Theo stared absent-mindedly at the board, his hands moving on autopilot, copying the contents. These things were too easy. As long as one had enough time to waste on it, studies were almost too easy. Copying, rehearsing and bluffing. That’s all it took to ace everything, to be excused from some classes even.

He stood up, handing over his work. The assignment was to translate the hundred or so words into German. A piece of cake.

The teacher nodded and excused him, just like the countless times before. The eyes of his classmates remained on their sheets, not even caring. That is to be expected, since he was a nearly perfect being. More of a machine than a human to be exact.

Next class was physical education. He didn’t bother with it since the teacher hated his guts. Theo never liked the subject either way. The woman just grinded the boys to dust and let the girls play around. And Theo returned the hate in kind.

There were several occasions he had to show the difference between a mere human and a superhuman in sports. It resulted in him being excused from the said class for the rest of the teacher’s time working in the school with an automatic full points on his part.

He didn’t mind it in the least.

“Hey, Theo. What ya doing here?” Asked a larger man, with the same black hair as Theo and most likely everything except the expression. His brother Edward was a strange man, constantly with a smile on his face. To think he could smile all the time just like him before that incident.

The man’s gleeful mood was infectious. Though his face refused to move from its deadpan state, even curving his mouth was hard after such a long time of the muscle not being used.

“I was excused.” Theo explained as he walked past him. Edward wouldn’t accompany him either way. He wasn’t smart, let alone a genius like himself.

Edward nodded with an understanding nod. “

“How many times has it been again? 100? Maybe more than that.” Edward’s fleeting voice sounded out.

“549.” Theo corrected, mumbling to himself. It was this long, yet the empty feeling still resided within his chest. He waited for it to go away, but it wouldn’t do that for a long time, he assumed.

The walk home took no more than 5 minutes, considering nothing significant happened. It never did, and he would turn on his computer within a minute of coming in without fail. It was his only companion in this dark world. The only thing that was remotely as smart as him.

He pulled out a notebook from a cleanly kept shelf, filled to the brim with text. As he turned the pages to find an empty page, he noticed there were only 5 or so left. He’d have to get a new one tomorrow.

Google was his best friend, it could give him access to most of the information. Theorizing was truly interesting, in science and myth. But even so, science went only so far. Theories could never be put to the test, not in his lifetime at least. Truly, there was nearly nothing left to theorize.

However, myths were different. They told of impossible things, unimaginable by mortal mind. Or in this context, it would be the extent of imagination. He chuckled to himself. All the named gods and creatures were recorded by him. Theo had now started researching the forgotten. The unknown were a little too much for him for now.

As he readied his pen to write, a presence behind him made it known to him. Theo was the type to believe in ghosts and spirits, even looking forward to an experience with one. That would at least break this eternal monotony known as boredom and peace. He wanted a challenge in life. However, Theo didn’t want to endanger innocents with a war, and he doubted he could enjoy a nuclear warfare as much as a fight only seen in movies. Those times were far in the past.

Throwing his pen to the presence, he turned around to look at the perpetrator. No one he knew would enter his room without permission, let alone with him in it.

His eyes caught the form of a woman, in her early twenties with hair blacker than the word black implied, simply an impossible color. She wore nothing more than a simple garb covering her privates, exposing her lesser than optimal chest and petite body.

She sat with her feet crossed, donning his bed like it was her own. A smirk appeared on her face as Theo stared at the woman with deadpan eyes.

“Well, well. To think you were so attached to that girly.” She said with a mocking tone.

“Whatever do you mean?” Theo asked, hostility clear in his voice.

“Oh, I mean the girl that stole away your emotions.” She said, pointing her finger at the boy. “The one that you loved.”

“I’m just imagining again, huh? I should go to the psychiatrist to get new medicines.” Theo commented as he turned back to look at the wiki page on his computer. At least that’s what he would have liked to do. The computer’s screen was blank, not turned off, as in just blank white.

“Oh, trust me. I’m so much more than your imagination. The combination of many, if you will.” The woman said, as the room itself turned white with a flick of her wrist.

“Well shit, I really went crazy. Now I’m imagining some kind of goddess.” Theo shook his head as he turned his chair to look at the impossible female. Her hair was definitely not fake, but red. Each strain didn’t have even one piece of black.

“Don’t you worry, I’m as real as every other mythical creature and being in existence. But not in this world.” The woman said.

