The "gods" are beings capable of doing the impossible. Some bestow blessings upon their servants, who in return offer tributes in their name.
But the gods of my world… aren't like the ones from the old stories.
They're closer to demons.
Cruel, sadistic, and narcissistic creatures.
They came from the stars, and in just half a century, they conquered Earth. They didn't just dominate the world—they reshaped reality itself, molding the planet in their own image.
And then the games began.
They forced humanity to participate in twisted, cruel trials designed to break both body and mind. If a single mortal failed, the punishment didn't fall on them alone.
Their group.
Their friends.
Their family.
Everyone was condemned.
I've seen it too many times.
I've watched those bastards revel in human despair, savoring every scream, every plea. They don't care about age or gender.
To them, we're all the same.
If you fail…
your fate is the same.
Tortured to death.
And turned into an example for those who still believe they can survive.
…
There was a time when I believed—almost blindly—that if we managed to overcome every challenge those "gods" imposed, things would get better.
How naïve I was.
How pathetic.
Who the hell was I trying to fool?
The truth is… nothing has changed.
I'm still the same.
A pathetic guy.
One who was captured with ridiculous ease by one of them.
…
The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was white.
A vast, luxurious room… immaculate.
Every surface seemed polished to perfection. Objects were scattered everywhere, but none of them felt familiar.
…
I scanned the room, trying to understand where I was, until my gaze stopped.
There was someone else here.
A feminine figure.
Tall—nearly two meters—with a slender build and pale skin. Her long, dark hair cascaded elegantly over her shoulders. She wore a revealing outfit that left her long legs and ample breasts on full display.
She was… exquisitely beautiful.
If my friend Chad were here, he'd probably say something like, "Holy shit, that babe is smoking hot!" or his classic line: "Damn, what a pair of tits!"
…
I pushed the thought aside and observed her more carefully, noting her refined, almost unnatural grace.
Then I saw it.
Right below her neck.
A white tattoo in the shape of an infinity symbol.
There was no doubt.
This woman… was a Goddess.
"Looks like the sleeping beauty has finally woken up," she said.
Her voice was soft, almost melodic… yet something in it made my skin crawl.
My mind flooded with questions, one after another, chaotic and disordered. But deep down, only two really mattered:
What could a goddess possibly want from me?
And why had she brought me here?
She watched me in silence for a few seconds.
Her eyes…
They seemed to contain the entire firmament. Stars, constellations, distant lights swirling in an impossible dance. Every time I looked into them, I felt something inside me bend, as if it wanted to lose itself in them.
As if it wanted to surrender.
"Where am I?" I finally asked, forcing myself to look away.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Let's just say… you're in a safe place, Jay."
…
I frowned, holding her gaze.
There was something about her that unsettled me… something that didn't fit.
"What the hell do you want from me, Goddess?!" I demanded, my voice thick with rage.
She didn't even flinch.
"What I want is simple, Jay," she replied, pausing briefly. "I need you to kill the gods."
…
For a second, I thought I'd misheard her.
And then…
I burst out laughing.
A bitter, incredulous, almost desperate laugh.
"Are you serious?" I said, shaking my head. "You really think that I…?"
My smile twisted.
"That a pathetic insect like me could kill one of you?"
I stared at her, a mix of mockery and fury in my eyes.
"Is this some kind of fucking joke?!"
I took a step forward, clenching my fists.
"Tell me something…" My voice grew lower, tenser. "How the hell do you kill a god?"
The goddess let out a soft sigh before snapping her fingers.
The sound was light…
but the effect was immediate.
The restraints binding my hands and feet vanished as if they had never existed. At the same time, a door materialized about ten meters in front of me, appearing out of thin air.
My body tensed.
That… was something I couldn't comprehend.
"I'll give you two options," she said calmly.
Her voice wasn't threatening, but it left no room for doubt.
"You can return to your miserable life…"
She paused briefly.
"Or you can change it forever by accepting my help."
She extended her hand slightly, gesturing toward the door.
Then her eyes locked onto mine again.
Waiting.
Evaluating.
As if she already knew my answer.
…
In this world, there are three rules that humans follow religiously to survive:
Never trust the gods.
Never pray to the gods.
Never make deals with the gods.
They aren't mere warnings.
They're laws burned into the mind of every human being.
And I was no exception.
