Death Starts The New Beginning

Earlier, before Adam was returned back to the state he was at the beginning, Gaia spoke to Solaris.

It wasn't because she was sorry for the situation…

The mind of a planet worked differently from the mind of a human. They had different priorities.

One was an emotional being, and the other was a machine that had to follow certain directives.

Even while understanding the concept of love, she could not act upon impulses like a human would.

She HAD TO follow the guidelines given…

It was the reason why, when she first saw how the truly 'lacking' Adam first crossed over, she sighed.

She had put trials and tribulations to dissuade Martial Artists from ascending, only for them to feel more motivated by her rejection of them. Now, she even had to deal with a non-fighter crossing over.

It would've been easy to dispose of him.

No… To dispose of EVERYONE who had ever crossed over. Doing this much was easy.

She just had to send them to somewhere they couldn't survive. Like the centre of a burning star.

However, she was restricted from doing all of that.

The source of this restriction being the large grey throne in front of her in the centre of her domain.

Her personal realm had an epicentre. A place where the lost 'Throne Paragon' once seated.

The creator of her as 'The World' itself…

Her maker and 'God'…

Maybe she could even describe this man as the Game Master who created her how she was.

Using the base ideal that everyone should be given a chance to earn a place in the Divine Realm, she had to make sure everyone at least had the chance to earn their place. Regardless of how small it was.

There was no use in having high hopes in him…

Adam couldn't even be counted as someone worthy of being an 'extra' in her library of fate.

He was too fragile…

A man who had never really hit any unscalable obstructions in his life. Only his own insecurities.

The more she gleaned into his past with her omniscience, the less she felt he was worthy.

What trials could this mere mortal landowner possibly complete? Could he survive a tribulation?

Gaia had seen many greater figures than him.

Some who had talents in battle deeper than the ocean. Others with logic defying divine abilities.

What was he compared to any of them?

Nothing. Not even a spec of dirt on their shoes.

Regardless, she had to be fair to him. It would be far too wicked of her to rig a test of certification.

Since he had no combat power to speak of, it was only right he was given a trail for his strongest trait.

Which was apparently his intelligence…

However, even that was lacklustre. Trying to test this would have a high percentage of his failure.

Gaia had no other choice.

Since her daughter had also been given an opportunity through this, she made him a helper.

It was a trail he, surprisingly… had passed.

Even earning enough merits to be considered as her 'Avatar' and letting him inherit some Divinity,

The woman wearing the appearance that seemed to appeal to Adam the most prayed to the throne.

The lone white jewel on it responding to her prayers. Silently shining like the North Star.

Behind her was another sitting on a white chair.

The darkness of the empty space obstructed the vision, but it was enough for her know who he was.

Gaia didn't immediately speak out to him.

Her kneeling figure in front of the thrown showed both subservience and respect for a higher being.

It was something she wanted to show 'him'.

"Since the Divine Realm had been formed, I had always been in charge of guiding lines of fates."

She monologued while rising to her feet.

Seemingly uncaring about getting a response, she approached the throne to lean on it intimately.

Her hand stroking the hand rest in ease.

"My father was a man of aspirations and love. He cared for both Humans and Earthlings alike."

"Even though Earthlings are calamities that only know how to bring misfortune, he let them live."

"I'd always wondered why…"

"Maybe that was why I'd once descended." She turned her head to look into the eyes of the man.

The orange sheen in his brawn eyes deepened.

However, he didn't open his mouth even once.

Even if she was to prattle in about things that had no use to him, he wouldn't bat an eye at her.

Gaia continued her story:

"I fell for a man, lived with him until death did us part. My child… she also became quite strong."

"She became a surgeon. Her life wasn't filled with sunshines as I'd hoped, but a cog in a machine."

"The machine Earthlings called a 'society'."

"I wished I could take her soul across time and space. Return her to the 'home' she belonged."

"However, causality wouldn't let me…"

"She was both an Earthling. Therefore, she had to live out her fate as such until the day she died."

"I had to watch her grow old…"

"She withered in her youth. No longer was she my little baby, but a woman with responsibilities."

"I was told that it was just how the world worked."

"Despite I, her mother, always being there for and giving no pressure, she felt tied to responsibility."

"…Even until her death."

"A weakling like your original self had died. As a mere side character. An extra- No, not even that."

