Bobby stood up shyly and moved out of the bushes. “Good…morning Sir. You are not going to like…kill us, are you?”

“And what’s the dolt’s name?” The blue entity asked in a contemptuous tone.

“He is Bobby, my friend. What do you mean worship you? Actually, could you tell us who you are?” Alan hoped the alien would stop making exasperated noises.

He didn’t.

But after a few seconds he finally relented. “Well, alright. I’ll indulge your thirst for curiosity. I am Luméos, Beacon of Brilliance, God of Jewelcrafting. I have made myself present in Verdenterra to guide every single one of its fragile lifeforms into enlightenment.”

“Okay. Are these sort of things typical around here?” Alan asked.

Bobby looked around the area nervously. His whole body was trembling before the magical being. Alan wasn’t sure how to react or what to make of the situation. Luméos sighed. "My apologies, it is… challenging to find the right words for such... primitive minds. I'd imagine you're delighted by my presence. Nonetheless, the best course, really, is to worship me. Did you know, beings like you often become ornamental pieces in my realm? I could craft you both into exquisite trinkets. What do you say?”

“Alan, please we have to get away from this guy,” Bobby whispered

“Yeah, Bobby and I have to get going…but we wish you the best with your cult, Mr. Luméos,” Alan replied, slowly retreating.

“Preposterous,” Luméos groaned as Alan and Bobby placed more and more space between themselves and him.

Is he really a god? Alan's spirit yearned to fight it, but his rational mind screamed for him to escape. This guy is nuts.

They scudded through the bushes, becoming nothing more than a distant rustle of foliage, until they vanished from Luméos's sight.

That was some intense narcissism, Alan hoped not all gods were like that. And gods are a thing…

Well, it would be quite an adjustment for Alan if he had to start visiting temples, paying tithes, and praying.

“Fuck man, that creep is still following us. What are we gonna do? Do you think that’s really a god, or is he just saying that?” Bobby said, trembling. “Alan, this wasn't in any of the Universal-Zentari-Bug-alien messages.”

“Realx, yes he is insanely strong; We saw it. But, I think if we ignore him, he won’t harm us. He could have already done it.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Bobby conceded. “But as soon as he’s distracted we make a run for it.”

“That’s a plan,” Alan chirped. “Hey Bobby, there's something I wanted to discuss,” his tone tensed, “Back home, I was dealing with a lot. My mother passed away recently, and it hit me harder than it should have. I don't want to talk about it, but I thought you should know. On a different note—and I know I might sound hypocritical for shifting gears—but I've been wondering... Were you really in prison with those guys?”

“Errr…yeah,” Bobby seemed taken off-guard by the question. “I hate myself for saying this, and I never would've done it, but I am glad they’re dead. They were really bad news. I mean, like, just pure evil, straight-up ‘one-dimensional characters,’ no depth to them at all.”

“And you?”

Bobby sighed. “You’ll not believe me. Heck not even my shitty lawyer did. But here it goes. I basically hacked into someone’s work computer and the company filed charges against me.”

“You hacked someone…why did you do it? Did you steal identities or something?”

“Oh no, no, no. The person I hacked into... he was involved in some really dark stuff involving minors. I found incriminating files on his computer, and I felt obligated to expose him. Turns out, he was a high-ranking executive at Petralon. You can imagine the company wasn’t happy with the exposure.” Bobby’s face softened, as if sharing this heavy burden had lightened it somewhat.

“I believe you. And I now understand why you chose to come here.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“Then you’ll not believe what happened next. Because of overcrowding, both of us ended up in the same prison. By some twist of fate, we even got processed on the same day. But he didn't last long; he was gone by the next day. You see, there's a code in there—most inmates don't take kindly to people involved in that sort of crime. As for me, I think I got lucky. Not many laid a hand on me, but Viper and Razor... they were exceptions,” Bobby recounted.

“That’s quite the story. Shit. Then do you know who that other guy they mentioned is? I think Viper called him…Terry.”

“Actually, I’ve never met him, but I know that we do NOT want to get close to that guy,” Bobby's seriousness was palpable.

“Sure, we’ll stay away from Terry then. So how did you come across the other two here?”

“When I came to, they were right there next to me. I've got this hunch that this... system, or whatever it is, placed everyone who picked the vanguard option according to where we were on Earth. We initially agreed to stick together, but I wasn’t gonna stay with those guys. The moment that first pack of wolves showed up, I bolted in the opposite direction. Those wolves? Man, they're terrifying. I still have no clue how you even spot them; they're practically silent compared to the deafening noises of the local flora.”

