"The value of a victor vouched by his victorious ventures. In a vicarious vow to vengeance, you have vanquished those we have vilified, the vermin that have violated the continent of Occidia for seventy years. In a vision of the valor you have advocated, we voice the verdict that you, Victor of Virtue, shall be named a Viscount of the Kingdom of Arigon."
Perfunctory applause echoed within the spacious Sacrament Hall. The subject of this clamor, however, was an armored man kneeling in front of the throne of Arigon, showing no pride nor gloating at his ascent into nobility.
"This mere subject offers his thanks to the Crown for their grace."
A slight grin emerged on Victor's face, and his left eye turned rightwards. There, a robed woman stood straight and fixed him with joy and pride even he hadn't shown. He mouthed, "I'll see you later."
The King, noticing the man's aspirations for his daughter, cleared his throat and said, "Formal hours call for formal proceedings and formal rules of etiquette."
Victor roughly translated it as 'Don't show your fancy for Elena right now, but you two can meet when this is over.'
"Sir!"
Victor ignored this calling.
Later that night…
Victor leaned into the warm embrace of his lover. Feeling her hands caress his hair, he chuckled, "We've reached the endtimes, haven't we?"
Blue eyes descended to meet his gaze in all of their glory and affection, "Don't call it such an ominous name, Victor. If anything, we, you've prevented the endtimes."
"Never could have done it without the most talented mage and the best lover on the continent, could I?"
He couldn't erase the smile from his face, not when he was with Elena.
"Thank you for everything."
Victor closed his eyes. Suddenly, a few strands of long hair fell onto his face. He raised his head slightly, and the two came into union.
…
"Sir! Please choose quickly! There are customers behind you!"
"Ah, oh, yes, of course, sorry."
Victor pointed at the tray of nougat ice cream and subsequently received his order. Turning in haste, his face paled when he barged into a little girl, and the cone in her hand titled sideways threatening to fall.
He twitched a single finger of his, and with a thud, the ice cream cone straightened up.
"Sorry."
Victor left and rubbed his head. That headache. Again. Inside of him, a small amount of mana left his body indefinitely, further reducing his limited supplies in a mana-less world.
Five years. It had been five years since he woke up in his bed again, overlooking a stash of documents he had procrastinated to complete. At first, he thought it could have been a dream: a long, unreal dream lasting two decades.
Soon enough, however, he found out he still had remnant traces of his time on Occidia. Weakened magic, a stronger physique, and a quicker brain.
He also found out that these abilities were disappearing over time, as were his memories of his time on Occidia.
'In a few years, I'll maybe really believe that it was all a dream. Elena, Yogmatus, the Kingdom, and the Order of Knights I presided. Never existed, never to exist again…?'
Back then, it took him more than a few weeks of melancholy to come to terms with his journey back to Earth. Now it was all fine. Fine. Boring.
As he cycled back towards his home, a throbbing object emerged within his pocket. Stopping by a sidewalk, he took out his phone and observed the person calling him.
'Shit.'
Victor remained still. His breathing turned irregular. In truth, he didn't wish to reply, but the five missed calls highlighted beneath this one hinted that doing that would be a bad decision.
Sliding his finger leftwards on the screen, Victor took a final breath and placed the phone on his ear.
"Erica, I-
An icy voice interrupted his sentence, "No need, I've called you. It's good that you replied this time."
"I wanted to talk in real life, like real adults, but you've avoided me for a while, haven't you, Victor?"
"What? Have you got nothing to say? Unfortunately for you, Victor, I've got a lot to say."
"I'll listen," Victor stuttered and closed his eyes.
"You're hard to hate, do you know that? You're a good guy at heart, so I feel miserable to even complain about this. But I have to, Victor, because you sometimes act in such ways that make me doubt your virtue."
She paused. Victor's eyelids shook.
"Never to hurt me, but you're also never one to call when I'm hurt. Never to be rude to me, but never offer a hug or the slightest gesture of affection we'd expect from a couple. It's almost like I'm a stranger to you, Victor: Tell me, do you love me?"
"I'm sorry, Erica, I don't."
"You do love someone though?"
Now that was harder to answer, and no response would please the woman on the other side. Erica was a good woman – a perfect partner with similar life plans, beliefs, and personality to him. Normally, they would form the perfect couple; but here they were.
"Tongue caught in a mousetrap? Victor, who's Elena?"
"A woman. A woman I dreamed about."
"You rather a dream over me?"
