Darkness had long existed in reality, perhaps even before light itself. It brought the intangible, like silence, despair, and calm, to those enveloped by it. One couldn't see anything in the depths of darkness, only the void of seemingly vast emptiness.
The foreboding nature of the dark will never be forgotten. Its horror had been carved on everyone who had experienced the warmth of light. But beings with life were known to adapt. Whether it'd be extreme heat, cold, or luster.
They would prevail with time as their bodies become an amalgamation of something entirely different from their former selves. But with survival in the dark, they would never be able to return to the warmth of light.
Creatures with no choice but to adapt to darkness will have difficulty returning to light. The warmth of luster would become too painful for them. The light their ancestors bathed in had already become poisonous to their descendants.
So the descendants must embrace the darkness that surrounds them. And never experience the warmth of luster ever again. After all, they had nothing to return to other than the darkness that molded their body to their current state.
This was darkness. If one had gotten molded by it, the warmth of light would be unpleasant and bitter. However, even those in the dark get envious of those who bask in the light. And jealousy leads to many sinister emotions in life.
โโ{<โ>}โโ
'Where am I?'
'What is this place?'
'What am I doing here, and why is it dark?'
Questioning thoughts emerged one after another as one found themselves enveloped by the empty void of pitch-darkness. Nothing could be seen, heard, or felt. It was as if nothing existed, including one's self.
'What happened?'
These were questions trapped within one's consciousness that had no one to answer. It would only be portrayed as the distress of someone confused and lost. But, one's memories will never fade, even in the abyssal depths of the empty void.
'That's right, I was in the classroom. How did I get here?'
The one trapped in the abyss was a young lady who was nothing more but a student of an academy. Her name was Hecate, and she was a second-year student at the high-school level. She was neither smart nor foolish. She was someone that could only be considered normal.
She had dreams of their own: to have a calm life devoid of danger and suffering. She entered the academy with that in mind, abandoning her former past to be reborn as someone anew. Hecate studied extremely hard, so why?
Why did this happen? What happened to her? Did she do something wrong? Did she offend somebody wealthy or powerful? Had she been kidnap by her former enemies? Or was it something else? Either way, Hecate couldn't accept it.
How could she accept something like this? Was this the punishment for the things she had done? But she hadn't done anything malicious and undeserving. In any case, it wasn't fair. But the world has always been like that.
The concept of fairness simply doesn't exist.
'Ah, rightโฆ'
It took time, but glimpses of what had happened emerged within Hecate's mind. She couldn't clearly remember it, but she could see it before her. The more time passes, the clearer the memories become. And a couple dozen seconds later.
She finally remembered it.
'It was almost noon, and everything was going on as usual. The teacher was discussing the last lesson before the test of the semester. I was listening to it and listing every word to my notes like usual. But then, something happened.'
Hecate thoughts concentrated on her recently gained memories of what had happened before waking up in these circumstances. Everything was normal, and nothing was wrong at first. It was until something surprising happened.
She didn't know what it was, but she only described what she had seen.
'As the class went on as usual, a silver light shone through the ceilings above us. It was bright, instantly blinding us upon its emergence. Afterward, I couldn't see anything and became trapped in this abyss of nothingness.'
Upon such a thought, Hecate had many ideas regarding what had happened. But the most plausible one was a bomb had struck their school. It would have made sense that the light started on the ceiling since it should have struck the rooftop.
Though, the main questions were mere queries of what happened. Why did a bomb strike their school? Was there something important about it? Or did some terrorist group target it to bring fear to the country's citizens?
At any rate, there was one thing clear.
'I died from that.'
Hecate died before even reaching full adulthood. And she might have died from a freak attack of crazy bastards that wanted attention. To be honest, she didn't know what to feel after discovering this.
The fact that she died after working hard to reach this part of her life was hateful. It was hard to accept, but it was the truth. Such was Hecate's expertise, and that was to accept the truth upon realization.
'So I actually died, huh?'
'Is this afterlife? The place that comes after death? But why is it so dark, as if nothing exists after death.'
'Haiz, there is no use in thinking such useless things. What do I do now?'
Hecate decided to do something else instead of intense worrying that doesn't do her any good. But was there something she could do in such a place? Only darkness and silence existed within the abyss. There was nothing to do other than stay still.
'I don't want to stay in this place. I want to go home.'
'But I'm already dead, and my body might have been scorched to ashes.'
'Anything else is better than this place. Hell is better than the cold darkness. Suffering is better than nothing. At the very least, it meant I was alive at some point.'
'Sigh, what the hell am I even thinking.'
