The Fate of Anyone Not Meant to Live

The smooth wood of the stairs croaked with every step. A simple handshake was exchanged between Niko and Elijah, and with a quick confirmation of their motives of this meeting, they both walked inside to a cramped living room and kitchen.

"So… About what you said at the qualifiers…" Elijah was slightly trembling, and even hoped this poor soul shared the same fate.

"I know you aren't from this world, but only because I am not as well. We can skip the theatrics of lessening our language and speak to our hearts."

"So it's true. How do you deal with it?" Elijah's eyes widened, but quickly calmed down. He understood what Niko meant. However, their backgrounds may be completely different.

"I know I might seem like I am sane, but I am not. The place I came from was similar to this world in the sense of supernatural powers existing. It was nothing like this, and everything had a cost. There was give in take every time you used whatever power you had. Speed, strength, telekinesis, and so much more. But in this world, the give and take is different. I believe what you get in this world is the ability to create elements from your own life force. The stronger you get, the shorter the lifespan you have… It is cruel as this kingdom tells no one. Hahaha, I don't even think they know themselves. Magic is a standard, and without it, this kingdom wouldn't exist…"

Elijah couldn't help but only listen to what he was saying. The feeling of despair was within the voice of Niko, and Elijah himself couldn't imagine what type of life he lived beforehand. The idea of lifeforce being the reason for the magic was within his head already, but it didn't fully make sense of the reason. "Niko… I think you are partially right. However, I think our lifeforce being drained is only a natural occurrence from using magic that may not even be ours. Mana destroys our bodies if it is released without being converted into our affinity. What we should be asking is the reason for magic existing. Not playing the victim while subconsciously hoping for an early death. What kind of life did you live before this?"

Niko didn't seem like he was calming down, but laid down on the small three person couch with different colored food stains. "I died an early death. I was only twenty five. I lived in the slums of my world, the absolute worst part. I was abused, sent to my death only to survive over and over, and finally when I got the courage to take my last jump into a pit of death, I stopped myself only to be pushed off by the people who constantly abuse me. For a second I wanted to live, and once I began falling, I began to smile while crying. I thought this world was different, but it's not. It may seem like sunshine and rainbows, but it's clouded by something that controls the way people think. I was banished for having the mind of a lunatic, and the conversation I had with the person that brought me here was even worse. He said I was… an accident…"

Elijah's eyes were slowly darkening while hearing his story. So many similarities. And so many differences… But then, the last sentence that came from his mouth raised the head of the boy who seemed to have been shocked into a mind that ran in circles. Elijah's eyes widened, and then… "Wh-what did y-you j-just say??"

"Why are you asking? You should know the god that brought you here as well." Niko seemed indifferent to Elijah's confused and trembling tone.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" The chair with only three wooden legs flew back at Elijah forcefully standing up. While his voice was fierce, his insides were being twisted.

"Are you saying you don't know that a god brought you here?" Niko sat up and saw Elijah's head nod.

"I've had these weird voices in my head of a conversation I assume was after my first death. I have been trying to uncover the memories and make sense of them, but they seem to only be snippets of information that have barely helped me make sense of this world. What do you know?!"

"How unlucky… You can call them the gods, and they are all named after the principle of the way they live, at least that is what I suspect. Mine was called Damon, Master of Deceit… You don't need to worry about them as they are all dead. At Least most of them are, and the ones who are not dead are no longer gods. The reason why that hole that goes through the center of the earth is because of the battle of the gods. I wish I knew more, but the shithead that brought me here said I was a mistake and ended the conversation quickly."

Niko's simple piece of knowledge allowed dozens of puzzle pieces to connect in his brain. A war is the reason for the hole, which also makes it likely that The Void was also created by the gods. The voice asking for a savior was now a confirmed god, the question was… Which one? "Wow. I am sure there is so much more to the story of this world, but that by itself clears up so many holes."

Niko scoffed at Elijah. "Why do you look so happy? I just told you that you were brought here by force. Why do you want to continue?"

"I don't know. Actually, in the beginning I seemed to completely forget about my situation as I found out that I love the environment. But when my home was destroyed by beasts, I began to go insane. The only reason I could use to stabilize myself was…" Elijah took a few seconds to think about this before he let the words escape his mouth. There were people here he loved and cared about, but that wasn't all of it. "The freedom this world could give me."

"Not surprising. With that special ability of yours, you sure have it nice."

At this point Elijah knew Niko had not been given an ability like himself. This ability was given to him most likely by a dead god, which would only make sense if time did not exist in between death and life, the conversation he supposedly had with the god who brought him here. "Niko, I…"

"Save it Elijah. I have already accepted my fate. I am a mistake that is not supposed to be here. The least I can do is…"

Bang!

The cracked coffee table was now busted in half by the side of Elijah's fist. The action took the words straight out of Niko's mouth. "If you want to change your fate, all you have to do is escape with me. I have made a decision that could potentially kill me, but I will be escaping this kingdom after the tournament is finished. You need not worry about traveling, as I carry you through the clouds. Anything you want can be taken, all you have to do is act!"

The last thing Niko saw was Elijah walking out of the cramped space while slamming the door shut. His fire red eyes were conflicted as what Elijah had said to him made him feel a certain type of way. And what Niko didn't see were the tears coming from Elijah's eyes and the biting of his lips in both frustration and hope. There was one last thing he wanted to converse with Niko about. 

In the waterfall chasm, Damir and Trey had said I have to die, no matter what. The biggest reason why I am leaving the kingdom is because the potential of my life being ended is extremely high. The King might very well know about me! What I believe is the reason for my death being inevitable within this kingdom is the simple fact that I am not affected by the spell of The Void. I am an anomaly that came from another world, which also makes Niko someone who is supposed to be targeted for death.