Eyes Open

The ugly duckling, that was I, he so shunned for his nature, till death did I bear such a curse, a sure fit for humanity's heartless. Drenched in black, my heart grew weary, a tithe of realities normal. Regardless, I marched alone, each step like a new anchor, pulling me endlessly toward despair.

Power was my dream, the ultimate ambition, that sensation that triumphed above all others, a motive that no momentary happiness could inch me toward. Like Atlas, I bore the weight of my curse, which inspired all the sensation I aspired to claim for myself, the ultimate joy.

"That is what I strive for…" I spoke softly.

Mother, father, sister, these words held such heavyweight then, but now I've sacrificed their meaning to inch closer to strength.

A grimace of anger and sorrow crawled across my family's faces, before my little sister spoke, "You threw away everything… for that? Imaginary power?"

A churning tide of emotion swelled from the depths of my soul from that comment, nay, true rage.

With what little strength I hold, I pull myself from this bed I find my sick self contained by, through coughs and wheezes I manage to utter aloud, "Buncha' losers, my dream… My dream is all that matters, even if it meant…"

A deep hearty cough possessed me at that moment, covering my mouth with my hand, I pull it away to see it bespeckled with blood.

Shakily, I hang my legs aside on my bed, before I continue, "Despite my feeble muscles, frail skin, and weak constitution… I still am more alive than all of you, does that not cause you even an ounce of self-pity."

Slowly I drop to the floor, holding onto the IV that grants me what little life I have left.

Approaching me my mother attempts to wrangle me back to my bed, concern tinges her voice as she pleads, "Adder please sit back down, you're going to hurt yourself!"

Swatting her hand away I march towards the window of my room, even now my irresponsible father tries to control me, grabbing my wrist forcefully, "Listen to your mother damn it!"

A violent tide of hate rages through me uninhibited, spewing forth in the form of bitter words, "Trying to make amends even now…" looking him in the eyes, I spit on the floor, "You disgust me, you'd outta' kill yourself out of shame."

Stepping back tears well in the eyes of my father.

A display of sincerity perhaps, it's not as if I care, I thought to myself.

My sister storms off, tears rushing down her face as she stifles them.

Turning to face my parents, I point my thumb into my chest, a mark upon my heart I lay as I speak my mind uninhibited, "This world, even in the end, I've refused to let it beat me," I announce uproariously.

I continue gushing my deepest thoughts aloud, "Yet all of you, despite all of your ignorance and bliss… Still lost to a monkey like me who even as I speak seeks to reach the very heavens with his paltry and pathetic power!"

Slamming my fist into my chest, I speak, "I have no limits, even in death I'll strive for more, just you watch-"

Suddenly, an absence, I'd felt it all my life, but without it something felt wrong immediately. My heart had stopped.

Who knows what it was, perhaps the thumping on my chest, maybe it was the intense emotions, but that doesn't matter now.

Now all that matters is what sits in front of me, God.

"Name… Adder Gravis, Karma score zero." The divine being spoke with a twinge of curiosity and interest.

Looking at my hands, their complexion was warm, my veins weren't visible, and I felt a great well of energy at my disposal.

Looking at this being, I responded, "Karma score?"

"While on Earth your actions are judged, this culminates in a karma score, surprisingly you have a zero…" they spoke.

Staring onward, I looked around for a moment, a white void stretched out seemingly endlessly, and the only thing in sight was it and me.

Glancing down at me the god eventually scratched at his chin and squinted before speaking, "So Adder Gravis, here's what's gonna' happen…"

Before the god could continue, I interjected, "Hell or no?"

A bit taken aback, the god eventually continues, "No… not hell."

"Alright then, go ahead," I replied.

Perplexed the god nonetheless continued, "Your brazenness almost shocks me despite knowing everything about you."

Staring on silently, I await his continued response.

"See this," he says, pointing his finger at the top of a paper that seems to go on infinitely, "This zero right here is your karma."

"So?" I shrug in response.

"So… That means you are a candidate for godhood!" He says both suddenly and joyously.

Staring onward I remain silent as the god explains.

"See, most humans get it wrong, we personally don't really care what you do on earth, however, certain interesting people like yourself come by every now and then," he pauses for a moment, clenching his fist, before unfurling it, revealing a small purple ball, "Take this."

