, and my heart became heavy as I saw Daisie in full black clothes, surrounded by the same people wearing the same color of clothing. Little me stood beside her as they lowered the coffin into the ground, and he took hold of her hand, and I remember how shaky her hand was at the time.

    From happy to sad, every last bit of memories I had played in front of me until it arrived on that heartbreaking day. Adolescent me was about to say his last goodbye to Daisie when an SUV struck him. I dropped to one knee as pain surged throughout my body like molten lava, I remember the pain, I remember the scream, I remember choking on my own blood, I remember everything, and even the look of terror on Daisie''s face that night.

    A tear slid down my right cheek as I remember how helpless I was. Incapable of saving her, incapable of saving myself.

    However, one thing that I remember as clear as day that night is dying on the pavement. The final scene melted in front of me and the light dims. I stood once more and let out a long sigh.

    I thought it was the end when...a surge of energy stung my chest. The feeling of electricity run through my veins and nerves, I involuntarily puffed out my chest then dropped to both my knees. The light brightens but dimmed again in a short second.

    The same stung caused my chest to puffed out again, but this time it''s caused me to plunged chest-first against the floor. I heaved the air out of my lungs like never before, I heard sirens, beeping machines, and two people talking to each other in words I don''t fully understand.

    "He''s breathing again."

    "DE-FIB is working, heartbeat rising."

    Out of nowhere, the same burning rage that I felt twice before, rushes through me like adrenaline. I gritted my teeth and raised my sight like a madwoman.

    "I did not die that night!" I muttered through a clenched jaw.

    I couldn''t believe that young me lived with such anger, no wonder he couldn''t let go. He abandoned...No, I abandoned everything just to get back at them, and every life I took gave me pleasure. A manic smile carved onto my face as I watch the horrific scene in front of me. I rise onto my knees and laugh...and laugh...and laugh like a madwoman.

    Suddenly, two soft, warm, and bright arms wrapped around my chest from behind. Her body was soothing, calming and familiar. I came to my senses as my rage washed away by the intimate touch. The arms disappeared and in horror, I realized what young me did, or I did. I rose on two feet and charged into the scene, trying to stop it at all costs, but what I didn''t realize is when I about to stop him, I couldn''t as my hand went through him like smoke.

    My eyes widened as I looked upon my hands, soaked in blood and trembling in fear.

    "No, no, no...no, no, no...no!"

    A familiar voice caught my attention, I turned to it, "Andre... I-I''m sorr¡ª"

    "Daisie''s father! No, Don''t do it!"

    Young me emptied all twelve rounds into the man''s body, he fell limply on the floor, blood poured out and his eyes became lifeless.

    "NOOO!" I dropped to both my knees near him, I reached out, but couldn''t touch anything.

    "He was her father! You freakin idiot! You were supposed to take care of him after she''s gone."

    I glared at the young me, his eyes were lifeless, void of any regrets and guilt. He didn''t even feel anything except for satisfaction. I gritted my teeth and somehow able to grab him by the collar.

    "What do you mean me? It was our choice¡­"

    With a single blink, he disappeared into thin air. However, something was amiss, when I raised my hand, a single handgun was already between my fingers and palm. I stared at the weapon, it felt heavy and warm.

    My left eye twitched while my breathing was short and scarce. I tossed the gun away, and a panic attack started to explode out of me. Confused on what to do next, I kept staring at the handgun while stepping back. A loud ring blasted loudly in my eardrums causing massive headache, I squatted down and pressed both palms against both sides of my head. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, drools started to escape my lips as the aching became unbearable.

    However, a single heartwarming feeling snatched away all the pain and grief. I opened my eyes again and realized that I''m on the roof, beside me is the young me. He is trying to repair the roof. I turned my head when my mom called out to me from the lawn, she worried about me as always. Then out of nowhere, my dad came. I let out a snippet of laugh when my mom slapped him then suddenly embraced him.

    The young me stood up and was about to get off when someone called out to him. We both turned to face the source of the voice.

    "I''m sorry¡­"

    A blindfolded woman, a woman I trusted the most, the one who I looked up to, the one who I admired, someone who felt like a family to me, Adrestia.

    She pushed us off the roof.

    I fell and my perception of time began to distort, it became slow, slower than a snail, slow enough to see a butterfly wing flapped in mid-air. With shocked eyes, I stared at her with a broken heart and faith.

    "Why¡­?"

    Darkness encompassed my vision. When I regained my sight again, the dark sand greeted me. I was back at the small island, in front of Hypnos cave. Cerberus whimpered as it slowly makes its way to me, but he stopped when I slammed my fist against the sand, enough to disperse them into a cloud of dust around me.

    I gritted my teeth as tears drip down my face, wetting the sand below.

    ****

    Thunder echoed across the sky, telling me that it''s going to rain heavily tonight. I walked down the brick path toward Daisie''s house. After a short moment and somehow, my leg froze when I arrived at the front door, I kept staring at it until I finally have the courage to climb the short stairs and knocked on her door.

    I heard her footsteps behind the door, as she gets closer, the sound of my heartbeat over consumed my hearing until she opened the door with a smile on her face. She tried to embrace me, but I stopped her by raising my hand between her and me. Perplexed by my actions, she looked at me with worried eyes, I took a couple of steps back and couldn''t meet her gaze.

    "Daisie¡­."

    "W-What''s wrong? Why are your eyes red? Who hurt you?!"

    "It wasn''t me, I didn''t do it¡­" I shook my head, denying everything I know.

    "Andre, please...tell me what''s wrong." She took a step forward, and I took a step back.

    I gritted my teeth at first, but eventually, I told her the truth. I told her everything that happened, everything I know, even the cause of her father''s death. Her face darkens, she backed away while hugging herself. I extended my hand to her, but stop when she looked at me with so much terror...

    "How could you?! He was my father!"

    "He killed you, the young me thought¡­"

    "Thought what?! That I wanted to hurt my own dad?! He was the only family member I had, and I trusted you. You! You¡­ I hate you, no! I DESPISE YOU!"

    "I-I¡­"

    "Shut up!"

    "Daisie¡­"Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Shut up! You don''t deserve to say my name, you murderer!"

    She took out the box of rings and heaved it at me. I stood still as the box hit my chest and break open. Two rings were thrown out of the box and fell on the brick road. The same two rings that she offered me, I stared at it as she slammed the door on me.

    The rain dripped one by one until it becomes a heavy downpour. My clothes from head to toes soaked in a matter of seconds, I dropped to one knee and gathered the rings in my palm. With a clenched jaw, I closed my hand and brought it closer to my chest. With gritted teeth, I cried silently.

    In that heavy rain, no one can tell the difference between my tears and the regular droplet of water that caressed my face. I wanted to know the truth, but the truth isn''t what I expected or what I wished it to be. The truth decimated everything, my faith, my beliefs, my relationship, and everything I thought I knew.

    However, there is a woman on my list that I needed to confront, Adrestia.

    ***

    Even in her world, the storm continues. Flashes of lightning decorated the dark sky. I walked up to the steps until I reached the Parthenon archways. After I arrived inside, I turned my attention to the jukebox. It''s still playing a song, Bill Withers - Ain''t No Sunshine. Ignoring it, I kept on walking toward my goal.

    "Andre! Where were you? I''ve been searching for you all night," Agnes landed behind me.

    Helen enters the room, the moment she looked at my face, she knew that something was wrong. She rushed to me, started to check on my body, she was looking for something amiss, but she is looking at the wrong place. What''s wrong with me isn''t on the outside, it is inside of me.

    Agnes looked at me with worried eyes, he turned his gaze at Helen, wishing to know what''s going on.

    "Andre, what happened?" Helen asked as she placed her hand against my cheek.

    "Did you knew?"

    "Know what?" Helen was confused by my question.

    "Adrestia!" My scream echoed throughout the Parthenon.

    A ray of light shone above us, with that Adrestia landed down with so much force that it shook the entire Parthenon. She wasn''t wearing the same dress she usually wore, instead, she is wearing a full spartan armor. It seems weird to me, but It isn''t the armor that is weird, what odd was the dents and claw marks all over the armor, they are still fresh.

    Adrestia didn''t even take notice of me, instead, she walked to another armor stand while taking off the one she wore. I barged past Helen and shouted my heart out.

    "Adrestia, why?! Why did you do it?! Are you punishing me?"

    She kept on ignoring me as if my problems were insignificant to her. Her ignorance only makes me angrier.

    "Nemesis!"

    She stopped whatever she was doing, and took a glance at me. I gulped and took a step back.

    "If I were you, I would watch your tone, child."

    "Mit¨¦ra, what is going on?" Helen steps forward to her mother.

    "She took my life, and ruin everything!"

    "That''s a bold statement, I did not ruin your life, it was you who did, I did not choose the choices you make, it was you who did."

    "Took your life?" Helen looked at me with widened eyes.

    "She pushed me off that roof, she killed me!"

    "I don''t have time for this," Adrestia turned around and wore the second armor.

    "Tell me why. Why did you do it?" I was ignored again.

    "Looked at me! And tell me why!" My hand reached for my hatchet, Helen embraced me along with Agnes to stop me as I was on the verge of using my weapon on the giant woman.

    "You wouldn''t understand why," Adrestia disappeared again in a flurry of light, leaving me, Helen and Agnes behind.

    A long silence befell on the Parthenon, Helen and Agnes let me go and looked at me with sympathy. I yelled out and thrown my hatchet at the jukebox, it smashed the music player into pieces. I wanted to hurt something, I wanted someone else to feel my pain, I wanted to let out every rage and anger I had. My soul is screaming bloody murder, and I felt the throbbing nerve on my forehead.

    The scroll on my belt shone again, at that moment I knew a way to let all my frustration and rage out.

    ***

    Three months have passed.

    With my hatchet thrown out of my hand, I clenched my fist and punched The Darkness against its snout causing a loud echoed, similarly to the sound of thunder and it shook the very trees around me. However, my thunderous punch was a pale comparison to the explosions littered in the dark sky above me.

    Despite how powerful the punch look, its effect was different, as I cracked a few bones on my fingers while the skin on my knuckles tore apart after I grazed it against the Darkness''s rough skin.

    The Darkness was stunned, so I quickly called upon my hatchet and planted it right between its eyes, splattering the blackened blood onto my face and chest. I heaved loudly through my gritted teeth, my eyes are bloodshot, and my head twitches occasionally, I was a mess, but I didn''t care.

    Despite the lifeless corpse in front of me turning into dust, I kept on planting my hatchet in its skull with anger, every swing became more manic, and unstable. Until my hatchet passed through the head and dug deep into the dirt. Only then, I stopped, but I wasn''t satisfied so I glared at the dark sky and screamed out everything until I dropped to my knees.

    "Andre¡­" Agnes said with a worried and soft tone.

    I fell into a deep silence, then stood walk up to a tree and sat underneath it. I brought my knees against my chest, then hide my face between my legs while hugging them tightly in a sort of fetal position. Agnes walked up to me causing a crunching noise as he stepped over dead leaves. I could tell that he is close to me by his smell and breath.

    "They never let up, do they?"

    I remained silent, and he let out a deep sigh, but he is trying to remain his positivity. I know he is trying to make me feel better, but I don''t want to feel better, I just want to be left alone.

    "They don''t call this world P¨®lemos for no reason, the world with never-ending war. Where the strong survive and the weak perish. What kind of sick God makes his world like this?"

    I remained silent.

    I felt his soothe gaze on me, "Andre, It has been three months, you kept on fighting and fighting until what? It''s hard for me to see you like this."

    Battle after battle, world after world. I was hunting the darkness from left to right, non-stop, even now I still want to fight them. I don''t know why. Maybe this was my way to cope with everything that had happened. I hate everything including myself, maybe that is not entirely true, I don''t hate everything, I just hate myself, but I don''t know if I want to admit it.

    "Andre...I can''t help you if you don''t talk to me."

    I know that Agnes means well, but that sympathy at me just set me off.

    "Help?! Help with what? Do I look like I need help?! It wasn''t me who murder those people! It wasn''t me!"

    "I know...I believe you, but I can''t help you if you won''t let me."

    I stood up, and whipped my hand at the empty air in front of me, Agnes stumbled to his butt and backed away, "You kept saying that I need help! And you won''t listen, so let me make it clear for you, I don''t need your sympathy and I don''t need your shitty help! Even if I need someone''s help, I won''t take it from a monster like you."

    Agnes'' eyes began to tear up, and his lips trembled. I didn''t mean what I said, I didn''t think. I didn''t mean to hurt him, I didn''t mean to lash out at him, I didn''t even realize what I was saying. Now, I don''t even know how to say that I''m sorry. I gritted my teeth while my own eyes began to tear up, I kept both hands at my side, clenching it hard.

    "Your right, I''m just your guide, I''m just a monster. I believed you that you don''t need help, but¡­ I won''t leave you, not now, not tomorrow. Even if you say mean things to me, I won''t leave you, because I still cared about you. You''re my big sister and nothing will change that." Even with teary eyes, he said with a caring smile.

    I''m so ashamed of myself, but before I could reply, something is amiss. The noise, there isn''t any, it''s too quiet, even the sound of the wind is silent. Out of nowhere, six beams of light landed all around us, my hatchet flew back into my hand while Agnes turned into his bird form. Out of the light, six women clad in black and pink armor with veils covering their faces, as if they were mourning. Each of the armored women has a distinct weapon and body. Some were muscular while others were slender. One of them carried a towering shield with spike, while the other one was holding glowing knives, every one of their weapons is also different, yet they all wore the same symbol of a white dove on their armor.

    ¡°Lower your weapon, Andre of Adrestia. We are not here for you.¡± One of them spoke.

    ¡°Don''t call me that name! And don''t tell me what to do!¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here? Why are the freaking Aphrodite''s huntresses here? It is because of me? Did...Daisie sent you here?¡± I gripped tightly around the shaft.

    ¡°As I said before, we are not here for you. We are here for Daisie...She has been corrupted.¡±

    ¡°What? Corrupted? What nonsense are you talking about.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense, it¡¯s...a condition that very rarely happens, and yet it has happened before. We as a candidate are nothing but a soul that wore a suit of energized armor if I were to describe it. This powerful body has powerful abilities, grant strength, speed, reflexes, knowledge, and many more. Most of the time this body is stable depending on the condition of the soul.¡±

    ¡°Depending on the soul?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because of you, Daisie has been corrupted. The mental breakdown you caused her and the emotional pain you granted her...I didn''t realize it at first, I know that she is in pain, I thought I could help, so I trained her and we were on the hunt for The Darkness. I thought¡­¡± Her clenched hand pressed against her chest piece, then one of the women behind here placed her hand on the woman''s shoulder. The one that spoke calm down, and took off her veil.

    I remembered the woman from Mount Olympus, half-shaved blond air, the leader of Daisie¡¯s sisters. ¡°I know her pain, I have been there before, or so I thought. Her anger wasn''t something would go away, and yet, I fooled myself into believing that it would. And here we are. I gave her the sword and trained her, now I need to take responsibility and end it.¡±

    ¡°End it?¡±

    ¡°Take her life, kill her¡­¡±

    ¡°What?! Are you mad?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad, it''s the only way! The corrupted will not listen, will not compromise, will not stop, there is no cure! And the only way to end it is to send her soul back to the Underworld.¡±

    ¡°She was your sister and you willing to take her life?!¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m willing, rather than let her live in that state, where she might hurt someone she cared about.¡±

    ¡°I will...not let you do it, there must be another way.¡±

    ¡°There is no other way!¡±

    ¡°Then why did you come to me?!¡±

    ¡°Because! She is coming for you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten what you did? You are the source of her pain and she wishes to end it.¡±

    ¡°I still won''t let you take her life¡­¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± She tossed me a rune pebbles and I caught it.

    ¡°Called us when she¡¯s here...give it some thought, Andre. Give her the rest that she deserved.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To searched other worlds, hoping to find her before she finds you.¡± Six beams of light came down onto them, and they were transported with no traces.

    The noises came back and the sky is littered with war once more. I stared at the rune pebble then stored it in my pocket. Agnes turned into his Harpy form and looked at me with concerned eyes.

    ¡°We need to leave Andre¡­ We need to find you a safer place to stay.¡±

    ¡°Shit! Damn! I shouldn¡¯t have told her. What have I done.¡±

    ¡°You were right, you shouldn''t have told me, I was happy in ignorance, and It was all your fault.¡± A voice echoed out from the dark woods.

    I turned my head to the source of the voice, and there she was. Clad in leather armor, dragging the tip of her sword against the dirt, leaving a trail behind. Horror washed over me as I saw the black veins running down her body and face, her eyes are blackened as night, and her hair was turning black once more, but there are still traces of orange at the end of her hair.

    ¡°Daisie¡­¡±

    ¡°It was your fault, you killed my father. Haven''t I lost enough?!¡± She circled me in a slow walk.

    ¡°Daisie, you are corrupted. You need to calm down and drop your weapon. Let me help you.¡±

    ¡°They kept calling me that, but I don''t mind being corrupted.¡± She said excitedly with a smile that showed her teeth.

    ¡°It¡¯s exhilarating, really. I felt power like never before! The power that I needed so I can¡­¡± She took a deep breath.

    ¡°Kill you!¡± Like a cheetah, she rushed over to me with so much speed, but I managed to raise my hatchet and stop her strike.

    An outburst of energy shook the very trees and the ground around us from that one strike, a tiny crack appeared on my hatchet and her sword. My heart thumps loudly, then I glanced at Agnes, a few meters away from me, he was frozen in place by the sudden attack.

    ¡°Agnes, run!¡± He turned into his bird form and flew away.

    I felt her sword pushing my hatchet closer to me, she was stronger than me, maybe I¡¯m just holding back. As I was lost in thought, she broke away and brought her sword down again. I blocked her attack with my hatchet, but this time, two metal crashed into each other and exploded into a flurry of light, sending another wave of energy that shook the air and ground. Her sword was broken in half while my hatchet''s head shattered into tiny pieces. Minuscule glowing dust littered the air, I let go of the shaft as I felt the painful vibration, but she doesn''t stop, with a smile she brought her broken sword down again.

    Without thinking it through, I tried to stop it with my right arm, and that was my biggest mistake as the blade cut off my arm in one fell swoop. My blood squirted out onto her face, and I scream out my pain. I dropped to my knees, holding on to what was left of my arm, I sob furiously as I caught a glance of my dismembered hand on the ground, twitches. Daisie licked the trickle of blood off her face with a happy smile.

    ¡°Oh sweet Andre, I finally feel happy again, and so much more. The tingle you caused me from you scream alone, almost makes me...release.¡± Her voice sounded euphoric and manic made me realized she wasn''t the same person or sane person, but I couldn''t make myself to abandon her.

    ¡°Daise...Please, you need help¡­¡±

    ¡°Shhhh¡­.I¡¯m gonna cut your arm and your leg, and let you scream and wiggle around as you become only a torso then I¡¯m going to kill you. In the meantime, this is gonna hurt you more than me. Oh wait, this going to make me climax, while make you...wish you were dead.¡±

    Behind Daisie, Agnes hovered and readied for a sneak attack, he flew at high speed toward Daisie.

    Daisie pressed her feet against my chest and brought her sword high for another strike, but she immediately turned and swing behind her. Agnes was shocked as his stealth attack was thwarted out of nowhere, blood poured down from the deep cut over his chest, his mouth was agape while his eyes were widened.

    ¡°A-Andre...Andre¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Agnes fell to the ground.

    ¡°Agnes!!!¡± I screamed out his name.

    I take hold of the broken upper half of her sword, then pushed her leg away and stabbed her in the chest. Right in her heart, she groaned her pain out and started to cough. I let go of the broken pieces, then hit the broken sword out of Daisie¡¯s hand. I backed away and stared at the cut on my left palm and the blood soaking it. I couldn¡¯t even tell which one is her blood or mine. Daisie gritted her teeth and glared daggers at me then she rushed to me. With her strength, she pushed me down to the ground and started to choke me with both hands.

    My faces began to pale as she tightened her grip. The strain she applied on my neck was enormous, I was choking and I felt the bones in my neck began to bend and about to break. I tried to wedge in my finger between her hand and my neck, but couldn''t.

    ¡°I hate you.¡±

    ¡°I...hate you!¡±

    ¡°I HATE YOU!¡± Her saliva and blood dripped down onto my face.

    She cough and cough as her hand loosen around my neck, she fell on top of me, her eyes were lifeless, she had died with so much hatred in her toward me. I inhaled so much air as much as I could then pushed her off, then quickly rushed to Agnes. I tried checking for his pulse, but I couldn''t tell whether there is a pulse or not, I was too panicky, my finger was numb and trembling. However, I remember the rune pebbles.

    ¡°Agnes! I¡¯m going to get you help. Please, don''t die.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me.¡±

    I took out the rune and clenched it in my hands, everything became quiet and six beams of light dropped down from the sky.

    ¡°HELP!¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡­

    ..

    -END OF ARC 3-

    It all started with a death,

    Now It ended with one.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 1]

    A strong light poured onto the ring, banishing the dark, and giving a clear look on the stage. The crowd''s cheer intensified as I fell down against the stage, I let out a deep sigh and pretended to be hurt. My opponent raised his arms in the air, gaining the audience''s attention. He''s a young caucasian man, probably in his early 20''s, crow cut and intimidating tattoos all over his body, despite that, I can tell that he is a nice guy. Because of his next action, he gets closer to me while the referee was counting down to my defeat.

    "Are you okay? Because I kinda feel bad beating someone with one arm." He whispered to me.

    I gritted my teeth, I wanted him to win and that was the deal, but what he just did piss me off. So I stood up with an unamused expression and glared at him. He let out a smile, and jokingly side steps around. The crowd laughed as they watched the comedic routine that the young man showed.

    "So do you want more? Then kindly step into my office."

    It wasn''t his arrogance or attitude, it was his sympathy, I hated that. With a single step, I entered his strike zone, he swings and I duck down until my back touch the floor. Then using a single hand, I pushed myself up with my feet above me. Time distorted into a sudden crawl, my foot hit his jaw and send him flying.

    His body fell onto the stage with a loud roar, the audience turned silent, while I flipped and landed on my feet again. I glanced around me at the quiet crowd, then I walked out of the ring while the referee declared me the winner, but I don''t give two shits about it. The crowd parted as I walked through them, they all stared at me with disbelief eyes.

    The door swung as I entered the locker room, the first thing I did was went to the sink and splashed some water onto my face. I raised my gaze until my eyes met the mirror, baggy eyes, unkempt long brunette hair, an expression that screamed get out of my face, and a missing arm. Sometimes when I blinked, I could see the real Andre, the young man with cold eyes, and soaked with blood. It has happened before, quite normal for me, but It''s not like I want to see him.

    In every corner of my eyes, I could see her hatred glares and his disappointed stares. Daisie and Agnes, always haunting me, everywhere I''ve been and everywhere I go. I gritted my teeth and whispered to the empty air.

    "Go away."

    However, no matter what I said, they never did, they still stood there. Frustrated, I moved away from the mirror and sat on the bench. I wiped my face with my palm and sighed deeply. Without giving it a thought, I reached out to metal flask in my duffel bag, but then I realized that I used the wrong arm. My other hand trembled in rage, so I stood up and kicked the chair near me across the room.

    "Shit! Freaking shit!"

    The door to the locker room opened and revealed a man with slick black hair, and wearing an 80''s white suit with a round black sunglasses. A commons style around here, for some reason people in this world like the 80''s style. A smirking smile decorated his face as he makes his way to me.

    "My man, every time I come to see you, you always so angry. You know my grand-mama always said ''you gotta chill in life, my dude.'' And her words never failed me yet."

    I sat back down again and started packing my stuff in the duffel bag. The man shook his head slightly and sighed. He reached into his jacket and took out a wad of cash.

    "Always grumpy, but I kinda like that about you. Here," He dropped the cash onto my lap and leaned on the locker beside him.

    "It''s not what we agreed upon."

    "What we agreed upon was you taking the fall and let the kid win."

    After clicking my tongue, I tossed the cash into my duffel bag. Then I stood up again and opened the locker right next to me. Taking out the coat, I immediately wore it with ease despite having only one arm.

    "You know if you want to make more money, there''s a new place opening up at Io on one of Jupiter''s moons. I''m bringing all my guys there, you know before shit hits the fan between the Mars High Council and the Earth Federation. I can get us through the borders with ease. So what do you think? You in?" I felt his enthusiastic smile behind the locker door.

    "Not interested." I closed the locker and walked to my duffel bag, the man groaned in response.

    "You don''t want to be a champion, you don''t want to be a hero, you don''t want to be famous, and you don''t even want to be filthy rich and that is crazy, but you¡¯re the strongest meatbag I know, no enhancement, no robotic limb. I¡¯m not sure but I know you don''t take any drugs. C''mon... there¡¯s gotta be something that you want."

    "Alone," I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked toward the door.

    "Always so depressing," He sighed.

    Taking hold of the doorknob, I stopped and asked, "The kid?"

    A half-smirk appeared on his face, "Despite the small concussion, and a bit of his ego cut down. He''s gonna be fine, but his career gonna take a while to reco¡ªwait!" I left the locker room before he could finish.

    Loud cheers overwhelmed my hearing as the audience show their support upon the two fighters in the ring, the cheers became louder after one of them managed to land a hit on each other. I let out a sigh, lowered my head and head to the bar where I took one of the drinks without paying and chugged it down. After tossing the glass away, I exited the club through the main door, and I was immediately bombarded with colorful holographic advertisements upon reaching the crowded small alley on the other side.

    Bright colorful clothing, lights, but a depressing state of living, pipes leaking all over the place, dirty and rubbish littered ground. Two words that I used to describe this place, colorfully depressing, but despite the horrible place of living, the view is actually pretty good. I looked up and there it is. Their version of earth.

    "Welcome to Ring Station Alpha, the only independent station that encircled the earth, for a better living and second chance." The advertiser spoke.

    I could see the extension of the station as far as the horizon and return back here, a massive ring around the earth, truly one of a kind. I inhaled the recycled air and began my stride through the sea of people. After a couple of minutes, I reached a secluded shop in a dark alley. Without thinking about it, I entered the shop and was familiar with the surrounding, a tight, common convenience store. I stepped closer to the cashier and place the wad of cash.

    The rough bearded man glanced at me, then placed his datapad down, "The usual?"

    I nodded my head slightly. The man let out a groan as he squatted down and brought up a paper bag filled with items. He took the money and went back to reading his datapad. I grabbed the bag with me as I exited the shop. After another couple of minutes navigating a bunch of alleys, I arrived in a very dark and creepy one. I heard a dog growl coming closer to me, with no fear I took out a bag of dog food and poured out the content onto the grounds.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The skinny black dog stepped out of the shadows, drooling as it bares its sharp teeth and glared daggers at me. The dog never once showed me any sign of getting docile, the beast always stays the same, angry and hungry. I found comfort in knowing that, I leaned back on a wall, keeping my distance between me and the dog. I took out the last item, a bottle of very strong alcohol and chugged it down with ease.

    "Eff the world, am I right?" I muttered to the dog, it ignored me and continue to devour the food savagely.

