Solomon existed, nothing more or less. His whole purpose was to exist as an empty foil without a reason. Actually it wasn't even Solomon when all that made him himself, his memory and characer, got washed away. Years passed, centuries, millenniums, eons, or perhaps less than a second, and something began to change.
A cool sensation, opposite to what he had experienced before engulfed him. At first, it was slow, coming from the inside, then steadily expanding outwards. As it progressed Solomon's head started getting clear again. In the beginning, he was barely aware of his own existence but before long realized he could use awareness in other ways.
While he remained something, somewhere, the very ability to formulate thoughts inside the head, or whenever it happened was reassuring.
"I think so I am !" He repeated like a mantra, afraid he would lose newly gained abitily to link reason and disappear back in endless void .
"Oh, you can think! Congratulations! Now there are only about few thousand things you must master to dare call yourself a human being, I'm cheering for you ! " - A rigorous and somehow malicious voice at the same time echoed inside Solomon
" Oh yes - responded dull one - you must fill a certain quota to call yourself human, otherwise others won't think about you as human... if they would even then. "
He didn't interfere with them, half reason because he couldn't understand most thighs they said, half as their bickering was the only indicator of passing time. Were they someone he knew or should know? No, better to see how it's gonna resove from back row.
So he waited and waited, listening to the endless fight between dull and rigorous one. While the first talked much more and overall was much more aggressive, Solomon wouldn't underestimate the dull one, who with few words could easily trigger over the top response.
"Look at you, your so pathetic leeching of the society, then daring to have own opinion about matters such degenerate as you can't in contrast to me who had a bite and push through in order to survive and achieve high social standing. Aren't you pathetic making all those claims ?"
"Wasn't it you who broke down in the first place? Because of society ?"
"I've never heard lies as blatant as yours. You have always waited in the shadows, ready to overthrow me in a moment I've had shown the weakness. I needed a less than a minute in order to become regain composure, however, you had to interfere you filth and broke it all!
Finally, when Solomon had confidence he's going insane, something pulled him down, and again.
Each time he was dragged, a wave of stimulus akin to warmth surged inside. Similiar a hot bath in the middle of the winter, an association that made no sense for Solomon until with next burst he reminded himself of the few good days at grandpa's house ages ago.
With each outburst, it was slightly warmer than what Solomon craved for. People, faces, places all he knew and those he didn't know before, came back the more heat was inside.
Each time more memories about circumstances that led him here came back. Funeral, cemetery, conflict, and God. God. That eldrich being capable of reading people's minds shitty enough to toy with him and force into his scheme.
Oh, yes he promised a lot of things but now Solomon's wouldn't give a fuck about any word from that false face. Not after this... thing. After all, times before change and warmth were also stored in hismind.
His hate for this "god", along the euphory from warmt, bursted with a bang. With each next wave of heat both strengthening each other.
" And all of this because of your false sense of debt to a woman who had pleasure in making your life hell. It's only your fault simpleton!" Rigorous voice tried somehow aware of him only now tried to stop him but to none success.
"Don't go edgy isekai revenge. It would be a pain."For the first time, the dull one concurred with the rigorous one.
Solomon again ignored them, committed to clinging to soothing heat is if there were no tomorrow. Step after step the warmth filled him, breathing a new life. Unfortunately, the pulses ended without a trace leaving him alone. Until Solomon could now feel two entities near him and in pleasant surprise, he discovered... they were warm.
"How dare you touch me! I do not approve of your actions! " Voice of protest came from the side to no effect. With next pulse, he consumed it and broke what squirmed inside so to be his own parts. A few shakes later it accepts fate, for now.
" Just leave me be... we both want it." The dull was far less defensive, letting Solomon devoured it's being and settling inside in cold compliance, that despite all warmth inside somehow broke through causing his body to shiver. Yes after all this time, despite apperaring in unpleasant circumstances a body!
After assimilating the second voice a faint resemblance of the body covered his naked existence. Without any senses, but akin to once set anchor , he didn't even need to clutch to the warmth anymore, for now, it was coming from inside of him. All he needed was slowly regain control over his body.
First came back a sense of touch. A cold whip of the wind lashed at his bare skin to awake muscles, trembling in order to preserve heat. Solomon found it fascinating, the way the body, his body moved. He could swear it was different than anything in the past.
He put that sense on the side and began pulling eager to discover new things. The place he found himself at, had a certain funny smell around alongside with taste of the air, akin to the one of toilet water.
"Ugh, it wasn't something I really would like to remember" Solomon flinched in disgust. He easily connected that and bad school memories... but on the other side what if it was a memory planted by that piece of shit. Yes, it had to be it! Solomon was sure of that. After fighting his way out of the literal abyss he wouldn't of a type that let others push him around. Yes, it had to be!
Excitation and anger took Solomon over with new discovery, but being aware that theory wouldn't stand on his own if he let his control slip like some weak bitch, he poured his concentration into reclaiming rest of control wholeheartedly, to finally discover his position and plan revenge on that shit who did to him and tried to trick him, albeit with no success.
It took him a while to reclaim hearing. His award was a muffled buzz of the raging wind. Nonetheless, he greeted it with child like enthusiasm, as it meant progress. He wondered where he happened to appear. He can't underestimate that tricky turd. What he gonna do if he wakes up it some forsaken caves in Himalayas.