She could feel herself losing her sanity as she continued the thoughts that passed through her mind. Talking to herself seems to be the only way to avoid being consumed by the void of nothing. But even then, sooner or later, it would no longer work.
Hecate might be stuck in this place for a long time without knowing when it will end. She didn't know how long she would last in the darkness, but there was one thing she was sure of. She will survive no matter what.
It doesn't matter if she went insane. Her existence would not be something easily extinguished. She promised her old man to keep fighting no matter how hopeless the situation was. Even if it looks like it had already ended, as long as one could move.
It's merely the beginning.
โโโ
[๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ...]
โโโ
In an unexpected turn of events, a strange digital window suddenly emerged before her. It shone brightly with its silver light, the only luster in the abyssal depths surrounding her. Hecate was confused as to what it was.
Though, there was one thing for sure.
This was her way out of this goddamn place.
'Deus Systemโฆ What does it do?'
Hecate wondered what the Deus system was. It resembles the golden finger in the novels and web comics she had read in her former life. So, was it her golden finger? But were golden fingers supposed to exist, to begin with?
'This is too strange and too much of a coincidence. And a system from the stories has a worth that authority, power, and wealth would never hold. To be given something like this is giving me a bad feeling.'
'But, a way out is something I wish to have. It doesn't matter if it's dangerous or mysterious. If I can leave the abyss, I will be willing to do anything it does.'
She hardened her will and wasn't hesitant or resistant to the incoming system. After all, it was an opportunity to escape from this place. It also allowed her to become something more than a normal person.
'My goal was to lead a calm and normal life. Dying of old age while having a family of my own. Though, since I was given a chance. I'll have to take it.'
โโโ
[๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐๐!]
โโโ
'It finally initialized!'
Hecate wondered what it was. What would happen after the system was initialized? Will something appear in front of her? Will there be some system persona? Will someone talk to her and guide her? She was curious about a lot of things.
Especially when the memories of the novels and web comics she had read became fresh within her mind. Curiosity, Thirst, Greed, and Hope. These were the emotions Hecate was currently feeling, and the appearance of a new digital window made it even stronger.
โโโโโ
[๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง]
โ[๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ง.]
โ[๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ.]
โ[๐๐จ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก.]
โ[๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐.]
โ[๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐.]
โโโโโ
Hecate didn't hesitate to read through every word within the digital window. The general operative information was a useful window that educated her about the situation she was currently in. And the situation was stranger than anything she had thought of.
'According to the general operative information, I have become an archon.'
'An archon is a being that can be comparable to gods in the myths of my former world.'
'The only way to become stronger as an archon was through establishing religion. I must announce my existence to the world if I want to become stronger.'
'T-Thisโฆ Is hard to believe.'
The general operative information was a digital window, which was supposed to answer her questions. But instead of answering them, it brought about dozens of questions Hecate wanted to answer. Though, at the moment, there was no way of answering them.
'Establishing a religion requires a sufficiently intelligent being that could give faith to their god. Would this mean that I would need humans to become stronger? And what would happen if my religion got destroyed? Will I disappear as well?'
She knew there was no use in asking questions that wouldn't get answered. But there was a particular reason for doing such things. Hecate wanted to remind herself of the problems she would need to face sooner or later.
'If I became an archon, then this place isn't the afterlife of some sort. This might actually be me, an empty husk of nothingness. This might actually be my new home.'
The fear of being trapped in the abyssal void slowly faded. Since Hecate was alive as an archon, a goal emerged within her mind. That goal was nothing more than to survive. She must survive in the world beyond the abyss that covers her.
There was no guarantee that she was an all-powerful being. Since there were Deus species, it would mean that there were many races with god-like capabilities. Whether they'd be hostile, neutral, or allies was for the future to tell.
'I'm quite confused about the recent events. But let us pick everything up along the way.'
Hecate gazed at the digital window, staring at the fourth message. The board will be activated when she wills for its existence. This must be something related to how she operates as an archon.
'The board might be important, so there's no choice but to activate it.'
'For its activation, I must will it to existence.'
She gathered her concentration since she didn't know how making something appear worked. Since it only said to will the board to existence. Only one word formed within her mind. It was one simple word.
'Activate!'
Upon such a thought, a radiant light enveloped the entirety of the void. The black floor of the abyss slowly shone with a silver luster and slowly transformed into something else. It was a holographic map of a misty forest that seemed never-ending.
โโโ
[๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐๐!]
โโโ
The spoken holographic map spanned 200 meters, presenting an area of 100 kilometers in diameter. Inside it, there was a small village with 50 residents. It had a couple of small houses and was surrounded by massive trees.
Looking at it with her eyes that might not have existed, Hecate couldn't help but think to herself.
'So this is the place where it all begins.'