Chapter 55
Written by Bayzo Albion
Her words still echoed in my mind — "If you're a slave, then you're mine."
The memory of that night lingered like heat under the skin. I had called it surrender, but maybe it was something else — a pact sealed in silence.
Her kiss was an answer and a beginning. The world narrowed to the space between us, to the fierce pulse that synced our hearts. Words fell away, replaced by a language older than speech. In the quiet that followed, as we lay entwined, breaths mingling, a new cosmos was born between us.
"You're the tenth god... everything bends to your will, doesn't it?"
*Well, we're busted. Here comes hardcore mode—she's got us locked in,* my double snarked, but his tone carried an undercurrent of real concern this time.
"Even if I'm a god of this world," I said, each word resonating through me like a thunderclap, "who created me? Who birthed this universe? Worlds within worlds... an infinite cascade." The words felt like a revelation, spoken to her and to the void within myself.
Our fingers laced together, conveying vows unspoken. Her skin was velvet-soft and fever-warm, like the glow of a setting sun; her hands delicate, woven from moonlight. How could such fragility command the ancient forest's might? The mystery only fueled my desire, turning it into an all-consuming blaze.
In my past, gazing at beautiful women, I'd always wondered: *What's the cost of your allure?* Not in coin, but in soul—in the scars, the trials, the sacrifices etched into their being.
"What do you plan for our world, my dear god?" Her voice was a whisper, laced with trepidation, as if dreading the truth.
"What can I do?" I smiled without mirth. "I'm the admin, but not omnipotent. I'm just a player handed the reins. The world follows rules, not whims."
Her dark, abyssal eyes searched mine for secrets I didn't possess.
"All limits are in your mind," she murmured.
"Yes, but—" I started.
"Shh..." Her finger pressed to my lips, soft yet commanding. "Let's savor the act... not idle chatter."
She settled into me, our essences merging in perfect resonance—a dialogue beyond words.
The earth seemed to breathe with us, until I dissolved completely into the moment."
In that dissolution, a new cosmos was born.
*All my life, I've toiled in the shadows, handling the dirtiest jobs for scraps while others basked in glory and fat bonuses. I didn't envy them, but the injustice burned me alive. I slaved like an ox, yet got crumbs because they deemed me unworthy of real responsibility. It wasn't just the money—the worst was the disdain, like I was a disposable cog.*
Her presence unearthed more than connection; it pried open old wounds. With each surge, memories flooded back: years of grinding labor for pittances, condescending glances treating me like nothing. The resentment clung deep, refusing to yield even in bliss, whispering: *Remember your origins.*
"What world do you envision creating?" she drew me closer, her presence enveloping me like the living forest itself."
"Victor Hugo once said: 'The paradise of the rich is built from the hell of the poor,'" I replied, gripping her waist. Her form was a tempest of passion and freedom, supple yet commanding.
"So, you aim for a just world? One of equality?" She smirked, her presence teasingly guiding the moment, igniting fresh sparks.
"Words are cheap..." I sighed, the fire within raging from her touch. "Action drowns in reality's mire—bureaucracy, convenience over truth."
She offered no rebuttal. Instead, her body spoke. With solemn grace, she deepened the connection.
We synced in languid cadence, debating through presence rather than voice.
"Don't let that pain bind you," she breathed into my ear, nibbling the lobe and branding my skin with heat. "Turn it into your power, not your shackles."
I caught her in my arms, the world narrowing to the fierce pulse between us. Every heartbeat drew us closer—our emotions rising beyond words.
I reached the edge of myself, and the world broke open in light.
We lay side by side, breathless and quiet, the night air cool against our skin. I reached for a wine bottle from my pocket, gulping greedily before collapsing, body aching with delicious fatigue.
"Still set on changing the world?" she teased, nestling closer.
"Yes..." I grinned, eyes drifting shut. "But not today. Today, it's just you."
Her breath caressed my skin, steady and soothing. In her embrace—her warmth, her scent, her presence—I glimpsed true change. Not the grand cosmos, but my intimate realm, where she was my solace, my inspiration, my beacon of possibility.
Under that fragile, sacred veil, I slipped into slumber, dreaming of futures yet unwritten.
– – –
I stirred awake in the heart of a thick, ancient forest, my skin chilled by the heavy blanket of morning dew that clung to me like a reluctant lover. Leaves tangled in my hair, crisp and damp, while the air hummed with a crisp freshness—as if the world itself had drawn a deep breath, ready to flip the page to a brand-new saga.
"It's time to play the double game," I muttered under my breath, brushing off the clinging foliage and rising to my feet. My muscles ached faintly from the night's rest on the unforgiving ground, but there was a thrill in it—a reminder that I was alive in this strange realm. "By day, I'll be the noble king, all poise and command. By night... an adventurer chasing shadows and thrills."
Yet, as the thought settled, a peculiar quirk of this world flickered in my mind like a half-forgotten warning. Sleep wasn't mandatory here; you could push through endless nights if you dared. The cost? A sliver of your vital essence drained away with each sleepless vigil. It wasn't much at first, but it accumulated, like interest on a debt you couldn't outrun. I paused, staring at the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, feeling the weight of that choice. Rushing headlong into exhaustion could unravel even the strongest plans.
"Easy there," I reconsidered aloud, my voice echoing softly in the solitude. "No need to burn out before the real game begins. Slow and steady—that's the key to survival in a place like this."
My inner voice, that sly companion always lurking in the corners of my thoughts, chimed in with its usual irreverence. *First stop: the brothel. Gotta scope out the local... highlights. Test the waters, you know?*
I couldn't help but chuckle, shaking my head at the absurdity. "Our grand adventure kicks off in a house of ill repute? Really? That's the pinnacle of our strategy?" The idea bubbled up a mix of amusement and reluctance, stirring memories of a life back home where I'd always played it safe, too bound by rules and judgments.
*Why the hell not?* the voice shot back, laced with mischief. *We've spent our whole damn existence being the picture of propriety. No more. No one's here to critique from their cozy couches, typing snide comments like they know better. From afar, everything looks easy, right? But we're the ones crafting this tale—let's make it one worth remembering.*
I nodded to myself, a reluctant grin spreading across my face as the forest's cool breeze brushed against my skin, carrying the earthy scent of moss and pine. "You're right. Stories stick when they're unpredictable, when they veer off the beaten path. Fine then—to the brothel it is. Let's see what chaos it unleashes."
No sooner had the words left my lips than a translucent notification shimmered into view before my eyes, hovering like a holographic ghost:
> Interface: Extra skill "Deception of Death" has been restored.
A surge of relief washed over me, warming my chest like a sip of fine whiskey. The world was handing me another lifeline, a second chance to cheat fate. I savored the moment, flexing my fingers as if testing the skill's invisible power. Money wasn't an issue either—fate's cruel joke had turned my infamous past as an "actor" in those shadowy, adult films into a goldmine. Those gigs paid more than any "respectable" job I'd ever held, funding this bizarre new life. Who could've guessed that my darkest secrets would become my greatest assets?
I shook off the last droplets of dew, feeling the damp fabric of my clothes cling uncomfortably before drying in the rising sun. With a deep breath, I pushed forward through the underbrush, the forest parting reluctantly around me. It felt alive, watchful, as if the trees themselves were sizing me up. But deep down, I knew: whatever lay ahead wasn't just carnal distractions. In this realm, every whim could spiral into a gateway for epic twists, reshaping destinies in ways I couldn't yet fathom.