    After a couple of hours, I took a high-speed tram toward my apartment sector. Pushing the crowded station, I headed toward an old laundromat. I came here because I needed to wash my clothes and this place is the closest and cheapest place around here. Looking around, I noticed the usual amount of people I always see here, stopping my sight credit exchange, I walked toward it and like a drone, I went in a motion of doing what I usually.

    I exchanged my credit into coins, then stored some extra coin in my pocket just in case the dryer doesn''t fully dry my clothes and it needed more time. I took the same seat, on the same bench while facing the same washers and just let my mind doze off.

    Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her, and I saw him, it never goes away, no matter how much I ran. I remember her words as clear as day.

    ''I hate you.'' So much hatred and that was her last words.

    Someone pulled me back to reality with a single cursed and a loud smack. I opened my eyes to a woman in a thick fur coat and wearing heavy makeup, platinum straight hair with bob cut style, Asian heritage, soft smooth skin and underneath that coat is a very skimpy silver dress. I don''t mean to judge, but she looks like an escort. She kicked and cursed the washer at first and I was fine with it, but she''s really starting to get under my skin.

    "Stupid bloody washer, it bloody ate my money!"

    "Oi."

    She turned and looked a bit surprised to see me, "Yeah?"

    "Catch." I tossed my extra coin toward her and she caught it with ease, "Use mine."

    "Ah, thanks."

    I went back to my thought, and the woman''s washer rumble as it began its routine of washing. Calm and quiet swept me again like freshwater, until suddenly the woman fidgeted closer and started talking. I internally groaned as I used my fullest ability to ignores her.

    "I always see you around here...blah blah blah." My mind just went to the default of filtering her words into nonsense and gibberish.

    I don''t know what happened, but midway of the conversation I fell asleep. I saw Daisie in my dream, she charged toward me with maddened eyes and bloody hands. I raised my hand to protect myself, but found both hand missing, only stumps remained. I couldn''t defend myself against her as she tried to choked into death.

    "I HATE YOU!"

    The glass shattered causing me to returned back to reality, I heaved and looked around. Everyone is missing, I looked outside of the glass pane and saw them talking to a lot of bad guys, known as the Skullhead gangs. I couldn''t care less about them so I went back waiting for my¡­

    BOOM!

    The entire laundromat exploded and went up in flames in a matter of seconds. The burning ceiling collapsed on top of me, the fire started to burn off some of my hair, that was lucky compared to my clothes, it was turned into ashes in a blink of an eye, leaving me in my black panties. I gritted my teeth as my rage took over me, my eyes bloodshot red and I stood up with ease despite having the heavy ceiling crashed on top of me. I walked out of the fire, unnerved by the heat with a wave of newfound blazing anger in myself.

    "I told you there will be consequences if you don''t pay up." The head of the gang warned the owner of the laundromat while his other members laughed at the destruction they caused.

    "Oi!" My bare feet casually stepped on the burning timber like nothing.

    The entire gang turned their attention at me, while the onlooker backed away from them. The same woman who talked to me step forward and help the old man to get out of there. I took another step and one of them accidentally pre-fired, their gun wasn''t the typical one that is used in my earth, theirs are what they called an energy repulsor handgun or weapon. ERP or ERW, it doesn''t shoot regular bullet instead it shoots a blast of white-hot energy, enough to penetrate a person and throw them across the room.

    The energy blast hit my chest, forcing me to take a few steps back, I felt it piercing temperature, but it wasn''t enough to do any real damage. I raised my head and glared at the happy trigger gang member, he looked at me with horror.

    "Shoot that son of a beach!" The leader ordered, after hearing the order, the gang member aimed their weapons at me while the civilians evacuated inside the nearby shop and apartment.

    A rain of energy blast thrown at me, some missed while others hit every part of my body. Despite the painful jabs, I toughen up and charged my way toward the closest enemy. The enemy panic as he tried to keep his distance, but I was too fast. The moment he entered my strike zone, I kicked him across the street and caused him to crash into one of the industrial pipes after letting go of his weapon. The pipe cracked and started to pour out recycled water onto the street.

    However the rain of energy blast didn''t stop, I looked down at the weapon lying on the ground, grabbing it with one hand, I threw it with so much force at one of the enemies causing him to crash into a Hovercar. The thrown enemy drop to the floor and people could see the massive dent that it left behind. The onslaught stopped, I turned my head to the last two, and they are already in a hovercar. Two bright light shone at me, limiting my vision, and suddenly, I felt the tremendous force of a heavy object rammed into me.

    After my sight returned, it was the Hovercar that had crashed into me, and I saw the leader''s smirk behind the windshield. He must have thought that his pathetic and desperate attack was working, but I will show him that he is wrong. I planted both feet into the ground and using my hand, I dug into the metal hood. The hover cars stopped just a few feet from where it hit me.

    Both of them with widened eyes looked at me, I gritted my teeth as I held the hovercar in place. The leader''s aide quickly exited the vehicle and took off. However, the gang leader, himself, clenched his jaw and stepped onto the gas pedal with all his strength. It was an action of a desperate man, and deep down I felt joy watching him become terrified of me. I dug my feet deeper, then raised the car up slowly but surely, then flip it upside down.

    The car roof smashed into the ground first, trapping the leader inside. The car was going nowhere, I walked to the driver''s side and tore the door. Turning my body to the running gang member, I twirled and tossed the car door across the street. Then with pinpoint accuracy, it perfectly fell on top of the runaway and knocked him out.

    The gang leader crawled out of the car with cuts and bruised. Underneath the skin of his right, I could see a prosthetic robotic arm. He must be an Enhanced, human with cybernetic body parts either willingly wanted or unwillingly given to them in a medical emergency. However that was not the most surprising thing here, every one of the people here could have a hidden cybernetic enhancement or a visible one, to make it clear it''s normal for them here.

    The gang leader coughed out blood as he tried to crawl away, but with a slow stride, I already managed to catch up to him. Using my feet, I forced him to lay on his back.

    "W-What are you?" His voice trembled.

    I hold his entire head like a soccer ball and raised him high until his feet dangled under him. My vision reddened, I heard voices, voices telling me to do it. To take the next step, a step which I have taken before, and pay dearly for it.

    "Kill him!"

    "You know you want too, you''ve done it before, and remember the satisfaction when you did it. It''s easy, just crushed his entire head like an egg, poof, he''s gone."

    A smile crept onto my face, and I was about to do it when civilians began to come out and get a closer look. I glanced at their stares, their horrified eyes and terrified face brought me back. A terrible realization swoop over me, I was about to take this man''s life, my hand trembled and I let go of him.

    When I raised my sight, I could see Daisie and Agnes amongst the crowd. The scared gang leader looks at me as he lay on the ground, waiting for me to decide his fate. The whispering voice multiplied and grew louder by the second.

    "Murderer!" It said.

    "No, I''m not!" I pressed my palm against my forehead and closed my eyes.

    "Who are you talking to?"

    I looked back at him with maddened gaze, and examined his turquoise and pink windbreaker, "Give me your jacket!" Through aching pain, the gang leader immediately took off his jacket and gave it to me.

    "Murderer."

    I snatched it away and wore it, "Now get out of my face!" He quickly crawled away like a worm, I turned my body to the crowd and begin my stride. The crowd makes way for me and I tried my damn hardest to not make any eye contact. I blocked any murmur I heard, wishing to not know what they are saying about me.

    "Murderer!"

    After I passed through the crowd, I took off into a run.

    "Murderer!"

    "Shut up!" I screamed as I ran.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 2]

    I slammed my apartment door shut behind me, and the voices finally stopped. Without warning, my eyes become teary as I leaned back and slumped down against the same door. I brought my knees to my chest and hugged them very tightly. After planted my face between my knees, the tears that I''ve been holding on finally dripped down my cheeks and splashed against the wooden floor.

    I heard knocking on my door, probably my landlord, Madam Everton, "Are you okay?" She usually a grumpy old woman, but I know why she''s here. It''s because I ran past her naked and on the verge of crying.

    My lips trembled, I took a deep breath and with a slightly broken voice, "I''m fine, leave me alone." After my replied, I heard her footsteps getting further until there were no more.

    I raised my sight to one of the two things that I have in my apartment, a lockbox. Besides the box itself, there is a single futon with a blanket lay on top of it, far away from the box. Both of those items are placed at the start and the end of the room. This apartment isn''t that big compared to most, a single bedroom, a single toilet, a kitchen, and that''s it.

    Upon reaching the lockbox, I can see a set of feet beside it, her feet. She squatted down beside me and help opened the lockbox for me, revealing a ton of stuff from when I was a candidate. My Hawaiian shirt, my shattered hatchet, the sheathe itself, a crown of flowers from Lulu''s world, and most importantly, the same broken sword, Daisie tried to end my life with. I stared deeply at the broken sword with deep regret, longing, guilt, and unfathomable sadness.

    "You know how to end it."

    I took hold of the sword and brought the broken edge against my throat. My hand trembled in fear, my heart thumped against my rib cage, sweat dripped down, I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. A single thrust is all it takes to end it all, the pain, the guilt, the sadness, the voices...everything.

    I''m tired and sick of it, but¡­ I''m scared. Scared to take my own life even though I have taken so many others. I let go of the sword and it fell back into the lockbox. I leaned back until my butt touched the floor, I slammed the wooden floor with my clenched hand and sob furiously.

    Daisie stood up and stared at me with a disappointed look, "A coward and a murderer. You should just kill yourself, you worth nothing, you are nothing."

    "No, I am not!"

    "Yes, you are!"

    "Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!!"

    I''m trapped, suffocated by my own guilt and grief, there''s no way out except death and I''m too afraid to do it. I turned my sight at the flask beside the sword, the only way to suppress it, to suppress the voice, is to drown it with alcohol. So that what I did, I grabbed the flask and drank my suffering away.

    Vision blurred, eyes sleepy, body exhausted, I''m so tired, so very tired. At that moment, I don''t remember how U went to sleep, but all I do know is that the dream I had wasn''t a good one.

    A nightmare, that was it¡¯s called.

    I saw blood, I saw tears, I saw Agnes heaving very quietly, and I saw everything spiraled down from that one single truth. I fell and it felt like a never-ending loop until somehow I crashed into a sea of blood.

    Floated above a sea of blood, I felt my own body slowly being pulled down, I saw my own breath turned into bubbles and raised away from me. I glanced behind me, the young me with cold eyes had grabbed hold of my arms, he pulled me with him, down to the depths of darkness, and I didn''t fight him, I let him.

    ¡­

    ..

    .

    I woke up to the sound of rustling in my bedroom, it must be a burglar because no one has the key to my apartment. Turning my body, I opened my eyes slightly and saw someone I didn''t recognize, but I can tell that it was a woman. I let out a sigh and snuggled tightly with my blanket.

    "Take what you want, just close the door on your way out¡­" I sighed then went back to sleep.

    I fell once more into a deep slumber, all I wanted was to sleep, sleep the days away. In hope that my own nightmare won''t haunt me, it''s my only wish, nowadays. Serene and peaceful until I was woken again by a scent of meat being cooked with red wine. I opened my eyes and turned my body to face the kitchen. It was blurry at first, I thought it was Daisie, but my sight becomes clearer, it was some woman I didn''t know.

    ''What a strange burglar she is.¡¯ I thought to myself.

    Yes, it''s a woman, platinum hair...wait, I recognize her. It''s that woman from the laundromat last night. Why is she here, and how did she find me. Screw it, I don''t really care I just went to sleep, but as I was about to go to sleep again, she spotted me and smiled.

    "I''m glad that you''re awake, I made breakfast. You should go shower first while I prepare it for us."

    "Uhm, since when does a burglar cook for the people she''s robbing?"

    "I''m not a burglar, and quick, the food is getting cold."

    I groaned as I pushed the blanket off me and stumbled my way to the bathroom. Valve turned, and cold water poured against my face and make its way down to my feet. I lowered my chin and rested my forehead against the tile wall. The sound of running water soothes my soul while the abundance liquid washed off the sticky feeling and the grim thoughts away. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed something off about my stump. I raised it and couldn''t believe what I saw, black veins are visible under my skin.

    ``I-I''m corrupted.''

    ''How?''

    "What do you mean how?"

    I turned my body and there she was, half her face covered with her hair, wet and craze. She marched toward me, in response, I took a step back until my back touched the wall. I raised my arm to protect myself, but instead of attacking me, she stopped.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "Look at yourself, scared shitless, pathetic. You''re nothing but a shell of your former self, why do you even try to live? Why not just end it all, you murderer!"

    "Stop saying that! I''m not a murderer!"

    "Oh, you''re not? Then whose blood is on your hands?"

    I raised my hand and shocked to see it is soaked in blood. I tried to wash it, but to no avail, my hand still tainted by the lives I''ve taken. My body shivered, and tears start to form, I slumped down until my butt rest against the tile floor then covered my head with my forearm.

    "Stop, please stop¡­" I begged with a trembling voice.

    I felt them, the thousands stares of the people that I hurt from my past actions. The life I have taken and the people who were affected are haunting me like a moth to light. No matter what I did, no matter how much I run or hide, they always there, waiting for me. A couple of knocks finally stop the whispers.

    "I heard yelling, are you okay?" The strange woman called out to me.

    I took a deep breath, and calmed my voice, "I''m...I''m fine."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yeah¡­" I turned my sight in front of me, and Daisie was gone. I stood up once more and turned the valve. The water stopped and a few trickles of water dripped from the showerhead. Her footsteps getting further away from the bathroom door as I unlocked it. Forgetting to bring a towel with me earlier, I walked out naked and head to where I kept it. After drying myself with the towel, I noticed the woman turned away with flushed cheeks as I grabbed and wore the old shirt beside the bed and jean pants to go along with it. I glanced at the roll of bandage beside my pillow, then I looked at the black veins on my stumped and clicked my tongue. I groaned as I took the bandage and covered my stump with it.

    "Are you hurt?"

    I didn''t answer, but I did took a glance at her and rested my gaze elsewhere, "What a strange burglar you are, you broke into my home and cooked for me?"

    "I kept telling you, I''m not a burglar." She laughed and took a seat on the floor, near the short table.

    I raised my eyebrows at her, and she gestured toward me to take a seat with a large smile on her face. I could have thrown her out right now, but for some reason, some reason that I couldn''t tell at first. Maybe I was hungry, maybe, I found it amusing at how she is totally acting normal right now, or maybe¡­ Nah, it can''t be that. I shook my head and sat near the table while facing her.

    The heat from the food rose up to my chin, a bowl of chicken and egg on rice. A staple food for the Japanese in my world, I believe it was called an Oyakodon. It smells delicious, I raised my sight and saw her eyes filled with anticipation. There''s probably no poison in it, even if it did, I won''t be affected by it that much, maybe a couple of stomach ache, that''s all. However, I hesitated, and as I closed my eyes, I could hear a whisper, and when I opened it again, I pushed the bowl away.

    "What''s wrong? Are you allergic to it?"

    "No, I''m just not hungry," I stood up, grabbing my jacket, and walked out of the apartment.

    I don''t why I left my own apartment, instead of kicking her out. I don''t even know why my heart ached so much or why there''s a tear dripping down my cheek. Basically, I don''t even know anything anymore, not the world or myself. I flipped my jacket collar up to hide a little bit of my face and continued my walk with bare feet. Pedestrian passed by me without a single glance, not a single sympathy or care toward me and that''s how I want it.

    After a half-hour of walking, I stopped at a tiny little bar in a dingy, tight alley, having a drink alone at the bar. I stared deeply at the bottom of the shot glass, and I could still hear her faint whisper. Telling me to end it all, telling me that I¡¯m a danger to the people around me, and somehow deep in my mind, it agreed with what she said. My hands tightened around the shot glass, a small crack appeared on its body from the pressure that I gave it, but I stopped when someone suddenly sat right next to me.

    I turned my head to my right, and the one who sat right next to me was the young male version of me, that currently enjoying a glass of whiskey. Realizing who it was, I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

    "Are you going to haunt me now?"

    "No."

    "Then why are you here?" I raised my eyebrows.

    "You should follow her."

    "What?" I turned my head to him and he was gone.

    "Hey, I''m sorry for earlier. I know it looks suspicious for me to break into someone''s apartment like that, but I did get permission from the landlord to do so. Still, I''m still sorry about that." Someone had sat beside me without me realizing it. I glanced to my left and was surprised to find the same woman from my apartment.

    "How in the underworld did you find me?"

    "It ain''t easy, I asked around."

    "Why are you here?"

    "To apologize for breaking into your apartment."

    I rolled my eyes and take another sip of my drink. She tapped her finger on the wooden bar repeatedly as she hummed and glanced around. I don¡¯t know why, but it gets annoying really bad after a couple of seconds. So I turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Why are you still here, I thought you already apologize?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for an answer¡­¡± Her half-smile was goofy as it can be.

    ¡°Fine. I forgive you, are you happy now? Can you leave me alone, please?¡± I looked away again.

    I groaned as she let out, ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Aaahhh..¡±

    ¡°Speak out woman.¡±

    ¡°You know drinking your pain away isn''t...a great solution.¡± She glanced at the drink in my hand.

    ¡°What do you know about pain?¡± I sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who has gone through shit.¡±

    ¡°What? You don''t know what shit I been through!¡±

    ¡°Well do you know what shit I been through?¡±

    ¡°Huh? W-What? What kind of question is that? I don¡¯t know shit about you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you see what I mean? And can we stop using the word ¡®shit¡¯? It¡¯s unsanitary.¡±

    The words that come out from this woman''s mouth, it''s nonsense. ¡°What do you mean, see what I mean? And I didn''t start using the word shit, you did.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m ending it!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine I won''t use the word ¡®Shit¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What I meant earlier was that drowning your pain isn''t a good solution because there are people like you in pain, but you don''t see them here alone and...gloomy.¡±

    ¡°Gloomy? And what do you suppose want me to do?¡±

    ¡°One of many steps to healing is to face your demons with your family and friends¡­¡± She said but as she took a glance at me, she noticed my raised eyebrow. ¡°But I doubt you have any of those, hmmm...then how about you and me? I offer myself to help you in healing yourself.¡±

    What is this strange woman? I can''t even tell what she wants or aiming for, how could she talk about my pain, when she clearly doesn''t even understand it. ¡°If you want me to join your cult or something, then I rudely decline.¡±

    She let out a small laugh, ¡°What? I¡¯m not running a cult. Also, ¡®rudely decline¡¯? It¡¯s like you trying to cursed, but you can''t.¡±

    ``Oh, what in the underworld did I do to her for her to bother me like this.¡¯ I groaned.

    ¡°Come on! Let me show you, the ways to self-heal.¡± She tugged on my stump like it was nothing and hopped off the stool, She gestured her head to the door with a sincere smile.

    My mouth agape and my eyebrows raised as I looked at her perplexed by her invitation, then I remember what the young me said that I should follow her. Is this what he meant? I grumbled and groaned as I stood up and let the woman pulled me away.

    ¡°I don''t even know what your name is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Aki Estelle, but most people call me Aki, It''s easier to pronounce I guess.¡± She said excitedly.

    ¡°Aki?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don''t wear it out.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, why would I?¡±

    ¡°Don''t take things so literally, silly. Come on, let''s go!¡±

    And off we go, toward somewhere that might be a trap or worse¡­ a weird sex cult or something.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 3]

    Through the tight and winding alleys, I walked along with the woman who called herself ¡®Aki¡¯. Occasionally I would step on a puddle, and try to guess what I felt when it happened, it grossed the underworld out of me, especially if you aren''t wearing any shoes. The odd woman hummed to a tune as she guided me toward somewhere. However, there''s a strange feeling I felt like someone was pulling me back, preventing from getting closer to something. Words started to appear on the wall, pipes, and floors.

    ''Turn back.'' It said.

    Yet, I don''t want to, so I fought back those unwanted feelings and pushed further, but as I get deeper, the feeling becomes stronger, it felt like I''m trying to push a wall. I pushed and pushed then suddenly she came. Her scent as familiar as the warmth from the sun and my heart thumped quickly causing my thoughts to overwhelmed.

    "Did you think following her going to make you forget?" Daisie taunted me as I try to push through that wall.

    "I''m not trying to forget."

    "Then what do you hope? A cure to your suffering? A pill for your pain? Don''t be naive, you deserved the suffering you gained!"

    "I don''t want it anymore!"

    "You don''t want? Don''t want?! Do you think I wanted you to die, do you think I wanted my father dead?!"

    Tears dripped down my cheeks as I at the verge of another meltdown. "You''re right." The moment I said those words, I felt the cloud of darkness closing in, bit by bit. It muted everything, every sense I had, I couldn''t hear, I couldn''t see, I couldn''t feel. Out of nowhere, someone took hold of my hand and pulled me through that damn unmovable wall with ease.

    It was the odd woman, her smile banished the darkness away while her warmth hand restored my cold heart. She pulled until we reached an opening, a bright warm light blinded me, but as I gained my sight, I finally saw what''s before me.

    A park in the middle of a station with lush green grass, a single tree, and well-maintained shrubbery. People smiling, children chasing one another, youngsters playing basketball together, the warmth, the fresh air it reminds me of earth, I felt light, I felt at home. I walked to the tree and pressed my hand against its rough body, feeling the prickly bark grazed my palm. Tears slide down my cheek, not because of pain, it''s because I finally found a smidgen of peace even if it won''t last.

    "Better than a drink, right?"

    "Yeah...better than anything."

    "Take as much time as you need, I''ll be back." She left me to my own thoughts.

    I dropped to my both my knees and closed my eyes. The calmness, the serenity flowed throughout my body, my heart beats slowly as I inhaled the fresh air. Finally, the peace I wanted, as still as water, I let my mind slumber and floated on a puffy cloud.

    ¡­

    Peace

    ¡­

    ..

    .

    Girl¡¯s giggling snapped me out of my peaceful rest, I turned my head and two young girls were glancing at me. I raised my eyebrows at the young girls and caused both of them to approach me.

    "We both saw you last night when you beat up those bad guys."

    "Oh?"

    "You were very scary."

    "Super scary!" The other one spoke up.

    I looked away while my lips parted, ashamed of myself for frightened these young girls. "I''m sorry you saw that art of me...if you feel uncomfortable around me, I can leave."

    "No!" Both of them said loudly, and I was surprised by the suddenness.

    "Hm?"

    "We don''t want you to leave!"

    "True, true, you were super scary, yes, but you''re also very Sugoi!"

    "Sugoi?"

    "Sugoi means amazing." Her friend explained while she nods furiously.

    "Amazing, huh¡­"

    "Super amazing, the way you fight and stuff. You''re super strong, and almost like invincible." They looked at each other and back at me with bright smiles.

    "Thank you, I think. It''s been a while since someone praised me...It''s a bit off-putting." I scratched the back of my head.

    "Umm, can you grant us one request."

    "Hmm...If it is reasonable, sure."

    "We really want to do your hair."

    "My hair?" I looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes! Your hair is so long and beautiful, and it kinda hurts us to see them so neglected."

    "Sure, go ahead." I shrugged and both of them reached behind me then started to untangle the little knots in my hair.

    They took out a brush, scissors and pins then started to stylize my hair into a single puff out braided hair. It felt quite nice having someone doing my hair, it''s therapeutic and relaxing. They took out a small mirror and showed it to me. It certainly looks good, I glanced at the two young girls in the corner of the mirror, their anticipated smiles and sparkling eyes was precious.

    "It looks...Sugoi."

    They giggled loudly and I raised my eyebrow.

    "It''s pronounced, Sugoi."

    "What did I say?"

    "Sagui."

    "Heads up!" I quickly raised my hand in front of me and caught the basketball before it hit us.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I searched for the owner of this ball, and what a surprise when I realize it was Aki. She had a smirk on her face as she raised an eyebrow toward me. Sport readied with her tank top and loose tracksuit bottoms. What even more surprising was her hair had turned black, did she wore a wig the whole time. It¡¯s the same style of hair, but only different in color. The girls backed away as I stood up with the ball still in my hand.

    ¡°Care to join?¡±

    ¡°If you don''t mind.¡±

    Aki backed away to the basketball court as I took off my jacket and tossed it to the side. She looked at me up and down then shook her head like I was no match for her prowess. I rolled my eyes and start dribbling the ball toward her and her team, while my team slowly gathered behind me.

    ¡°Nice hair,¡± Aki said.

    ¡°You too.¡±

    Aki makes the first move and rushed toward me, in an attempt to steal the ball right under me. She managed to do it as I was not anticipated the speed that she demonstrated. She is quick to pass me and other members of my team. It was stunning how she moves and dunks the ball in the net. After she landed on her two feet, she turned and looked at me then extended her arms outward as a mean to show ¡®bring it on¡¯.

    We went back to our position, this time the ball was in her hands, she bounced the ball against the court and feint left, but I was not quick to be trick. I stole the ball from her hands and make my way through the opponent, turning and twisting until I dunk the ball into the opponent''s net. The other members looked at each other, confused whether this was supposed to be a team game or a one on one. I turned to face Aki and she let out an even bigger smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s the smile I¡¯ve been looking for, It suits you.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and pressed a finger against the corner of my lip. It was the first time in a long time that I ever smile, it begs the question, am I happy? Without me realizing, I was staring at the court for a straight minute. Aki looked at me, worried about my sudden frozen state.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ I am.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you want to continue?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I tossed the ball back to her and accidentally glanced at my stumped.

    With a quick glance, despair blanket over me, banishing away the hope I had in a single second. The black veins had reached my shoulder, I was going to be corrupted and there was no cure. I remember how Daisie became, and I looked around me. I don''t want the same thing to happen to them. There¡¯s only one answer, I raised my sight and what I find was Daisie, stood before me with a victorious laugh, and mocking gaze. I remained defeated against her.

    I gritted my teeth and turned my heart into stone as I walked away from them. The moment she called out to me, I immediately took off into a run, leaving everything behind me.

    I ran.

    And ran.

    Until I arrived at my own apartment, I rushed to my opened chest and stored everything back into it. I needed to leave, far away from here, far from people, far from everything. I stopped when I heard a knock, I straighten my back and turned my attention at the door.

    "Andre¡­ why did you run away?" Aki voices calmed me down, but my heart ached.

    I looked at my black veins closing my neck, I have to do everything to distance herself from me, even if¡­I stood up and walked to the door. After turning the knob, I let the door opened and rushed forward. Aki dumbfounded by my action caused her to back away quickly until her back touched the wall, I pressed my hand against it, just a few inches to the left near her head. I felt her warm breath against my neck before she turned away with reddened cheeks.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you? You¡¯re acting strange.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving what you want¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The cooking, the helping hand, trying to get closer to me. You¡¯ve fallen in love with me, it¡¯s all because of that night I saved you. I don''t know why, maybe it¡¯s the rush, maybe you saw how strong I am, but I don''t care. However, I bet you leave me after you get some because afterward, you¡¯re going to realize how terrible I am. Because you are just like any other sluts, and all they want is sex.¡± I stroked her cheek, even though she turned away, I saw the anger rising in her eyes.

    ¡°Now, be a. Good. Little. Whor-¡±

    Smack!

