LIGHTNOVELONLINE Intermission 6
Tingling from the misty gold clouds swirling by her was what she came to. Her memories leading up to this point were dodgy at best. The few recollections that she had, informed her that she was watching people flee in chaotically. There were no emotions attached to that particular memory, and as though it were a dream, it was quickly fading from her conscious thought. Looking around, she was in some realm far above the clouds, the sun and stars.
‘This seems familiar…’ However, when she recalled events linked to this location, she had a strong feeling of foreboding. ‘Oh god what did I hit my head on this time…’
- “Do you believe that losing consciousness is the only way to enter this realm?”
A mellow voice called out to her. Turning to its source, revealed a young girl with short hair, dressed in gilded garments fit for the clergy. Alicia had not been the most religious individual in her prior life, but with her recent events, especially now in the presence of God that gave her her current life, she would consider herself as a believer.
- “Am I mistaken? Seemed to be a trend for me.”
- “Worry not, you are in good health.”
A huge relief came when she heard that.
- “That’s… a load off my mind. Then… Why am I here again? Did I do something; break the seven deadly sins, or something like that?”
- “The sins… ugh this one again… spare a moment for a small story? You are not in any trouble.”
- “I think I’m obligated to…?”
- “Time has no dominion here. Neither seconds, nor centuries.”
It felt as though she heard this before… or rather… experienced being out the reach of time before, but it was escaping her mind.
- “Did you know the sins were thought up by a hermit wandering the desert. Or that originally there were eight sins but changed to seven because it was more of a symbolic number.”
It was almost fitting that she took on a more clerical form as she regaled her story, almost appearing as though she was some iteration of a past saintess.
- “The original sins, or vices as they are less commonly known are: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, sadness and vainglory. Envy was a more contemporary addition. Falling into one of these vices did not immediately condemn you to damnation. Rather they were more of a personal shortcomings than if not reined in would lead to a life of sin. But advertising them as the “Deadly sins” was easy enough to both frighten and doctrinate a peasant into their dogma.
But not many know of their counterparts either, the cardinal virtues, the polar opposites to the sins. Should you lead a life with the qualities of the virtues, your reward was all but guaranteed, or so they believed. These are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility. Though few of them are substituted by others at times.” - “So, you can be too virtuous?”
- “Not quite, moderation is the key between these aspects. Certain extremes, even with good intentions, can become perverse. Take patience for instance, the usual counterpart to wrath, too much of it, and it becomes inaction; a sin of letting the wrongs of the world go on knowingly and willfully, a tantamount to an approval. Or take lust and its counterpart, chastity. Overindulgence in the pleasures of the flesh, surely you needn’t me to tell you all the problems that well from it. But for chastity, it originally only forbade intimacy before matrimony. Yet there are those who took it to the logical extreme of complete abstinence of lust, rooted in the belief that servants of God are to be celibate.”
- “That doesn’t sound all too bad?”
- “In theory yes, in practice - what if the entire human race became celibates, devoid of lust and passion?”
- “Uh… they become the last generation?”
- “A tragic end to a great species. A light must cast a shadow for it to truly have illuminated anything. For a shadowless light, reaches no one. It is the flaw of the human psyche to binarily divide the aspects as good or evil. We are only concerned with actions and consequences. It is no coincidence that we chose wrath and patience as examples to tell you about the vices.”
- “Meaning?”
- “You are one of the rare examples where both patience and wrath coexist. You are forgiving and patient even to strangers. You became forgiving after your death, but that did not temper your fury at all. This is your vice, you are exceptionally Vindictive to those who have crossed you, and you do not just get even with revenge, but pull ahead.”
- “I… want to say that you’re wrong but… I’m a little bit of that… maybe…?”
- “For the time being, this has yet to become a problem. We are not here to tell you to renounce your wrath, but to wisen you to remember this and use due distinction.”
- “That’s… great to know that I'm not in trouble… but is that all I am here for?”
- “No, there are a few more things that need to be done, first off, to congratulate you.”
- “Congratulate me?”
- “Of course, through your actions you have requited much of your karmic debt. We have already lifted some hidden restrictions placed on the Alma system while you were keenly listening in to our little story.”
- “Oh, so is that it…? I’m not dead, I’m not unconscious, I’m just here to know that I am free from my debt…? Wait wait wait, does that mean-”
- “Yes and no. I know what you are thinking about, in order for you to become truly human, you have to die first, this time though you will not have any retention of your current or past memories.”
- “Aaaaah… pain.”
- “Full access to Alma’s capabilities are quite handy, you are going to enjoy them once you learn to use them.”
- “One question… How exactly did I repay my debt? I mean… I did some uh… sinful actions.”
- “The killings? You have influenced the fates of many you touched, some for worse, most many for the better. Starting with your other… half. We look at the consequences as much as we look at the actions. While, yes you might have taken reprehensible actions, but in doing so as a consequence you have saved many around you - many you did not realize that you saved them. We see beyond the foggy veil of the present. Another factor would be your creation of your kindred spirits, though the term creation is not quite correct.”
