"This paper has been linked to Alira Wesz.." I read part of the letter that Karl gave me aloud.

After my 'Illusions' affinity had been unlocked, he sure became motivated. He told me about in detail how great the guild was and how i had a bright future with them, et cetera, et cetera. Advertisement much, but i guess he had to sell it. Being the master and so forth, he has to lead by example after all. So i endured his enlightenment about the guild's affairs and waited for him to settle.

After he was done rambling, I was offered extended education. In addition to the normal newbie training course, as to nurture my talent. Seemed like my future days were very busy all of a sudden.

[Combat training in the morning, lessons in generic illusions in the afternoon? It's a shame your schedule doesn't contain anything deadly.]

Haha, i told you Fluffy. I am not following your borderline to-do list. I mean.. I only know the first point on it yet, being killed a lot. Though i suspect that trend continues, so.. thanks, but no thanks.

[But it is not all bad..] Whispy sounded a little dejected.

Even if that is so, we can always pick up the list again later, alright? The next few weeks i don't have time for that shit. I finally want to become stronger. And not just by abusing my cheat-like blessing. I wanna level up, through fighting and struggle and stuff. Isn't that the greater quest anyway?

[I guess..]

Oh come on, my noble, shiny guide. I would be lost without you anyway, so don't pout, please?

[..]

[Fine.]

A bit snappy, but good enough.

So, anyway, the letter. Karl introduced it as 'Letter of Permit'. It could only be bestowed upon you by the guild's branch leaders or higher positions. When you showed it to the guild in any country, you would get special care. Free lodging and meals while on missions. The right to talk to administration everytime you want. And, most useful for me at the moment, advanced education. For everything the guild had specialists, you could ask to be taught.

As permits like this had substantial potential to be abused, a tiny part of your life-force was permanently imbued onto it. If you touched it, the guild's insignia on it would glow a faint red. Attempting to alter any part of it would instantly destroy it, or so i was told. Also, to eliminate the risk of counterfeiting, the same mechanism used for guild cards was applied. Via synchronization magic, every member-list laid out in guild offices was updated with your information.

The apparatures your guild card was pulled through, when taking or completing missions, auto-magically compared the books with your card. (AN: Like magic credit cards )

I was a tad impressed. That must be very complicated magic, to work on such a huge scale, i thought.

[For humans it is impressive indeed. For any higher being, it's more like a walk in the park.]

Yeah, yeah, Whispy, i get it. Higher races are awesome, humans are weak, bla bla. You told me that on a few occasions already.

[As long as you understand..] Whispy chuckled.

After i said my farewells to Magur and the master, i went back out onto the training grounds, only to find it deserted. I guess the others were dismissed already, my appointment inside took a while. So i also left the guild's premises, walking around aimlessly. A few hours left until nightfall, i decided to stroll through the parts of town i had not yet visited since coming back to reality again.

Maybe i should check out some of my favorite spots of the past? I made up my mind and went towards my old hideout, kind of hoping it still existed, against the odds of time.

In the next half hour or so, i walked past the better districts right into the slums. Although the buildings and people had changed, i had a distant feeling of finally arriving home. In between the run-down houses, all made of wood, junk and dirt almost made the original pavement of the streets disappear. The stench of piss and fouling leftovers made it to my nose, bringing the almost forgotten, once familiar, feeling of light nausea back. Here and there, desperate looking girls stood, pursuing dubious business, even before the sun had set.

Oh how i have missed this. The filth. The streets and the people, both leftovers of better times. The foul smell, the old houses, on the verge of collapsing. Danger behind every corner. No time like the time of your youth.

[That is not exactly something people usually miss, Alira. I for one don't like it here. I always had to pray for your safety when you were little, as i can not interfere with reality directly.] Whispy sounded worried.

It's gonna be fine, Whispy. As you might recall, i spent my whole life amongst the scum that crawls around places like this. Well, before i wandered into the void.

We arrived at a barren place, bridging the gap between two houses. A few withered pieces of wood protruded from the earth still, like bones of forgotten giants who long since had laid down to die. For a brief moment, i felt empty. Almost empty enough to cry. Then the melancholic notion passed.

