1 Everything is Not What it Seems...

"I'm sorry… but I can't do this."

Jason's voice came out with an apologetic lilt — which was unusual, considering his more promiscuous nature. It had never ever crossed his head that one day he'd bail out of such an easy hook-up, yet there he was. He had retreated until the door was against his back, his hand fumbling for the handle.

"But… but you said I was pretty!"

A new voice spoke up. And this one was feminine, wretched from the sobs and the tears.

Jason wanted to feel bad, he really did, but it was honestly her fault for not being transparent. Alexa was a gorgeous woman; that was what he had initially thought in his drunken haze, somehow failing to recognize the signs that this woman… was not quite a woman.

It was probably his fault too, for not thinking it through… at least not with the 'right' head.

"And you are!" Jason conceded. He didn't need to lie. Alexa was very beautiful, with flowing strawberry blonde hair, pale green eyes, and pouty lips. There was no trace of her previous — male — self on that angelic visage. It was crazy how much someone could change with enough money and determination.

Her body was a testament to that. 70% plastic and 30% flesh.

The appendage dangling between her legs was definitely not plastic though. She had brazenly tucked it out as soon as they moved their make-out session to her bed. To say Jason was surprised was an understatement. He was pretty sure he looked like the caricature of a deer caught in headlights.

And then she pointed it to his face.

That was his cue to nope the fuck out of there.

"But you're a dude! I'm not into dudes!"

A very, very tiny and sober part of his inebriated brain, however, didn't want to leave without throwing in an apology. And that was why his hand didn't twist the doorknob yet. Jason hoped they could part ways without any bad feelings between them.

"Liar! Liar! Liar! LIAR!" Alexa ground out, tears spilling out in continuous rivulets, "You're just like the others! Get the fuck out of here, you coward! I'm a true woman, and I have more balls than you!"

Jason was almost tempted to pull his dick out and compare sizes — if only to come out of that disastrous night with a slice of victory and dignity. Though there was nothing victorious about winning a dick contest with a woman.

"Gladly!" he said, at last, sweeping the door open and back-paddling out. Before he slammed the door shut, he poked his head back inside and smiled devilishly, "Alexa! Play 'Never Gonna Give You Up'!"

And then he was out.

Alexa's grief-laced sobs escorted him down the stairs, along with the faint tune of Rick Astely's iconic song. Hah, what were the odds that Alexa had Alexa?

It was probably rather mean of him to do that, but she deserved it. Right?

There was no need to lash out like that. Perhaps it was all of that estrogen in conflict with her testosterone that made her quite volatile.

Whatever the reason, he was going to turn in for the night with a nasty headache and an unsatisfied boner.

Each step was a herculean task due to his spinning vision and wobbly legs. And the waves of nausea didn't help.

He briefly wondered if he had enough cognitive function to hit another bar and try his luck there. He didn't want to go back home without drowning his stress in some more alcohol, or inside a lovely woman. Maybe both.

'Ah, who am I kidding. I'm too wasted…'

Jason miscalculated his next step, and as fate would have it, he tumbled all the way down.

He was too drunk to register the pain, but the sudden and erratic motion of his fall opened the pandora box that was his stomach. It gurgled threateningly, and not even holding a hand over his mouth stopped what came out of it. Jason's throat tightened, and he turned around just in time as bile spewed out of his lips.

'One last parting gift to you, Alexa.'

A laugh tore through his sore throat.

If Alexa were to see him like that, she'd be the one to laugh — if she didn't spit on his face first, that is. Or cum.

"I wanna die…" Jason croaked out, running a hand through his damp, black hair. Still, he mustered his fading strength and shoved himself up, carefully avoiding the puddle of vomit. With a hand on the wall for support, he staggered his way out of the complex.

The chilly, Autumn breeze nuzzled his face.

Jason hauled in a deep breath, his eyes drifting skyward. An endless stretch of darkness was overhead, a bright, full moon surrounded by a trail of stars.

Honestly, despite all of that misunderstanding with Alexa, it sure was a beautiful night.

He reached a hand into the pocket of his jacket, tucked a cigarette between his lips, and lit it up.

Alcohol and nicotine.

Jason lived most of his days drinking and smoking cancer. And he was not even 25 yet. He was going to die early, he knew that, but he was too addicted to stop now. He'd start the night with a few shots of Martini and end it with a well-deserved cig. Usually, sex was in-between that.

Alexa had ruined everything.

"Fuck you, Alexa!" Jason said out loud.

The window above was yanked open.

"Well, fuck you too, Jason!"

The woman — man, whatever — in question jutted her head out and snarled at him.

"You're a walking trap! You should tattoo your terms and conditions on your forehead!"

She retreated inside, and Jason was left there smiling proudly at his childish comeback.

His smile fell back down into a line when Alexa came back and hurled a vase at him.

'She's not only a man. She's got a few screws loose too.'

Jason watched as the poorly-aimed vase sailed way past him. He laughed. She had a drink too many of Sherry. There was no way she was clear-headed enough to get a bullseye from that angle.

The vase was a few inches from its inevitable shattering against the ground. However, as fate would have it — for the second time that day — a white glow whizzed out of nowhere and cushioned the vase, holding it mid-air. The blatant display of a vase giving the middle finger to the law of physics threw him off.

