2 Ivan Mikhailov (1)

'Ludiya my love, Maya my child, I am sorry. I can't fulfill my promise to you two, I can't be there for you two anymore.' Tears rolled down Ivan's face as he hid behind a couch in a messy hotel room. Banging sounds could be heard from the door blocked by a chair. The sound stopped for a few seconds before the door bursts open. The chair was broken into pieces as three men in black suits rushed in, each holding onto an AK-47.

Ivan rolled out from behind the couch, shooting at them with the Desert Eagle he was holding in his hand. A .50 caliber bullet ejected from the gun right into one of the men's chest. The bullet penetrated straight through his heart, blood spurting outward from the gun wound as the man collapsed down onto the ground. He moved his arm, aiming his gun at another one of them but before he could pull the trigger, they shot.

Bullets rained in on Ivan, his gun-wielding arm jerked backward dropping the Desert Eagle as bullets riddled his arm. The two men continued spraying, bullets flew into his arms, legs, and chest. His entire body was a bloodied mess filled with holes as he fell down back onto the ground.

The two stopped shooting. They had one look at Ivan and knew he was done for. Ivan laid motionless on the ground, a pool of blood slowly growing underneath his body. One of the two men pulled out an FN Five-seveN and pointed it towards Ivan's head. The man pulled on the trigger, one final bullet homing in on his head.

He closed his eyes, 'this is the end, goodbye my loves.' Just as the bullet was about to penetrate his head, the bullet stopped in place. The two men were also frozen, time had stopped.

Ivan started to emit a golden light. His body started to flicker, as his body started to disintegrate into specks of light before vanishing.

-

'Hot, hot, hot, hot! My body, it feels like I'm on fire!' Ivan couldn't see or feel anything besides the heat. He felt like he was boiled alive, searing hot heat coursing through his body. "Graaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

He opened his eyes, his hazel colored eyes shining bright blue. His vision was blurry, all he could see was blue. The heat gradually subsided as his vision cleared, in front of him was a stretch of tree and grass.

Ivan observed his surroundings, "where is this? I, I died, didn't I?" His hands patted all over his body. He was in the same condition prior to the gunfight, in the same black suit attire. The bullet wounds were missing as if the fight had never happened.

"They're gone. But it happened, I felt it with my body. The hail of bullets penetrating into my body as I lost control. I, I was dead for sure. Is this the afterlife?" Clenching and unclenching his fists, Ivan took a deep breathe, "But this feeling… I feel something more. My body, something's changed."

"Welcome, lucky candidate!"

Ivan reached into his suit for his gun but it wasn't there. He struck a fighting pose with his fists raised. He looked around at his surroundings warily preparing to strike at anything that comes at him.

"You are one of eight chosen individuals who will be participating in a special battle!"

Ivan checked all around him but he couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from, "who are you! Show yourself!"

"Quite the cautious individual you are! That's good, very good. I'm expecting much from you."

Clicking his tongue, Ivan continued to observe all around him. There was no place in his view that could be a hiding spot. He turned his eyes up to the trees nearby, cold sweat starting to form on his back.

"Look all you want, but you won't find me. Afterall, I'm speaking directing into your mind. Don't be so tense! Allow me to explain the situation."

Ivan nodded, "explain. Who are you, where am I?"

"I am a split off clone of the Progenitor, who you may know as God. You, you are dead."

Ivan was unfazed, "continue."

"Or at least, you should be. But before the time of your death, before your body lost all function and your soul departed from the world, you were chosen. Chosen as a participant in a war for a chance at redemption. By winning the battle, you will be granted life, you will live again."

Ivan's breathing sped up, "you said, if I win, I can live again?"

"Yes."

Ivan's eyes shone with determination, 'Ludiya, Maya, I can see you again.'

"There are a total of eight participants. Each participant is given abilities based on their personality, strengths and what defined who they are in their previous life. The heat you felt earlier was the awakening of your abilities. You probably feel it too, the presence of a newfound power. If you wish to view your abilities, just concentrate really hard and an interface visible only to you will pop up informing you of them."

"I see." Ivan closed his eyes, his eyebrows scrunching up. He reopened them to find a floating screen with words in front of him.

"Along with unique innate abilities, each participant will fight alongside a companion. Your soul will be interlocked with that of your companions, the intertwinement of your souls chain you to this world allowing you two to remain in this foreign land. If you or your companion perishes in battle, the remaining one will only have three days before their connection to this world dissipates and the world rejects you. When this happens, you lose by default."

"T-This is?" Three golden halos appeared on Ivan's right wrist as the imprint of a golden cross appeared on his right chest shining through his suit.

"Your companion will be that of one of the monster races. They too have a reason to fight just like you. While they serve beside you, they have their own will and thought. The halos and the cross are countermeasures. Should they show killing intent or the will to harm you, the halo will shine bright informing you of it. So long as you will it, the halo will restrict them as well as inflict pain upon their soul, temporarily immobilizing them from causing you harm. The golden cross will allow you to force them to obey any command of yours. Both of these are one-time use tools that will disappear after use so use them wisely."

Ivan clenched his right fist looking down at the halos, as he brought his left hand to the cross on his chest. "I understand."

"This is a world of sword and magic! Fight, fight and fight! I bid you farewell and I wish you the best of luck in this battle."

The voice was gone, Ivan was greeted by the silence of the forest as he stood alone. The light of the halos and cross dimmed down, no longer emitting light like before. He took a deep breathe, "that was a lot of information to take in at once… but I know what I have to do."

'Wait for me, my loves.' A sudden flash of purple light blinded him, "who!" His eyes opened to see a purple hex circle shining on the floor in front of him. A pillar of light burst forth from the hex circle, within the light, a silhouette could be seen.

"I have answered the call to battle. I, Ina, shall fight by your side."