A sudden light blinded her as it wrapped around her being. When he reopened his eyes, he was astonished by the transformation of his surroundings. He walked on a ground made entirely of white, stretching infinitely. A night sky stretched above him, its immeasurable depth dotted with myriad twinkling stars and distant galaxies that awed him profoundly. These celestial bodies were so distant they seemed like tiny sparks in the vastness of the cosmos.
"What is this?!
"Welcome, Jacob Kalis," greeted the voice of a woman.
Turning around, he discerned four humanoid figures of immaculate white forming a procession. Among them were a woman, a man, a little girl, and a little boy. Their gaze was devoid of eyes, presenting only two orifices through which one could discern their surroundings. Their bodies emitted a strange ethereal mist, giving an impression of mystical finish.
"Are you the famed Archangels everyone talks about on Trillia?!
"Absolutely not, that would be offensive to compare us to them."
The figures inspired in him both terror and comfort, as if these beings, endowed with a higher consciousness, were capable of killing him with a mere thought.
"So... where am I?!
"You are neither in your personal power nor in Paradise," retorted the boy.
"Nor in the universe of Earth or that of Trillia," continued the girl.
"You are currently outside of any cosmological conception, outside of all universes, outside of all dimensions," finished the man.
He stepped back, frightened.
"If you are neither the Archangels nor deities from Deity Battle... then who are you?!
"We are the Founders."
Does that mean there are other gods besides the Archangels?!
"Yes. There are as many deities as there are multiverses," replied the woman.
"You can even read my thoughts...
"Obviously, that's the most basic thing for us."
He tried to regain his serenity, breathing deeply and calming the turmoil in his chest. However, a cold terror seized him when he realized he hadn't breathed since the beginning of the incident, and what was even more alarming, his heart seemed to have stopped beating.
"It's normal," reassured the little girl, "since you are beyond all conception, you no longer need these functions. Relax.
"Answer me... am I dead?
"No, we only brought you here because we wanted to talk to you.
"Alright... um... what do you want to talk about?
"About a person close to you yet unknown," began the boy, "a person unpredictable and uncontrollable: Gwendoline Bourcier, or more precisely Ergania."
Not knowing the true name of this entity, he wondered, but quickly made the connection between her and Gwendoline.
"Ergania? Is that the name of that damned entity in Gwendoline?
"Exactly. As we know your feelings towards her, we wish to propose a contract that would suit all five of us.
"A contract?
"You heard us right."
Jacob frowned, not understanding why deities like the Founders would need him. To which the woman retorted:
"Your personal power is one of the most powerful ever existed. That's why we propose this...
"With our help and your powers," continued the man, "you will finally put an end to Ergania. If you succeed, we commit to grant you the power of metapotence.
"Metapotence..." he murmured, "like that guy everyone's talking about on Trillia... What's his name again?
"You must be talking about Mudon?
"Yes, that's it! Are you related to him?"
The Founders exchanged glances, hesitating to tell him the truth. Jacob, driven by curiosity, hesitated to ask them many questions, as the truth about Trillia was within his grasp.
"Technically, yes. But let's not change the subject, please.
"Sorry... I just wanted to know more.
"That's alright.
"Just one last thing I'm struggling to understand... If you're some kind of gods, why don't you kill her yourselves?"
The little boy sighed, then argued:
"Because even if it may surprise you, we are not omnipotent beings. Moreover, the conflict would cause irreversible damage in all multiverses and beyond. That's why we must cooperate with lesser beings to avoid causing too much damage.
"Ah, I see...
"You should also know that Ergania is a being of the same level as us, if not more.
"Wow... But who is this Ergania, after all?
"She is a malevolent entity that we weakened long ago," elaborated the little girl, "but given that she is constantly evolving towards infinity, she risks regaining control of her full powers. That's why we want to kill her, to prevent her from becoming too powerful."
