Under the darkness, in the starless abyss, where poisonous air hovered still. An unusual couple shattered the silence with their noise of laughter and frustration. Off to the boisterous pair’s side, cards splayed out, thrown aside without a care. Each card depicted an apparition with a letter in the top right corner. Oddly, the letters spelled A, N, L, I, and F. The golden-eyed man smugly laughed while the black-haired woman yelled in his face.
“You cheated again!!!”
“What do you mean? I haven’t broken any rules.”
“Argh! How was I supposed to know we were allowed to do that?” The woman scratched her hair in frustration while the man snickered openly, finding joy in her reaction.
“You still fail to imagine outside of the obvious. Stop caging your thoughts. This is your fifth loss today.”
The woman glared at him with a chilling fury. The golden-eyed man shivered and turned away. ‘Whoops, seems like that’s still a touchy subject.’ His mind wandered as he searched for a way out of the hole he had dug for himself. Thankfully, an idea came to him.
“Hey, Opal.”
“What!?” She replied curtly.
“Have I told you about a world different from ours among the stars?”
“Have you become deranged? How could you know about another world? We both know you have never been off this prison-like hell we call home.”
The man nodded his head in agreement. “True, True. However, when have I ever said that this is my story?”
The woman squinted in suspicion before quickly widening as a thought crossed her mind. “Are you talking about that invader!?”
The man grinned as he noticed the aura intensifying in her amethyst eyes. He enjoyed how quickly her mood changes when she finds something interesting. He knows the thrill all too well.
“That’s right. The man’s home is where this game we played originated. The invader’s world contains many wonderful things like this.”
The man began spinning the tale of wondrous devices like nothing she had ever seen. A small red object that people purposely press to make an irritating noise during a game of knowledge. A visual device with the purpose of housing little people who relay information and provide entertainment. An audio device capable of spanning realms to communicate with even the most mundane topics.
He continued explaining fun and exciting things until the woman’s attention drifted elsewhere as her head lowered slightly.
“What’s wrong?” The man asked, concerned. His stories never have failed to entertain her before. The woman awakened from her thoughts and slowly picked up her head to look at him. Their luminescent eyes stared into each other.
“Do you ever think we will ever be able to go to a world like that?”
The man sensed the despondency in her words. A wish she desired with all her heart but believed hopelessly her wish would never be fulfilled. He bent down to the woman's level and wrapped his arms around her. She sank into him and listened to his heartbeat to soothe her overflowing emotions.
Determination fills the man’s eyes as he squeezes the woman’s hand with his own.
“Absolutely, I’ll make sure of it. No matter what.”
----------------------------------------
Lyde slowly opened his eyes. A blinding light pierced his vision, forcing him to squint. His hand quickly moved in front of his face for protection. As his vision cleared, a stark white ceiling appeared. This contrasted very differently from the inky black haze he had grown used to. A quick glance around showed more of the same, an endless white void.
He sat up, slipping off the blanket covering him. He paused and rubbed the soft texture between his fingers. His mind, disoriented, attempted to recall his last known moments. Dream and reality blend, making the task take a few moments.
Finally, the picture in his mind turned clear, and he remembered everything. The sharp blinding light, the black and golden pages, and the awakening of his memories.
‘Well, that was unexpected, but I guess I had no expectations in the first place. Avoiding death sort of took all priorities during planning.’
It didn’t matter. The critical part is the result; being alive with a body and mind intact was considered a win. Lyde stretched his limbs, allowing the air to escape his joints in euphoric relief. He savored the fresh, purified air before exhaling the stale, putrid air he had held in his soul for centuries.
“It worked.” Lyde chuckled. The chuckle soon grew until he was cackling boisterously with joy. It had really worked. He has escaped that living hellhole and into a fully civilized world. The excitement, the ideas, the people: unlimited potential for fun at his fingertips.
“Haha, what should I do first? Do you have any ideas…” Lyde’s words came to a stop. A vice gripped his heart as he finally remembered something so important that he felt a blade wrench his heart for forgetting for even a short moment. He searched the room vigorously though he knew what he was looking for wasn’t there. The mind, though, plays tricks grasping for anything, even the slightest hope.
“Where is she!? Where is–”
“Where are you? Don’t leave me.” A female voice echoed in the air.
Lyde’s head jerked to his left, and his eyes searched the vacant room. He didn’t doubt hearing her voice. He would never, not in any lifetime.
“My Opal! Are you there!?”
