…

How long has it been?

Being confined in this dark and dusty room, too small for me to even stretch my arms properly, too rancid for me to breathe without gagging, how long has it already been?

There was no way for me to keep track of the days that have passed. Not only is this room pitch black, darker than all the caves I’ve ever been to, it was also too quiet. To the point where I become uncertain if I still exist.

The only real source of light I get is from the small hatch below the door, which opens up whenever food passes through it. Well, if you could call stale bread and leftover bones actual food. But being nothing more than a worthless prisoner, expecting such a luxury as a good meal is nothing less than idiotic.

I felt up my arms and body.

All I could feel was skin and bone.

I couldn’t even move around much, since my legs were broken beyond repair. At least that’s what those bastards told me.

But I knew, oh I knew. I wasn’t stupid. They just couldn’t bother putting the effort to fix me up.

I mean, why should they? I’m just a tool to them, a survivor of the people they slaughtered when they invaded this land. A slave they used up thoroughly for hard labor, before an accident happened and I was rendered useless because of my disability.

Although, being in the darkness for so long, I’m not even sure if I’m still in the land I was born in. I don’t even know what’s been going on outside.

Were my people able to drive these invaders out of our land? Or have they all been wiped out, or locked up like me?

If we did manage to win this hopeless battle, then it must be thanks to the god of fortune.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, even though every single second of it hurt.

Then, tears began pouring down my face.

I recalled how the invaders raided our village, how we all tried our best to drive them away.

How they’re disgusting hands defiled my wife and daughter, right in front of my eyes.

They made them cease being human.

The tears stopped.

I realized something, something unexpected. Something that gives me the strength to keep my eyes open, and keep myself sane.

I felt the lingering, burning hate inside my heart. And the hope that someday, these invaders will get what they deserve.

I’ve put it all in that hands of the god of fortune.

And as long as this hope, and misery still linger inside my heart, I’ll stay alive.

Because somebody needs to remember.

Feeling incredibly weak and tired, I closed my eyes and tried to rest.

More time passed as I continued laying there, eating whatever’s given to me, recalling the memories I hold dear, and remembering the tragedy that ruined my life.

“God of fortune… please give us your blessing…”

I repeated these words as I slowly drifted away.

Before I lost consciousness, I heard a familiar noise coming from the bottom of the steel door in front of me. There lay another bow of cooked grain and a large piece of bone with little to no meat.

At that moment, I remembered how hungry I felt. I leaned forward, careful not to pull too hard on the iron chains on both of my disabled feet and began eating all that I could. The large amount of facial hair I had used to get in the way of me eating, but as time passed I got used to it.

Was this breakfast, lunch, or dinner I wonder. I’m not even sure if I was getting 3 meals a day in the first place.

I finished my meal a fast as I began. I didn’t even feel like I had enough to eat. I grabbed the large piece of bone and like a wolf, gnawed on it as if my life depended on it.

Then, I noticed that the piece of bone I was gnawing on had a sharp end, like a small dagger. Seeing its shape gave me a small glimmer of hope, something that I never thought I could still experience.

In all of the days, months, or years I spent in this cell, I tried everything I could in order to escape. I tried escaping though the small hatch under the door, I tried forcing it open, picking its hinges, digging down on this very floor my weak body is resting on. But all my efforts ended up in vain.

But holding this piece of bone that must’ve been some guard’s leftover, I still managed to feel hopeful.

I felt like I can still do something, and if I’m going to rot away in this godforsaken room, then I might as well die trying.

I began touch the walls of my cell, trying to find the spot where it sounded hollow the last time I tapped it with my knuckles. After a few tries which got me working up a sweat, I finally found it. Then, with the sharp piece of bone in my right hand, I began picking on that very spot on the wall. Each strike was powered by the anger I felt when the invaders raided our village, and the pain I felt when I lost my family to those animals.

I kept striking, the sound was reverberating inside my cell. To me it sounded very loud, loud enough to become unbearable. I was even sure the guards outside must’ve heard the noise, but I didn’t have enough energy to even care about that. It must’ve been my desperation, or this hate that was welling deep inside me that gave me enough power to keep assaulting this old brick wall for what felt like hours.

But suddenly, the noise coming from my strikes became different. I checked the bone I was holding and found out half of it was no longer there. And with that piece of bone broken in pieces, I couldn’t use it anymore.

