Chapter Three: Godly Abilities

A—A god!?” I stammered, voice cracking with a mixture of fear and bafflement.
She was dressed in red, long crimson hair spilling like a curtain down her back, the fabric clinging to the shape of someone who didn’t quite belong to my world.
“Surprised~? I’ve been inside you for three years now,” she repeated, still holding my hand without letting go.
“EEEEEEHHHHH three years!?” I shrieked, the room spinning for a heartbeat.
That was when Dad came bursting through the door. “Son! What’s the matter!?” His voice filled the hallway with urgent, parental concern.
Mom followed right behind him, hands on her knees as she leaned forward. “Ylaus……… What happened? I heard you scream.” Her breathing was quick; worry creased her forehead.
“It- It’s a ghost!………… Look— she’s holding my hand!” I stuttered, pointing with a trembling finger.
“Don’t waste your energy, they won’t be able to see me yet,” the voice inside me said, calm and impossibly steady.
“Huh!?” Mom’s confusion was audible.
“Unhu! Unhu!……….” Covering her face with her left arm and clutching her knees with the right, Mom began to sob, a broken sound in the doorway.
“Father…….. What do we do~? I’ve always feared a day would come when his brain wouldn’t be able to take in all that knowledge.” Her voice shook with a strange mix of sorrow and resignation.
HUH? I couldn’t process her words.
“Woman………… What are you saying?” I fell to the ground, stunned into disbelief.
“Mother……….. I know how you feel, it’s so sad seeing my son go mad.” Like some kind of clown, Dad joined in with fake tears and a ridiculous, overacted display.
“Mad!? Me!?…………………… Get out!…….. Get out of my room you humans!” I screamed, fury and humiliation bubbling into a volcanic rage.
BAAM — I shoved them out and slammed the door so hard the frame rattled.
“Where are you!!” I shouted into the hollow room, searching wildly for the self-proclaimed god.
{I’m in here………… I can’t stay out for long.} The voice was inside my head, soft, amused.
“Where!? I can’t see you!” My blood boiled. The shame of being mocked in front of my parents made heat crawl up my neck.
What a disgrace! Of all people, they had the nerve to call me mad………….. Me………….!? It’s all her fault! I’ll make her pay! My fists curled tight, every muscle ready.
I then clenched my fists, ready for battle.
{You know I can hear your thoughts, right?} her voice said, almost conversational.
My thoughts…………? Wait — did she go back inside me!?
“Come out! I said come out!” I planted both hands on my chest and tried to wrench her out.
{You can’t eject me. Even if you were dissected into a million pieces, you still won’t be able to find me…………………. Calm down and I’ll explain what’s going on.}
“Calm down? Why should I? You parasite!” I spat.
{Sigh…….. I’m going to sleep. Wake me when you are ready to talk.}
“Hey! I’m not done with you……….!” I protested.
…She kept silent and ignored my ruckus. The silence felt like a smothering blanket.
Five minutes………….. I counted, voice still raw.
Ten minutes……………. My anger thinned into impatient boredom.
This is getting boring………… It doesn’t look like she’ll come out. Frustration replaced the heat of rage.
KNOCK KNOCK
“Son, are you done playing?” Dad opened the door a crack and peered in.
“What is it about this time?” Mom followed suit, concern lining her face.
They stepped into the room and closed the distance, their expressions a mix of disbelief and parental exasperation.
“Playing………..? You think I’m playing?” I snapped, the words a challenge.
“You always talk about how you are not human. Did you catch a god this time~?” Mom teased, getting on her toes to rub my head in a tone that was equal parts jest and worry.
“HAHAHA Mother…….. That’s too funny.” Dad laughed, clutching his stomach as if the whole thing were a ridiculous joke.
“But father, he’s just so cute~ don’t you feel like teasing him~?” Mom cooed, eyes bright with a mocking fondness.
They are making fun of me…………… Anger flared again, red and sharp.
“Haha………… I’ll kick you out of my castle…………….. If you don’t know your place.” I tried to put on a poker face and take the lead, but it came out thin and brittle.
“That’s the millionth time I’ve heard that line. You can’t kick your parents out, we own you.” Dad put his hand on my head, looking down on me with an amused superiority.
“How dare you… look down on me?……………. Parasites…………. you are all……. parasites. The whole world……… is feeding off me.” I spat the words like venom, feeling them bubble up like some revelation.
“Mother, let’s race downstairs to see who’s the best,” Dad suggested, sensing my temper rising. He took Mom’s hand with a conspiratorial grin.
“Yes father, I beat you the last time,” she replied, playfully competitive.
“Ready….. Set…… Go!” they cried, and without warning the room erupted into chaotic movement.
RUN RUN RUN
BRAKE — the sudden stop was a comedic clash of limbs and laughter.
“Yay!! I won! I won!” I leapt, celebrating my little victory over them with childish glee.
“Hmph! If I remember correctly, you just finished calling us parasites?” Dad grinned as he asked, teasingly reproachful.
“Yes father, I wonder why he is racing with parasites~?” Mom chimed in, a mischievous sparkle in her voice.