As if responding to his voice, the air in the room vibrated, materializing an image before him. A sigh of relief escaped Lyde as a soft smile spread across his lips. A young girl of small stature sat, head huddled to her knees. Lyde observed her, noting her current appearance.
She curled inches from him, tears flowing down her cheek, drowning her pristinely designed dress. His fingers moved towards her, wishing nothing but to wipe away her sadness and fear. He reached for her inches before her head and passed through her incorporeal form as she remained in the same position, unaware. Within reach yet so far away, she lay in front of him, translucent on a white bed of similar make. Their beds intertwined in the center, headboard facing headboard, mirroring their worlds while bridging them simultaneously.
Disappointment flashed through his eyes but passed as quickly. She was alive. That’s all that mattered. He repressed the hollow feeling rising in his stomach and smiled. He didn’t know where she was or why he couldn’t touch her, but he could think about those details later. Right now, she needed comfort, and moping didn’t suit the face necessary for the job.
“What did I say about crying, Opal? I’m going to have to charge you again. Our usual terms will still apply, though lucky for you, the payment date will need to be delayed due to extenuating circumstances. But do know, I plan on adding interest. That date will not come cheap.”
The girl shivered. She picked her head up from her knees with eyes containing disbelief. Lyde waved with a cheeky grin. Amethyst eyes with a hint of nightmarish terror, but they were hers. A treasure, priceless in every world. Unique without equal belonging to only one person. How he has missed those eyes.
“Hey, why are you looking at me like that? It’s the hair, isn’t it? I wasn’t sure about short hair, but what could I say. The new style suits the new me” Lyde brushed his hair, showing off his luxurious bedhead.
The girl's expression changed. She hurriedly tossed the blanket to the floor and crawled over to his side of the bed. She reached to place her hand on his cheek only to pass right through just as he did. Lyde remained unfazed as he put his hands around her incorporeal hand.
“⧫⥏–” Lyde gestured for her to stop and placed a finger over his lips.
“Shh, we’re not in the abyss anymore. No breaking the taboo. My name is Lyde here. And yours?”
The girl still appeared conflicted but nodded in understanding. “Valia.”
“Ah, Valia, a beautiful name. You must have clever parents who understand the importance of a name. My father wanted to call me Bonny after ‘inspiration’ struck when he saw one of my mother’s bonnets. Can you imagine my humiliation once they told me?”
Lyde sighed into his hands. He still felt embarrassed every time he recalled that shame. However, this was his ultimate weapon for making people laugh. For better or worse, it has never failed. Lyde peeked at Valia, hoping for at least a smile. Unfortunately, much less a smile, fear, and concern remained on her face. Lyde sighed at his failure, but he understood.
“Don’t worry. I’m here. I’m ok.”
“Why…why can’t I touch you?”
Lyde shook his head. “I don’t know. To me, you are here but not. I can pass through you like an apparition, but your body offers no chill. Your figure is more like an illusion, but instead of a false self, your present self can communicate with me wherever you are. To think an illusion could be used for communication. How we see each other, though, is beyond me.”
“How do you know this isn’t just an illusion?”
“Well, besides my extensive personal experience, I already knew the moment I first laid eyes on you. Simply you didn’t appear in a form I recognize. An illusion is based on the mind. If this was an illusion, you would have appeared before me in your previous appearance.”
Valia nodded as she scanned Lyde’s figure in all directions, his eyes following her every step. She visibly calmed down, noticing no apparent issues, and contemplated their situation. Lyde patiently stayed silent, allowing her to finally absorb all the information and recover herself.
It doesn’t take long for Valia to collect herself as she places a hand on the center of her chest in understanding. Valia felt confident in her guess and decided to explain her thoughts to Lyde when she noticed his confusion.
“That chain we used as a bridge between our souls for the ritual connected us far deeper than we intended.”
He recalls their last moments in the abyss when the chain impaled his chest. The pain from piercing his soul is somewhat challenging to forget.
Suddenly as they thought back to that moment, a glow manifested between them as a golden light formed at the center of their chests. The chinkling of the metal reverberated as chain links molded from nothing piece by piece. After six links coalesced, the chain stopped forming, infused with their flesh and floated unconcerned by gravity. Lyde thought having a chain sticking out of his chest was horrific to look at, but he felt comforted by the sudden mysterious object attached to him. The mystical chain emanated warmth, one that traveled hundreds of miles.
“Huh, so the chains were permanent. Well, time to scrap the escape plan. It seems l will have to start from scratch.”
