Prologue

The streets of a dying city are not where one would guess a hero would come from. It's desolate and suffocating alleys lay wake of almost every evil an average human being can fathom. It is where the difference between the wealthy and the poor are clear as day, yet their twisted hearts couldn't be any more similar.

The night was calm, at least it was for the past few hours. The roads which would have been filled in the morning was as lonesome as the bright full moon above. It was quiet and peaceful, and it was the perfect night for a crime.

As predictable as clockwork, the silence was broken by the sound of a loud crash. From the dimly lit intersection, a motorbike came tumbling down the road as it's rider barrelled onto the sidewalk. A truck, which had caused the crash, immediately came to a stop. A large man exited the vehicle and approached the rider. But instead of a pair of helping hands, he carried a loaded pistol.

"All you had to do was take the money and leave Thomas," the man said.

Desperately crawling to a nearby alley, Thomas reached into his pocket for a handgun. But before he could even lift his hand to aim, a bullet ripped through his arm as he fell back down onto the cold pavement. He cried in pain as he clutched his bleeding arm and looked up in horror as the man loomed over him with a disgruntled look.

"It really hurts me to do this kid." He sighed as he repeatedly kicked Thomas in the stomach. "You were like a brother to me y'know that? I really felt a connection between us. The boss felt the same. It breaks our hearts to know you'd rat us out,"

After a few more kicks, The man lifted the bloodied Thomas by his shoulder and propped him up against a wall. With the last bit of strength, Thomas spat at him and gave a mocking smile. The man responded by hitting him with the butt of his gun. Thomas barely felt it; not when his entire body is already screaming. With his blurry vision, he made out the image of the pistol staring him right back at his face.

"Maybe in the next life, you'd learn not to bite the hand that fed you,"

Bang!

...

"Was that enough of a refresher to you?"

Thomas didn't know what to believe. In one moment he was lying on the ground with a bullet in his head, and in the next, he was standing in front of a small podium inside a large empty courtroom. He had no recollection of moving whatsoever, yet somehow he woke up in the darkroom in the blink of an eye without a single scratch on his body. He died. He was sure of it.

"One more question," he said. "Are you God?"

There was another person with him in the mysterious courtroom, sitting playfully atop what should be the judge's seat in front of him. A girl that looked to be in her late teens, wearing a blindingly white dress and a pair of elegant sandals of the same colour. She had wavy, shoulder-length hair that bounced with her every movement, and skin so flawless it was unnatural. She was more akin to a doll than a woman, and she carried it all with an air of absolute grace.

"You could say that. But I am just one of many. Allow me to introduce myself." she announced. "I am Sierra, The goddess of rebirth. I am here with you now to give you your judgement."

Besides the two of them, the surrounding was completely lifeless. There are neither entrances nor windows, just endless darkness beyond the boundaries of the courtroom. It was like nothing he had imagined the afterlife would look like. But then again he was an atheist, so he didn't really have that expansive an imagination about it, to begin with.

Despite his feelings of sheer disbelief, he decided to accept his fate. He was nothing but a thief in his past life. A street con, doing whatever filthy work he had to do for a quick buck. He had no family, no friends, nobody he felt attached to. He has nothing to be remorseful about, because he had nothing, to begin with.

"You seem rather calm about this. Most would be freaking out right about now." Sierra said.

"I guess you could say that when life beat you up this much, you'd stop caring at some point," he replied.

"But it hadn't been like that always wasn't it? You had quite the childhood, why settle for a life of crime afterwards?"

"If you were a god you don't need to ask that do you?" he protested.

"Very well then. But I wanted to hear it from you at least," she frowned. "You certainly aren't like the others I have ushered to the next life,"

"Next life? You mean I'm going to get resurrected?"

"I wanted to at least chat a bit before I send you off, but you're a straightforward man are you not?"

With an elegant twirl, Sierra spun around to face away from Thomas, and before them, the entire courtroom came thundering down to the ground. In its place, the rubble rearranged and changed form into what looked like a theatrical stage. It came complete with several stage lights and a large red curtain, much like a set for a high school play. The parts moved and fit into place at Sierra's gesture, and when all was done, she snapped her fingers to lift the curtains.

Scattered across the stage were various cardboard cutouts the size no smaller than that of a normal person and props designed to resemble the setting of the middle ages. The cutouts were drawn as both natural and man-made locations. There were those that looked like castles and villages, and more so that resembled forests, plains and mountains.  Thomas noticed that some castles had pieces of cloth dangling from its "windows" each painted with a symbol or pattern, suggesting they might be banners. Several castle cutouts had similar banners but one castle stood out from the rest. At the back of the stage, barely visible behind a thicket of twisted tree cutouts, was a humongous castle towering in size over the rest. It had exaggerated walls protecting its interior, which glowed an ominous shade of red.

Sierra leapt to the centre stage and turned back to Thomas. "This is the world of Engkt. It may not look like it in this perspective, but it is a rich and lively place, filled with mystifying creatures and likewise bizarre landscapes." She proudly announced.

