"Do you wish to make a deal with a true god?"
Leonard found himself speechless as he gawked at the giant being in front of him.
A god? He managed to say to himself silently in his head, but even that was a struggle.
"Yes, a god." The voice came again. Leonard felt his spirit shiver for a second time. The being was so strong that he could read his thoughts.
He tried his best to calm himself down, lest he think a thought that angered the giant.
And finally, he managed to speak.
"Yes, I wish to make a deal." His answer echoed through the black space, his voice sounding like his own. Wherever he was, it seemed that his spirit mimicked his physical body.
Or perhaps it was the other way around.
As the words left his mouth, he wondered not whether he had made a mistake. This giant spirit had offered to make him a deal, and with the circumstances taking place in his empire, he felt he had no other choice but to accept it.
Who am I to refuse a god's gift?
Leonard suddenly remembered that the deity could hear his thoughts, but it didn't mention it.
The giant seemed to consider Leonard for a moment, before finally speaking again in its great voice.
"Your world, Vex, is changing. Things are no longer as they have been. Gods have stepped into the realm."
The words struck Leonard with force.
So it was not just a coincidence? Ilandrus is truly a god?
The giant shook its head.
"No, he is not a god, but merely a prophet as he has claimed. And he will not be the last. Many deities and entities will descend into your mortal realm, altering the world as you knew it. Men and women will gain powers unheard of... Similar to the ones that your father claimed you had."
It seemed as though wherever Leonard went, he could not escape the lies that had followed his bloodline for so many years.
"So what am I supposed to do?" He couldn't help but ask in humility. "If real gods now walk the earth, then my empire will fall. Everything that we built was backed up by the fact that the ruler was chosen by god himself. If that is not true, then the islands surrounding The Heart will stray and start rebellions against us."
Leonard ranted his problems, growing more frantic with every word. After he finished, there was silence in the dark space for a while. And then the giant responded.
"That is for you to figure out. All I am here to do is give you a nudge."
The god suddenly reached out his ginormous hand, the mere force of it forcing Leonard to shift backwards. Then, the god stretched out his finger, the point of it standing before Leonard like the wall of a cathedral.
"I am Arcus." The Deity spoke. "Touch my finger, and become what you were said to be."
Leonard hesitated at first, afraid of what would follow. Everything about the experience was cryptic. His mind lingered on the dangers of the unknown.
But then, he shook his head free of those thoughts.
If deities and gods have truly descended upon Vex, then what position am I in to hesitate?
Leonard reached his hand forwards, and pressed it flat against the red surface of Arcus' finger.
Instantly, he felt an immense force wash over him. It did not blow past him like the wind but rather filled every fibre of his being.
The feeling brought great pain to his body, and even though he lacked a true physical form in the strange realm, it felt as though he was going to explode.
His vision went dark, and the pain remained for a few moments. And then, it subsided.
Leonard's vision slowly returned to him, but as it did, the giant Arcus was no longer in front of him.
He found that he was no longer in the realm of the black water, but rather in the confines of his chambers.
He lay on his back, the mana lanterns above him blinding his eyes.
Slowly, he pushed himself to a seated position. One glance out of the window told him that it was morning.
"Thank The Only One!" A voice suddenly came from beside him. "You're awake!"
Leonard turned his head to find the purple-haired Erwin sitting on a chair with a book in his hand. But as he spotted that the emperor was awake, the man cast it to the side and leapt from his seat in joy.
"Blessed be the Emperor!" The man praised, as he closed his eyes and drew an X over his heart. The symbol of The Only Religion.
The first thought that crossed Leonard's mind was...
That god does not exist Erwin... I met a true one.
His mind swiftly jumped to his encounter with Arcus in the black realm. He wondered what its meaning was and what impact the deal had put on his body. But the first question he asked was.
"How long was I asleep?"
Erwin stopped praising The Only One and turned to the emperor on the bed.
"Two weeks." He said, in a solemn tone. "You have been asleep for two weeks, and we thought you would never wake up..."
Leonard's heart sunk in his chest.
Two weeks... What felt like only a few minutes in the black realm was weeks in the real world.
His thoughts were cut off as a more important issue pushed itself to the face of his memories.
"Ilandrus! He visited the city and showed clear divine powers. What has the reaction been throughout The Heart?"
Erwin's young face suddenly became grave, looking as though he were many years older than he was. Then, the man showed Leonard the cover of the book he was reading.
Engraved into its leather cover was a singular phrase in rough handwriting.
It read: Sect of the Holy Skies
Leonard read these words with a raised eyebrow. Then, his eyes went wide in understanding.
Erwin nodded his head sadly. "It's as you think, Emperor. After the sight of Ilandrus flying over the great city of Oxon, Capital of The Heart, a new religion has been formed. One that follows Ilandrus, who has now been given the title of God of the Skies."
Leonard listened to the horrific words spoken by the member of his inner council, but before he could respond and express his feelings, a sharp pain shot through his eye.
As he went to reach his hand up towards it, Erwin suddenly shook his head as if to stop him.
"Don't! The scars have not healed yet."
Leonard looked at the man with confusion on his face. "Scars?"
"From when you scratched at your face after sighting Ilandrus. The rest have healed fine, but you clawed at your right eye pretty badly."
Only then did Leonard notice that the man was right. He could feel something covering his eye, sealing off his vision. He hadn't noticed before, as his senses felt off-key ever since returning to his physical body.
But now that it had been pointed out to him, he wished only for the bandage to be removed.
He wasn't sure why, but he felt that the eye had to be freed. As though he would see the world in a different light, once his sight was returned to him.
And so, going against his friend's advice, Leonard reached up and peeled off the covering.