No, there was no way I would allow myself to be so easily fooled.
I tried my best to calm myself as Osidon waited for my response.
That god, the one who was so friendly to me... and so powerful, was Lucifen, God of Deception, the one who neared physical mastery within the first week.
I had been so close to him.
Did he lie about his power level as well?
Was it, in fact, much higher?
Did he hide his true abilities from me during the first Tragedy?
Stop... Calm down. My answer should be obvious.
"Yes, I accept," I said, nerves evident in my voice.
"Excellent!" the Absolute replied. "Head to the mirror and sit by it. Once ready to establish the connection, tap the glass with your finger three times. Remember, you only have five minutes to talk, so make it count."
Osidon's voice faded, and I made my way to my palace.
---
I sat by the mirror, hesitating further.
My mind wished to drift to all sorts of thoughts and worst-case scenarios, but my rationale reminded me that Lucifen couldn't do anything to me through the mirror.
There was realistically no harm in accepting the call.
...
I looked at myself through the mirror, then reached forward and tapped my finger against the glass three times.
I did not need to wait long before my reflection began to magically fade, and a new image took its place.
The face of Lucifen slowly began to materialize, and my heart rate grew faster with every moment.
Once it was done, I saw him clearly.
His black modern suit and white shirt. His scraggly hair and glaring red eyes.
His handsome face flashed a menacing smile of confidence that struck fear into me.
How could I not tell when I first met him? His competence is evident even in his appearance.
"Hello, Vale. It is good to see you again."
His voice was calm, and I heard it as clearly as if I was in the room with him.
I hesitated a moment before answering, trying to keep the anger from my voice.
"You lied to me, Lucifen," I responded.
The man's face remained unchanged, the smile still on his face.
"You can hardly blame me. I have been cursed with a title branding me as deceitful. If I had told you my true name, there was a chance that you might have killed me, or sacrificed me to that terrible beast we fought."
The god made a good point.
I, of course, would have treated him the same, as I still knew nothing about the connections between the titles and the gods behind them, but I could not speak for the others.
If anything, his lies proved his title as a deceptive god.
I did not say anything, so Lucifen continued.
"If I had bad intentions, would I have upheld our agreement of an alliance? As soon as I was told about this feature by Osidon, the only name that entered my mind was 'Vale, God of the Broken.' I do not take vows lightly, and we made one. I am your friend."
I was being swayed by his words, and even though I did not trust him, I decided to at least hear him out.
"It is fine. I am sure there are more important things we can talk about," I responded, not wishing to waste our five minutes on something that might have been trivial.
Lucifen nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes, in fact, there is something I wished to speak to you about, something so important that I couldn't help but think that the Absolutes have granted me luck in allowing us to communicate."
I sat in silence, not interrupting, but I wondered what could possibly be so important for him to tell me.
"There is an agenda at play here, Vale. I'm sure it's obvious. We were all dragged from different lives and granted godhood, but for what purpose? Osidon says that he wishes for us to climb the Tiers of Godhood, to become Absolutes. But I can say that I have seen these Absolutes... in fact, I have spoken to one."
What! Surely this is another lie? I thought, but did not say aloud, though the doubt must have been evident on my face.
"I speak the truth, Vale. I was visited in my dreams by an Absolute. They told me that things are not as they seem, even after ascending to become an Absolute. They still war and politick. Whichever Absolute it was said that they wish for me to join them in their conflicts and put an end to Osidon's game. They told me that to do so, I must bring a partner..."
I saw where he was going with this.
I listened in disbelief.
"Osidon is an unjust Absolute and the ultimate creator of this cruel god game. We must wage war against him, as some of the other Absolutes already have."
Lucifen spoke of the morality of Osidon's game, and I couldn't help but agree that I had my problems with it.
Countless humans had been created, purely to be killed in this game.
Gods were unwillingly dragged into a conflict where they would lose their lives in battles that should not have been happening in the first place.
Despite his deceitful nature, if Lucifen spoke true, he was right. Osidon's game was unjust and should not continue.
But I couldn't make a decision so quickly. I needed time to think.
"Your offer has moved me," I spoke honestly to the God of Deceit.
"Though making such a decision so quickly would be foolish. I am sure we will be given the opportunity to speak again soon, and when we do, I will have an answer for you."
Lucifen's smile returned, and I wondered whether I had made a mistake in even considering his offer.
Why would an Absolute choose to speak to him, and why was it necessary for him to need a partner?
There were so many questions I had to think through, though I doubted that even he had the answers to them.
"I appreciate this, Vale. Please consider it thoroughly. I hope to speak again soon."
The god leaned forward and touched the mirror three times, severing our connection.
I was left sitting by my desk with my own thoughts.
He has done nothing evil, only lied once with an acceptable reason. Perhaps I worry for nothing.
I headed to the crimson fields to continue my meditation. I needed a clear mind after the events that had taken place.