PROLOGUE: HOME

***The deck of the steam ship, Hagena…***

Home.

Depending on the context, the word ‘home’ could mean the building, with four main walls, a roof, perhaps two or more windows scattered throughout the walls, and at least one door so the occupants could get in and out whenever they wished. Or, it could also be a place, where someone was accepted for who they were and belonged.

Chersea, for Kuro, is the latter.

Even before their ships docked, Maddie, Ruro and Natasha were already on the deck of the Hagena, throwing their arms around the otherworlder. He was surprised—and felt awkward—for he didn’t know what to do. When Kuro was a teacher in his old school, he would always raise his hands whenever a student would embrace him, just to show to everyone he was not doing something inappropriate. But since this was Chersea—and he was no longer a teacher, he thought it would be weird and might offend the ladies, so he literally froze where he fell.

As it turned out, Kuro never should’ve worried. With the three saints hugging him, he could not move at all, so it didn’t matter even if he wanted to reciprocate their gesture. The ladies who came with him from the naval battle in Cherwoods watched from a distance, amused at the sight of the three holy women swamping a helpless guy…one that saved the three races, yet couldn’t do a thing against his ‘captors’.

However, even with all the celebrations and pleasant feelings, there were questions still waiting to be answered. First of those was…

“Why did you disguise yourself, Kuro?” was Maddie’s question. There was a hint of pain and displeasure in her voice, though she tried to hide it with a smile. “Do you really hate coming back to Chersea that much?”

“No!” Kuro fiercely shook his head. However, he had to be honest; it’s futile to hide his thoughts to these three ladies who could peer into his mind…or at least, he let them peer into his mind. Kuro didn’t want to lie to them. “Honestly, I feel like I’d be hindered if I returned early. I’m thinking of dealing with Her Holiness the Lady Hinwe’s problem first, before reappearing as myself.”

“See, Maddie?” Ruro pointed out. “Even Kuro will burn out if you keep on being unreasonably possessive.”

“Yes, yes,” the Human Saint was dismissive, but became meek and sheepish when she returned to the otherworlder. “I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, Kuro…because of my selfish whims.”

“Hm? It’s fine,” Kuro gave Maddie a head pat to reassure her. “No matter what happens, I won’t hate you.” And with those words, he sealed his declaration to her with a kiss on the forehead.

“Guh!” At once, blood spurted from Maddie’s nose, much to everyone’s shock; she also lost consciousness. Of course, they were worried for her, though their concerns were soon sated when they saw the Human Saint sleeping with a blissful smile on her lips.

Ruro demanded Kuro do the same to her, but Natasha spoiled her attempts to coerce him. The Demon Saint told her, “I think we have lots of time for those sweet nothings later.”

The otherworlder could only laugh, for the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Ruro never hid her dismay, though Natasha ignored her.

“I’m curious, Sir G,” the Demon Saint’s eyes never wavered. “We cut off Cherflammen from the rest of the other realms. And Gaius—under the influence of the Seductress—killed its sun, therefore, killing all life in that world that didn’t evacuate…”

“You want to know how I survived?”

Natasha and Ruro nodded.

Kuro grinned, “I didn’t. Even to this very moment, my dead body is still in Cherflammen, buried under the shifting sands.”

At once, the two saints put their guards up. Natasha pulled a dagger from somewhere, while Ruro bared her claws at me. From the corners of his eyes, Kuro’s other companions also brought out their weapons, though he guessed it’s to defend him.

To avoid further misunderstandings, the otherworlder quickly followed with another explanation, “No, I’m still the old Kuro. Though, let me tell you what really happened…”

----------

***Cherflammen, some time in the past…***

“Ah, I can feel the bitterness emanating from you,” the former god of Chersea, Gaius Julius, commented as he and Kuro exchanged blank stares. “Do you finally regret staying behind to save those saints?”

The human otherworlder—or his spirit—remained silent for a few more moments, as if he was weighing on the words he was to say. But then, he spoke, “And who wants to die a lonely death? Who wants to die and end up forgotten, as if I never existed? Yet, here I am. Stuck in this…place, if one can ever call it one. Even my spirit can’t find solace here, even more so when I’m with a narcissist, too.”

“Who told you to stay, anyway?” Gaius countered; his eyes wandered around the dark desolation that once was the demon homeland. “If you surrendered your god-powers to me earlier, I’d simply allow you to walk away.”

