Goals

Sara made herself comfortable on a nearby sofa, one of her tentacles moving toward the kitchen. "I'm called Sara, the last princess of the Kraken race. And you are?" she asked, completely ignoring our recent confrontation.

I couldn't help but smirk. "My name is Caedes. The same person you just tried to kill, and also the one who is now your master."

Sara's reaction was immediate. She stood up abruptly, her hair obscuring most of her face. "H-Hey! What are you doing? I was just kidding. I'm sorry? N-No, don't come near me or I'll run!" I stuttered, backing away from her instinctively.

Moments later, I found myself standing by a door, supported for balance. Sara was in front of me, her gaze filled with a sadistic delight that sent shivers down my spine. She reached out, grasped my neck, and dragged me outside.

We were deep in the ocean's shadows, where I was being buried alive. I screamed, struggled. The lack of air made my neck churn. My nostrils burning from the presence of soil all around me. 

Death seemed like a merciful escape from this nightmare, but it appeared my wish for death was still unfulfilled.

I fought against the grave for what felt like an eternity, my surroundings cloaked in a darkness deeper than night. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw Sara kneeling beside me. A black shadow loomed over us.

"W-Who are you?" I stammered, trying to crawl away.

"I am what you people call the administrator. I'm the one who gives you your destined name in this Ancient God's realm," the shadow said.

"Name? I've seen people with strange names before. Is this what it's about?" I wondered, glancing at Sara. Still scared.

"What name did you get?" I asked the girl.

"I got the name Valery."

I nodded, pondering how a new name might help me keep my identity hidden. "I'm sure the news of my death spread in Egypt. I need to stay hidden or risk becoming a subject of experimentation."

My gaze fell on the orb in the shadow's disfigured hands. The shadow, seemingly aware of my thoughts, nodded. "This orb helps me find the name you are destined for and your bloodline type."

The orb floated over to me, and I instinctively reached out to touch it. As I grasped it, the shadow's voice shifted. "Vas."

Sara noticed the shadow's voice tremble slightly. "Is something the matter?"

"Um, no. It's just that simpler names often indicate greater destinies," the shadow replied hastily, its unease evident.

The shadow retreated, its form turning into a streak of light. "Now that you both have your names, let me explain the things that determine one's status in this realm."

"Path?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, path. The World Government categorises bloodlines based on their elemental affinities—lightning, fire, storm, etc. Each path has different requirements for further awakening, and within these paths are various attainments that determine titles and status."

As the shadow spoke, black bracelets appeared on our wrists. "Think of this like the mobile phones you use. It's called the 'system.' You can change its shape later."

With that, the shadow vanished, leaving Sara and me to process the information.

"That guy was weird," Sara muttered.

A sudden cold breeze caught our attention, and we saw a portal appear a few dozen steps away. We exchanged glances, both uncertain but realising we had to proceed.

"What's your goal?" Sara asked suddenly.

"Huh?" I was taken aback by her question. "I...haven't really thought about it."

Yes..In between all of my dreams and my reality, I was just burning days. I had no purpose nor any goal..

Sara's eyes lit up with a mix of determination and pride. "My primary goal as the last princess of the Kraken is to continue our bloodline. I also want to prove that my race is more than just mindless octopuses." Her tone was lighthearted, but I could tell she was serious about restoring her race's reputation.

"I'll go with you for now," I said. "We can figure out how we'll cooperate later."

Although neither of us was thrilled about teaming up, we both agreed that sticking together was the safest choice. We hadn't entered the Ancient God's realm before.

As we approached the portal, we stepped through and found ourselves travelling through a massive tunnel of colorful lines.

***

It was good that they did not know what the future held. After all, if you knew your future meant certain death, Would you still dare to live it?