I let go of the bone and felt excruciating pain coming from the right hand. I might’ve broken something, I couldn’t even move my fingers. I tried feeling the spot on the wall I kept hitting, it felt like I managed to make a few cracks appear on it.

They weren’t much, but it was enough to keep me feeling hopeful.

When the next meal comes and I get another chance like this, I will do it again. I don’t care if it takes me another year.

Before I even realized, my eyelids were already closed. Being in the dark for all my time here, there are moment when I don’t know if my eyes were still open on not.

I yawned and felt incredibly tired, I slowly drifted away.

…

When I woke up, I was laying on the floor. I felt uncomfortable, and my body ached.

I tried to move around, then I noticed there were piles of dust and ruble around me. Not only that, but the room felt a lot wider.

Suddenly, I felt gentle breeze blow right past me. It was another feeling I have never felt in a long time, it almost made me panic.

As I looked around, I come to realized that I was no longer in my cell. The chains on my legs are still there, but they don’t seem to be fixed on the wall anymore. It broke off.

This meant only one thing, the wall I picked must’ve finally broke down causing me to fall from my cell. And if I follow the source of that breeze, I’ll be able to find a way out.

I was happy and I felt truly blessed. The god of fortune must’ve finally answered my pleas.

I smiled, and laughed. I can finally go outside, and go back home.

I sat up quickly and tried to get up.

Oh, I forgot. My legs could no longer move.

How could I forget such an obvious thing?

Why…

Why couldn’t I just accept that I was going to die here? That no amount of prayer or hard work is going to ever make me free.

How could I even think of escaping when I can’t even stand?

I once again laid on my back and stared into the darkness.

This is how it’ll all end for me.

A prisoner of war, a broken slave, a foolish man.

I felt tears fall from the side of my face, I didn’t bother wiping them off.

I…

I don’t want to die yet.

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I shouted. I cursed. I flailed my arms. I tried my hardest to make my legs move.

But nothing changed.

I rolled onto my stomach and began dragging myself. Every inch I moved hurt, but if I was going to die I might as well do something, even if it’s futile.

After dragging myself across the large room for what felt like an hour, I felt something touch my elbow.

I tried touching it with my hands.

It felt like a small statue, something you would find in a shrine.

By touch I was able to recognize what it was, I’ve seen countless of these all around my village.

A shrine for the god of fortune.

I don’t know why, but when I recognized the statue I felt an unbearable wave of sadness. Tears began falling down my face once again.

I lifted the small statue and took it into my arms.

I held on to it the same way I held my child right after she was born.

“…I’m sorry…”

I felt incredibly tired. I felt like I couldn’t drag myself any further.

…

“You have suffered, child.” A voice said out of nowhere.

I couldn’t discern what kind of person it came from, it felt familiar yet unknown to me. It felt like a human’s voice but at the same time it didn’t. It was as if I wasn’t allowed to grasp what it truly was.

I don’t even feel like any sound was going through my ears. Rather than a voice, it felt like thoughts being placed inside my head.

“Who are you?” I spoke, but I didn’t have a voice. I didn’t even feel like I had a mouth to speak through.

“I am the entity that you call the god of fortune.” It replied.

I looked around and saw nothing but familiar darkness. I tried to move my arms, but I couldn’t feel my limbs. In fact, I couldn’t feel anything at all. I’m not even breathing.

“I… passed away.” I muttered to myself.

“Yes child, right now you are only essence.”

“Essence?”

“Indeed. Your essence, the purest form of your being, has already separated from your worldly body.”

“So this is the afterlife? Will I be able to see my family again?”

“Dear child, there is no afterlife. I’m afraid you can no longer be reunited with your family or anyone who departed before you.”

“…”

“I sense a great amount of grief emanating from your essence.”

“They… they took them away from me… those bastards took everything from me…”

“Worry not, that grief will soon fade away as your essence enters a new vessel.”

“What do you mean by ‘vessel’?”

“Your essence will be cleansed and you shall be reborn anew. You will once again roam the world you came from but as another living being.”

“I see… am I allowed to choose a vessel?”

“You can, as many of the departed before you have also done.”

“Then can you tell me what vessel Juliana chose? She’s my wife… and I want to be reborn like her so I could be with her again, please!”

“I do not know any of the names of the departed. Names become lost as soon as the essence leaves the vessel. And as I already said, it is impossible for any essence to reunite with the ones who have already departed.”

