"*Ehem* I do apologize for the way I spoke initially. I had to make a presence. You are Mr Starfield, am I right?" The powerful tone of this weird caller instantly changed.
He took on a new bearing, a warm and friendly vibe emanated from him but Andrew wasn't affected by the sudden amicable persona of the caller, to be honest, no one would have been deceived and it did seem like the caller knew because at the next moment, he was back to being all serious and mentally insane.
"You, my dear boy, have been chosen. It's kinda hard for you to understand what I'm saying but who cares, I'm still going to say it anyways." The soft chuckle of the man rang out.
"You chose Self-Casuality Manipulation and Visionary, right? No, you simply chose Visionary which obviously came with its own limitations. How daring-"
"How did you get my number and how did you know what I chose? Did you hack my phone? Calling to brag about it or something? I'm amused, O Stranger! Continue on." Andrew interrupted the Unknown Caller. He was indeed very amused and wasn't scared of being threatened with his personal information being known by a stranger. In fact, he could even relinquish more of his information if the stranger deemed it not enough. Not like he cared.
He was quite the penniless guy with only some physical cash. His bank account was dry. Why would he be afraid of anything? It's not that he had anything of importance on his phone.
"Huh? No! There must have been some misunderstanding here, Mr Andrew. I'm actually being very serious here. You've been chosen to be one of the plenty with the powers of a God. One of the few mortals given the chance to escape mediocrity and attain Divinity… although it is a temporary thing, it's still nice to play God for a while, don't you think so, Andrew?" The Unknown Caller asked with a strange curiosity present in his voice.
Andrew remained silent for a brief moment before answering.
"Play God you say? Interesting, to say the least. Hmmmmm… so, what am I meant to say now? Play along with your delusion?" Andrew didn't even try to sound nice. He wasn't even nice to himself, people be damned if tried to be nice towards them. It wasn't a mystery as to why he was lonely and without friends.
'O please, we have friends. What better friends could you ever dream of when we exist, O dear Andrew?' He thought inwardly.
"Ok. It does seem that I can't make you believe in the will of the Almighty and his ability to change your life…" There was a short pause before Andrew suddenly heard the Caller burst out into a soft laughter. "I sound like those religious freaks. I do apologize for the disrespect though… oh wait, you aren't even religious, my dear boy. Hahaha."
"What is it you want, Stranger? You haven't even introduced yourself. Kinda impolite if you'd ask me considering you know my own name." Andrew confronted the Unknown Caller with his driest tone. He didn't expect an answer and even if he was given one, it'd be a false one.
"Oh, I forgot about that. I rarely need to tell people who I am. I forgot I was speaking to a mortal. Though I would've loved to tell you my real name, you'd immediately die in the most grotesque way possible, a gory scene thoroughly worthy of censorship. I could still tell you my name using something that sounds the closest to the true one." The Unknown Caller muttered.
Whoever was on the other side of this call was most definitely a delusional fool or high on substances.
"That's insulting, Andrew. I'm perfectly alright in the head and perfectly sober." The Caller chuckled.
Andrew's thoughts froze for a moment as he tried to understand what just happened.
'Did he just fucking read my thoughts? Wait, I might have said it out loud. Yeah, that's most likely it.' For the first time since they'd been talking, Andrew actually felt the frigid hands of fear slightly caressing his heart.
"You didn't say it out loud… I don't even read your thoughts, what I actually did is something you can't grasp currently. As for my name, I am Maliketh, The Voice. You'll inevitably know who I truly am, my boy. But now, shall we go into the matter of true importance? I've chatted far too long with you, Andrew. Just as you find me amusing, I also find you very amusing… You'd make a wonderful Chosen. Hahaha" Maliketh's laughter that sounded like a blatant act of mockery rang out again.
"I'll assume all you've said is true despite how bizarre and insane they sound just because I can't give an explanation to how you know what's on my mind. Assuming all you've said is indeed the truth–despite my doubts–why have you called me this night, Mr Maliketh?" Andrew finally got serious. The haziness around his eyes vanished as his usually relaxed expression took on a solemn form.
"Straight to the point, I see… The limitations written on that post were merely there to engage the audience." Maliketh announced.
"So, that means there's no limitations or…?" Andrew trailed off without finishing what he wanted to say.
"You guessed right. The limitations you saw there are merely parts of a greater one. We are trying to create gods, not fucking erase the entirety of this reality. The absence of any true limit would spell the end of everything as you know it. But first, why would you choose Corruption out of all the traits?" Maliketh inquired curiously.
