Kevin was lost in thought, wondering how he could reach God World. That's when Karishma's words echoed in his mind:
"Use your inner strength."
Remembering this, Kevin sat cross-legged like a yogi and began to focus. He ignored everything around him, pushing all distractions aside. At this moment, there was nothing—no world, no people—just pure meditation.
An hour passed.
Then two.
Then three.
But nothing happened.
Kevin didn't give up. He kept searching for his inner power. Hours passed, and soon it had been six whole hours when suddenly—
A jolt ran through his mind!
Before he could react, he found himself floating in the middle of a white vortex. At first, panic struck him, but then his eyes fell on nine glowing pearls revolving around him. Each pearl had a distinct color:
Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, Orange, Black, Purple, and Brown.
"What is this...?" Kevin muttered.
Even though he didn't fully understand, one thing was clear—he was looking at his inner power.
Taking a deep breath, he declared, "I want to go to God World! Take me there!"
But... nothing happened.
Kevin tried again, "I SAID, take me to God World!"
Still, nothing.
For the first time, fear crept into his heart. Had he gotten stuck here? Was there no way forward?
Then, out of nowhere—
"Oi, Dumbass! You think it's that easy?"
Kevin froze.
Someone had just spoken.
He looked around frantically, but there was no one.
"Stop looking around, Dumbass. I ain't out there—I'm INSIDE you."
Kevin's eyes widened.
"Inside me?"
He immediately snapped out of meditation, opening his eyes. He was back in Isabelle's room.
Taking deep breaths, he clenched his fists and spoke aloud, "Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?!"
"Relax, bro! I'm coming!"
The moment the voice spoke, a bright white light shot out from Kevin's chest and started circling him.
Kevin stared in shock.
Then, a crazy thought hit him. He narrowed his eyes and hesitantly asked, "Are you... Divine Fire?"
The light burst into laughter, filling the room.
Kevin frowned. "What's so funny?"
The light finally stopped laughing and replied, "Nah, Dumbass! I'm not some legendary Divine Fire! I was just SEALED inside your chest. And today, when you tapped into your inner power, you broke that seal."
Kevin's jaw dropped. "Sealed?! Inside ME?!"
The light hummed. "Yep. Someone locked me up inside you using a seal. Don't ask me who—'cause guess what? I lost my memory. But one thing's for sure—I wouldn't have gotten sealed unless I CHOSE to."
Kevin's mind raced.
"Then… what should I do now?"
"Get stronger, Dumbass."
Kevin blinked. "What?"
"The stronger you get, the more powerful I become. And as I regain my strength, I'll slowly recover my memories. That's the only way you'll get your answers."
Kevin fell into deep thought.
After a moment, he asked, "Then… what's your name?"
The light dimmed—and then morphed into something unexpected.
Hovering in front of him was a tiny, white snake the size of a finger.
A SNAKE?!
It floated mid-air, its piercing deep blue eyes staring straight into Kevin's soul.
On its forehead was a mark of a crown.
Kevin's eyes widened. "Wait… those glowing blue eyes I saw in the sky before… were those YOURS?!"
The snake smirked.
"Yep. That was me. And I can't believe someone sealed me inside a Dumbass like you."
Kevin's excitement died instantly. His face fell.
"So you're saying… you're the great power locked inside me? A tiny little worm?!"
His disappointment was immeasurable.
Meanwhile, the tiny snake read his expression—and lost its mind.
"OI! What's with that ugly-ass face?! YOU THINK I'M WEAK?!"
The snake hissed loudly, its body sparking with energy.
"Listen up, Dumbass! I am SERPENT KING SHESHANAAG! THE KING OF THE SNAKE WORLD!"
Kevin slowly blinked. "Right. And I'm the Emperor of Dumbasses."
Sheshanaag's face twitched.
"DON'T MOCK ME! I'M A LEGEND! YOU SHOULD BE HONORED TO EVEN STAND IN MY PRESENCE!"
Kevin sighed. "Yeah, yeah, great King of Snakes… but that doesn't change the fact that you're a tiny little noodle."
Sheshanaag looked like he was about to explode.
"DID YOU JUST CALL ME A NOODLE?! I SWEAR TO THE GODS, I'M THIS CLOSE TO LEAVING YOU TO DIE!"
But Kevin wasn't listening anymore. His mind had locked onto something else.
"Wait. If you're the King of the Snake World… does that mean… you can take me to God World?"
Sheshanaag huffed. "Of course I can, Dumbass. Unlike you, I actually know what I'm doing."
Kevin perked up.
"HOLY SHIT! That means I can finally go! LET'S GO, SHESHU!"
Sheshanaag froze.
"…Sheshu?"
Kevin grinned. "Yeah, your name's too long. Sheshanaag is a mouthful, so I shortened it. Sheshu sounds cooler, right?"
A deadly silence filled the room.
Then—
"LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE SHIT! IT'S SERPENT KING SHESHANAAG! DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME 'SHESHU'! SAY IT PROPERLY, OR I'M NOT TAKING YOU ANYWHERE!"
Kevin immediately backtracked.
"Okay, okay! Fine! Serpent King Sheshanaag, my great and mighty lord, please take me to God World!"
Sheshanaag smirked. "That's more like it, Dumbass. Now… let's open the path."
Just as he was about to create a portal—
Kevin stopped him. "Wait!"
He quickly grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled something.
---
My beloved sisters,
I'm leaving for something important. Don't try to find me. I'll come back soon.
Take care of yourselves.
Salena, don't get angry too much, or you'll get pimples.
Isabelle, don't trust anyone blindly.
I love you both.
Your Dumbass brother, Kevin.
---
He placed the note on the table and took a deep breath.
His heart ached. Leaving them behind… was painful.
"I'll bring Karishma back… and then we'll be together again."
Sheshnaag understood Kevin's situation well. He had seen Kevin's bond with Isabella and Salena since childhood. Even though he had never spoken to them, he had witnessed their love for Kevin. Somewhere along the way, Sheshnaag had started considering them his own family.
Kevin gave Sheshnaag a signal, and Sheshnaag immediately understood. He focused on a particular spot, his eyes glowing blue as he manipulated gravity itself. A rift slowly formed in the air. Once it was fully open, Sheshnaag gestured toward Kevin. Taking one last look behind him, Kevin steeled his resolve and stepped inside.
Sheshnaag had already merged into Kevin's chest. The moment Kevin entered the rift, he screamed—he was falling. All around him, vibrant colors swirled in a mesmerizing yet terrifying display. Endless. Bottomless. Unstoppable. He clenched his eyes shut, his body plummeting like a boulder tossed into a deep abyss.
Time lost meaning.
When he finally dared to open his eyes, he saw another rift forming below. Before he could react—SWOOSH! He was flung out of the rift and sent crashing onto the ground.
"Ahh! That hurts!" Kevin groaned, lying flat on the dirt. His body ached, his clothes were filthy, and his head was still spinning. Slowly, he pushed himself up and glanced around.
A dense jungle. Massive trees surrounded him, their thick branches blocking out most of the sky.
A thought struck him. Did I really make it to the God World?
Sheshnaag emerged from Kevin's chest, grinning. "Yes, bro! We have officially arrived in God World!"
Relief washed over Kevin. "Alright, but… where exactly are we?"
"How would I know, dude? I told you—I have memory loss. We'll have to figure it out ourselves."
Kevin sighed, understanding Sheshnaag's situation. "Fine, but let's rest first. My head is still spinning."
Sheshnaag agreed, and the two started searching for a place to rest. Soon, they found a tranquil pond nestled within the jungle. A massive tree stood beside it, its thick roots stretching outward like natural seats.
Kevin sat beneath the tree, staring at the shimmering water. A cool breeze brushed against his face, momentarily easing his worries.
Then, a thought struck him—I never asked Karishma where she lives in God World.
Frustration bubbled inside him. How the hell am I supposed to find her now?!
Before he could dwell on it further, his ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps. Something—or someone—was rushing toward him.
Kevin tensed, scanning his surroundings. A shadow darted through the trees, growing larger by the second.
As it finally came into view, Kevin's eyes widened. A deer?!
But this was no ordinary deer. It was far larger than any he had ever seen, and it had two heads.
Kevin instinctively thought about running, but then—THUD!
The deer collapsed onto the ground, letting out pained cries. Kevin hesitated, watching it struggle. Its two sets of eyes locked onto his, filled with desperation.
Then, he saw it.
A black arrow was embedded deep in the deer's leg.
Not an ordinary arrow.
Realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. He turned back to the deer, which whimpered as if begging for help.
Would Kevin help the injured creature?
Who had fired that arrow?
Would they be angered if Kevin interfered?
And most importantly… before Kevin could even begin searching for Karishma, would the demons find him first?