    The slap echoed across the hallway, she gritted her teeth and glared at me with intense anger, but I saw something else in there, pity, sadness, heartbroken. I fell into a deep silence as I took a step back. She kept both of her clenched hands beside her, a single tear dripped down her cheek.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this, but I do know you¡¯re in pain. Maybe you wanted some time alone, maybe you don''t want to hurt me anymore than you want to. But if you want me to go, you can say it nicely." Aki turned her body and walked away. I watched her leave the hallway, I wanted to apologize, but I couldn''t. I glanced at the black veins on my body, it had reached the edge of my chest.

    "How many people are you going to hurt before you stop?"

    I turned quickly and couldn''t believe who stood behind me. Blond, half-shaved head woman, she wore a silver 18th century light armor with white and pink combat dress. A claymore on her back, a longsword with a crossguard, simple in design but elegance.

    "Why are you here? For revenge?"

    "Revenge? No, don''t compare me to you. My little sister is at peace, and that is enough for me."

    "Then why are you here?"

    "Hmm...I never properly introduce myself, my name is Kadence of Aphrodite."

    "Enough chatter, tell me why are you here?"

    "Isn''t it obvious?" I followed her stare and it was straight at my corrupted body.

    "You''re here to end me?" She didn''t have to answer, I already knew what her reply is going to be.

    "Come with me and don''t make me this any harder than it has to be."

    "What if I don''t want to?"

    "You don''t have any choice."

    Before I could reply, my vision turned black and I felt every cell in my entire body being pulled apart in a split second. When my vision returned, I could see the green earth and the orbital station encircled it. My body felt light, I looked around me, and nothing but craters and white dune. I had been forcefully transported to the moon, I looked down beneath my bare feet. It seems I have been standing on a white marble platform with greek etching around it.

    It took me a second, but I realized that I could breathe in space.

    "How is this even possible? Wait, I can speak in space?"

    ¡°Of course you can, we are not some mere mortal, but we¡¯re also not gods. There are certain limits to what we are capable of.¡± Kadence took a long breath and unsheathe her sword, ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick, surrender yourself to my blade and I shall do it swiftly so you won''t feel any pain.¡±

    ¡°I won''t do it!¡± I gritted my teeth and clenched my hand.

    ¡°You won¡¯t? Don¡¯t you understand the consequences of your choice? Have you forgotten what happened to Daisie, do you want to become like her?¡±

    ¡°I won''t be like her, and I understood fully what I¡¯m doing, but I won''t let you or any of those damn gods decide what happen to me!¡±

    ¡°You are delirious, I see that corruption had reached your mind. I must end this quickly.¡± with a single step she managed to cover so much distance between me and her.

    She raised her sword, ready for a strike, she swung and missed as I backflipped away. My movement seems floaty too me and caused me to stumble before regained my footing, it¡¯s hard to control under low gravity. She swung her blade and I dodged to the right, with no weapons on me, it''s going to be harder to defend myself. I stepped into her strike and past it, to land a blow with my fist, but she quickly grabbed my forearm and tossed me across the crater.

    I crashed into the ground, breaking it and leaving my own version of crater behind. Pain shot up my spine, and I could feel my skin grazed against those broken, sharp, and hard rocks. However, I stood up once more and clenched my fist. I heard another voice as I glared at Kadence, telling me to ¡®Let Loose¡¯, but I fought, I won''t let it take over me. With my own strength, I launched my self toward Kadence, the moment I got close to her, I twirled my body and swung my leg.

    She avoided my kick and used her sword pommel to ram it against my stomach. That single attacker shook the ground around us and caused me to dropped onto my knees then puked out the content of my stomach.

    ¡°Why do you have to make it so difficult?¡± Kadence said as she took hold of my hair, and lifted my head up so I met her gaze.

    ¡°I pity you.¡±

    ¡°That word again...I don''t need your pity!¡± I grabbed her forearm then pulled her close and slammed my forehead against her face.

    The first time stunned her, so I pulled her closer and slammed my forehead against her face, repeatedly, until she kicked me and caused me to be thrown again. My tumbled and rolled until it stopped, my forehead is smeared with blood, but it wasn''t my blood, I glanced at Kadence, I had broken her nose.

    Kadence took time to readjust her nose then glared at me, now she is serious. I stood up and positioned my whole body into a fighting stance, but without any weapon, I don''t think I could win this fight, and yet, I won¡¯t make it easy for her. She rushed toward me with the sword readied at her side.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 4]

    Kadence swung her sword, I dodged, she swung again and I dodged again. Her speed matched mine, she swung and I avoided. For a straight minute, I avoided her attack at any cost but gained new cuts along the way as I began to lose stamina. However, she still maintained her speed, I can see the difference in our ability, couldn''t expect less from a veteran. Yet, I¡¯m no joke either, I managed to land a couple of blows on her body, small but well-placed hit, I tried aiming for her joints, to make her slow and only now, it had taken effect.

    Suddenly, I noticed her blade began to glow pink, and that prove to be a mistake as I was distracted, she had faint an attack and managed to land a long cut on my arm. I took a step back away from her, but her sword had shone brightly, she slashed the empty air in front of me and that swing slung a beam of energy so big and high it overwhelmed my entire body. I couldn''t avoid, so I could only block, that beam carried me across the landscape, leaving a trail of destroyed earth behind.

    White dust floated above and everywhere. Blood spewed out from my mouth, the heat from the wave of energy had cauterized my wound, but the immense pain only gets intense. At that moment I finally felt despair, I couldn''t win, not without a weapon. My sight blurred and my breathe heavied, I lay on that ground, wishing that none of this would''ve happened in the first place, wishing that I just stayed with my mom that night.

    ¡°Is this how it¡¯s going to end?¡± I asked myself.

    And at that moment, he spoke to me, ¡°Do you wish it to be the end?¡±

    ¡°N-No...I want it to be on my terms.¡±

    ¡°If so, what do you need?¡±

    ¡°Right now...Power.¡±

    ¡°I can give you power, but I wouldn''t promise that you will be able to come back.¡±

    I glanced at the black veins, ¡°Do I look like that I could come back?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well then, reach in deep and accept it.¡±

    I closed my eyes and said.

    ¡°I accept it.¡±

    In an instant, I felt a rush of unbearably cold liquid from my stumped made its way to my head and my right leg. My right eye became black and I could only see black and white. My left eye was unaffected, it was dizzying and nauseating, but intoxicating, I felt power like never before, forbidden power. I stood up and extended my stump in front of me, then watched as the black like tar substance poured out from the skin and formed a blackened hand, like coagulated blood. Afterward, with that same liquid, it started to form a thin sword, almost like a katana, I grabbed hold onto the blade and examined its sharpness, it was thin almost like paper.

    A lock of my hair from my right side draped down onto my shoulder, it had turned black, but on my left side, it remained the same color as a brunette. This was what she felt, absolute, addicting power, but I need to focus. I swung the sword and the dust was banished away. Kadence looked at me with newfound concern in her eyes, she knows that this time, it¡¯s different, I had reached a level of power that could hurt a god.

    ¡°You succumbed to it? What a foolish act¡­¡±

    ¡°You gave me no choice.¡±

    ¡°I gave you enough choice! But you never learned to take the right one.¡±

    ¡°Take the right one?¡± I laughed, ¡°Between what?! Dying?¡±

    ¡°Why fight, when the end is inevitable? It doesn''t matter, right? You still going to die.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Foolish woman¡­¡± She launched herself into a run, with no fear in my heart, I charged toward her.

    Our swords clashed causing a wave of energy to push the hovering dust away and shook the ground beneath us. I pulled back my sword and she did the same thing, but the blades met again as I aimed for her neck as she aimed for my own. It kept repeating, hit after hit, the ground trembled and cracked while the way the sword swung kept changing. Metal against this unknown material, It finally stopped, when her sword broke in half. I slashed through her chest armor and kicked her away.

    She was thrown across the crater, but crashed into the ground and formed of her own. She coughed out blood onto her chest, as she bled. However she still tried to stand up, I rushed toward her and punched her in the face, causing her to lay back down and dug deep into the ground. Kadence¡¯s hand trembled as she tried to reach for her sword, I kicked it away and finally, she gave up moving.

    I stood over her and searched her for the teleportation rune. After I found it, she took hold of my ankle, preventing me from leaving.

    ¡°Y-You are going to endanger thousands.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so stubborn? As I said before, you are still going to die, the others will hunt you down and end you.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but I won''t let them, because if I were to die, it¡¯s going to be on my terms.¡±

    I shook her hand off my ankle and walked away.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To be by her side, on my earth.¡± The coagulated arm and sword melted back into a puddle and left my stump bare once more.

    ¡°Foolish woman,¡± Kadence spoke before fainted, I gripped the rune tightly and was transported.

    ¡­

    It was quick, I was transported into some kind of temple on the station, then I make my way to my apartment. People stared at me along the way, but I could care less because I needed to bring something along with me. I reached the front door and found it had been broken from the outside, I heard someone call out to me.

    ¡°Andre, where were you...what in the world happened to you? I mean, more importantly, they have taken her.¡±

    ¡°Taken who?¡± I turned to my landlord.

    ¡°Aki, the Skullhead gang broke in and took her. I heard one of them said that she must be the cause of why their guys got attacked at the laundromat last night.¡±

    ¡°Why her?¡±

    ¡°Because she used to lead them before she quit and left. They must have thought that she was trying to take over the gang once more.¡±

    ¡°Where did they take her?¡±

    ¡°To their base, I know where it is.¡±

    ¡°Then show me.¡±

    ¡°No, come with me first, let''s get you suited up, you¡¯ll need weapons if you want to take her back.¡± This old woman surprised me, she spoke like she had been through this before in the past, so I followed her.

    The old lady brought me to a hidden garage in the back, she opened the sliding door and revealed a surprising amount of military equipment along with a hoverbike, hidden underneath a black tarp. My landlord headed toward the end of the room while I walked to her old workbench. It''s covered in dust, I lifted the small picture frame off the workbench and blew the dust away.

    A group photo of two women and three men. What''s striking about the photo was the man in the middle wore an eyepatch along with a crude looking robotic arm. He looks tough, rugged but has a certain charm to him, kinda looks like a playboy badass. The woman beside him, she might be my landlord but when she was young, I will admit that she looks gorgeous back then. Both of them seem close in this picture, there might be something more in their relationship than friends.

    "You will need these."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    I placed the picture back where it was and turned around to face her. My eyes widened, it''s the same robotic arm in the picture, a gun, and a skin-tight suit.

    "You will need a hand, don''t worry. This one doesn''t require any surgery, it''s a plug and plays if I were to describe it. However, don''t get your expectations high, it isn''t smooth as robotic limbs nowadays, but it will do the job."

    "You''re giving me these?"

    "It''s old junk, I''ve been meaning to throw it out for ages now."

    "Are you sure about that?" I glanced at the picture.

    "I''m sure, besides it''s not the item that is important," she pointed to her heart, "it''s the memories."

    I grabbed the arm first and strapped it into my own, then I took the tight skin suit and wore it with a bit of difficulty. I held the gun close to my face and examined it, there''s a rotating switch for what it seems to be different types of ammo. I slid in the gun into my chest holster and walked to the tarp-covered hoverbike.

    "You don''t mind if I?"

    "Take all you need."

    With a single pull, I revealed the hoverbike, and it caused a small smile to appear. It isn''t what you called a standard hoverbike because it looks like a seat and a handlebar strapped onto a jet engine. It doesn''t look safe at all by any standard.

    "I find it odd that you''re not going to stop me, giving my state of being," I said without turning, but I heard her sigh.

    "You have those voracious look in your eyes, it would be pointless to stop you now, just make sure she comes back safely."

    I turned to look at the old lady, she had her back turned toward me. Something changed in me, my mind becomes floaty and my robotic arm raised by itself. My sight was gravitated toward her neck, for an unknown reason, I wanted...to snap her neck.

    Kill her¡­

    However, I stopped myself and brought back control over my body. The corruption slowly began to take what it wants, control. It wanted only destructions, but I won''t let it have any more than I gave it. I need to save her quickly before I am consumed by the power that I wished.

    "Where is she?"

    "Toward sector 7, there''s an abandoned giant apartment complex towering out of the station atmosphere. The Skullhead gang had set their base there, you should find her there." Before I left the garage, I went back to my apartment room and grabbed Daisie''s broken sword along with a necklace with two rings attached to it.

    People gravitated their stares at me as they walked passed by, who could blame them, there is a freaking rocket in the middle of the street. I vaulted on the seat and turned the key, the engine roared while a large flame shot out of the exhaust. I wore the full-face helmet, then rotated the grip slightly and caused the bike to move forward. The people on the street parted away and gave me a clear straight route to take off. I shot up into the sky leaving a trail of white smoke behind.

    It¡¯s weird seeing two types of vision, color, and monochrome. Dizzying, but I''m getting used to it. On my left, I saw the earth, though it may be dark because of the sun that is hiding behind it, it is still illuminated by the cities that stretched across the land. They said it¡¯s beautiful there, that the riches thrived there and developed a technology that harmonizes with nature, so a better clean and livable earth. I don¡¯t really know what it is like there, I¡¯ve only been here since the first time I arrived.

    I sighed deeply, I wanted to be home, to be where I was born, where I live, where I was me, before death knock on my door, and forever took me away from everything. However, I think this view alone is enough, I felt it slowly wiggled throughout my body, wanting to take control.

    I focused forward once more, in the distance, I saw the dilapidated apartment complex and headed toward there with breakneck speed. I pitched the bike down, aiming for the large metal doors that are closing slowly. I think they know that I¡¯m here, well it''s not like I''m planning a sneak attack. Two turrets pop out from the side of the building and began firing energy blasts. I tried my best to dodge, but with a tremendous speed, it became harder to control its course.

    A few of those energy blasts managed to hit my hoverbike and caused a few parts to fly off the hoverbike. The bike suddenly lost its power, but the momentum still carried it forward, I slid the bike on the metal pavement, leaving sparkles of burning metal behind. The bike and I barely make it through just before the gate fully closed, but without any brake, I crashed the bike into a fountain in the middle of the complex. The crash caused debris of stone and dust to rise up.

    I stood up, cracking my neck.

    ¡°You have three choices, leave, or leave and tell me where she is, or death!¡± My voice echoed throughout the apartment complex, I heard murmurs, I know they are here, pointing their guns at me.

    The floor trembled as a big mech, landed from the second floor with two energy-based machine guns attached to its arms. As the dust cleared, I saw clearly what I am up against, a big machine, with a pilot cockpit and two arms and two legs. It wasn''t made to be pretty, it looks easily reproduce, look easy to modify and repair, it was made for war, so it must be a military-grade weapon, not that I am an expert of.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you guys choose the third option.¡±

    The moment I said those words, It began showering me with an energy blast, enough to tear apart the floor underneath me, but I managed took off into a run. I¡¯m not just under fire from the mech, the first and second floor had begun firing their weapon. I looked around for a quick way to take down the mech, then my sight gravitated to the crashed bike earlier. I ran toward the mech, and slid underneath, getting enough time and cover to reach my bike and start its engines. As the mech waited for its weapon to cool down, I turned the grip and the bike flew toward it along with me on it.

    The bike crashed into the cockpit then exploded into a large ball of fire. The force from the explosion thrown me into the second floor, where I am met with a walkway full of enemies. They shouted something at me, but I had already reached my gun and shoved the barrel into one of the gang member¡¯s mouths.

    POP!

    His brain splattered onto the ceiling after I squeezed the trigger. Some of his blood sprinkled onto my face. It was so fast and loud that they all had frozen in place, so I took the chances to grab the other gang members and tossed him off the second floor. After the second guy dies, they came back to their senses and started firing their weapons. I ducked down and fired at the guy''s leg in front of me. He screamed his pain out and dropped his weapon. I leaned my shoulder against his chest and used him as a meat shield, the energy blast tore his limbs and body bit by bit. I know that this isn''t a suitable cover, so I abandoned it after I killed another one then burst into a room right next to me. I fell face-first on top of the door that I smashed through.

    A woman screamed caught my attention, I raised my sight and saw her hiding behind the bed, half-naked. An enemy pop out of the walkway and readied to shoot. The woman screamed, I clicked my tongue then grabbed a piece of sharp wood near me and slung it toward the enemy. The sharp wood pieced his head and his body fell to the floor. The woman continued to scream, I glared at her.

    "Shut up!" I stood up and took cover behind a large wardrobe. The woman continued to hide behind the bed.

    "Asian, black bob hair, where is she?!"

    "I don''t¨CEeek! You need to leave!" An energy blast flew just above her head and hits the wall behind her.

    "If I go away if you told me!"

    "Ok, ok, penthouse floor." She screamed again as energy blasts flew all over the room.

    I turned my sight against the concrete wall beside me, then I glanced at my gun. A plan, no, an idea, I turned the switch to high piercing ammo then backed away from the wall. With a short distance, I rammed my shoulder through the concrete wall and reached the other side into another room and met with another girl.

    After I ignored the girls, I charged toward the door and slammed my shoulder against it, and I rammed into a group of enemies in the walkway. They all fall off the second floor, I stopped before I fell myself and used the door as a ramming shield while I charged through hundreds of enemy in that walkway. However, a ramming shield wasn''t enough, I emptied out the piercing ammo through the makeshift shield before I slammed into them.

    I tossed the door behind me, hitting the enemy chasing after me before I make my way up the stairs. Before we exchanged fire at the stairs, I switched to normal bullets, but when a brute with arm shield attachment blocked the way, I switched to explosive ammo and shot him right between his eyes. His skull pop like a balloon, scattering his brain matters on the wall and railings.

    The headless body vaulted over the handrailing and fell straight down. One of the enemies grabbed my metallic arm, he used his own bionic to put me into a headlock, but with ease, I grabbed his other arm and tore it straight out using my strength. He screamed as blood squirted out from his newly torn arm. I grabbed his head and smashed it beside the wall.

    I shot and fight up the stairs until I reached the 10th floor. After I kicked a gang member through the door, I was somehow lifted off the ground and tossed through the same broken doorway. I ducked and rolled then faced behind me to see what just threw me across the walkway.

    A steroid-induced man with a powered exoskeleton sewn into his bones and skin. The brute broke the wall beside him and lifted a large broken piece then thrown it at me. I dodged the boulder and it blocked the route behind me, but he lifted another one and thrown it at me. A blinking light on my robotic arm caught my attention, I quickly pressed it and it sprouted an umbrella-shaped shield, which I used to smash the boulder into pieces.

    The force alone from that one hit vibrated the metal parts of my arm, and it still vibrates as it began to diminish the force that coursed through it. I rushed toward the man and was about to him in his head with the shield, but my attack failed as he grabbed my arm mid-air, and hold it in place with a single hand. I felt the rotors and gear trembling inside my robotic arm. I was about to hit him with the other arm, but he managed to punch me in the chest. My ribs were pushed back against my heart and my back is slammed against the wall beside me.

    He kept punching me in the face, not giving me a chance to retaliate. The brute then squished my robotic arm until it became useless and mangle, he then let me go and I slid down the wall until my feet touched the floor again. Just when I thought it was over, he wrapped his hand around my neck and raised me up again while applying immense pressure around my trachea. I tried to reach his head with my other hand, but it¡¯s too far.

    ¡°I didn''t know it was going to be this easy.¡± He smirked.

    As I lose the ability to breathe, I heard whispers wanting me to let go again, and I felt myself getting closer to fainting, but I hold on. I grabbed my mangled metal arm and tore it from my stump. With a swing, the mangled arm hit the brute in the head and caused him to let me go. I kept hitting him in the head with the arm until blood squirted out from his eyeball, I kept hitting and hitting. Swing after swing and finally the brute dropped down with an unrecognized face of gores and white bone.

    ¡°Here, let me give you a hand,¡± I tossed the mangled arm on top of him.

    I turned to face the entrance to the stairs and my eyes widened when I saw the giant repulsor cannon in the walkway. It glowed brightly before a large energy beam shot out from it, I tried to dodge it by jumping into the room right next to me, but it was too late as my entire body was overwhelmed by the tremendous force and heat. It felt like being cooked alive, and I thought I was going to die because I remembered losing consciousness at that very moment.

    Maybe I did die.

    BOOM!

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 5]

    Darkness encompassed all around me, embracing me from every direction and a whisper called out to me.

    "Now, it''s time for me."

    I didn''t do anything to stop whatever it is that''s coming, I''m so tired, my body''s aching and my mind are exhausted. In the abyss, a door appeared in front of me. I hesitated at first, but I hardened my heart again and buried my doubt. I opened the door and walked through it. I was shocked to find myself back in my old living room, well part of it, it seems the room has some spot where it faded to black. Almost all part of the room is an incomplete jigsaw puzzle.

    A tear dripped down my cheek, finally, a sense of relief washed over me and I could relax again. Like being hypnotized, I drifted toward a familiar smell, pancakes. Hot and steamy, puffy and drenched in maple syrup, served on the dinner table. I pulled up a chair and took a seat then grabbed the fork and knife beside the plate. The soft sensation as I lay the blade onto it, and it was heavenly. With the fork, I escorted a piece of the fluffiness near my lips and took a bite out of it.

    My eyes widened slightly as I found the taste surprising. Suddenly, someone sat right next to me, I turned my head and it was myself. Not the woman, not the cold eyes young man, just me before everything, my normal me. Yet, for an unknown reason, seeing myself here is not that out of place, I know this place is not the real world, obviously.

    "How does it taste?"

    "Hm...bland, tasteless." I rested my gaze on the piece of pancake held on the tip of my fork.

    "Well, what do you expect? You haven''t been here for a long time."

    "Been home, you mean. Yeah, you''re right. I truly missed this place."

    "So are you planning to go back anytime soon?"

    I glanced at the door behind me, the fading has begun, the door is slowly phasing out of existence. Anytime soon, I won''t have the chance to go back. Well, it''s not like I have the option to go back to, it''s death, either way, the difference is sooner or slightly later.

    But¡­ is this how I wanted it to end?

    "Can I finish that?" The young said with a smile.

    "What?" I looked at him, confused by his question.

    "The pancake, I mean. You are leaving, right?"

    I laughed lightly, then looked at him with a smile of my own, "You know me too well. Sure, you can have it."

    "Of course, I know you, we''re literally the same person." He raised his fist at me, and I replied with a bump against his with my own knuckle.

    "See you soon," I said to him as I stood up and walked toward the door.

    "Maybe later than sooner," He mumbled as he enjoyed the bland pancake.

    I opened the door and revealed a black wall. I touched it, and it felt like latex, stretchable and rubbery. After taking a deep breath, I wedged my hand into it and pushed myself through the latex wall, it deformed and hugged every part of my body like a thick liquid. I heard my name being called out.

    "Andre! Wake up!!" I recognize the voice.

    It''s Aki.

    ******

    10 minutes earlier.

    Dust and debris hovered down onto the floor, blocking any sight and vision of the melted hole that was created by the repulsor cannon. The gang members behind the cannon looked at each other and laughed. However, their victory was only an illusion created by false relief.

    What came out of the smoke was neither man nor beast, but something in between. Her skin and hair are blackened as night, hunched on fours, teeth and nails sharpened, a new arm sprouted out of her stumped, made of tars and charcoal. Black fur covered her skin while her eyes are darker than the black abyss. What more striking are the two long thin horns protruded out of her forehead.

    She growled at the enemy and they were frozen in fear even before they heard it. Her appearance was terrifying enough to scare and confused her enemy. She pouched on one of the men, and he screamed as she bit a piece of his neck off him. The man''s scream was enough to wake up the other from their trance of horror. The remainder enemies backed away toward a safe distance and started firing their weapons. Once more the walkway is littered with energy blasts, but the woman, no, the beast was too fast. She moved in unholy speed, attaching herself onto the wall and ceiling. Growling and with her unrestricted strength, she tore the enemy combatants, piece by piece. Arms and legs flew everywhere, some were organic while others were made of metal and wires.

    Blood and oil decorated the walls and ceiling, it was a mess. It was a sight to be feared and only seen in horror movies, red thick substance showered her fur and face, and dripped onto the floor.

    However, one of the enemies managed to reach the cannon that managed to summoned this unholy beast, but he was foolish to even try to use it once more, the beast leaped across the walkway and plunged her two horns onto his chest. The man screamed his dire pain out as she lifted him up in the air using only her horns.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± The man wailed his fist against the back of the woman''s head, but that only managed to make her angrier.

    She grabbed his ankles and pulled it down with so much force that the horn in the man''s chest, slide through and severed his shoulders away from his upper body, The dismembered boy laid on the ground with a look of horror frozen in the man¡¯s face.

    The walkway was littered again with firepower, but this time, it was from the walkway across the large gap, on the other side of the building just a few floors high. The woman leaped out from the railing and started to climb up. The rains of fire followed the woman, she makes her way to the other side, that when she saw fear in the women''s and men''s eyes.

    ¡°What in the hell is that?!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡± A few of them have given up on the battle and ran while others that were either brave or foolish enough to stay, tried to fight it.

    With a single swing of her claws, she was able to cut through ten men and women with ease. Bodies separated from their lower half dropped to the floor with a terrifying expression still frozen on their faces. Some of them that are still alive stumbled back and fell onto their butts, while the other finally have the sense to run away. However, it was too late, they have woken the beast that is void of human emotions, especially sympathy. All it cared about was destruction and destruction. So it ran after them on four, tearing and dismembering people along the way until it arrived at the penthouse floor.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    One of them thrown something at the beast, it caught the flying object with its inhuman hand. The thing swelled in her hand before it released a massive force and heat that rivaled the sun. The wall and ceiling were melted into puddles in seconds, the woman who had thrown the explosive object took a peek around the corner, and she immediately fell into deep despair as the explosion was only able to slightly burn her enemy hand before regenerating back.

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    ¡°No..N-No...I¡¯m sor-¡±

    The beast¡¯s gaze makes its way to the woman, and she immediately fell onto her knees and sobbed furiously before her head exploded into tiny pieces. The beast had rushed to her in a blink of a second before crushing her head in its blackened hand, the headless body dropped limply against the floor. With no target around, it remained stasis until it heard something broke on the other side of the door that leads to the penthouse. It turned its focus at the door and charged forward. Crashing and breaking the door from its hinges, revealing two people, one of the women it recognizes, and another with a full skull tattooed on her face with pink, neon, punk-rock hair, it did not recognize.

    The tattooed woman was holding a gun and aiming it at the other. With fear in her eyes, she moved the sight toward the beast and that proved to be her greatest mistake as the beast charged toward her with unrelenting rage. She emptied out her repulser handgun onto the monster, but it was pointless as the beast opened its maw and severe her hand that was holding a gun from her shoulder.

    She screamed while laying on the floor with her arm just a couple of feet away from her. Blood squirted out from her shoulder as she turned and dragged her body against the floor, hoping somehow that it managed to reduce the terrible pain. The beast turned its sight on the other woman, her eyes widened, but she was brave enough to lift her hand forward, in an effort to call out to the woman inside the beast, wishing that it recognize her.

    However, that kind of thinking is naive, even for a fool, the beast rushed toward her and readied to strike, but the woman stood still and heavied her feet against the floor. She showed no fear because she has hope that the woman she knew is still inside that monstrous form.

    "Andre! Wake up!!"

    The monstrous hand trembled as it stood still along with the rest of its body. A few inches away, between Aki¡¯s face and its claws. The beast gritted its teeth as it tried to reach the woman and clawed her face, but someone from inside the beast managed to stop it.

