Chapter 1: The Deal

“The afternoon sun felt like a lead weight upon my shoulders. I had lost count of how many crates of vegetables I had carried today, but my hands, full of calluses and dirt, did not stop. I need the money so she can live a little longer.”

—Hey son, did you finish what I asked? —my boss always treated everyone poorly, but with me, it was different. Perhaps because he knows my situation; how funny, it feels as if he pities me.
—Yes, sir —I replied. I just hope he gives me the time off, I thought —Sir...
—Yes, yes, starting tomorrow you have a five-day vacation, no more, no less —my boss replied with a smile.
—Thank you, sir! —I answered, almost ecstatic. Fighting back tears, I finished my shift and headed to the train station for the capital —Wait for me, Mom, I’m coming right away —I whispered.

“Finally, just a few hours await me before reaching the capital. I was so tired that I slept through the entire trip. Hours passed, and I arrived at the dawn of the next day; the sunbeams passed through the window and woke me. Half a year... just half a damn year to be able to return to my city. The bad thing about the city is that there is so much noise, how annoying; I feel like a tourist. It seems like it changed, but nothing changed; maybe I’m the one who changed.”

“The hospital... It gives me such chills and such bad memories... Come on Jorge, go in, don’t be a coward. Mom already woke up after so many surgeries, go see her, she’s our mom.”

—Hello, good morning, I’m here to see Margarite **** **** —Why can’t I remember her full name anymore?
—Of course, young man, room 108, second floor to the left —the nurse replied.
—Thank you very much —I answered and rushed out as if there were no tomorrow.

“God, I hate hospitals. They are the noisiest places, the smell, the screams of patients in certain rooms, I hate it all, except for her. I knocked gently on the door of room 108. My whole body is trembling, I hear my heart beating; how annoying this sensation is. What is happening to me? Why am I shaking and why do I feel so cold all of a sudden? That doesn’t matter, let’s go, hurry up, Mom is waiting.”

—Come in —the voice of a young woman is heard, it must be a nurse. Thank you for taking care of her, Miss.
—Excuse me, I... —I said nothing more. Seeing her, awake, sitting up... the nurse left us alone and, in tears, I threw myself onto her.
—There... there... Mom is here now... my son —my mother replied. I waited so long for her sweet words; only with her could I feel vulnerable... Only with her?... I feel like ***********.
—Mother... I... —my voice was breaking. It had been ** **** since she woke up, and she had awakened half a year ago, but now, finally, with my vacation, I could come to see her.

“The four days passed, and on my last day, my mother suggested I go out with my friends. Obviously, I refused, but she insisted; it was already night, she wanted me to enjoy myself and spend my last day for me. I don’t understand why I did such a stupid thing.”

—Hey Jorge, how are you? —my childhood friend *****
—How’s your old lady?
—Good, but she still has to be in that hospital. I miss her and I want her to recover as fast as possible —I replied, and that is a lie. She won’t be able to recover; I hate admitting this truth that burns me.
—Well, it’s something. She’ll recover soon.
—Yeah, I hope so —Stop lying!.
—Hey, look at that chick, looks like she’s alone. Yo, be my wingman, hit on her and see if she has a friend, maybe we can get a crazy night out of it.
—Alright, I promise nothing —I’m dying of nerves, it’s been a while since I flirted, have I lost my touch? —Hello beautiful, are you alone? —At least I could enjoy tonight, it’s my last day in the city so any trouble, I’ll be out of town anyway.
—No, but it’s okay, he’s not the jealous type —she replied flirtatiously.
—Good, you wouldn’t happen to have a friend for my friend?.
—Oh yes, we’re going to have a blast...
—Hey stupid! What are you doing with my girlfriend, you son of a bitch?!.

“I didn’t even finish hearing what he said when I felt something inside my chest. I fell, and my eyelids felt heavy. In the end, I couldn’t escape, and soon I stopped feeling my body. I no longer hear the annoying noise, I don’t see my friend trying to defend me, I feel... NOTHING.”

