“How long he’s been doing that?”

“I’d say four or five hours at most. Hard to tell. He’s been reading a book one moment and then, well… “

Savile pointed at Joe’s empty shell sprawled over the table. His limbs hung lifelessly, his tongue stuck out and his open eyes stared into emptiness. The most bizarre seemed to be the title stating: The owner of this body is currently away, please leave a message.

With a pillow resting on her head and wads of cotton shoved inside her ears, Neira let out a sigh.

“Useless master.”

She grabbed him by the shirt and dragged his body to the bedroom where she stripped him and shoved his body onto the enormous bed. Now just to add some pillows. Well, a lot of pillows. You can never have enough pillows.

It appeared to be a warm night so no blanket necessary.

Now stir that up. She tangled their bodies together and as a finishing touch, she put Joe’s hand over her head.

*DING*

Notice! You are now under the effect of purification aura. Hungover stats no longer apply. Recovery speed boost +10%, Time until full recovery 5h42m Sweet dreams active.

Her eyelids felt heavy while the swaying of his chest lulled her. Neira yawned. Maybe her master wasn’t so useless after all…

***

*DING*

Notice! Perfect pillow skill is now in effect. Your body is feeling fluffy.

“Hum? What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Joe waved away the annoying screen.

“I think I should go back now.”

“B-But you just came here!”

The nearest tentacle sagged a little in apparent sadness. He stroked it.

“I’ll be back. By the way, Thank you for that troll. And that golem. And those pixies. And that sea serpent. And those cursed trees. And that… that thing with big teeth. Especially for that.”

“W-wha? I-I h-have no idea w-what you’re talking about.”

Something large, hidden inside the darkness laughed in a frantic manner.

“Just don’t squander your meddling points on the small fry, we may need your help later.”

“There’s no such thing as meddling points! All I did…”

“So it was you?”

“Wha? No! Buuuu… you meanie... Buuu…”

“I appreciate your concern but keep it to a minimum. If other gods should follow your lead and begin meddling in affairs of mortals… I just don’t want to have anything to do with that.”

“You promise?”

“…”

“I couldn’t hear that.”

“…Promise.”

“Promise what?”

“I promise that I won’t meddle in mortal affairs,”

Loud and clear voice beamed back from the darkness.

“…unless it is absolutely necessary.”

The same voice added, this time much, much quieter so no one would hear it.

“Good.”

Joe yawned. He had a long day.

“Take care, I’ll go and have a nap now.”

With that, he faded away.

“I’VE HEARD THAT.”

“H-Heard? H-Heard w-what? I said nothing.”

***

Somewhere far, far away. In a village long forgotten by the Empire, a solitary scream broke the midnight silence. Of all the fifty souls present in that village, none survived.

***

Old golden dragon Graviser shuddered and beating his wings run for his life. He was no match for it.

***

Deep inside a sleepy forest, an elven princess opened her eyes. Large beady tears dripped down her cheeks, the forest… no. Not just the forest. In her dream, the whole world has been set ablaze by the one with no name. She must warn them. Warn the tribes of the east, warn the tribes of the west. Warn the dwarves of the north and… Oh, great Ashearrrilleelery, she shuddered at the thought of doing something so disgusting and repulsive, she must warn the humans of the south. She perished with that though in her mind.

***

Down, down below the ground, master foreman Hikhoocks rammed his pickax into the ore-bearing vein. Cling, clong, cling, clong, deing, dong, deing, dong. He loved those sounds and could listen to it endlessly. Nothing better than a job well done. He always told himself.

A big chunk of gold fell into his bucket. The result of a full day of digging. Satisfied, he cleaned his beard of sweat dribbling down from his forehead.

And the gold trembled.

Hikhoocks froze as still as a stone can be. Gold should never fear for it has no life of its own. Has he drunk too much suquarr or has the slimy one passed by? No, something much worse prowled this mine. Something…

His scream rumbled through the empty lifeless corridors.

***

In a room, somewhere beyond time and space. A room of black walls, black roof, and black floor. A room filled with countless shelves made of black wood. Shelves filled to the brim with black hourglasses of different sizes, slowly counting passing time with trickling black sand.

Inside that room, a person in a black, black robe stood and watched as one by one each hourglass shattered and spilled the sand.

Some shattered silently, hidden alone in a corner. Some broke by the dozen, all at the same time. Some burst up in flames, some imploded, some vibrated and shattered in a high pitch boom.

In an endless sea, black sand trickled to the floor.

“IT HAS BEGUN.”