Ambient Mage

My ritual was one I established via my playthroughs of 'Total Brake'.

Every time I had used a God Stone, I never once met a god.

Instead the game gave me the 'No response' message.

Over the dozens of playthroughs where I even picked up the God's stone here, none ever yielded results.

I did have one activate, but the game crashed before I could even read the message.

Once I had the stone in hand, I watched as it's white glow like the moon began to engulf me.

I assumed I would be met with silence.

I assumed wrong.

I sat in a field of stars standing on nothing.

I stepped out and began to fall.

Then I began to be pulled back, not backwards, just in reverse.

I yelled out into uncaring scenery.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

And then the sound of my own voice returned to me like an echo.

It was like I was in a cave, or acoustically made room, albeit a large one.

I began to summon magic, as the realm of the gods, or so I had assumed it to be, unnerved me.

That was another wrong assumption.

***

*Charlotte's Pov*

When we got to the prison area where the Ninmurta was, Lucas began to talk to the monster.

It was horrifying.

Monsters and anything under high tier demons didn't speak.

To see it casually hold a conversation, in our minds no less terrified me.

Then it began to take over my mind.

It was all I could do to try to prevent my body being controlled.

Yet, it still defied me.

I felt like a passenger in my body.

My arms swung while I looked on in terror.

Lucas dodged all of my attacks with no issue.

He looked concerned.

Eventually the mind attacks became easier to manage and I somehow managed to wrestle my body into at least a standstill.

It wouldn't move as I wanted it too, but it wouldn't move as it wanted either.

'Give up.'

'Stop trying to fght a inevitable loss.'

'You will die without the blessing.'

The mental attacks were trying to damage my psyche, but I would not allow it.

Before it could wrest control back again, Lucas tied me up with chains from the prison we had collected, and had them pin me to the ground with my arms to the side.

He then turned back to the monster.

The thing began to utter threats.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

He didn't care though.

He endured the mental constructs the monster made.

He had many cuts and slashes deep on his chest and face before he inserted his sword into the first head.

Then he started to begin smiling, just like the monsters from the waves.

He then threatened Lucas with my life.

Lucas took offense on my behalf, and stabbed the other head before any other problems arose.

He had many lacerations on his back and stomach from the tail on the monster.

The tail wasn't very long as it was held near the middle, but it was long enough to hit him.

However, with the second head defeated.

The tail's face began to move erratically.

It knew it's demise was coming and decided to die alongside Lucas.

I struggled to remove the anti-magic restraints, with the mental attacks lessening on me.

However, Lucas firmly removed the head from the equation, and the monster's tail.

Once he finished the monster, he walked over to it's corpse, grabbing a shining stone from near it's feet.

He held it tightly as the light billowed out from the stone covering the room, and eventually forcing me to close my eyes.

When I opened them, I stood before a sea of stars.

No chains, nothing in sight, except for a wheel.

It was reminiscent of a ship's steering wheel.

It had only 4 handles.

The first located at the bottom, was much shorter than the rest.

The second was cut in half, and was short as well.

The third positioned on the right of the wheel, opposite of the second was longer than the second, and had scorched marks.

The final handle was pristine.

The wheel also had chains wrapped around it.

Like they were holding the wheel in place, disallowing it from steering left or right.

There were also ropes, holding it down as well.

I began to walk towards the wheel only for it to never come closer.

"Have you come for answers?"

I turned my head on a swivel, looking for the source of the voice.

"Let him guide."

The voice sounded from everywhere.

It sounded like a finality.

I understood I would get no more words, no more answers.

I watched as the wheel shook slightly.

I watched as the spokes on the inside of the wheel started to bend, but the wheel did not move.

The wheel stopped turning.

Instead the wheel's handles began to glow with the same pristine color the top handle did.

The charred handle had a translucent golden layer over itself.

The split handle had a translucent unsplit handle.

And the bottom handle, had a translucent handle that was full of golden resplendence, extending out to meet the others in length.

Then the wheel began to dim once again, and I began to approach the wheel once again.

As I approached the wheel, it started to tremble.

As if my existence scared it.

It began to move side to side, as if to show it didn't want me to touch.

I stopped in front of it.

It began to slowly calm down.

The stars began to move.

The wheel, which had it's handles renewed began to detoriate once more.

I reached out to it.

It didn't move now.

I grabbed the two side handles.

My right hand burned like I had touched lava, and my left like i had been stabbed through the hand with a sword.

I pulled my hands away.

But the worst pain was certainly in my heart.

I felt immense sadness, grief, anger, remorse, guilt.

It was almost too much.

I recalled faces of people, as I felt those emotions.

Whatever the wheel was, it represented my answers.

Perhaps that's what the voice meant.

***

*Lucas' Pov*

"There is no need for the blessing of nature within my realm."

