Enyah opened her eyes to a world of blood and death. Her knees were soaked in a pool of dark crimson that spread into the horizon and beyond. Above, the crimson moon loomed, covering the sky above her. Even the air itself was tinged in a crimson red, swirling like mist around her. An invisible pressure permeated through the surroundings, as if the world itself was bearing directly on Enyah’s soul.

  She felt an unfamiliar calm settle in. A foreign feeling that overwhelmed what she thought she’d be feeling if she woke up in the middle of an ocean of blood. No panic, wonder, or amazement. Just a cold, calm acceptance. She felt a small voice deep inside her. A voice, vulnerable and scared, screamed aloud “This isn’t right! Snap out of it!”

  “I know. You don’t need to remind me.” Enyah spoke aloud with a frozen tinge, her voice seeming to echo forever within the empty world. Her eyes scanned the desolate world, looking for something, anything that could retain her sense of normalcy.

  Yet, only the scarlet world could be seen. Enyah took a few steps, wading through the pool below and leaving trails in her wake. Her steps continued, steady and unending, yet the scenery around her was unending, melding around her in an unfathomable vortex of twisted normalcy.

  The only change occurred with a loud, creaking noise that dominated her senses, leaving her ears tingling and ringing. She looked up with narrowed eyes, instinctually moving her hand to her waist, yet there was no cutlass. There was no pistol.

  “Ugh…” Enyah murmured to herself. An unfamiliar land with no means of defense. Was it the moon that brought her here? The giant mass above her was the only connection between this location and Operite.

  She positioned herself squarely, widening her stands and moving her arms in front of her, ready to defend from attacks coming her way and drilled her eyes at the moon.

  The haunted creaks continued as something was occurring above her. The moon was being carved, hollowed out into a twisted facade of what a face should be. Yet it wasn't a face. Only a facsimile of one that never had a face.

  A God.

  The creaking finished and the makeshift face moved, testing its various limbs as if it's first time using such features.

  The blank, soulless eyes opened and closed, testing the eyelids and moving its pupils around, viewing the landscape below. The nose twitched and the mouth opened and closed like a fish on the dock, letting out… sounds.

  “EEEEEEeeeeeee. UM UM UM UM UM. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh.”

  “Are you done?” Enyah called out lazily, yet keeping her stance tense. “I'd like to go back now.”

  “But we've only just begun, darling.” A voice, completely different compared to the hoarse, creaking sounds earlier, erupted from the moon's mouth.

  “Doesn't matter to me.” Enyah replied. “I have things to do, and none of them are here.”

  “Right, that mission of yours. It’s so exciting to watch!” The voice spoke with barely contained giddiness. “I do love when fate spins on its knees! It makes my essence tingle all over!”

  “Right…” Enyah frowned. This wasn't how she expected her first interaction with a God to play out.

  “So, little chosen warrior! What's it like deciding the fate of Lakreia? A girl from nowhere! Burning with revenge! I'm going to write a novel on this!” The being burst out, the moon above making expressions that seemed much too emotional for any face on a rock.

  “There are thousands of others like me. Revenge doesn’t make me special.” She shook her head with a frown. “And don’t write about it either.”

  “Oh, but I must!” The voice gave a chuckle, its voice lathed in mischievous delight. The moon seemed to move in tune with the voice, mimicking the movement of a face. “Fate is such an interesting concept, isn’t it darling. The daring twists and turns, the thrill of teetering so close to death, the moments that echo into the tapestry of history eternally. I can’t resist such a… tempting meal. Oh my, nothing but drama there!”

  “So the lives of mortals are just entertainment for you?” Enyah grit her teeth, yet any emotions that she should have felt vanished in an instant. She tightened her grip, feeling droplets of blood fall into the ocean underneath. The pain was real. This was not a dream.

  “The most spectacular of entertainment! My fellow gods are simply too dull. They lack excitement! Suspense! Mortals are dripping in it. Their futile struggles and ambitions throughout their short lives are nothing short of a treat!” The voice boomed theatrically, the head above moving its mouth into a massive grin. Enyah felt a disappointment that quickly quashed. She knew that gods wouldnt treat mortals seriously. The red moon always shone on bloodshed, as if thirsting on spilled blood. Still, to hear it directly… She tugged at her sleeve, almost relieved that the calmness hid her emotions. She didnt know how to feel. How she would feel.

  “Oh dear! I never knew this realm was so… dreary from a mortal’s viewpoint. These colors just do not mix. Give me a moment, darling.” The voice continued, unknowing or uncaring of her inner thoughts. As if a candle were being lit, the world around her changed in the blink of an eye. From an endless world of scarlet a new view was exposed to her eye.

  A mansion, white brick tinged with purple, stood in front of her. Large walls of the same color lined the corner of her vision, surrounding her with its imposing might. The doors remained closed, its interior hidden from sight.