    Well, would you look at that, she is indeed correct about one thing.

    ¡­

    ..

    .

    The black veins retracted back while my skin tone around my face returned, my golden eyes restored and I took a step back while heaved the air out of my lungs. I couldn''t believe it, but, I managed to push it back even for a moment. However, when I turned my sight at Aki, I finally realized that my claws are inches away from Aki¡¯s face, and with widened eyes, I quickly lowered it down then reached for the broken sword on my back. I felt the corruption fighting back my own will, I know I don''t have much time left, so I need to make this quick.

    ¡°Everything is clear downstairs, you just need to make your way back home alone.¡±

    ¡°How about you? I can''t just leave you here.¡±

    ¡°This is it for me. The corruption, haha, You wouldn''t understand even if I explain it to you.¡±

    ¡°I don''t understand, but...let me help you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can help me with, besides you already did enough. I just wish that I met you sooner.¡±

    I unsheathed the blade and aimed its broken edge against my heart, my grip tightened around the hilt. At that moment, that one last breath, I felt peace, I felt like I was heading home, I closed my eyes and muted the noises around me before I pulled it back and readied to impale myself with it.

    ¡°No!¡± Aki embraced me and blocked the sword with her body.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°HALF AND HALF!¡±

    ¡°Half?¡±

    "If you can''t handle the burden, give half of it to me. If the pain is overwhelming, give half of it to me. If despair gets you down, give half of it to me. If you can''t do it alone, give half of it to me! I''m here! And I''m not letting you go!"

    "Why me?" I laughed as my sight rested on her.

    "I...I don''t know why."

    "You don''t know? Then why go to such lengths just for me?"

    "I could ask you the same question. Why do you save me? Why not take the second option, It''s much easier to abandon than rescuing me. I thought you wanted me to stay away."

    ¡°I don''t know myself...Maybe, I thought saving you could at least redeem some of the bad things I¡¯ve done before I leave this world.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you dare take the easy way out! If you want to redeem yourself then live! Live, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± She slammed her clenched hand against my chest.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± I looked at the corruption all over my body, I knew that there is no way out, but what am I feeling right now? ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±

    ¡°It is never too late! Fight it!¡± Such reckless and ignorant words, how could she said that. Doesn''t she know the gravity of this situation, there is no cure, there is no other option...option¡­another option, I snickered.

    ¡°Do you think you can laugh at me!? Do you think you¡¯ve won?! I¡¯m the leader of the Skullhead, the biggest gang on the station! I-I won''t let you have the last laugh.¡± The tattooed woman leaned against the wall, blood dripped out from her torn shoulder, even though she looks like about to pass out, she took out a trigger and held it tightly with her other hand.

    The tattooed woman squeezed it the trigger before I could turn around and save Aki from whatever about to come. The wall around us exploded and exposed the content of the room to the vacuum space. In a few seconds, everything was thrown out in every direction toward the dark cold space. I tried to reach for Aki¡¯s hand, but I couldn''t make it, we were spinning out of control, I lost my sword before it happened, but after everything finally settle down, she was out of my reach.

    Floated in the middle of the empty space, not knowing which way is up and which is down. I could see the station underneath us, too far to see any details, but still, I saw the moving lights on the streets. Aki and my sword floated away in different directions. Her face was pale as she tried to hold her breath, but eventually, she couldn¡¯t hold it in. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to breathe, her chest spasmed while her body felt the icy cold of space.

    ¡°No! Not her!¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s going to die anyway, just reach for the sword, before the corruption takes over.¡¯

    ¡°No!¡±

    Out of nowhere, Daisie floated before me, ¡®Just give up, Andre...No one blames you for her death or...mine.¡¯

    ¡°I have had it with you! I did not kill you, you kill yourself. God forbid, I try to help you, I try to reach you, I try to save you, but you wouldn''t let me. Yes, I killed those people and many more, I know what I have done, and I admit it, I know my sins. However, your death was not one of my sins! You hurt Agnes, and you''re about to hurt a thousand more, so I had to do it.¡± The moment I said those words, the weight in my heart was lifted a bit.

    ¡°So it was my fault? Is that what you want to believe?¡±

    ¡°Yes, now. Go! Away!¡± Glowing cracks started to appear all over my body, underneath the corruption was something warm.

    Daisie¡¯s image dissipated into thin air, and I saw Aki once more. Her body hovered, unmoving and lifeless while her skin was pale as the driven snow. The corruption broke off me like a shell shattering into tiny pieces and revealed a glowing being made from warmth light. A pair of wings sprouted out of my back as bright as the sun, and yet, the light was soothing to the touch. Even a new arm has sprouted from my stump made from light and dark. Harmonize together and yet, the corruption is still there but just tame for now.

    I had full control over my body once more.

    With newfound power, I flew toward Aki in breakneck speed then grabbed hold of her hand before pulling her into an embrace. An insect drove me to lay my lips against her, it felt cold, but it doesn''t stay that way, somehow I managed to pour my power into her and revitalize her body. From her arms to her legs, her skin color returned back, lively but she was not conscious. Her heart restarted again, It started to pump blood throughout her body, and I felt the beat in her chest within my arm as I pulled away from the kiss.

    My eyebrows furrowed as I aimed my sight at the station below us, I need to bring her there, or it would be pointless giving her life. My wings flapped slightly and caused me to finally noticed them. It was white, the feather looks soft, and dreamlike because of the glimmering light hugging it. I shook my head and hugged Aki tightly before I shot myself toward the station with a single flap of my wings.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 6]

    We dived toward the station, exceeding the speed of sound and caused the initial barrier to break. What followed us was the cracking sound of thunder as the air shook and exploded after we entered the station atmosphere. My wings embraced Aki tightly, preventing any harm to befell onto her body. We fell straight down toward a flat roof, before we crashed into it, my wings expanded outward and slowed us down. Like a feather floated down, my body hovered down until my feet touched the tile roof.

    I lay Aki¡¯s body gently on the cold tile then sat near her, her eyelids trembled as she gains conscious again. My gaze rested on her hair, with a smile, I stroked it gently, the feeling was soft and silky.

    ¡°A-Andre...The wings...It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± She mumbled.

    I think I started to cherish everything once more, thanks to her. Half and half, what a reckless statement, how could she bear my burden? And yet, why does this hope inside of me appear when I heard it. Could it be that I believe what she said?

    Slowly but surely, my wings turned to dust, so does my new arm. I felt a rush of weariness throughout my body as Aki began to wake up. I lay by her side, facing her, she turned her head to me, she smiled and I smiled. My eyelids closed as I took a long breath in and exhaled it out.

    ¡°I don''t know if I deserved this.¡±

    ¡°Deserved what?¡±

    ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you, how could someone so kind like you managed to find me?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve always been there.¡±

    ¡°Been there?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you just never noticed me. I¡¯ve been watching you, and I noticed that you are always in a depressing mood with anger and rage in your eyes, and talking to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Are you a stalker?¡± I snickered.

    ¡°No...I¡¯m not, but our path frequently crossed each other.¡±

    ¡°Then you must think that I¡¯m a crazy person.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie, so yes.¡±

    My shoulder sighed.

    ¡°But, It¡¯s not until I saw you fed the dog in the dark alley that I had a change of heart.¡±

    ¡°The dog?¡±

    "Yeah, the same dog you always fed after you get paid from a fight. Do you know that dog never once came for other people? Even though someone else leaves some food there for it, but it only came for you. That dog trusted you, I think you managed to tame it, even if the dog always bites your hand. Sure, you maybe don''t care about other people, but I believe that once upon a long time ago, you cared deeply for the people around you, even if he or she was a stranger. You¡¯re a good person, Andre.¡±

    ¡°Me? I just killed a lot of people, I¡¯m far from being good.¡±

    ¡°That is why I said you are a good person. ¡®Person¡¯ is included, a person makes mistakes, they make choices that seem bad because they had too, a person is...a human.¡±

    ¡°Human? It has been a while since someone calls me that.¡±

    ¡°Well, in the inside at least,¡± She pointed at the small horns on my forehead.

    I finally noticed it, my appearance had stayed this way since the corruption, my teeth are still sharp so do my nails. The black fur all over my body had shed though, at least there is some good news, but now there are two small horns permanently attached on my forehead. I rubbed it a little and I felt it, and I¡¯m totally weirded out by the newfound sensation.

    In the end, I sighed heavily.

    ¡°Can I go to sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can and I will be here when you wake up.¡±

    ¡°You promise?¡± She caressed my cheek and caused me to smile.

    I heard Aki¡¯s body shifted, then a sudden soft feeling rested against my face, she had embraced me into her bosom, It felt warm and comfy. One of her arms rested on my shoulder while another gently patted the back of my head. The comforting touch mix together with the peaceful sound around me, slowly drives me to slumber, a night of peaceful sleep for once. It has been a long time, I finally felt relaxed, no more haunting nightmare, but the guilt is still there, yet, it is tolerable for the moment.

    "I promise."

    ¡­

    ..

    .

    A peaceful sleep like I have always wanted, but it doesn''t last as long as I wanted it to be because a terrible vision had plagued it. I saw Mount Olympus in all of its glory, far in the distance, however, something is amiss, something darker. Beneath the glorious mountain, in the dark abyss, a sinister cloud hid a terrible enemy. It moved slightly and warped, one could see a glimpse of their unfathomable numbers.

    The Darkness.

    Twelve glowing gods in towering form, hovered side by side, clad in magnificent and various kinds of armor from Asian to European style, some wore heavy while others fought in light. From the left, Dionysus, the God of Wine. His armor was made to show his androgynous slender body, while a silky white cloth draped over his body in a sensuous way, but the dagger in his hand isn¡¯t something to mess around with.

    On Dionysus right, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. She wore a simple, barely see-through, and yet, an elegant dress that amplified her beauty. One could say that she prefers style over function, but who could argue with a goddess, especially the Goddess of Beauty.

    Beside the goddess is none other than her ex-lover, Ares, the God of War. The intimidating god wore a spartan armor along with a spartan helmet, gold plate, and red cape. He wielded a spear and a shield. If one stares into his eyes, they could see the horror of war, and the burning fire of a battle born soul.

    However, the terrifying aura emitted from Ares was dispelled as Demeter stood beside him with her motherly aura. The Goddess of Harvest wore a crown of flowers and a long flowery dress that matched her crown. In her right hand, carried a torch long enough to be called a staff. She bore a saddened expression on her face as she rested her gaze at the Darkness.

    Apollo, God of the Sun, a young man that wore a light armor of leather and plate. He held his bow tightly as he saw the ocean of darkness beneath him and saw multiple futures at once, which he could have won and lost. As he is not just the God of the Sun, he also held domain on all forms of Oracle, the power to see the future, and what he saw on the other side was more horrific than he could ever admit.

    ¡°Everything is going to be fine.¡±

    Yet, Apollo stood bravely once more as Hades rested his hand on the god¡¯s shoulder and reassured him. God of the Underworld, handsomely than one might expect, he had turned into his towering form to fight the incoming threat. He wore a spartan armor like Ares, but more humble-looking than him, none of the gold plate, just regular armor. However, what separated him from Ares was the weapon, as Ares wielded a spear, he wielded a Bident. A blue fireball hovered in the middle of the two prongs.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Beside Hades was none other than Zeus, the God of Thunder, also known as the King of Gods. He held the famous thunderbolt that defeated the Titans. Occasionally, a few lightings would crackle from it. His armor was none existent, he only wore a simple, loose, white cloth over his body and a crown of gold leaves on his head, because of a being as powerful as he needed none. Maybe it¡¯s arrogance or suicidal thoughts, or maybe he is as powerful as he thought, or maybe he knew something than most, but whatever it is, as someone mortal we are, we wouldn''t be able to understand how a god think.

    ¡°If the information from Ares¡¯s candidate is correct, then the answer to stopping this is deep in that ocean of horror,¡± Zeus spoke as he stroked his white lush beard.

    ¡°How could a mere candidate found out about this, but not us?¡± Hera clicked her tongue.

    Hera, the Goddess of Women. The Queen of Gods frowned in annoyance as she looked upon the sea of horror. A white dress with a cape made from peacock feathers, a headband of gold called Diadem, and a beautiful gold scepter decorated with diamonds. Her eyes were as cold as snow, one could wonder how someone that was supposed to be the Goddess of Marriage, be so apathetic towards everything. Something in the past must have affected her somehow because underneath that uncaring nature, lies a deep sadness.

    ¡°Something as this must have slipped our sight,¡± Poseidon replied.

    As someone who looks slightly similar to Zeus must be closed to him, maybe a brother. As a matter of fact, he is Zeus''s brother; His name is Poseidon, the God of the Sea. He wore a crown made from coral with shiny pearls attached to it, his armor was the same design as Hades, but ocean-themed carvings decorated his. He has a full white beard as Zeus and white hair. He carried a weapon that so famous amongst his peers and mortals that one could not forget about it when trying to imagine how he looks; A trident, a three-pronged spear.

    ¡°Slipped? That excuse may work for you and everyone else, but not for Apollo and Athena. They were supposed to be our eyes and ears, and yet, a candidate managed to notice it first before us. Shameful,¡± Hera scoffed.

    ¡°So you admitted that you are not as powerful than you might think?¡± Athena jab.

    Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. That sharp tongue isn¡¯t the only trait that the goddess had, she had the brains, the smart, the wisdom than most of the gods. But all that knowledge had possibly created a side effect; ego, prideful behaviors, arrogant plagued her heart. She knows that she is smarter than most, and that kind of thinking has led to undesirable personality traits. Nevertheless, her white dress with a gold breastplate hugged her body while a helmet keeps her head safe, but the set would not be complete without a spear.

    ¡°Watch your tone, Athena. Remember who you are speaking too.¡± Hera warned.

    ¡°To who? Zeus¡¯s wife? Or wait, is it the Queen of Nothing?¡± Athena taunted further.

    Beside the Goddess of Wisdom, a snicker could be heard. Hermes, the young lad with a smile is none other than the Gods of Trade and the Messengers of the Gods. The fastest gods in the entire existence, a little bit of a trickster, but as kind and fun-loving as he looks. This god doesn''t need any armor, all he needed was the winged sandals because how could one strike an opponent faster than everything. However, he was not just fast, he is gifted by Apollo with the ability to heal as he held the caduceus, a winged staff with two snakes entwined around it, also known as the Staff of Hermes.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Zeus silenced the two of them.

    ¡°Artemis, do you see it?¡±

    ¡°I see it. It¡¯s there, just like the candidate theorizes.¡±

    The one that replied is none other than Artemis. Her sight is non-comparable to any other gods or goddesses, as she is the Goddess of the Hunt. A goddess that wielded a bow and arrows. Her leather armor complimented her bow in term function and look, she needed her arms to be free so she could pull the string more effectively, that why the armor doesn''t cover her arms. Only one could match her prowess with the bow, and it is her twin, Apollo. That¡¯s why she respected him the most.

    "Everyone prepared yourself, we are going to make a hole directly toward the core," Zeus commanded.

    I was mistaken, there weren''t just twelve gods, there is another. Someone very close to me, someone who gave me a second chance, someone who I once looked up too, someone who betrayed my trust, someone who has taken my life once. It was none other than Adrestia, the Goddess of Retribution. Her armor up to her white wings and brown hair, all of them are familiar to me, unforgettable no matter what.

    She hovered close to the others, side by side with Artemis. The thirteen gods extended their arms forward and started to form a small energy ball in front of their palms.

    ¡°Released!¡± Zeus echoed.

    All thirteen energy balls flew in unfathomable speed toward the center of the sea of Darkness. Thirteen explosions decimated The Darkness flesh like nothing, the force from the blast traveled back to the thirteen gods, waving their loose fabrics. The gods prepared their weapons and powers while waiting for Zeus¡¯s signal. The king of Gods waited for the dust to dissipate, when it does, it revealed a glowing purple orb, and that¡¯s when Zeus gave his order.

    ¡°Charge!¡±

    The thirteen gods flew toward the orb with supersonic speed before the orb was covered up by The Darkness once more. Each one of the gods was stopped and was too late as the Darkness began to surround them, only Ares managed to make it through. However, his victory was a false illusion as his head suddenly rolled off his shoulder. It was quick, no one had seen it coming, the God of War is dead. His body slowly turned into stone and dissipated into dust.

    ¡°W-What happened?!¡± Hera screamed as she warded off the Darkness.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sense him! His essence, it¡¯s not there!¡± Artemis shouted.

    ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s not there? That is impossible, he should be there, only his body is destroyed. If we can''t sense him, that means he is truly--¡± Poseidon blasted an entire row of Darkness with high-pressure water before turning to face Artemis.

    The God of Sea¡¯s eyes widened in fear as he looked down and found a black jagged blade poking out of his chest. Aphrodite screamed in fear as the blade was being pulled out from behind Poseidon.

    ¡°Dead¡­¡± Poseidon''s body slowly turned into stone before someone kick him from behind, and let him fall into the sea of Darkness below. His trident fell with him and was buried under the unfathomable numbers of horrible monsters down below.

    ¡°Poseidon!¡± Athena yelled out.

    A warrior clad in full corrupted and sinister-looking armor hovered behind where Poseidon stood. The armor itself poured out a terrifying aura, not to mention the glimmer of two grim purple light appeared in the helmet eyehole. The sword it held was jagged, misshapen, unrefined, almost seem it was made by unnamed evil itself. It pointed its sword at Artemis and suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°What was that? Where did it go?!¡± Dionysus panicked as he glanced around him.

    ¡°Zeus!¡± Athena called out.

    ¡°I know. Everyone gather up around me!¡± Zeus commanded.

    Adrestia, Artemis, Hermes, Athena, Hera, Hades, Apollo, Demeter, and Aphrodite make their way closer to Zeus, but Dionysus was unlucky as the Darkness started to overwhelm him. He tried to fight them off, yet it was to no avail, so Artemis had to break away from the group and make her way to Dionysus. The God of Wine screamed in fear and rage as he blasted the enemies around him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here,¡± Artemis said, but she suddenly froze up as the sinister warrior suddenly stood between the two of them, it created another jagged blade out from nothing, threatening the gods.

    Artemis quickly aimed her bow and launched an arrow at the warrior, but it only makes a smalladjustmentto its posture to avoid it. The warrior flew steadfast as Artemis kept on firing arrows at it, the missed arrows wasn''t a waste as it turned its trajectory and chased after the warrior. Artemis''s plan work as the warrior became occupied with the arrows, giving her the chance to rescue Dionysus from the Darkness. However, the warrior also used the arrows as its own advantage when it suddenly turned its course and flew straight toward Dionysus. Artemis had to cancel her arrows or risk Dionysus to her own attack, but that was a huge mistake as the warrior flew past the god of wine and about to strike Artemis.

    Yet, Artemis was no fool in battle, she was ready to avoid¡­ but, the warrior disappeared again and Artemis¡¯s eyes couldn''t follow it. How is it possible that her own eyes couldn''t see where it went, then she felt it, the immense bloodlust. Artemis turned around and raised her hand, but the blade went through her forehead like butter and punctured her skull. Her eyes rolled back while her mouth agape, she slowly turned into stone and evaporated into dust.

    Dionysus''s scream caused him to be distracted, his mistake gave chance to the Darkness to pounce on his back and started to claw him to death. The Darkness was all over him, clawing, biting, and tearing his body apart. He had no way to escape.

    ¡°Artemis! Dionysus!¡± Hermes yelled as he heard Dionysus¡¯s scream.

    The scream stopped when the warrior planted its blade through Dionysus¡¯s brain, killing him indefinitely. It turned its evil purple gaze at the rest of the gods, and for the first time of their life, they felt fear like never before. Zeus shot his thunderbolt at the warrior, the sinister warrior easily avoided the thunderbolt, but the thunder managed to snap everyone back from their frozen state.

    ¡°Strengthen your will! We are Gods, let them fear us, and not the other way around.¡±

    Bravery finally makes its way into their hearts and strengthened it. Zeus extended his hand forward and everyone followed shortly. The air around them quickly spiraled around them as they gathered their magical energy inside them and let it flow to their palms. The warrior stood there, unfazed by the intense pressure it felt while the god charged their magical energy.

    ¡°Quickly!¡±

    With their combined powers, a powerful energy beam expelled out from their palms and sped toward the warrior.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 7]

    The massive beam evaporated the army of Darkness like it was nothing, creating a large hole in the sea of monsters, enough to see the other side. There was no way the sinister warrior managed to escape such a powerful attack, and yet, how could someone explained to the gods that the same warrior they aimed to kill is standing a few meters away from the hole. Did they missed or could it be that the sinister warrior was fast enough to avoid such a massive blast?

    In the corner of Zeus¡¯s eyes, he saw the orb glowed whenever the warrior disappeared. He has been watching it since the beginning, but couldn''t understand how its power worked. However, he does sense something familiar about the glow, but his thought was interrupted when Hermes stumbled back.

    ¡°Impossible¡­No one is that fast, not even me,¡± Hermes mumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Apollo said as he gazed at the warrior with despair while a tear flowed out from his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re sorry? How...I don¡¯t believe it! You knew about this. You knew about the coming death, and you didn''t warn us?!¡± Hera snapped at Apollo.

    ¡°Enough, Hera.¡± Zeus intervened.

    Hera turned her glare at the God of Thunder, and at that moment, she realizes it. She knows her husband so well that even his quirk and fault were memorized by her, and in those eyes, she knew that Zeus had known about it since the very beginning. Zeus looked away from his wife, guilty by his decision, but his gaze went back to the sinister warrior.

    ¡°Who else knew?¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± Hades admitted.

    ¡°So do I,¡± Adrestia admitted also.

    ¡°You¡¯ve led us all to our death, I expected you both to be better than them, Apollo, Adrestia. But, I was wrong.¡± Athena lowered her chin in disappointment and closed her eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s no other way,¡± Apollo said.

    ¡°No other way?! I doubt that. We could always run, we could always stay away. But you! Chose to drag us here to meet our death.¡± Hermes yelled.

    ¡°I said enough! Keep your head straight, we need to retreat while we still can,¡± Zeus intervened once more.

    ¡°I concur with Zeus, right now isn''t a good place for us to have a debate session. May I remind everyone that there is a more pressing matter at this moment than arguing amongst ourselves.¡± Demeter brought her glare at the sinister warrior, it remained standing there, watching them from afar.

    ¡°The Darkness is acting strange,¡± Aphrodite said as she glanced around her at The Darkness¡¯s new purposeful movement.

    ¡°The portals! Zeus, they are aiming to spread their numbers on the twelve worlds. You must close the portals before it too late.¡± Athena said as she used her spear to fire an energy beam at the spreading Darkness.

    Zeus instantly let his thunderbolt hovered beside him and pressed both hands together. A bright gold glow encased his body, while a dark cloud floated and spiraled above him, spreading across the sky above Mount Olympus. The sinister warrior finally jerked its sight at the God of Thunder and flew toward him with the jagged sword readied between its fingers. As the warrior about to strike Zeus, Hades with flaming blue hair stopped the attack with his Bident. The clash of two weapons created a shockwave that shook the air itself.

    Thousands of lightning struck the invisible portals, destroying and closing it permanently. Zeus let out a breath of relief as he took hold of his thunderbolt; Hades took a step back while Athena and Hera snuck beside the sinister warrior and blasted it with humongous beams. The crashing beam exploded and sent both of the goddesses back but as the smoke cleared, the warrior had put up two primitive shields beside it that¡¯s made from the same material as its armor. The shields have taken most of the damage, but some of the attacks managed to cause a small crack on the warrior¡¯s evil armor.

    Demeter and Aphrodite launched two balls of energy that managed to spread the crack even further especially around its stomach armor. Apollo fired an arrow with a small sun stuck on the tip; the heat was immense as the sun itself, and the moment it collided with the warrior¡¯s armor, it exploded into a bright light and thrown the warrior far away.

    The warrior finally stopped its momentum, it stood with its arms dangled in front of himself while its back hunched forward. Pieces of metal started to broke off from the warrior¡¯s armor, especially around its stomach plate, the attack had shattered the dark metal, but no one could expect the feminine belly hidden underneath those plates. Hermes quickly made his way to the warrior at super speed, in hope of landing a kick that would end the fight.

    Hermes swung his leg at the warrior''s head, but that proves to be a grave mistake as it grabbed the god¡¯s leg mid-air. The catch was so strong that it expanded another shockwave around them. Hermes looked at the warrior as its purple glare penetrated his very essence and struck fear in his soul.

    ¡°Wait...AAAH!¡± The warrior felt the crunchy feeling as it brought its elbow down onto the god¡¯s leg.

    The warrior didn''t stop with only his right leg, he took hold of his other leg and smashed it against its own knee. Hermes cry of pain echoed throughout the sky, the warrior let the God of Trade fall. With his legs broken, the God of Trade has no way of flying so he fell down toward the dark abyss below. However, he was saved when Adrestia flew down and caught him before he fell even further.

    After cracking its own neck, the warrior simply swayed its own right hand over the shattered armor, and it regenerated back to normal. It then called upon the jagged blade and it flew right back into its open hand. A small black orb appeared above its head, and it pushed the sword into it. Suddenly thousands, no, millions of black orb materialized around the gods and goddesses.

    Jagged swords slowly formed out of those purple orbs and all of them are aimed at the gods and goddesses. The warrior raised an open hand then turned its gaze at Zeus. The God of Thunder widened his eyes and quickly put up a shield around his allies.

    "Adrestia, run!" Zeus yelled as the swords speed toward them and crashed against the shield.

    Demeter and Aphrodite glanced at the cracking shield around them and put up two more shields, creating three layers of protection. The jagged sword punctured through the first layer and slowly made its way into the second layer. Adrestia flew as hard as she could, trying to escape the thousand of swords that rushed toward her. Zeus suddenly sent everyone away from the center of the shield, narrowly escaped a massive jagged sword the size of a temple that pierced the shield easily. The massive sword crashed into Mount Olympus then imploded into a dark black hole before exploding again and become a massive ball of flame that ate the air around it.

    No one had seen the massive sword coming except for Zeus, everyone was too busy focusing on the thousands of swords. Athena turned her gaze at Adrestia when she heard a scream, a sword had impaled one of her wings and left several cuts all over her body as she tried to protect Hermes.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Adrestia! Watch out!¡± Athena had calculated the trajectory of her fellow goddess and predicted that she is heading toward one of The Darkness.

    It was too late as The Darkness pounced onto Adrestia and caused her to let Hermes go. She struggled with the monster as she began descending down toward the abyss. Adrestia cut The Darkness¡¯s head off with a single swing of her sword, and when she turned to Hermes, it was too late as hundreds of swords had impaled his body and converted him into stone before turning into dust.

    ¡°Hermes!¡± Adrestia screamed as Demeter flew to her and pulled her toward her allies.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone, pull yourself together,¡± Demeter said coldly, but in her eyes, it said otherwise.

    Zeus looked upon his decimated kingdom and for the second time of his life, he felt despair like never before. All his hard work had been ridiculed in a single day, the hope he had forged inside him has all been destroyed, and now he¡¯s going to lose his family. He felt a warm hand over his shoulder and when he turned his head, Hades stood beside him with a determined gaze.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zeus formed a smile on his face.

    ¡°Your welcome.¡± Hades nodded his chin.

