Greg Veder & The New Faith

"Ughh.." I blinked my eyes open before gripping my head. I looked around and understood that I was laying on my bedroom floor.

I didn't wanna get up from the ground, so I just laid there.

I felt weird, it was kind of.. hard to think, my thoughts were hazy and blurred.

I was on the ground.

I tried to recall why I was on the ground, but a sudden throbbing pain from my head made it hard to recall any memories or even think. So I just laid on the ground, absentmindedly placing my hands on my head and staring into the ceiling.

I wasn't sure how long I spent being absent-minded, but as the throbbing pain slowly receded, not only did I begin to become conscious, but I also started vividly remembering things: The darkened brown crust; the dripping melted slightly yellow-white mozzarella cheese, and that bitter burnt flavour of the crust and lack of salt when I took a bite of the first pizza I had made four years ago.

More memories, both new and old, without any order, flooded my consciousness.

I didn't know what was happening. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information and disorder that I remembered my three (3) year old birthday was only last month. Yet I knew that it wasn't possible, and that it would've actually been twelve (12) years ago.

It was like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle.

But in the mess, a memory stood out to me out of all else; A star, burning an intense gold and white, growing closer upon the world as it fell from the heavens; the world burning and scorched under the presence of an eternal celestial.

A Star Eternal; Eternal Star.

Then, time began slowing to a halt. Unknown symbols manifested in the skies above, akin to the void; absent of light and having a seemingly infinite depth. But in the presence of the Eternal Star, time burned under its authority and divinity, forced to flow once more as reality began to move once again.

More symbols manifested, and then.. Reality twisted and turned as its laws were altered. The Eternal Star ceased to exist, the scorched earth, and all its influence having also been undone. Suddenly, everything exploded into blinding white; burned. Heat and brilliance, not unlike the beginning of creation, set existence aflame.

It didn't fit.

"Aghh!" There was a sharp pain in my mind, as if it was swelling; another stream of memories pervaded my memories, and for a moment, I couldn't remember who I was or what I was.

…

But I knew who I was, who I am: Greg Veder.

The pain faded away as a sort of mental clarity settled in.

My once disordered memories became complete, like a perfect timeline of myself. The bleed from the foreign memories into my own stopped being difficult to differentiate because in my observation, they stuck out.

They were blatantly not mine, of Greg Veder's — Because, I was sure as hell, had never seen dragons the size of a mountains in Brockton Bay! Or fought constellations! Or.. Anyone!

So who's memories were they?

A memory flashed; "Cel' Iruf, the God of Illusions, minor of Lies! Ho- The memory faded as I couldn't remember past the rest.

…

"What?" I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. In the back of my mind, the continuous flow of memories slowed, but I was too busy to pay much attention to it, because what was that about Gods?

I pushed myself up from the floor.

Sitting on the floor of my bedroom, I tried to recall any information in the memories that could clarify who — or what — 'Cel' lruf' was. Some more memories flashed inside my mind and I began remembering his identity; The one who's memories had somehow ended inside my mind, the God of Illusions and minor god of Lies, and the Usurper of the Eternal Star.

He was a 'mediocre' god.

In a world that was different from Earth Bet or Aleph, in a world best described as a sword and magic fantasy world.

And so I did the rational thing when you have weird memories of some sort of fantasy story you would read in a novel; I didn't believe it — I mean, what were the chances that not only did I somehow gain the memories of another world, but ones that belonged to a god?

It was impossible.

I would more believe that the origins of superpowers were from inter-dimensional aliens.

It was more reasonable that some master, for some reason or another that I have no idea as to why, implanted these memories in me or I had triggered and these memories were some sort of byproduct or the even more likely option; I had awakened my superpowers!

"It makes sense," I muttered aloud. "I seem to be able to perfectly recall any memory or information and my thoughts feel much cleaner and faster, like the difference between a TI-82 and a Supercomputer, and-" I stopped talking. I could've probably gone an hour listing everything different. But I was focused on a new sensation in the back of my mind; a feeling of a connection towards.. something.

Perhaps, I am being mastered.

Feeling the 'connection.' I recalled a lesson from my ninth grade teacher, Ms. Frizz. She taught parahuman studies and had gotten into some of the worst crimes committed by parahumans — not in full detail though — and near the end of class, she had gotten onto talking about Heartbreaker, one of the worst villains and few to receive a death order, and the only thing keeping him alive was because he was also one of, if not the, most powerful masters on Earth Bet.

And right when the Bell Rung, she had cautioned about any sudden or strange feelings of familiarity or connection to something or someone.

Yes, there was a chance I was being mastered, and that was terrifying.

But it felt like I wasn't mastered, it felt familiar to m- to Cel' Iruf, and I knew what it was; My 'Nuclear Divinity.'

Unfortunately, that was where my understanding ended. I knew nothing else about what a 'Nuclear Divinity' was — except for the fact the name sounded super cool — but considering that it felt important, it was probably important.

I mean, it could've been some sort of side-effect of my superpowers or a trick by some master cape, but what if it wasn't?

I amused the idea and tried to recall any information about this 'Nuclear Divinity,' I mean, it worked before, so maybe it'll work again?

A few seconds later and no new information or memory showed itself to elaborate on anything. If that didn't work.. Maybe I should try to recall anything else that would be important to know?

But, what would be important to a god? I pondered the question.

"Faith?" I mumbled the first thought that came to mind, and it clicked. For some reason or another, faith seemed really important to me — Cel's instincts? Unfortunately, I didn't have a clue on why faith felt so important to.. Cel.

There were many plausible reasons, ranging from self-gratification to empowerment. There wasn't any answer and probably won't until I uncover the truth personally, so I'll probably see if.. I can gain some.. Faith.

Some sort of tutorial would've been nice. I sighed, it would've been much simpler and easier to have the mechanics and situation explained to me like in a video game, but I guess life can't just be as simple and straightforward like video games.

"Hmm…" An idea came to me, or more like a question. Feeling the connection between me and the 'Nuclear Divinity,' I attempted to.. Interact or trace the connection with my mind.

The moment my mind made the effort.

Everything vanished into a blinding light and a contradictory feeling of warmth and cold.

I stood before an endless ocean of light and energy, as If what was before me was the Sun itself.

It wasn't real.

I could feel the ground. I was still sitting in my bedroom.. but was I?

I was transfixed, unable to do nothing else but admire, marvel, at the vastness of a "God."

And for that moment, I understood why gods were revered in those myths and how religions and myths could persist many years after the fall of it's era—Seeing this.. this..

I extended my hand to reach out, and..