Chapter 12: Take A Peek Into The Past
Like a dark spirit that floated around me, the
black fumes that enveloped me slowly accumulated.
It was drowning me in an inescapable prison.
I reached out my hand, only to drown in its matter.
...
...
...
"Grantt? Are you listening?"
"Y-Yeah? Of course. I am. What were you saying again?"
"You're not."
For a second there, I had an unusual dream. A dream where I was transferred into another world.
This must be because of the fatigue catching up to me.
"Are you already tipsy from a few drinks? Maybe I should hook you up later with some woman in the party."
I remember now. This was the after party of a gaming company's anniversary.
"No. No thanks, I'm good."
The man beside me was Elias. A co-owner of the company.
"I should be out there reconciling with my brother. He's..."
I trailed off my sentence again. If it came to him, I always thought differently.
"Didn't he fly to the States? I've wondered how did he get the money to fly there when you're the one who got everything from your father's will."
It was obvious. I gave him the money to do so.
He sought after a certain amount of money, promising to never come back.
To think that I'd agree to that. I was mad that day when he tried to sexually assault my secretary.
"That perverted bastard should never come back—Oh, sorry. I know he's your brother but don't you think that he's a bit too much?"
It was one of the reasons why he was specifically excluded from the will.
Kaizer Maximilian, my older brother. He was spoiled by my father, and he began to realize that it was a mistake to do so.
Getting everything he wanted, he grew up greedy. He had already developed a sense for it in which our father had no way to fix it.
Our mother had died after giving birth to me, but I became the favorite son as I grew up to be the person my father wanted his sons to be.
Kaizer was the first and failed attempt of upbringing my parents had, while I, the second became the perfect son.
It was visible and opaque, the favoritism between us. I was the most preferred one.
All the while Kaizer kept getting what he wanted, I was given father's attention instead.
"The sin of the father shall never be the son's, but the sin of the sons will be the burden of the father."
It was one of many things that he told me.
Those words of wisdom shaped who I am.
The one who strived for everything, competed, raced, and aspired.
I became perfect for him, while Kaizer was left unnoticed.
"Just because you're the favorite son, doesn't mean he gotta lay it out to you, Grantt. The world's a big place, it'll get smaller with anger. Cheers."
Elias mouthed out as he takes a drink from his glass, gulping it down to the last drop.
His face was blushed, he was visibly drunk.
I shouldn't share any more information about this but, I could say one thing before he goes.
"My world is already small and I' m too busy conquering it, lad. Cheers."
I chuckled as I raised my glass, gulping it down to the last drop as well.
I beckoned a servant to serve us on the balcony, offering us another wine glass, however, I refused it.
"No, no. I need you to help this man go on his merry way home with his wife now."
Elias was almost near to being wasted with his consciousness turning off and on like a switch. I needed the servant to get him to his wife before he gets anymore heavier than he is now.
"Shall do sire."
The waiter replied normally, but his hands...
"Glitching..."
"You're saying something, sir?"
"Ah, it's nothing. Move now or this man will puke on you."
I sent the servant away as soon as possible, shaking away the doubts I've had.
I might be also seeing things due to the wine.
"I should go head back now."
This party would even continue without me. I might just go and spend the rest of the day in the office.
"Mr. Grantt? What are you doing on the balcony alone?"
There was a voice that suddenly arrived from the back. It was a woman's voice and someone that I'm overly familiar with as well.
"Nothing. My friend Elias got gone cold on me. What about you? Miss Secretary?"
Yes. It was my secretary and it was how I addressed her at work.
"I told you. Just call me Lilith when we're alone together."
I turned to face her.
She held a glass with her right hand, its neck trapped between her finger. Her nails were black and even her thin and the long dress was black.
It had a slot on the right of her waist down, revealing her legs as from it was a bit transparent.
"A black outfit. What are you, a black swan?"
"I'll take that as a compliment, Grantt."
She chuckled, approaching me with those clacking black high heels.
She was completely dressed for this party, although it never seemed like she was in to entertain just any man.
I went back to face the edge of the balcony, looking down at the passing cars and flashing lights.
I felt nothing at this moment, but the feeling of intoxication was there, synthetically.
"You look like you want to say something."
I was unconsciously looking at her. It must be because of the dream I had. It was uncannily surreal.
"Ah. You really do know almost everything."
"Of course. I wouldn't be your perfect secretary. Come on, spill everything out. Cry your heart out."
Teasingly, she would spread her arms but if I wasn't prideful, I could have taken the chance. However, there is no luxury nor time to do so.
I could only share this memory of a dream that might fade away soon.
"I had this dream."
"..."
"Where I've been reborn into another world, and you ended up becoming my secretary there as well. You even look like her there."