Tossing the ball to me, I look over it, it has a reflective surface and an interesting color.

"That's a god pill, some souls can handle it, others can't, it's luck of the draw really," the god explains.

Excitedly he continues, "However if you're one of the lucky ones you'll probably become a god, a god of what only time can tell, however, he's not here right now, so it's random."

Clenching the ball in my fist I bring it up to my mouth, before pausing.

The god looks on confused, "Scared?"

Promptly I hurl the ball toward the ground, shattering it.

A look of shock is smeared across the god's face.

"Why?" The god asks with an intensely puzzled look.

Looking up at the god, I yell loudly, "Like hell, no way I'm gonna' eat some stupid ball to gain god-like power!"

Clenching my fists I announce loudly for all to hear, "I'm Adder Gravis, the human who's going to surpass the gods themselves, better remember that quickly!"

As if the heavens were listening, countless other gods begin to appear, their forms as varied as the power they embody.

An older-looking deity with masculine features speaks as he seemingly manifests from nothingness, "What a fiery young soul, I heard him a reality away, you really know how to pick em' huh Zato?"

A lithe young feminine god hovers about, scantily clad, "He's not too bad looking, I wonder what he'd look like as a god?"

Dropping in front of me, a stunning god with an exceptionally human appearance approaches me, looking me over he eventually speaks, "Eight."

Zato stands from his pedestal, approaching me as he shrinks in size, "Back off Vindor, he's mine"

Putting his hands up, he leans towards me, "I can promise you all the pretty women your heart could desire if you come with me."

Frustration continued to build as these gods leered at me, and finally, it reaches a boiling point, as I throw out a punch toward Vindor, "Piss off!"

Striking him directly in the face he remains unmoving, however, the atmosphere has shifted, and the gods themselves are stuck transfixed on what they've witnessed, a mortal has struck a deity.

A deity with incredible muscularity breaks this eerie silence, "Striking the face of the god of beauty, take about ballsy, I'd have a tough time doing that."

Placing a hand on their face, Zato sighs, "Damn it, this is gonna' get complicated now."

"Arrogant young soul… Do you know the toll of laying a hand on my perfect form?" Vindor menacingly announces, his face now contorted in an ugly grimace of anger.

A clap is heard from the distance as Vindor lunges at me, freezing him in his tracks, a bead of sweat forming on his face, immediately he and all gods present appear in front of the deity, kneeling before him in perfect cooperation.

"Young soul, a zero karma…" The commanding deity announced.

A hushed murmur cascades through the deities before it returns to their perfect form before.

I can't help but feel that I'm looking at the top dog right now, I thought to myself.

An aura of elegance envelops the deity as they slowly approach me.

"Hatred, unfulfilled passion, boredom, the life you've led is a sad one indeed," the deity spoke.

I was a bit embarrassed, but I calm myself before responding, "Yeah yeah, I've gotten plenty of that in my previous life, what's your point?"

A warm smile graces the god's face, "You remind me of myself many years ago, a fiery spirit, and boundless drive to attain your goal."

"I'm touched but I'm not looking for your damn approval."

He chuckles, which seems to unsettle the other gods.

"I know what you want, you want to conquer, you want to make all of existence yours," the god spoke.

"The nature of you zero karmas is always so exciting, no two zero karmas are the same," spoke the god.

Putting my arms up I half-heartedly chuckle before responding in earnest, "Think you can stop me?"

This comment earns me glares of malice from some of the kneeling gods.

Throwing my middle finger up, I taunt them, "Stick it, shitheads."

A deep laugh is heard from the commanding deity, tempering the gods kneeling before him.

"Might I grant your wish," the god requested.

Chuckling to myself, I eventually respond, "Sure, but don't come crying to me whenever I destroy that throne of yours."

Smiling the god snaps his fingers and I feel my entire being shift like a violent tide, as I am ripped from where I stood, and thrown into a wild tumble.

Suddenly, I find myself tumbling down a dirt hill uncontrollably, light and darkness rushing into my eyes in turns.

Eventually, I come to a stop, landing in a rough spot of dry dirt. Coughing, I dust myself off as I stand.

"Bastard, I'll make sure to get some payback for that one," I say aloud.

