Chosen by the Sol

A vein snapped out in Gaussian's forehead, throbbing. His pale complexion turned tan, as if he had just come back to life. Subsequently, he deeply gasped and awoke, rising from his feet with his eyes widening in utter shock.

GASP!

To his surprise, he found himself in a strange place—a place enveloped in dense fog—and only a faint beam of white light emanated, serving as the only solitary light source.

The eerie tranquility of the place was overwhelmingly palpable, as if an invisible force shrouded it in an unwelcoming aura.

In a sudden, dramatic turn of events, a forceful gust of wind pierced through the stillness, cutting through the dense fog like a sharp blade. The fog was mercilessly swept away, dissipating into thin air and revealing a resplendent full moon illuminating, sending a brimming light, showcasing a vast empty land.

Gaussian's face was puzzled. His curiosity piqued as his gaze explored the surroundings with a mix of awe and fascination.

The place was all empty, with no signs of life. There were no trees or anything. It was just him, the moon casting an eerie glow, and the unsettling feeling he could feel creeping in his bones.

Strangely enough, a moment later, a super gross odor filled the air, which was so disgusting that it made him dry heave.

"Gwhaakk—Ughghkkk!"

"Sh*t! What was that smell? The stench is worse than that of a rotting dead fish!" He complained while covering his nose with both hands.

Suddenly, he felt something rough creeping into his right foot, causing him to swiftly veer down and inspect. To his astonishment, what he saw before him was a decaying hand emerging from the ground, its fingers tightly clutching onto his right foot. With a mixture of confusion and apprehension, he gazed at the eerie sight before him and muttered in disbelief, "Huh? what is this? a decayed hand?"

The already unsettling scene then took a turn for the worse as a deafening rumble shook the ground beneath him, inducing a high magnitude tremor that caught him off guard, sending him crashing to the ground.

He quickly stood up. As he rose, he was petrified by the sight of numerous creatures made from white clay slowly, emerging from afar gradually approaching towards him.

Fear immediately surged throughout his veins, prompting him to forcefully stomp the decaying hand that was firmly gripping his right foot. It took him over five strikes to completely get rid of the decaying hand. And as soon as he was able to get rid of it, he turned and began to run away.

However, just as he was about to take a step, a long, corroded chain suddenly coiled his right foot and yanked him, resulting in him losing balance and colliding his head into the ground. 

'Ahkk! What the heck?'

He swiftly looked at the chains that were tightly gripping his right foot.

"Where the hell did this chain come from?" 

He investigates the origins of the chains. As his gaze follows the chains, his eyes fall upon a massive monster made from a woven patchwork of large stones. The monster's eyes glow in a purple hue, and it was holding the chains that gripped his right foot.

Upon seeing the monster, Gaussian was in a frantic state while hastily removing the chains.

'What the f*ck is goin on? Am I in a bad dream?'

However, he was unable to do so, as the chains were too tightly gripped and heavy at the same time.

The next moment, to his surprise, the massive monster suddenly pulled the chains, dragging him towards its place. 

This abrupt action of the monster shook the soul of Gaussian, which made him cry and yell a piercing scream of fear that echoed out through the surroundings.

"AHHHHHHHH! HELP!"

But...

SLAP!

Gaussian suddenly felt a powerful slap on his face. 

In a strange twist of events, he found himself sitting on a long bench while beads of perspiration cascaded down his face, which was now drenched in cold sweat. 

"A nightmare?" he mumbled.

Unexpectedly, in front of him stood a scruffy and skinny homeless middle-aged man who was firmly grasping the collar of his shirt. The homeless man suddenly stuck his face at him and exclaimed with irritation, "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"I said, MOVE OUT OF MY SPOT!"

After that, he spit on Gaussian's face and followed with a headbutt.

BAGSH!

Dumbfounded by the homeless man's action, Gaussian retaliated, firmly pushing the homeless man, causing him to fall over the concrete ground.

"You shitty bastard? Why'd you do that? What did I do to you?" Gaussian furiously inquired while gently pressing his aching forehead. 

The homeless man swiftly rose from his feet, snubbing Gaussian's query and aggressively advances forwards with his fist clenching in seething rage, yelling, "I said move out!"

Gaussian quickly took a defensive stance, ready to block the attack.

As the homeless man swirled his fist, Gaussian quickly evaded it.

Swiftly, he counterattacks, sending a powerful uppercut from his right hand that landed on the homeless man's chin.

BAM!

The homeless man was sent swaying, crashing back to the concrete ground—this time utterly unconscious.

"F*cking meth head." Gaussian grumbled.

After the small brawl, Gaussian departed from the scene as if nothing had happened; he left the homeless man clearly incapacitated. 

As he strolled along the quiet, deserted pavement, a sharp sensation reverberated through his forehead, a lingering reminder of the painful headbutt he had received from the homeless man, forcing him to come to an abrupt halt.

Amidst the throbbing discomfort, he couldn't help but reflect on the unsettling nightmare that had haunted his sleep earlier.

