-----Chapter 1------
The city was a blur of neon and rain. I stood on the rooftop, the downpour plastering my hair, chilling me to the bone.
Each drop was a tiny hammer blow against my skin, a cold reminder of the emptiness inside.
The wind howled, a mournful dirge echoing my despair.
Above me, swaying gently, was a rope. A simple noose, tied, waiting. I'd set it up earlier, a grim promise.
My heart pounded, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of my resolve.
Fool, I thought, laced with self-loathing.
I'd been such a fool. I'd believed I'd found real friends in Kenji, genuine love with Yumiko.
I'd let myself be vulnerable, let myself dream. But it was all a lie. A carefully constructed deception.
I remembered the laughter, the secrets, the stolen glances.
Yumiko's hand in mine, her warm smile, the way she made me feel like I was worth something.
Now, those memories were shards of glass, cutting me.
I ran my hand along the coarse fibers of the rope, the texture a stark contrast to the phantom warmth of her touch. I closed my eyes, picturing the drop, the sudden stop, the end.
It was all a lie.
The realization hit me, a physical blow. I'd been living in a delusion. Now, the fantasy was over.
Satisfied that I'd squeezed every last drop of despair, I turned and walked back inside.
My fingers brushed the rope's coarse fibers one last time.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slipped the noose over my head.
Finally, I thought. It's over.
••••
Darkness. A swirling void. Then, a rush of air, a sensation of falling...
The pressure around my neck vanished. My eyes snapped open. Above, an impossibly blue sky. No rain, no clouds, just azure.
What…?
I reached up, my hands flying to my neck, searching for the rope. Nothing. My skin was smooth.
Impossible.
I lay on my back, nestled in glowing grass. Not a harsh glow, but a gentle luminescence, pulsing with life.
The blades hummed beneath my palms, a faint vibration that resonated through my bones. The air tasted metallic, a strange tang on my tongue, as the Aethergrass seemed to hum with energy, casting shadows on the trees.
But then, a voice echoed in my mind, and the light beneath me erupted.
Bioluminescence shifted wildly, hues I couldn't name, the ground in turmoil. The chaos centered on me, an island of light in the tranquil meadow.
Where am I? How am I alive? Why?
I glanced down. Same dark purple sweatshirt and pants. Scuffed white sneakers.
I reached into my pockets, brushing something familiar. Coins and three unopened chocolate bars.
The coins stamped with a griffin. The mundane felt strangely comforting.
As the questions formed, a sharp pain shot through my head. I clutched my temples, groaning as memories flooded me. Battles, betrayals, ancient civilizations.
Powerful beings, unimaginable magic, wars, a god cast down.
A voice, ancient and resonant, echoed in my mind.
"You are awake, vessel."
Hell, I thought, a chilling wave washing over me.
"I have chosen you, Hiroki. Together, we will reshape what was lost."
I gasped, pushing myself up, my fingers digging into the glowing grass.
"What's happening? Why is the grass doing that?"
The ancient voice chuckled, a dry, rustling sound in my mind.
"Ah, you've caught the attention of the Aethergrass. Interesting. It seems even this world is confused by… my presence."
"Aethergrass?" I repeated, furrowed.
"What is that?"
"Foolish mortal," the voice scoffed, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"It's what the locals call this… peculiar vegetation. Attuned to the life force of this world. Your presence, or rather… let's just say I'm disrupting the balance."
I trembled.
What have I done?
My death had been just the beginning. I struggled to breathe, my lungs burning, my mind reeling.
But I was alive.
Perhaps the most terrifying thing of all. I'd escaped one nightmare, found another.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block the thoughts.
"You can resist, if it makes you feel in control," the voice continued, smooth as silk.
"But choice is an illusion, Hiroki. You and I are bound."
A pause, a subtle smirk in his tone.
"After all, I am the God of Deception… and Lies."
••••
My eyes flew open. I blinked, staring at the blue sky. God of Deception? A twisted joke? My terror mixed with disbelief.
"A God who lies?" Absurd.
The voice hardened, losing amusement. Even his voice felt slippery, changing moods like masks.
"You mock me? I plucked you from the precipice. Be grateful."
Despite my timidity, defiance flickered. Grateful? For this? I shifted my weight, my fingers tapping against my thigh.
"You're the… God of Deception, right?" I muttered.
"So why believe anything you say?"
"Arguing is pointless," the voice retorted, dripping disdain.
"Easier to show you."
I narrowed my eyes. I was about to retort when I noticed movement.
••••
Two men were walking towards me, curious.
I first noticed their boots, a thick, cloying mud, almost black in color, clinging to their boots like a shroud.
The mud was caked high on their boots, almost to their knees. It looked less like they'd walked through a swamp and more like they'd been wading in it.
A faint, swampy odor clung to them, even in the open meadow. It was the smell of stagnant water and… something else.
Something heavy and metallic.
"Hey, kid," one said, the man in armor, his voice friendly but laced with amusement.
"What are you wearing? Where are you from?" The armor looked well-maintained, but I noticed dents and scratches.
As he spoke, my eyes began to itch. I blinked and scratched, trying to focus. A wave of dizziness washed over me.
Zeberu's voice echoed in my mind: Just observe them. Then, as I opened my eyes, the scene shifted.
A faint, red aura shimmered around both men, pulsing with frantic energy.
My heart skipped a beat, my breath catching. What's happening?
"Those are the auras of intent,"
Zeberu interrupted, a hint of a smirk in his tone.
"Useful, are they not?"
As Zeberu spoke, the Aethergrass flared, the light intensified, burning against my retinas.
A metallic taste flooded my mouth. My pulse quickened, as though the aura was invading my thoughts.
What? That's all?
Anxiety rose. I had no idea what was going on, but prickling spread across my skin, raising goosebumps.
My instincts screamed.
The red auras vanished when they introduced themselves… The adventurers exchanged a quick glance, a flicker of… deceit? Calculation? My hands trembled slightly, and I clasped them behind my back.
I had to figure out what Zeberu wanted, why I could see these auras. Could I trust these smiling strangers?
"There's a town nearby," the man with the bow said, his smile widening. I'd always been good at reading people, a skill tragically ignored with Kenji and Yumiko.
Now, with my senses heightened, something felt off.
"If you want, we can escort you. We're heading the same way. Monsters make solo travel dangerous." His quiver was almost empty.
The man in armor stepped forward.
"By the way, I'm Deran," he said, his voice warm, extending a hand.
I hesitated, my gaze fixed on the mud. Something about their eagerness felt wrong.
I forced a polite smile, but kept my hands clasped firmly behind my back. "I'm… not from around here."
The archer chimed in, "And I'm Kaleen.
A rogue hunter. We're both adventurers."
As Kaleen introduced himself, the red aura flickered and disappeared.
But as soon as they stopped speaking, and Deran's hand subtly moved towards his sword hilt, the red aura flared back to life, even brighter.
Lying about the monster? Or something more?
"What's happening?" I asked, my throat suddenly dry.
Deran, his eyes scanning the trees, replied grimly,
"There's a monster nearby. Be prepared." The red aura intensified.
Could I trust them? I glanced at the mountains, wondering if I could reach them.
But for now, I was stuck here, with a lying god in my head and two potentially dangerous adventurers.
Not again, I vowed internally, my jaw tightening. I won't be fooled again.