LightReader

Chapter 2 - The Offer

The sparkling orb still shone in the mysterious man's hand, still conjuring the image of Emma, Jacob's sister - lying in a hospital bed. He spread his fingers as if conjuring something else, and the orb flashed white before showing a city landscape.

"A lot has changed since your passing," the man said.

Jacob leaned in closer, the city looked different but... familiar - was this his hometown? 

"Why does it look so different?" Jacob asked, leaning in closer.

"In your previous realm, the human world, it has been fifty years since-"

"Fifty years!?" Jacob interrupted. 

The silver haired man, eyes still closed with a soft smile on his face - somehow looked annoyed even though his expression had not changed.

"Yes, on the-"

"It's been fifty years!?" Jacob interrupted again. 

"I told you he was dumb," the scorpion said, having crept his way back to the duo. 

"I don't understand, why go back? Everyone I knew is probably gone by now..." Jacob asked.

The silver haired man nodded. "Everyone you knew is gone, but not for the reasons you think."

He raised his second hand now, palm up, matching the other, and conjured a force that grew his orb three times the size. In it he conjured up images of snarling monsters, a dark purple sky, and people screaming in terror.

"Not long after your passing, your realm was invaded by a dark force. It tore a hole between worlds, and from it, spilled monsters and dark magic into your realm," he continued, the orb displaying these sites as he told the tale.

"Most of the humans you knew perished in the initial onslaught, but as humanity often does, those who survived persevered, finding ways to fight back,"

The orb conjured up images of humans at battle with monsters, black sludge and blood spilled all over the battlefields.

"But it's not enough, there is a dark entity that seeks to consume your world, and it's getting close to its goal."

"Wait, hold on," Jacob held his head, this was a lot to follow.

"Portals, dark entity...monsters?" he asked.

The silver haired man nodded. "Yes, like I said, your home is different now, forever changed."

"But that's where you come in," The scorpion said. "Although I think you're wasting your time with him Great One." he said, referring to the mysterious man. 

"Me?" Jacob asked. "What can I do about this?"

The man tilted his head. "I have built you a body, strong, and capable of magic manipulation. Accept my offer, and you'll wake up on your planet, in a new life - but still you. Enter one battle, just one, and report to me your findings. Simple as that."

Jacob pondered this, he had a feeling there was more to this than what this man was letting on.

"Report what findings?" he asked.

"That will make more sense once you have arrived in your new body. But I will warn you, these visions I conjure up are real, as you can see, battle is brutal. I think in fairness, I should admit to you at least this," the man replied.

Jacob squinted a bit at him, sure now that there was more that was not being revealed to him.

"Why me?" he asked.

The man put his hands away now and the orb vanished into thin air.

"Random selection, he picked you out," he said, looking down and pointing at the scorpion. 

"The offer," he continued sensing Jacob's interest waning, "Is this, take on the role of manipulator, report back the findings, and I'll return your sister's soul to her body. However there is a condition, she'll awaken at fourteen, yes, but with no memories, not of you, not of your old life, nothing. But I will guarantee she will be taken in by a good family, she will be loved, and happy."

Jacob felt a sting, even if she got another chance at life, it seems he still ended her old life, and there was no fixing that. 

"Wait... I don't understand, if it's been fifty years, how is she still young?" Jacob asked.

The silver haired man nodded. "Much has changed young man, the magic that entered your realm has gifted many humans with abilities also. There are now great healers capable of things like preserving a body, but even the greatest healer can't return a soul."

"So... who are you?" Jacob asked.

The man opened his eyes, fierce, intense yellow and black eyes. "A friend of your kind, that's all," he answered in a way that suggested he would not add more details.

Jacob racked over all this information in his head. 

"You seem really powerful, why don't you stop these monsters?" Jacob asked, growing more suspicious of this man.

He closed his eyes, and returned to his previous expression, eyes closed with that same soft smile. "I need a body," he said plainly.

"It's not possible unfortunately, an entity like myself can't cross into your world. I need a body made of the human realm, but strong enough to house a God's spirit. Then I can step into the human realm, battle the dark entity and close the rift."

The scorpion coughed, and the man calmly kicked it so it went flying.

"It's a simple exchange, and you'd be helping to save your world, it would be a few days, maybe a week in human time at the most," he said.

Jacob felt off about the deal. 

He thought for a moment, looking away as he found the man's gaze, even with his eyes closed, was too intense.

He didn't know what battle would feel like, in his life before, he was just a regular scrawny eighteen year old, barely worked out. His whole body wanted to say no, the thought of facing monsters too gruesome. But his spiraling mind kept bringing back thoughts of his sister, who had a chance at a happy life again, and then again to his friend Kyle, who didn't have such a chance.

No, if a week of terror could give his sister life, a new and happy life, he decided he would do it, and a small part of him felt he deserved it.

"Okay," he said, firmly.

"I'll do it."

More Chapters