It was a nostalgic and heartwarming scene where a little boy along with his parents happily joked around. The father, even though he looked crude with an unshaved beard and thick glasses, smiled so wide as he patted his son's head gently.

The mother, who looked much younger than the father, caressed her son's back while spouting warm words lovingly. The family couldn't be considered as a rich one, but at least the warmth and love made up for what they lacked in.

But suddenly, the scene changed. The boy was standing still in the middle of two lumps of bloody corpses as he cried loudly. He was too little to understand that his parents were cruelly murdered right in front of him a little while before. The murderer was no one but his father's companion, at least that was what he thought.

The scene changed again all of sudden. A beautiful young woman was smiling at the boy who was now an adult man. It could be said that they were made for each other, just like a couple of lovebirds that flirted happily. They held hands, went on dates, and even made out affectionately.

The young man was working as an underground broker, or an informant to be specific. It was a risky job, but the payment was worth the risks. He quickly raised his fame as a trustworthy broker and accumulated a great deal of fortune despite his young age.

His life was seemingly too good to be true, and he realized that someday it would fall into ruins. In order not to let that happen, he carefully chose his jobs, bought the newest security system for his mansion, and even paid some bodyguards.

After he thought it was okay to let his guard down a little, the young man decided to propose the young woman. He pledged his life to make her happy, and fortunately, the young woman accepted his feelings and cried happily.

The wedding party was held simply, but again, the warmth and love could be felt from the two lovebirds and their friends. The day seemed so perfect that he didn't want it to end.

Yet once again, fate said otherwise. 2 weeks after the wedding, at 2 a.m. in the morning, the young man got a call from one of his clients and he quickly headed out from his house, leaving his wife who was still sleeping soundly. He also took the majority of the bodyguards with him, leaving his house barely secured. The young man never knew that a group of people were aiming for him to let his guard down. They swarmed his house, killed the remaining bodyguards, forcefully barged in, and did unimaginable things to his newly-wed wife, rendering her mentally broken.

It didn't just stop there. Her wife, who was the real victim, was accused for reverse rape by the perpetrators. It then became a serious case and the court judge was corrupt and bribed, as it resulted in the perpetrators' win. The young man was forced to pay a hefty amount of fine and spent most of his wealth just for that.

He almost crumbled in despair, but his wife's treatment took priority. His wife was then assigned to a psychiatric hospital to heal her mental sickness. Working his ass off without resting, risking his safety, doing countless odd jobs, and so many more. He did all he could to support his wife's mental treatment, to the point he went back to poverty. But it all resulted in vain as his wife committed suicide right after he paid the treatment that cost all his hard earned pay.

The scene, for the last time, changed. He was already a man in his late 30s. Having lost his parents, wife, jobs, and hope, he had nowhere to turn up to. He swore allegiance to a mafia group that specialized in selling drugs and narcotics. Combined with his talents in gathering information, he quickly raised his position once more and decided to kill all the people who made his life miserable.

But everything went to crumble as he got arrested and sentenced to death for possession of drugs and narcotics.

And just right before he was executed, he laughed as he spotted three familiar faces in front of his eyes.

"This must be a dream, right?"

He couldn't hold his tears.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you."

The three familiar faces he saw were his parents and wife. His father's eye sockets were hollow, with blood running down from them. His mother's face was full of stab wounds and almost unrecognizable. His wife's neck was broken while a thick dirty rope was hanging from it.

"Yes, you couldn't do anything, kid! I should've never been proud of you!"

"You're a failure, son! Your father and I did everything we could to make sure you lived well enough! And what's the return? We died protecting you!"

"You promised to protect me, make me happy, and live the rest of your life with me, Morgan. But look! You failed! I'm dead and now you're still alive? Where's your promise that we would live and die together? Where is it, Morgan!?"

The man, Morgan, lowered his head while crying like a baby. His strongly fortified and dead heart crumbled into pieces, as he sobbed from time to time.

"Enough crying! It's already too late! I taught you to be a brave and just man! But now, look! I'm ashamed to even call you my offspring!"

"In the end, you're just all bark and no bite. I regret having given birth to a failure like you!"

"Do you still remember when you promised to make me happy? Where were you when I was raped by those bastards!?"

All those harsh words were flying at the speed of bullets, colliding into his skin, and piercing his already crumbling heart, dulling all his senses and logic. He was almost on the verge of breaking, until he regained his senses.