He blinked, confused.

Alexa was confused too.

"What the fuck am I smoking?" Jason spat his cigarette out and stomped on the smoldering remains.

"What the fuck am I seeing?" Alexa gawked.

A few moments of tension ensued. Then, the glowing vase tipped in Jason's direction, and with a sonic boom, sped forward.

"What the—"

Darkness.

////////

Was it already morning?

Jason draped a hand over his eyes to ward off a bit of that intense light. When that didn't work, he rolled around, head cocooned within his arms. That didn't work either. The light seemed to penetrate through whatever defense he put up and seared straight into his eyes, as if someone was pointing a torch at his face.

A grunt sounded out next to him.

Oh, he was not alone? Had he somehow managed to charm a pretty lady on his way home?

'Nah, I was about to pass out…'

No, actually… he did pass out. And Jason was hella sure he had never made it home either. Something was amiss.

The thought hit him like freight.

His eyes snapped open as he sprung up to his feet, still a bit rickety. There was no splitting headache that he would usually start his post-hangover morning with, nor the dry mouth or the awful breath for that matter.

Jason looked around himself in spooked bewilderment. Confusion. Fear. Curiosity. A whole host of emotions crept up to his face.

Everywhere was a perpetual, blinding white, with no end or beginning. It made Jason's black clothing stand out like a black hole in that endless void. His foot slid one step back, his eyes scampering around to hunt for a clue, a door — anything. He couldn't distinguish the depth of the ceiling, or sky, and neither could he tell the distance between one wall from another — if there were any.

Everything was so white that his spatial awareness was skewed.

Was it some sort of escape room?

An underground lab?

Was he in Area 51?

If there was one thing Jason prided himself in, was that he was extremely adaptable.

Though that was almost completely useless at the moment.

Another grunt went off, and his eyes immediately drifted towards the source.

"Alexa?" her name rolled off his tongue with a wary edge.

She grunted again, hands going up to her head as if she was the one who had a vase defy the laws of the universe just to knock her out. Her eyes fluttered open, though she was unwilling to do so due to the harsh lighting, "What… where…"

Jason sidled over to her prone, disheveled form. Her skirt was crumpled and pulled up, revealing her long, creamy white legs. She was barefoot — he briefly recalled her kicking her feet out of her crimson heels during the night, around ten minutes before he found out she had a junior between said creamy legs.

Her blonde hair was splayed around her head in a mess of silky, gilded threads.

And then her grass-green eyes focused on him.

Why did God bestow such feminine beauty to a man?

There was a flash of confusion in that delicate face, that turned into recognition once her eyes were adjusted to the blinding environment.

"Jason?"

Unlike him, she was not wary — she seemed to be stuck somewhere between resentment, sadness, and anger.

"JASON?!"

Contrary to his expectations, however, she didn't attack him. Instead, she averted her eyes in an ambivalent fashion, lips puckered up, and arms crossed defensively. Alexa was so out of it that she didn't even realize where they were.

And when she did, she gasped and looked around herself in sheer befuddlement. Jason was pretty sure that his expression was as intense and comical as hers when he came to. Unfortunately, the place was creeping him out, and he didn't want to wait for her to snap out of it.

"No, I don't know where we are… and no, this is not my doing."

Alexa stared deeply into Jason's eyes, her nose wrinkling ever so slightly.

"That vase—"

"That you threw at me…"

"—did that… unnatural thing," she curled her knees up, arms around them, "I didn't mean to… to… kill you…"

"Kill? Me?" Jason frowned, and Alexa averted her eyes again in response.

"I wanted to scare you off… for treating me like shit…"

"I didn't treat you like shit. You baited me; you deserved being dumped like that."

This time Alexa mustered a glare towards him, "I didn't… bait… you!" she spat that word as if it were venom.

Jason huffed, "Sure you didn't," and when she was about to snap a response back at him, he raised his hand, "Look! I don't have anything against shemales… but you should have been upfront with me from the get-go, instead of leading me on until the dramatic reveal."

"Come on… it was obvious that I was a male…" a stab of guilt distorted her face, and her eyes — still wet from the tears — drifted down.

"No, I didn't…" Jason's tone softened, probably because he saw some sort of backstory in that expression, "I was tipsy… and horny… and you looked female enough that I could have never picked up on it," he admitted begrudgingly, still internally scolding himself for the mishap.

A smile threatened to creep up on her face, but Alexa held it back, "You said I was pretty… I didn't want to ruin everything…"

Jason sighed and flopped on the ground in a rather undignified manner. It was cold, smooth, and so impossibly polished that his face was staring back at him. It was like sitting on a mirror, if that made any sense. He ran a hand over his face, his skin taut and pale. It used to be attractive once, now it was haggard. His eyes were a light grey color — a color so rare that was seldom seen.

It was perhaps his most prominent feature, and his deadliest weapon when it came to bewitching girls. Now they were a bit dull, like a blade losing its edge. It was still there, perfectly capable of doing damage, but not like before. Time had chipped its sharpness away.

A laugh slipped past his lips.

