Changed Fate

"What the hell just happened."

A man couldn't help but think to himself as he took a look at his surroundings. All there was, was pure white walls in a bland room. The only furniture was an empty table in the center with just a single chair.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet, and the man couldn't help but feel unnerved by it all.

'Where am I? How did I get here? The last thing I can remember... is the building... crumbling.'

Looking back, in that building, he was left to die, as the entire structure was falling apart all around him. As he was sitting there wounded with his escape route blocked, everything seemed hopeless.

While he was contemplating what to do, out of the corner of his eye, he saw an orange glint. Turning his head, he noticed a glowing orange pearl a few meters away on the ground. It shined like a beacon in the hopeless darkness.

The pearl completely captivated him. Without even noticing it himself, he dragged his mangled body and picked up the pearl. Once the pearl was in his hands, a bright light engulfed him, and he lost consciousness.

"Maybe I'm dead…"

He had a bitter look on his face. Worked so hard only to end up with this tragic fate.

Not knowing what else to do, he went and sat down in the lone chair. Maybe take a load off while he waits for whatever judgment or afterlife is waiting for him.

'I am guessing hell, after all the things I have done.'

Before the man could even relax and let out a breath of air, a voice called for him.

"Come in please."

He shot up from his chair in surprise.

'Where did that voice come from. There's nothing here.'

Looking around, he saw on the wall opposite of him; a door has mysteriously appeared. Now he knows when he first arrived in this room, that wall was blank.

'How in the...?'

The man felt a cold sweat run down his back. His mind couldn't process what was going on. Things just keep appearing one after another. However, he wouldn't learn anything only by standing there.

He cautiously made his way forward towards the door and slowly grabbed the handle. Opening the door just a crack, he peeked inside and saw a boy behind a desk entirely focused on reading a book. The boy was wearing a little suit and tie and looking like he was trying hard to appear professional.

The man did not notice that, though. His attention was entirely on the boy's physical appearance.

The boy was ghostly pale almost as if he has never once seen the sun. His hair was just as white as his skin, but with the addition of purple streaks that gave a defining contrast that was odd yet beautiful.

Projecting out of his forehead were three purple horns, two on his temples and one in the center of his forehead pointing upwards. The horns reminded him of a crown for a king. Looking at the child, a royal and noble aura could be felt that made the man feel the need to bow his head.

The man felt as if his lungs were being gripped and squeezed, making him struggle to breathe. His mind just couldn't handle all the strange things that were happening in such a short time.

As the man was trying to make sense of the situation, the boy looked up from his book and stared straight into his eyes; the man broke out of his stupor as he shuddered in fear.

Two eyes, one pupil purple, and the other gold peered into his soul as a formless pressure overtook him. He shook in fear as if he was face to face with an existence who could crush him with merely a thought.

While the man was frozen in place, afraid to move even an inch, the boy merely smiled.

"Sit down, please."

He didn't understand it, but his body moved on its own and sat in the chair across from the boy. This only intensified the fear he felt towards the child.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."

With just that simple phrase, all the man's worries unnaturally dissipated as if they never existed. He let out a breath of relief and all his tensed muscles visibly loosened. Logic should have told the man that this was wrong, but that thought never crossed his mind.

"Alright I was going over your memories, and now I understand what kind of person you are."

The man looked at the boy, confused. However, that confused expression soon morphed into shock.

"To summarize, orphaned at a young age, you were adopted with others by an organization and made into a puppet spy, where you became whatever identity along with whatever mission was given to you. A life of complete slavery."

The boy stopped and looked at the man across from him with a look of pity. However, to the man, that look was anything but comforting.

"How.... why do you know all this?!?!"

The man screamed out. It was a terrible feeling having your painful past read to you like a story.

"Didn't I tell you, I read your memories. Now let's continue."

Before the man could respond, the boy continued.

"You were trained into a master of disguise and sabotage. However, through brainwashing and the many identities you live through, you forgot your name. After all, you were only a small child when they found you. Not many memories to begin with. I wonder what you're calling yourself now."

At this point, the man forgot all about his fear as his anger replaced it and was beginning to boil.

He was not used to the feeling of blatant mockery such as this. All he wanted to do was shut the boy up with a punch to the face. However, he couldn't move. As if there were invisible chains, his body was somehow magically attached to the chair.

He could only glare at the boy. As if he knew what he was thinking, the boy showed a cheeky smile. He was utterly unfazed by the man's angry gaze.

"Hmm, not saying anything…Well not like it matters anyway since I already know everything about you. Oh, speaking of names, I forgot to introduce myself. Silly me, because of all the excitement, I forgot such a basic courtesy."

The boy stuck his tongue out and knocked on his head as he tried to act cute and ditzy. The man grits his teeth in anger. This boy had not one ounce of seriousness.

This entire thing feels like a joke, and he's the punchline.

"My name is Menos. Favorite food: hydra steak with lots of sauce. Favorite color: purple, Favorite type of girl..."

Menos continued listing miscellaneous and useless facts about himself. Finally, the man couldn't take it anymore. He exploded in anger.

"Enough!!!! Why am I here?! What the hell is going on!? Am I dead? Am I in hell because it sure feels like it?!"

Menos stopped talking and blinked in surprise. Then, he looked pensive for a moment before chuckling to himself.

"Woops, looks like I got distracted. Oh, and your questions will be answered at the end of the presentation. Though I can tell you that you're not dead; well, at least not yet."

The man wanted to scream again, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. He swore that even if this child was a god in front of him, the first chance he gets, he's lunging at him with everything he has. Maybe he can scratch that smug face of his.

"You performed many missions, one after another, for the organization until a freak accident occurred. A cabinet fell on your head, giving you a serious concussion. That blow, life-threatening as it was, opened up your horizons and freed your inner self."

Menos stopped speaking. His face showed he was trying to give his speech dramatic pause. The man just rolled his eyes.

"With your brainwashing undone, you came up with the first true goal of yours in years. Obtaining freedom from your life of slavery. So, what did you do? You tore up the organization from the inside out. Literally; You tore the entire building down."

Menos started to laugh and clap at this part of the story. Almost a bit too enthusiastically. The man, however, didn't say anything as he began to focus. For him, the next part is when his memory starts becoming hazy.

"Unfortunately, they didn't go down without a fight. You ended up injured, trapped in the building you destroyed, ending all chances of freedom before they even began."

Menos then let out a huge grin.

"Then... fate was changed."

Menos lifted his hand. Inside of it, was an orange pearl. The man's eyes widened. That was the very same gem he picked up in the building. Menos laughed in jubilation as he got the reaction he desired.

"We were connected by a thread as I fished you away from your destiny with death. That last part is entirely accurate. I fished you away from that building with a fishing rod.

Menos chuckled to himself.

"Now to answer that question of yours. Why are you here?"

Menos made eye contact with the man. The man couldn't help but match gazes with Menos and wait for his judgment.

Menos' aura changed as he smiled. The smile was no longer one trying to bear that of childish innocence. Instead, the smile carried that of a devilish nature ready to throw its victim into the pits of despair.

"How would you like to be reborn… Vara."