Valia glared at Lyde, to which he reacted with his signature snarky smile plastered on his face. She rolled her eyes and smiled as she rubbed the chain between her fingers. ‘Finally, a smile. Too bad it was because of a piece of grotesque magical metal and not his witty charm’, Lyde thought to himself.
“A girl and her chain. Has there ever been a sweeter sight?”
“Lyde, can you be serious for one moment? Now’s not the time.”
“And There’s the wife I know and love. Almost couldn’t see you under the frail exterior. This suits you better.”
Lyde continued to act cheeky, but inside, a small weight lifted. His wife was back to her usual self. Valia smiles ruefully, aware of what Lyde did for her.
“Thank you, honey. Now can you explain to me where we are?”
“From the interior, I can only assume we are still somewhere in the Origin Hall. A guestroom, perhaps. It seems I was taken here after, well, the awakening.”
Valia scanned her memories for the events before losing consciousness.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
“Right. I placed my hand on the book, black replaced white, everyone collapsed on the ground, and I remembered everything before passing out.”
“I had undergone something similar. Though I wasn’t as subtle as I would have liked before that. I’m sure an interrogation is waiting for me outside this room.” Lyde shook his head. “Enough about that. I’ll deal with it when it happens. There are more important questions to ask. Who knows how long this connection will last?”
Valia panicked as she searched for any signs of the illusion fading. No difference could be found, but the worry now loomed over her as her breathing turned rapid. Lyde smacked himself, realizing he might have undone all his prior efforts.
“Quick, tell me where you are. No, wait. I’ll just tell you, and you can find me. But what if you don’t know how to get to me? It’s probably better for you to tell me. But–”
“Stop! Breathe Opal. Everything will be fine. I will share where I live first, and then you can tell me. Hopefully, one of us knows where the other lives. We can figure out what to do afterward. Now I live–”
Words stopped. Lyde's mouth opened, but no sound emerged. He grabbed his throat in fear and tried with all his might to say anything, to no avail. Valia reached for Lyde only to pass through helplessly. He raised his hand to ensure he was fine. He could still breathe, but his voice stayed silent, stolen without realizing how.
Suddenly a shadowy mist gathered around his neck, like how the chain on his chest formed a pitched black collar coalesced into existence. He gripped the collar tight, panicking from the sudden prison around his throat. The metal stood firm, unbudged at his attempts at removal.
A gasp escaped from Valia, forcing his attention. A similar collar appeared on her neck, shackling her and preventing her from speaking. Unlike him, though, Valia fully relaxes once the shackle around her neck forms. Her breathing stabilizes, and she sinks into the feeling, finding comfort in the cool metal on her skin. Lyde watched in disbelief as she faced him and smiled, now wholly calm as if her previous panic had never happened. He knew why she was like this, but it didn’t stop him from feeling dumbfounded.
He could only focus briefly on his wife as the collar shined violet as lines carved themselves into the metal structure, creating a rectangular slot below his chin. Then, the violent light pulsated as soon as the slot fully formed. Golden cards discharged from their collars, swiveling around the room before gently floating in front of the two. Written on the cards were symbols foreign to other people living on this plane, the letters from their old world.
*Game Select*
Silence ensued as both Valia and Lyde sat stunned by the implications. Valia glared at Lyde, wishing for him to turn solid so she could wrap her hands around his throat.
“This is your fault!!! You had me scared to death.”
“Clearly not. Might I remind you of the thick necklace around our necks? I have no control over what’s going on. Besides-” Lyde stopped. “Ah...”
His voice returned, articulate and unrestricted even with the collar tightly bound. Odd. Many things were still unknown. They needed to collect themselves before anything else happened.
“Ok, no more blaming and no more panic. Let’s select the game. The sooner we learn about the rules, the better our chances of understanding everything.”
That got Valia’s attention as she understood how fragile their situation was. They had already wasted enough time. Valia recomposed herself and focused on the cards ahead.
“Alright, I’m ready. Start the game.”
“Sure. Absolutely… Once I figure out how.” Lyde mumbles as he observes the card floating inches from his face.
He hesitantly taps the card, which glows from his touch. No physical sensation was transmitted through his finger, but the image reacted, expanding into a giant wheel with flashing red and yellow lights. Valia observed in amazement, curious about the object unknown to her.
The roulette spins with many titles of supposed games to choose from. Warmonger’s Paradise, Greedy Gauntlet, Honey I’m Home Forever. Lyde searched through the wheel and realized he didn’t recognize a single name from the list, and based on some of them; he never wanted to find out what game they were.
Uncertainty raised within him though he didn’t let it show in his expression. No need to panic, Valia, again. Two times is already enough. The slots slowly moved around an arrow, beeping with every selection passed. Eventually, everything stops, and the game is selected.
*Challenge Chain Bingo*
Both Valia and Lyde pause as they stare at the wheel. Eventually, the silence is broken by Valia when she realizes Lyde isn’t explaining the rules as per usual.
“So, Mr. Game Master. What is the game?”
“I know bingo, a game where players mark off a series of randomly picked numbers on a board until they get five in a row. This version, I do not know.”
“You don’t know! Is that even possible?”
“Yes, apparently so. Especially since it seems you have some influence on this particular game.”
Lyde pointed at his wrist. At some point in their conversation, another chain branched off from the ethereal golden one in his chest and slowly coiled itself around his arm. Valia jumped when she noticed the same thing was happening to her. If Lyde didn’t point this out, she would have never noticed. Three more chains formed, repeating the process on each limb until all four were similarly bound.
A part of the game, no doubt. Lyde noticed that the chains differed significantly from the original. Unlike the middle chain, these chains were dull, gray, and ghostly. Practically non-existent and weightless on his limbs. The number of links was inconsistent as well. Lyde contained seven links on both arms, with only five on his right leg and six on his left. On the other hand, Valia had eight links on her left arm, five on her left leg, and six on both her right arm and leg. Counting them all, they totaled twenty-five for each.
“Well, I hope the objective isn’t a first person to a set. You clearly have an unfair advantage.”
“Ha, and since when did you care about fair.”
“Hey, I always followed the rules. The ones in my favor, at least.”
Lyde shifted his attention as the wheel disappeared from before them, leaving the card spinning in its place. A devilish grin spread across his face as he waited in anticipation. The situation might be serious, but he couldn’t help but feel his blood boil once a game became involved. The thrill of utilizing his mind and skills against others: euphoric. Only a few… activities can create this feeling within him, and he looks forward to partaking in all of them in this new world.
“It seems like the game finished implementing its… whatever it did to us. The rules are displayed.”
Challenge Chain Bingo
Board: Direga
Overall Objective: Reclaim Your Power
Failure: Death
Main Objective 1: Achieve Abilities
Player Lyde First Link- ???
Player Valia First Link- ???
Main Objective 2: Event Rounds
Round 0- Game Creation- Completed
Reward- Soul Link
Round 1- The People’s Fortune
Objective: Locate the Opposing Player
Description: A god’s help is the people’s fortune. The people’s belief is a gift to a god. The gift holds the key to completing the god’s hunt. Five keys are needed for the hunter to hunt the hunter.
Penalty: Unable to communicate location before Round end.
Reward: ???
Lyde and Valia stared at the card, waiting for any more changes. The game seemed simple, but they knew better. Eventually, they notice nothing on the card is changing.
“Lyde, the card says death.”
“I know.”
“We are completely powerless, our powers are locked away, and the key to getting them back is unknown.”
“I know.”
“We can’t even share our location until we solve the first round alone.”
“I know.”
“We are at our most vulnerable, stuck in a game of our own design against an unknown world, fighting for our survival. So are you happy now?”
Valia sighed in frustration as her brain raced to strategize for their safety. A few moments passed, and she noticed that Lyde was unusually quiet. She looked at him to check on him and gasped at his expression. There Lyde stood, failing to contain the hungry grin on his face.
“Yes. I believe I am.”
----------------------------------------
Valia looked at Lyde in disbelief. They are weak and separated, with no idea what to do or how to proceed. They were like rats in a dungeon with no end. Their worst nightmares come to pass, and he is smiling like a child playing with his first sword.
“How?” Valia asked.
“What do you mean?” Lyde finally responded.
“How can you be excited about all of this?”
Lyde nodded in understanding, but his smile didn’t change.
“Opal, change your perspective. You are paying too close attention to what you can’t control. The weakness, the separation, the survival, all of which mind you were present even before our awakening. Life is cruel. Whether it’s this world or the last one, everyone fights and struggles for survival. That is the nature of life. No one is born strong. Besides, we are fortunate.”
“What!? How could you say that? In what way are we fortunate?”
“Well, you're here with me now. That’s extremely fortunate.”
Valia froze. Lyde said that statement so casually that she didn’t know how to respond.
“I mean, think about it. The game told us we could find each other by completing some challenges. When I first remembered your existence, I thought I would have to scour the planet for you, searching, unknowing of what you look like or even if you were alive. How many years would have passed? Too many.”
“Lyde…”
“Now, not only do we know both of us made it alive, but We also know of a way to grow stronger and how to find each other.” Lyde shakes the golden chain on his chest. “Besides, we are connected far more than anyone, even us, can understand. Nothing can stop us.”
Valia rubbed her chain, reveling in the connection between them. The warmth, the love, and the sense of existence all brought comfort to her heart. She smiled in reassurance until Lyde pointed his finger in her face.
“By the way, Opal, you’re forgetting something.”
Valia tilts her head in confusion. She awakened to all of her memories just a few moments ago. What could she have possibly forgotten?
“You forget who we are. We are the apex of all life. The last two survivors… no winners of an entire world. Remember where you first began and compare it to now. You are not the same person. We may be weak, but that is only temporary. We will reclaim what is rightfully ours. If the people of this world grow stronger with achievements, then we will achieve the impossible once again. Valia, who are we?”
Lyde stared into her eyes, fire blazed with passion. The lava-like intensity flowed past the infinite distance between them, and for the first time since she awakened, the thrill of life shook her soul. Valia couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way. No, wait, she remembers. A time just like this. Face to face with the world for themselves, surrounded by outer and inner darkness. The words flowed from the past like a spell within her heart.
“I am the survivor of the impossible. I clawed my way out of the infinite only to return to conquer that nightmarish domain. To heroes and monsters alike, I am their prison, their worst fear. The final, the end, the apocalypse. I am the Queen of the Abyss, The Chained Goddess of Destruction...”
Lyde grinned, and his memories flashed through his mind. The scenes of the past overlaid with that of the present. White walls instead of black, a young face instead of aged, a beginning instead of an end. Two completely different times, but the situation is the same. Lyde opened his mouth to continue but was suddenly stopped by a hand on his face. Confused, he looked over to Valia. She had an impish smile as she crawled closer to him, continuing her speech as she emphasized everything word by word.
“…wife of the man with a thousand faces. The man so greedy, he stole treasure from the lands and hope from the people. The mortal who made a bet against a god and won. He is the Deceiver of Fate, The Trickster God of Greed.”
Valia reached for his face brushing the illusion of his cheek, pensive in thought. The fearful little girl was no longer present. Instead, the queen who reigned for centuries emerged once again.
“I am annoyed. Twice now, you have seen me at worse, and twice you have freed me from my own fear. I would like to express my gratitude, but I cannot reward you as I like.”
“Reward?”
Lyde couldn’t hide his interest. His imagination ran wild with that magic word, and he expected she knew that. His greedy heart knew what it desired, even if it wasn’t attainable. Valia chuckled as her finger slowly descended from his face to his chest as she circled her pointer around his chain.
“Yes, reward. You’ll have to find me though if you want to receive it. But please settle with this for now. I will play this game, and I will not hold back when I’m against you. Every round, if you beat me, I will honor one wish, and I expect the same from you,”
Vara nodded in agreement.
“Be warned, if anything happens to you, the distance between you, and I will be carved with extinction, the abyss will be reborn, and your game will end. Understood.”
“Understood.”
Of course, he understood. His wife was back. The queen who has bested him in games more times than he remembered. OK, 52677 times to be exact. Almost as many as his wins against her. The promise was her final way of expressing her care. He knew nothing he could say would prevent her from worrying, so threats filled with love were highly accepted.
Lyde glanced at the card from the side and laughed as he noticed the rules updated. An additional line appeared beneath the rewards for Round One, listing one wish from the opponent. He signaled to Valia to look at the updated card.
“Does this mean the game will change as we go along?” Valia asked.
“Possibly. The core will stay the same, but everything else can be adjusted as we progress.”
They both remain silent as they ruminate on the information from their brief interaction. Unfortunately, not long after, their chains glowed bright, and the illusion of their partner faded. The time to start the game had come. Which meant their time together had come to an end.
Their desire to procrastinate their situation ended before it even began. Taken out of their hands by circumstance. They knew they had no choice, but the longing for each other was too intense. Lyde calmed his heart and smiled at his wife, content for now. But he knew the time apart would only continue to fuel his greed. Enough for nothing to stand in his way.
“See you soon.”
Valia smiled back.
“Seen you sooner.”