What had Alexa seen in him anyway?

He unconsciously looked up at her, only to find her looking back at him.

"Are you… okay?" she asked in a tentative tone.

It was funny how she seemed 'concerned' for him when not even half an hour ago she attempted murder. Actually, she might have been successful if the white room — space, void, or whatever it was — was anything to go by. On the bright side, it had an oddly calming effect on him.

"I'm fine…" he shrugged, "How did you end up here?"

She blinked at him.

"The vase hit me, yet I don't have any injuries. What is the last thing you remember before ending up here?"

"Umh…" Alexa caught her thumb between her teeth, "The vase hit me too…"

"How is that possible?" Jason was skeptical, "It already doesn't make sense that it managed to hit me…"

"I… don't know… I barely had time to blink, and then I was on the floor…"

Jason wanted to believe that she was lying, that there was a logical answer that didn't involve the supernatural. But all he had to do was take a look around. The white expanse of emptiness was all-encompassing. He had always attributed death to darkness, for it was eternal rest. And he doubted anyone could rest there.

"Are we… dead?" Alexa asked in a surprisingly meek voice.

He didn't have an answer for that.

"Maybe we should go explore or something?" It was a sound suggestion, Jason idly noted. Better than twiddling their thumbs there and waiting for… what? Someone to explain why they were there?

Jason was the first to get up, offering a hand to help her up. Alexa hesitated for a split second before she allowed herself to be pulled back up to her feet, "Thank you," she muttered.

He nodded at her.

They picked a random direction and headed towards it, marching at a sedate pace. Jason was afraid that being hasty would eventually end up with them slamming against a wall. Although, as the minutes trickled by, he was desperately hoping to hit something.

Because if there was a wall, then something must have been beyond it.

Their stroll continued for an indeterminate amount of time. It made Jason anxious. Something about the place was interfering with his perception of time. And for some reason, not even relying on his heartbeat, breathing, and own conscious awareness was of help. Even though Jason instinctively knew that the duration of one heartbeat was the same as that of one second, it was as if his brain distorted that information, making him think more time — or less — had passed. But never the accurate amount.

So he tried a different method.

Each step forward equaled one second, at least in his mind.

But then he had to take into account the time between his brain passing out the order and his body carrying it out, which could have been likewise distorted by the... space around them. The more he thought about it, the more he slowed down.

It made him sick.

And he was not the only one either. Alexa was restless, her thumb still between her teeth.

"Jason…"

He slowly stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

"W-W-What if we can't get out of here?"

Jason could see how deep her teeth had sunk into the flesh of her thumb. She didn't meet his eyes, though it was obvious she was seeking some sort of reassurance. God knows he wanted someone to reassure him too. He was a few heartbeats from going crazy, if he wasn't already, "I don't know…"

There wasn't anything remotely looking like a source of water, let alone food. Would they starve to death? Were they even alive to begin with?

Jason felt neither hungry nor thirsty, though he did feel a bit fatigued. And whether that was mentally or not, he honestly didn't know.

Alexa's eyes were downcast, losing a bit of their lively glimmer.

"Do you want to rest?"

He saw no point in continuing their exploration, and neither did she from the looks of it.

She nodded, "Umh," and lowered herself to the ground, where she wrapped her arms around herself, eyes closed.

Jason felt the urge to mimic her, if only to let his eyes embrace a bit of darkness.

Sobs wafted from Alexa, and the only silver lining about it was that he wasn't the one who made her cry.

"I'm… sorry for before," it felt right to say that at the moment, if only to make himself feel better about it, "I don't think straight when I'm drunk; no one does."

Alexa peeked out of her arms, eyes still wet, but at least the sobs had tapered off, "It's fine…" he could've sworn a smile was there, behind her arms, but he'd never know, "It was mostly my fault…but you know, I was really looking forward to it…"

He laughed. Things were headed in a dicey direction, and if he didn't defuse the situation, she might follow up with a flirt — or worse, a second invitation. 'I need something to pull us out of this deep water. Come on, Jason. Think!'

"Doesn't it… hurt?"

The question would have been easy to misinterpret if they were not experienced adults, and on a different spectrum of sexuality. Alexa understood it completely, and threw her head back in laughter. Jason was a bit more muted with his reaction, and sat there sheepishly.

"You mean… anal sex?" she wiped a finger around her eye, laughter still cracking through her words, "Really, Jason? Don't tell me you never had anal sex before."

"Well… not with a… woman like you…" Jason said eloquently.

Alexa snorted in amusement, "If you do it right, it doesn't hurt. In fact, it's very enjoyable."

He wanted to ditch topics. Hell, he'd even be willing to discuss the 'ins' and 'outs' of their death and potential imprisonment in that deadly white void. But now the ball was in Alexa's court.

Mischief danced in her eyes.

"Would you like to try?"

Jason pursed his lips inward, staring at her disapprovingly. if she was suggesting he mounted her, then it was a resounding no. If she was suggesting she mounted him, then it was a resounding hell no!

"I don't swing that way…" he added hastily, hoping she'd retreat and leave it at that.

Alexa shrugged, "It's fine. I'm more of a bottom than a top anyway."

Jason relaxed slightly.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she eventually said, her eyes anywhere but him, though the smile of amusement couldn't be wiped from her face, "I'm not going to jump on ya. Promise."

He rolled his eyes, tension flowing out of his body, "I'm sorry for rick-rolling you…"

She wrinkled her nose, frowning a bit, though it all faded and was replaced by another thousand-watt smile, "That was one hell of a way to end the night. I'll give it to you."

Jason shook his head. It was weird, really. Their relationships had gone through many ups and downs, in the span of a single night. From potential fuck-buddies, to mortal enemies, and now to this vague, post-mortem camaraderie. Which was good, actually.

He didn't want to hold grudges against her. Not now that he was sober.

"Come on now, let's put an end to this pity party."

"But that's all we can do…"

Just as he was about to rebut, the space began to shake. Jason couldn't tell whether it was the ground, the ceiling, or the unreachable walls that were vibrating. His hands fumbled around for a handhold, but only the solid, smooth ground was there.

Space was being warped in front of him, and time too, for he could see Alexa's lips moving, and her voice coming out with a heavy delay.

"JASON!"

A hole opened up in the 'ceiling'. It was so dark that not even the blinding, almost glowing, white of the void could affect it.

Then something was spat out of it.

The black hole slowly closed, and the space-quake ceased.

Time unwarped itself, and Alexa quickly rushed to his side.

"Are you okay?"

Jason nodded quietly, a hand to his head, "How about you?"

"I'm fine too… oh God, I thought… I thought that we were going to die…"

Slowly, and with her help, he stood back up.

"What the hell was that?"

He dearly hoped it was not a common occurrence there.

"You mean… 'who' the hell is that?" Alexa helpfully corrected, staring ahead of her.

Jason followed her line of sight. Not that there was any need to. Anything with the slightest color would stick out like a sore thumb in that endless emptiness. Alexa was right indeed. It was not a 'something'. It was a 'someone'.

Thick, feathery, black wings flapped miserably on the entity's back.

And that was all they could make out from afar.

"Should we approach?"

"Maybe? It looks half-dead anyway…" Jason said, unsure, "… perhaps we should poke it with a stick?"

"But we don't have a stick, Jason."

The unknown, humanoid creature started trembling.

"Is it about to explode?" Alexa gasped, retreating slightly.

"I don't understand… is it a human? half-human, half-pigeon?" Jason continued, intrigued. He would have never thought something like that was even possible, at least not without a few shots of tequila.

The trembling intensified.

"We should run…" Alexa advised, urgently tugging at his hand.

"But there's nowhere to run to."

"Then—"

"Let's go introduce ourselves," he suggested with a curious smile, "I wonder if it can speak human language. Besides, we need answers right now, and running away from them won't help us. Alternatively, if it doesn't look too humanoid, we could… cook it? Who knows, maybe this is God's gift for us? A care package in the form of a… feathery creature?"

Alexa gaped at him, "You can't be serious!"

It certainly wasn't one of his more level-headed decisions, but Jason was rather tired of this stalemate. He had a nagging suspicion that whoever that winged creature was, it was their key to get the fuck out of there, "Do we even have a choice?"

"Well, yes! We could wait here… or… or…"

"Wait? Why should we wait?" Jason tilted his head at her, eyes narrowing, "There's nothing worth waiting for here, Alexa. If this is what the afterlife is like, I'd rather strike a deal with the devil to get outta here."

Alexa's mouth opened, but he didn't wait for her response.

She stared at him as he walked off. After a few seconds of indecision, she quietly followed him. It might have been foolish, but if something happened to him, she couldn't imagine surviving in that white hell all by herself. Her mind would give in before her body did.

Those wings were bigger than Jason initially thought. Some of the feathers had been torn off, laying around the lithe body between them. He briefly looked up, where more feathers were drifting down. He held one hand aloft, gently cupping one of the black, floating quills.

A bit of blood was on the very end of the shaft.

The creature was hurt.

Jason was a bit more convinced that no harm would come upon him, though a cornered creature could react harshly if he was careless. He closed the distance between them, idly noting the beautiful mane of black hair that fell over the creature's back. It wore a black, sleeveless top — it was torn in many areas, revealing the smooth, alabaster skin underneath it.

Down below, a short skirt of the same color.

And further down, thigh-high socks, as black as its wings. If it were not for the hints of white flesh, he would have thought it was wearing a one-piece bodysuit.

So, not only was it highly humanoid, but a female too. Its height was approximately around that of Alexa, so around 5'6. Which was crazy considering the total span of its wings was twice its size.

Jason skirted around the body, his steps slow and calculated. He dropped to one knee, his head cocking to one side. The new angle allowed him a clearer view of the entity's face. And it was just as he thought. A woman. Technically he could have been wrong; he knew that. While she was humanoid-looking, she wasn't entirely human.

Maybe the same gender standards of a human couldn't be applied to her. Or maybe they could.

He shook his head, freeing himself of useless thoughts.

'Not now, Jason. Not now.'

Pale skin, high cheekbones, and a well-defined jawline. He was a bit sad, for he couldn't see her eyes. They were crammed shut, trembling in what he interpreted as pain. The drops of perspiration running down her forehead also alluded to that conclusion.

Well, it was quite obvious considering the height she fell from.

"Hey… can you understand me?" Jason whispered — he feared that talking too loud might have startled her.

There was a slight reaction on her face, either from the pain or from his words he didn't know.

"How can I help you?" he continued, not knowing the extent of the damage. There was a bit of blood on her wings, but that was it. Maybe it was internal? Broken bones perhaps? He scanned her body, but found no swelling or purple marks. Her appearance was mystical, so her injuries might have been mystical in nature too?

Jason wished he could scoop her up in his arms and take her… where? There was no first aid kit there. Certainly not a hospital.

The winged woman cracked one eye open. It was a perfect blend of purple and red. A soft wine color.

"Just… give me a couple of minutes…" she croaked out, glaring at him, "Also… I'm no pigeon!"

Jason was floored. He was honestly expecting a feminine, celestial voice worthy of her looks. Not this childish, boyish tone with a slight girlish pitch.

"Is she okay?"

Alexa crouched down next to him. He could see surprise and uncertainty on her face.

"I don't know. She seems to be recovering though."

"Well… that's good?" it came out more like a question than a statement.

He laughed, "I hope so."

"She's beautiful…" Alexa muttered, her eyes roving the seemingly flawless body of the wounded creature.

"That she is," Jason admitted.

A slight blush came to the winged woman's cheeks.

"Oh, look! She's blushing! She's embarrassed!"

Alexa gushed, hand over her mouth, "Ohh my! How cute!"

The blushing intensified.

A round of chuckles resounded, much to the creature's chagrin.

Time passed — how much exactly, Jason could only guess.

The winged creature's breathing slowed down to a normal rhythm. The twitch of her eyes ceased, and so did the outpour of sweat. She looked like she was sleeping.

Alexa had her knees curled up to her chest as she stared at him.

"What?" he quirked one eyebrow at her.

She shook her head, "Nothing. I didn't know you could be this thoughtful."

At some point, Jason had slipped off of his jacket, and draped it over the creature's wings, offering a sliver of warmth to her trembling body. He was also the one to suggest keeping their tone low. This considerate side of him had caught her a bit off guard, "I tend to be when I'm not drunk," he whispered.

"Then, why do you drink?"

He shrugged, "To take the edge off?"

She didn't buy it, "Smells like a lie."

"Why does it matter? If I was any sober, there was no way you would have brought me back home."

Alexa flinched a bit, realizing the truth of it, even though it didn't sting any less.

"Sorry…" Jason sighed.

She shook her head with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Silence ensued.

The thought of being 'dead' truly drove home when no pangs of hunger or thirst could be felt. In fact, even his craving for smoke was nowhere to be seen.

It was as if all those mundane desires had been purged from his body. He didn't know whether to be happy or not about that.

Taking a piss right now would surely be the distraction he needed.

The winged woman — creature — stirred awake. This time, both of her eyes cracked open. Her wings twitched, slowly unfolding and fanning out. It took quite a bit of effort, he could see it in her face. She might have been feeling better, but healing came with pain. It was the truth for mortal creatures such as Jason, and unexpectedly, also for the creature in front of him.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked up at him with those bright, burgundy orbs of hers, "Have you ever taken a 30 inch cock up your ass?"

He frowned, blinking at her, "Excuse me?"

"Well! That's how it feels like!"

"Did you… really t-take such a huge thing up your ass?" Alexa asked, terrified and fascinated in equal measure.

"What? No!"

Jason wanted to detach himself from the conversation, "Who are you?"

The burgundy-eyed beauty managed to push herself up to her feet. One of her gloved hands was closed into a fist, and she seemed to be extremely protective of what was within it, "I'm Raven," she said, her wings flapping and bringing her up in the air in a burst of speed, "Goddess of the Traplings!"

"Goddess of the… what?" Jason was confused, while Alexa was simply in awe at the sight of a 'Goddess'.

"Traplings!" Raven repeated with a fangy smirk.

"Uh-huh…" he shook his head with a laugh, "Are they humanoid creatures like you?"

"Creatures?" Raven didn't seem pleased, "I'm a higher being, a Goddess! I could snuff out your soul with a snap of my fingers, and with a second snap erase the entire dimension you spawned from! Beware how you speak, mortal!"

Her haughty tone made the threat sound like a temper tantrum. Jason didn't take her seriously, "Alright… why are we here?"

She held a hand to her chest, her smile condescending, "It's because I've chosen you!"

"Umh…" Alexa piped up, "What about me?"

Raven snorted, "You're collateral damage."

"EXCUSE ME?"

If they were in a cartoon, an arrow would have pierced straight through Alexa's heart.

"Besides… what are you? A man? A woman? Why did you sully your body with those plastic extensions? You look ugly."

A second arrow.

"Truly pitiful. Are you trying to imitate a Trapling's innate beauty and grace? What a joke. Now step aside, fake woman," she waved her hand dismissively, shooing Alexa away.

A third arrow.

Jason was briefly amused by the exchange, but immediately focused on more important questions, "What did you choose me for?"

