Chapter 2: The Cost of Action – Arianna
Arianna’s breath came in short gasps as she ran beside Cassis through the ruined streets. The city was crumbling around them, buildings reduced to rubble, the sky dark with smoke. They had run in a different direction than most people and soon the distant screams of other people faded into eerie silence, leaving only the sound of their hurried footsteps and the occasional snarl of unseen monsters in the distance.
They reached a park, its once vibrant greenery now eerie and desolate. A children’s playground stood abandoned, its swings creaking in the wind. A treehouse sat nestled in an old oak at the far end of the park. Cassis grabbed her hand and pulled her toward it.
“Up,” he whispered, glancing over his shoulder.
Arianna scrambled up the wooden ladder, Cassis following close behind. Inside, the treehouse smelled of dust and old wood. There wasn’t much inside, just a few forgotten toys, a child-sized shovel, and—luckily—a wooden baseball bat. Cassis picked it up, weighing it in his hands.
“They’re still searching,” Arianna whispered, peering through a small window. Three goblins had followed them to the park and then split up, stalking through the greenery with their crude knives. “They haven’t seen us.”
Cassis nodded. “I need to awaken. The only way to do that is by killing a monster.”
Arianna swallowed hard. “I know.”
He turned to her, gripping the bat tightly. “I’ll do it.”
“What?”
“You don’t have to,” he insisted. “I’ll kill one of them and awaken. Then I can protect you.”
Arianna frowned. “Cassis, I—”
“Isn’t it enough if I fight?” he whispered harshly. “I can do this. You don’t have to dirty your hands.”
Arianna’s stomach twisted. The idea of killing terrified her, but she wasn’t sure if it was the fear of the act itself, or the fear that Cassis would get himself killed while trying to protect her.
Still, he looked so determined. So desperate.
“…Okay,” she murmured. “Be careful.”
Cassis nodded and crept down the ladder, moving like a shadow toward one of the goblins. Arianna gripped the child-sized shovel, holding her breath as she watched from the treehouse window. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the tiny weapon, her heart hammering against her ribs. Just in case…
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Cassis moved silently, raising the bat high before swinging it down on the goblin’s head. The creature let out a shrill shriek but didn’t die. Instead, it whirled around, slashing its knife wildly.
Arianna’s blood turned to ice as Cassis fought. The goblin’s blade cut into his arms, shallow wounds blooming red. He gritted his teeth, pressing forward despite the pain.
Then she saw them—the other two goblins, rushing toward the fight.
Arianna cursed under her breath. Damn it, Cassis! Without thinking, she gripped the shovel tightly and launched herself out of the treehouse, sprinting toward the goblins.
One of them turned just as she reached it, its beady yellow eyes widening in surprise. Before it could react, she drove the shovel forward, ramming the tip into its eye with all her strength.
The goblin screeched, flailing as black blood gushed from its ruined eye socket. Cassis took advantage of the distraction, killing the last goblin with a brutal swing of his bat.
Arianna stumbled back, panting. Her hands trembled, the shovel slipping from her grip. Then—a ding sounded in her ears, and a glowing blue screen appeared in front of her.
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Congratulations! You have awakened.
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Her breath caught, but before she could fully register the message, the screen flickered wildly, the text rewriting itself.
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ERROR: Patron system violation detected.
Status update: Virtuous Deity → Fallen Patron
Reason: Direct interference in the mortal world.
VP (Virtuous Points) removed.
Alignment shift: Virtuous → Chaotic.
Goblin (Rank F) slain. Exp gained. → Creating a pseudo-awakener physique
CP (Chaos Points) gained: +10 (for killing a sentient being), +10 (for protecting a mortal).
Warning: As a Chaotic Deity, you must balance your actions carefully. Both intent and consequence will affect your CP. Should you become too virtuous or too evil, your CP will be reset.
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Arianna’s heart pounded. What… what does this mean?
“Arianna!”
Cassis’s voice yanked her from her daze. He stalked toward her, his golden eyes blazing with fury. “What the hell were you thinking?!”
She blinked at him. “I was thinking that you needed help!”
“You were supposed to stay hidden!” he whisper-shouted, his anger barely contained. “What if you had gotten hurt? What if you had died?”
Arianna clenched her fists. “And what if you had died?” She glared at him. “You should be thanking me instead of yelling at me.”
They locked eyes, tension crackling between them.
Then she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. “Whatever. That’s not important. What matters is—did you awaken?”
Cassis stiffened, looking away. “Yeah… I did.”
Arianna exhaled in relief. “Good. That means—”
“But it’s the same,” he muttered, cutting her off.
Her brows furrowed. “Same?”
Cassis immediately shut his mouth; his expression guarded. It was a small slip, but it sent alarm bells ringing in her mind. He shouldn’t know how the system works already… Today is the first day of the apocalypse.
Her stomach twisted. Did Cassis… remember, too?
Before she could ask, Cassis’s eyes widened in sudden realization. He turned toward the direction they had come from. “I have to go home.”
Arianna hesitated. “Your family?”
He nodded. “I need to make sure they’re safe. Come on.”
Arianna stared at him, then at the ruined city around them. Everything had changed in an instant. The apocalypse had begun, and there was no turning back.
“…Yeah,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Without another word, she picked up her small shovel and they started toward Cassis’s home, the weight of their new reality pressing down on them both.