    ¡°Together, we shall escape this,¡± Zeus placed his own hand on Hades¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°As always.¡±

    ¡°Hera, open a portal for others to escape. Hades and I will distract that thing.¡± Zeus turned his attention to his wife then rested his sight on the monster.

    Hera materialized a white orb between her hands while furiously sweat down to her legs as she tried to concentrate and focus her power to tear the reality open. Hades pointed his Bident at the warrior and the blue fire of the underworld traveled across the sky. The warrior brought his blade right in the middle and slashed the fire in half. A crack of thunder beside the warrior temporarily deafened its hearing. Surprised by the sound, it turned its head to the source of simmering light, but it was too late to protect itself as Zeus appeared beside it and blasted the warrior with lightning.

    The warrior was paralyzed by the lightning, and its armor was melted by the electricity, but by the sheer will itself, it managed to move again and kicked Zeus away. Afterward, it turned around then blocked the incoming Bident that was aimed toward it. Hades''s hands trembled as he tried to push the Bident prongs deeper into the warrior¡¯s throat. Zeus felt a similar feeling again after the warrior suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Where did it go?!¡± Hades shouted after a quick glance around him.

    ¡°Above!¡± Athena shouted then Apollo quickly aimed his bow up and shot several energy arrows at the falling warrior.

    The warrior disappeared again and appeared behind the arrow. It was getting closer and Apollo is running out of time shooting arrows at it, as it kept disappearing and appearing out of thin air. Demeter threw some seed in front of Apollo and it quickly encased all of them in large thicks vines, creating a shield of flora. The warrior¡¯s blade stuck right between those thick vines, It looked around itself and saw the Darkness swirling around them. It raised its hand and clenched it, the Darkness roars as million of them make its way to the center and toward the ball of vines.

    ¡°HEEEY!!!¡± Zeus yelled as he cast his lightning at the warrior.

    The warrior disappeared again into thin air, leaving the sea of The Darkness clawing on the vines. Zeus pulled apart his thunderbolt in half and let it formed into two gauntlets of lightning. Hades placed his hand on the God of Thunder¡¯s shoulder and they disappeared in a single blink, leaving only a spark of electricity behind. They both appeared again along with the warrior and their weapons clashed together. The encounter caused a fit of thunder to shook the very air and spark of power flying around. Fire, electricity, and broken swords were left behind as they appeared and reappeared once more for a quick second before disappearing again.

    Demeter¡¯s shaky arms were a telltale sign that the vines aren''t going to hold out much longer as the army of The Darkness tried to claw into the shield. Apollo looked at Hera and saw her struggling expression, even without an intellect like Athena, he knew, even without his ability to see the future, he knew. He knew that Hera won''t make it time and all of them are going to die. However there¡¯s still a way out, He pried open the bottom part of the vines and dropped out.

    ¡°Apollo!¡± Athena yelled out as Hermes exited from the safety of the vines.

    A look od determination blazing inside Apollo¡¯s eyes after he opened, a bright light shone behind him as bright as the sun. The Darkness was blinded temporarily by the light and that gave Hermes an opening to shoot every arrow he had onto the sea of monsters. Every arrow that hit the enemies exploded with intense heat, burning their skin and flesh. However, Hermes was overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies, but the attack did the job. After the Darkness gained their sight, they began to swarm toward Hermes.

    Hermes kept on firing every one of his arrows at the monsters, but he can''t kill all of them, so he closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable. However, it didn''t come as he felt a gentle warm light caressed his skin, he opened his eyes again and surprised to see a pink light shield formed in front of him, preventing the monster from laying their claw onto him. Beside him is none other than Aphrodite, she gritted her teeth and the bottom of her dress was torn.

    Aphrodite gestures her hands into different symbols and caused several spikes to grow out from the shield and impaled the Darkness. Hermes turned his head behind him as she heard a roar coming from behind him, as he was about to defend their backside, a spear flew and punctured each one of The Darkness in one singular trajectory. The spear flew back to its owner, Athena.

    ¡°Do you think that we will let you have all of the fun?¡± Aphrodite snickered, it¡¯s been a long time since Aphrodite ever broke out from her serene mannerism.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Apollo looked down with guilt and regret.

    ¡°Save it and focus! We need to give Hera some time to open up the portal.¡± Athena said as she glanced around, plotting their next move.

    ¡°Aphrodite moves your shield forward, spike out. Apollo and I will cover our back and our blindspot. We need our back against Demeter¡¯s vine shield, it¡¯s a safer position there.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Come and get some!¡± Aphrodite flew forward with her shield up and the spikes readied. The violently make their way back to the ball of vines.

    As they were about to make their way back, Athena noticed something and was about to warn them, but it was too late as they were struck by a massive paw and thrown across the sky. Zeus was distracted as he saw the massive monster, the size of a Titan. The Darkness had merged together and formed a giant version of itself. The tiger spider-like creatures were terrifying to look at, even more so now.

    ¡°Zeus!?¡±

    The God of Thunder turned his head and a sword was heading down toward this head, but he was saved by Hades as he extended his Bident forward and stopping the blade. However, it was all of the ruses, the warrior immediately let go of his weapon and create a new. It pushed the sword through the opening, but it was also stopped when Hades let go of his bident and grabbed the blade with his bare hands. The sharp edge had left a long mark all over the God of The Underworld palms.

    Zeus coughed out blood, Hades turned around and the blade had managed to reach his brother¡¯s stomach. Blood dripped out from the wound as Hades pushed the blade away while Zeus cast his lightning on the warrior and cause it to be thrown away. Hades looked at his trembling hands and saw the black poison seeping into his veins.

    ¡°B-Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Zeus shouted, Hades turned his attention at his brother, but he was too late, as a blade made of lighting cut both of Hades¡¯s hands clean off.

    ¡°AAAHHH!!!!¡± Hades yelled out his pain as both of his hands fell into the abyss below.

    ¡°Come, quick! The portal is unstable. I don''t know where it will lead us, but it will lead us away from here!¡± Hera shouted.

    ¡°Go Hades! I¡¯ll get the others!¡± Zeus shouted as he throws Hades toward Demeter vines shield.

    Hades looked upon the massive Darkness, even without his hands he still could fight as he opened his mouth wide and breathed blue fire at the beast. Zeus flew and grabbed the unconscious gods and goddess before making his way back to the portal. Five jagged flew toward the God of Thunder in speed and caused him to let go of his allies and blocked the attack, but one the sword managed to make it through his defense and tore his upper shoulder.

    Zeus placed his hand over the cut and gritted his teeth. He looked at the hovering allies around him, he had no choice, he turned his thunderbolt into a gladius and flew straight at the warrior. Flashes of lightning can be seen far away as Zeus battled the monster alone, Athena opened her eyes and witnessed the fight, she called upon her spear and joined in. The warrior blocked every attack that the god and goddess threw with a bit of difficulty. However, they were distracted again when they heard a scream from Aphrodite, one of the Darkness had swallowed her legs whole and she was getting devoured.

    Athena turned his back on the warrior and caused a sword to pierce her back. She looked down at the sword and slowly lose consciousness as she fell toward the abyss. Zeus screamed in rage as he intensified his attacks on the warrior. Apollo woke up abruptly and glanced around him, he was about to head to Aphrodite, but a vine wrapped around his stomach and pulled him toward the portal.

    ¡°Let me go! Aphrodite!¡± Apollo screamed as he saw his allies being eaten alive.

    Demeter tossed Apollo through the portal, Adrestia woke up afterward and looked at Hades fighting the humongous monster.

    ¡°Demeter, Hera¡­ Get Hades and Zeus out of here, if we wish to win this, we need both of them alive.¡± Adrestia said before quickly flew and take over the battle against the humongous monster.

    Hades was pulled by Demeter and tossed through the portal. Hera moved away from the portal and toward his husband, she took over the fight. While Zeus was forced to go through the portal, but that fight doesn''t last long as the warrior easily left a large cut over the goddess''s chest. The God of Thunder yelled out at the warrior and it immediately transported closer at the god, and at that moment, Zeus saw the opening, he flung his lightning at the warrior. The warrior dodged by disappearing away. However, the God of Thunder was not aiming for the warrior, he was aiming for the core. The lightning struck the orb and the warrior appeared again and screamed his unbearable pain out. Zeus had managed to crack the orb slightly and stunned the warrior.

    Zeus then was thrown through the portal, Adrestia with a wounded wing flew toward Hera and picked her up. Demeter went through the portal, and all that was left was Hera and Adrestia.

    ¡°Quickly!¡± Adrestia said.

    ¡°No, someone needs to close this portal.¡±

    ¡°Can we do it on the other side?¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s unstable, I had to pry it open with brute force, so the destination is not singular, but the entrance is. That¡¯s why I need to close it here and now.¡±

    ¡°I won''t leave you.¡±

    ¡°That wasn''t a request, it¡¯s an order. I always hated you for what happened in the past... but in different circumstances, you and I could have been a close friend.¡±

    ¡°Wait?!¡± Hera pushed Adrestia through the portal as she was embraced in bright light, she saw a jagged sword went through Hera¡¯s stomach before the portal closed.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 8]

    Adrestia crashed through her temple¡¯s roof and slammed against the marble floor, her wings bloodied and broken. Her breath was sparse and heavy, she suddenly turned her sight at me, like I was there. As if she knew I was watching the whole time.

    ¡°Come home¡­¡±

    Her words snapped me back to reality, I panicked and quickly glanced around me. I looked beside me and found Aki. She smiled as she sat right next to me, stroking my hair and caressing my cheek. Was it a dream? No, it¡¯s a vision, I was made to see it, she¡¯s calling me back, but why should I go home? After everything that happened, I should just leave it all behind and live here for the rest of my life, maybe with her. I looked at Aki, and her smile still managed to soothe my heart.

    ¡°I kinda like the horns thing, look cute on you.¡± Aki boop one of my horns.

    I laughed a little before my smile formed into a small frown, I looked away and lifted myself. Aki was surprised by my sudden change of emotions. She took hold of my hand before I could fully stand up.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    I turned and closed in for a kiss, but she stopped me with a single finger against my lips. My eyes widened in embarrassment. Her lips suck in and her eyes widened just like mine. I backed away after awkwardness flooded into me.

    ¡°Did I read that wrong?¡± My cheeks blushed.

    ¡°No! Not at all. You did read that right, I have feelings for you.¡± She played with a lock of her hair.

    ¡°Then why did you stop me?¡± I said with a half-smile.

    ¡°I just thought that we could start it slow? Get to know each other first, because you know...we barely knew each other, well you barely know me.¡± She looked into my eyes and my heart melted.

    ¡°Start slow?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Like a...Date!¡± A bright smile accompanied that idea.

    ¡°A date?¡±

    ¡°You don''t like it?¡±

    ¡°No, I love it...but, I...have to go. She¡¯s calling me.¡± Once again, my smile turned into a frown as I turned around and walked away.

    ¡°Wait! Calling you?¡± Aki¡¯s grip tightened, stopping me from taking any step.

    ¡°Someone I hope to never meet again. I can''t even explain it to you, I can¡¯t even make you understand how dire it is, how serious it is.¡± I gritted my teeth and pulled my hand away.

    To think for a second that I could leave all of it behind, but she kept pulling me back in. When I looked forward, there she is, Daisie with a smirk on her face. Like a piercing cold, despair began to set in once more. I could feel everything turning somber and colorless.

    ¡°You don''t need to explain it to me!¡± Something soft and warm leaned against my back, Aki had embraced me so suddenly and the color returned, more brightly than ever before.

    ¡°You don''t need to explain anything to me, just¡­ just make sure you come back for our date¡±

    ¡°Date?¡± I turned around, tears in my eyes, and a happy smile on my face. ¡°But we haven''t agreed on an actual date yet.¡±

    ¡°It doesn''t matter, It could be tomorrow, It could be the day after that, or the day after that, or a month after that, or a year after that. Just make sure you come back. I know you will.¡± She wipes the tears under my eyes, and I stroked her soft cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try..¡±

    ¡°Then it good enough me, now go! Go, do your thing, hotshot.¡± She pushed me away.

    I reached into my pocket and took out a teleportation rune pebble that I stole from one of Daisie¡¯s sister. I gripped onto the pebble tightly until it glowed glaringly. Without a single moment to lose, I saw Aki¡¯s face evaporated as a bright light temporarily blinded me. I lost the feeling of solid grounds underneath my feet before my entire body was torn apart by the immense energy.

    Once more I gained my vision and the feeling of solid ground under my feet, but the moment of safe indulgence was interrupted as a white column on its way falling on top of me. I immediately rolled away to avoid the crushing collum and was shocked to see the whole world deteriorating before my own eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± my voice shuddered in fear.

    The edge of the world broke apart into space, the sea was pulled up as if the gravity was lost while the smallest floating island crashed back down into the sea and swept away by a giant tidal wave. The skies darkened while thunders roared and lightings scattered across the horizon. I stood up and took a step back as the ground beneath me, fractured and trembled.

    I looked at the temple and dashed toward it, jumping over cracks and dodging falling trees. On my way there, I slipped on a piece of rock and fell against the small steps leading up to the temple. My eyes widened before I rolled away and quickly avoided the large piece of the ceiling that crashed into the short stairs. I glanced around me, my hand trembled as I stood up and rushed inside the temple.

    ¡°Where are you!?¡±

    ¡°Andre, is that you? We¡¯re over here!¡± Helen''s voice was a relief to hear through the loud noises of falling debris, like a light at the end of the cave, I make my way through and toward her.

    ¡°Helen!¡± I saw her.

    One of Adrestia¡¯s wings had sheltered Helen from the plunging rubbles, my heart heavied with pain as I saw her laying on those marble floor. A pool of blood had decorated the pristine floor. My eyes went to her other wing that somehow had been clipped, and the dark veins that slowly coursed throughout her body. Helen looked at me with teary eyes as she held her mother''s hand.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Andre¡­ come closer,¡± Adrestia called out to me while she extended her other hand to me.

    ¡°The vision¡­ that was all real¡­ more than half of the Twelve is dead.¡±

    I took some steps closer and looked at her open hand. I was reluctant because how could I not? She has been the cause of my pain for a long time, she took me away from my family, no, she took everything from me. But why is heart in so much pain when I looked at her, hurt and in agony. I gritted my teeth and with heavy feet, I brought myself closer to her and rested my knees against the floor.

    ¡°Andre¡­ I did what I can, I did because I had too. Understand?¡±

    ¡°No, I don''t,¡± I said coldly, I was expecting an outburst of anger, but she only smiled at me.

    ¡°Perhaps, that¡¯s a more appropriate response than others. I know you won''t forgive me no matter what I tell you,¡± She took hold of my hand with force and she laughed when I tried to pull away. It¡¯s the first time I saw her so out of character from her usual cold and serious self.

    ¡°None of us are pure as the driven snow, we all have done something unforgiving in the past in the name of good. I won''t ask for your forgiveness, but--¡± She tried to raise herself, but painfully fail as she coughed out some kind of a black thick liquid. However, she still tried to raise herself, Helen quickly helped her, and I reluctantly helped her leaned against a wall, ¡°I do want to ask you a favor.¡±

    ¡°A favor?¡±

    Adrestia took off her blindfold and revealed two murky eyes. She looked at the darkened sky through the hole she had crashed into, the dark veins had spread onto her cheeks. The serene expression her face somehow managed to elevate the anger I had on her.

    ¡°Do what you must, follow your own judgment. All of the twelve world¡¯s fate is on...aah, the sky looks beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Do what?¡± I looked up and saw only the dark cloud, it¡¯s far from beautiful.

    ¡°Andre!¡± Helen grabbed my attention.

    ¡°You need to go, the world is collapsing, Adrestia doesn''t have the power to keep it from falling apart.¡±

    ¡°Helen, my beautiful daughter. Is that you?¡± Adrestia released my hand and waved it slightly, in front of herself, trying to find someone.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Mit¨¦ra,¡± Helen took hold of her mother¡¯s other hand.

    ¡°So big. Since when did you get older?¡± Adrestia smiled.

    ¡°How about you? I can''t leave you here,¡± I looked at Helen, she gritted her teeth then let out a smile.

    ¡°After my body destroyed¡­ My soul will go back to the underworld, and I¡¯ll meet you there. Quickly, go.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Look, I can heal her, I could, I have this new power.¡±

    ¡°Andre!¡± She screamed out my name in anger.

    ¡°I can¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Look at her. It¡¯s too late.¡±

    Adrestia body was slowly turning into stone.

    ¡°Go, Andre!¡± I looked at Helen with teary eyes.

    She turned her sight at me and smiled.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    My hand clenched tightly as I turned my body around and quickly took off into a run. Through falling debris, I took off at great speed, but as I was about to teleport out of there, the ground beneath me gave out. I began to fall through the fractured earth, and hit a couple of protruding rocks along the way and smacked the teleportation rune out of my hand.

    The teleportation rune was out of my sight before I could gain my focus from being daze. I gritted my teeth and tried to call upon my newfound power so I could conjure up a pair of wings to fly, but no matter how much I wanted it, it failed miserably and I was about to plunge into the violent sea.

    However, before I could crash into the ferocious sea, I landed on a tough yet soft animalistic body. I hugged its neck and when my sight went to its head, I recognized who it is. Falcor, the majestic griffin, and around me is his pack, all six of them. They flapped their beautiful wings and roared sadly at the sky.

    ¡°The island¡­¡± The place I called home was no more as the island cracked and split apart before descending into the spiraling sea.

    The griffin went into an invisible portal and came out into another world. A world I¡¯ve once visit, the underworld, its sky is as dark as I remember it to be, a cloud of ash had covered the blue sky. We flew down and landed near the cave entrance, but from far away, I could see an abundance of monsters people piled up at the entrance with belongings on their back. The griffins landed near the back, and I vaulted off Falcor after I gave the griffin¡¯s head a nice rub as a thank you.

    ¡°Good boy.¡±

    ¡°Please remain calm!¡± I recognized that voice, I turned my attention at the front of the crowds.

    That orange feathers, that spiky hair, that feather-like pointed ears, and that orange eyes. I wanted to call out his name, but the crowds were too loud and I couldn''t get a clear sight at him. However, everyone fell into silence when the minotaur beside him, slammed his club against the ground and caused a thunderous roar to echo out.

    But, that silence was immediately disturbed.

    ¡°Agnes!¡± Everyone quickly turned their sights at me.

    ¡°Andre¡­?¡± The monster folk parted ways and gave me a clear route toward Agnes. It wasn''t just Agnes, beside him was Kraus the minotaur, and the prince of the underworld himself, Shin, timid and cute as ever.

    I started walking toward them with a smile, but soon after, my smile disappeared when I saw the large scar on Agnes¡¯s abdomen and chest. Then I remembered what happened and stop.

    ¡°Agnes-¡± I was about to continue my words when another Harpy stood between me and him. Uvoah, Agnes¡¯ sister.

    ¡°Stay back!¡± She said to me.

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at Uvoah and back at Agnes, it seems both of them had resolved their previous issue and reunited once more. He did it like he once told me, and he did it without my help.

    ¡°It seems¡­¡± I was interrupted again when Shin suddenly appeared beside me as he always does, and caused me to back into Kraus¡¯ family.

    ¡°Well, will you look at that, our soon to be daughter-in-law has returned.¡± I looked behind me and I am pleasantly surprised to see them, Kraus¡¯ family, his daughter, and son-in-law, and granddaughter? She had grown rapidly since I left, I think she is my age now.

    ¡°If you are unsatisfied with my husband then my daughter is just the right age to take your hand in marriage.¡± Kraus¡¯ daughter said to me.

    ¡°By the way, I dig the new look,¡± Kraus¡¯ daughter¡¯s daughter whispered to me.

    ¡°Uhm, I politely declined.¡± I slowly moved away from them, and when I turned my sight at Agnes, he was gone, nowhere to be seen.

    Did he leave? My thought was dispelled when Shin examined my new features very closely.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡±

    ¡°I was...corrupted, but with some help from someone dear to me, I manage to gain control over my body once more.¡±

    ¡°Corrupted?! But you manage to fight it, that seems impossible, but knowing you, it could be possible.¡± He said after a thorough examination, but I was surprised again when he suddenly hugged me.

    ¡°I miss you.¡±

    ¡°I miss you too.¡± I rustled his hair and smiled.

    ¡°So where did you come from?¡±

    My smile turned into a frown as I looked away from the young candidate.

    ¡°Adrestia is dead, I don''t know why, but her world was also destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hear that...Yet, it is common knowledge that besides the twelve worlds, when a god dies, his or her world would be destroyed in the process. Since their world was held together by the gods themselves, and not the Life core.¡±

    ¡°Wait, where is Sister Helen?¡± Shin¡¯s eyes widened under his thick front bangs as he backed away.

    ¡°She...wanted to stay by Adrestia¡¯s side until the last moment, so her body was destroyed, but her soul will make its way back to the underworld.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that can''t be right. The deal was different.¡±

    ¡°What deal?¡±

    ¡°The deal she made with Hades to stay at Adrestia¡¯s island. You don''t know?¡± There¡¯s a look of fear in his eyes, and that same fear spread into me.

    ¡°Tell me what deal?!¡±

    ¡°The deal was if she wanted to stay there, her soul needs to be bound to her new body, and the only way to return to the Underworld is she needs to die in the underworld. If not, her soul¡­¡± Shin realized what happened now, and in some way, I knew what he was about to say, but I needed to hear from his mouth.

    ¡°Her soul?!¡±

    ¡°Her soul is gone, Andre¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± I backed away and fell onto my knees.

    ¡°She can''t be gone.¡±

    ¡°Andre¡­¡± Shin tried to reach out to me.

    ¡°GOD DAMN IT!¡± I yelled as I smashed the ground beneath me and formed a crater while sending a shockwave around me. My only hand was bloodied by the act, but I didn''t care as I dug my fingers into my palm. Everyone was frightened by the sheer strength I have shown, but the only ones that stay close are Shin and Kraus.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 9]

    I sat on a rock on top of a cliff and gazed upon the dark sky filled with crackling lighting. Not the most beautiful view I have ever seen, but one can appreciate it if you stared at it long enough. I had nobody around me, that''s why I wanted to stay here, I wanted to be alone. I looked at my hand as I kept opening and closing it, hoping things were slightly different. I could have pulled her with me, why did I even trust her...How could I not? Maybe, it wasn''t my fault, maybe it¡¯s her wish to stay by her mother''s side. Still, I could have prevented it.

    My clenched hand trembled as I gritted my teeth, the frustration in my heart mix with anger almost seem overwhelming, but the overbearing one was my sadness. Despite my anger toward Adrestia, both of them, her and Helen are family to me. Helen was there to support me and believe in me, I wish things were different, and I would spend more time with her.

    With a gloomy slump, I rested my forehead against my closed hand.

    ¡°I know that you wanted some time alone, but I couldn''t help myself, I wanted to know how you are doing,¡± Shin said as timidly and politely possible.

    ¡°A new power, a new problem, a new threat, it never gets easy, do they? Why can¡¯t just everything be normal?¡± I sighed then let out a short sigh.

    ¡°My father almost died today, and for the first time in my life, I had these stress-inducing feelings, like I am powerless if any harm comes to the only family I have. Then I start to think about what others must have felt when a threat so big loom over the twelve worlds, I mean my whole family are as powerful as the gods, and yet, one of them almost died today. So I wanted to help these people, the powerless people, monster, and human. I thought of sheltering them during this dire time might help, but I don''t know, I never felt so uncertain of my decision.¡± Shin sat right next to me with pouty lips while hugging his legs.

    I turned to look at the short candidate, no, a young boy. He¡¯s trying to do something to change his situation and help others in need, just like I used to do. I closed my eyes and saw Aki smiling, then my soul was lifted again and my spirit rose again. Right now is not the time to mourn, but it¡¯s time for action.

    ¡°Shin!¡± I stood up and yelled out.

    ¡°W-What?!¡± Shin stood up straight in shocked.

    I turned to face him and placed my hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Do you have faith in me?!¡± I shouted at his face.

    ¡°Yes?¡± He replied quietly while looking at me like I just went insane.

    ¡®¡°I can¡¯t hear you!!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Shin screamed out at the top of his lung while closing his eyes.

    ¡°I am not married yet! But who cares! However, I do want you to set up a meeting with all of the gods and candidates.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, yes. Ok, ok, I know where you can meet all of the gods and the candidates at the same time and place.¡± Shin said with a bright smile, it seems that my distraction is working smoothly, he is smiling again instead of being gloomy, and here, I thought I was the one being consoled.

    ****************************************************************************************************

    A hot, dusty wind grazed upon my skin after we teleported into a world filled with sand that stretched over as far as the eye can see. My body began to sweat as soon as I felt the heat from the large sun above us. It¡¯s hot and there¡¯s nothing but sand here, except for the spiral tower that touched the sky. iI stood in the middle of the barren land, alone and without any landmark to call its companion.

    A tangy headache appeared, and I haven''t felt that annoying sensation for a while now. The well of knowledge, I¡¯m surprised to know it is still working even though Adrestia has passed away. I shook my thoughts and focused on the information it¡¯s trying to give me.

    This world, it is one of the twelve.

    ¡°Welcome to Apollo¡¯s world, Therap¨¦vo.¡±

    ¡°Look barren...and way too hot.¡±

    ¡°Well, what do you expect? Apollo is the God of The Sun.¡±

    ¡°You said they all are here, but you never told me why.¡± We started walking down the white brick path toward the massive door.

    "They all are here because Zeus summoned them for a meeting, and what''s left of the twelve came here to heal, but¡ª" Shin materialized a black cloak over himself.

    "But?" I took a glance at Shin, but his face was hidden under the hood.

    "In the state, they are in, I doubt healing could fix their broken will."

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, I thought Adrestia would take over my body, but why am I¡¯m still here? Isn¡¯t my purpose is to guard her replacement body?¡± I looked up and squinted my eyes.

    ¡°The god killer¡¯s attack isn''t just an ordinary attack, her sword, her blades are coated with a curse. A curse that destroyed the very essence of God, their soul, entity, or whatever you want to call it. If Zeus had not cut off my father¡¯s hands, the curse would have killed him too.¡±

    ¡°God killer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what they¡¯re calling it.¡±

    ¡°Is it a god? I thought only gods can kill other gods.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, or to be more precise, I don''t know much about it. I only heard whispers and rumors.¡±

    ¡°Adrestia truly is gone, so do Helen¡­¡± A tear dripped down my cheek, I raised my chin, trying to hide it before I could wipe it off. Why? I would cry and mourn for Helen, she was like a sister to me, but why am I so in pain when I thought of Adrestia being truly gone? Why does my heart even ache for someone who has been nothing but the cause of my pain?

    It¡¯s true then, Adrestia wasn¡¯t just my goddess, she was my family, someone I once admired and wanted her to be happy no matter what. I felt it the crushing weight of sadness, slowly crawling over me and enveloped me. I was about to fall in sorrow, but a voice managed to blow all of it away.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Half and half¡± I whispered and chuckled.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Shin looked at me as we walked.

    ¡°Nothing, just some random thoughts.¡±

    We kept walking at our own pace until we arrived at the massive decorated door, fitted for a massive giant such as a god to walk through. I stopped when I notice Shin stood a couple of feet behind me. He looks troubled in his thought, something in his mind is bothering him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Andre. I have faith in you, but no matter how I view it, I don¡¯t think we could win this.¡± Shin looked at me with big doubtful eyes.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re wrong,¡± I lightly chopped his head, and he let out a squeak.

    ¡°How can you be so sure, and where is all of this confidence coming from?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m not really that confidence that we could win this, but it¡¯s better than the other option. Besides, I have to make sure that we succeed, or I will lose so much more than I could imagine.¡± I rubbed the back of my neck and started walking again.

    ¡°How?!¡±

    ¡°How, what?¡± I stopped and glanced behind me. I could see both of Shin¡¯s closed hands beside him as he looked at me.

    ¡°How could you bear such a burden alone?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean I bear the burden alone? I got you, don''t I? Half and half, bear the burden with me. If you want too. If not...I¡¯ll probably find someone else, but no pressure though.¡±

    Shin looked at me with widened eyes, surprised by my own words. Afterward, he let out a half-smile, I rolled my eyes with a smile on my face and turned around then started walking again.

    ¡°We got no time to dilly-dally, let¡¯s go.¡±

    We arrived at the massive door with an engraving of the sun etched in a symmetrical order. Before I could open the majestic door, it opened itself, in slow and careful motion. I took a step back, surprised by the door''s action. With the door wide open, we were introduced to a long glass hallway, pristine and untouched. The floor felt cold as my bare feet pressed against it, I walked further into, and when I glanced behind me, I could see the footprints I left behind.

    ¡°Whew, I kinda feel bad dirtying his floor.¡± I could hear loud angry voices echoing from the end of the hallway, it must have been an intense meeting.

    We arrived at the end of the hallway, and Shin opened the door.

    ¡°Wait a second. All of this felt familiar¡­Dirty hallway...Angry-¡± The door opened wide and revealed a circular room that rivaled the look of a court with balcony seating that decorated the wall. However, none of the seating as extravagant as the one in front of me, designated for the big three, but I could only see two of the three. Poseidon¡­I remember what happened to him.

    Yet, my arrival is not welcome like the beautiful room that greeted my eyes. When all of the candidates jump down from their respective balconies and pointed their weapons and magic at me. It only took a slight move of my hand for them to erect a magic triangle barrier on me.

    "Wait!" Shin was pulled back by other candidates before he could come to my aid.

    "How dare you taint Apollo¡¯s hall with your presence, corrupted one!" A blue long hair girl with purple skin yelled out to me. Beside her is the same man I saw back at Mount Olympus, short blonde hair, and blue eyes.

    That decorated armor showed a lot of skin, and I doubt it offered any protection on her bare belly and other parts of her body that are exposed. On a side note, that trident looks familiar and way too heavy and big for her proportion. I let out a half-smile and tilted my head, I saw it as a playful act to calm her down, but she only saw it as a taunt.

    ¡°Not the friendliest welcome I had, but I¡¯ll take it over nothing.¡±

    "Silent Corrupted one!" One of Demeter''s half-plant, half-human candidate sprouted thick veins underneath me. Those veins wrapped itself around my body and limb then forced me to kneel.

    "She''s not corrupted!" Shin yelled out, but his voice was drowned out by the swearing that showered onto me.

    "Abomination!"

    "Evil!"

    "Monster!"

    "Disgusting just like the other girl who turned." The blue-haired girl spat her words.

    I knew which girl she was referring too, and that pissed me off.

    My smile was gone and replaced with a frown, I looked at the gods and goddesses above me, they watched while doing nothing about the horrendous treatment I received. Even though, I''m here to offer my help. I gritted my teeth and felt the burning rage inside me. I pulled and dragged the veins out of the ground, cracking the floor around me. They all took a step back as a darkened malicious arm grown out of my stump and rip apart the vein.

    "Magic caster find your front-liner and ready yourself, prepare for an attack!!"

    My howl was demonic as it echoed in the hall, even a few of the gods were scared of me. With a single punch, I broke the barrier and covered the area with a cloud of dust. The cloud of dust dispersed when Hermes''s candidate blew it away with a strong gust of wind.

    I yelled out as I was about to hit Poseidon''s candidate in the face, but was stopped by Shin. He had embraced my stomach and held me in place, even though I was in my slightly corrupted form. However, all other attacking candidates were stopped by a small group of familiar candidates that stood around me with their arms extended.

    "Shin? Tadao? James? Iris? Ophre? Even you?"

    "I vouched for her to be here. I will take responsibility for any harm that she inflicted while she''s here," Kadence, Daisie''s sister with a slightly bruised face spoke.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Kadence?¡± The Poseidon''s candidate snapped.

    ¡°No, I fought her once and lost. However, I''m certain that somehow she is different than before. She¡¯s changed, she¡¯s not corrupted, but not quite cured of it.¡± She glanced at me with her hand rested the pommel of her sword.

    ¡°You would let this disgusting thing in your home, Iris?¡±

    "Iris, are you sure about this?" A red-haired girl that seems to be related to Iris spoke.

    ¡°To answer your question Corona, yes. She is my friend, and this is our home, I have the authority to decide who stays and who leaves, and she stays.¡± Iris stood firmly beside her trusted companion. Tadao brought his long-bladed staff that he called Naginata at the other candidates that dare try to step closer.

    "James?" An Englishman, black short hair and beard stepped forward.

    "I''m...I''m really sorry bro, but I shall take my stand here."

    "Ophre, you too?" Somehow who bear a resemblance to Artemis''s candidate asked in shock.

    "Meh, I just follow Iris, for the most part. I don''t really care for the corrupted ones."

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you Iris, truly disappointed. I am most disappointed in you, Kadence. This thing had killed your sister, and you would tarnish her name by protecting it?¡±

    The blue-haired girl took one step back when she felt the anger seething out of Kadence''s calm expression. The Aphrodite''s candidate had fully gripped her sword handle and firmly pressed her foot in front of her, ready for battle.

    "Twice, you had mentioned my dearly departed sister¡­ the first time I let you, the second time I''m giving you a warning, but mark my word, there won''t be a third time, Odesza."

    The blue-haired girl, Odesza, took another step back, never had someone threatened her so effectively that caused her to reevaluate her action. However, as stubborn as the gods, she didn''t pay heed to the warning.

    "Eliminate the corrupted one and detain the other." She ordered the rest of the candidates.

    "Oh shit, here we go," I brought up both my fist, ready for a fight. While my companions readied their weapons and magic for a battle.

    "Andre, catch," James pulled out a hatchet from the small circular void and tossed it to me.

    "Oh yeahhh," I caught it with ease and let out a half-smile.

    The air vibrated as thunder roared inside the hall, freezing everyone and stopping us from clashing with each other. We all turned our sight at the God of Thunder as he descended from his throne.

    ¡°Zeus¡­¡± Odesza muttered, she including everyone except for me, dropped to their knees and lowered their heads as a sign of fear and respect.

    The god shrunk to our size as he majestically floated down. After his sandals touched gently onto the floor, he makes his way toward me while maintaining his gaze on me. He showed no other expression except for a calm and confident one. His presence alone was overwhelming that all of the intensity of the room suddenly disappeared the moment he intervened.

    ¡°Will you come with me, Andre? You too Iris.¡± He smiled as he gestured the blindfold girl to stand up. Iris stood up while keeping her chin down.

    ¡°Aaahh, sure¡­¡± I left the hatchet on the floor and followed the white-bearded god out of the hall without anyone objection.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 10]

    From a blinding light to the deafening darkness, I found that teleporting always messed with my sight, kinda felt annoying now. I should have learned to close my eyes before teleporting, but I still won''t do it, I guess it¡¯s my fault really. I felt Iris¡¯s twin-tail hair and shoulder grazed against my stomach as I tried to make sense of our current location.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience, you see this world has no safe and secure temple to teleport to, but this place will do,¡± Zeus said as he moved his arm to reach something.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an inconvenience at all, my lord,¡± Iris said.

    ¡°Sure, no inconvenience at all. It¡¯s not at all tight and damp in here,¡± I rolled my eyes as I pulled a cord above me and brightened up the room.

    A broom closet. No wonder the smell of chlorine so strong here. Zeus opened the only door in the small closet and revealed the interior of a gas station on the other side. We exited the closet and somehow our clothes changed magically into a normal set of clothes. This gas station seems familiar to me, the dirty stain on the ceiling, the snack aisle, the out of service refrigerator, and that counter. I looked outside and noticed that there¡¯s no other building near this one, just an empty road, and thick forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go you two.¡± Zeus opened the station door for us and we walked through it.

    I was surprised again when the view changed, it as if we were teleported again, but this time at another familiar setting. My lips parted as I felt a tinge of pain in my chest, I couldn¡¯t believe what in front of me right now.

    ¡°Are we¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes...at your home.¡±

    A two-story house, it¡¯s a little bit worn-down, but it seems someone has been fixing it slowly. The corners of my mouth turned up as I took a step forward, but stopped while that forming smile turned into a frown. My shoulders sagged as my eyes went to the place where I fell to my death.

    ¡°Should I? Is she even here?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, why don''t you find out?¡± Zeus gently pushed me forward, so I would take the second step then another, then another, until I started walking again.

    The beating of my heart kept getting stronger and stronger until my own hearing was drowned out by it. I clenched the thick fabric in front of my chest then let go when I arrived at the door. I then took a long breath and coughed slightly before knocking on the door. The door opened and my bright smile smiled down when the one who answers the door wasn''t what I expected.

    ¡°Hello, how may I help you?¡± A teen looked at me with her eyebrow perked up. Brunette hair and rosy pale skin with somewhat Asian characteristics in her look.

    ¡°I know you from somewhere¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Her hand move and jiggled a set of keys with a recognizable keychain.

    ¡°Mitake Ran keychain, haven¡¯t seen those for a while now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but goodbye.¡± She closed the door on me. However, I managed to slip in my leg between the door, stopping her from doing so.

    ¡°Wait! wait!¡±

    ¡°AAAAAHHHHH!!!!¡± I screamed as she maced me with pepper spray.

    ¡°Stranger danger! Stranger danger!¡±

    ¡°Why would you do that? I was just looking for Kristy and Kenny Adams,¡± I backed away from the door and hunched my body forward as the burning sensation intensified.

    ¡°Kristy?¡± The teen said surprised.

    ¡°Jin? What¡¯s going on? I heard you screaming.¡±

    My sight still blurred from the mace, but I could still see an outline of an older woman. I squinted really hard and there she was, Kristy Adams. Black neatly tied hairs with a skimmer hat on her head and wore a set of rubbery apron and gloves. The specks of dirt at the bottom of her jeans told me that she was gardening at the back. She rushed to my side, while Jin tossed away the pepper spray she was holding.

    ¡°She was like this when I opened the door.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, you pepper-sprayed me in my eyes.¡±

    ¡°Well, you deserved it, you pervert!¡± Jin said while crossing her arms.

    ¡°I am not a pervert, where is that accusation even coming from?¡±

    ¡°I can tell from your naughty eyes that you were checking my bod out.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. Damn, that was a shit ton of pepper. Oh man, it¡¯s still painful, I can barely see things.¡±

    ¡°Jin, go get some water,¡± Kristy said as she rubbed my back.

    ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine, aunty.¡± She groaned as she walked away.

    Kristy helped me into her house and sat me on a couch in the living room. After my vision began to clear up, I glanced at the small photo frame on the end table right next to me. I saw my own reflection, but it was not my reflection, there¡¯re no horns or sharp teeth. It must be some kind of illusion magic that Zeus cast on me earlier without me noticing it, just like my clothes. I shouldn''t sweat it, it¡¯s better this way, no wonder they didn''t notice my monstrosity features.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    My vision focus through the glass and my heart dropped when I saw it. It was a picture of me with mom and dad. I remember taking that picture, we were painting the house together. I was a mess in the picture, blue paint was all over my face. It was a tiring day and yet, it was unforgettable and fun.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn''t catch your name earlier?¡±

    ¡°Andre.¡±

    "Excuse me?" Kristy froze while she looked at me with widened eyes.

    "I meant was, I''m here about your son, Andre Adams. I''m a reporter, and doing a story about your son."

    "My son?" Her still shoulders still tense as she backed away and took a seat right in front of me.

    "Yes, I may have some evidence that he maybe did some very bad stuff when he was still alive."

    "I...I don''t know what you''re talking about." She feigned ignorance, but she knows what he, no, what I did.

    "Please don''t lie to me, Ma''am. I have enough evidence to put him at that place, at that time the horrific act happened."

    "Andre...wasn''t a bad kid. He was a good kind kid, I raised him with love, but what happened that night before the killings, changed him." She finally admitted, she knew what happened.

    "You must have hated him for what he did." My hand clenched while my eyes glanced away.

    "What? No! I still love him no matter what he did. He was my son, my only son. Yes, he did bad things, but a mother''s love for her kids will never go away, no matter how twisted the child becomes. At least, that''s what my husband and I believe. Besides if he was that much of an evil person, why did he saved Jin?" She raised her voice slightly.

    Hearing she said that, make my heart ached with regretful happiness. After all this time, after all, I did, she still loves me and accepted me. I should have stayed home that night, I should have done a lot of things that night, but I didn''t. My eyes began to tear up as I took a short breathe to calm myself.

    "Everything okays, aunty?" Jin shouted from the kitchen.

    "Yep, Jin, everything''s fine," Kristy replied.

    "To tell you the truth," I placed my hand over my eyes, "I wish things were different." My mother looked at me with raised eyebrows.

    "I don''t follow you."

    "It''s nothing, I just thought that your son would have greatly regretted what he did," I stood up again.

    "My son? Wait, where are you going?" Kristy said as she stared at me.

    "What about the story?" I walked to the door.

    "What story? Also, you little Bumblebee wish nothing but forgiveness."

    At that moment, she saw the unforgettable resemblance of her son on me as I grinned and winked before I left the house. Her eyes welled up as she smiled uncontrollably before the door behind me closed. She couldn''t comprehend how did his son come back after his own death.

    "Andre¡­" Kristy chased after that woman, but when she opened the door, her husband with grocery in his hands stood on the other side with a surprised look.

    "What happened? Why are you crying?" The husband dropped the groceries, and immediately comfort his wife.

    "He was here," Kristy said with a broken voice.

    "Who was?"

    "Our son."

    "That couldn''t be true, there was no one here."

    "Are you sure she can''t see me?" I stood across the house along with Zeus and Iris, my looks reverted back to normal, horns and sharp teeth.

    "She won''t, no mortal can see us here."

    Zeus teleported us again, I wanted to stay behind, but I know she better off without me. Besides, I got worlds to save. Once again, I was transported to a place unknown to me, but this time, the location was on top of some tower rooftop. The cold winds blew against my face as we stared at the sunset.

    "You know, one of the music I loved in this mortal world, is by that one mortal. I think his name was Frank. His song ''That''s life'' summed up why I love the mortals and their life." He snapped a finger and that song played in the background.

    "Shouldn''t we keep ourselves hidden?"

    "Don''t be such a stickler," Zeus said, his calm appearance had suddenly gone and replaced by a chill attitude even Iris was caught off guard by the god demeanor.

    "Aaah, sure. Do whatever you want."

    "OMG, Come one, chillax will Yah?" He summoned a bench and sat on it while both of his shoulders relaxed. He patted the seat right to him and brightly smiled as he invited me to sit beside him.

    "Okay. You reminded me of someone." I took a seat with Iris beside me

    "Do I?" He tilted his head make this most ridiculous playful face.

    "Yeah, you do."

    "Lmfao, I''m always been so seriousss. Dude, that prank you pulled with my mom was superb. And also, I want to thank you, I haven''t spoken to her for a long time...it was pleasant," He said then hummed to music, but mid-hum, he quickly hunched forward and started to cough terribly.

    "Are you okay?" I placed my hand on his back.

    "Yeah," he snickered cynically. He moved his hand from his mouth and a smudge of black liquid can be seen on the corner of his mouth and palm.

    "This is it."

    "You were hit during the fight¡­ I remember now, it''s the curse?"

    "That''s life, right?" Zeus smiled as he kept on humming.

    "You need medical help," I was about to stand, but was stopped by Iris''s hand.

    "Iris?" I turned my attention to her, and she was holding back her tears under that blindfold.

    "She knew the outcome, Andre¡­"

    "I can''t leave you here!" My eyebrows furrowed and I stood up to face him.

    "Don''t pretend you care about me Andre, I know you don''t like me for what I did to Adrestia."

    "What? We passed that! Now come on, we need to get you back home and heal," I extended my hand to him, and he looked at me with disbelief gaze, dumbfounded by me.

    "You really are something, you do care about me. Hah, you''re a weird woman. Thanks for the offer though, and here. Give this to my son and Odesza. You''ll need the firepower, and they need to take over for me and my brother," Zeus took out two golden marble and place it in my hand.

    "What is it?" I could feel the warmth and so much power from these two small marbles.

    "Poseidon''s and my very essence, our power. Once you gave this to them, the power will enter them and turn them into a god." He coughed loudly again, but this time he was groaning painfully.

    "Zeus!" I stored the marble in my pockets and rushed to him.

    "My wife...my son, they both hated me. I wasn''t a good god or a good father, Andre. And you, so much suffering, I have caused to all of them and the people around me...Don''t blame Adrestia, Andre. I''m the one who makes her do it. She had doubts when you protect her honor, but I still forced her to go through with it." Zeus rested his palm against my cheek.

    "You don''t make any sense right now."

    "I had to. You''re the light, you will save us. Apollo foresaw a terrifying future, but the one who can change it is you."

    "I don''t understand."

    "The prophecy, you must do it. You have no choice." His eyes widened like a mad man.

    "Iris, now!" Zeus pushed me, and Iris came then placed both her hands against my cheeks.

    "I''m sorry, Andre," Iris muttered while tears were rolling down her cheeks.

    I felt my eyeballs slowly rolled back into my head while the whole reality around me melted like ice. Afterward, I felt my very soul being pulled out from my body, and then I saw it, everything.

    The truth.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 11]

    "Where¡¯s Lord Zeus?" Odesza rushed at me as I stepped away from the portal along with Iris.

    The portal closed on itself, my sight downcast while a heavy horrific realization weighed on me. I took out the glowing marbles when Zeus and Poseidon''s candidates walked up to me. I gave each of them, their respective glowing marbles, just like Zeus''s wishes.

    "He said he loves both you and your mother, and wished things were different." I looked at the blond-haired, blue-eyed man, and nodded before leaving him.

    The blonde-haired man closed his eyes and shattered the marble in his hand, then a sudden, a flow of energy circled his arm and make its way throughout his body. The same thing happened to Odesza, as her and his body was transformed into a glowing and more adult-like body of beauty and grace. Both of them had become a god.

    However, I was not there for the spectacle as I was too busy with my own thoughts. All of them ignored me as I walked away except for Iris as she followed me with a downcasted gaze.

    ¡°With this power, we can win this. Do you agree with me, Hiro?¡± Odesza turned to Zeus¡¯s candidate; Hiro remained silent as he stared upon his hands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Odesza. In terms of numbers, we are overwhelmed and don''t you realize that we are the only one left? All of the gods already leave because they are too afraid to fight, and what happened to Zeus, only confirms their doubts. Can you back me up on this, Aria?¡± Arthur, the winged boots wearing man who looks like a casual businessman; spoke out clearly. Even though, he wore some kind of advanced futuristic helmet that hides his face.

    ¡°0.5 percent, our current probability of success, Arthur.¡± Aria, a dark-skin woman with a disinterested face and short brown hair said calmly. A candidate to none other than Athena. The armor she wore is as beautifully well made and sleek as the top grade tech hidden underneath it.

    ¡°O.5 percent out of 1?¡± A man with a sleek purple-haired that matched his purple Hawaiian shirt jokes; as he took a drink out of his flask. No one could mistake this man when smelling the sweet scent of grape wine as he is the candidate to Dionysus.

    ¡°0.5 out of 100,¡± Aria answered precisely,

    ¡°Stop joking around, Daryl,¡± Hanna, a woman with tan-skinned and long brown-haired tied into a bun is so elegant as the umbrella she carried, scolded the slightly drunk man. The cold demeanor as familiars as Hera herself, so she could only be a candidate to none other than Hera.

    ¡°Aww, don''t be mad, Hanna. We all know that you can¡¯t get any real man into those panties because of how terrifying you are,¡± Daryl joked again.

    ¡°Ugh, a candidate to the gods should not dirty his or her mouth with obscene words, and how could you find humor in our current situation?¡± Danielle, a woman dressed in green and wielding a wooden staff that one could mistake for an ordinary tree branch turned her gaze at Daryl with a frown and furrowed eyebrows.

    ¡°Do you really think that I forgot what happened? Do you really think I didn''t realize how shitty our situation is? The gods don''t want to help us fight, we have no army per se to even have a chance of winning, and our only firepower is the two of them, and I doubt they could fight the swarm of monsters or...God killer by themselves. Lastly, do you think that I forgot my god and brother! Dionysus, just passed away.¡± Daryl gritted his teeth as he slumped down to the floor and took a few drinks from his flask.

    The atmosphere darkened as everyone walked away and took a seat or leaned against the wall somewhere else, mourning the death of their gods and goddesses alone. Odesza glanced around her, trying to figure out what to say, something to pull this group, but she got nothing, nothing that substantial to lift their spirits up. So she turned to Hiro, looking for help. The blonde-haired man remained captivated by his own power that he had forgotten his surroundings.

    With no help from Hiro, Odesza herself gave up.

    ¡­

    ..

    .

    ¡°Andre, you need to go there and say something. No one is more¡­ experience than you. These people never felt utter despair like you did,¡± Iris pleaded me.

    ¡°When does it stop?¡± I looked up at the high ceilings with my lips parted.

    "What stop?"

    "Getting tangled up with mystic greek nonsense. Haven''t I gone through enough?" I sighed. "How¡­long have you known about the prophecy, Iris?"

    "Since the beginning, even before I met you," Iris answered while her gaze was elsewhere.

    "That''s why you shed a tear for me and accidentally called me The Light. If you know all of this would happen and you could have stopped it right there, right then. Then why didn¡¯t you stop it?" My grip tightened.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±

    "Why? Why?! Why did you keep it a secret?"

    "I had no choice¡­"

    "BULLSHIT!" I shouted in rage and caused Iris to jolt away in fear.

    "Woah, calm down, may I ask what is going on?" Tadao came to her aid by standing in front of her. I turned and noticed Iris shuddered slightly in fear by my outburst. Looking at that frightening girl''s face, I lost my anger and remained calm again.

    "It''s nothing¡­" I scoffed.

    "I disagree, you were yelling."

    I turned my sight at Shin and I saw that same look Iris had on his face, "You too?" Shin nodded his head, confirming my suspicion.

    "Does everyone know?!"

    "Know what?" Kadence and Ophre walked to us. Even Tadao was confused by my delirious question.

    "So only Shin and Iris, huh? Hahahaha...I despise this place so much."

    "If you hate it so much, why don''t you leave?" My attention was drawn by to person who asked me that question. I turned around and found Hades, standing behind me. My gaze instantly went to his hands, to see it had healed and regrown.

    "I would! If I could." I looked back into his glaring gaze.

    "But here you are, still. You know what will happen if you leave."

    "If I leave I lost everything, if I stay I lost everything again. What kind of shitty choice is that?"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Iris, can you see the outcome of our battle?"

    "No, lord Hades. It''s too many, I can''t determine which path we are taking."

    "Do you all hear that?!" Hades yelled out, and the other candidates even Hiro started to give their attention to the God of the Underworld.

    "Our outcome is unknown. Do you know what that means?"

    "It means that we have a chance to win this battle. Although, it may be a slim chance, and yet, it is still a chance nevertheless. So lift up your chin, grab your weapons, pray for your victory, and let''s make it known that the candidates do not cower away when the worlds are in danger." The candidates began to stand up and hope finally arose in their gaze.

    "Hiro, Kadence, and Odesza, your three are the oldest here, lead these people, guide them to victory. Aria, you''re the candidate to the most brilliant strategist I have ever known, show that bastard ¡®God Killer¡¯ why. Danielle and Daryl find us something to eat and drink, if today our last day, let''s make it something worth remembering. Arthur, you''re the fastest one here, help them. Kingsley and James, find us some god damn good weapons and armor."

    "There''s no need," A rough voice echoed from behind them, Hephaestus. He brought down a single wardrobe from his back and opened it. Then with a single pull, it is enough to slide out the ridiculous neverending armors and weapons from that normal looking wardrobe.

    "Gramp?" I mumbled.

    "Good to see you again, Andre." Hephaestus smiled brightly at me.

    "Everyone else, help each other," Hades ordered and everyone began to move again, rushing toward their tasks.

    "Iris, may I ask where is Apollo?" Hades turned his attention at the small gothic girl.

    "My lord, Lord Apollo, he is difficult to reach right now."

    "The loss may have affected him more than I anticipated. We all could benefit from his help right about now."

    "If I may Lord Hades, I¡ª" Iris was interrupted by a red-headed woman wearing a white hoodie. "What she meant was, I and my Lil sis who had forgotten about me, are going to convince him to come."

    "Corona? So glad to see you," Iris hugged her tightly as much as she could, and it caused a smile to appear on her big sis''s face. Tadao noticed the woman and slightly nodded his head to show his respect. While Ophre glared with jealousy at the red-headed woman.

    ¡°Hey BFF!¡± Corona greeted the glaring woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your friend.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you said that, but I know you can¡¯t take your eyes off me.¡±

    Ophre grunted and crossed her arms.

    "Adventure on your own, new friends, glad to see you''re okay, and thank you Tadao for taking care of her. However, we still have a task to do. Let''s talk to Lord Apollo shall we?" Iris and Corona walked away and both of them left the hall.

    "Tadao," Kadence called him, and he walked toward the woman.

    "Andre, I need to speak to you in private," Hades said as he walked away. After hearing his request, I followed by his side.

    "Andre, I know it''s hard, but the greater good will always outweigh your own self-interest."

    "Greater good? That''s a load of bullshit, if you had found the source of this ruckus, we would never be here in the first place." The mirror-hallway never ceases to amaze me, but my own anger outweighs my other emotions.

    "You are absolutely right, but we didn''t, if it would be easy, we would have taken the other path. However, here we are, if you are so displeased of this place, you are welcome to leave."

    "I can''t!" I raised my voice.

    "It''s that new girl, am I correct? What''s her name?" Despite my outburst, the god remained calm, even friendly even.

    "Her name is Aki," I sighed while my shoulders droop

    "I could tell this ''Aki'' mortal is someone special to you."

    "Yes, she is. She''s the one who brought me back from the depths of despair." I smiled as I remembered her face fondly.

    "It''s a wondrous feeling, isn''t it? Having someone to protect and live for."

    "Yeah...But I don''t know if I can go through it again, what you ask of me is harder than it looks."

    I felt a hard fist hit against my cheek, I lost my footing and fell onto my butt. My sight went to Hades, he unclenched his fist and looked at me with a disappointed gaze. The punch was painful, but what hurts me more is the look of sympathy that comes after.

    "I''m sorry to have hit you, but I kept hearing you complain and complain, since when do you give so easily? Did you forget that you''re the one who faced and threatened me in my own realm to get what you wanted! Where is that tenacious woman I know? Look at you now. Pathetic."

    ¡®Pathetic,¡¯ that single word echoed in me.

    "Andre!" Shin rushed and kneeled beside me.

    ¡®Pathetic,¡¯ it echoed again.

    "This is not the same!" I waved my arm in front of me. "It''s not that easy..."

    "Do you think that it is easy for me? I''m scared shitless right now, my family is in danger, I lost my brothers and sisters, but here I am, still...You have to do it."

    "I can''t, I can''t bear the same burden again."

    "Andre¡­" Shin took hold of my hand, he surprised me.

    "If you can''t, let me have half of it, just like you said. Half and Half. You are not alone here this time around, you have friends and allies," Shin lifted me up and brought my gaze at the other candidates.

    I took a moment to let those words sank into me, Aki was there for me. What she said to me, help me, and I used those words to help Shin. Now, it has come back full circle.

    "If you can''t do it, then find another way." What Hades said just now clicked something in me, and he is right.

    "You''re right, the outcome is uncertain. I think I know a solution. But right now, what do you need from me?" I clenched my hand as tight as I could.

    "An army would help." A hopeful smile came back onto Hades'' face.

    "I know someone who can give us that."

    I marched to the sorting of armor, but before I could pick one, James interrupted me and pulled my attention toward him. He held a lockbox with a bright smile on his face and brought it closer to me. I took the lockbox, it wasn''t that heavy, but it has some weight to it.

    ¡°I made it just for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...but what is it?¡± I glanced at the lockbox.

    ¡°Open it up and see for yourself.¡±

    I placed the lockbox on the ground because it ain''t easy to open and holding it at the same time using only one arm. After I placed it carefully on the ground, I revealed the content inside of it, and I¡¯m surprised to find a nice set of clothes. Black high boots, black cargo pants, a white top, a literal bulletproof vest, and a black overcoat with a white fur collar.

    ¡°Combat ready, I like it, thanks.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more, dig in.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow and dig deeper and felt a cold metal underneath those clothes, I took out the first layer, and I found myself to be even more surprised by the content inside. It is a mechanical arm made from decorative carved metals that fit together to form an arm. The way it is designed, the sharp jagged corner mix with a smooth corner. I guessed it was designed by two people, It could be his brother and him, and I was right when I caught a glance from Kingsley.

    Right there, right then, I stripped off my torn clothes and wore the new set of clothes. At that moment when I saw James¡¯s reddened face, I realize that I just got naked in front of these people, but I don¡¯t really care. However, it was quite distracting for James. Wearing the clothes was easy, but the hard part was attaching the arm to my stump.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°SHIT! AAAAHHH!!¡± The mechanical arm melted into my skin and fused with the bones inside. The burning sensation mix with the strange feeling of something moving inside your muscle was not something you want to feel, not even once in your entire life.

    ¡°I forgot to warn you, hehe, sorry,¡± James smiled apologetically. I looked at him with annoyance and pinched both of his cheeks.

    ¡°You pervert.¡±

    ¡°Ouch, ouch, I¡¯m not a pervert! Also, there¡¯s one more thing that I want to give you.¡± He moved away from me then kneeled down, and he removed the second layer of the lockbox to reveal a familiar hatchet.

    ¡°You fix it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I did forge a new one. It''s stronger than ever.¡±

    The hatchet¡¯s grip fits perfectly in my hand, it burns slightly as it recognized me as its new owner, but it isn''t as painful as the arm. I twirled it around, the weight, its how I remember it. It¡¯s been so long, I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you in the past. I wore the belt-sheath around my thigh and slid the hatchet into it.

    ¡°Okay, who wants to follow me back to the Underworld?¡± I turned myself around and saw Shin with a raised hand while others shook their heads.

    ¡°I shall follow you too,¡± Hades said while a beautiful cloak materialized on him.

    ¡°Let''s go then,¡± I said and Hades immediately opened up a portal, giving us access to his realm without using teleportation rune. Hades, Shin, and I went into the portal without looking back.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 12]

    A desolate world greeted us as we went through the portal. I rushed to the cave entrance and found the monster clan slowly settling inside the cave. I glanced around and from afar, I saw the turquoise scarf I gifted him a long time ago, fluttering slightly. I ran toward him, but slow down when he turned toward me and looked at me with no shred of friendliness. He dismissed the monster he was talking to and walked to me with a strong distaste.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Agnes asked coldly.

    I scratched the back of my neck, thinking of a proper way to ask for his help.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to request from you. Why in the hell I¡¯m so formal? Hehe...Joke aside, the worlds are in danger, and we, no, I need your help,¡± Awkwardness and desperation were blatant in my request.

    "I can foresee what kind of help you want from me, but let me ask you first, what will happen if I said no? Will my people be kicked out?"

    "No! You all are welcome here, this request will not affect your stay whatsoever," Shin spoke out.

    "Then I politely decline," Agnes said nonchalantly and turned around to continue his work.

    "What? How can you say that?" I said loudly and it caught the attention of Uvoah and Kraus.

    "How?¡± He said sarcastically before turning around with a glare, ¡±I think you fail to understand that I will not send my people to die in another war that has nothing to do with them, we all have suffered enough.¡±

    "Suffer? The Darkness will not stop until all the worlds including this one are ravage and destroy. Your people will not stand a chance against them. If you don¡¯t help us, then we all are doomed."

    "So you''re saying is that we should only do what you tell us or our life will be in danger? The balls you have, to come here and threaten me and my people?!"

    "No! I''m not threatening anyone. I¡¯m just stating the truth."

    "I reject your truth, and I decline your request, so leave!" The cave fell into silence after Agnes shouted with anger.

    "I know...what I did to you are unforgivable, but don''t let that cloud your judgment."

    "You don''t know anything about the pain you caused me, and I''m not declining your request because of petty reasons. I''m declining because it will not benefit my people whatsoever. Even the worlds are saved, my people will still live in this shitty realm, and it won''t improve our situation no matter how many of our people lay down their lives for those you called gods! No offense, Lord Hades." Agnes bowed for forgiveness, but Hades gestured him to raise his head again.

    "Agnes, what she said there''s truth in it, we can''t survive like this," Kraus said as he placed his hand on the Harpy''s shoulder.

    "I hate to even agree with this buffoon, but she is right. We need to fight when we still have the chance," Uvoah pouted her lips.

    "No! I won''t do it. That''s my final decision, and please respect it," Agnes''s eyes were as cold as the snow. Kraus and Uvoah sighed as they watched as Agnes leave this section of the cave.

    "Can you give me some space?" I said to Hades and Shin, they both nodded their heads and walked away. I took a long deep breath and followed Agnes.

    ¡­

    "Agnes, you gotta believe me, I did it because I can''t protect you anymore. I''m only causing you more harm than good," My heart dropped when gaze gravitated to the large scar on his chest.

    "I was in pain, confused, scared, and shaken to my very core, but nevertheless, I was hopeful. The thought of you was there gave me some relief, but when I woke up, guess what? You weren''t there. You left me, Andre. I needed you, and you weren''t there. I''m willing to give you my life, I was there at your side through the good and bad. Even after all of that, how did you repay me?"

    "Agnes¡­" I extended my hand as I walked closer to him.

    "You left me! Alone and scared!" He shouted and I stopped myself from getting closer.

    "It wasn''t the wound on my chest that hurt me, it was you! You shattered my heart into tiny pieces and spat on it like it was nothing. Every single day, I blamed myself, thinking that it was my fault, that it was my weakness that made you leave, but it was you, it was easier for you to leave me rather than take responsibility for what happened."

    "I realize that now that you were the problem, not me, so leave all you want because I know now who''s my real family, the one who won''t abandon me," Agnes turned around then pressed his hand against the familiar''s tattoo on his belly before he walked away.

    I wanted to apologize, but I know that it isn''t enough to repair what had been broken. No matter what I did, it will never be enough. However, no matter what I think, I needed to apologize. To try at least, to try to change his heart.

    "I''m sorry, Agnes."

    "Your ¡®sorry¡¯ means nothing to me."

    "I know, but I''m sorry. No matter how much you hate me, I still thought of you as my little brother...I love you," I said what I could, but Agnes still ignored me as he walked until I lost sight of him.

    ¡­

    ..

    .

    "Agnes!"

    "Please someone! Help me!!"

    I pressed my palm against Agnes''s bloody cheek, I couldn''t tell which one is his blood or Daisie or mine. Tears ran down my own and dripped onto his face. I weighed my forehead against him, and my heart tightened when I could feel the warmth slowly escaped his body.

    "I''m here!"

    "I''m here¡­"

    "Please don''t leave me¡­." I remembered how scared I was at the thought of losing him

    "Please."

    "Andre¡­" He whispered my voice.

    "Andre¡­¡­"

    "Andre!" I returned back to reality and turned my attention to the map laid out before me.

    "Yes?" I looked up to Odesza, and she had this annoying look on her face.

    "Do you understand the plan?" She asked me.

    "Can we go through it again? My mind wasn''t here."

    "Focus, damn it. We are not here to have fun, we are here to stop the inevitable. There are Lives are at stake, and precious time to spare. So we need you to focus!" Odesza slammed the desk.

    "I understand."

    "Aria, will you please?" Hades sighed and gestured at the dark-skinned woman.

    "Our resources are limited. The current numbers of our battle force needed are minimum at best. Our option for head-on combat is suicidal. That is why our only other option left is trickery and tactical," Aria started rearranging the pieces that laid out on the map.

    "I propose a plan that uses distraction and stealth. We know what our target is, this orb right here in the middle of the sea of Darkness." Aria pointed her finger at the single marble on the map.

    "With my calculation and the vision I received just before their untimely death, I predicted that the teleportation room that was shattered from Mount Olympus should be floating near the orb itself, but it is probably surrounded by The Darkness. That is why using Lord Hades, Hiro, and Odesza powers we could pull some of the force away from the orb, and gave us the chance to teleport into the room and eliminate our prime target."

    "What will happen if we destroy the orb?" I rested my hand against my chin.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "In those visions, Zeus was able to hurt the God Killer, but if you look closely during that time, there was a short moment where the Darkness froze as if their thought process stops entirely. However, the best-case scenario, destroying the orb will destroy God Killer and The Darkness, but what we hope to happen is to snatch away the God Killer''s control over the Darkness. With that, It might give us a fighting chance that we truly needed."

    "Final question, which group I will be joining?"

    "You will be joining Kadence¡¯s group consist of Tadao, Ophre, Arthur, and of course, Kadence," I glanced at Morgan, and what I caught was her deathly glare. She might be still holding a grudge against me. Yet, I can''t blame her for it, her behavior is reasonable because of what I did to Daisie.

    "Stealth is required for this task, a small scale force should do it. While the bait group consists of Lord Hades, Hiro and Odesza remain close to the newly open portal, the others will act out as backup behind the portal in case of unexpected circumstances should arise and put those three in danger."

    "It''s a simple diversion tactic, so it should progress smoothly. Based on my calculation, our probability of success is 10 percent out of 100."

    "Yay!" Danielle clapped in high spirits.

    Everyone turned their heads at the jolly girl with a single eyebrow raised, the girl¡¯s cheeks reddened as she glanced around her with panic.

    ¡°Eehhh?! 10 is better than 0.5 right?¡± Danielle gripped her wooden staff and shrunk down to her seat.

    Out of nowhere, Hades laughed, and it was out a place, very out of place. Somehow, the jolly girl broke his calm demeanor, The Lord of the Underworld pressed his hands against his stomach and hunched forward, trying to contain the laughter within. The other candidates including me stared at the god and started smiling and giggling.

    ¡°You¡¯re right! It is better than 0.5! HAHAHA, someone gets me some water!¡±

    Danielle rose again from her seat and smiled after her confidence restored. She let out a sigh, glad that no one was annoyed by her optimism. I smiled, but despite the uplifting vibe, my heart still aches as I remember Agnes and the coming battle. I need to focus, there¡¯s no one beside me that can do what the destiny asked of me, whichever choices I pick are going to decide the outcome, and none of them are gonna be a good ending.

    I looked around me and noticed that Kadence¡¯s deep gaze directed at Tadao. Sadness and longing dripped out from her gaze, but when Tadao turned his head to look at Kadence, she quickly turned away. I ignored the two of them and looked elsewhere, I could see Arthur¡¯s hand on top of Aria¡¯s, are the two of them a thing? I sighed, it¡¯s not my place to judge, but if they were a couple, they would be a good looking couple. The people smiling, lifted some of the clouds over my heart and make me realize that this battle isn''t about me, it''s about all of them.

    However, I should be grateful, it¡¯s the little things that I want to cherish the most. To have this so many friends and allies around me, even if some of them are unable to attend, I thank you all for everything.

    After the meeting, we suited up for battle, my group mostly wore light armor even Tadao shed his samurai armor in favor of a more nimble and stealthier one. The logic is there, but what I didn''t expect was his well-defined body. I had expected him to be bigger, but he is quite slender for someone who wore armor twice his size. However, we are not here to discuss his logic gear, we are here to talk about his muscled toned bod. I mean look at it, you could even trace his muscle over the light armor itself. I smiled when I noticed the same lustful gaze from Kadence toward Tadao. There''s totally something between them.

    As we gathered together, I took the spot beside Tadao and leaned closer.

    "Is there something going on between you and Kadence?" I whispered.

    "There was, but it ended with two broken hearts." Tadao took out a single fruit from his satchel and passed it on to me. I gladly took it off his hand.

    "Kebukaidesu fruit?" The red hairy fruit fitted perfectly in my hand, it felt smooth and rough at the same time.

    "It¡¯s from the banquet earlier, I noticed you didn''t manage to get one."

    ¡°I always wanted to eat one...Agnes stole my first time eating it.¡±

    ¡°First time?¡± I could sense the perverted grin behind that samurai mask.

    ¡°Ha. Ha.¡± Sarcasm poured dripped down my laugh.

    ¡°I just can''t comprehend your thoughts, why should I stay and you go?! Why can¡¯t I fight beside you? Am I such a burden to you? Are you that afraid?¡± It¡¯s my first time seeing Shin become so mad at his father, no, at anyone. That timid boy just exploded, what in the hell did Lord Zeus said to him?

    ¡°Yes...¡± Hades said without thinking, and Shin looked at his father with shocked eyes.

    ¡°No! I mean you¡¯re not a burden, I¡¯m just afraid okay? No father should experience losing his own son and wife,¡± Hades placed his hands on the boy¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s okay to let me go through it? You think I won''t feel the same way you feel?¡± A single tear dripped down his cheek and into his gritted teeth.

    ¡°What more should I tell you? I don''t want you to fight, you don''t need to fight, I¡¯m here to fight for you.¡±

    ¡°I don''t need you fighting for me. I can win my own battle!¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You would let yourself die first? Before giving your son a chance to save you. If that is the case, then you are a FOOL!¡± That was the case, he was right, Hades would let himself perish in order to protect his family from any harm.

    ¡°You¡¯re a dumb, kind, beautiful child! And... my only child. Please--just stay with your mom. I love you both more than anything in this entire existence, so please, listen to me and go back home.¡± Hades embraced his son and shed tears while a painful smile slowly crept on his face.

    ¡°You idiot¡­¡± Shin took a few steps back and ran away.

    He vanished into a thin black smoke before I could stop him. After letting out a sigh, I turned my head to Hades.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Lord, but our time is limited,¡± Aria stepped into the heavy atmosphere with ease. Hades took a short breath then wiped his tears before he materialized his powerful Bident out of blue fire that appeared out of nowhere.

    Hades gripped his bident using both his hand and brought it closer in front of him. The blue fire between the two prongs grew bigger by the second. My group and I formed a circle with the teleportation rune in the middle, we stared and waited for Hades to open the portal.

    A bolt of lightning struck in front of Hiro while thunders roared above us, a single glowing Spear appeared after the electricity disappeared into the floor. While Hiro materializes his spear from lighting itself, Odesza was circled by flowing water, the water engulfed the Trident and started to modify it to fit her size.

    I peeled the fruit and tossed it glazed content into my mouth. The taste was slightly savory, and yet, nothing that intense, but I kinda like it, the gummy and watery feel when I bite into it. Tadao turned his sight on me, I raised a thumbs up and looked at Hades.

    The air itself was ripped apart by blue fire, forming a portal for the three of them to use. When we saw that, Aria immediately gave the signal, and we were blinded by the immense light while our bodies slightly floated off the floor. Every cell in our bodies was split apart and reformed again in less than a second.

    Just when my sight return, I was suddenly pulled back by the collar and leaned against a wall. I turned to the person who pulled me, and Tadao was beside me with his other hand on my mouth. He pointed above, one of The Darkness can be seen through the cracked ceiling, it lingers and dormant while it blocked the light from going through the cracks.

    I turned to Tadao and nodded my head. We quickly sneaked out of the teleportation chamber. The moment we opened the door, a jagged sword flew toward us, Tadao parried it and caused it to stabbed the floor. Our attentions were pulled to the end of the hallway, and that moment, despair loomed over us.

    "God Killer," Arthur muttered.

    "I see that life has treated you like shit," A familiar woman voice came out from God Killer, herself.

    "Compare to me, you look much worse than before. You know, I still couldn''t believe it, but here you are," I took out my hatchet and walked passed Tadao.

    "Quite a plan, you got here," The God Killer teased.

    "Your voice sounded familiar, and how did you know about our plan?" Tadao took a step forward and stood beside me.

    "Easy! There''s a traitor amongst yourself, but not just any traitor, the mastermind himself."

    A roar of thunder shook the sky above us.

    *

    A few seconds earlier.

    Hades and Odesza walked out of the portal, the first thing that greeted them was the sight of a crumbling Mount Olympus. The view saddened Hades¡¯s heart as he is reminded of the painful event that transpired here. He clenched his Bident and aimed it at the sea of Darkness, below them.

    ¡°Ready, yourself!¡± Hades said aloud, Odesza then quickly pointed her Trident at the same target as Hades and channeled her power into the weapon. She had never seen so much Creature of Darkness before, and that scared her, she understood now the overwhelming despair that her fellow candidates felt. However, she needed to be brave because her comrades and the worlds are counting on her.

    Out of nowhere, a crackle of lightning struck both of them, fiery pain exploded underneath their skin as their entire body was licked by tremendous electricity. They both screamed at the top of their lungs before finally stopped when the lightning dissipated.

    Hades looked at Hiro with disbelief as he fell, but before he could crash into a floating platform, he took hold of Odesza and embraced her before impact. The floating platform cracked and formed a crater in which they both laid in. Hades placed the fainted girl beside him and tried to stand, but he dropped to one knee.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Hiro smiled as he expanded his power outward, showcasing his ultimate control over lightning. Black clouds started to blanket the sky itself, prevented light from reaching them, Hiro¡¯s eye was illuminated by energy as he pointed his spear at Hades and discharged electricity at the god of the underworld until he kneeled before him.

    Hades screamed and screamed, while occasionally glancing behind him, he couldn¡¯t move or risk the electricity hitting Odesza. Hiro stopped and laughed; smoke rose from Hades¡¯s body, all the moisture on his skin had been vaporized. Fresh burn marks could be found littered across his body. He hugged himself in quivering pain, he couldn¡¯t move his arms as the muscles underneath had locked in place.

    ¡°Finally...All those years of planning, tricking, lying, and making Apollo become mad with those terrifying visions.¡±

    ¡°W-Why¡­¡± Hades muttered, his voice shook from the agonizing pain. He glanced at his out of reach Bident.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you soon enough, but now¡­ Hear my voice my beautiful creations! Invade those worlds and destroy them!¡± Hiro pointed at the portal, the sea of terrifying creatures began to gather and flew toward the opened portal.

    However, the portal exploded in a bright blue fire when a slashed of water sliced it in half. Odesza had woken up and aimed her trident at the portal, Hiro fumed with rage, send another wave of lightning and shocked them both until the girl¡¯s eyes became white.

    ¡°Stop! You are going to kill her!¡± Hades shouted.

    Hiro stopped and took a couple of breaths to calm himself.

    ¡°How unsightly of me, to be overwhelmed in rage. Oh, uncle Hades, still the soft-hearted god.¡±

    ¡°Why, Hiro? Why¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I think you deserve an explanation.¡±

    However before Hiro could explain himself, BOOM! The teleportation room where the second group was exploded as a tornado broke the roof off the building.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 13]

    The God Killer took off her helmet and let it fall to the floor. The orange hair was replaced by a sickly black color, but a trace of orange lock could still be found on her head. The sweet scent she had was no more, her lively skin, had turned pale and decorated with black veins. Her big brown eyes had been corrupted until it had become nothing but black. Her loving smile sent a shiver down my spine as she tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°Daisie...¡±

    ¡°Daisie?! But, how?¡± Kadence turned her glaring gaze at me.

    ¡°Oh, dear sister, you didn¡¯t know about our prophecy?¡±

    ¡°What prophecy? Andre explains yourself!¡±

    I remained silent, unable to answer her question.

    ¡°The Light!¡± Daisie gestured at me.

    ¡°And The True Darkness!¡± She mockingly curtsied.

    ¡°A battle that will decide the fate of the entire existence, a battle which none of us can run away, a destiny lock in stone! The reason why Adrestia picked her when Aphrodite picked me, no one could have guessed it, even Aphrodite didn¡¯t know. A scandalous secret buried deep between the big three and Adrestia.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! You guys focus on the orb, while I keep her busy.¡±

    ¡°But?!¡± Kadence stressed.

    ¡°Her power is from that orb, if we could destroy it, we could disable her, and probably save her. Kadence! I need your help, now, more than ever. Do you want to save her or not?!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Ophre, open up a hole, we are going after the orb!¡± Kadence ordered.

    I charged toward Daisie with my hatchet tightly gripped, I brought it up for a downward slashed, but Daisie blocked it with her jagged sword. I could feel my hatchet slowly rise as she brought her sword slightly higher, I backed away and she laughed. She¡¯s stronger than me, but I¡¯m not trying to win here, I just need to keep her busy.

    Before I could strike again, the floor shook terribly as a barrage of thundering noise roared above us again.

    "Arthur, a little help here," Ophre drew her bow and aimed it at the wall near her.

    "No need to tell me twice," Arthur rushed to her side and coated the energy arrow with a whirlwind.

    However, before Ophre could fire her shot, Daisie hurled a jagged sword at the woman. Ophre stepped away from Arthur, and nearly missed the sword, but the sudden attack caused her to release the projectile. The arrow exploded when it hit the ceiling, and caused a strong gust of wind to burst open the roof, and swept everyone away from the center of the room.

    "Tadao!"

    Tadao crashed through a crumbling wall and disappeared outside. Kadence quickly chased after him by leaping through the opened crack.

    Ophre was thrown and slammed against the wall. The Impact was strong enough to knock Ophre out of commission. Arthur, on the other hand, was somehow pulled up by the strong whirlwind through the newly opened ceiling, and thrown into the void.

    I managed to sink my hatchet into a marble pillar and used it as an anchor. I dropped my feet and quickly ducked as a blade planted into the marble just a few inches over my head. I rolled away and raised my weapon to block an incoming downward slash. Daisie smiled as she kept slamming her sword down onto my hatchet, I felt the hatchet slowly slid out of my hand, but before I lose my grip, I kicked her away to put some distance between us.

    "Why? Why do you even fight for those people? You seen the prophecy, they are nothing but a thorn under your skin, a parasite of petty and hubris. They don''t deserve you or me."

    ¡°Not all of them. Beside...The prophecy means nothing to me.¡±

    Our weapons clashed again, it was so strong that it sent a shockwave that cracks the remaining wall.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re lying, Andre. I know that you hate what those three did to us. Bringing us back to life just so we could fight each other.¡±

    "How are you alive?" Our weapons clashed again, but the force from her sword caused me to let go of my hatchet. Daisie swung her blade, and I caught it with my metal arm, the sword was sharp enough to leave a shallow cut between my steel palm.

    "Hiro brought me back, and I''m stronger than ever."

    I tried to kick her foot right under her so she could lose balance, but she moved her feet and slammed her palm against my chest. That single hit managed to send me flying across the room and crashed into the wall behind me. I rose back up, grunting in pain, the debris slid off my back after I stood up again.

    ¡°Andre, I have a proposal for you, let us destroy the worlds, and I will make your death quick and painless. Does that sound good?¡±

    ¡°You would kill millions of innocent souls? What happened to you?¡±

    Her smile turned into a frown as she gripped her jagged sword tightly, and with a single blink of an eye, she disappeared into thin air. Before I could glance around me and search for her, a kick hit my side with so much force that I felt a few of my rib cages broke before I was thrown to the side. I raised my arm beside me just before my body slammed against the wall, the force from the impact went through my shoulder first before it traveled throughout my body.

    I dropped to my knees, coughing out blood while an immense pain spread from my shoulder. However, Daisie didn¡¯t stop there as she rushed at me with super speed and punched me in the face. That punch sent me through the wall and flew across the void before landing on another large floating debris.

    She flew at high speed and crashed into me with her foot against my chest. I coughed out another cup of blood onto her armor boot, she glared at me as she hunched down closer to my face.

    ¡°I am like this because of you! You ignorant piece of shit! I hate you!¡± Daisie slammed her boot against my chest, the crated deepened behind me.

    ¡°I hate you!¡± She slammed again, and my body deepened into the sharp crater.

    ¡°I hate you!!¡± She kicked again, and I lost all of my breath inside my lungs.

    Daisie panted heavily and moaned as if she was in ecstasy to see me in so much pain. She sat on my belly and with a smile, she caressed both my cheek, ¡°Aww, my cute little fiance, what wrong? Are you in pain?¡±

    ¡°Look at you, I see that you lost an arm, did I do that? Does it hurt still? Do you remember the pain? Do you remember how I cut that little birdie?¡±

    ¡°Leave her alone¡­¡± I searched for my weapon, but I couldn¡¯t see it so I called upon my hatchet.

    ¡°Oh, now, finally! That¡¯s the look I want from you. That...rage!¡±

    I screamed and the hatchet flew right back into my hand, she jumped away as I swung my hatchet wildly in front of me. My sight was reddened from the dripping blood from my head, I didn¡¯t feel the pain, but my vision is getting blurry by the minutes. I rushed toward her at breakneck speed, and she avoided the fast attack by skipping dancing joyously away.

    ¡°Now! We are talking. Don¡¯t you want to kill me? The one who hurt your precious bird friend.¡±

    I remember that rainy day like it was yesterday, Agnes¡¯s body slowly turned cold while my arm was drenched by his blood. Furthermore, I remember that same anger, rage. My hand was shaken while my teeth gritted together, I charged toward her with so much animosity and readied myself for another downward slash. However, in my dash, she materialized a different sword with black mist around it and used it to block my attack. I was shocked when my hatchet shattered into a million pieces on impact.

    My heart started pounding as I stumbled back with wide eyes as I realized it¡¯s the same scene as the day I lost my arm. The old pain resurfaced and reminded me more of that day. No, this time is different, I reached deep down in me and pulled the corruption out. My horns extended even higher while my teeth and nails sharpened, and black fur began to cover my body. I growled while black tar dripped out from my razor-sharp mouth while a black bushy tail sprouted behind me.

    My monstrous form is my only hope now.