With a flap of her wings, Raven zoomed in on his face, her hands on his cheeks, "To be the Protector of the Traplings!" her smile fell down into a thin line, and Jason could finally see a glimpse of weariness behind that cheeky attitude, "… my people are not in a good situation right now, and due to the divine laws I can't personally interfere. I'm a Goddess, yes, but I'm not the only one. And neither am I the most powerful."

She released him, and Jason couldn't help but take a second whiff of her scent…

… until his eyes landed on her throat, where he made out a slight bulge.

Adam's Apple.

A trait that belonged exclusively to males.

"You…" he started, feeling a great deal more depressed.

"Me… what?" Raven cocked her head sideways.

"You're a guy…"

"I'm not!" she puffed up her cheeks, "I'm a Trapling!"

"Which means?"

She — he — waved his hand furiously, "Forget about it! You wouldn't be able to understand anyway!"

There was no doubt that. Jason was quite disappointed, but didn't feel like pursuing that train of thoughts anymore, "Then why do you want me to be a Protector?"

"I was not the one who chose you. The Crystal of Destiny was," Raven said, sounding defeated, "I caught bits and pieces of your life. I don't know what it saw in you, but it did indeed find you the most suitable for this job. I'm not particularly happy about your outright refusal of mating with this… fake woman… only because she doesn't have a vagina. But I won't go against the Crystal of Destiny's will."

There was too much information for Jason to process, "I'm a bit overwhelmed…"

"This job comes with privileges—"

'And here comes the salesman's pitch…'

"—Not only will your body be restored to its prime condition. You'll also receive my blessing, power beyond your mortal mind's comprehension, limitless growth, expanded longevity, forever youthful looks should you reach a certain peak in your powers, a game-like interface to keep track of your growth, and…"

Raven unclenched his fist in one theatric motion.

And hovering atop his dainty, feminine hand was a crimson orb in the shape of an atom. Electrons and protons glided around the rings, colliding with each other, along with other particles that looked 'divine' in nature. This attraction between opposites charges caused a powerful discharge of crimson lightning.

Jason and Alexa both took a couple of steps back.

Raven cupped his other hand on top of the atom, hiding the bloody beams of lightning from view.

"… and this… Sanguine Lightning," there was a wary yet resolute look on his face, his voice an octave lower, "When a powerful deity dies, the energy in their body becomes violent, and a thunderstorm of unimaginable magnitude wrecks havoc in the cosmos. This is the core of that thunderstorm, Jason. And I'm willing to give it to you…"

"Why…" Jason frowned, his brain fizzling out due to the currents of thoughts, "… that doesn't look like something you should give to… well, mortals?"

Which meant he had already come to terms with the fact that Raven was, in fact, some sort of divinity.

"Yes, you're right. I'm breaking the divine laws by doing this… but I'm desperate," Raven closed his eyes in a silent plea, "The Traplings are really in a bad condition. I wouldn't go this far if the situation was somehow salvageable, but sadly, it isn't. They need someone that can act as their sword and shield. I promise you that they're all very sweet and kind people, just… misunderstood."

A dark look came over Alexa's eyes.

Jason was ambivalent, "This sounds like a dangerous task."

He didn't want to do it. Not if there was a more palatable alternative, maybe in the form of going back to his world. But he didn't pin his hopes on that too much. A nagging thought told him that it was not that simple.

They might have already died. Surviving a vase sky dropping on your head was not impossible. Surviving a vase diving towards you at the speed of sound was less so.

"It is," Raven admitted, "That's why I'm giving you so many boons. The stronger you are, the higher the chances. I can't outright give you divine power; that's the best I can do at the moment. Look, if it were any other God or Goddess, you would have been thrown straight into their world, without so much as sparing a minute to explain why."

Alexa tugged at Jason's hand, "I think we should help out."

Of course, she would think that. If those 'Traplings' were just like Raven, then they might have been the companionship Alexa had been craving for her entire life.

Raven smiled pleasantly, "Your friend might be ugly, but she has a good heart."

"…"

Jason narrowed his eyes, "Is there a chance to go back to our own world if we complete the task?"

Was there even a specific requirement besides 'protecting the Traplings'?

It was pretty vague. It didn't say how long he'd have to protect them — or from who. That meant there was no time limit, and arguably, it could take him decades, if not centuries, to complete the assignment. Maybe Raven had done so on purpose, to benefit from Jason's services for as long as he could.

"Well… technically, there is," Raven fidgeted, which didn't promise anything good, "But I'm not sure if that's a good idea. You see, 17 years have already passed since you got here. You've been buried, your relatives had enough time to mourn and get over your death. You're nothing but a memory… "

Alexa gasped, hands over her mouth, "N-No way!"

"Time flows differently here. And in Acroim — the world you'll be sent to — too. And by the time you get there, you'll be completely forgotten. There'll be no one on Earth who knows, knew, or will know about you. If you're lucky enough, your name might survive somewhere in a database."

Jason closed his eyes, heaving a deep breath to control his emotions. It was not as if he had close ties back there. His parents were long gone. One had offed himself by taking too many pills, while the other couldn't bear the weight of raising a child all by herself and followed suit. Both had shared the same deathbed, and ironically, the same modus operandi.