"It looks great and but why are you showing me all this?" Thomas, who had landed on his rear when the podium collapsed, asked.

"You are here to be judged for your actions Thomas Fetcher. And by the looks of it, all your great qualities were clouded by your greed. You indiscriminately stole from both the wealthy and the poor. You've worked for the vilest of ringleaders and has caused a lot of havoc for the people you have tricked. Surely you don't believe you'll be forgiven for all your wrongdoings so easily?"

Sierra's tone changed with her interrogation, her bright and genial facade fading as her godly persona shone, but Thomas barely even flinched. He knew his life more than anyone. 'No place would be worse than the streets of that horrible city' he thought.

"Look behind you Thomas Fetcher, and see what's in store, "

Thomas needn't turn completely around to feel the pressure of the space behind him. What anyone pictured hell to be, this was surely worse. It had no form, only the feeling of sheer hopelessness creeping up his shoulder as if to strangle him. For the first time in a while, he was genuinely afraid.

"What do you think? For thieves and betrayers, I think it would be sufficient," she chided. "But it is not my job to throw you to the pits. I am here to offer a choice." Her words stole Thomas back from the grasp of the oblivion behind him.

"And the stage? This beautiful world you mentioned, how do these all connect to me?"

"As part of my duties as a goddess, this world is also under my supervision. Though beautiful and magical as it is, It is plagued by a menace known to all as the Demon Lord. His reign of terror culls the hardships of its humble inhabitants. The kingdoms scattered across the land is nothing compared to his mighty empire. And it will not be long before he has complete control of it, "

"So? Do something about it. You're a Goddess aren't you?"

"The Celestials cannot interfere directly with the matters of their world. We must let them grow and develop on their own."

"Sure doesn't look like, " Thomas pointed to the hulking dark kingdom in the back.

"And that's where you come in, "

"What?"

"Without a doubt, a man like you would be immediately sent to hell. But how about I offer you a chance to redeem yourself? You can have a fresh start in this other world. The only catch is that you end the Demon Lord's havoc."

"Woah Woah Woah there lady, " Thomas jumped to his feet with her sudden offer. "Not that I don't like the idea of starting over, but I think you have the wrong guy here. I'm just a street rambler."

"Your skills will surely come in handy. Besides, I'll also be giving you my sacred blessing. It will greatly shield you from the dark arts, the main power output of the Demons. You will also be equipped with a special skill of your choosing. It can be anything you desire,"

"I'm listening...". 'Anything sounds nice.' he thought.

"As you can tell, this world is different from your previous one. It is stuck in what you call 'the middle ages'. That means no guns, no cameras, no internet."

"I've had enough of guns. Don't worry, I think I have a firm grasp of what a fantasy world like this is."

"I'm glad you are interested. But of course, I know you wouldn't want the alternative option." Sierra smiled and gestured at whatever was behind Thomas. It was hard for him to ignore something so debilitating.

"For a goddess, you can be a little sadistic, " Thomas sighed.

"I thought you liked that type?"

"How much do you know?"

"Plenty, " Sierra giggled. She then leaned forward the edge of the stage and reached her hand out to Thomas. "So do we have a deal Thomas Fetcher?"

Thomas viewed it more as a threat than a choice, but between a chance for redemption and endless suffering, there was no room for hesitation.

"Fine, I'll give this 'new world' a chance," he shrugged before taking Sierra's hand. "So how do we do this? You coming with me or something or...?"

"You'll know everything you need to know on the other side,"

Sierra pulled Thomas up the stage with a yank and held both his hands. His whole body felt light as a feather and soon he found both of them levitating above the stage, circling above the props of the set. Sierra pulled Thomas closer so that his face was facing her bosom and gave him a gentle kiss to the forehead. For a brief moment, his face turned red. It wasn't common at all for him to feel affection.

"I hereby give you my blessing Thomas Fetcher. With this, our agreement is sealed. Save yourself from the pit of nothingness, and redeem your corrupted ways by dethroning the tyrant of Engkt. I wish you all the best."

With that said, Sierra let one of her hands go. Thomas looked below him as he dangled, and found that the props of the stage slowly came alive. He felt the wind against him and saw clouds circling around them.

"As you fall, think of what you want the most, and the heavens will grant it. Once you are ready, let go of my hand,"

Thomas closed his eyes and wondered what it is he truly wanted. Before he knew it he drifted off to every significant moment of his life, rummaging through the wreckage of his later moments in clueless desperation. 'What went wrong? What was I missing?'. He asked himself multiple times, yet still falls short of a specific answer. Finally, he opened his eyes to see Sierra smiling with glee; she had read his mind again. "You truly are an interesting one," she said.

"I am a man without anything. Not even something to wish for,"

Before finishing his sentence, Thomas let his hand go from Sierra's grasp. The space around him twisted and turned as he fell, slowly becoming animated as he dived deeper.

"So now, I want the power to have it all... To have everything,"