“Again. Whatever do you mean.” Theo said as his eyes narrowed. This woman might really be some kind of paranormal being.

She giggled.

“Well, you know what, there’s a tournament on a planet much like yours during the medieval period with some… differences. A tournament to decide who would become the next One God.” She explained. “I would like you to participate under my name and win.”

“That would mean I’d die, isn’t that right? I don’t really want to do that.” He said, shaking his head.

“Even if you could bring her back? I can do that if I become the One God. Maybe you could if you become a deity governing over the dead.” The woman said, noticing the solemn gaze had turned to an eager one. The only part that was alive in Theo.

“Now that your interests are piqued, I’d like to assure you that I’m not lying. Currently, I am powerless in your world, as are you. If you, however, make me the One God, then I can possibly negotiate with the God of this world.” The woman said.

“Why me?” Theo asked.

“Because you’re the one that knows everything there is to know about the gods and the creatures.” The goddess said.

“Does that mean your universe has all of that?” Theo asked, puzzled.

“That’s right. Every god, creature and hero your world has ever thought of exists in my world. So we call your world: The Origin.” She said.

“I don’t care about the details. Can I bring her back if I win the tournament?” Theo asked. As surprised as he was, it seemed he was irritated. Something he hadn’t felt for ages.

“Indeed, young one. You can do that, and so much more.” She said with a wide grin.

“I’m in.” Theo said with determined eyes. He would definitely win this thing and get her back. Whatever it took.

“So you must die to traverse through dimensions, which I will summon you from the other side. Is that fine with you?” She asked.

Theo nodded his head, as everything went back to normal with her disappearance. So, now was taking his life. He didn’t really mind if it was all his imagination. After all, something like an afterlife should exist where she existed.

***

Theo opened his eyes in the complete darkness, the complete lack of light obstructing his vision. Darkness swirled all around him. It was better than an endless desert filled with bells. He was fine wherever that bewitching sound couldn’t reach his ears.

“…May you come, hero of a distant land,

Our dusk is nigh,

A new dawn is upon us,

A light of destruction,

Of chaos and flames,

May you come, hero of a distant land

For our hope is only you!”

The sudden flash of light blinded Theo, forcing him to close his eyes of instinct. That’s when he realized he couldn’t. The woman from before stood before him in a dusty old library, with a big grin on her face. That meant this most likely worked.

“Wow, I theorized it would bring your corpse with it, but it was more of a soul summoning process which would create a new body for the subject. Then that would mean my tweaking summoned you from your afterlife, rather than before you left it. Interesting.” She tapped her chin, staring at him.

“Oh don’t worry, you’ll live. Or rather, be reincarnated. All you have to do is become my avatar and we’re ready to roll.” She said.

“I’m called Morrigan, which I assume you know better than I know myself. There are literally too many races to reincarnate you into that I just slimmed it down to those optimal and closer to your form, meaning humanoid. And do not worry about longevity, as an avatar you’ll live far longer than expected unless you get killed, and as long as you get stronger you can become immortal somewhere down the line.” She said while swiping through the air, several words appearing before Theo.

He stared at them for a while, not comprehending some of them. With an enlightened expression, Morrigan swiped her hand again and short descriptions appeared below the words. That helped, tremendously to be exact.

“I’ll choose human. I’m most used to it.” Theo answered, a voice originating from the small red ball of light.

“Geez, you’re no fun.” Morrigan pouted with a scowl.

“I don’t want to waste time.” Theo roared, a voice he was unaware he could produce.

She sighed and produced a book from one of the many shelves, turning the pages until she pointed at one, narrowing her eyes.

“Well, I want you to stay completely quiet for this to work, okay?” She said.

Theo nodded back, however it was doubtful that the woman saw it.

“O being of flesh and bone,

O being of will unbound,

Will you accept this old myth as your One God,

Will you fight to the bitter end for this old one?” Her voice deepened, resonating through the library endlessly.

“I will.” Theo answered.

“The bond is made,

I, Morrigan the Crow, name you my child.”

Theo could feel a nauseous feeling in his stomach, a migraine forming in his head, but it didn’t feel as unpleasant as it should. It felt right, as if he was breathing the fresh air after walking out of a humid room filled with people.

“Good luck, my child.” She said as Theo felt his body warp impossibly, adding onto the nausea and migraine, but it somehow felt right.