Looking around I find myself in what appears to be a vast wasteland, to my right sits the small hill I found myself tumbling on, thick grass littering its surface.

Green stains are found in smears on my clothes, where I then find I am wearing one of my favorite outfits from before I died. At the same time noticing I am considerably younger, with my age physically being that of when I was 20.

"At least that god had a good sense of what clothes and age to give me," I say before continuing to look around.

No sign of human life, not even a river or anything, really starting me out on hard difficulty huh, I think to myself.

Looking far off into the distance, I spot several rolling mountains.

"Bingo," I speak aloud.

Beginning my trek, I spend several hours walking, marching towards my sole goal. On my journey, I arrive at a small gulley.

Dropping down into the gulley, I find stagnant water, and nothing edible.

"What a pain in the ass, I need something to drink," I complain loudly.

Pulling myself out of the gulley I continue my march toward the mountain range. As I begin my climb up the mountain, I find the sun to be setting.

While the mountain ain't steep, trying to go up at night is a death sentence, I thought to myself.

Sighing, I retire from any further venture, deciding to find a place to sleep at the foot of the mountain.

Finding a small overhang, I decided to sleep under it, finding my only company to be bugs and the like.

Tossing and turning, I find difficulty getting comfortable, before grumbling aloud, "I'll show that bastard god."

After much difficulty, I finally get to sleep, uninterrupted by noise and bugs.

***

Waking up I find a squirrel enjoying a nut while sitting in front of my face.

Swatting my hand at it, I shoo it away, "Shove it."

The squirrel scampers off with its meal. As I pull myself upward, I can feel great soreness, worse than that though is my hunger and thirst.

"Damn, should've grabbed that squirrel," I scold myself quietly.

Standing up I dust myself off, walking out from the overhang before looking to the sky, noticing some storm clouds far off, "Looks like rain, might be able to collect some."

Stretching, I spend a few minutes limbering up before beginning my climb up the mountain. By the time the sun is directly above, I've managed to reach the peak, and for the first time have some good luck.

Looking down from the top of the mountain, I spot a small town far off the distance, the desertous region seems to blend into a forest of mushroom trees, before abruptly stopping a few miles away from the town.

As I look at the town I lose my footing, stumbling a bit before catching myself.

"Shifty fucking rocks!" I yell.

Suddenly I hear an animalistic sound accompanied by the flapping of wings.

Turning to face it, I see a distant creature flying toward me.

Standing up, I make sure I have a good foothold before looking at the approaching creature, "Fuck is that…"

Squinting I place my hand above my brow, blocking the sun, as the creature approaches it sounds more and more daunting, "Wait, is that a fucking…"

The sun finally escapes my eyes, as I finally discern what I am looking at, "That's a fucking pterodactyl!" I announce loudly.

The creature swoops at me with its large talons, missing me narrowly, "Nope!"

Having no choice, I burst into a sprint down the mountain, each second that passes I perpetually avoid dangerous fall after dangerous fall, until finally, my luck runs out. Tumbling I start to roll for what felt like forever until finally coming to a stop at a flat part of the mountain.

Pulling myself up, I stand on my shaky legs, catching my breath I struggle to speak, "Fucking… hate this… mountain."

I have not even a moment to rest, as the creature is descending upon me once again, swooping down with its powerful talons. Either by stupid luck or skill, I manage to avoid lethal damage, only suffering minor cuts and scrapes.

Unable to run any further I clench my fist, putting my fists up, "Come on, show me what you got you stupid fucking animal!"

Angered by my provocation, the creature swoops down faster than before. Yelling, I pull my arm back to throw a punch, almost instantly a lightning-fast attack comes flying out of nowhere, smashing into the pterodactyl's neck, and dropping it to the ground instantly.

Standing in shock I'm unable to speak, soon a familiar young boy comes into frame, speaking joyously, "Alright, I can't wait to eat this!"

Staring on in awe, I can only drop to my knee, holding my most grievous wound.

The young boy turns to me, finally noticing me, "Sorry, was this yours?"

Pointing to him, I finally manage to utter aloud, "Goku?"

Shocked, he quickly responds, "How do you know my name?"

Before I can even think I start to laugh, it starts as a chuckle, before eventually swelling into uncontained laughter.

What a bunch of ignorant gods, I got a direct path to godhood now, I thought to myself.