Ragnarok:

"Are you sure it is the best idea to let your people decide? You are biased, so are we, but there should be a clear answer on the majority before the voting starts. After all, aren't you all worshiping 'God' the angelic being?"

"Who's to say what is predetermined or not? I have faith that humans will fuck themselves over every day of the week. And that their impulsive decisions will get the better of them, so I would say this vote is not decided." The human sitting across from me said.

"Whatever you say you nutjob."

Quite intriguing, he doesn't show any signs of fear. I can't read his emotions either, but his soul is clear as day to me, twisted and evil. More fucked is that he's one of the big shots in this new power system.

But even he had the courtesy to let his people vote.

"I have to know, why did you ask for a private conversation with me? You've been anywhere but present when the important discussions took place. Yet you're here, Mr. Ragnarok."

Insolent piece of work, asking for justification from me. But who am I if not honest.

"I like to see damned souls before they will perish, and you are on a hell of a road to self destruction, maybe not now, but later. Mr Doyle."

"Such hurtful words from a presence such as yourself, but if that's all you wanted, you could just watch me without requesting my presence."

A grim devilish smile formed on my face. It's always good to deal with direct people.

"You're right, excuse me for going in circles, or don't, I couldn't care less. I wanted to see how you're holding up. I heard your son died in a terrible accident not so long ago. It must be hard, a grieving father... But you're smiling." I said stopping before my expression changed to an even bigger grim.

This son of a bitch in front of me is one of the worst kind of people, even I'm disgusted by his stench. One of sacrifices for personal good and countless walked over corpses.

"You see, I can take a look deep inside a soul if I want to and I can see in yours how you tortured that poor boy's mother just for him to accept your proposal. To be honest with you I'm utterly disgusted with how you handle your business and I wish nothing more than killing you myself here, but you see that would take the fun out of it."

"I would appreciate a bit of privacy or a warning before-hand, after all taking a look into my history is not a thing one would normally do if they know what's best for them. And as disgusted as you say you are, it is a fact that you have a smile up to your ears even now.

He said while he stared in my eyes not blinking once.

"You see I'm a twisted individual myself and I take pleasure in the death of other people similar to me. I'm smiling because I'm overjoyed at the anticipation of your death. I'll make sure to not miss it, the torture you put that boy mother through only to kill her. And your own son died from your decision, oh I can't contain myself with how EXCITED I AM!" I shouted while jumping from my seat right into his face, staring Doyle right in his eyes with a smile and with a voice carrying the weight of countless corpses I said: "YOU ARE A TWISTED HUMAN DOYLE AND YOUR DEATH WILL BE ONE I WILL REMEMBER!"

And so I left. Decided on the fact that I'll return here one day and if this piece of shit is not dead by then ... I'll kill him myself.

...

Now it's time to head to the main venue, the time is approaching.

Adonai:

"It's been a hot minute since we've been together like this isn't it?"

"Yes man, we got to finally eat something together, outside." Maverick said.

"You should be more careful with what you order, you don't want all your hard work to go to waste." Stella added.

"Don't worry, it's a cheat day today." Maverick responded with a smile, while Stella blushed.

Taking a look at my companion, Kath, besides me, we realized that they got closer and we couldn't help our expressions that gradually transformed into smiles that spelled nothing but trouble.

"You two seem like you got a lot closer together in the time we didn't see each other, how cute." Kathlyn said with a hint of tease in her voice.

Stella pouted and then concentrated. It took me a bit to realize what she's about to do but ultimately I figured it out and concentrated to avoid a certain type of memories from resurfacing.

"Oh... but you've spent the night together at Adonai's place right? I can feel how flustered you still are and judging by how you both arrived at the same time, sure it could be a coincidence ... your feelings are too strong."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Seems like Kath didn't catch in time what Stella was planning, touche.

"Stella, dear, at this very moment I can say I liked you better when you were depressed."

Hearing this Stella sulked and her voice grew once again weaker.

"I was just making a joke... sorry." She said.

Kathlyn realized she fucked up and she took a look at me. In response I could only sigh and move my head from left to right.

"I'm sorry sorry sorry, I wasn't meaning it that way okay?" Kath apologized desperately.

Stella looked back up again and nodded in approval.

A sense of nausea came back to me as my vision changed, what happened before when they first arrived seems to be happening again now. Isolated, each and every one of us with their own bubble, while the stage is on.