"What was it like?"
"Haha. It was hell. Everything was, but thanks to the people there. We were able to make it through winter in that barren wasteland."
Taking a sip from her glass, she gently tapped the bottom of the glass to the chest.
"You don't sound like the strict C.E.O right now. Did that dream hit you in the head or something?"
Even her replies are the more blunt version of the Lilith in that dream I had. They were uncannily similar to each other.
But, why does it feel like this was all a lie?
"No. It's just... new to me."
Admittingly, it felt like it changed me. My values and all, but I've only spent a few years there.
There shouldn't be any changes to my goal.
"Then why don't you go back there?"
"—Huh?"
"It seems like you're happy there. Even though you described it as hell, you're smiling."
I held my face, and just as I realized it. I was smiling.
The hell that I've been through felt real.
The conversations I had there felt real.
"But it's not true. It's just a dream."
I thought to myself. But there was a part of me that wanted to believe it was true.
It was true.
"It was true. Then why did you fall victim to an illusion like this?"
Illusion? Her voice changed. This wasn't Lilith's voice!
I quickly raised my head and looked at her, but to my surprise, her hair had become white and her pupils glowed gold.
Her clothes remained but the appearance was of someone else.
Like a magical human of some sort, she was glowing in contrast to her black dress.
"Who're you!?"
I asked with a loud voice.
I looked around and into the party.
Everything was frozen in time.
"You've already forgotten about me? How rude. I'm the one who sent you to Orion."
Before I could realize it, she was already floating off of the ground.
Her dress became thick as if a white robe and her brows and lashes became gold, embodying a God.
"A God?"
I inquired, but my eyes were on the ground, it felt proper to do so.
"Oh? You don't want to look up to my gracious self? Or were you surprised that your God is a seductive woman?"
"..."
I've been on Earth too long to know that God didn't have gender, and even if one were to have one, it would be a cinch for them to change it.
Besides, I didn't believe in any religion on Earth.
In any case, everything that transpired here before was fake?
"Yes. It was fake," she replied with a smile.
Intervene? Wait, she just read my mind.
Gods are truly omniscient creatures. If that is so...
"Kyaa! How perverted!"
"I'VE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE TIME TO THINK YET!"
Anyways, I should just ask her what exactly is happening.
"Ehem. Can you elaborate to me on what is currently happening?"
"How bold of you to request a God just like that, but I like that attitude. I'm sick of people that keep on worshipping me blindly!"
"I—"
"You can look up to me now. I'll allow it."
Oddly enough, she cut me off before I could speak. Was that necessary?
I stood up properly, looking up to her figure. I could see her grimace from up here as she floated in a seated position.
"Ah! Those eyes... I remember them."
Remember? Anyways, I'm wasting time again!
"Answer me. What is happening?"
"You're in an illusion. It was originally a hypnosis spell that puts you into eternal sleep until it wears off."
"Hypnosis? Who would—"
Recalling back the dream—No, the memories I had, there was the party of who they said they were with a Hero.
Could this be caused by them? An attempt to control me?
"Yes. One of them cast hypnosis on you. But it seems like someone intervened with the spell, enabling me to intervene as soon as possible~"
I ground my teeth in disappointment. I was conveniently proficient in magic, but to think that I was easily swayed by some kind of hypnosis.
"One would only use hypnosis to take something that requires me. Are they perhaps adventurers that those treacherous councilors sent?"
My thoughts roared out, echoing in this endless space of nothing.
It was what became of the space around us, focusing on nothing but us.
"Ah-ah! I do not have the answer to your questions but I do have some advice for you to follow."
She sounded like she was throwing a tantrum at first with the sound of the soles of her feet hitting the ground despite floating.
I couldn't be more 'not surprised' in how bizarre this world worked.
I could only wait for that advice she prepared for me.
"Follow the path that you will forge. If it is not the right one, then make it so."
She extended her arms right past my head as if wanting to embrace me, however; she stops midway, bopping my nose with her hand that had almost clipped through it.
She wasn't tangible.
She was just a golden white spirit that bestowed wisdom.
"I'll give you one more blessing. Don't overuse it."
"Become the messiah."
Those words sounded repetitive.
They begin to irritate me.
"Also, remember that every action comes with a consequence. You seem to wander further from the natural flow of the world. Anyways, bye!"
A bright light flashes to blind my eyes away from the focus, disappearing along with the goddess.
I was still here in this still time and moment.
An irony that made sense in this world where I had no other purpose of living.
Fabricated goals to chase a fate that hasn't been forged.
Will I remain trapped in this black hole of expectations?
Everything was incomprehensible. Even those peering eyes that know, cannot read into it.
A soulless doll, I was.
But they all expect one thing from me.
"To conquer it."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone