(Third Person POV)
Everything was pitch black, with little to no sound surrounding Mael. Even if he could not see anything, Mael would be able to perceive things such as sound and scent. Due to his blindness, his other senses were heightened in order to pick up the slack for his everyday life.
But after grueling pain that seemed to last for an eternity, there was nothing. It was as if he were tossed into a void. Mael could not perceive anything; he couldn't feel where he was. It was as if he were floating in a sea of emptiness, which unsettled him to his core. He remembered being thrown through the portal, the Breach that was opened during the Black Sun Event. He remembered his body feeling like it was ripped apart a thousand times and stitched back together in a split second.
But now, he doesn't feel anything.
He opened his mouth, "I....." He managed to say, "W-What.....?"
He tried moving his hand, but his limbs felt heavier than before. The more he tried to move, the more resistance his body met. Similar to how it is when submerged in water, the more one moves their limbs against the weight of water, the harder it is to move. Something told him he was in the deep sea, but he found it hard to believe since he was capable of breathing.
"W-Where am I?" He thought to himself, "Did I make it? Am I across?"
"Ho? A Cosmic Traveler?" A distorted feminine voice spoke to him, "And this one survived the Crossing? Seeped in Distortion you are, boy."
Mael tried to move, completely confused about where the voice was coming from. He felt pure unease at the sound of the voice, knowing that it was not human at all. The fear of the unknown was creeping up on him, making his skin crawl.
"W-Who's there?" He asked aloud, trying to sit up, but his body remained immobile, "I...."
"What is your name, boy?" The voice asked, "Speak."
"M-Mael...." He replied
"Mael...." The voice said
Suddenly, Mael felt what he assumed was a hand reach out from the void, gently touching his chin. The mere touch sent shivers through his body, which put panic into him. He was unable to feel or hear anything at first, but the first thing he heard was a distorted voice, along with feeling a cold hand. He was unsure if his life was in danger or not, which made him panic a bit.
"W-What...." Mael asked, "W-Who's...."
The hand was a shadowy hand, connected to the void. It rubbed his chin gently as if whatever was touching him was inspecting him.
"You are blind...." The voice said, "That won't do...."
"Huh....? Mael said, shivering slightly
"The Distortion in you is potent."The voice continued, "You have a powerful Magic, I can tell. But you are in the Distorted Godlands, and you'll need your sight to face the dangers there."
"I made it through....." Mael said, "The Distorted Godlands...."
"Indeed."The voice said as the hand slowly pulled away, "The Distorted Godlands....you're in the Sun and Moon Realm more precisely, the home of the Prince of Night."
"Prince...." Mael repeated
"Very well, I shall make a pact with you, boy."The Voice said, "In exchange for Half your Heart, I shall grant you eyes."
"Half my heart?" Mael asked, "What does that mean?"
"It means that half your heart will belong to me, as long as the eyes I give you are functional." The voice said, "And another pact, boy...."
"What?" Mael said, confusion setting in
"In exchange for the ability to summon three weapons of my arsenal, fitted to complement your Magic." The voice continued, "I shall have a Third of your Distortion right after your first Blooming. Worry not about it at the moment; it is a mere investment. When your power multiplies, I shall collect."
Mael frowned, "W-Who....?" He started, "What are you?"
"Fufu~" the voice said, the feminine part of it was more noticeable, "Whatever I am, boy, it matters not. What matters is that I am your Patron now~ I was right to pay attention to the Black Sun's crossing. I am glad I was able to make contact with one~ Make no mistake, you are not completely safe, boy.....You need to survive the Godlands first."
Suddenly, Mael felt his body fall down, hitting the ground below him.
"A-Arrghh....!" He groaned in pain as his eyes were closed, "W-What?"
He felt the heat of the sun above him, and his fingers immediately gripped the grass below him. The sounds of his surroundings began to overload his senses; the chirping of birds of a forest filled his ears, causing him to wince.
"Where am I...?" He rolled over, his eyes slowly opening, "Wait..."
His eyes were unnatural, not what they were normally like. The sclera were pitch black, with his irises being dark blue. There was something deep and powerful residing within those eyes, but Mael was unaware of it since he was completely taken aback at the most notable difference.
He could see.
He got on his knees, blinking rapidly, trying to process what was happening.
"M-My sight...." He said, raising his hands to his face, "It's back?"
He looked at his hands, clenching them repeatedly as his sight was slowly focusing. There was confusion followed by a feeling of relief and happiness; Mael could not believe that he had regained his eyesight after so long.
"Amazing...." He said, slowly standing up, "My eyes, my blindness, it's all fixed....!"
"At a price.....!"The Distorted Voice said, catching him off-guard, "Do not forget, boy."
Mael looked around, seeing that he was in the middle of a forest, trying to locate the source of the voice.
"Who are you?" He asked, "Why did you give me eyesight?"
"An investment, fufu~" the voice responded, "We now have Three Pacts, boy. Honor the pacts and your time in the Godlands might be easier."
"Three pacts?" Mael asked
"For your weapons, I shall ingrain the hint in how to summon them." the voice continued, "Just in case you are in danger. Using their full potential will rely on exactly what you do. Good luck with that. As for your Magic, you must lear-"
"You said Three Pacts." Mael cut her off, "What is the Third?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention." The voice chuckled, "Please me in various ways and I shall feed you Creatures of The Distortion to fuel your power, your Magic."
"My Magic...." Mael said, "I don't think I am aware of what that is...."
"Of course. My Eyes see the true nature of Magic."The voice said, "But I will tell you then. Your power is quite the dangerous one....."
"Distorted Subjugation."