Reason

Bane couldn't speak; he muttered aimlessly under his breath, trying to understand what he was seeing. The One on High - the god above all other gods - stood before him, answering his call.

"Bane, a mortal who is the first recruit of the Eir faction. So that is why."

The all-knowing being's voice boomed as Bane just looked on, still trying to comprehend what he was seeing. The One on High knew everything - many people thought that, and for the most part it was true.

Sensing Bane's apprehension toward its figure, after a few waves rippled through the white expanse, the One on High now appeared as a featureless human. Its face contorted and twisted until it smoothed over. The figure wore no clothes and had no blemishes, with no gender-defining parts. Every area where there would be features was smoothed over like its face.

"Is this form better?" it asked. Bane looked on and slowly nodded. Even with no mouth, its voice protruded, causing Bane to squirm slightly, but this form was much better, he admitted.

"Are you really the One on High?" Bane willed himself to ask. All signs pointed to it being true, and the being even told Bane that it was. He just couldn't believe this was happening and needed to be sure.

"Yes, I am. You called upon me and so I am here," it answered. Bane doubted that another god could have the power to hear mortals' thoughts and transport them around.

"I see..." was all Bane answered, still confused and worried about why he was brought here.

"You know why you are here." The One on High's voice echoed through the empty expanse. It read Bane's mind and answered his question for him. Bane knew deep down why he was here too. It must be because of the system - there was no other answer.

Aside from that, Bane was uninteresting, minuscule. No other reason would the One on High answer his call.

"Is it because of the power I possess?" Bane asked. He practically knew that was the reason but decided to clarify anyway.

"Yes, it has been a long time since one like you has come before me," it spoke.

"So I am not the first?" Bane asked, knowing that to be the case but wanting to get more information.

"Of course not," it said, causing Bane to take a hit to his pride. "Many have come before you but have failed. You asked me why. Would you like some answers?" it asked.

"Yes," was all Bane said. He had asked the One on High a simple question: why? It was so open-ended, but it seemed that they read Bane's mind.

"You asked me why..." the One on High reiterated. "You were given the power from your goddess, Eir. The first recruit of each god or goddess gets a boost in their power. That is why you have the power. Eir told you just as much." Bane was mortified - the One on High knew everything.

Eir had theorized why Bane received power and it seemed that she was right. Bane didn't say anything, couldn't say anything.

"So now that you know why you have the power, why does it exist? Do you want to know?" Bane hesitated, unsure if this was some sort of trap for being greedy with knowledge. Reading Bane's mind, it continued, "There is no catch. Everyone before you has gone through a similar meeting with myself." With this, Bane nodded, eager to hear why such power exists.

"Long ago, I was sitting on high, bored. After observing life on earth for millennia, I chose to spice things up. Gren used to be a small transport city - thousands of people would travel through every day, and I deemed it the best place for a challenge." The One on High explained as it raised its hands to the sky.

As they spoke, their hand descended. "During the night one day, I summoned a meteor to fall on the city." Their hands fell and opened into an outward motion. "The fireball landed on the city and killed thousands, and after the city regrouped, they noticed in the crater a stairwell down deep into the ground. With that, the dungeon was created."

Bane was in awe that he was being given such information. This was one of the many theories for the dungeon's creation, but having it confirmed for him was shocking.

"Thus, gods started descending to check out the new monument that was created. Humans ventured down as well, and they learned of the energy crystals and so came the energy age. Scientific discoveries and, with the influence of gods, magical developments surged human society forward. With all that, no one has fulfilled the dungeon's purpose." The One on High alluded to the dungeon's purpose which piqued Bane's interest.

"So you are the creator... What is its purpose?" Bane asked, forcing his head to process the information.

"To complete it, of course - reach the final floor. It's common belief in human society, but there is an end to the dungeon." Another revelation that made Bane's head spin. Of course there was an end, but having it confirmed was another shocking input.

"It's part of human psychology to want to complete things - that's why you can't leave a small bit of food on your plate or leave a few pages in a book chapter unread. Humans ventured down and got as far as they could, with many lives lost. They turned to gods. Out of boredom, gods started what you know as factions and offered humans power for monetary gain. On high, the lesser gods have very little power, and this let them live out their fantasy of control and power." The One on High did not move - only the voice reached Bane's ears.

"So let me confirm: I have power because I am the first recruit of Eir. You created the dungeon and everything within. You gave gods the ability to descend and are waiting for one to complete the dungeon." Bane reiterated, wanting to make sure he understood the topic at hand.

"Precisely."

That brought it all back to Bane's one question - the one thing that still had Bane guessing. "What do you get for completing the dungeon? It was created for a purpose, so why are you waiting for one to complete it? Why are you only meeting with powerful people?" Bane rattled off in quick succession.

"The reward is a divine gift. The dungeon can only be completed by those with the power you have. Dozens have come before you and failed or have given up - they all fought for the reward." The One on High paused for dramatic effect, playing up the reward.

"Those who can complete the dungeon can become a god..." The One on High's voice reverberated and entered Bane's ears. He processed what he just heard and couldn't believe it. "Along with that comes immortality. After hearing that, everyone before you tried so hard, only to fail."

'Immortality, godhood...' Bane thought. Such a reward for completing the dungeon... His mind raced, his heartbeat quickened, and his head ached.

"I am sure we will see each other soon," was the last thing the One on High said.

It seemed like he had been bestowed enlightenment, and his body was rejecting it. The scene around Bane pulsed. The One on High transformed back to its true self and disappeared, leaving Bane back with his eyes closed in the café.

"Bane?" Liora asked. For the trio, only seconds had passed since Bane closed his eyes. But Bane had been transported to another realm and received enlightenment. With people he trusted around, he let himself succumb to the pain he felt all over.

He leaned in on himself and hung his head in his hand, pressing his fingers hard against his forehead. His breathing was uneven and sweat ran down his face. Eir and Liora looked at each other, and quickly Eir became interested in what had happened.

Without being prompted, Liora muttered under her breath, "Divine light, heal." In the corner of the small café, a flash of light erupted, causing a few heads to turn, but it died down as quickly as it appeared.

A few heads turned but only saw Liora smiling, embarrassed. Magic outside of combat was allowed in the city, so the few heads that turned went back to their meals.

Bane took a deep breath and looked up as the healing magic diffused around his body. Opening his eyes, he was met with worried looks from both Eir and Liora.

"Are you okay?" Liora asked.

Eir reciprocated with a similar question. He answered their worried looks with silence, contemplating what to say. A meeting with the One on High - would they even believe it?

"Let's just eat and go home. There is some stuff I need to tell you both," Bane said. Eir had the strongest reaction at this - she knew something major was up. Liora reacted to a lesser extent and slowly nodded.

Bane stayed silent unless spoken to for the rest of the meal. The three of them quickly finished and rushed back home. Bane and Eir had a sense of urgency that only made Liora worry. She desperately wanted to ask questions but knew it would only inconvenience the two of them.