A soft motherly voice resounded in my ear.

I immediately took notice, that it was a voice that heavily relied on perception.

"Are you a god?"

I asked, not caring about my attitude or bluntness.

"Yes, child that is exactly what I am."

"And you are?"

"I am the context of your prayers, the one who allows the weaving of fate."

"Gatekeeper of the stars and night, I am Nyx."

I looked at the stars around me.

"You exist unilaterally?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't make sense, physics says-"

"Child, the equations of mortals and the universe belong to those who are of the universe and are mortals."

"So you exist outside the universe?"

"Who do you think allowed your transmigration?"

I gulped.

She knew?

"You allowed it?"

"You prayed with such fervor to me, almost 100 times a day."

"No matter the sincerity of it."

"Therefore I decided one wish of yours should be granted."

I wanted to ask a question I had been dying to know.

"Wh-"

"Before you ask the questions in your head, let me heal you."

A womans body began to move out from the stars and the stars wrapped around her body like a dress.

She put her hand out in front of her, and waved it in dismissal.

The wounds on my body disappeared instantly.

"You wish to know what happened to the person you inhabited yes?"

"Why his memories affect you? And why you remember them?"

"I will tell you now, the answer is both within you and beyond you currently."

"The chains of fate bind you."

"I will guide you in your journey, like a star that guides a sailor."

I began to think about other questions I had about my life here.

"Child, I was the one who allowed for your transmigration."

I started to conect some dots.

"Are you in any way related to Nyx Studios on Earth?"

"I am Nyx, child, and therefore, am Nyx Studios."

"Why was I brought here?"

"Because you were the most faithful."

"I wasn't even the one who played the most."

"Ah, but you prayed, even moreso than any other player."

"Then why this body, why not the protagonist?"

"Child. That person you believe to be the protagonist, no longer exists."

"Your insistence on honing him into a blade against the evils of this world, is relatively useless."

"If you plan to train him, like you do your loved ones, he could do it, but any of your loved ones, could also become a 'protagonist'."

I started to think a question, but she already began to answer it.

"It is not that they are all blessed or have talents surpassing everyone else, it's that they are connected to you."

"In your own thoughts, I am merely the tutorial, your friends and family are the protagonists, and you are the god."

"And yes, you too, should you choose to make it so, can become the hero of this game."

"This is a game?"

I spit out without thought.

"Not at all, but you seem to think so, and who am I to tell you how to think?"

"I only ask people to believe, to follow my doctrines, but I do not force them to."

I began to think about Mother Alicia, and Aura.

"Ah yes, the Ducal Princess."

I stared up to the goddess in front of me.

"What?"

"She is another devout believer of mine, just as her mother is."

I smiled at that.

"You know child, she is part of your destiny."

"Like my wife?"

"Indeed, and some other gods suggested that you would take on up to 12 wives."

My eyes widened.

"Some of the gods that I am closer with, like the god of day and the god of light said you might have a few. Possibly 3 to 6 wives."

"There was one god that said "He will only have one.""

"Can I marry her now then?"

"Yes, you could, you have my blessing, and should you have it, my powers will rend unto earth beauty beyond human comprehension, leaving none to mistake that it was a blessing of a god at your wedding."

Then I thought it through a little more.

"Alas, child, the mortal world is full of perils and hardships."

I looked up to the goddess.

She understood.

I looked down to think.

The backlash of nobles for a knight to marry his mistress, the danger Aura would be put in if I married her.

I looked back at the goddess, she seemed even more divinely beautiful.

"Flattery will get you nowhere child, although I know those are merely your thoughts."

"But, I like you, you have shown me things that I never thought possible."

"My choice was right in bringing you to this world."

Again?

I felt a rush of chills down my spine.

She frowned as she realized my thoughts, before smiling once more.

"You are the only 'player' here child."

"Do not fear the intervention of others."

"This world is yours to enjoy, yours to save, and yours to have."

I felt a deep burden in my soul.

She started to move towards me, her face and body, morphing.

"You look like-"

"Yes, the most beautiful person in the world."

Exactly she looked like Aura.

"You know child, this is the longest I've ever spoken with a mortal."

"Whether it was through a game, or in person."

"I have had saints and saintesses, and other figures speak to me and I to them, but my longest conversation with a mortal is with you."

"I favor you child, more than every mortal on this planet."

"You favor me more than any god in the world."

"Your body, is filled with divine fervor, a consequence of your belief and worship of me."

"Your vessel is nearly on par with some archbishops of my church."

"Beyond that, looking at a god is already a task most would consider legendary, as looking at a god, especially their true form causes mortals to die."

"You truly are special, child."

"Know you are loved by many child, including myself and other gods."

"And that I, amongst the gods, love you most."

And then the stars vanished.

And I found myself back in the prison.