♦ ♦ ♦

Morgan hurriedly opened her eyes.

"... That dream again…"

She recalled that she had always had that nightmare almost everyday in her past life. She had never lived peacefully after all. She then looked to her right and spotted a pile of clothes and a pouch of coins laying around.

"Even after all of this time, I still took it with me, huh? What a sad life. Hahaha…"

She giggled although her heart felt like breaking once again.

"Hey, are you there?"

Morgan opened her mouth. Her voice was so hoarse as she also felt her throat really parched.

[Are you calling me?]

It didn't take long for the mysterious voice to reply. It seemingly responded to Morgan almost every time she called now and then.

"Who else?"

[No need to be so prickly, Morgan. I know you were having a nightmare.]

A bullseye. Morgan felt her privacy was non-existent just by talking to the voice. But one thing for sure, she knew the voice was only concerned about her. No less, no more.

"How long have I been asleep? 2 hours?"

[30 minutes. You said you suddenly felt sleepy and just passed out right after swallowing the man before.]

"30 minutes felt like forever…"

She sighed heavily, letting herself drown in her own thoughts and emotions. Her guilt for not being able to protect her promises and those dear to her grew deeper each day and she acknowledged it as her punishment.

She knew she was torturing herself for thinking like that, but she was also afraid to let go of it. The thought of her forgetting her past and moving on like nothing ever happened scarred her deeply.

And at that time, her burdens were to grow even heavier. She shouldered new responsibilities as she was given a new chance to live albeit it was shoved to her without her consent.

"I don't know what you are up to, but it seems I have no other choice but to believe you now, right?"

[... Morgan, you are overthinking it. I, or rather, we never wanted to make you feel that way. What we wanted was for the best for both of us.]

"We? Seriously, how many of you are out there?"

The more she berated, the more confusing it became.

[You knew we were only concerned for your well being, Morgan. When will you stop antagonizing us?]

"Who would believe someone who didn't come to you directly and only instructed on what to do while hiding themselves? You didn't even tell me who you are or why you gave me another chance to live! I bet you're all just some Gods who like to s━"

Morgan's words were cut suddenly as she felt a really eerie presence appeared above her. A presence that she never knew of, saw, or comprehended. All she felt was fear, absolute domination, and one thing for sure, she would never be able to stand against it. It was as if she was facing a calamity in its unseen form. Even death wouldn't have that kind of pressuring presence.

[Watch your mouth, Morgan. Even I have my limits on what is accepted and not. Do not trouble yourself about things you are not qualified to say just yet.]

The voice that should be an androgyneous was no longer there. It was deep, and somehow Morgan could see the darkness oozing from every single word the voice uttered. The voice stopped but Morgan still felt the presence. She somehow knew if it wanted to, the world would just crumble in pieces, and vanish into nothingness. That was just how absurd the presence she was facing.

[We do not wish to present ourselves. Even you, the one whom one of us resides in and someday will become one of us, are like this before our presence. What do you think will happen if we ever show ourselves to the world?]

Morgan felt as if she was standing in complete darkness, while countless eyes were staring at her sharply. But what made her feel strange was that she didn't feel any hostility from the presence whatsoever. It was as if some parents just scolded their child for doing bad things and it rendered Morgan in perplexion.

[This should be the first and the last time we ever show a speck of our presence to you, Morgan. At least until you are ready to accept us whole. Until next time.]

In an instant, the presence went away. Morgan felt like she came back to her senses after having a long, long lecture from her parental beings, to the point she was hyperventilating like crazy. She didn't fully comprehend it but she knew those parental beings were the reason why she was still alive. Gradually, her stomach felt nauseous and she couldn't hold it any longer.

"... Blergh!"

She puked and black gelatinous liquid, the same liquid that enveloped Herman's dried up corpse, came out from her mouth like a splendid waterfall. It then seeped into the ground and vanished into her shadow without any trace.

"Damn it all! What the hell was that supposed to be!?"

All she tasted was a tangy and rusty flavor in her palate buds.

[... Would you believe me now? Oh, Morgan, do not ever, even once, lump us together with those bastards you call Gods.]

The voice returned to normal, the same old androgyneous and robotic one.

"Seriously, what was that!?"

Morgan shouted as she wiped her mouth in anger for not being able to utter a single word before.