Golden-Eyed ¿Hero?(American Cheese is sussed, but still valid)

"H-how?" Stuttered the boy, confusion, scrunching up his face.

The god sighed. "Well, you don't expect them to love you out of nowhere, do you?" Scratching the plucked pen onto the parchment, the god spoke, "Now I have three suggestions." Pointing out three fingers, the god gestured to sit down.

The boy obeyed, taking a seat where the papers didn't land. "Number un-, I mean one," changing their fingers from three to one, the god continued. "Mind controlling your parents into loving you." The boy blanched, "That's what I thought you'd say."

"But I didn't s-." Interrupting the boy the god pressed their shriveled finger to his mouth.

"Shhhhhh, details, details," shaking away the comment, the god grinned. "Now, number two, prove that you aren't a Cursed being. Though, without the help of the Church." Pulling up two fingers the god snickered. "Oh dear, that'll be tough for you."

The boy put on a dejected smile, "Yes, it would be… quite difficult." The god's expression twisted.

Sighing, the god grumbled. "Kids these days, so weird." Pointing out three fingers, the god moved on. "Number three, the one I recommend, is to become someone that your parents would love." Solis grinned, teeth in all, their wrinkles gathering around the corners of their mouth. The devil hand appeared in the shape of a star. "Become someone that deserves love and affection."

Evil drips like candy, in the shape of beautiful feathers. The boy falls into the trap for fools. Was he weak? Or did the world wring him dry? Still, it didn't matter. He was caught, like gold to nine hands.

"And I can help you do that." A devious smile.

—————

Solis had lost what they had when they had roamed the living world.

[Empathy]

One of the nine things they had given up for the world. A tale as old as time.

[The Birth of a God.]

About 100,000 years ago the world had fallen into chaos. The Old Gods had decreed a message.

[Let us play a game, shall we?]

A message shared throughout the whole world. The inhabitants of the world began to disappear and reappear. Then, unknown beings began to appear. Fights between inhabitants of the world and the unknown beings occurred all across the continents. And the one leading the original inhabitants was a human by the name of, Solis Ghatana. A young man with golden hair and eyes, who wielded the strength of the world.

But the strength of the world wasn't enough to bring peace to the chaotic world. So the young man left his lover and companions to make a deal with the Old Gods, to bring the world back from endless death. In the process of the deal, Solis was to give up ten things.

First, was his [Body], second was his [Humanity], third his [Fear], fourth his [Sorrow], fifth his [Love], sixth his [Empathy], seventh his [Life], eighth his [Death], ninth his [Soul], and tenth was his [Memories].

By the time the Old Gods had taken away his [Love], he knew it was a trap. But it had been too late, and he had only been able to save his [Memories]. The young man had taken his [Memories] and turned it into a bird of light, to keep his memories safe and, at the least, to throw spite at the Old Gods.

After the Old Gods had gone, there were only shards of the young man. The bird, desperate to be whole again, had gathered up the shards of the young man and tried to fit the pieces together again.

Right then, a powerful god had appeared, a witness to all that had happened, they said this.

[I admire your nobility and bravery. I will gift you what you deserve.]

The god commanded the Old Gods to recede, like waves they did. The unknown beings disappeared, their bodies swept away like ash. The bloodshed had ended.

Before the god had left, they took the scattered shard of Solis and made him a god.

[A parting gift, Solis.]

Thus, a god was born. From the scattered remains of a golden-eyed man, an incomplete god was made. Without a body, without humanity, without fear, without sorrow, without love, without empathy, without life or death, without a soul. But with the precious memories of a golden hero.

[Solis the Golden God]

——————

"How? What will make them love me?" Hope. Hope. Hope.

The devil smiled. "I heard that your father is quite the prideful. Loves a good boost to his reputation." The god scribbles nonsense on the paper in their hands. "I've also heard that your mother's family is a line of generals." Ending their scribbles, the god took a glance at the boy from the corner of their eyes.

The faint wisps of idea on his expression. The boy's head turned down and intertwined his fingers, "Becoming a general… would make my parents love me?" The god's wrinkled face split in half with their smile.

Rapidly fixing their expression as the boy looked up at the god, the god replied back. "Not just your parents! The whole Kingdom of Ghatana would love you!" Spreading their arms out wide, pen and parchment no longer to be seen. "How wonderful would that be! The humans would love you! Treat you with respect, because you deserve it!" The boy's eyes shine brighter than ever before.

Love, love because you are worth it. There is no such thing as respect that is a given, that is the same as love. Foolish boy, he had juggled and jumbled love and respect. Now there was not a single bit of doubt in the foolish boy of red.

"Deserve…" muttered the foolish boy. "But… how would I enter the military if I am to be stuck here forever?" Questioned the boy, the glitter in his eyes slipping.

The devil grinned. "Simple. You run away from home."

The boy frowned. "Won't that make them hate me even more?" He pulled his legs toward himself. They hated him, he didn't want them to hate him even more.

The god's eyes turned into curved slits as they smiled. "Now, they won't care if you become good enough. Would they?" Still not reassured, the god threw another bone. "If you want to be on the safe side, I can say it was my will that you have been taken away." The boy hesitated then nodded, resolve in his eyes.

With a smile, still, pasted on, the god spoke. "Now to help you achieve the goal of becoming a great general, I'll gift you something special." Under their breath, the god muttered quietly. "It isn't supposed to be out yet though… Eh. It's good."

The god rolled forward on their wheelchair. Stopping right before they rolled over the boy, they procured a shining wisp of light between their knobby fingers. Slowly, the god's hand holding the light got closer and closer. Until…

"Ahh. Yes. I had forgotten about my payment." Retracting their hand as the glowing receded, the god tittered. "What will you give me in return for my... generous help?" Asked the ever-smiling god.