    I hunched on four before dashing toward her with triple the speed I had. She avoided me like I was nothing, taunting me by caressing my jaw and tail. Every taunt she did, I grew angrier and angrier while my moves become rabid and straightforward.

    "This was your ace? This is The Light?! All I see is a scared little dog, who is alone, and knows that no matter what she did, she can never win this fight," She sprouted two swords and with a simple turn, she ran her blade against my chest, while her other blade grazed against my cheek up to my right eye.

    I screamed as the corruption dissipated out of me, my fur shed like water off my skin while I returned back to my normal self. I dropped on fours with my right eye blinded while blood dripped out of my open wound. My left eye spotted the broken hatchet, using my mechanical arm. I tried to reach it, but my effort was scoffed when Daisie planted her feet against my hand and caused my body to drop against the platform.

    "Not this time," She sank her sword between my stump and mechanical arm and twirled it. The metal fused with my bones were pulled apart, breaking every connected muscle and meat. Spouting blood onto the arm, I scream my heart out at the overwhelming pain.

    "Watch as the world you know crumble before you, and know¡­ that it is all your fault," Daisie grabbed my head and make me watched as Kadence, Tadao, Arthur, and Ohpre tried to defend their lives against the army of Darkness while Odesza and Hades being fried alive by Hiro.

    "No! Please, No!" I struggled as much as I could, huffing out dust from my lips, but to no avail, even her strength overpowered my own.

    Why can''t I use my power! I tried every way to summon it, but no matter what I did, it won''t come to me.

    I heard Kadence¡¯s scream as The Darkness laid its claws against her body, piercing through her armor.

    "Kadence!" Tadao yelled out. Kadence dropped to one knee, letting her guard down. That action was going to be her last mistake as another Darkness brought its claw down onto her. However, she was somehow protected from that strike because Tadao had embraced her quickly, and taken the full-blown strike with his back.

    Tadao¡¯s back was repeatedly clawed until his armor was torn off.

    "No! Let them go and take me!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you have a choice here?¡±

    *

    Please, not like this.

    ''You failed us, Andre,'' The disappointed look of Iris''s face shattered my heart.

    ''Greater good always outweighs your own self-interest, and you failed to understand that,'' Zeus''s voice echoed.

    ''I chose you for this precise moment, and look how wrong I was. To think that you could save us,'' Adrestia shook her head in disappointment.

    ''This was my point, sending us to a battlefield just to die,'' Agnes scoffed.

    ''I guess we''re not having that date after all,'' Aki brought gaze down.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "You''ve seen the outcome, Andre. Either I or you, and you are too weak to pick me," Daisie whispered in my ear.

    ...

    Suddenly, a small blue ball of fire ignited behind Hiro. He turned to the ball of fire and stared at it closely. A scythe cut through the fire and opened up a large portal. Hiro flew away as a small boy with long fiery blue hair chased after him with a large blackened scythe.

    "Shin," I muttered.

    ¡°Andre! Don¡¯t you dare give up!¡± Agnes flew in with an army of monsters, candidates, and gods. With their power, the gods gathered the broken pieces of Olympus and formed a massive platform for the battle. The other candidates quickly rushed to the Kadence and Tadao, fighting back the Darkness and brought them back to heal.

    ¡°Agnes!¡± I smiled as a ray of hope rose inside me.

    ¡°Oh perfect, now I don¡¯t need to hunt every last one of them. Let¡¯s start with the bird,¡± Daisie formed a jagged sword above her hand, ready to take Agnes down.

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡± I grabbed my detached metal arm and hit her in the chest; that meager attempt of an assault managed to make her miss.

    She looked at me with intense anger, and was about to pummel my head with her boot, but was interrupted by a flying arrow. James flew out of the portal on a familiar-looking bike with a red-headed girl wielding a bow. She sat behind him and fired a couple of arrows at the Darkness. I pushed Daisie away with what was left of my strength and took off into a run before leaping off the broken platform.

    I have to admit leaping off the shattered platform without any plan was stupid of me, now I am just falling straight down toward the void. However, my non-plan actually worked out somehow when Agnes flew down and caught me with his talons.

    "Why did you come?"

    "Because¡ªbecause of you, I just couldn''t get you off my mind and also Kraus and Uvoah convinced me that this was the only way to ensure our species survival, but don''t get me wrong, I am still angry at you."

    "Your so cute when you''re bashful," I giggled.

    "Don''t make me drop you," He pouted.

    "Okay, okay."

    "Thank you¡­" I muttered to myself while a tear dripped down my cheek.

    He carried me to the others and dropped me right next to Apollo. I looked at him, he had covered his eyes with a bloody bandage. He waved his hand right near my torn arm and closed the wound with his healing magic.

    "I see the truth now. Plagued by the horrific vision of the future cause me to take the wrong choice, I''m sorry, Andre."

    ¡­

    Shin blocked Hiro''s thunderbolt with a single swing of his scythe. Hiro looked at the young candidate with a smile. The friendly face that Shin had known is tarnished by the truth that Apollo has shown to him.

    "How could you? People looked up to you, you are the best of the best, but what happened? What happened to the Hiro I know?"

    "Nothing happened, I am the same as I was before, the only difference is I know the truth now. I realize that the gods I looked up to, especially my father doesn''t deserve to live. The damage they had caused because of pettiness, jealousy, and horrible acts, I¡­ just had enough of it."

    "I don''t understand."

    "Of course, you don''t, I¡¯ve been with Zeus for a long time. The disgusting acts he enacted when he was on the throne, sickened me down to my core. I saw what it had caused, especially on my mother¡­ She suffered alone and in silence as her husband committed acts of atrocities across the realms, but she wasn¡¯t a saint either, the woman who was the victims was treated like shit."

    "Because of your father, you betrayed us? And killed your own mother?"

    "It''s not just Zeus, every one of those gods was not innocent and benevolent as you all view them to be. Even my mother, Hera, was apart of the problem. Look at Ares''s world, it is littered with war and death, innocent mortals are dying every day and the gods did nothing to stop it. The life that they created, they viewed them like toys," Hiro took out a dog tag, it had a woman''s name engraved into it; he clenched it very tightly and glared at the boy.

    Shin stared at the dog tag, it couldn''t belong to Hiro. He is not from the mortal world, he is a Pureborn just like himself, he was born on Mount Olympus.

    "So I decided to end it all and create a new one. A better one."

    "There are millions of innocent souls that will die due to your cause."

    "A necessary sacrifice, to create a utopia."

    "Are you sure you won''t mend your way?"

    "Why should I mend my way when my cause is just!"

    "I have shown you mercy, despite the fact you have committed acts of atrocity against the gods and hurt my father. Prepare yourself."

    "Me? Prepare my-self? Do you know what kind of power I held!" Hiro body was enveloped by electricity then he discharged the tremendous electricity back into the sky, brighten up the dark clouds and demonstrating the humongous power he had gained.

    "I am the King of Kings! I have power beyond anything you can comprehend, what do you have?" He challenged the small boy.

    "Living family," Shin grinned.

    Hiro immediately felt that two words pierced his heart, his hubris smile turned into a frown as he glared at Shin. He tightened his grip around his thunderbolt spear and flew straight towards Hiro while leaving a trail of electricity behind him.

    Shin with flowing blue fiery hair, enlarged his blackened scythe and charged toward his opponent while leaving a trail of black smoke behind. The two of them clashed, and lead to one of the most amazing spectacles ever witness, lightings and blue fires decorated the skies. Both of them somehow evenly matched each other.

    ¡­.

    James landed the bike in front of me. Even Though my body was in agonizing pain, I rushed to the bike and hugged the fuel tank. The cold steel pressed against my cheek, and I don''t care, because it has been so long since I saw her.

    "My Brutale! Oh, how I missed you!" I felt the strange gazes from everyone as I kissed the fuel tank.

    "Andre¡­" Iris called.

    "Huh? Oh!" I turned around and sat with my legs crossed.

    "Andre, you need to do it. Take her life, save us all."

    "Nope, I won''t do it," I childishly shook my head with a pouted lips.

    "Please, Andre. Don''t be stubborn."

    "Apollo, you see more clearly right?" I looked at the Apollo, and he nodded his head, "Good, watch closely."

    "Don''t worry, y''all do your thing while I keep her busy."

    "Here comes the big one!" One of Kadence''s sisters with a humongous shield shouted as she slammed one of the creatures in the head.

    A massive monstrous creature rise from the sea of monsters, bigger as the vision portrayed it to be. Our army held on to their weapons and shields, readied for a stubborn defense, but before the humongous creature could attack, another massive figure made out of stone emerged from Shin''s portal.

    "Rhea!" I cheered my heart out, after seeing that humongous woman.

    "This is for my son!" Rhea punched the creature on its snout and sent a shockwave across the battlefield. Fluttering our clothes and hairs, and shook the platform underneath us. The creature howled in pain as it fell onto a number of his comrades.

    Everyone cheered, I stood up and turned to my comrades, "I''ll need a weapon."

    Tadao slipped through the crowd with his naginata, he was about to fall onto his knees, but he managed to stand up straight with the help of bladed staff. The wound on his back is still not yet healed because the bandage covering his injury started to soak up and run red. Kadence makes her way to him despite herself being injured by the battle earlier. She embraced his side and helped him stood up more firmly. Tadao nodded his head at the woman as a sign of gratitude, and the woman responded with a warm smile.

    "Take mine," Tadao pulled apart his bladed staff and revealed a thin sword with only one side sharpened like a knife.

    "It''s a katana belong to me, reforged to befit a god. It has a long bloody history with me back when I was still a mortal. You should use it," Tadao extended the sword to me.

    "Are you sure?" I laid my hand on its grip.

    "Whatever path you choose, will be our fate. So pick wisely," Tadao let go of the sword letting me take it.

    "I will," I brought the sword closer to my chest.

    "Andre, you are not alone in this fight!" Agnes said as he looked at me with a determined gaze.

    "Thank you, Agnes and all of you for being here," As I glanced around me, and I could see an illusion of Aki amongst my allies.

    "Lend me your strength," I whispered to myself.

    A rush of warmth flowed from my heart and throughout my body. This power I am feeling right now is familiar, it the same as when Aki saved me from the depths of despair. She put her faith in me and pulled me back. If she can do it, then I can.

    All Daisie needed is someone to pull her back and that someone is me. Even though she is fighting it with her might, but I¡¯ll make sure she comes back, even if it cost my life.

    Golden light enveloped my body and sprouted two large wings so beautiful that it rivaled late Adrestia. I turned my glare at Daisie, stood on a platform far away from us and separated by an army of terrifying creatures. Everyone was so in awe by the light emitted from my body that they stepped away and gave me a straight path toward the frontline.

    An arm, a sword, two legs, a pair of wings, and a lot of friends. I stood at the frontline, the Darkness''s attention was pulled toward me. Everyone stopped fighting for a few seconds before I raised my katana in the air, I let it shone so brightly across the battlefield that it seared the creature¡¯s flesh and caused them to stumble back in pain.

    My battle cry echoed across the battlefield as I rushed forward, my allies followed behind me with their battle cry dripping with newfound hope. My wings lifted me off the ground before I landed again and planted my blade into the Darkness¡¯s head.

    James and Corona along with other gods flew above me and rained down attacks on the enemy down below. I removed my sword from the creature¡¯s brain and bumped into a group of huntresses. Their movement and teamwork were so fluid and in sync that even though I was there, my presence was like a rock in a river. They worked around me, taking down their enemy in a team of three, regularly changing their members so that their opponents couldn¡¯t anticipate their pattern of attack since every each of the member fighting techniques was unique to their own. They even choreograph their move to include me in their attack, I ran up to the shielded one and use it as a platform to rush on top of the creature back, slicing off its appendages while the third member attacked the back of its knee with a pair of energy daggers. So it lost its balance and fell on its belly.

    I marched forward again and was stopped when a group of Darkness encircled me, but I did not fall into fear as Persephone, Demeter, and Danielle erupted a giant vein creature on the platform and controlled it to laid waste to a lot of enemies including the group that was in my way. Suddenly, a sweet grape scent playfully lingers under my nose, I looked up and saw Daryl with Arthur¡¯s help, drenched the enemy with wine and caused them to sleep, giving the monsters clan a chance to kill the enemy without resistance.

    Kraus, on the other hand, charged in then stopped in front of me, he swung his new giant sword and cut through a dozen enemies like it was nothing.

    ¡°Push on!¡± Kraus swung his sword again, pushing the Darkness back.

    I grinned and nodded before I fully took off into the air with a pair of wings. However, while I was in mid-air, one of the darkness launched itself in my way, trying to stop me, but as I mentioned earlier, I have friends. A human-sized tornado flew and pierced through the Darkness like a drill. The tornado changed its course and I could see who was inside of it, Arthur and Aria, they had locked hands and embraced each other like a well-matched couple. It seems that Aria was controlling the tornado while Arthur served as its catalyst.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± I yelled before continuing flying.

    Despite having only activated this power again, I can feel it slowly draining away, I have not yet mastered this strength so I only have a limited time of using it before I become fully exhausted. Daisie was in my sight, I raised the katana and brought it down with full force.

    Daisie blocked the strike with her sword, sending a shockwave of energy around us, and creating a crater below her boots. Her smile grew more manic after I flipped away and landed on the platform she¡¯s on.

    "I see you''ve acquired a new power, but I know that power can''t last long, look at you, straining to keep it together, and yet you came. You should have run. However, I thank you for saving me the trouble of hunting you down."

    "Your name is Daisie Brewer." I swung and she blocked, creating a shockwave that blew the small rubble off the platform.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Your father''s name is Pierre Brewer, your mother''s name is Siena Brewer."

    "Shut up!" She swung her sword with anger, I ducked down, missing her strike and rolled away.

    "You''re a kind girl with sisters that love you, and a goddess who see you as her own."

    "Whatever you are trying to do, stop!" She brought her blade down on me, I dodged to the right, missing the weapon, and let the sword cracked the ground.

    "We were in love, and I broke your heart."

    "We were not!" Daisie swung her sword again and I avoided it like the plague, trying to cut me down.

    "You blame me for your father''s death."

    "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! Shut Up!!" Daisie swung her sword again but this time with fury, I blocked that slash. A deafening sound of crackling thunder roared, Daisie was shocked when her sword was shattered right in front of her.

    "What¡­?" She stumbled back, her eyes wide as she looked at her broken sword.

    My pair of wings retracted back into my body and the energy coursed through my veins. An arm made from golden light materialize from my stump, it felt real, it weighs like a real arm, but I know it''s temporary, so I charged toward her with that arm pulled back.

    ¡°Clench your teeth!!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    I punched her right on her face, and the force from that single punch broke the sound barrier. Daisie¡¯s head dropped straight into the ground before her body does. She slammed against the platform, creating another crater, and buried herself in the rubble. I took a couple of steps back as Daisie rose again with a bloody nose and bruised cheek. Dirt dropped off from her armor as she stood before me with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°You don''t get it? Do you?¡±

    She materialized another sword in her hand.

    ¡°No matter what you do, no matter what you said, no matter how much you deny it! This is me! I¡¯m not the same as the kind scared girl you know! So quit it!!¡±

    ¡°If that is so, then why didn''t you kill me when you had the chance? Why are there tears underneath your eyes?¡±

    Daisie reached onto her cheeks, and just like I said, there were tears underneath her eyes. She doesn''t know, she was crying, but why? Why is heart so much in pain? Why is this woman right before her, looked at herself with pity? Her heart is exhausted, her soul wanted it all to stop, her brain could only tell her that this woman was the cause of it, and she needed to eliminate this woman.

    ¡°You don''t really want to fight? Do you? All you wanted was peace, just like me. I¡¯ve been where you are, Daisie. I understood your pain more than yourself did.¡±

    ¡°No! You understand nothing! I and you are different, you killed my father!¡±

    ¡°And he killed you! The one who was supposed to take care of you. Betrays you. Revenge is empty, Daisie. I wish I had known that sooner.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!!!¡± Daisie disappeared into thin air.

 Arc: 4 [Chapter 14: Ending]

    Elsewhere.

    Shin¡¯s face and body were full of fresh cuts and bruises while his body was in enormous pain, but that doesn''t slow him down as he kept punching Hiro in the face while the god¡¯s back leaned against a floating wall. The wall behind Hiro shattered after Shin laid his last punch.

    Hiro gritted his teeth and kicked Shin away, giving them some distance.

    ¡°I don''t understand this! How?!¡±

    ¡°How are you matching my power?!¡±

    ¡°I am a GOD! You are nothing!¡±

    Hiro called upon his thunderbolt spear and it flew straight into his hand. The spear vibrated in Hiro¡¯s hold, and he pulled it back, readied for a piercing strike. Shin quickly re-materialized his scythe and blocked the attack. This attack was different because Hiro is putting all of his power in this one strike.

    Their weapons clashed, the force from that one strike shattered Shin''s scythe and pierced his shoulder. Hiro laughed in joy as he drove the tip deeper into the wound. Shin cried in agony as pain shook his nerve, he quickly grabbed onto the spear and prevented it from going deeper.

    "Now you die, cousin!"

    "Son!" Hades slung his Bident at Shin.

    Hiro backed away from the flying weapon, Shin, however, remained where he is and caught the Bident mid-air. The two-prong spear rings in his hand before he twirled it around him. While the weapon is spinning, it changed its form again to fit the wielder. At that moment, everything makes sense to him.

    "Hades broke the rule, didn''t he? That''s why he never let you leave the castle. If other gods caught wind of this, he will be punished severely."

    "What rule?"

    "You''re not a candidate, you are a god! That''s why you were able to match my power."

    "That can''t be true."

    "Look at the Bident, you fool. You just changed it to fit yourself, only a god can wield such a powerful weapon."

    Shin looked at the newly shaped Bident, then he looked at his father, the guilt in his eyes were glaring. He didn''t want to believe it but it''s true, what Hiro said was the truth. Shin tightened his grip over the Bident.

    "You didn''t know, do you?" Hiro laughed.

    "This is what I meant!" He swung his hand at the empty air.

    "The lies, the secrets, the hypocrisy! This what they do, they manipulated, they contorted the truth, misshapen their own law whenever it suits them! And no one is going to stop them, why? Because they are gods, no one is above them, but now. I am above them."

    Shin still froze after hearing the truth. But who could blame him, his entire life has been a lie, the one who he trusted the most has betrayed him.

    "Listen, Shin." Hiro extended his hand to his cousin while letting his spear hovered beside him. Shin raised his gaze to meet with him.

    "We can change this, together, we can create a new world for us. No more lies, no more secrecy. With your power and mine, we will be unstoppable." Hiro slowly gathered potent electricity in his other hand, behind his back.

    "Shin! Don''t listen to him!" Agnes shouted as he flew at the boy. Shin turned his gaze at the harpy and let his guard down. With the young god distracted, Hiro slung a compressed thunderbolt at breakneck speed.

    Agnes was supposed to stand in the way of the thunderbolt, but Shin quickly changed their place. The thunderbolt hit its intended target, and Shin cried in agony as the bolt burned his back and spine.

    "Shin! No!!" Agnes yelled out as she embraced the young boy before he fell.

    *

    Back to the battle earlier.

    The power within me slowly slipped away as I blocked another attack from Daisie. The god killer smirked as she knew that her opponent won''t last long. Daisie kicked me in the chest, and I was thrown to the wall. Debris and dust washed over me as I removed myself from the cracking wall and dropped to my hands and knees. Despite being in tremendous pain, I stood up again and breathed heavily.

    "Your force is thinning and outnumber by mine. You have no one left, and you are slowly losing your precious power."

    "As I said it earlier, you can''t win this battle."

    ¡°It¡¯s not about winning,¡± I charged toward her.

    ¡°You fool!¡± Daisie prepared herself for a piercing strike.

    I charged toward her while my hand tightened around the grip. However, as she gets closer to me, I let go of my weapon and redirected her sword using my bare hand. The blade grazed my palm and stabbed through my belly. I gritted my teeth, then with my bloody hand, I locked her in an embrace.

    "What are you doing?! Let go of me!" She tried to pull away, but I kept her in place.

    "I''m not trying to win, I''m just the distraction. Ophre, NOW!!!"

    In the floating room, there was a woman that everyone had forgotten about. However she was not an ordinary woman, but a good damn archer that never missed her mark. The heat warped and melted the entrance of the room, as a glimmer of light twinkled inside. That woman had been waiting for the right moment all this time, she had accumulated energy slowly and in silence, but now she doesn''t have to hide anymore as she released every bit power she got and BOOM!Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    "No!!!!" Daisie screamed.

    The entrance shattered from the shockwave alone after Ohpre release it. The arrow flew at great speed with no obstacle whatsoever and head toward the Orb, breaking the sound barrier.

    "I won''t let you!" Hiro yelled and threw his spear to block the arrow. Suddenly, Shin woke up then used the chance to turn around and propelled his Bident through the air, and stabbed Hiro in his back. The man cried out his pain as he began to fall toward one of the floating platforms.

    Daisie used her power in a last attempt to stop the arrow. With a blink of the eye, both of us teleported in front of the arrow, she intended to let the arrow kill both of us, but I won''t let her have the satisfaction as I sent her flying with a kick.

    Using what was left of my power, I propelled myself toward the spear and punched it away. The energy of the spear broke upon impact with my fist and I was licked by electricity. I lost control over my body as I descended toward the orb.

    Hiro looked in horror at his failure, he gripped the dog tag around his neck tightly and whispered, ¡°I have failed you,¡± With tears in his eyes, he crashed into the platform.

    Time slowed down as the arrow hit the orb and exploded. A blast of energy expanded outward from the explosion, eating away anything that it came to contact with. In the distance, Daisie howled in pain as her armor broke off her and deteriorated into dust. I closed my eyes and felt the enormous heat slowly rising.

    Is this the end?

    It seems like it.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss that date after all.¡±

    ¡­

    A few days later.

    Cladded in black clothes, Shin walked up the brick path along with Agnes with a bouquet of yellow Daffodil. When they arrived at their destination, the young boy placed the bouquet on the steps of Adrestia¡¯s temple. Agnes pulled Shin closer to his side, and let him rested his head against Agnes¡¯s shoulder, in an attempt to comfort the boy. Shin wiped the single tear running down his cheek, and forced a smile on his face.

    Someone else wrapped in bandage stroll passed Shin and placed a single Daffodil on the steps, next to the bouquet.

    ¡°It was kind of your father to create this place again in her memories.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay walking around with your injury?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still hurt, but you know, its nothing that I can¡¯t handle.¡±

    A griffin with bandaged wing trudged up the short steps and rested in the entrance.

    ¡°Ugh, I doubt all these bandages are necessary,¡± She tore the fabric and took off the bandage around her head to reveal a burn scar that covered almost half her face.

    ¡°Andre¡­.you know that Apollo could make that scar disappear in an instant. I don¡¯t think he would mind doing it.¡±

    ¡°The scar doesn¡¯t bother me that much, besides it gives me character,¡± I ran my hand against the rough surface of my burned face, and smiled before walking up the steps and then laid against the griffin¡¯s soft belly.

    ¡°Falcor, thank you for saving me. I owe you one,¡± I said as I gently stroked the feathers on his leg.

    The fluffy griffin replied with a saddened howl.

    ¡°Me too, Falcor. Despite everything, I missed both of them,¡± My gaze raised to the vast blue sky, and inhaled the fresh air into my lungs.

    ¡°Are you sure about putting that crazed woman in the dungeon?¡± Agnes walked up the steps and took a sit on it.

    ¡°Not a popular choice, but no one would say no to the savior of the worlds.¡± Shin sat right next to Agnes.

    ¡°Shin, are you and your dad on speaking term again?¡±

    ¡°No, he deserved it after what he did.¡±

    ¡°Come on, lay off the old man. He still loves you like a son.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving us some time. I need time to think and process it. You know, it¡¯s quite a lot to take in,¡± Shin pouted as he rested his chin against his hands.

    ¡°Take all the time you want, we have plenty of those right now,¡± I grinned because I know his anger won¡¯t last long, Shin loves his parents more than anything else in this world. After a couple of dinners, they would probably forget about it and patch things up. Me on the other hand, It¡¯s time. I stood up again and brushed off my butt.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone would mourn for Hiro at the funeral earlier despite everything.¡±

    Shin sighed, ¡°Although he did some bad stuff, he used to be a kind and loving man. We mourn for the past him that we know, not the¡­¡±

    ¡°The murderous version?¡± Agnes chimed in.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°I heard Tadao getting back with Kadence?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, who could have guessed it. I hope it went well this time around,¡± Shin said with a hopeful smile.

    ¡°Everyone needs a little bit of love, time to time,¡° I walked down the steps and reach into my jacket.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Agnes asked.

    ¡°Now that everything had gone back to normal, I think it¡¯s time for me to leave, but before I did. Here! Catch it!¡±

    Agnes caught with his mouth, I smirked when the marble broke and released the power inside it. Agnes was enveloped by warm golden light, his body grown to the height of a normal man, two pairs of arms protruded out of his shoulders while his wing was shifted onto his back. The familiar mark on his belly disappeared while his bird-like legs were turning into a normal set of human legs. He looks like a beautiful angel that has a pair of orange wings.

    He¡¯s quite tall, a bit taller than me at least, but still noticeable.

    ¡°Woah...¡± Shin looked in awe.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Agnes looked at me with his dashing face.

    ¡°Hades gave it to me, he picked me, but I decline, so he trusted me to pick someone and I picked you¡­.You¡¯re a god now, Agnes.¡±

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t be a god, I¡¯m not qualified for any of this. You¡¯re the one who should be accepting this humongous gift.¡±

    ¡°Me? Agnes, have you seen my life? I barely got it together, I make bad choices, I would be terrible as a god.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that this was a good choice?¡± He asked, but I started walking toward the edge, he followed me along with Shin.

    ¡°I just know, look when we got separated. I mostly wallow in my own pain, but you. You were out there making something out of that pain, you united your own people and mended your past, all without me...You¡¯re independent, dependable, kind, a strong leader with a good heart, and a good little bro...I guess you¡¯re not so little now. I just know that you will make good choices.¡±

    ¡°What if I make bad choices?¡± His gaze was downcast as he said it.

    ¡°Even your sad face is handsome, god damn, I starting to regret giving you the power now. I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    ¡°Andre, I¡¯m serious. What if¡­?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be as bad as I did...so stop worrying about it.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what to do with this kind of power.¡±

    ¡°Looked around you!¡±

    Agnes glanced around himself at the small floating island he¡¯s in. ¡°You said it yourself, the monsters needed a home, so give them a home! This is a good place to start, remake it all you want, but the temple is off-limit,¡± I extended my arms at the sky.

    ¡°Where are you going? Won¡¯t you be here to help me?¡±

    ¡°Ahhh...you will be fine. Besides, I got a date. So how do I look?¡±

    ¡°You look¡­¡± Agnes smiled as he closed his eyes then looked back at me with a thankful gaze, ¡°You look weird, weirdo.¡±

    ¡°I guess, I am a weirdo, ciao!¡± I let myself fall straight down, then before I hit the water, a pair of wings made out of light grew behind me, and I flew up toward an invisible portal. A portal that leads me to a familiar world, in search of a person.

    Who am I searching for?

    I don¡¯t need to tell you guys that because you already know.

    THE END.