"She died as a nobody surgeon Earthlings around her would've forgotten. Only being known to me."

"I couldn't accept that."

A voice interrupted her monologue… before returning to silence: "Why not ask your father?"

Even though he didn't elaborate, Gaia knew what he was trying to say. It was what she'd expected.

Thus, she took note of this first inquiry and spoke:

"Maybe I should've done that. At least while my father was still here. Maybe if my pride didn't get in the way, I would've been able to bend the rules further for my Linda. Alas… it wasn't meant to be."

"When he went missing, I had no choice but to maintain the world using my own sensibilities."

"My daughter was almost lost forever because of this pride of mine. Her existence almost wiped."

"If it wasn't for a certain incident that broke the laws of causality, then maybe she would've 'died'."

"And maybe YOUR father would've lived a peaceful life in his own world. Not getting into my business."

"But I'm thankful that I'd found such a person."

"He only spoke rude, paranoid, reckless, and even wicked comments to my child, but it matured her."

"It saved her from a fate I was unable to make her avoid. One that had constantly pursued her life."

"Thank you… No, I'm thankful to my avatar." Gaia then bowed to the man sitting on the white chair.

Another one materialised into thin air in her hand.

With a casual stride, she walked up to the man and placed her chair directly in front of the silent figure.

His expressionless and muted face only gave rise to an overflowing awkwardness. A tick in her brain.

One that made eye-contact hard to maintain…

Someone needed to say something. Anything. It was better to say nonsense then keep this going.

She had one thing to make clear to him:

"You have to die." Alone in front of the idealised face of her avatar, this fact was made clear.

His execution to 'revive' her avatar was decided.

The healed up figure didn't even seem mad at this point. His head looking down on the endless void.

He sat on his seat without making a sound, but was definitely still there. Only nothing had been spoken.

"…" There was nothing for him to comment about.

It wasn't like he was afraid of dying.

Perhaps the last bit of his energy went into criticising her about being an irresponsible mom.

Even that was for Linda's sake than his own…

"Aren't you curious about anything?" Gaia spoke knowingly of her request being too unreasonable.

There was a long silence that followed…

It was only after recollecting some of his fragmented ego that Solaris started to speak:

"…Why him?" His words were like mumbling.

"You mean… why did I choose Adam?"

"You had so many options. There was no need to entrust a man who you say is 'rude' and 'wicked'."

"Indeed. There were many more suitable than him."

"Then…?" Solaris turned his head up to look into her eyes. With unfathomable depths to them.

"…He earned his place."

"Lies."

"Do I look like I'd lie to you? Not once had I spoken a lie to anyone." A business look arose on her face.

Along with the smile you'd see in a supermarket.

But Solaris wasn't Adam. He put two-and-two together… figuring out something she'd hidden.

"Pandorica… What is that place?" His question seemed to show he knew more then he let on.

As if he gleaned something from her monologues.

This inquiry wasn't something she could answer.

However, Gaia allowed herself some leeway since he wouldn't be able to tell anyone else about it.

Especially not the one who was about to return…

"It's… a large recycling bin." She tapped her cheek and tried to find the words best fitted to explain it.

She framed herself as a computer system with characters going about their stimulated events.

To keep things going right in the 'true utopia', the problematic elements were dumped into waste bin.

The dystopian hell of Pandorica…

"That place… Is where the souls of the damned are reborn. This isn't a place of punishment, but refor-"

"You mean it's a prison." Solaris corrected her on that. Of course, there was no other explanation.

"Yes… You could call it that as well."

"And you sent Adam there."

"I had no choice. His existence… was unplanned. It was unexpected he managed to save my child."

"Unplanned…?" This was an answer he didn't think was the truth. It sounded way too coincidental.

"His ascension was all about the timing. It could've happened to anyone. What differed… was after."

"The game?"

"Yes, I created that 'System' in the guise of a little game to help her. However, I didn't expect much."

"…So he's your benefactor?"

"I know you're probably wondering why I sent my benefactor into a prison, but my hands were tied."

"That's nonsense. You said you didn't lie, but you never told him anything. Was he not worth telling?"

"It'd never been like that." Gaia's skin crawled when the darkness on his face became darker.

Like he could morph into a demon at any moment.

"After coming to this world because of a mere accident, you kept him in the dark about a lot."

"…My words were restricted." She had already explained this, but was that really the case?