"It's strange, Erica. There's a lot I can tell you, a lot I can show you, but I don't know if you're ready-
"I've always been ready, Victor. I called you because I was ready for any answer."
Victor flashed a bittersweet smile, "Tomorrow, after work, if you're still ready."
The last ray of sun descended upon his cheeks before it would bid humanity goodbye, only to see them a night later.
"I love you, Victor."
She hung up. 'A fleeting dream.' Victor mused. If the unattainable dream hurt reality, maybe it was better to let it disappear after all?
Victor soon met his mattress, a million thoughts streaming through his head and dying down before he would call the today a day.
…
"Rise."
'Was my bed always this hard?' Victor traveled back and forth from sleep to wakefulness. In the end, his uncomfortable body chose the latter and stood upright.
Then his eyelids moved upwards and revealed why his body felt strange. He was not at home. Instead, his fleshy being was the only tangible object in his surroundings – a black void devoid of any sounds, feelings, or sight besides his own.
"A dream."
A boring dream.
"Stand forth, fleshman, for this location is no dream or place of intangible quality, but the crossroad of fate and opportunity where dreams erupt and blossom."
Goosebumps arose on Victor's body. Instinctive familiarity caused him to tilt his body in a brusque manner.
In front of him, a wax human stood still. It had no eyes, mouth, or genitals. Instead, a smooth outline of a male human body greeted him, eerie and uncanny.
To everyone else but him. Because Victor knew who this was.
"It isn't my first time here, is it?"
"Witty and quick-brained boy. A realm faraway has requested forth aid in the continuous cataclysm between the virtuous and the vile. They wish to summon a chosen one, a hero to cease all ruin. This being is not one that enjoys change, for I rather perpetuity. Hence, I call you, hero of Occidia, once again on a mission: this time on the realm of Lusland."
Victor burst out laughing. "I'll go back to a dangerous world, bridging life and death only for you to bring me back again – reaping no rewards for my exploits. I built a life there, I worked so hard, only for you to decide on a whim to break it all down and bring me back to Earth…"
"Fleshman, you understand this one wrong. We have assented to a contract, and I could revoke you to your origin realm whenever this one wished after you had ended cataclysm."
Elena…
"Then I won't sign a contract this time. Get me back to Earth, please."
He still needed to explain himself to Erica. Maybe then the two of them would understand each other better and kindle love unchallenged. Besides, he now had a life to attend to.
Not expecting this divine being to panic, Victor snickered.
"You cannot do that, fleshman, for this one will…"
"Extinguish my soul?" Victor asked and chuckled.
"Yes! This one shall extinguish your soul if you refuse your duties!"
"Stop fooling everyone, AZT. I've been in a realm of magics for two decades, and one of the fundamental teachings was that souls could never be destroyed. Even your own church said so. No divine magic can exercise the impossible. Besides, you're no god, despite what they thought down there. You're just a bridge between worlds that have, out of some miracle, come alive, right?"
AZT was the name mortals called this being down in Occidia.
If AZT had sweat glands, he would likely have been drenched in sweat by now. "This one recognizes you have committed your research, fleshman. However, it still stands true that I cannot send you back, unharmed. If it is not I, it will be the dimensional winds that will damage your soul to such extent you shall never be a thinking or moving being again."
Victor was still skeptical. AZT nodded and added, "You've seen them yourself. When I struck you down to Occidia, there is no doubt you have observed the ferocious winds that only my bridge has allowed you to survive."
Now that was correct. Victor furrowed his brows. He did remember – a terrifying storm unlike any he had seen. There was no way this being would be so kind as to build him a bridge back to Earth now.
"We can stay here for all eternity, fleshman."
There was no doubt about that: the fact that he came back to Earth on the same day that he had left it showed the time distortion other realms had.
"I'll go."
"Good."
"If we negotiate the contract once again."
'I'm sorry, Erica.'
AZT fell silent, only nodding after a dozen seconds, "What do you wish for, fleshman?"
Victor pondered over his words. "AZT shall retain no rights to revoke Victor back to his origin realm until he has died within the realm of Occ-…Lusland."
"Agreed. Here is this one's amendment, then: Victor shall not be sent to the realm of Lusland with his physical and magical exploits, but instead an infant born within the Year 1204 of the prominent calendar."
'Not too bad.'
"Draw my blood to sign the contract, then."
A knitting needle appeared out of a thin void and neared his thumb. With a prick, it latched onto a drop of Victor's blood and hovered back to AZT.
"This world is a little bit different. Enjoy your time, fleshman."
"Will I?"