“If it’s you, we may have a chance,” Kuro pointed out. “However, you are not the real problem. It’s that ‘thing’ you allowed to possess your body that we fear.”

At that moment, the former god fell quiet. He knew his mistakes, and it’s useless to defend himself anymore. Still, it stung hard when someone else told him the truth he wanted to avoid.

“You keep telling me I’m a fool,” the human continued, his voice was sardonic. “Yet, you’re the one who fell into the trap of that creature, in your bloody quest to become god once again. Now, who’s the idiot between us?”

The feelings of guilt grew stronger in Gaius’ chest as he thought of Kuro’s words. So, he sought to change the topic, “What do you want to do now?”

Kuro shrugged. “I’m dead. I can see my lifeless body a few distances away from where we are, half-buried in this sand. With a lethal wound to his neck. You think a forgotten, lonely spirit like me has plans?”

“I slashed your neck so you can get out of your body,” the former god replied, and then poised another question. “What I mean is, do you want to go back to those people you love?”

“Of course,” was the human’s immediate answer. “Or, at least, make them remember that there’s me who once existed.”

Gaius heaved a sigh. Then, he sat on the sand, as he said to Kuro, “Well, I wanted to be god again.”

“I know. And you damned both of us because of your desires.”

“Yes…you don’t have to repeat it,” the former god chuckled.

Then, another round of complete silence. Only the whistle of the cold Cherflammen wind could be heard, as the spirit and the former god waited for something to happen…or just kill time that won’t be killed.

However, at the end, it was Gaius who suddenly broke the ice. “Kuro, do you know that I have many regrets?”

“Tell me.”

“When I died at the steps of the Roman Senate, as I stare back at those eyes filled with anger and hatred, I thought to myself, ‘I shall avenge my murder!’,” he grinned, stretching his hand towards the black heavens, as if reaching for something there. “So, when I was acclaimed by the Romans, I didn’t hesitate. I accepted the High King of the God’s offer, and was made a deity.”

“…”

“But the High King is too kind, and soft. Instead of me—brimming with hate and thirst for revenge, He sent another god to Earth, His son. You know; he’s the one you guys are venerating in your religion.”

Kuro said nothing. He just listened, though he was aware of what Gaius was talking about.

“And I, as a deity, was sent to a ‘new world’—no, it’s rather, ‘new worlds’—the High King was building back then.”

“Chersea and the Four Realms?”

Gaius nodded. “I became its overseer. I am these worlds’ god, so I did my best to govern these realms. Unlike Earth, I didn’t give Chersea ‘night’, so its people will never be afraid of the dark. Because of the different races living in these lands, I wished not to repeat the tragedies of my time, so the ‘crossings’ came to be. And so that the people will never go astray of the heavenly teachings, I appointed saints to guide them in its tenets.”

“Even the demon race?”

The former god laughed. “No, the demons are originally not part of the plan for these worlds.”

“Then, why…?”

“My pride and folly.”

“Oh?”

“Well, you and I are now aware of what happened. I am consumed by my ambitions, blinded by my pride. Even as when the High King of the Gods sent me to another world, I still wanted to get back at my enemies…even to their descendants.”

Kuro just looked at him, as if expecting for further explanations. Seeing that reaction as his cue to continue, Gaius went on…

“I—Gaius Julius Caesar—would love to become a god worshipped by a ‘superior’ race, so I brought the demons over to this realm so they can serve the humans of Chersea.”

“Wow…”

“I know that look,” the former god had an amused look on his face. “You must’ve read the ‘creation story’ of this world.”

Kuro nodded. “What I remember from the books I read in Ruro’s palace differed from what you are telling me.”

“I’m just an ‘overseer’, though I am a deity,” Gaius reiterated. “If anything, it is the High King of the Gods who created all the peoples of these worlds, and of the others, too.”

“Even the demon race? This demon race?”

“Yep.”

“What for?”

Gaius shrugged. “Who knows? He’s the High King of the Gods. The time we mortals understand His actions is the moment He stops being a god. And if He wanted to create a ‘demon’ race, it’s His prerogative. I’m just here to watch over the world.”

“So you’re telling me, you’re blinded by your desire for revenge. Because of that, you wished to create a world that is ‘better’ than Earth to spite your enemies back there?”