Jacob, still stunned by the news, paused in his reflection, weighing the pros and cons of this crucial decision. One question remained, a much more human one:
"If I agree... does that mean to kill Ergania, I would also have to kill Gwendoline?
"Yes, they are the same person after all.
"But if I have the power of metapotence, then I could resurrect Marshal and defeat this Damahan..."
Suddenly, a heavy silence fell on the scene, enveloping the atmosphere with palpable tension. It seemed that Jacob had uttered a word that had silenced the Founders, freezing the moment in an unsettling stillness. In this silence, Jacob couldn't help but notice:
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?
"Not at all. We are just letting you think," retorted the woman.
He sat for a moment, overwhelmed by a flood of questions. Deep down, he felt a profound resentment towards Ergania for not bringing Marshal back to life, as it was evident she had the power to do so, and the Founders' revelation only reinforced this conviction. He then thought back to his conversation with Igdifir, where the latter hypothesized that she had refused to do so to allow Jacob to mature. Ultimately, the more he suppressed his hatred, the more he realized that Ergania might not be as malevolent as the Founders claimed.
Determined, he stood up and declared his position:
"I'm sorry, but I refuse! I've made a number of mistakes because of my jealousy, I know that... But I've understood now, I don't want to repeat them... And then, I don't want to sacrifice a friend who is dear to me.
"If that's your choice, we will not dispute it.
"Listen, I don't know what's driving you to want to kill her, let alone what she's done to you, but I'm sure of one thing... This Ergania is not malevolent, or at least not anymore. So it's decided, I won't collaborate with you.
"You are guided by your feelings and the truth you believe in," refuted the man, "but you do not know Ergania... so do not pretend to have the absolute truth.
"In that case, find yourselves other volunteers."
Suddenly, he approached them with a determined stride, his gaze filled with a flash of vengeance and protection piercing them like lightning. Each of his steps resonated with increasing intensity.
"But you can be sure that I will take care of facing them in two years to protect Gwendoline and Ergania."
These few words were enough to make the woman chuckle, now standing in front of him.
"In two years, you say? Oh, don't worry about that, Jacob Kalis, we already have one with us and soon a second. We were just confirming our assumptions."
His eyebrows raised in astonishment.
"So... you knew I was going to refuse?!
"Of course, we may not be omnipotent, but we know humans by heart.
"What are you going to do with me now?! Kill me?!
"Absolutely not, we are not that cruel. Besides, you just told us that you would be ready to fight to protect your friend, right?
"Yes, you'll see!
"Well, in that case, we'll see if you hold up against our two collaborators in a few years."
Despite its apparent banality, this casual statement suddenly reinforced a certainty in Jacob, plunging his mind into deep terror. As he assimilated the true meaning of this phrase, a strange sensation overwhelmed him: his body seemed to gradually dissolve, as if reality itself began to fade around him.
"Wait a second... Don't tell me you're talking about Damahan?! That means that from the beginning... IT WAS YOU?!
"Maybe, who knows? After all, I spoke of two collaborators, not just one."
The more Jacob struggled, the more his body gradually merged into the void. His limbs were slow to respond, each movement becoming heavier than the last. However, even as his five senses faded away, he could subtly perceive the silhouette of a man with thick black hair, turned away from him.
"What?!"
Squinting his eyes, he discerned the man's attire as a strange mix of gold ornaments and black bandages, reminiscent of ancient Egypt. In all this, only one element caught Jacob's attention: the multiple neon blues, distinctive of a futuristic style, scattered throughout his clothes.
In a final effort, he extended his hand to escape his disappearance, before finally shouting:
"WAIT!
"Nekhet ka'at ankh?" replied the man with his back turned, as if lost.
After these few words from an unknown language, the spectacle stopped to give way to a dark void. As he struggled to regain his senses after this disconcerting experience, a holographic image appeared before him:
[You are dead. Would you like to respawn or exit the game?]
[Respawn]/[Exit]