Deceit, A Second Chance Indeed

I opened my eyes to a vast light, feeling a strong breeze enveloping my whole body. The sensation was relaxing, and I could say it was better than dying. The vast light revealed itself to be a beautiful morning sky, unlike any sky I had ever seen before.

Looking around, I saw rocks and sand and realized I was on a beach. But something felt strange, more than just one thing seemed off.

The people around me had a unique dressing style, similar to ANNALISE, though not as refined as hers. The sea was a clear green, which seemed normal enough, but then I noticed the strange languages being spoken, languages I couldn't understand. No one even came to my aid.

Suddenly, I heard ANNALISE's voice, "From now on, we walk our paths together. And yes, everything is strange because you are no longer in your world."

"What do you mean, not in my world?" I interrupted.

"Yes, you're not. You are in the world within your world," she explained.

"The world within my world? What does that even mean?" I interrupted again, growing frustrated.

"What I mean is, this world, or dimension, occupies the same space as your Earth, but it vibrates at a different frequency, speed, and velocity," she clarified.

"How is that even possible? This isn't what I wanted! I want to go back to my Earth. Wasn't that the deal?" I demanded.

"That's where you misunderstood. I told you I'd bring you back, but I never specified where, and you didn't ask," she replied coolly.

"How was I supposed to know there are other worlds, let alone dimensions?"

She laughed, a sound that was both mocking and sinister, "Hahahahahaha."

"You're insane and pathetic! I should have just stayed dead," I snapped, pain rising in my chest as I realized I had left something important behind, something I could never get back.

"WATCH YOUR TONE, HUMAN!" Her voice boomed, terrifying but I wasn't fazed. "Or I will—"

"Or you'll what? Kill me? It's not like I haven't been dead before. I don't care anymore!" I shouted back. People started staring at me like I was losing my mind, but I didn't care. I was done with the nonsense.

"You PATHETIC little human. I won't kill you because you have potential, potential that I can use to conquer my siblings and all dimensions," she said, sounding as though she owned the entire universe.

"If you're not going to kill me, I'll do it myself. I won't stay in this world with you. You didn't give me what I wanted, so I'll return the favor." I began running towards the sea.

Soft giggles escaped her lips before she responded, "You can't commit suicide here. If you try drowning, you'll just keep drowning forever—suffocating but never dying. If you jump off a cliff, you'll feel the pain, but you'll never die. And I promise you, that is worse than death itself."

"Bullshit! Those are just lies. You want me to believe that so you can keep me here to use my so-called potential!" I shouted, plunging into the sea.

"With so much anger, you forget who you are talking to," she said, her voice cold and proud. "I AM ANNALISE—DEATH ITSELF. If I don't grant you death, how will you die? I have ordained you IMMORTAL."

I stopped, realizing what she said was true. Filled with more rage, I spat, "I still won't serve you!" My words were a declaration of defiance.

"Yes, you will," she replied smugly. "After I conquer DREAM, DESIRE, and my other siblings, you will—"

"What makes you think I'd want to help a deceiver like you gain dominion over everything?" I cut her off.

"We are no different," she said with a smirk, "considering your past life."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, but she ignored me.

"As I was saying, once I gain dominion, I'll take you back to your Earth," she said.

"And how am I supposed to trust you won't deceive me again?" I asked boldly.

"Well, we could sign another contract to guarantee it," she offered.

I gave it serious thought and finally said, "The contract will be on my terms. After each quest I complete, I will be rewarded with this world's currency so I can survive until the day you take me back to my world."

"Don't worry about that. I'll give you a bag of unlimited gold to help you out," she said calmly.

"Fine. It's settled. I'll sign the contract."

Another contract appeared before me, and I read every detail carefully to avoid being tricked again. Everything seemed in order, so I signed.

Afterward, a small palm sack appeared. She told me it contained the unlimited gold, and I tested it by pouring out some of the gold. Sure enough, it was unlimited. No matter how much I poured out, the bag never emptied. Gold piled up on the soft sand.

Throughout this conversation, I noticed the people around us no longer cared if I seemed insane. It was as if it was a normal occurrence here.

"And now, for your first quest," she said. "You will need to form a group of at least five members, including yourself. Your group must consist of a spirit-wielder, either an enchantress or a warlock, a swordsman, an archer, and you as the leader."

"What do you mean by spirit-wielder, enchantress, and all those others?"

"Oh, pardon me. Let me explain. A spirit-wielder is someone chosen by one of the five types of spirits: water, fire, air, earth, or lightning. Each year, in the enchanted realm, spirits choose 20 random people to wield their powers. Only those who enter the enchanted realm, a place rich with magic and creatures, can be chosen. Once chosen, they protect the spirits' realm, and each person can only wield one type of spirit, except for you."

"As for magic users, swordsmen, and archers, you can find them in the common realm, which is where you are now. They receive their abilities when they turn 17. A tattoo appears on their back, indicating whether they are a magic user, swordsman, or archer, and then they attend MISFIT CLASH ACADEMY."

"Before I forget, you, MAHESK, are a special case," she added. "And before you ask, a MAHESK is an exceptional individual chosen by a DIVINE SIBLING to fulfill their desires."

She kept talking, but I was getting tired. We had been talking all day. "Okay, I understand now, but when do I get my powers?"

"Oh! I almost forgot. You get them now," she said. "Sylvia, where are you?"