—’Tis time to awaken, mortal being... —That voice generates such rejection in me.

“That voice is deep, like an echo in a cave, and so cold that it makes the memory of the knife seem like a caress.”

—W-where... am I? —I feel dizzy, everything hurts, and I don’t feel safe.
—Thou art within an eternal void, where none exist save for we two.
—I don’t understand you, sir. Am I not in the hospital? At this hour I should have a sexy nurse taking care of me, not a wrinkled old man with a Santa Claus beard.
—Ah... How ill-mannered thou art, mortal.

“Obviously. How am I supposed to react to a place and person I don’t know?”

—Be that as it may, thou hast died, young one born of clay.
—What? I’m alive, stop screwing around. How do I leave? I don’t see the exit and I have to go see my mother.
—I regret to inform thee, but thou shalt not be able to see her, young mor... —I interrupted him with a blow to the face; desperation had set in. —Tell me where the exit is, jackass!
—I shouted, throwing a punch straight at his jaw.

“He did something strange; he didn’t even blink. He simply extended a hand and, suddenly, gravity crushed me against the invisible floor. I couldn’t move a finger. How was I going to believe him? Who is he and what am I doing here? I...”

—Mortal being, I offer thee a bargain I know thou shalt not wish to refuse.
—W-what did you say? —I managed to articulate under the pressure of his magic.
—Look upon it thusly: if thou doest something for me, I shall return thee to life at the precise instant before thy end.
—I... I d-don’t believe you... —How could I believe it? But truthfully, I wanted to believe it, I had faith that it would be so —I accept —I replied without hesitation. I didn’t even ask the price. For her, I would accept burning the entire world.
—I require only that thou journeyest to a world akin to thine own, reachest a certain place, and breakest the seal that holds me captive in this dark void.
—Why me? Who are you? Why do I have to do it for you? Can’t you do it yourself?
—Nay. Furthermore, in this world, thou shalt have to traverse three continents; the first two possess two countries, the third harbors a third country and is the seventh of this world. Thy journey shall commence from...
—Wait, you didn’t answer my questions and now you tell me I have to cross three continents. Are you a comedian by chance? —I replied confused. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but it wasn’t the time to go crazy and defy him; supposedly he would return my life if I fulfilled my objective. Better not ask anything else, I’ll get answers later.
—Dost thou prefer to live to return to thy mother, or desirest thou that I vanish thy insignificant soul into nothingness?
—... —I didn’t want to say anything, but I just needed to know one thing —Just tell me, who are you?
—Who am I...? —he only replied with a question, how stupid
—I am an ancient god of creation; Anerus is my name. What is thine?
—My name is Jorge **** *****.
—Good. This is our bargain.

“Without further ado, he grabbed me, and without saying a word, he drove his long, slender fingers through, beginning to gouge out my right eye. I felt an unbearable pressure in my skull. A harrowing scream escaped my throat; the crunching sound of my eye coming out and the warm blood sliding down me gave me more than just a sensation—it gave me a primal terror for my life once again. As quickly as he removed the eye, he plucked out his own and implanted it in me. I don’t know how, but I regained sight in my right side, though my vision was still clouded. He threw me to the ground and used his magic to change my clothes, explaining the countries of the three continents. For the moment, I must focus only on Ware and Nater of the Wana continent to gain experience in magic, learn of the world that awaits me, and be able to advance on my path knowing its dangers. He will leave me in Wana, and I must traverse both countries of the continent; afterwards, I will advance to the other territories. He summarized that each country represents the main nature of its territories. Ware: the country of water, with islands and a vast artificial territory connected to the neighboring country.”

“He expelled me from that void and threw me from a certain height until I hit the hard ground. The impact against the earth knocked the wind out of me. The humid smell of the environment and the sound of crickets confirmed that I was no longer in the void. I was in a forest, under a moon that was not mine, with clothes I didn’t recognize and an eye that burned my face.”

—Please, Mother, wait for me... I promise that I... —I was so agitated that I only felt sleepy, and once again, heavy eyelids —I will return... Mother...