It was pitch black. No light was present in this space, only the darkness that consumed all reality. In this deafening silence, a small spark emerged, bringing light to its surroundings.
"Where—"
The voice echoed through the void, but no one answered. He was alone, again. He had surrendered to the despair of reality a long time ago.
"What even is this place?" the voice thought to himself. Even in death, there was no one to greet him—not a god, nor a devil. His non-existent head was full of rage.
"Why! No one! Not again!" His voice cracked through the void, giving it sound.
*Crackle* *crack*
The space cracked and then broke, shattering into pieces like a mirror. With that, he created space in the void, then conjured his mind to create lands. Following his will, the space formed, small particles slowly clumping together, and with a blinding light—a plain was built.
"If there is no god, then I'll become one. If there's no underworld, then I'll create dozens of them," the voice declared with resolution.
The voice looked everywhere, but to his dismay, only the plain he created was there. Floating in the middle of the void was a plain the size of 100 football stadiums.
"But where's my body?" he mumbled in confusion.
Recollecting his memory, he remembered his death. He remembered how pathetic he felt when saving people in need, only for them to forget the good deeds he had done.
"Those ungrateful bastards." He could feel his rage awakening just thinking about those people.
***
In a place bustling with life, there was a young man in a pinch.
"Haaaaah, stop chasing me, you fucking bitches!"
"You're the one running away, so who exactly is the bitch?" countered one of his pursuers.
The young man ran as fast as he could. He felt the force of the wind slapping his face, his hair fluttering wildly, while his eyes darted around looking for an escape route. Meanwhile, his pursuers chased him relentlessly, not losing sight of him.
Trying to trick them, the young man ran towards the woods. He hesitated for a moment but quickly made up his mind.
"This crazy guy!" a man shouted.
"Is he stupid or what!" said another, seeing the direction he was running. They could only curse him for wasting their time.
The pursuers were contemplating if they should follow. Some hesitated to chase the escaping man deep into the woods. But all their doubts were cleared.
"What are you hesitating for? You have me," declared a man confidently.
He was tall and muscular, his shoulders broad and strong. He looked with sharp eyes in the direction of the woods. Conjuring something, his hands, which were pointed at the woods, began to glow. Slowly, a circle formed, within it, an eight-pointed star radiating a hue of green.
"[Earth Shackle]"
Punching the terrain below him, he made the earth shake. Then a tentacle made from dirt snaked towards the young man.
"Fuck." The young man inwardly cursed. Just how bad was his luck? He was just stealing food for his family. He was dirt poor and had no future.
"Rich! You fucker, I told you that it was the last time!" an old man shouted. His face was full of wrinkles that matched his age. His eyes were tired yet somewhat scary. He was swinging a cane while rushing towards Rich at an unbelievable pace.
Just his luck. He cursed his inability to even feed his family. He was hopeless, nonetheless, he still needed to escape. If he got caught, who would feed his family? No one, no one but him.
The chase continued deep into the forest. Rich traversed the uneven path with clear experience, jumping over rubble and climbing tall hills. He dodged trees with ease, rapidly switching from side to side to confuse his pursuers.
For a moment, Rich looked back and found no one. He stopped for a second. There was only silence. An eerie silence swept through the forest. Rich sighed in exhaustion. However, just when he thought he had finally lost them...
"[Iron Shackle]"
"[Blinding]"
"[Quagmire]"
Multiple spells came his way. The first sprung in front, metal snakes wrapping around his arms and legs, sealing his ability to move. The second blinded him, while the ground beneath him felt soft and swallowed his feet like quicksand.
It happened so quickly that Rich didn't have time to react. He was left dumbfounded, unable to even fight back. All that was left in his mind was the bitter realization that he would never see his family again.