In a small, inconspicuous town that, though small as a sparrow, was nonetheless complete in all respects, a man clad only in his underwear rose from bed and made his way to the bathroom. He proceeded with his morning routine methodically: grabbing a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste from their usual place.
As he applied toothpaste to his brush, he caught his reflection in the mirror—a handsome, rugged face looking back at him. His broad shoulders and strong, well-defined muscles showcased his physical fitness, exuding confidence and strength.
"It's been half a year," York muttered to himself as he shook his head, setting down the toothpaste and beginning to brush his teeth.
It had been six months since he had arrived in this seemingly peaceful world. He had only just begun to understand it, a far cry from his initial confusion when he landed in this world which, at first glance, seemed no different from the real one.
This world was unlike the first world he had visited, which was filled with a post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk vibe. Instead, it was peaceful, much like the non-superhuman world of his previous life. This was different from what he had anticipated before entering the rift, where he had expected a world overrun with monsters.
Yet...
York stared at his reflection in the mirror, spit out a mouthful of foam, and thought about the information he had gathered from the internet, the dark web, and other obscure sources. This world was not as serene as it appeared.
It resembled the previous world in its lack of overt supernatural powers. However, it was rife with ghostly and supernatural occurrences that seemed endless and as ancient as time itself.
This had led him to hundreds of large libraries where he found historical documents that shed light on these phenomena.
Squinting his eyes as he remembered something, York began to clean his toothbrush before rinsing his mouth. After spitting out the last of the water, he wiped his face with a towel and left the bathroom, then dressed in casual clothes.
He picked up the laptop from the bedside table and made his way to the couch on the first floor. Without needing to do anything, the coffee machine beside him automatically started brewing coffee.
"It's strange how these supernatural events seem to follow a pattern. I hope this new insight I've stumbled upon proves fruitful," York mused as he settled on the couch, fingers flying over the laptop keyboard, creating a blur of motion.
The screen flickered rapidly with changing displays, reflecting in his eyes. If hacker Hannah could see him now, she would be stunned. A simple priest mastering the digital realm was no small feat.
But to York, this was nothing. His brain, already superior to that of an ordinary human, needed only to focus to master any skill instantly. Hacking was no exception, and he had already infiltrated numerous government databases uncounted times.
He had wandered through the so-called top-secret national security networks as if they were his backyard.
There was no better way to understand this world than by delving into its secrets, secrets not shared with the public.
With a click, the now full cup of coffee levitated towards him, steadying itself on the table in front of the sofa. York, leveraging his tall frame, reached out with his right hand to grasp the cup and take a sip.
Sitting cross-legged on the couch, he leaned back, his left hand continuing to tap away on the laptop resting on his legs, his right hand bringing the cup to his lips.
"Indeed, it's strange," he mumbled as he looked at the screen, setting the cup back down. "A supernatural event only once a year? That's incredibly regular."
"Japanese spirits, Swedish monsters, Argentine megafauna, vampire incidents in Spanish castles, Thai ghosts..."
York sighed, "All these supernatural events clustered together in the same year, then stop—what does that signify..."
He chuckled, sipping his coffee again, piecing together a theory from these patterns and conclusions.
An invisible hand seemed to be orchestrating a play.
Yes, he thought, all these supernatural incidents might just be a staged drama or musical, with each country serving as a live theater venue, and the variations between countries representing different acts of the play.
"Fascinating," York mused, his fingers eventually stopping on a page displaying ancient cuneiform text—an early form of writing from the Mesopotamian civilization, one of the oldest in his and this world's history.
To most, these symbols would be indecipherable, but not to York, whose mind housed vast stores of knowledge.
The text was straightforward and directly related to the origins and reasons for these supernatural events, supporting his theory that they were part of a staged drama.
York, his expression calm, deciphered the text:
"[On the day the world was created, the ancient gods were born.] [They reside within the Earth, watching over us, requiring sacrifices that allow them to
continue their slumber, lest they destroy the world…]"
"Ancient gods?" York squinted, sensing he was getting close to his target. He shook his head, muttering, "No wonder every country has these bizarre agencies, 'Sacrificial Management Bureaus'—what in the world…"
Remembering a high-security database he had infiltrated, he scoffed at the organization's name.
"So that's it. That explains everything..."
Quickly, York connected the dots:
The Earth houses an ancient god since the creation of the world, and every year, humans must provide sacrifices to ensure the god's peace and continued slumber. The gods' tastes have grown increasingly complex, necessitating elaborate ceremonies organized by Sacrificial Management Bureaus—powerful entities that can dictate the fate of any human and stage real supernatural theatrics.
"Just to appease an ancient god?"
Thinking this over, York paused as he set down his cup.
"Why does this feel so familiar? It even feels a bit like something I know."
Suddenly, a flash of memory hit him.
"Isn't this the plot of 'The Cabin in the Woods'?"
"Could this world actually be like that movie from my past life? Are the rifts connecting to worlds from the movies of my former world?"
York's lips twitched in a mix of surprise and amusement, but he wasn't overly perturbed, having once speculated about entering the mythical DC Universe...
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