Conversations With A God. (Part 2)

Jay stood still, his eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. The overwhelming scenario in front of him left him completely speechless. He was still debating what to ask and what not to.

A faint pressure pressed down on Jay, urging him to speak. Finally, the being spoke, a hint of amusement lacing its voice.

"Go on, ask your questions. I doubt a mere mortal like yourself could pose a threat. Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you. Speak freely."

He took a deep breath to steady himself. "Can I take a few minutes to collect my thoughts?" he requested, his voice hoarse. "I wouldn't want to interrupt after every question."

"Very well," the being conceded, a flicker of surprise crossing its features. "But don't take too long."

After a tense five minutes, Jay cleared his throat. "Alright, I'm ready."

His most burning question tumbled out. "How did I die?"

The being's smirk widened. "Is that your first question? I thought you'd be more curious about your whereabouts or who I am."

"Those are important, of course, but understanding how I died takes precedence. That metal rod through my chest… I don't believe it was enough to kill me. With timely medical attention… If I was admitted in time, I'm pretty sure I could have survived."

"Oh, it's quite simple. You did reach the hospital on time, but the rod that went through your lung was covered in some sort of mild poison. It led to complete organ failure in both your lungs. You were on life support for 4 days, but alas, it wasn't enough."

"What? Poison? What the fuck? How was there fucking poison? Did the world want me dead or something?"

"Language, mortal," Alasdair's strict voice cut Jay's tantrum in half again.

"S-sorry, I was just startled. But how come there was poison involved?"

"Come on now, Jay. You were injured in a construction area. A lot of stuff happens there every day. Who knows how it got there?"

A heavy silence descended. Jay struggled to process the news.

"Speaking of which," the being continued, its tone softening slightly, "do you recall your blood type?"

"Umm, yes. AB-, right?"

"Yes, well, that did a number on you too. Getting a new pair of lungs that were compatible with your rare blood group was very, very hard. Your father tried for days, but every potential donor was already committed."

A pang of guilt stabbed at Jay's heart. "Dad… what happened to him?"

"When that girl told him about your condition, he thought it was a joke. But then he received a call from the hospital and came rushing. After that, he tried everywhere for a possible donor but every possible one was already committed. When he received the news of your passing, he was crushed and he tried to..."

"Enough," Jay interrupted, his voice tight. "Anything that happened in my past life is irrelevant now."

"Perhaps," the being mused, its voice laced with doubt.

"I don't want to dwell on it," Jay insisted. "It won't help my current situation."

The being seemed taken aback by Jay's resolve. A hint of respect flickered in its eyes.

"An interesting perspective," it murmured. "If something happened to my own daughter, I too would be devastated."

"Daughter? You are a father?" asked Jay with a perplexed look.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No, but aren't you like a god or something? Can gods be parents?"

"That's quite rude. Of course, we can be. Matter of fact, we can sire almost an infinite number of kids. Oh, you are surprised by that? Wait till you get to know about that green-haired bitch and that fucking whore. The sheer number of kids they have is mind-boggling. Not to mention they are spoiled rotten and completely retarded. Oh, those fucking little shits. Once I get my hands on them, I'll..."

"My lord, please, you are making no sense right now perhaps we can discuss that later," said Alasdair while rubbing his forehead, a hint of exasperation evident. He still emanated an air of quiet authority.

"Huh?" Looking down, he saw Jay looking at him with a completely dumbfounded expression.

Cough, cough. "Yes, where were we? Your second question?" said the being while straightening his collar and sitting upright again.

"Yeah. My second question is, what was that godforsaken dark place I was in before coming into this world?" asked Jay about the horrifying realm of darkness he was stranded in earlier.

Hearing this question, both beings became serious. The god said, "Well, now I really do think you are kind of unlucky, Jay."

"Ummm, why?" Jay asked, feeling a sense of foreboding.

"That place of utter darkness is known as the Ceaseless Chasm. To put it simply, that place is completely fucked up."

Clearing his throat, he continued, "As I said, that place is messed up. There, the laws of space and time make no sense. Everything is just there, existing aimlessly."

"But what does that have to do with me being stranded there?" countered Jay.

"Well, when your soul departed from your previous body, it was supposed to enter the body of a struggling human youngling, through designated channel. There, you would have been given a series of trials. If you had managed to complete them, you would have been granted an audience with one of my subordinates."

"Your subordinates, not you?" Jay asked, confused. "Then what allowed me to be granted an audience with you?"

"Patience, mortal. Let his Majesty complete," said Alasdair.

"Like I said, if that scenario were to happen. Your soul, when traversing through space, got caught up in an accident..."

His voice trailed off, replaced by a glare directed by Alasdair. He, seemingly unfazed, simply raised an eyebrow.

All of a sudden, the god got furious again.

"And the accident was caused by none other than those little shits I was talking about earlier. They were playing—or should I say causing a ruckus—when one of them accidentally hit your traversing soul, which caused it to deviate from its original path and go inside the Ceaseless Chasm I was talking about earlier."

Hearing this, Jay was livid. Because of someone messing around, he had to suffer in that place. But then again, he could do nothing. They were the children of gods, and as a powerless mortal, he had no right to say anything.

Jay was smart enough to understand that now, in a place like this, strength mattered the most. If one had enough power, they could do anything. But that didn't mean he wasn't angry; he was just bottling it up.

Seeing the conflict and rage on Jay's face, both beings went silent. After witnessing a range of emotions and lastly serenity, both the beings smiled.

"Looks like you know how to control your emotions. Good, it'll help in the future," said Alasdair, nodding his head in approval.

Hearing his voice, Jay said, "I am not good at controlling my emotions. I am just bottling them up. I'm powerless right now, no doubt, but that doesn't mean I will remain the same in the future."

"An admirable spirit, mortal," Alasdair boomed. "The path to power is fraught with hardship. Are you certain you're up to the challenge?"

Jay met his gaze, a steely glint in his eyes. "I don't know," he admitted, "but I'm willing to try."

Both kept staring at each other for a while. Alasdair's abyss-deep eyes kept looking straight into Jay's, but he didn't falter. He kept staring with the same slight smile on his face.

Seeing the situation, the god intervened and said, "Leaving that aside, just because you fell into the Chasm isn't necessarily bad. It allowed you to meet me, quite the upgrade I must say."

"But was that enough to meet you? Earlier, you said that to get an audience with your subordinate I had to complete a series of tests. Just surviving, was that enough to make me meet you?"

Hearing this, the god's smile widened. "I don't think you are comprehending what it means to survive the Chasm for that long and then leave on your own will, Jay. Even I would not go there willingly."

"Well, it was certainly not nice, to be honest." Suddenly, Jay seized up and said, "Hold up, how long was I in that place for?"

"Oh, not long. Just a few decades. It's hard to be precise as I said the time there is messed up."

Alasdair sighed, muttering something about "unnecessary information."

Jay stared at them, speechless. Decades trapped in that horrifying place. It was a staggering thought.

Looking at Jay, the god said, "Well, this will be a pain in the ass."