His hedonistic lifestyle had severed any friendships he had.

And the few relatives he had left turned their backs on him once they saw the debauched mess he had become.

He couldn't fault them.

Jason had nothing left on Earth, unless you counted an unopened American Highway Reserve Bourbon as 'something'. He was saving it for a special occasion too.

"You're reacting more calmly than I would have thought," Raven commented as he stared thoughtfully at Jason, "Maybe that's one of the reasons why the Crystal of Destiny chose you? Who knows…"

Alexa was still in a catatonic state, eyes splayed wide open. Her knees were trembling, about to give in. But she held herself together, wiping the tears away before they could fall, "W-What am I supposed to do?"

Raven shrugged, "Since you're already here, you might as well go with him. I'm certain you'll learn to appreciate beauty in its truest form. You'll understand that there is no need to undergo surgery to feel better about yourself."

"I wasn't born as pretty as you…" Alexa hissed in resentment, "You don't know what it's like to live a lie…"

"Perhaps," Raven's wine-tinted eyes flashed mysteriously, "But you'll meet many people who do. Don't take it out on them because you weren't born as pretty as them. We all have our own issues."

Alexa averted her gaze.

Jason slowly fluttered his eyes open, his breathing more regular, his brain less fogged by uncertainty. Raven nodded appreciatively at the changes he saw in him, "This is a chance to start over…" he said quietly, taking both Alexa and Raven by surprise.

"Jason, what are you sa—"

"Raven, I would like to take your offer. However…"

Raven tilted his head, surprised yet pleased, "However?"

"Don't mistake my compliance for blind loyalty and submissiveness. I don't know you. I don't know those 'Traplings'. I have no real reason to help them more than I already have to. This will be temporary, Raven. Once I deem them 'protected' enough, I'll leave."

As much as Alexa was shaken by the news of her death, she still managed a gasp at his choice of words.

Raven didn't seem pleased either, though he didn't look like he was going to act on it, "Quite impudent of you, Jason. Considering I'm the one who's going to bestow you your means of survival."

"Not at all, Raven. You killed us both, didn't you? A magical crystal gives you a target, the torchbearer of some kind of prophecy, and you kill them. You force them to do your bidding. No questions asked, just like the other Gods you mocked. Who would have thought? Gods can be more human than humans themselves…"

Raven's face twisted, though it quickly smoothed over into an amused smile, "So what? I'm a Deity, human. I'm entitled to play around with the lives of inferior beings. Surely, you don't apologize when you step on an ant, do you?" his smile widened, revealing pearly whites and sharp canines, "I know a lot about you, Jason. If I didn't intervene, you would have ended up dead in your thirties, somewhere underneath a bridge, in a puddle of your own filth. You were wasting your life away. I gave you purpose. I hope you'll learn what 'gratitude' is, because I might just snap you out of existence next time we meet."

"You have a lot to lose here, Goddess. Don't gamble with the fate of your people."

"You're in the same boat as I," Raven slung his head back and laughed, "What? Death is not the end of the race in this realm, Jason. That's too light of a slap on the wrist for those who break the divine laws."

"What does that have to do with me? I didn't choose to be here."

"You're an ant. An ant has no opinion or sway in whatever Gods decide. If I get caught, you'll be serving the same sentence as me."

He put a lid on the flare of anger that threatened to burst forward at Raven's words.

Alexa tugged at Jason's shirt. There were still a few glistening marks underneath her eyes, he idly noticed, though the sniffing had ceased, "Stop arguing. It's not worth it. Nothing will come out of it. What's done is done."

"I'm giving you the potential to become someone on equal standing as me, Jason," Raven amended, his eyes softening, "An ally, if you must. It's not going to be easy. It's not going to be a happy journey. But the Crystal of Destiny believes in you. Do not underestimate the wisdom of a divine artifact. It has never been wrong once. I'm willing to put my money on you. It's all I have. If you fail, so do I."

Alexa was slightly moved by Raven's speech, her hand relinquishing its hold on his shirt.

Jason shifted his gaze from Raven to the slightly smiling Alexa, then back to Raven. He was not unreasonable. And as much as it displeased him, he could see the truth in Raven's words. He was useless. He would have died without accomplishing anything.

And now he was being offered a second chance. Granted, this second chance came about out of sheer desperation than kindness.

Still…

"I really need to stop burning bridges," Jason muttered, running a hand through his hair as he averted his gaze, "Fine. I'm willing to cooperate with you, but I stand by what I said earlier. I don't want you to restrict my freedom or chain me down in one place. I'll make sure the… Traplings are safe, but after that, I'll be on my own."

Raven crossed his arms, "I guess that's fair…" and then his lips went up ever so slightly, "Though I doubt you'll ever want to leave once you settle down there."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Intuition ~" Raven sang as he smiled enigmatically.

Jason zipped his lips.

"Alright! Are you ready to go? My lovely Traplings are waiting for your arrival!"

So it was finally time, huh?

Jason still wasn't entirely sure about it, but the thought of a 'second chance' made his heart palpitate. He straightened his back and nodded, "Yes," then he looked at Alexa.

