[2] Deity Ex Machina

Darkness. Vast, unending, absolute. It swallowed me, crushed me, pressed down on me with the weight of centuries. I tried to breathe, to scream, but there was nothing. No air, no sound, no sensation. Only the void, cold and eternal and-

"Hey, you. You're finally awake."

The voice cut through the nothing like a blade, sharp and sudden. Female, commanding, with an undercurrent of something ancient, something powerful. My eyes snapped open-

-and immediately slammed back shut, dazzled by the sudden, searing light. I groaned, throwing an arm over my face. "Jesus fuck..."

A chuckle, low and throaty. "Not quite."

I squinted, blinking away the spots dancing across my vision. A figure swam into focus, haloed by a nimbus of shimmering, opalescent light.

She was... radiant. Transcendent. An impossible melding of human and divine, of earthly beauty and celestial perfection. Hair the color of spun moonlight cascaded down her back, framing a face so lovely it hurt to look upon. Eyes like molten gold, flecked with starlight, regarded me with a mix of amusement and something else, something unfathomable.

I stared, drinking her in, my mind struggling to process the sheer, overwhelming presence of her. Some distant, lizard-brain part of me was gibbering in awe, in worship, the ancient impulse to bow before a being so far beyond mortal ken it defied comprehension.

The rest of me? The rest of me just wanted a fucking cigarette.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my body oddly weightless. Like I was floating in zero-G, untethered from the surly bonds of gravity. I glanced around, taking in the endless expanse of pure, shimmering white. "So. This is hell, huh? Gotta say, not what I was expecting."

Another laugh, the sound like wind chimes and thunder. "Oh, Dante. You're not in hell. Not yet, anyway."

I raised an eyebrow. "Heaven, then? Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed. Always figured the pearly gates would be a bit more... pearly."

"Always so quick with the quips." Her voice was fond, almost indulgent. "No, my dear. This is not heaven, nor hell. This is... something else entirely."

"Right. That clears things up, thanks." I rolled my eyes. "Look, lady, not that I don't appreciate the whole cryptic act, but I've had a very long, very shitty day, and I'm pretty sure I just got shot in the head. So if you could just give it to me straight, I'd be eternally grateful."

"Very well. I shall... 'give it to you straight,' as you so eloquently put it."

She moved closer, the light around her dimming to a more tolerable level. I could see her more clearly now, could make out the individual strands of her hair, the fullness of her lips. She was wearing... I squinted. A toga? A peplos? Some kind of Grecian-looking getup, all flowing white silk and gold filigree.

"I am..." She paused, her head tilting as if listening to something only she could hear. "Well. I have many names, in many tongues. But you may call me Hera."

I blinked. "A goddess."

"Just so."

"Right. Okay. Sure." I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing.

Hera's lips quirked. "You seem... remarkably unperturbed by this revelation, Dante Valac."

I shrugged. "I just got isekai'd, didn't I? Stands to reason there'd be a goddess involved somehow. That's how these things go, right? Truck-kun, blinding light, cryptic deity, BAM! Welcome to fantasy land, try not to die again."

Her eyes danced with mirth. "You are a curious one, aren't you? So genre-savvy, so... adaptable."

"What can I say? Jake would never shut up about those stories." I pushed myself to my feet, wobbling slightly in the non-existent gravity. "So, what's the deal? You gonna give me some cheat skills, send me off to save the world from the demon lord?"

"Not... exactly." Her smile turned enigmatic. "Tell me, Dante. If you were given a second chance, a new life in a new world... would you seek to become the strongest?"

I paused, frowning. Liam's question, echoing across the void of memory.

What would I do, if given the chance to start anew in a world of boundless potential?

I'd claw my way to the top of the food chain. I'd seize every scrap of power I could get my hands on and wield it like a cudgel, reforging the world in my image.

What was the point of a second chance if you weren't going to grab it by the throat and throttle every last drop of potential from it?

I looked up, meeting Hera's gaze. "Yes," I said, my voice steady. "I would. With everything I had, with every fiber of my being."

Something flickered in her eyes, there and gone too fast to read. Satisfaction? Anticipation? Hunger?

"Good," she purred. "That's very good, Dante. I had hoped you would say that."

She began to circle me, her movements fluid and hypnotic. "Normally, a soul in your position would be granted three wishes before being reincarnated. A boon, to ease their passage into a new world." Her lips curved, sharp and cruel. "But it would seem that your contract was fulfilled... prematurely."

I frowned, unease prickling along my spine. "Contract?"

"Oh, yes. A pact, forged in the fires of destiny, sealed with the blood of the innocent." She leaned in close, her breath ghosting across my ear. "You are meant for great things, Dante."