"Don't think about it. You will find a solution if needed after waking up." Yeah, given preventing a disease is an idea of morons and those Illuminati lizard man who want to cause autism in everyone. "How you can act so irresponsibly ?"
Stop it, stop it! Solomon tried to get back on track but somehow ended with more discourse with himself. Does it mean he is mad? Of course, he is ! He is just going full edge fighting with himself over stupid things.
Or was it stupid !? Maybe it was a scary dream or something ? Maybe he just needs to wake up in an armchair (why armchair if people sleep in beds ?) to realize his brain decided to give him a scare of his live... or maybe not and he's really gonna have a third-degree contact with a yeti.
All he needs to do is open his eyes. With some effort, Solomon reclaimed contror there too. It only remained to make last push to , Solomon soon found himself to be unable to do it.
A seed of doubt sprouted holding Solomon tight in his grip.
What if all that awaits for him is some cruel joke? What then? Is he going to fight against impossible odds?
Perhaps it's better to just be in this half-dead state, Solomon thought. You can save yourself from potential disaster. Yes, it's all good just being like that. There is no sense in trying if the risk is so great, besides what are you gonna do? Fight against literal god? With what? Nonsensical determination? Steel resolve? Unbearable edge? Just give up... let it go.
" Just give up, let it go. " Solomon repeated mindlessly. That was good idea. Safe idea. Protecting from harm.
"Wait, was it ?" A glimpse of uncertainty stopped Solomon from giving up in half. He just gonna pretend that's all he has and it's good enough. It was amazing to just feel the ZAAA WAARRUUDDOO, whatever it means, without any interaction !? Why no go for more !?
"JUST LET IT GO !" Tho voices struck him like lighting, shocking to the core. Those two he thought of as long gone past attacked him with such power he barely kept control. Before each one of them was many times weaker, unlike now where Solomon would barely win against one. Eating them was a bad idea.. wait eating? Solomon's gears worked on full power while he step after step gave up more control.
If he had eaten them but they are still themselves not him a big chunk of them, their warmt, matter or whatever has to still reside in his stomach... literally or not he had to give it a try. Otherwise he will return back to step one in no time. Solomon focused all will into the body, amid storming chaos.
Slowly Solomon's arm raised itself and swung down smashing right into the stomach. At the same time, both enemies lost their control letting him to take over most of the body. Even so he had to contain them somehow, given their non compliance and resolve to stop him from living again. To prevent them from ever again from controlling him, Solomon raised a mental barrier around the stomach cutting it mentally off from the rest of the body.
It took them a bit to calm down, Solomon used to make sure barriers are holding tight. With those two out of picture Solomon was ready to break the mystery of his confinement.
" You will regret this." A faint warning seeped into his mind as he regained last of his senses, puking on the side from punch.
The holy one, Chornanza, God of rebirth and continuity was preparing to make the last swing to behead the last of three devils. On his face was painted a mix of determination and courage while the opponent was quite the opposite.
Lyshara saw this painting only once when she was a child. On an annual royal prom celebrating founding of the Hir'ostian Kingdom, she got her new dress stained with wine completely by accident just the moments after she had an argument with that little sass from Mir'Saln house. Protectress Alana took her on the side so she wouldn't make a commotion and told her to wait, but as a little girl, she was, soon, with countless people passing yet no one coming for her she became bored and ventured around to find anything interesting.
A few passed corridors later she came across something worth attention in the boring palace. The painting unlike all others depicting past king or queens or other boring stuff. It was so mesmerizing for small Lyshara. A good looking guy slaying some demon in an epic scenery. Only beatiful princess was absent, not for long. She began fantasizing about a hero with a face of a god. Lyshara blushed when all those fantasies now surged back. She was a really stupid girl back then.
At least that when she realized that after being scold by that man and protectress for at least ten minutes, earning a few red marks back in home.
She hoped there would be a hero to save her, but to her disillusionment, no one appeared to slay those devils called her family. That's why she became one herself.
"Oii, what are you doin' over here." A rough and cheerful voice caught her off guard. Goddamit Hingar.
"Crap" Lyshara turned to see her teammates coming.
"So there was a reason why you decided to go ahead." Said Kol while, coming over to inspect painting himself. - "You're into buffed guys I see."
Jeez. Lyshara discretely stretched her hood to cover her hot red face. If not for the fact they were officially here she would smack him right there.
"Your misfortune Kol" Someone added from behind Kol's back. It was Myra, who now unceremonially pushed in between Kol and her.
"Hey, I'm rather muscular don't you think Lyshara." Kol pointed at his clad in armor biceps expecting her to comfort him.
"Please guys , not here." Lyshara whispered to both of them seeing royal guards who visibly shoved their disgust as their profession demands while shaking suspiciously.
"Don't give a damn about those lads, Lys. Dreamin' of a pretty girl or a guy is youngsters thing. If I remember stuff right in 674'th I came acr-"
" Just stop. I will have nightmares." Myra blocked her ears and jumped away with eyes full of dread.
"Why do I even adventure with these people?" Lyshara asked herself once again when massive golden doors at last opened and they were told the King is ready to have them on an audience.