What is going on? Why am I inside my own world?
The village around me was small, its modest wooden houses scattered amidst patches of farmland.
From my recollection, Lendon was home to roughly a thousand people.
I seemed to be lying beneath a tree, its dense leaves shading me from the sun's warmth.
Villagers with tanned skin moved through the stone paths that wove between the houses, carrying bundles of goods or chatting in small groups. It was a calm, ordinary scene.
This can't be happening. Only moments ago, I was the creator of this world, observing it from a bird's-eye view.
Now, I am here, grounded, feeling the weight of a physical body—a sensation I haven't experienced since my time on Earth.
But why now? Why has this mortal body returned to me?
The clothes I wore matched the simple attire of the villagers—rustic and practical.
My reflection in a puddle nearby confirmed everything else about my appearance was the same as before, save for one glaring difference: my hair had turned snow-white, and was slightly longer.
Why the change, is it because of stress? I frowned, realising that I was focusing on the wrong things.
"Today's the day, Olivia," I heard a boy whisper as he passed by with a girl.
I almost ignored them, lost in my chaotic thoughts. But something in the girl's worried response snagged my attention.
"Are you sure it'll work, Noah? What if the ritual goes wrong, and we accidentally summon a monster?"
"Those are tales, silly. Volo will watch over us."
A ritual?
I straightened, my mind racing.
My memories as a god told me the girl was right to worry. It was clear from the boy's demeanour that he wasn't a Summoner.
Whatever he intended could go disastrously wrong. Worse, it could cost them their lives.
But they did not know that. They were naive children, disbelieving the tales that were actually true.
I would know, because I created everything.
I had a good idea of where they planned to perform the ritual. It had to be in the Church of the Mother, located at the heart of Lendon.
The stone church was the village's place of worship, and it was widely believed that summoning rituals had a greater chance of success there.
The belief held truth, but I could not remember exactly why. It seemed that my memories as a god were harder to access, now that I was human again.
The people of Lendon prayed to Urbur, a Higher God, though they likely knew little about him.
Urbur was the main god of the Ensteadian region, which included Lendon, and many other villages. Enstead itself was ruled by Volo, a Lesser God who also served Urbur.
The boy has it all wrong. Volo will not protect you if you accidentally summon an ancient threat!
If I'd known I was going to be dragged into this world, I wouldn't have made the pantheon so complicated. These aren't problems that I was supposed to be dealing with.
I rose slowly to my feet, deciding to follow the two children. My heart raced as I did my best to blend in with the villagers, pausing every so often to observe my surroundings.
The village was alive with activity. Children ran through the streets playing games, while farmers tended to their crops on the outskirts. Cattle grazed peacefully in small pastures.
Despite my unease, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride seeing my world so vibrant and alive up close.
But this wasn't how I was meant to be experiencing it.
As I approached the church, its tall stone walls came into view, their surface weathered by years of exposure.
Today, there was no sermon, and the heavy wooden doors were locked.
How do they plan to get inside? Have they done this before?
I stayed back as the children skirted the church and entered a narrow alley flanked by tightly packed houses. Following them cautiously, I saw them lift a wooden trapdoor near the church's rear and descend into the dark space beneath.
This must be their entry point.
After a moment's hesitation, I followed. The passage below was damp and cold, the air thick with the scent of mildew. Darkness pressed around me as I carefully shut the trapdoor behind me and stepped forward.
Why am I doing this? Why go through such trouble for two children that I don't even know?
No, it wasn't just about them. Whatever they were attempting could endanger the entire village. This wasn't just about doing the right thing—it was the necessary protection of hundreds of people.
I moved cautiously through the dark tunnel, feeling my way forward until I reached another door. I eased it open, peering inside.
The room beyond appeared to be a cellar, lined with empty cells. A staircase spiralled up toward the church above, and faint voices drifted down from the upper floor.
I climbed the stairs, each step creaking beneath my weight, and emerged on the church's stage.
From here, the priest would deliver sermons to the congregation below. The two children were seated on the stone floor beneath the stage, their heads bowed as they whispered to each other.
Perhaps I'd misheard earlier. Perhaps their "ritual" was harmless and unrelated to true summoning magic. But why would they break into a church if that were the case?
My unease deepened as the boy, Noah, withdrew something from his bag. A white stone, roughly the size of a finger, caught the dim light.
At the same time, the girl, Olivia, unwrapped another object from her bundle, its layers of cloth falling away to reveal a piece of decaying, rotten flesh.
The stench filled the air, turning my stomach.
Chalk and rotten flesh.
I pinched my nose, stifling a gag. That confirmed it—they were using true magic.
If I didn't intervene now, it wouldn't just be their lives at risk. The entire village could pay the price.