“I love that about you; you catch on quick.”

“Man…so the demons didn’t come from Arame after all!”

“The religious books are certainly twisted,” the former god confirmed. “Before my ‘wife’ came to be, there are already demons and humans in the worlds, and there’s already me as the Chersean god. Hmm…in retrospect, Arame is actually a demon…or her ‘first’ form, that is. Remember that I told you the demon race is for humans to enslave? She’s…”

Noticing that his voice drifted, Kuro asked, “Don’t suddenly drop me; what’s up with you and Arame?”

“You know Kuro, even as I’m consumed by my hatred and ambitions, I’m still a man,” Gaius smirked. “That villain was the most beautiful mortal I ever saw, and I…I fell in love for her.”

“Figures.”

“Shut up and listen,” the former god rebuked him. “Anyway, the demons offered me Arame, not knowing that they have ulterior motives in doing that. Nevertheless, that vermin also have plans. It was also too late for me to learn that Arame was undermining me, not for the demons but for herself.”

“And it took you several eons to realize that?”

“No, I just regret it now…you know, since there is no hope for me getting my vengeance, I just diverted my energies into making Chersea and the Four Realms the best ‘universe’ than my old one. At the very least, I wanted to prove that I—Gaius Julius Caesar—am worthy, not just a mere Roman dictator, but a god! That I am a ‘class’ separate from those old, bumbling fools in toga!”

“That got you in the end, no?”

“Yes. That folly of mine caused the demons to rebel and offer me Arame,” Gaius admitted. “And Arame, using me and the demons, manipulated Chersea and the Four Realms to benefit her. For example, she prodded me to bring the humans, and the other races, in conflict against the demons.”

“Damn…now all things are clearing up.”

“I know. Looking back, I accept my stupidity. My foolishness. My blindness. I paid dearly for it. Even as I can read the hearts and minds of mortals, Arame still seduced me to destroy the worlds entrusted to me. I never listened to wisdom, brought by your student, Alexa Cassandra David. And I also did you great disservice.”

“True,” Kuro heaved a sigh. “You fucked us up really bad.”

Taken aback, Gaius could only mutter, “I…I’m sorry…”

The spirit and the former god went back to being silent. They never moved from where they were, sitting on the shifting sands of old Cherflammen. Watching and waiting, all for nothing.

But then, Kuro asked, “So, what will happen to me now?”

“You can wander around if that’s what you want,” the former god replied. “Cherflammen is pretty big; a lot of areas are still unexplored. At the very least, satisfy the curiosity of your mind, even if you’re long dead. It’s preferable than waiting for yourself to vanish in one place.”

“So, I’ll vanish completely in the end, huh? Pretty fitting end, I guess. I’d choose it than staying in this ‘prison’.”

“Well, it’s not too soon, though,” Gaius reminded him. “No one’s remembering us both, and we’ll disappear eventually…though with my ‘mortal’ body, it’ll take longer than you.”

Kuro just chuckled, and let himself fall on the sand. “This is really unfair…”

“It sure is. I’d like to be imprisoned here with some ale and other stuff.” The former god then continued, “But then…”

“If you got a plan, tell me.”

“Would you like to live forever?”

“You just told me that no one’s thinking of us, then you contrast yourself immediately?”

“No! Listen, even if you’re just a spirit, you still have the god-powers!”

“No shit!” Kuro was sarcastic. “You want to get these once again?”

“No! You can actually become ‘one’ with me!”

The human spirit threw Gaius a long stare. “Don’t say awkward stuff, man!”

“Eh, shut up! It’s just wrongly-worded,” the former god defended himself. “What I mean is, you can take over my mortal body—which, though deprived of heavenly powers, is still a body of a god. Then, as for me? I’ll become a fragment of your thoughts, and you’ll end up a ‘new person’.”

“Now you’re talking ‘isekai’ shit.”

“I’m serious!”

“Well, alright. Let’s say I take up on your offer. At the end, what for? We’re stuck here forever.”

Gaius smiled, though it was a sad one. “Consider this as my way of atoning for fucking the both of us. If you took control of my body, you’ll live for long, for you already have a physical ‘container’ for your spirit…and a powerful one at that, being a former god myself. And who knows? There may come a time when someone accidentally stumbles upon this place and free you. At least, you won’t suffer a dark, lonely demise.”