How the world came to an end and began again

I made a terrible mistake. For centuries I've watched over the people of this world as the Goddess of Creation. All of them were devout, sending prayers in my name to the heavens above. And in response, I offered them my blessings. And what a beautiful world it was. The people were kind, courteous and cooperative. Humans, demihumans, elves, dwarves... All worked together in unison, forging a better future for everyone. Yes, like any other world it had its moments of conflict. But it was nothing serious, just petty squabbles here and there, nothing an amicable conversation couldn't fix.

However, there came a moment where I admit I became conceited. This world was my masterpiece, and I decided to put my masterpiece to the test. At the time, I convinced myself with pathetic excuses. "How can I say this world is truly perfect if its people aren't strong? And how can I forge strong people without strife?". There, I made the decision to tip the scales of order; to change the very nature of the world I cherished.

And so, I made the Demon Lord Yelgar. A monstrous, terrible being of unimaginable strenght. An evil with the ability to destroy the entire world. Granted, I knew better. Yelgar did have the power to level an entire continent, but as to make things fair, I put him in a state of recuperation. At the moment of his existence became a reality, his influence was not beyond commanding an army of demons. I had done it. An impending threat, slowly but surely gaining power. And just as predicted, the citizens of my world took arms to protect their homes, families and peace. But the threat of the demon lord was ever looming, slowly gaining power. It was perfect for the second step of my plan. Or at the time, that's what I thought.

It was the time to introduce a figure to represent their hopes. A being that united them towards a single goal, that inspired them to move forward, that gave them the courage to finally launch a counterattack against the Demon Lord. Yes, I decided to introduce a hero. At first, I planned to let the hero be born among the people of this world. A human blessed by me, The Goddess, with the holy strength to vanish the Demon Lord once and for all. But once again, I became conceited. I believed in my world, in my creation, and I wanted to see how it responded to an outside factor. At the time, i told myself it would make the figure of the hero all the more grand, but in reality it was just because I was curious. And that curiosity lead me to make the biggest mistake I have ever done: I decided to offer a hero from another world.

It was my ideal. A hero that would fall in love with the world I make. A hero that would vow to the people and to me, the Goddess, that he would protect everything. He would forge friendships, go through countless struggles, suffer loss, recover his strengths, and at the end, with my blessings engraved in his blade, he would deliver one final slash, freeing this world from the Demon Lord's might, finally bringing peace. And at the end, the hero would return home, leaving behind people now strong enough to protect themselves and their loved ones. And with that strength, my world would become much more wonderful.

I was a fool.

After examining my options, I chose as my hero a human from a world called "Earth". If I have to be honest, what made me pick a specific person was nothing more than pity. He was pathetic. A being that had reached the lowest point of his life. A human that had lost all that he cared for. He was just wasting away, wallowing on his own misery. But thanks to me, he could have another chance at life. He was the perfect candidate for a hero's journey. It was a win for everyone. The people would receive a hero, the hero would get the happiness he would come to believe he deserved, and I would be praised as the benevolent Goddess that safed this world and her believers. 

But instead, what I made was a monster far worse than any Demon Lord I could've ever imagined. The human that had lost everything didn't become a beacon of hope that would find friendship, joy and maybe loss, but instead a gluttonous beast that wanted everything for himself. As soon as he realized the unimaginable power and talent within him, he completely cut ties with me. He got stronger. Like planned, he killed the Demon Lord and freed the people of this world from the monster's malice. And then he got stronger, and began to impose his rule upon the world with an iron fist. And once the citizens united their hearts at once to strike back at the tyrant, he became even stronger. Adventurers, knights, kings... All slain without a care in the world. The peop,e he had helped, the party members he had cherished, all of their please or attacks had no effect in his control.

It didn't take long until there was no one left. No one to oppose him, no one to conspire against him, no one to fear him. It was no longer a tyrant that wanted to exercise his control over the people, but a hideous creature drunk with power that decided to make the world I made his own. And as the sound of footsteps became louder and louder, the creature emerged from the staircase, I came face to face with the chaos I created.

"Congratulations, you've become a God." I stated, my words filled with venom as I scoffed towards the one in front of me.

Despite my expectations, I received no response. One proper look at him was all it took for me to realize something was off. The eyes of the "hero" were empty, as if all life had been drained from them. He carried himself with no emotion, his steps almost feeling hollow. At my words, his gaze turned towards me.

"Emithea," he whispered. There were no honorifics, no respect. It was the tone of someone that had accepted his godhood and stood face to face with an equal. "Forgive me."

My eyes went wide. An apology was the last thing I expected. It was ridiculous. "Are you mocking me?"

He silently shook his head, and slowly walked towards the walls of my holy hall. The tip of his sword scraped against the floor of the room as he carried it like an unwanted toy, it becoming the only sound that filled the room. Once he reached the wall, he turned his back towards it and let his body fall against it. "I've ruined everything."

The man in front of me was serious, his tone full of remorse. I have the upper hand. "You sure did." I stood up from my throne, making my way slowly towards him. "Was it fun? Ending families, destroying kingdoms, disposing of all who got in your way..."

He flinched, his face twisting in a tragic grimace. I could tell my words were getting to him. Time to push even further. "You got what you wanted. The destroyer of this world in the presence of the one who created it. Came for my head as well, you monster?"

The man in front of me began to silently sob. "I'm sorry..." It was all he could say. I glared at him from afar, feeling no sympathy for the sinner. "Please... Take me back..."

I scoffed once again. "So you ravage a world and then want to return to your previous one? Pretty rich coming from a-"

"No!" He screamed. His wild, feral, desperate voice echoed throughout the hall. It was filled with an intense might that made a chill run down my back. "I want to go back... You can send me back, right? To the very beginning."

I smiled. Not out of happiness, but out od amusement. A twisted, dark smile for the monster in front of me. I got closer, crouching in front of him. "Who do you think I am? The Goddess of Time? What a joke," I laughed. It wasn't funny. I wasn't happy. But that's all my disdain allowed.

"Please..." He begged, his hands taking grasp of my right one. 

I looked down at his hands clasping my own. "You have the gall to hold my hands and plead, while yours are soaked in the blood of the people you've slain. I can't help you." 

But as I was about to continue chasting him, he looked straight into my eyes, his own filled with misery and distress. "I can do it. Please. I just need your authority. The authority to change this world."

And that's when I realized the being before me wasn't a God, but something far beyond it. How did he get such power, even greater than my own? To only need my permission to shape this world to his will... He must've obtained this power elsewhere. What other forces were at play? 

I gave a deep sigh. I had nothing to lose. And if he really will do what he says he can do, then... No, whatever price he has to pay is none of my business. And even if it was, it'd still be no concern of mine.

"You don't deserve my permission. Yet I owe a great debt to the people that prayed in my name." I shook my head, driving away my own guilt. "You have my permission. Whatever you'll do can't get worse than this."

He opened his mouth wide, his eyes recovering a bit of their shine. To me, it seemed like he attempted to say "Thank you", but no sound ever came out. 

And without further fanfare, he closed his eyes. I can feel the world beginning to change. He wasted no time in doing what he wanted. Whole the reset of the world fast approached, I spoke up. "You have been given a chance. I doubt you'll have another."

The world began twisitng, and a bright light began enveloping the entire room. Just as the world as I knew it came to an end, my view completely stark white, I declared one last time. 

"Good luck, hero."