So it is gone, huh? I spoke to myself, a tinge of regret in my inner voice.

[Oh Alira. Don't take it to your heart. Two centuries are a long time, no use in disintering things long gone. If you mourn after things lost, for too long, the future starts to dim. But your future is bright, girl. Brighter than the glow of that filthy goddess who claims to speak for all that is light.] At the last part, Whispy actually started to sound angry. That was new.

..No ..Wait ..It wasn't.

The memory of the first time he had spoken to me resurfaced in my mind, distracting me, bringing me down from the verge of crying.

..It is her light that is heresy to the true gods..

Whispy, can i ask you something? I asked into the vast emptiness within.

[You don't need permission, Alira. I am you and you are me, if i can answer, i always will. Except for the things i was forbidden to talk about at birth, those you need to unveil for yourself.]

What did you mean by 'true gods'?

[What?]

Odd. Usually he listened to my thoughts all the time. Now he sounded slightly confused.

When we first met, you said O'Ra's light was heresy to the true gods. What does that mean?

[..I am afraid that is one of the things i am not allowed to answer. Not yet, at least.] Whispy responded silently.

..Hm, okay. I decided to have a little more faith in you since you came clean about your motivations. So let's just forget i asked.

I told that, but damn, i wanted to know. Why is the one who blessed me called 'the True One'? I mean, it is easy to jump to conclusions, even with the little information i have. He is the 'True One', there are apparently 'True Gods', the notifications of his blessing say 'more powerful than the gods'.. So, was he a 'True God'? Whatever the difference was... The overpoweredness of the things he granted me so far surely supported that theory. On the other hand, i hadn't seen what other gods blessings would be like.

[Nothing like his blessings.]

Yes, yes.

I decided to let the matter rest and do as Fluffy used to say. Wait until i am strong and i will know eventually. Sounds about right. I moved to enter the empty place i once called hideout, or even home. As soon as i made one step onto the clearing, i ran into something invisible. And hard. Fuck, that hurt!

"Uff." A small sound of surprise had escaped me. I looked around, but there was nothing. Then i stretched out my arm and my hand hit something hard again. Damn it. Can't i have some quiet, uneventful hours? I sweared silently. Ever since i was officially on payroll for the Void, i had no nice and boring me-time. Actually, i never in my life had any me-time, but i didn't know Whispy existed back then.

I started to blush. Ahhh! I have never thought of that before. How could i not think about it before? Fuck. Shame tainted my soul. I even forgot about the invisible thing in front of me for a second.

..F-Fluffy..?

[What is it?]

Have you been around.. when i.. ..you know?

[Know what?] Fucking Fluffy responded innocently.

Damn. I know you are not a real person but still..

[It's okay, really. I tried to think about other things while you were dipping your fingers in weird places.]

Really?

[Yes. It is perfectly normal for beings who are made of flesh, isn't it?]

Y-Yeah, i guess so.

Something sharp hit me from the front, piercing my left lung.

Wha..? I coughed.

You have taken 47 damage. HP: 233 / 280

I tried to breathe, but vomitted blood instead.

Oh fuck. I forgot something was off..

In the middle of my thought, another stinging pain, this time in my right eyesocket, interrupted me.

You have taken 168 damage. HP: 65/280

Oh no no no. My HP is low. I don't want to die. Actually, i don't want to be revived. But.. details!

"Please.. I.. n't wan.. die" i spoke between gushes of red out of my mouth.

"Haha, you just tried to walk into our headquarters, now you tell me you don't want to die?" A dark, rusty voice chuckled. With the last light i had left from my sole functioning eye, i saw a tall man in a black hood bow over me, pulling another throwing knive.

Fuck.. fuck.. fuck.. FUCK! I couldn't even speak any more. It was just gargling. Then he struck down.

You have taken lethal damage.

Damn.

Reality, with all it's impressions, faded into the indifferent blackness of the void once more.

You will be reconstructed in sixteen hours, twenty minutes.

So, sixteen hours of bliss before torture? Can't you make it like.. a year or something?

I really, REALLY hate you, black hooded guy.