A Sinner's Ballad

I had set up a meeting with his majesty, Jeoma De Cryfloe. He was unbelievably strong but... kind...?

We were in his office, just the two of us.

I placed the account on his table and let him read it before discussing the details. He read through it all and smiled at me.

"Have you given rewards to regulators responsible for this?" He asked.

"Not really. I gave them a paid week off for now. This was too important, so, I decided to first discuss this with you and when I have time, I will think carefully how to reward them. I don't want to make a decision on haste. They deserve better than impulsively decided on rewards." I responded.

"Great. Are you planning on going there yourself?" He asked and I nodded.

"Regulators are not as strong so I think I, number four, should investigate the temples myself."

"I do agree they could be stronger. Climbing to number four so quickly, you are... interesting. Especially since you're an outsider."

I agreed.

"I would prefer keeping this information secret from others ascendants. Once I have confirmed whether he is alive or not, we will reveal the information to others and decide thereon."

"If that's what you decide."

...

I was currently on the other side alongside Layla investigating the temples of the dragons.

"Do you know about this king?" I asked.

"I do. Askai had become too strong and was even offered a rank amongst the four gods making him the fifth but he refused. He thought he was... too good. He was superior to the four gods and they didn't like it. His civilization was destroyed because of this. They gave him an ultimatum. Either surrender and become 'god' or wage a war and intentionally lose the war so his people would suffer. He chose to die instead."

"Even on his way out he was a rebel." I wondered.

"He was against the gods and the entire concept of destiny and fate. He rejected such notions and wanted to form his own path."

"I see..." I responded while reading through some old papers. During my time in the assembly, I had picked up on a few languages. From this point's perspective, I had been in the assembly for roughly 8 months but in actuality, I had lived through almost a century. I lived through experience of a woman who... I would prefer not mentioning the details. But in that century worth of time, I had learned languages through her and thankfully I remembered everything.

The letter I found was written to someone by Askai.

"It is not difficult to win the world,

you only have to believe in yourself.

I was fated to to rule. Yet here I lie.

Destiny could not be conquered.

For you, I did it all.

Your fate was sealed before you were even born.

Day in, Day out, I tried.

There were some things I could not say.

Things I was too embarrassed of.

I love you.

The truth is in this letter. So are the feelings.

I wonder what is beyond the boundary.

I wanted to see it with you. To the north.

Yet, here you lie.

Just like me, you lost to destiny.

This sinner is not a god.

If an life after exists,

This sinner will sing ballads of you

through eternity."

Lovely letter for someone he loved? So, this person's fate was sealed before birth? He then tried changing fate but failed somehow. And what does 'truth is in this letter' mean? Beyond the boundary... to the north... 

WAIT?! Is there a boundary to this world? But in the north specifically? Maybe I'm reading too much into this but considering he wanted to go north-wards with her, I suppose there is a location that is of utmost important to Askai.

This is a yet another great finding. Also it hints towards inevitable fate of Askai too. I'm now more leaning towards the fact that he is actually dead. I carefully placed the letter in a bag I had brought. There are more temples so I should hurry up.

...

"What happened to him..." Kristine had been crying ever since their encounter with Kenji and the regulators.

"He turned on us for good. We all know he was favored by Gods, so, there is no way he is being manipulated." Leisha had turned against Kenji entirely by this point and him now attacking his own classmate was final nail in the coffin.

"He turned on our four Gods too by siding with those filthy sinners. Those... creatures." Barbara clasped her hands together as if praying. "We must pray and hope Gods don't get angry at us for being his friends at some point."

"WHAT THE FUCK! He saved your ass from that abusive house and yet here you are! Is that how your kind shows gratitude?" Kristine had started to lose her mind too. Suddenly everything was spiraling out of control. "WELL THEN! FUCK YOU ALL!!" She burst out of the room in pure rage.

...

I wanted to ask him so many things but that day... I felt small in front of him. He felt cold and distant yet he looked at me with pity in his eyes. What does he even mean by the truth of this world? Are there things we simply don't understand? Why won't he come out and say it himself? Maybe he thinks I'm capable enough to find the truth on my own.

After his disappearance, the team have had a lot of friction... Leisha, Barbara and Rosaline had not only completely given up on him but wants to kill him now. So much for that love they had for him.

Good riddance, I'd say. Even our own classmates are now wary of him. Jennie... Varun, James... all of them. Kyle and Arjun turned on the moment things started going south. He considered them his friends yet they didn't think twice before turning on him. Him attacking Liam didn't sit right with other students either. All of them are cautious and avoiding discussions... even if he is brought up as a topic, they have nothing but bad to say about him.

A man they all once loved being around had suddenly turned into a monster that scares them. He is not even a human for them anymore.

 I think he really wanted to explain things but he couldn't due to some restrictions and asked me to look for the truth myself but how? Where do I even start?

Kenji has gone to the other side and has returned too. The other side has a majority population of non-humans. They are considered inferior to humans because Gods waged war against them a few hundred years ago. Any and all non-humans are by default less than a man. They're treated as liability and slaves and it's rare to even see a free non-human. Logic tells me that the truth must've been different? But is this different enough to go to such extreme lengths over a population he knows nothing of? Heck, he met them only a few months ago but considering his heart... Maybe then ascendants aren't the bad guy?

I still have no idea how to start things... If he wanted me to join them, he could've asked but it seems like he adamantly believes that this 'truth' is enough for me to side with him.

Back when everyone had given up on me, he was there visiting me everyday making sure I was doing good. Now it's time for me to pay back a little.

My spear is now at level 30 and I'm level 28. I'm pretty decent at fighting and after-all, a key player in defeat of the ascendant Sapphire. I should be able to handle myself on my own journey.

I should set out on my own journey to understand the truth of this world too. Others won't listen so I have to be alone and once I find this truth, I can be with Kenji and this time he won't have fake girlfriends!

I cheered for myself before leaving my dorm with a bag full of essentials. The journey ends when I find the truth!