The vivid images of the dream flashed through his mind, leaving him unsettled and questioning the boundaries between reality and imagination.

Attempting to rationalize the distressing experience, he mused aloud, "Ughh! what a weird dream!"

This exclamation, however, was quickly followed by a dismissive thought, 'Maybe I am just feeling tipsy from all the beers i've drunk.'

[FLASHBACK]

Earlier, Gaussian had experienced an incredibly hectic day at work in the factory where he was working. He found himself exhausted and burdened with tasks that were completely outside his designated responsibilities. Despite feeling like a fool, he had no choice but to follow his boss's orders and continue doing the job, even though he would receive the same low salary.

To unwind after a tiring day, he finds pleasure in drinking beer along with his colleagues. 

And yes, after having a good time, the last thing he recalled was him waiting for a cab to return home while sitting on the same long bench from earlier. However, unbeknownst to him, he inadvertently drifted off and dozed off while waiting.

[FLASHBACK END]

Gaussian took out his phone from the confines of his azure denim trousers. 

"What time is it? And how long did I even fall asleep on that long bench?" he questioned himself.

Upon getting his phone to check the time, he pressed the power button, only to be momentarily impaired by the brilliant light emanating from the screen.

"Ah, sh*t, it's so bright."

However, his impaired visual perception swiftly recovered upon noticing the presence of twelve missed calls; his heart thumped in nervousness.

"Oh, dear!..."

Additionally, as he perused the contents of his phone, a bombardment of messages left him appalled.

The messages and missed calls were from his girlfriend. 

Without delay, he reached out to his girlfriend but received no response except for a continuous beeping sound.

BEEP! BEEP!

"Did she just... Aish!!"

Upon checking his messenger, he also discovered that his girlfriend had also blocked him, leaving him unable to contact her any further.

"Sh*t, this is a massive problem," he murmured anxiously while frantically scratching the back of his head.

"I'm dead—really dead," he added, scoffing and chuckling, filled with worried amusement.

"Hayst!"

He takes a deep breath. It is his way to calm his thoughts. He then began to ponder ways to contact his girlfriend.

'I still could contact her through her other social media accounts... On her twitter... what about her email?'

Unexpectedly, while thinking ways to contact his girlfriend, to his surprise, the streetlights abruptly flickered ominously with no discernible cause. Certainly, it went back to normalcy after a few seconds.

"Whoah! What the heck was that?"

He inspected his surroundings, but everything seemed to be alright. All he can hear is the tranquil serenade of the nocturnal ambiance of the empty streets. 

Yet, after a few seconds, the streetlights abruptly burst and ignited, causing the entire street to be quickly engulfed in darkness. 

"What the heck is going on?"

As darkness engulfed the vicinity, he activated his phone's flashlight and proceeded to move. However, as he was just about to take his step, not more than a hundred meters from where he was, something caught his attention causing his eyes squint upon a shadow, which swiftly led him to direct the bright beam of his phone's flashlight towards it. 

Gaussian's eyes suddenly widened. A dolly zoom struck his perception, with paranoia intensifying and engulfing his head.

It was a creature shrouded in dense clouds of darkness and had piercing red eyes conveying a menacing gaze, fixated directly on Gaussian. 

All of a sudden, to Gaussian's surprise, this unknown creature abruptly sprang towards him like a rushing wind.

SWOOOSH!

The startling speed and aggression of the creature left him completely astonished, his heart pounding anxiously.

Reacting swiftly, he made a split-second decision to retreat from his position and head back the way he came. However, in his haste, a moment of distraction led to a calamitous misstep. As he turned to flee, his foot caught on an unseen obstacle, sending him tumbling to the ground in a disorienting blur of motion. With a sickening thud, his phone slipped from his grasp, clattering loudly as it collided with the unforgiving pavement.

In the ensuing chaos, Gaussian found himself sprawled on the ground, squirming in pain. However, the pain quickly vanished from his head upon recalling the ominous creature. 

Without second thoughts, he quickly stood up. However, as he began to rise, he heard the loud roaring noise of the unknown creature. Swiveling his head in alarm, his gaze met a sight that left him rooted in a chilling mix of dread and disbelief: the otherworldly creature loomed perilously close, a mere whisper away from his trembling frame.

The proximity of the enigmatic creature sent an ice-cold shiver down his spine, locking him in a paralyzing grip of fear and wonder.

His heart thumped as time seemed to slow.

DUB-DUB!

Inside his head, he felt hopelessness to survive, and the only thing he could think of was to accept his impending demise. 

Eyes closed, he began to plead, accepting the moment as potentially his final hour: 'Dear Lord, if today is indeed my final hour, please forgive my sins. Pass on my apologies to my girlfriend, let my mother feel my deep love, and convey my affection to my father. And please assure my beloved cat, Percy, of eternal lo—'

"..."

"Eh?..."

Surprisingly, as time passed, he grew curious and stopped pleading when he realized that nothing had happened to him.

"Am I just drunk? Am I experiencing and seeing things? Am I?" He asks himself, scoffing in disbelief. 