I shivered, my mind racing. The dings, the whispers of the Advisor in my head... Gojo's infinite void, Sukuna's cursed techniques... had that been real?

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm afraid I can't say more. The tapestry of your fate is... delicate. Pull one thread too hard, and the whole thing unravels."

I ground my teeth. "Cryptic bullshit. Should've known."

Hera laughed, the sound like shattering glass. "Oh, my dear, sweet Dante. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?"

She stepped back, the light around her beginning to pulse and swirl. "I'm afraid our time grows short. The body you are to inhabit is ready. It eagerly awaits your presence."

I jolted, panic seizing me. "Wait, what? What the fuck do you mean, 'the body I'm to inhabit?' What world am I even going to?"

Hera shrugged, her smile maddeningly enigmatic. "The memories will come to you in time. I have faith you will adapt. You always do."

The light was growing brighter, harsher, searing my eyes. I threw up a hand to shield my face, squinting against the glare. "Wait!" I shouted, my voice raw and desperate. "I don't... I'm not ready, dammit!"

But Hera was gone, swallowed up by the maelstrom of light and color. I felt a lurching, dizzying sensation, like the universe had just dropped out from under me. I was falling, tumbling head over heels through a kaleidoscopic vortex of images and sensations, each one slamming into my brain with the force of a freight train.

I jolted awake, my head pounding like a jackhammer. The world spun as I forced my eyes open, squinting against the harsh sunlight filtering through a canopy of leaves. I groaned, pushing myself up on shaky arms.

"What the fuck..." I muttered, my voice raspy and raw.

Trees. I was surrounded by trees, their trunks stretching up towards a cloudless sky. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my brain.

Where the hell was I? The last thing I remembered was...

Nothing but my name.

I scrambled to my feet, nearly falling as a wave of dizziness washed over me. My hand shot out, grabbing a nearby tree trunk for support. As the world stopped spinning, I noticed something dark staining the bark.

Blood. Dried and flaking, but unmistakable.

I turned, following the trail with my eyes. There, a few feet away, was a large boulder. Its surface was splattered with more blood, bits of... something else mixed in.

My stomach lurched. I stumbled away, retching into a nearby bush.

When the dry heaves finally subsided, I wiped my mouth with a shaking hand. "Okay," I muttered. "Okay. Think, Dante. What the fuck is going on?"

I looked around, taking in my surroundings more carefully. I was in a forest, that much was clear. Dense undergrowth surrounded me, broken only by the occasional rocky outcropping. To my left, the ground sloped sharply upward, ending in a sheer cliff face maybe fifty feet up.

Did I fall from there? I wondered, eyeing the jagged rocks. It would explain the blood, at least.

But not how I'd gotten here in the first place.

A memory tickled at the edge of my consciousness. Something about... a goddess? Golden eyes and cryptic words?

I shook my head, wincing as pain lanced through my skull. Whatever. It didn't matter right now. I needed to figure out where I was, find civilization. Maybe then I could start making sense of... whatever this was.

I took a step forward, then froze as something caught my eye. There, half-hidden beneath a fallen log, was a glint of metal.

I crouched down, brushing aside leaves and debris. My breath caught in my throat as I revealed a sword. Not some cheap replica or museum piece, but a real, honest-to-god sword. Its blade was wickedly sharp, the metal gleaming despite the dirt and leaves clinging to its surface.

"What the actual fuck," I breathed, reaching out to touch it.

The moment my fingers brushed the hilt, a jolt of... something shot through me. Images flashed behind my eyes, too fast to process. A house on a hill. A group of green animals - goblins, maybe chasing. A splash of blood, tripping, falling...

I jerked my hand back, gasping. The sword lay there innocently, as if nothing had happened.

This isn't real, I thought, hysteria bubbling up in my chest. I'm dreaming. Or dead. Or fucking insane.

But the ache in my body felt real enough. The blood drying on my skin. The smell of the forest, rich and alive.

I looked at the sword again, warring with myself. Everything in me screamed that this was impossible, that I should leave it be and get the hell out of here.

But another part, quieter but no less insistent, whispered that I needed it. That it was mine.

"Fuck it," I muttered, reaching for the hilt again.

This time, there was no vision. Just the solid weight of steel in my hand, familiar in a way I couldn't explain.

I stood, hefting the sword experimentally. It felt... right. Like an extension of my arm.

"Okay," I said, more to hear a human voice than anything else. "Okay. I've got a sword. I'm in a forest. I'm not dead." I paused, considering. "Probably."

I looked around again, trying to get my bearings. The cliff face seemed like as good a landmark as any. If I followed it, I might find a way up. Higher ground would give me a better view of the area.

"Right," I muttered. "Let's go."