I clenched my teeth, feeling tension surge through my entire body.
"No thanks," I spat with contempt. "I don't trust you… or any other goddamn Outer God."
I strode toward the door with long, determined steps.
I didn't want to hear another word.
I didn't want to stay in that place a second longer.
I reached out, ready to turn the knob…
"Even if I knew how to kill a god… would you still reject me?"
Her voice stopped me cold.
Slow.
Cold.
Dangerously certain.
My hand froze in mid-air.
"What…?" I muttered, turning my head slightly.
"I'll say it only once," she continued. "I know how to kill the Outer Gods."
The silence that followed was… unbearable.
I felt her presence approach behind me.
One step.
Then another.
Until she was close enough to lean in.
Her breath brushed against my ear.
And then…
she whispered.
…
My pupils dilated instantly.
"Impossible!" I exclaimed, spinning around sharply, eyes wide.
As she stepped back, I remained frozen for several seconds.
My face must have shown pure disbelief… but that wasn't all.
There was also curiosity.
And something more.
A small spark of hope.
Part of me wanted to accept.
But the rules…
The three rules.
I have to follow them. I have to respect them. I need to…
…
I frowned.
"Why the hell should I keep obeying them?" I muttered aloud.
My jaw tightened.
"Did they stop Sarah from dying…? Or Paulin…? Or Chad?"
I swallowed hard.
"Did they save my parents…?"
Silence was my only answer.
An answer I already knew.
"Did they ever protect me from this hell?"
My hands began to tremble slightly.
"To hell with this!" I growled.
I lifted my gaze, filled with a determination I hadn't felt in a long time.
"I'm the one who's going to decide how I live my life… not some damn rules made by cowards."
I exhaled sharply.
I have nothing left in this rotten world.
Nothing.
If I had enough power…
I'd kill every last one of those gods without hesitation.
But that's reality.
I'm just a "newly awakened."
Trash with my ability sealed.
I don't know why.
But I know it.
I know one of those bastards had something to do with it.
…
I scratched my head, still processing everything.
I sighed.
"Fine… what do I have to do?" I asked.
The goddess didn't hesitate.
"Not much…" She paused briefly.
"Just die."
"Huh?"
There was no time to react.
In an instant, her hand pierced through my chest.
It was so fast, so clean… that the pain barely registered. I didn't even have time to understand what was happening.
I looked down.
Her hand was holding my heart.
It wasn't beating.
Not anymore.
My thoughts shattered.
The goddess murmured words in an impossible language—guttural, alien to any human logic.
Then…
my heart began to glow.
A blinding white light.
And in the next instant, everything vanished.
The room.
The goddess.
Reality itself.
All of it was devoured by darkness.
…
When I became aware again…
I wasn't falling.
I was floating.
Suspended in an infinite black void.
The gloom slowly began to fade.
Little by little, the darkness filled with light.
Millions of stars emerged around me, stretching as far as the eye could see, as if the entire universe had awakened.
I searched for the goddess…
but she wasn't there.
Not at first.
Then I saw it.
A cluster of stars began to condense, gathering, taking shape… until it formed a colossal humanoid figure.
It was her.
"Listen carefully, Jay," the goddess said, her voice echoing through the void like a cosmic resonance.
Before I could react, I felt something holding me.
One of her hands.
Immense.
Made of stellar light.
"I'm sending you back five decades," she continued. "You'll have the chance to change everything."
She paused briefly.
"You must close the portals that began appearing in that era."
Her eyes—now swirling galaxies—fixed on me.
"Do you understand?"
I nodded.
There weren't enough words to respond.
So I just nodded.
I looked down.
And then I noticed it.
My legs… were disappearing.
Dissolving into particles of light.
Then my torso.
My arms.
My entire body began to slowly disintegrate, as if it had never belonged there.
Until only my head remained.
Floating in the middle of the cosmos.
The goddess drew closer.
Her form had changed.
She was now a deep violet hue, a body made of stars and nebulae—vast… and yet, strangely beautiful.
She leaned toward me.
And kissed my forehead.
"May the starlight guide you, my son," she whispered.
Her voice…
was warm.
Soft.
Familiar.
For a moment, she reminded me of my mother.
And that…
felt strangely comforting.
Then…
I disappeared completely.
And the light was replaced, once again…
by absolute darkness.