So? Where will I go? Hell or Heaven?"
Arthur and the boy sat on a cliff overlooking the capital city.
"What do you think?" the boy asked.
"Maybe Heaven. The world was more peaceful during my reign than at other times," Arthur replied.
"Your shamelessness amazes me," the boy muttered, shaking his head.
The two of them were sitting on a rock, Arthur's body slowly disintegrating. He was talking with the boy about what the afterlife might look like.
"Are you some kind of secret god?" Arthur asked, half-jokingly.
The boy opened his mouth to reply but suddenly stopped. Arthur was about to ask what was wrong, but then he realized.
"Oh...time flies quickly."
His body was on the verge of disappearing completely. The boy looked at him and smiled.
"Your consciousness will be no more. Are you sure you want this? You can still change your decision. I can create a vessel for you if you want."
"I'm tired, friend."
The boy didn't reply; he just kept silent. In truth, he couldn't create a vessel; he only offered to give Arthur an excuse to stop.
"You don't have anything to say to me?" Arthur asked.
"...Don't call me a friend; it's blasphemy, boy."
"It sure is," Arthur smiled.
These were the last thoughts of the Greatest Emperor. As his body dissolved into the air, Emes reached out and absorbed his essence into himself.
The air fell silent. Not a single sound could be heard, only the boy, sitting motionless. He opened his white shirt and looked at his chest, where an eye with a black cross marked his skin.
He stared at it for a long time, then chuckled. "I've done it now."
According to the rules of Heaven, no one is allowed to give nirvana to a soul before it completes its reincarnation cycle. If this rule is broken—even by a god—they will be demoted to a mortal and take the place of the soul in the cycle. Emes had made this rule himself, to keep balance and prevent favoritism.
"Who would have thought that the first to break this rule would be the creator himself."
Arthur was supposed to go through 2.95 trillion more reincarnations before reaching Heaven, but he had caught the boy's eye.
"What's even my status now?"
___
Status
•Name: Emes
•Soul Rank: Level 4 (Demi-God)
•Lifespan: Eternity
•Vessel: None
•Authority: Hope (Incompatible)
•Trait: ...
___
"My [Divinity] and [Authority] are gone now. Well, [Authority] is present, but I can't access it…or maybe there are conditions?"
"It's not so bad… I'm still a Demi-God," Emes sighed, consoling himself. "What's done is done; I have to move forward."
As he focused on his status, a crack appeared in the air, and a camel-like creature emerged, speaking in a formal tone without looking at him.
"Hello, there's no need to be afraid. You're dead, and I am an angel here to guide you to your next life. Please, come with me."
The angel moved through the crack without checking to see if the boy was following. "Well, if he doesn't come, it's his loss," Haru thought, looking back just in case.
But there was no one behind him.
"Where did he go?" Haru mumbled. He was in a good mood after meeting Lord Raphaestus and didn't want to spoil it. But then a voice sounded in front of him.
"Hey, Haru, let's go. We're running late."
The boy stood ahead, smiling. Haru cleared his throat, feeling the urge to scold him.
"You should follow me, young soul. If you get lost, only the Supreme God can find you, and he won't waste his precious time on you."
The boy didn't respond; he just stared at Haru before silently moving beside him. Haru maintained a neutral expression, impressed by the boy's calmness—most new souls were either confused or rebellious.
"This one is docile," he thought. "I'll put in a good word for him."
They walked through a green landscape, which then shifted to a grand hall bustling with people. There were long queues everywhere, with guards patrolling and watching for any disturbance. The guards wore white armour with golden stripes.
"Stand in line and wait for your turn. Remember, follow the instructions, and don't do anything impulsive," Haru advised.
"I understand."
"Yes, you may be Empe—what? You understood?!"
The young soul nodded.
"Good, then go wait there," Haru instructed before speaking to a guard. "This soul was good. Try to give him a favourable next life; tell the receptionist I requested it."
"Yes, sir!" the guard replied with a rigid salute.
Haru walked away, waiting for his next task, but then he suddenly froze.
"How does he know my name??"
Some might brush this off, but Haru knew better. The Supreme God had given him a special skill for remembering every detail, making it impossible for him to forget anything.
___
Skill
•Name: Ex-Memory
•Rank: Legend
•Description: You will never forget anything.
There was no way he'd introduced himself to the boy.
___
"I'm a low-ranked angel, but still, he couldn't know my name." Haru began to sweat. He couldn't explain it, but he felt something was wrong.
"His behaviour, his calmness…I didn't even question it. How?!" Haru ran to the counter, slamming his hands down.
"WHERE IS THAT BOY!?" he shouted at the receptionist.
"Who?" she asked, startled.
"THE BOY WHO CAME WITH ME!"
"What are you talking about, Mr. Haru? This is the first time you've been here today."
Silence fell over the hall as souls cowered in the terrifying presence of an angel.
"What?" Haru was stunned, searching her face for any sign of a lie.
The receptionist's confusion seemed genuine.
Haru collapsed to the floor. The guards rushed over, but he pushed them away. Running out of the hall, he mumbled in horror, "I let a Fallen infiltrate Heaven!"
[20 Minutes Earlier]
Emes stared intensely at the mark on his chest.
"So, I've become a Fallen."
Fallen are souls who lack a vessel for so long that their souls form a body for themselves. Not much is known about them, except that they desire the unification of body and soul.
Like every god has [Authority], every Fallen possesses a [Trait]—a power that comes only from within.
Emes reopened his status panel.
___
Status
•Name: Emes
•Soul Rank: Level 4 (Demi-God)
•Lifespan: Eternity
•Vessel: None
•Authority: Hope (Incompatible)
•Trait: Forgotten One
___
"Forgotten One…?" Arthur was confused, not recalling this term in his long life. A description appeared below the title.
[No one can remember you. Your existence will continue to be erased from the fabric of reality until even you forget yourself (43% completion).]
"This is serious, right?" Emes stared at the panel with a peculiar expression. "I have to enter the reincarnation cycle and be reborn as soon as possible."
Just then, a crack opened besides him and Haru arrived to guide him—literally, a heaven-sent opportunity.