I wonder why myself. An elite competing with parasites?………… That’s so lame. Very…….. lame. The thought stung, a quiet shame hidden under my pride.
“Wrong!…………… I was just…… trying to show you…….. who’s the best among us!” I said with the most pathetic excuse I could muster, then ran upstairs in tears—humiliation and pride tangling.
My speed has increased a lot……….. I think I can cover 2 km in a minute. The idea thrilled me; it felt like proof of progress.
{That’s not nearly enough. You’ll need to move at 1000 km per second to stand a chance.} Her voice was matter-of-fact, impossible.
T-Thousand kilometers per second……. are you crazy? My mind balked at the scale of the demand.
{No I’m not………… You jokingly called yourself a god to feel superior, but right now………………. You are a god.}
BAD-UMP BAD-UMP BAD-UMP — my heart hammered at those words, each beat sounding like a verdict.
“What do you…. mean?” I whispered, breath shallow.
{Looks like you are finally in the mood for some talking………….. You don’t have to open your mouth, just think and I’ll know what you are saying.}
Just by thinking?
{Yes……}
I—It’s true……….. She just replied to my thoughts. The world narrowed to the voice and the impossible warmth of understanding.
{Let me make one thing clear before we begin……… I’m not a ‘She’. Gods don’t have genders.}
You are not………. a girl? But you are wearing…………… girl’s clothes, right? Confusion tangled with curiosity.
{Sigh……… Let’s leave that for another time. I’ll tell you why you need to become fast, very fast…… You’ll need to become faster than light………}
Faster……… Than light? Is that possible? My mind chewed on the concept, dazzled and terrified.
{It’s impossible for anyone but you. As I said, you are no longer human.}
Then let’s go! I want to be faster……. than light! I felt the childish shout of hope bubble up again, irresistible.
{Calm down, there’s only a week left….. ‘Humanity has declined’—do you know why that is?} Her voice dropped, carrying a weight.
A question. Of course I do. The answer formed in my head, steady.
It all began a hundred years ago.
{Correct…….. Humans believe that the gods are there to be worshiped, which is true. But when you live for all eternity worshipers become the least of your worries…… ‘Pleasure’—unlike what humans think, to the gods humans are a source of pleasure. ‘Chaos’—humanity’s greatest value from the gods’ point of view. And when you take that away from humans: the gods become bored and they no longer need the humans. You understand what I’m saying, right?} Her words were clinical, like a lecture from a professor with all the evidence laid bare.
“Order” Humanity achieved order, becoming stable like never seen or heard before. I said the word with a mix of pride and subtle dread.
{Exactly. Too much order has enveloped the human world. The gods never believed humanity was capable of achieving such order. So at first they joked about it and gave humans a decade’s trial betting they would fall back to despair once again. A decade passed and it was made to 50 years. And after that, the gods came to a conclusion: ‘Humanity has declined’ and it was decided they would end humanity after a century’s trial.}
A century…………. The completion of the century would be 7 days from now, next week Friday. The dates hung in my mind like a countdown.
{A majority of the gods decided on destroying humanity for their personal pleasure. And because it wasn’t a heaven-related matter: the ‘leaders’ didn’t voice any opposition.}
And so it was decided……….. that we would all be destroyed? The finality of it sent a cold knot through me.
{Yes.}
I see………… But that doesn’t tell me anything about you. My curiosity snapped back to the speaker inside me.
{I’m the sole candidate to the “God of heaven” throne. My father is the current god.}
You just said there are no genders. If you have a father then………….. I trailed off, the contradiction pressing at the edges of logic.
{Sigh….. you are giving me a headache, literally. I should just ask you instead since you’ll know anything when I do. And that brings us to your power—or rather knowledge.}
You are not going to tell me that you gave it to me………….. Are you? My voice was brittle with suspicion.
{I didn’t give it to you, but I’m the reason you got it. I’ve been against the destruction of humanity from the start, so I spent the last century searching for a human with enough willpower to go against the gods. There were many with enough willpower but none had the will to go beyond the gods. That is until you came into existence….. I’ve been using the “Kwakwalwa” to keep tabs on you from the day you were born.}
Kwakwalwa? The word felt exotic and ominous on my tongue.
{Yes. It’s the brain of heaven and it has the knowledge of all. It’s used to look into the future. And because I used it a lot on you, some of that knowledge was passed onto you and you almost became a “Micro Kwakwalwa”. To my surprise, you already had a personal folder in it, and it told me about you and your potentials. It also told me the ways I can prevent humanity’s downfall. The Kwakwalwa chose you above all humans, something that has never happened before.}
Of course it would choose me. I would have chosen myself as well if I were………. It. Pride flared again, stubborn and bright.
{And because it can only be operated by the higher gods, it provided full secrecy to my plan. I connected myself to you through the Kwakwalwa: My room in heaven became your world, you were inside it 24/7 but you had no way of knowing. When the time drew near I had to leave heaven and come to you, but because I didn’t come through the proper channels I’m unable to maintain a physical form.}
Proper channels? The idea of protocol among gods sounded absurdly bureaucratic.