He later vigorously shakes his head, determined to regain clarity from his inebriation; he couldn't help but entertain the notion that his intoxicated state might be causing peculiar visions. Then, suddenly, from behind him, he felt hasty taps on his right shoulder, causing him to swiftly turn around, eager to uncover the source of the taps. 

As he fully turned, much to his surprise, he came face-to-face with an unknown individual wearing a white, faceless mask.

It stood tall, towering at a height of roughly seven feet. The dark hoodie robe it wore gave its appearance an air of mystery.

"Holy sh*t! Hey! Quit with the scares!" Gaussian firmly expressed his surprise at the unknown individual who had suddenly appeared behind him.

The unknown individual then began to talk, questioning Gaussian, "Did you just see that creature earlier? The creature shrouded in dark clouds? The creature called, D'jinn?"

The unknown individual's question puzzled Gaussian. 

"Huh? What?"

Gaussian actually understood the question, considering that the descriptive inquiry closely aligned with what he had just seen mere moments ago. But there was something in the question that he couldn't comprehend.

"Dizin? Jin? Whatever it is! Are you referring to that creature that I saw in my peculiar visions?" He curiously asked the unknown individual.

"Yes," the unknown individual quickly replied.

Suddenly, it stepped back away from Gaussian, creating a distance of no more than five feet. 

After a few moments, an extraordinary event unfolded. 

SHIMMER!

A vibrant, crimson light began to emanate in a perfect circular shape on the ground between Gaussian and the unknown individual, spanning approximately three feet in radius. With each passing second, intricate lines appeared inside the circle, forming a star-like pattern that peculiarly resembled an exorcism circle. 

Gaussian was filled with a sense of awe and wonder while he gasped in astonishment.

However, his feelings then transformed into fear when he noticed a familiar creature slowly appearing from the exorcism circle.

"That is the creature!" Gaussian exclaimed, extending his right finger towards the unknown creature obscured by dark clouds. 

It was the same ominous creature he had encountered earlier, now arising within the exorcism circle. But, much to his confusion, he was utterly surprised when he saw that the unknown creature was chained with corroded chains.

"Do not be bothered," said the unknown individual towards Gaussian. It then approached the unknown creature. Upon reaching the unknown creature, he turned to Gaussian and added, "Listen up, this is a hollow creature originating from the Abbys. It is called a D'jinn!"

"This wild, menacing creature supposedly shouldn't be in your world."

After that, he gradually approached Gaussian while a dim glow, highlighting a small crimson exorcism circle, forming and appearing in his right palm.

From the small exorcism circle, lightning bolts crackled and a sharp dagger materialized. Once he reached closer to Gaussian, he dropped the dagger to the ground and subsequently inched closer. He then gently whispered, "You weren't seeing any peculiar visions, young man. It's just that your third eye is open. That's a rare ability for a normal human."

After saying that, it backed away from Gaussian. The mask it wears suddenly dissolves like particles of dust, quickly revealing its face. It continues to say, "Do not be afraid of me; I mean no harm to you." 

Surely, Gaussian wasn't afraid. Instead, he stands mesmerized, gaping, and speechless upon seeing its visage.

The unknown individual proves to be no ordinary being, but instead a gentleman adorned with exceptional beauty, grace, opulence, and charisma. His physical attractiveness surpasses that of any conventional feminine ideal, as does his level of masculinity in comparison to all men.

Furthermore, in terms of his physical appearance, his hair possesses an extraordinary quality, with each long strand emitting a radiant golden hue. His eyes glimmer with captivating shades of blue that are capable of compelling any sentient being.

Lastly, and perhaps most peculiarly, a set of dark wings abruptly emerge from his back, measuring approximately three feet in length and two feet in width, granting him an otherworldly appearance.

Gaussian was completely astounded and captivated by the impeccable beauty in front of him. Yet, even though he couldn't ascertain the identity of the unknown individual, he could create a plausible depiction based on how the unknown individual looked.

'Could this individual be an angel?' he contemplated silently. However, his eyes then squinted as he observed something peculiar about the unknown individual's appearance, causing him to reconsider his statement.

'His wings were dark, and he lacked a halo on his head and was dressed in a dark robe!'

A realization then struck him: 'Oh, sh*t! This individual may be a Grim Reaper! '

"You're wrong. I am neither of both," the unknown individual stated, interrupting Gaussian's thoughts.

"Eh?"

Gaussian was astonished that the unknown individual seemed to know what he had been contemplating, leaving him speechless for a mere moment. Curiosity led him to later question the unknown individual, "Did you just hear or read what was inside my thoughts?"

The unknown individual did not respond, but a smirk formed on his face. Suddenly, its dark wings abruptly burst into crimson flames, causing Gaussian to stumble and fall to his back in surprise. Continuously after that, the unknown individual clapped his hands—

CLAP!

—and the sound echoed throughout the street. 

With a firm tone, he declared, "Realm manipulation."

SCWOOP!

"Abbysal Peace"