“Why is that?”

“In this space, where you and I exist at this moment, time flows differently. You must feel like the time you spent in this space was only a few minutes, but in truth 5 years have already passed.”

“But that’s…”

“Yes, child. The departed who came before you have already been reborn in their own separate times.”

“I… I see… That’s how it is… I want to be reborn as a human.”

“If that’s your decision then let us begin—”

“Wait, I want be reborn as the same person.”

“Child, you cannot be reborn as the same vessel you have left. When reborn, you will have no recollection of you past life. You will think differently, feel differently, and live differently. You cannot be the same person.”

“…”

“Hmm… I can feel another strong emotion coming from your essence. Dear child, why do you resent? Other than anguish, I sense contempt, desperation, and even persistence.” 

“Please, if you are truly the god of fortune, the same god that I and my people have worshipped for decades, grant my plea. I want to be reborn not as another living being but as the same person that I was. I cannot forget all of the memories I hold dear, and the resentment I feel for those bastards, those demons that took everything from me. To be given any other choice than this, I would rather not be reborn at all.”

“Why do you resist? When you become reborn, you no longer have to suffer. You no longer have to be engulfed in the sadness and pain that your past circumstances have brought you. You will be free.”

“More than the sadness, even more than the pain, I don’t want to forget the moments of my life that gave it meaning. Memories that I treasure more than my whole being. It’s proof that I was happy and alive, proof that I was fortunate enough to live with a wife I loved and a daughter I cherished. I lost everything, I even lost my humanity, but I don’t want to let go of those memories.”

“Is that truly your wish?”

“Yes.”

“Will you stand firm, even if there are consequences? When a god bargains, both must parties present something of equal value. Since your feelings are strong and true, I feel like I can trust you to create a contract with me.”

“A contract… Does this mean my plea will be answered?”

“That’s correct. But in order for me to grant your wish, you must grant mine.”

“Yes, of course. If it’s something a mere mortal like me can accomplish.”

“I only have one, single wish. And I believe someone as determined as you will be able to see it through. Would you like to know how gods are born?”

“Born? Can gods be born like humans do?”

“Not exactly. You see, when a group of essences believe in one singular thought, it holds a large amount of potential. If that group of essences reach a large enough number, and each of their feelings have enough strength, it will give birth to an entity, an essence, which is the amalgamation of all the principles, ideals, hopes, dreams, and love from all the essences who believed. An existence that came to be because of faith, a god. And that god serves the purpose of being proof of that faith.”

“So you, the god of fortune, came to be because all of the people in Viraan believed you existed?”

“That is correct. As a being born from faith, I get my strength from worship, prayer and offerings. As long as I keep receiving these gifts, I will continue to serve as proof and guide the essences who have faith. However, as time goes by my worshippers, the Viraani people such as yourself, have slowly been dwindling in number. And as a result, my capabilities as a god have become lesser. My child, right now you can’t see anything but darkness, is that correct?”

“Yes, I’ve been welcomed by the same darkness that imprisoned me for so many years.”

“I apologize. If my strength were the same as before, I would’ve been able to show you my form and given you a more pleasant and welcoming environment. I may have been able to come up with a way to have you see your family once again. But at this very moment, I’m no longer the same god that I used to be.”

“I see… so in order for you to regain your strength, you need to receive more gifts. And you want me to help you make that happen?”

“Yes, my child. That is my wish.”

“…”

“Hmm, have you perhaps changed you mind?”

“No… I’ll do it. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, my child. For deciding to accept this selfish wish, you have my sincere gratitude.”

“It’s no problem, my own request is a selfish one as well. But I have one question, what will happen if I fail to do my end of the bargain?”

“I am desperate, and I am glad to have someone as faithful as you to aid me in my time of need. I am a merciful and forgiving god. That is how the beliefs of your people have molded me. Therefore I won’t impose any punishment if you fail to uphold you part of the contract. But since you will be brought back to life in a way that does not follow the laws of rebirth, our essences will be linked with each other. If I continue to weaken, then a time will come where my end of the link will be cut off, and your vessel will cease to function. You will be reborn against your will.”

“I see… that’s fair. I accept the contract.”

“Then let it be done.”

Suddenly, I felt myself vibrate and the darkness that enveloped my field of visions began to grow brighter and brighter.

“Once again, I thank you for accepting my wish. I will bestow upon you my highest blessing.”