{There is a gate to heaven from which the gods pass through. I was afraid my plans would be found out so I used ‘reversed summoning’ to summon myself inside you. But because you were too weak and had less determination at the time you weren’t able to feel my presence. It all changed when you became determined to come second to none ever again. At that instance, you released all your binds to humanity and became the greatest. But even then your energy was too weak to manifest a god. And after you broke all the world’s records you thought to yourself “I’m the ultimate being, far greater than the gods” and with your will, you became ready to take on anyone.}
I see. And now that I’ve mastered every martial art………. The gods don’t stand a chance. My confidence swelled, tangible and intoxicating.
{Umm, about that………… your martial arts won’t work. Did you forget human weapons can no longer harm you? A nuclear explosion would feel like you were hit by a feather. But a pinch from a god would feel like a nuclear explosion to you and the same applies to them. You are currently on the same grounds as the gods and you have to battle each other with either your powers or weapons from heaven.}
Weapons from heaven? Isn’t that cheating since I don’t have any? The practical problem loomed large.
{With the powers I’ll bestow upon you, you’ll become unstoppable.}
I see. I understand what you are saying. But tell me………… Why on earth would I fight………. To save humanity? The question hit harder than I expected; part of me recoiled at the idea.
{.…………………………….} Silence stretched, heavy and meaningful.
{Come again?} her voice finally prodded.
I said I won’t fight just to save humanity. I said it with blunt honesty.
Think about it. If this Kwakwalwa thing or whatever can give my knowledge to anyone………….. then it’s for the best humanity gets destroyed. That way there will never be anyone like me. My words were cold and strangely logical to my own ears.
{.…………………. I see………….. It’s impossible, there will never be anyone like you. It was already prophesied from the beginning of time that only one human would ever be able to go against the gods. It’s because of that prophecy that I spent my time searching for that human, and now that I’ve found you…… It’s impossible to find another.}
Impossible? The impossible can always turn…………… Possible. I pushed back, stubborn to the core.
{You are so stubborn! I told you it’s impossible! Don’t you want to defeat the gods!?}
Defeat the gods…………………? The thought pulsed through me like a challenge, electric and intoxicating.
KNOCK KNOCK
“Ylaus~ the food is ready. Sorry I’m late today~. You know I have to prepare enough for an elite like you.” Mom knocked at my door, her voice warm and apologetic. She always fussed over the details.
Food……….. The single word sharpened my attention.
{Here we go again.} The voice inside me sounded faintly amused.
MUNCH MUNCH — the sounds of eating echoed from the next room.
“Don’t touch that!…. You too!” I yelled and pointed at whoever was about to touch my food.
The dining table is very big just like in a normal castle, but the three of us sit close to each other during meals. The contrast between grandeur and intimacy always amused me.
“Stop shouting at your parents, we won’t get any if you keep eating everything in sight!” Mom scolded, hands hovering over the trays.
“All of this is mine…… I can eat whatever I want!” I declared, reaching greedily.
“Give me that!” Dad snatched a tray from my hand with practiced swiftness.
MUNCH MUNCH — the clatter and chew of family chaos.
“Mother, if you don’t eat he’ll eat everything.” Dad warned, half-exasperated and half-amused.
“I can’t get used to this~…………. we have to prepare food for 20 people every day. You really eat like a god. I won’t be left out, it’s a food war!” Mom said, making a dramatic grab for a tray.
KACHAM TAA BAAM — the sound of food trays breaking punctuated the scene, a ridiculous punctuation to our familial squabble.
“Haaa~ it’s my money………… so I can eat whatever I want.” I bragged, flourishing a childish sense of entitlement.
“I know, but the maids are working very hard. I always help them out because you eat too much.” Mom said with affectionate reproach.
“Hmph! You don’t have anything to do………….. You might as well devote……….. your lives to serving me!” I proclaimed, tongue planted firmly in cheek but with a glint of genuine arrogance.
Eating almost everything that was on the table, I ran upstairs after the late dinner, the echo of footsteps and the warmth of the household trailing behind me.
{Uhum! Uhum! Now that we’ve had our fill, how about we continue where we left off?} The voice inside me was brisk, businesslike.
Our fill? I see. You are the one behind my endless stomach. I smirked inwardly at the thought.
{One way or the other……. Yes. If I had come through the gate then I wouldn’t need human food.}
Again with the proper channels. You are lucky I know everything………….. No one would believe something like this. The absurdity of divine bureaucracy never failed to astound me.
{Right~ Right~. If you agree to take on the gods, then I’ll give you powers equal to none.}
Powers equal to………… None? The phrase hung in the air, heavy with promise.
{Yes……. Hold my hand. I should be able to last a minute or two by myself.}
Just like before, a transparent hand pushed out of me, shimmering with impossible light.
I grabbed it and pulled it out.
She then stood tall with both arms stretched while I sat on the chair, a surreal tableau of the mortal and the divine.
{These are your powers………… I bestow upon you “Zinertia” and “Summons”.} Her voice settled the sentence like a coronation.