- “My familiars? What about them?”
- “They tread upon those earths before - Long before the first of humankind descended from their arboreal shelters. You revived once extinct species, reintroducing them back into the world. That is what freed you from your debts - lives taken, lives given. There are many other contributing factors but let’s just say, as you are an outside force introduced to this aphotic world, there isn’t much wrong that you inflict on this realm.”
- “Aphotic world?”
- “‘Without light,’ specifically in this case refers to the divine light. Another way of saying; that the world has no deities watching over it. A Godless realm.”
- “That doesn't sound good.”
- “From the perspective of the denizen, it most likely isn’t as there is little in line against snuffing out the flicker of life when the world ends. Having a deity watch over the world is a privilege, not a right.”
- “Huh… so they have a chance to be reborn into another world with a God next time.”
- “No, they will not. Souls of aphotic worlds do not reincarnate, they are lost. To them, their deaths are final and there’s nothing more for them afterwards.”
- “That doesn’t seem fair…”
- “The world isn’t fair, but you already knew that.”
There was a sense of guilt welling in her heart, why was she granted another chance, but they did not. Alicia could come up with thousands of answers and justifications and it still wouldn’t be enough to quell that feeling of shame and regret. It was similar to having received a gift belonging to someone else, someone far more deserving. Her conscience told her that necessary intervention was needed. She felt only that might squelch this self-contrition.
- “Isn’t there something that can be done to change it?”
- “There isn’t much we can do. But if someone were to be motivated enough to take action towards that end, we would not be against the notion. Ah… it seems that our session here has to come to an end soon. I sense that there are still questions remaining for you. Hm… about we make a deal, do some tasks for us, and we’ll answer more of your questions?”
- “Wait so you’re telling me it’s possible?”
- “Perhaps.”
- “Can you tell me how?”
The girl donned in gilded white made no reaction as though Alicia wasn’t even there in front of her. It was impossible for her to have not heard her question, which meant…
- “So you’re twisting my arm like this huh…”
- “Nothing is free. Knowledge even more so. You should know, with your university debts.”
- “Hey!”
It was a particularly sore spot for Alicia.
- “Before I agree, what kind of tasks are we talking about and why me, don’t you have angels or something like that?”
An amused smile bloomed on her face, Alicia half expected her to start giggling out of nowhere.
- “You do realize there are so many more souls out there that would betray everyone, sacrifice everything, and squander it all just to have one question answered by the divine? We do not listen to their selfish pleas, they aren’t even half as interesting as you are. Still cautious after all this time, we have come to expect as much from you, very well. It is because you can offer us something that no other can offer, that is as far as we can afford to let you know. As for why we no longer deploy our Mal’achim…1From Hebrew “מלאכים” Mal’achim, meaning the Messengers. Refers to the lower class of angels. We are not the overseers of that world, we cannot afford to exercise our powers over yon. The last time we tried to let others - the angels you mentioned of to - act on our behalf… Let's just say we started an all engulfing war that lasted a century and a half and scarred the world permanently. And that was one of the better outcomes. You needn’t worry about the contents of the tasks, they will not be out of your capability nor will they challenge your morals.”
- “One last thing… how will I… come back here?”
- “Focus, feel this realm around you and yearn for this moment. Though if it helps you any, there have been records of some individuals who found an increased chance of success after praying or meditating in front of shrines, idols and statues erected in our image.”
- “Statue, got it. If… If I agree to your tasks… will you tell me how to… make this world… not be lightless?”
- “Aphotic. You’re part of the minority that would be so brazen to question the word of God. I like that of you. And to answer, why, of course. Do more and we’ll answer more, the epitome of simplicity. We know you appreciate the elegance of simplicity.”
- “Deal… then… what’s the first thing you want?”
- “Too soon my dear, the time is not upon us yet. For now, how about you take things easy and prepare yourself for the coming challenge and secure your way back here? We’ll meet again.”
Alone, the image of God stood in among the slowly drifting clouds of gold. Now, she was no longer bound by shackles of fate, the future was uncertain. Although the idea created a trace of inquietude it was overshadowed by excitement towards how these sets of dominoes would fall. How incomprehensibly long has it been since she felt this… alive, like a human.
- “So… is it really you… have you truly come back to us…? How much has the Void robbed you of yourself for you to have become this unrecognizable to us? Hmhmhmhm, is it our turn to uphold my end of the deal then…? Zero or the Ten… Or perhaps both… Two seats then? Who would have thought that stillborn girl was the answer to it all. Fate plays a curious hand at times. Neither a Goddess nor the devil, equally distant from both the Aether and the Nether, closest to the Void… The mortals’ luck decides how often she dons the Goddess. Wouldn’t mind seeing the devil either. Suppose it is time for that dog’s reincarnation, with this we are even.”