Or was this 'restriction' merely her pride?

"It's always about 'restrictions' this and that…!"

"I'm not lying to you."

"Doesn't matter. The only thing that does is that you're a fucking PSYCHO. You and that bitch too."

"That's…"

"And what? You want to kill me now? Hehe~ You think everything will be settled when he's back?"

"…What do you know?" Gaia realised that he had understood something. A fact she'd kept secret.

"The 'bad end' you've been trying to hide your daughter from. It's still coming to Pandorica. You say it like she's safe now, which means only by leaving the kingdom can we escape a tragedy."

"…That's right." She didn't deny those words.

The true calamity had yet to arrive in the nation itself. However, it'd come to them eventually.

"Then why did you reincarnate her there?! This all could've been avoided if you just took care of her! I would never have existed, Lumina wouldn't have died, her children… they… It's all your fault!"

"Let me try to explain…"

"And same with Adam. If you don't want them to be hurt, why put them in a dangerous place like that!"

"…You don't understand anything."

"I know that your friend of a Goddess said that you could help me, but all I'm hearing is NONSENSE."

"Then I'll be honest." The look in her eyes changed at that moment, she continued in a lifeless tone:

"There's someone there I needed to protect, but can't do on my own. Someone needed to help m-"

"It's Simon." Solaris cut through her bullshit and made her next words get stuck in her throat.

With an interesting look like she had an 'error'.

Like a computer that had crashed momentarily.

It was a good thing that she was able to quickly regain her composure and try to laugh it off:

"Why would you think that?"

"It's obvious. You lead him to Adam's doorstep along with two other strong people by his side."

"…So you got my point."

"Alright. I'll give you that. It doesn't change the fact that my other half's life was taken before it began."

"That's where things get a bit complicated."

"How so? Aren't we good replacements for him?"

"Adam was the type who'd refuse me if I talked about my plans, but he's still my personal avatar."

"And what about us…?" Solaris looked a bit pained by the distance she put between them so easily.

"I'm sorry… You may look like him, but as you said yourself. You're not. You're just not Adam Graham."

"…" There was no retort given to that.

As if he had accepted his fate…

A shadowy figure of the a woman appeared behind him, even without turning his head. He knew… this person was definitely Red Rabbit. Those intense intentions to kill that was perceivable let out again.

Solaris only thought one thing while closing his eyes to accept death. Before he faded out entirely.

'I feel sorry for you…' Not for these celestial beings around him, but for his body's original personality.

Adam Graham was pitiful…

One misstep, one achievement. There was a lot he was unable to digest before his head had flown off.

Except that… he hoped the new beginnings for his original persona wouldn't stay the same as before.

When his consciousness faded, the Sea of Consciousness he'd barely held onto collapsed.

An apocalyptic destruction encompassed his entire inner world. With not even the smithereens left.

A bloodied corpse fell to the ground, before being lifted into the air by Gaia with her celestial powers.

"Leave now... I'll deal with you later." She spoke to the sword wielding silhouette, who vanished without a trace after hearing her words. Not even staying long enough to try any form of persuasion.

Though the Sea of Consciousness of Solaris and Lumina were gone, she learnt a lot from them.

Therefore, she wouldn't let them 'die' so easily…

However, to keep their sentience, she needed a vitality from Adam that'd take time to regenerate.

*Crack* *Crackle* *Clat!*

Something was broken within the corpse-like figure that was left, and two soul fragment were let out.

She waved her hand, and the Coldsteel Longsword and Earthfire Broadsword came into existence.

The two soul fragments entered the Dao Weapon and Tao Weapon, which awakened the 'Hearts' and remnants of consciousness left behind in the two blades. However, she knew this was still crude.

She needed someone else to complete them…

Regardless, that was a matter for later.

She clenched her hands together and put Adam's fundamental life pillars back in their usual places.

Reforming the imperfect soul after purposely taking one aspect from her avatar, unlike before.

With this sensation gone, she was sure he wouldn't deny her this time if she brought up that topic.

At that exact time, she sent him back to the virtual dreamworld where he started playing games again.

Only to see exactly what Solaris talked about.

He'd reverted back to the person he was when he first arrived. Insensitive to himself and others.

A real piece of work…

Gaia decided to take him to meet the pantheon to reintroduce his role in the world and her intentions.

And hoped things wouldn't go wrong this time…