I began to feel warm, my senses were gradually returning. A strong gust of wind blew across my whole body, and I felt all the blood in my body rising. It was as if I was falling from the sky.

“Dear child, may fortune guide you.”

…

I woke up under the shade of a large tree. I took a moment to take in everything that happened.

I looked around my environment, I seem to be in some forest. It doesn’t look familiar. The air feels damp, did it rain? Droplets of water on the vibrantly green grass in front of me were glistening in the sun. I just realized it has been quite a long time since I saw a scene this beautiful and breathed in air this fresh.

I looked at my body, bare and unclothed. Is being naked supposed to be a part of rebirth? Well, at least my legs are working like they used to. As I stood up, I felt overwhelming vitality within my body. What was left to be skin and bone was now a lot healthier and more functional. It feels like my body was as strong as it was when I was still hunting game for me and my family to eat. However, my hair remained untrimmed and my beard was still long enough to reach my chest. Well, I suppose I can fix that later.

I stretched my arms and moved my body, trying to warm it up and get ready for my first trip since becoming imprisoned.

I took a deep breath.

So all of that really happened. I died, met the god of fortune, and he made a contract with me. Now I’m here, alive and feeling better than I ever been. But if I don’t do my end of the bargain, I might end up getting reborn again.

Hmm...

Where should I start?

Out of nowhere, a distant scream could be hear. It sounded like a woman, she must be in a dire situation.

I began running towards the direction of the screams. I was aware that I was still fully naked, but there’s nothing I can do about that right now. I just concentrated on getting to that woman as soon as possible. If I help her then I might be able to convince her to help me with the god of fortune’s request. I could also have her answer some of the questions that are currently in my mind.

What year is it? What happened to the invaders who slaughtered my family and the Viraani people? Are there any survivors? Did they win? Is my village still standing? How much did time change this land?

The answer to all of these questions, I must know.

Eventually, I began to hear another voice somewhere in front of me. I must be getting close.

“… Why are you still following me? I said you’re creeping me out…” said the voice of a woman. It sounded like she was having a hard time catching her breath.

“I can’t afford to let you leave.” said another female voice, must be the person the woman is talking to.

“Do you even know who I am?” she replied, anger filled her voice.

I could hear the sound of the blade being unsheathed. Its sound made me remember how the invaders raided our village, pulling out their swords and shouting on the top of their lungs. Back then I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but I knew they weren’t just passing by.

By the time they were done with our village, all that’s left were death and ash.

Feeling my blood boiling in my veins, I lunged through the wall of shrubbery in front of me and landed at a small clearing. I found myself standing between two women, both holding their blades and preparing to fight.

The woman to my left held a short sword with her left hand, ready to plunge it into anything she deems necessary. She looked utterly confused upon my arrival, her face was also flushed. She wore a maroon hooded robe, and underneath it a brown leather shirt and tight black leather pants. Several small sized pouches hung from her belt, as well as the scabbard of her unusually thin blade. Her shoulder length hair danced in the wind. Its dark crimson color got more vibrant as it touched the light of the sun. It was tied in a similarly elegant way as the daughters of respected the families back in my village.

“What’s this supposed to be?” said the other woman.

The woman to my right wore armor very similar to the ones that the invaders were wearing. It also bears the same emblem on the middle of its chest plate, a symbol of a shield. It was too thick and too heavy for someone like her to wear. I also noticed she was holding a sword twice as long as her arm. How is she even able to carry all of that weight and look so nonchalant about it?

She wore no helmet, so I was able to get a good look at her face. She bore no face of a warrior. She looked more like a daughter of a wealthy family. Her gold and white armor shined under the light of the sun. She looked at me as if she was inspecting me, appraising me for my worth. As soon as her head titled downward her face turned red as a rose.

Forget getting her help. After seeing the armor she was wearing so proudly, my instincts and experience, and every fiber of my being came to the conclusion that she must be my enemy.

“W-what are you trying to do? This is disgusting!” she exclaimed, pointing her large sword at me as I began pacing towards her direction. She blew away the strands of her brown hair that got on her face.

“Who are you, stranger?” said the crimson haired woman behind me, her voice tinged with wariness.

“You don’t know him?!” the armor cladded woman exclaimed once again.

After contemplating on how to handle the situation for a brief moment, I glanced at both of them and answered.

“I am the god of fortune.”

CHAPTER END