Prologue 

The clamouring of beasts and monsters resounded through the air. All manner of demon beasts and undead monstrosities slammed against a thick wall of purple light. Tail, claw, and fang all crashed against the wall again and again, yet found no purchase. They circled the wall, the dome of light, and they waited.

Lying prone in the centre of the dome, a young man stared up at the sky. He was a muscular man, arms thick and corded and much of his body was covered in scars. His single iris was glowing bright purple, the other eye lost in a mass of blood and rended tissue. Shattered gauntlets had fallen from his fists, broken hands showing splinters of bone through shredded skin. Even in this dire state, he was not weeping, nor lamenting. He was bargaining.

"What you did was cruel and unjust. You had no right to target a young boy's feelings of fear and insecurity and use them to bind me!". His voice never rose above a low whisper, but every word dripped with venom and malice. "If you had not interfered, if you had let me grow my own way, then none of this would have happened! I could have saved them! All of them!". The words tore themselves from his lips and fell quietly on the wind, drowned out by the cacophony of monsters not feet away, still slamming and striking the wall with all their might.

"Again. One more time. What's the phrase from back home again, …double or nothing? Let me try again and don't bind me with fetters of insecurity this time. Just let me try one more time," The man's trembling voice hardened as tears fell from his eye, "Because if you don't… If you don't I swear I will turn against everything you have ever loved, created or bestowed your blessing upon, you aggravating bastard of a God! Just... Just let me try again,". His ruined hands clawed at the blood-soaked mud, the stench of death clinging to his skin as he dragged himself up into a sitting position and waited.

Seconds turned into minutes as the wall of light shook and cracked under the relentless onslaught from the ever-growing army of grotesque creatures. Then his vision was consumed by light, and a low-pitched hum buzzed into his ears until words seemed to come from everywhere around him.

"Few gain any of the chances you do, Child. But alas I fear perhaps your state is my doing. I did not wish for you to become so torn and full of pain. I did not wish this much loss upon you. So I will fulfil your request." The man's eyes widened, his broken body shaking from the flood of emotions. "Just this once I will do what you ask. You will go back, and we will not interfere this time. You will retain no memories of this life, but the echoes will remain in your soul. Save those you wish to save this time and curse me no longer." As the white glow grew, his body began to tear apart, burning in the radiance, but a grin that was barely a baring of teeth was visible even through the blinding light until even the final staring violet eye was consumed

"You received another chance once again, Child. I hope this time, you use it how you wish.". Even the God did not know if his final lament reached the broken man's ears, or if it meant anything to him at all.