Andrew imagined that if Maliketh was here, he'd probably have his fist on his chin, staring intently at him with interest.
"Really? You really think I'd do so?" Maliketh asked but this time, there was something wrong with his voice.
'Huh? Why does he sound so weird? Not weird, I just didn't hear his voice come from my phone and yet, I still heard him? Wait a minute, can he also speak telepathically? What the actual fuck?!!!' Andrew screamed inwardly despite the lack of change in his expression.
"Yes, I can communicate telepathically but I'm not doing so presently. I'm actually here, Andrew. My fist on my chin, staring at you with interest, my dear Andrew Starfield. Hahaha" That soft laughter of his that was filled with ridicule sounded from behind Andrew.
"Continue, Andrew… I'm listening." The voice once again sounded from behind him.
Andrew felt his body freeze, his heartbeat quickened till he felt like it might burst out of his chest at any moment, his brain firing nervous impulses at an impossible rate that he felt like his axons were being incinerated.
Time froze as his adrenaline rushed to every part of his body. It was a feeling he had felt before but never to this extent… This was just too much for him to bear. But survival was all that mattered at this moment and his body subconsciously understood this.
Not even a millisecond after Maliketh finished speaking, Andrew's body–from the waist upwards–twisted itself into an unnatural form as his hand–balled into a fist–followed quickly after.
The passage of time was sluggish. A torpid flow that seemed no different from being stagnant. Andrew couldn't see anything yet his body could perceive the threat that he desired to eliminate.
"Howaudacious,"
And yet, two words broke all the confidence that the adrenaline rush had given his body. Two simple words uttered with such nonchalance, it was borderline an insult… Maliketh's following action was quite thoroughly an insult though.
Andrew felt an impossibly powerful hand grab onto his wrist akin to an adult man grabbing the hand of an infant. He, Andrew, was the infant. He felt utterly vulnerable. The level of strength he felt just from that simple grip instantly gave him insights on certain matters of life… Maliketh might really be telling the truth.
"This isn't how you should treat a guest, my dear Andrew. Show some courtesy, youngling." Again with the carefree tone that revealed nothing and yet, that's what terrified Andrew the most.
Maliketh didn't seem to want to harm him because if he really wanted to… he'd have no way to prevent him from doing so. Maliketh was simply inhuman. Andrew was certain of it. No human can attain such a level of strength.
"Correct, my dear boy! I'm no man. But I shan't tell you of what I am, for you need not know. What I shall tell you, on the other hand, is the limitations of your abilities. To be clear, only the limitations. I shan't teach you how to use it." Maliketh released his grip on Andrew's wrist.
Andrew took back his hand and gently massaged his wrist before responding.
"Now, you've caught my interest, Maliketh. I won't say I no longer have doubts but I'm certain that there's some truth in what you are saying. After all…" Andrew felt like he didn't need to finish his sentence. He knew quite well that Maliketh knew what he wanted to say.
"Hahaha, you continue to amuse me, Andrew. Though you'd probably not be so comfortable around me, if you knew what I am. Rarely do I meet creatures that do not run away upon gazing at my visage." Maliketh said with a joyous tone.
"Don't ask questions, boy. Let's get straight to the matter at hand. So, your limitations are…"
And so they began a conversation that lasted for who knew how long. Similarly, certain people all over the world experienced nearly the same thing. A mysterious figure contacting them in the same manner Andrew had been contacted.
*****
Time: 6:46 AM
Location: Frateran Continent, Republic of Sevuint, City of Demiule
In a skyscraper apartment, a 17 years old boy sat cross-legged atop his bed. He was staring intently at his outstretched, right-hand. Clenching and unclenching his fist in amazement.
"So, it's indeed true. HAHAHA. I fucking feel like a God. You weren't deceiving me, Maliketh. I am a God." Demarcus screamed with all his might. The entire room shook as several cracks appeared on the walls. The window that gave him a bird-eye view of the city nearly shattered.
Clenching his fist one last time, Demarcus began floating up slowly in his cross-legged position and when he was high enough, he unfolded his legs and stood mid-air.
"What now? What should I do now? With so much power, what can't I do? Who can stop me? HAHAHAH," His maniacal crackle reverberated through the entire room.
"The women… the women… HAHAHAHA. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful feeling. Hmmmm," Demarcus suddenly fell into a quick contemplation before he suddenly stretched his hand, palm wide open and facing the cracked glass wall. "Come to me, Ruination!"
Silence… more silence until something moving at an astonishing speed tore through the clouds–parting them like a hot knife through butter–and within an instant, it pierced through the glass wall–burning a hole through it–and flew into Demarcus' outstretched hand.
It was a black marble staff filled entirely with intricate lines of engraving like the venation of the human body. Soft golden lights pulsated from the engravings. It was an incredibly beautiful piece of art. Something a human can't even create no matter how long they spent trying to. It was just certainly an otherworldly treasure, something from somewhere beyond.
Demarcus felt the weight of the staff in his hand, the texture was impeccable to the touch. With a single twist of his wrist, he swung the staff to test out its practicality.
"Wonderful. Truly wonderful." Demarcus muttered happily as a child would after receiving a new toy.
"Why don't we go and test you out, Ruination?" Dermacus asked his staff, who immediately began pulsating with a brighter glow.
"I'll take that as a yes!" A big smile on his face, Dermacus' body suddenly vanished and a horrifying explosion followed after.
Within the next second, a powerful voice resounded through the entire city of Demiule.
"DEAR HUMANS, HEED THIS UNHERALDED PROCLAMATION. TODAY, A GOD IS BORN AMONG YOU FRAIL MORTALS—AN ENTITY UNLIKE ANY OTHER, SHARING ONLY YOUR FORM, NEVER YOUR ESSENCE. I STAND BEFORE YOU, MUNDANE CREATURES, NOT TO BRING YOU SALVATION BUT TO BRING YOU CHANGE… I AM GOD NOW. RENOUNCE YOUR FALSE DEITIES AND KNOW "TRUTH"..."
In the next moment, skyscrapers and residential buildings began collapsing, breaking and destroying everything below. A fire started somewhere and it quickly began encroaching everything below. Dark, thick smoke rose and quickly shrouded the city in darkness with only the fires raging around as the only source of illumination.
It was hell and a single individual floated uncaringly above the purgatory below.
"They fled like the ants they are, don't they, Ruination?" Demarcus asked the marble staff that floated inertly beside him, pulsating only slightly.
"I'm not the only one. How can one be a God when there exists equals? How can I bring them true change when there exist the chances that we may differ in opinions and we'll definitely differ. They don't see the necessity for only the best amongst the best to survive. The weak shall die and the strong shall rule supreme. I shall eradicate weakness but first…" Demarcus mumbled to himself when he suddenly felt another presence… something similar to himself. A God.
"You shall be my first." Demarcus muttered as took his staff into his hand. His gaze utterly fixed in a certain direction in the sky. In the next moment, a bizarre smile appeared on his face.
*****
Time: 10:00AM
'Good evening. We bring you urgent and tragic news from the Republic of Sevuint. The city of Demiule has suffered total devastation in what officials are calling one of the deadliest disasters in modern history.
Casualty estimates are staggering–between five hundred thousand and six hundred thousand lives feared lost–though the exact death toll has yet to be confirmed. Authorities remain on the ground, conducting investigations amid the ruins, but access to the affected zone has been heavily restricted by government order.
Speculation is already mounting among experts that this catastrophe may be connected to the infamous 'Syndrome Convertant' incident, which shook the world twelve years ago. The identity of those responsible remains unknown.
However, survivors tell a chilling story–claiming the destruction was wrought by an individual calling himself 'God.' Officials have yet to comment on these allegations.
As this crisis unfolds, we will continue to bring you the latest developments. For now, the people of Demiule–and indeed, the world–wait for answers to this unimaginable tragedy.'
Andrew watched the news as he took a sip of his coffee and bit into his jam toast. He usually took his breakfast at the cafeteria close to his workplace.
'What?!!' Despite the lack of change in his facial expression, Andrew was indeed extremely shocked.
A name appeared on his mind, "Maliketh". He was sure he knew someone like that. The person called him a "Chosen". Told him of things that were beyond human comprehension. Yes, there was indeed someone like that… but who was he? What did he look like? What did they really talk about? Why couldn't he remember anything? What was going on?
'FUCK!!!' Andrew screamed internally as he bit hard on his toast.
"Are you alright, Andrew?" Asked an old gentleman wearing some old-fashioned glasses.
"It's nothing, Sir Ronald." Andrew waved his hand to dismiss the old gentleman's concern. Sir Ronald was the owner of the cafeteria and they've known each other for nearly seven years now.
'Do we really have powers? Are there really "Gods" amongst us now? What the hell is going on?!'