“Well, you do not have to worry about leaves or wolves any longer.” They halted for a moment, taking in their surroundings.

They could see the threshold. Alan was shaking his fingers, and Bobby gritted his teeth while taking out one of the knives that Alan had given him a few moments ago.

Silver met darkness.

Alan suddenly realized the beauty of the wolf-dominated jungle, while Bobby, having finally gotten a hold of his new weapon, looked decidedly braver—even though he had initially said he'd only use the knife for cooking meat—and yet, he still appeared terrified at the prospect of crossing into the next quadrant.

Did I lose a part of me? Why am I so eager to go in there?

He'd been thinking lately that maybe he wasn't as okay as he thought he was. What were the five stages of depression? Alan didn't follow them; he didn't experience all of them. He went straight into isolation. He thought his new life meant acceptance, but it didn’t. Am I becoming something else? Someone else?

It certainly wasn't like he hated who he was becoming. He didn't. And that was the problem; he liked this new version of himself more than his original self.

“You must be kidding---"

“Holy shit when did you get so close,” Bobby said with a jump.

“That is the least riveting narrative I've ever had the misfortune to absorb. I mean really overcrowding led to you both being in the same containment facility—on the same solar cycle, no less? And this mysterious 'code' among detainees conveniently eradicates your enemy within a day? It's like the story was taken straight out of a substandard production," Luméos scoffed.

“Lu-méos, have you been to this planet before?” Alan asked.

“Me? To this disgusting rock? Please, I would rather give up godhood and live in an amphibian dominated star system than visit this disheveled piece of organic material.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Well obviously to save oblivious souls, such as yours. I am a benevolent god after all. But you are making my job, most difficult.”

Two humans crossed nearby. Interested in comparing progress, Alan waved at them to learn how their experience had been so far.

Bobby desperately called out to them with an unnecessarily loud cheer.

An older gentleman with a graying goatee and a young woman strolled over; she wasn’t older than 20. "Well, hello there," Tom greeted, he also sounded like he was from Boston. "Name's Tom, and this here is my granddaughter Lilly."

"Nice to meet you both. How’s the…this tutorial been so far?” Alan asked, with anticipation.

"Hey," Lilly offered, a smirk decorating her face. She looked around, her eyes falling on Luméos. "Nice style, buddy."

“Oh well, thank you. I’m quite fond of your vibrant blue hair. And the hue—why, it's almost a match for my skin. Lilly, you have...” Luméos made a circular motion with his index finger, searching for the right word, “character. Something these two harlequins lack.”

Tom pointed to the towering tree in the distance, silhouetted against the setting sun. "We’re makin’ our way to the big tree, but we’re also hopin' to find Lilly's parents."

"And you're sure they're here, in this...tutorial?" Alan asked.

"Given their lifestyles," Tom said, "I have no doubt they've picked the Vanguard option."

Lilly nodded. "Mom and Dad are Marine Special Forces, so I know they can handle themselves. But it’d be nice to find them, you know?”

Bobby's face lit up. "Hey, why not join us? With a larger party I’m sure we’ll make it—easier to go through all of these quadrants. What do you say?”

Luméos’s face also lit up. "Exquisite idea, Bobby. And, look, they're not glistening either. That's quite the fashion where I come from. But perhaps, with enough pressure and time, I know I can make them shine."

Tom took a step back, visibly unsettled. "You know, we appreciate the offer, but I think we'll go on ahead."

Bobby shot Luméos an annoyed look. "Dude, could you not?"

Tom took another step back. "Listen, be careful. There’s a big group coming from the southeast of the tree, more than twenty people led by a guy named Duke. We traveled with them for a few hours, but the man killed one of his own over a small disagreement. We didn't stick around after that."

Alan nodded. "Thanks for the heads up, we'll be cautious."

Lilly cast one last look at Luméos. "Well, I'd say good luck, but I’m not sure what your deal is with that, whatever he is on your side, so..."

After Tom and Lilly walked off, Bobby turned to Luméos, fuming. “Hey, why don’t you go with them? They could use a great god such as yourself to find the helpless girl’s parents.”

“True. They were practically begging for my intervention. But, I have spent too much time with you, I have a responsibility to ensure that the two of you find salvation.”

"You realize you scared them away, right?" Bobby’s left eyebrow rose.

"Well, not everyone has the privilege to appreciate divine brilliance."

Bobby snorted. "Divine brilliance? More like divine blunder."

Luméos stood indignant. "Ah, wit from the silent one. How refreshingly human of you."