As if sensing the question in his gaze, she wiped the leftover tear stains around her eyes and nodded resolutely.

Raven flapped her wings, and in nigh an instant, she was in front of Jason, "You'll need this," her fist unclenched, and lightning crackled all around them.

Jason's hair stood on its ends, his vision blotched out by crimson beams rocketing out everywhere.

And then Raven thrust the Sanguine Lightning through his chest. There was no resistance. No pain. Only a slight numb sensation as the divine orb phased through him. Jason's heart went on a throbbing spree, with barely a fraction of a second between each beat. He dropped to his knees, hand clutching the fabric over his chest.

A familiar scent turned his head up.

Light grey met burgundy.

He felt the brush of slender fingers against his face. So soft and delicate.

Jason clenched his teeth and forcefully snapped his eyes away from the wayward Deity.

A giggle tinkled out, "What are you getting so flustered for?"

He didn't bother to answer that question, not that he could anyway. His heart was desperately trying to punch its way out of his chest. Lightning crackled through his bloodstream. A well of power surged out, arching his back and leaving him breathless.

An unknown source of energy had taken residence in his heart. It thrummed with each beat, pumping more lightning.

He could feel it. He couldn't access it, but he could feel it.

There was so much of it that he thought he was going to explode. Ironically, something did explode, but it was not him.

It was his heart.

"W-What…"

Pain. White-hot blinding pain assaulted him.

His vision spun, his body slumping down. Alexa's concerned voice was like a distant echo in his ears, so close yet so far.

Was she touching him? He couldn't tell.

Was that what death truly felt like? It was not instantaneous like earlier, when he blacked out before his nervous system could register the pain, or the shock.

Everything was in slow-motion right now.

Raven opened his arms and welcomed Jason into his bosom, "Shh... don't let it conquer you, Jason. Treat the pain as a motive. Grow stronger because of it. Your will is a whetstone, sharpen your blade with it."

The hot rush of pain slowly abated into a dull throbbing ache. Jason breathed in and out, Raven's scent mixing with the sweet hauls of oxygen, "My heart..." he muttered, anxious, "It... it exploded..."

"That's normal," Raven ran her fingers through the back of his head in gentle, soothing strokes, "After all, a puny human's heart can't accommodate the power of the Sanguine Lightning. No need to be concerned, though. A new one will be forged soon enough."

And then Jason felt it.

A throb, followed distantly by a second. And then a third. A fourth. And so on.

Something was beating where his heart used to be. That foreign energy had ensconced itself where the beats were coming from. And each beat pumped vigorous energy throughout him.

The phantom pains faded, along with his mental fatigue.

Jason clenched and unclenched his fists, vaguely 'feeling' an immense amount of power flowing through his vessels. Slowly, he got up, disentangling himself from Raven's embrace in the process.

The God—ess eyed him up and down before nodding approvingly, "Looks like it's a success. I was not sure about it since this is the first time something like that has been attempted on a human. Ha, but it worked!"

Jason gave him a blank stare, but ultimately sighed, not feeling like arguing anymore. He rested a hand on his chest, confirming that the beats were indeed there, and that he was alive.

"It's time for you two to go," Raven put on a brave smile, but the cracks of her concerns could still be seen, "Well, I have one more final gift for you."

An orb of light departed from her fingers, split into two, and each sphere slammed against Jason and Alexa respectively.

[System initializing...]

[...]

[Trapling System's new host: Jason Steelwar]

[This system was created by Raven, the Trap Goddess ~ Mechus, the Engineering God ~ and Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.]

[Acknowledgements: Candis, the Heavenly Sword.]

[All rights reserved.]

A slew of blue screens flashed in front of Jason, overlaying on top of each other.

And by the dazed look on Alexa's face, she was faced with the same screens.

Raven whipped her arm in a downward slash, and the energy specks left behind by her fingers morphed into a crack in the white space. There was no suction force like Jason would expect from something akin to a black hole. It was eerily calm and dark, exactly like the hole Raven was spewed out of earlier.

"Let no harm come unto my Traplings," Raven stated, more to Jason than to Alexa. In fact, she was barely spared a glance.

Jason couldn't make a promise he wasn't sure he could keep, "I'll do my absolute best..." there was still a tinge of unwillingness there, but since Raven was providing most, if not all, the power he was going to protect them with, it left a less sour taste in his mouth.

"W-What about me?" Alexa's face was twisted into an embittered frown. Which made sense. She had been told she was ugly, collateral damage, and from the way Raven dismissed her presence, she probably felt unneeded too.

Raven must have realized that, for her face softened a bit, "I guess I've been too harsh on you. You're human, after all. You don't know any better. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

A purple swirl of energy hovered atop Raven's hand. And at a speed that far outclassed what their eyes could perceive, it impacted Alexa's forehead. There didn't seem to be any pain, but she still fell down, unconscious.

Jason scowled, and glared a silent question Raven's way.

A shrug and a roll of the eyes was his answer, "She's going to be fine. I made some minor adjustments to her body, and left her with a small gift. She won't be dead weight, so treat her well!"

Whatever Jason was about to say was cut off. An unseen force levitated him and Alexa off the ground.

And then they were thrown into the crack.