The particles that maintained the Earthen fabric vibrated feverishly; the heat caused a rift to occur atop the reconstructed body. Through the gap, the shard that was once merged, returned to the realm of reality. It had paled and decoloured from its brilliant red; at first, the clarity reflected a pale yellow, and then a vibrant white. It shone with magnificence, and then shattered into non-existence. Nothing remained, not even dust.

The two witnesses manifested two, very separate reactions. The Contractor merely nodded and acknowledged the completion of its task. Methodically, the creature reached into a separate rift and retrieved what appeared to be a notebook; it recorded the events of the day, especially the shard’s behaviour in reaction to the reconstructed body. Once finished, the Contractor apologized for the inconvenience caused, bowed with respect, and returned to the world in between.

When the Earthen Realm corrected the rift, left behind by the Contractor, the armoured man repositioned his attention to the body in front of him. He scratched his stubble in puzzlement, and sighed at the situation at hand. His visit, it didn’t make sense to begin with.

“Did Ehedus manipulate the boy’s decision somehow?” the man wondered. Out of habit, his thoughts turned to words of whisper, “But Baha wouldn’t have assisted with the reconstruction if that were the case, not unless it’s true – the rumours.”

The armoured man’s eyes remained fixated on the reconstructed body – it had matured, in prediction of its continued existence in an alternate world.

“This might turn out to be a problem for us.”

***

Daiden felt a sharp pain amidst the darkness; it tore through concepts of reality. He stiffened, starting at the chest, and at gradual pace to the rest of his body. But as Ehedus had promised, Daiden managed to persevere through the pain. His mental strength had started to show signs of improvement as well; as someone once on the verge of clinical depression, Daiden now experienced an unnatural rush of confidence. He slowly remembered the promise he had made to himself, and in time, his vision opened to the light – blurry at first. Daiden blinked a little; he recognized it immediately then, the sky from the night of the interview.

“I thought I wouldn’t be back here after all that,” whispered Daiden, in wonderment. “Was all of this just a dream?”

It started as a seed, the disappointment. Daiden felt his heart falter at the idea of returning to his reality of old. He couldn’t tolerate the thought. But then something occurred, a miracle to reinforce the concept of his reincarnation. It was his feet; Daiden could move his toes. He could wriggle them on command, and his legs, he could sense them as well. His years in pain and suffering, Daiden remembered it all at once in that one moment; he clenched his jaws, on the taste of triumph, his first in a long time.

Overcome with excitement, Daiden rushed to his feet. He was surprised at how easily his body moved; it wasn’t surgery or science, but the act of an unknown god. His hands assessed the remainder of his body with urgency; it showed, signs of restoration. It was his body of old, before the injuries, only better – stronger. The promise was a product of much more now; it was feasible, achievable.

“What do I call you, Awakened?” a voice asked, strangely, from a distance.

Daiden moved with caution, in the direction of the voice. He trembled at the sight of an armoured man, a knight. The latter emitted pressure by merely existing; it suffocated. Daiden gulped at the man’s strength and dignity, but calmed with the memory of someone much stronger – a god, Ehedus. He was used to it, and refused to bow. It wasn’t arrogance, merely uncertainty. Daiden was prepared to learn the etiquette that came with his second chance at life, but only upon confirmation of a higher standing in comparison to his own.

“Interesting choice, boy,” said the man, with a smile. “Your instinct is bound to serve you well in our world, your new world. But you’re yet to answer my question. Speak.”

Daiden felt the pressure mount; it weighed on his shoulders, and he buckled from fear. He resisted, or rather, he did with the aid of Ehedus. The light, offered as a gift, enabled a sense of calm in him. Daiden scrambled between the two states, but in time, fell to the floor entirely. He gritted and struggled to return to his feet, in vain; the pressure had far surpassed anything he had experienced up until that point. He knew the difference then, of his inadequacy against something almost unsurmountable.

Forced into submission, Daiden revealed his identity as first requested by the armoured man. The former felt the pressure lift almost immediately after; he could rise to his feet once more. Daiden lowered his head lightly, and then offered deserved respect to the armoured man. It was an apology.

“Daiden Lost,” the armoured man repeated, in a low voice. “I don’t like the idea of Ehedus playing me like a fiddle; but I like you. You, you’re interesting.”

Daiden shifted uneasily, but stilled when the armoured man’s attention rested fully on him.

“My name is Aelius Bloodheart,” the armoured man said, in introduction. “I’ll be your Evaluator for the next hour or so.”

“Evaluator?” asked Daiden; he regretted the question almost immediately. “Was I too hasty? Shit. Shit.”

“Your contract can only come to pass with the completion of two trials,” explained Aelius, normally. “The first requires that you succeed with your bodily reconstruction; in continuation, you complete the first trial after choosing your god of worship. I stand before you because of your choice – Ehedus.”

Aelius wondered if it was appropriate to lie given the circumstances behind Daiden’s contract. But the manipulation didn’t imply a complete pardon of the test; he resolved the conflict in his mind by retreating to standard procedure. It was law; it was important.

“I have a few questions,” said Daiden, softly. “May I speak?”

“You’re free to speak unless stated otherwise,” said Aelius, returning to present situation. “Go on with your questions.”

“Actually, I’m sorry; I don’t have questions,” admitted Daiden, hiding embarrassment. “Just the one. I’ll leave the rest to your explanation.”

Aelius masked a frown, but nodded to allow for the conversation to proceed.

“Are there only two gods in the world I’m about to inhabit?” asked Daiden. “When faced with the choice, I only noticed one other option.”

“That is correct,” confirmed Aelius. “Our world is primarily governed by the two gods – Ehedus and Baha.”

Daiden fixated on the word primarily. From the phrasing, he guessed the existence of other higher beings, but refrained from keeping his Evaluator occupied in a game of questions and answers. This was merely his first step in keeping the promise he had made to himself; in that moment, Daiden made yet another promise.

“I’ll need to avoid impatience with my progress or growth.”

“Is that all?” asked Aelius, to avoid future interruptions.

Daiden nodded affirmatively.