  An oppressive feeling rose up, yet a furious anger pushed past, even beyond the calming effect surrounding her. She glared at the mansion, her eyes darkening with hatred, before looking back up at the moon, “Why are you showing me this? Are you testing me?”

  “I only want to see what makes you tick. As the main character of my story, I need to get to know you.” The voice paused as a fog seemed to flow through Enyah, inspecting every speck of her body, “Inside and out. How would she react to losing everyone she loves? How about when she dies, failing to succeed in accomplishing anything? How delectable. Or is ‘pitiful’ the right word? No, perhaps ‘adorable’ instead.”

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  “That won't ever happen.” Enyah managed to let out, her anger turning into a simmering mess under her skin. “I will succeed in my mission. I'll accomplish everything. Just watch me, like you have earlier.”

  “Love the confidence! Fantastic! You have a very beautiful soul, did you know that? It burns, how fierce! Oh my, how I wish to talk face to face. Hmm, why don't I? I never tried making myself a human avatar before. Mmm.” The moon spoke with vivid excitement and wonderment, like a curious child. And endless, thick crimson fog seemed to cover the moon fully, contorting it's shape into a smaller form, shrinking until the sky became clear, leaving only the clear blue sky above the mansion. “Oh my, don't I just look dashing!” The voice proclaimed, sounding familiar. Humanish. A figure fell from the sky before her, landing onto the ground with a gentle step.

  A lanky figure, with a thin, male physique. thin, lanky human with a male physique stood in front of her. He stared at her with piercing red eyes that seemed to glare directly into her soul. The pupil consisted of some symbol that she couldnt recognize. A circle filled with haphazard arrows. His head was crowned with somewhat long, flowing hair that seemed to shimmer with multiple colors. Blacks, oranges, purples, reds among other colors mixed into the hair in different shades, never becoming a uniform color.

  He wore a long coat that seemed to reach his feet, made of many different textures. Some parts wool, some linen, some parts silk, and other textures she couldn't name. The colors were a mismatched array of black and red and green and yellow. The same could be said for the loose pants he wore underneath, with colors and styles that seemed to differentiate from the one nearby.

  Inside the coat was a tight shirt made of just black, the only uniform part of his attire.

  With crimson red boots and nails, Enyah only had one thought after seeing his attire, “This man should never be seen in public. He's a fashion disaster.”

  “Now we can see each other eye to eye, honey.” The being stepped closer, looking down at her with a massive, delighted grin. “Now, introductions are in order, since we'll be together quite a bit from now on.” The being gave a deep bow, looking surprisingly practiced despite never assuming a human form before. “I am known as Drentack, The God of Chaos. But you, darling, may refer to me as Drent. Or perhaps Drack.”

  “Drentack. Not a name I've heard before.” She frowned, searching her brain for more clues, but coming empty. “Is he the God behind the wild moon, scouring Lakreia for entertainment?”

  “Look, Drentack,”

  “Drent.”

  “Drentack. If you want to watch me go through my mission, go ahead. Get as much entertainment as you'd like.” Enyah said, her tone dripping with disdain. “Yet if you want me to sacrifice the boy to revive you, then piss off now. Just because you're a God doesn't mean you can't be killed.”

  “Right right, the vessel.” Drentack said, his tone mocking and he made sure she saw his rolling eyes, “I’m not sure why those fools want to gain a body so badly. It's not like the mortal world is some paradise. You don't want to enter every good book you read, do you? Though, maybe wandering around would be a little fun… Not! Why live among mortals when you can lord over them.”

  “Right…” Enyah murmured, her hand to her chin in thought. “Then am I here? Why talk to me? The only reason I have this mission is because Orlent knows I won't betray them. Not with the reward they’re giving.”

  “Don't look down on yourself, girl! No hero starts how they end.” Drentack cheered, rattling on with his arms raised in the air. “The most important part is the dramatic backstory! The driving force! Will she persevere or fail? Does it even matter? It's a feast either way. Hmm, I suppose I do rather enjoy the journey rather than the end.”

  “I'm no hero. No plans on being one either. Don't give me some ‘no hero is born into the role’ sort of crap.” Enyah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. If he wanted to kill her, it'd be easy enough. Best just survive through this conversation and go back.

  “Heroes are quite out of date, aren't they? When was the last hero in Lakreia? A few centuries? How dull he was. Or maybe he was fascinating. So close to madness. Perhaps a bit of loss would have loosened his mood.” Drentack grinned, his tone devilish, whispering secrets she didn't need to know. “Yet here we are. The precipice of a new war! And what a jolly sight to see! All of the Gods' little pets scampering around like mice for the boy. All for their inane plotting and scheming. Your role in this has only just begun, but oh my, I can't wait to see how this goes. Like watching a worm wriggle for its life, not knowing it could be killed at any moment.”

