Please take care of me

Everyone began to gather around their groupmates and proceeded to go through the gate following the system's suggestions.

All groups finally left, except for one.

Laura, Grant, and Violet all huddled around the unconscious Luke while a particular goddess sat on the freshly grown grass with her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Persephone, it wasn't your fault."

Laura comforted the sobbing goddess.

"But I almost killed him! Sniff* sniff."

"..."

"Well, he's clearly fine, you shouldn't worry too much about him, although he hasn't woken up yet, it's been half an hour."

Violet just said what was on her mind making the goddess even more upset.

"Wahh!"

Grant stood next to her and did a 90-degree bow.

"Don't worry goddess, I'm sure he'll be fine. Even though your powers no longer work, and you're pretty much human, I'm sure we'll be okay."

Everyone glared at him.

"What?"

"Wahhh!!"

----------------

Luke's pov:

'Ugh, where am I? And why does my head hurt.'

He grumbled inwardly while feeling a largely invisible bump on his head.

Luke looked around, but nothing came into view, just pitch-black darkness.

Usually one would be afraid of being placed in such an auspicious place, but somehow Luke felt comfortable.

'This feels... good'

Suddenly a voice echoed in his mind.

[Activating primordial form...]

[Initializing, code phoenix...35%...69%...78%...92%...100%]

[Welcome back master]

'Huh?'

The dimension he was in began to glow and he found himself standing in a completely white room.

The size of the room felt limitless, almost as if the boundaries of the universe had vanished.

Luke extended his right hand involuntarily and a black fog seeped out of his hand.

Flustered, Luke frantically waved his hand around splashing the black fog everywhere around him.

The black haze seemingly with a mind of its own didn't seem to like that, as more and more began to pour out.

Soon the black fog covered the floor beneath him. The density becomes thicker and more viscous as the floor turned into a black swamp.

'What is going on!!'

Panic began to set in as the unending room began to fill up.

Inch by inch the ooze rose to his knees.

Luke had nowhere else to go as he felt the darkness cementing his feet.

His mind began to race and his heartbeat quickened.

'Please, Please, someone help!

Then suddenly as if his prayers were answered a sentence chiseled out of light appeared within the darkness.

Luke read the words out loud as they slowly came into view.

"Where there is light... there is darkness...

The brightest of lights... have the darkest of shadows...

A shadow is the absence of light... and light is the absence of shadow...

One cannot exist... without the other... for they are both the same."

'What does that mean? What does that have to do with me?'

Luke questions inwardly.

As soon as his thoughts ended, the room began to converge. The white walls seemed to move in a spiral as a black hole formed a few meters ahead of him.

The darkness was quickly sucked, mixing flawlessly inside the ball of gravity.

However, the words didn't move but lingered for a moment in front of him before disappearing into particles of light.

Soon everything combined, leaving Luke staring at it absentmindedly.

His surroundings were indescribable, as everything beautiful that can be defined by human words was insufficient with what lay in front of his eyes. The floor beneath him turned dark like the ocean in the night, but stars billions of miles away can be seen dancing in rhythm like galaxies below his feet. The sky above turned to gold like the sun rising from the east, as the light reflected from the galaxy-like ocean, projected solar systems around him.

A sunset-colored orb swirling mysteriously hovered in front of him waiting patiently for its master.

Luke felt nothing but longing from the orb as if he had finally found the one thing he had been missing all his life.

Power seems to reverberate from the orb as small particles of light flew out like waves causing ripples on the dark ocean-surfaced floor.

Luke without hesitation extended his hand out onto its surface.

Feeling the smooth sensation on his hand a warm energy flowed in him.

The orb continued to release its power as it slowly became smaller and smaller until nothing was left.

Everything around him began to darken as a screen appeared in front of him, but his eyes were closed enjoying the sensation coming from his palm.

[Recovering Core memories... Attempt failed...]

[Recovering Abilities... Attempt successful...]

[Recovering Summons... Attempt successful...]

[Recovering Emotions... Attempt-]

Then-

FLASH*

....

"GASP*"

Luke sprung up from the ground, his eyes open wide.

"What happened..."

"Luke!"

Persephone sprung from the ground toward Luke wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Albeit surprised at first, Luke reciprocated her affection.

He hugged her as if he knew her all his life, but then realization kicked in.

"Wait, Persephone?"

"Oh, it seems Luke is awake."

"HAHA see, Mr. Luke is a strong man!"

"Hmm..."

Luke looked around confused but then a fleeting memory of a certain goddess brutally punching his face resurfaced.

Persephone felt a chill run down her spine as she clung on to his chest.

"Persephone..."

Flinch*

"... sigh"

Luke placed his hand on her head and said.

"Seph, it's fine. I'm not mad."

Persephone quickly pushed herself back and stared into Luke's eyes.

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, I, don't know."

Persephone slowly crawled back to him placing her smooth slender hands on his face.

"I see... But, it's okay. Please, call me Seph."

Seph's face was unusual as her mouth was smiling but her eyes were sad as if a person they loved left them never to be seen again.

Luke looked at her and his heart began to ache.

'Why does it hurt me when I look at her like that...'

"Enough! Can you please get a room?! Everyone has already left and here we are still stuck here, waiting for you."

The goddess flinched once more and stood on her feet.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

Luke patted himself and stood up as well. His face turned serious as his eyes looked at her solemnly.

"Sorry, Laura."

Hearing him being so serious all of a sudden, Laura got flustered and stuttered her words.

"I-t's fine, j-just wake up quicker next time."

Seeing her back to her usual self Luke gave a chuckle and said.

"Fufu, I will."

Laura turned her face with her arms crossed and thought.

'Ugh, what was that? He's usually messin' around all the time, but why did he turn so serious.'

She recalled the serious look on his face, and her heart skipped a beat.

'You always do this to me...'

A burly man with a rugged look walked up to him. His muscles were large but perfectly toned and his face gave off an expression of a warrior.

"Haha, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.Luke! My name is Grant, please take care of me."

"Luke is fine and take care of me as well."

"Then nice to meet you, Luke!"

A girl with purple eyes walked up toward them and swept her hair behind her ear.

"I'm Violet."

"Un, nice to meet you."

"Wait... Why are there only three people?"

the three turned in a certain direction and a goddess can be seen squirming from where she stood.

"Seph?"

"Haha... nice to meet you, please take care of me."