Jarren's heart skipped at the question, and it was in fact a very good one. It didn't make sense for a presumed god to die at the hands of his own creation, or to lose the same challenges he had devised himself.
This left Jarren exposed and uncertain whether retracting his white lie was a smart move. On the other hand, he knew it wouldn't be wise to tell the Inquisitor, or anyone for that matter, that they were all constructs of his imagination, simple words written with ink on pieces of paper and nothing more, and that he had somehow been thrown into it.
He had to stick with his act. He was the supreme god, creator of the three overlapping realms, the Ancients, the Primordials, the Paragons and the Mortals. It wasn't entirely a lie, but whether it was or not did not matter, Jarren was ready to do whatever it took to remain alive and to survive the Trials.
Lying was barely a fraction of what he was willing to do.
He smirked, showing the Inquisitor that he was not at all bothered by the question. With some prideful swagger, he placed both hands behind his back and paced to and fro in the Crypt, speaking with authority and giving the impression of such.
"Good question, Inquisitor. The answer to it is quite simple. Mortals have this saying; it is lonely at the top. But it is even lonelier in the heavens—not the Aether Plane where the Primordial Realm sits and the Ancient Expanse floats, but the heavens before that, where I and I alone reign."
The Inquisitor remained quiet, listening intently.
"Over the years, I have thought of countless ways to battle this tiresome loneliness, but nothing I did—none of the beings I created to keep me company—ever excited me or gave me this rush, this adrenaline that mortals experienced."
He stopped pacing and gazed into the darkness, knowing that the Inquisitor was gazing right back. "That's when it all came to me; the mortals."
"They were the answer to my question, the cure to my timeless, boring life. I began to crave the life of a mortal, the experiences they go through, the emotions they feel, the life they live. I wanted to feel this rush of fear and adrenaline, I wanted to know how it felt, to dread it even though I had always wished for it. But the only way to do that—"
"You made yourself a One-Marked, weak child from the slums," the Inquisitor finished his words. "A direct opposite of what you are."
Jarren grinned. "Exactly. That was the only way I could truly feel these emotions. I had to be genuinely and indubitably powerless. And let me tell you, Inquisitor, it is exhilarating. Riveting. Mortals live with the grace of knowing each breath could be their last. It's the fleeting nature of life that makes it worth treasuring, for what is eternal has no reason to fear, no reason to cherish."
"Because they cherish their lives so much, they do everything to protect it, and that desperation, Inquisitor, every time the Gatekeeper closed in on bringing me to an end, I feared for my life for the first time ever. And I want to experience it again."
Silence reigned for a moment, then the Inquisitor spoke, "You've put yourself into great harm for something so trivial. It is unlike a god to intentionally make himself so vulnerable."
Jarren narrowed his eyes. "Millenniums after decamilleniums of loneliness would drive you to do even more. Isn't that why you are held here? Because you went searching for something more?"
The Inquisitor acknowledged Jarren's point, and why wouldn't he? The author was putting on a splendid performance! For writers, lying or pretending was not that difficult, especially for Jarren Fletcher. He merely stepped into the role of one of his many characters—someone intelligent, authoritative, and scholarly.
And Jarren wore this role perfectly.
But still, the Inquisitor was not fully convinced. "All this considered, there is still a major flaw in your story."
Uh oh, Jarren's mind went.
"For what you lack in strength, you should make up for in knowledge and intelligence. The Gatekeeper was your creation as well. Even if he was stronger, you are smarter. How did you not know how to kill him?"
For some reason, this felt like a trick question to Jarren, perhaps it was the way it was phrased. But Jarren decided not to attempt to deceive the Inquisitor, not when it came to the Gates because he knew everything about it, and so he crafted the truth to deliver the perfect response.
"Well, Inquisitor, the reason is simply because I do not."
Silence showed the Inquisitor's surprise.
"I created the Gatekeepers to be overpowered, unbeatable for almost everyone. Only the most skilled fighters could hope to defeat them. But for weak, inexperienced participants like this form I chose, there is no other way."
He cocked his head. "At least, that's what I thought."
The Inquisitor's curiosity piqued. "What does that mean?"
"You see, I created you, Inquisitor," Jarren said with a knowing expression on his face. "A being with unlimited knowledge and power, only to be used inside the Gates. Although I created the Gatekeepers with no outright weaknesses, I know that you have discovered one. Your tenure here, it has been long enough for you to know."
The Inquisitor's silence told Jarren that he was right. "And you have come to bargain for this information?" the Inquisitor asked, seemingly convinced.
"Yes," Jarren grinned. "I've come to bargain."
"What are you offering?" the Inquisitor inquired.
Jarren lowered down to the obsidian ground, sitting down cross-legged with both feet placed on the opposite thigh. "Well I am going to make you three offers, Inquisitor."
He held up three fingers, a smile still on his proud face. "For the first, I offer you your freedom. When I leave the Gates, I will momentarily reassume my power, I will create timelines and events that will lead to your release from the Gates. You don't need to ask me how, I've done it numerous times before and I will do it again."
"The price of this offer is my return to the Trials, with full health of course. Speak if you have any objections to this proposal."
The Inquisitor was silent and Jarren carried on. "Good." One finger went down. "For the second, I offer your protection. Contingencies are important, if I alter one timeline to instigate your release from the Gates, countless other timelines will branch off that event and in many of those, you'll be fleeing from the Primordials for the rest of your life. You've been stripped of your Ancient powers, and without them, you'll be just a powerless immortal.
"I can create precise timelines that ensure you always escape the Primordials, no matter how close they get. Random occurrences, natural disasters, numerous things will happen that will always lead to you being clear of harm's way. And trust me, you will need it."
Jarren allowed that to resonate before continuing, "The price of this offer is the precise information on how to kill the Gatekeeper. I do not want cryptic proverbs, I do not want riddles, I want the direct method to kill him. Speak if you have any objections to this proposal."
Silence, still.
"Good again." The second finger lowered, leaving only one. "For the last, I offer you the restoration of your powers. If you seek revenge against the Primordials, or redemption among the Ancients, you will require your power to do so. And as the timelines that ensure your protection are being lived, the timelines that lead to you returning to the Aether Plane and reclaiming your powers will be built. When they are completed you can retain your powers and choose whatever life you wish, while I return to my life as a mortal. I will have no control over you and your decisions after that, from that moment on, your fate would be in your hands."
He waited once more before continuing. "My price for this offer is to be assigned a Void Path. Speak if you ha—"
"A Void Path?" the Inquisitor thundered, as Jarren expected. "Are you out of your mind? With all your knowledge, you should know that a Void Path is impossible for a participant of your Mark. You bear only One Mark, barely enough to sustain energy from an Aether Path speak more of a Void Path. Only 0.5% of participants are assigned Void Paths, they have Mark numbers ranging from seven to ten and yet they barely even survive. You have only one. You will not be able to sustain the energy or survive the challenges! Stay on the Aether Path."
Jarren only smiled at the Inquisitor's words, as if amused. "You should let me worry about that, Inquisitor. All I need your help for is the Gatekeeper, everything else, I know how to handle, I know every single rule inside these Trials. You enforce them, but I know exactly how to bend them. Let me worry about my energy sustainability and survival chances. What has happened now is that I have given you my three proposals, so tell me, Inquisitor. Do we have a deal?"
A tense silence struck the Gate Crypt as Jarren awaited the Inquisitor's response.