  “Alright, sure. An important mission. I already knew that. I can take whatever comes. You're sitting here spitting your rhetoric with this accursed mansion still around us, giving me information that I was already aware of. Information I'm sure you know as well, if you've been watching me ad closely as you say you were.” Enyah breathed out, speaking more than she was comfortable with. “I don't care if my life is nothing but your entertainment, nor do I care for your threats. All of my choices are my own. Speak what you want or send me back. I'd rather be either asleep right now or leaving that God's damned town.”

  “Oh darling, you need to release your frustration from time to time. I'm sure there’s a few strapping young men to be found on the way to your destination.” He continued unhurriedly, even slowing his words further. His grin widened seeing Enyah’s frustrated frown. “Speaking of, sure didnt expect your… tastes.” He looked down at himself in mock horror. “After all, I morphed myself into your ideal man.”

  “That's not true and you know it.” Enyah glared, the conversation bringing an unknown, different turn that she refused to continue further, “Stop with my love life! Send me back.”

  “You're right, you're right. I heard that girls with father issues are usually into older men. Are you the same?” He smirked and leaned against one of the walls, his posture relaxed and uncaring towards Enyah. “I guess I can tell you why I brought you here (though you clearly need to see a man from time to time). One woman against so many doesn't seem too ‘fair’ now is it. So I was thinking. No, I knew I had to step in. I got your back, girl! I'm rooting for you! Wooo!”

  “Really.” Enyah said dully. “I'd be happier if I never heard from him again after today.”

  “Really! I can sponsor you with some juicy little perks, and you have a better fighting chance. How did it feel? The mist expanding within you. Evolving and strengthening Itself. I can continue that evolution. Or maybe I'll add new perks. I'll choose whichever seems more fun.” As much as the man peeved her, she felt something from his words. His whisperings of power sparked something within her. She remembered the feeling of earlier, with her increased speed and strength. It brought a sense of elation, and gods above was it addicting.

  “Say I do agree to this… exchange… what's in it for you?” She asked, feeling almost fear from his response. An unpredictable god would desire… questionable things, she assumed. The man in front of her patted her shoulder in reassurance, but she felt anything except reassured.

  “Oh darling, I've watched so much juicy entertainment throughout my existence. The massacres of Lianite Plains, the godless knight Ritlan, the Sundering, but I suddenly had a thought. I've watched all of these fools fight for supremacy, for ownership of the world, it's gotten so boring. Honestly, who cares about rulership of this ball of rock.”

  “Ball? The world's round?” Enyah mumbled to herself.

  “Ah, ignore what I said. Anyways, here we are. A battle Royale for this boy, and whichever God comes down gets to change the world in their image, or something. I don't really know, nor care about their schemes. So what if I introduce a little Chaos into the mix.” He bent down, his glaring red eyes boring holes into her. “And you, darling, will be my instrument. The cults are tearing each other apart, fighting a war for the first to grab the kid. Espionage, warfare, ooh it's such a delight to see! But I want a horse in this race. What if the underdog won? The three legged horse making a miraculous charge past the finishing line. Wouldn't that just be fascinating? Oh, so succulent. And you, Enyah, are my three legged horse.”

  “I've dealt just fine with these cultists, why–” Her speaking, vivid and incensed, was interrupted as the man in front placed a finger to her lips.

  “You fought a couple of no names from the countryside and barely made it out. You want a medal? Knighthood? Nobility? I can help you with that. I can help you with revenge. Think about that, girl. You've only fought the lowest ring. I'm offering help, oh so generously, I might add. Despite your rudeness.” He spoke with his continued smile, gently raising a hand in front of him, “Care to join me in tearing the world apart, one step at a time?”

  She sighed, tapping her feet. Her mind rolled with thoughts, but she never had a choice. “He's offering everything I need”

  She clasped his hand. It felt cold, inhuman. Another reminder that she's contorting with no man. No mortal knows this being's real agenda. She tightened her fist, letting the pain soothe her mind. “I'm not too sure about the whole ‘tearing the world apart, one step at a time’ part, but power is power. You give me power, and I'll struggle to survive. Is that the trade?”

  “Oh not even close, baby. The power I'll give you is my own. You'll become my sole, special little devotee. My own priestess, oh I get giddy just thinking about it! No wonder those dumb gasballs make their own religions. This also means, you become mine for eternity. I'll give you a chance to back out, girl. I'm not the forceful type. You'll find out.” He gave a wink, but kept his hand clasped against hers. She felt his grip loosen. She could leave any time, abandoning this God and waking up in town, ready to continue their journey.

  “Only after I kill those involved. Then, I'll become yours eternally.” Enyah smirked, matching the man in front of her. Just thinking about revenge made the deal easier. Even if she became a puppet to this God.