But this time there was one more person in the middle, a person I encountered, the same person who asked for directions yet no one else seemed to see them... Maybe I was hallucinating but even then how could I hallucinate about someone who I've never seen before.

"I'm sorry for the sudden interruption of your day. You all remember me I assume so I'll skip the introductions, we're here now to announce what your planet will be doing, since your leaders felt this is a more appropriate way to reveal it." The Leviathan Lord Varuna said.

"I'm sorry as well for this but the council has come to a conclusion, and I've been chosen to deliver the news to every citizen of earth. First and foremost I want to thank all of you for your participation and for voicing your opinion on this matter. I'm deeply thankful for all the support and for the collaboration. Since I don't want to prolong this we've decided that earth will become a trade center in the universe. Trade centers are neutral planets under the protection of a higher race, we will welcome new life on our planet and have a delegate from this race help us govern it. And as for your choice... no... our choice is to go forward with Lord Varuna from the Leviathan race."

Well this is a surprise, I could swear we will pick the Angels no matter what. I made my choice based on Kathlyn's recommendation but I didn't actually expect them to win.

"Thank you, thank all of you for your choice." Lord Varuna started her speech. "It brings me honor to know I've been chosen to represent all of you. Let me add a bit of information to what was already said. As a trade center your planet will keep working normally, only that you'll start adding alien life here. To make it possible for trades to be conducted we must first make sure you're on friendly terms with all kinds of species. No racism will be tolerated, I'll make sure someone good will be appointed to help your leaders. You will get to keep your military but trade centers are strictly prohibited from being attacked by the rules of the Ten Sephirots. Whoever will do this shall be declared a war criminal..."

And I thought that's where the speech ended but...

"We have the right to choose the most promising warriors from your planet and add them into our army, and call upon you if needed, but I refute that right... Let me show all of you something."

*Snap*

After the snap of her fingers I found myself staring at a planet in the middle of a conglomerate of gasses somewhere in the vast space. The planet's surface was a mix of normal rock, land and black oceans, black oceans filled with a glowing white mixture in it.

But the crater that seems to take 30% of the planet is what left me speechless. A crater with a castle right in the middle of it. It is not very deep into the surface and the exterior of the castle is just ocean. The exterior of the planet has a ring from which cascades flow into the deep of the universe.

"This is my home planet... Galactic Mare. I'm showing you all of this because I want my allies to have a good understanding of where the help is coming from and how their allies live their lives. Here you can see how we adopt a human form for convenience while living just about as you, only maybe more advanced... Hence I don't want to rob you of your freedom. I want you to advance further and reach our level under our guidance and protection."

After a brief silence she started again.

"My mission here is not to rob families of their sons or their daughters neither to send them to slaughter or to slavery. My mission is to win without sacrifices. My mission is to respect your decision and to do my best to see it fulfilled. That is the mission of a ruler, that is MY MISSION!."

She finished exclaiming while shouting with a calm and carrying voice... the voice of a mother looking to protect their child rather than someone ready to go to war. With teary eyes she stared at me... no at all of us probably and hoped her feelings would reach us.

"Please take a better look, I'll amplify the vision from the pocket bubbles and you can see for yourself our ordinary lives."

And it is true, they live just like us, not a lot different, they might be more advanced but they are not different.

As I took my eyes off the planet to look in the deep space I saw the blurry figure of a monstrous gigantic serpent, I could feel their burning sight on us... no... on me.

I threw up instantly and was corrupted by the fear that came to me the instant when I came face to face with it my mind went numb and I lost control of my whole right side of the body. My half stopped heart could see yet could not process such dimensions and what I could make of its multiple set of eyes spelled nothing but danger.

As if sensing my growing distress Varuna turned to face me, seeing her expression of concern she immediately teleported me back first, back to reality.

I'm gasping for air, even now that I'm safe. It is terrifying, not being able to see it fully yet get this feeling is truly terrifying. I want to forget ... I want to forget.

...

Ragnarok:

Well well if he wasn't right.

"Thank you Varuna, that was spectaculous."

"Why did you want me to do this? Why show that poor soul that?"

"Why do you ask? Well I believe I've told you before. Regardless I'm now indebted to you. Truth to be told I didn't want to but it was something that needed to be done."

...

"Seeing as you have nothing to say I'll take my leave. Your horrid face makes me sick and don't worry, she won't do anything to you as I promised. Well at least for the part that I needed. For your speech and your decisions I'm not so sure, but I'll leave you to deal with it."

"You..."

"Goodbye, puppet Varuna."