"I will be gold…" Melissa whispered as she staggered toward the left light. Every step burned her strength; her legs threatened to fold.
"You need some help?" Rosamire called out. Melissa froze, motionless. Then her body collapsed, tumbling into the light.
She awoke to the sound of fingers snapping in her face. Melissa blinked and saw a red Imp staring at her, worry etched into their trembling frame. She was sitting in mud; her pink dress replaced by a floral one, her bright blue pigtails dulled and frayed.
"You said a lot of cryptic stuff, Samiel!" Zero stammered, eyes darting away. "Ruling humanity? That's a joke, right?"
Melissa frowned. "What are you talking about? Aren't you the serial killer?"
"Serial killer? How! I'd never hurt anybody." Zero whimpered, sweat dripping down his face.
Melissa stepped closer. "Who is Samiel? Why'd you call me that?"
"This isn't you, darling… Did something happen? You were so excited about the enlightenment. I'm sorry for saying you shouldn't do it!" Zero's voice cracked. He was no devil here — just a coward. Perfect prey.
Melissa clutched her head, falling to her knees. "I lost my memories, babe. I need reminders on what to do."
"Oh, that makes sense! Then you go to Ezekiel's tower!" Zero perked up, demeanor swinging to cheerful.
"Ezekiel?"
"You know, lord of all three kingdoms! No way you forgot that! You probably even forgot this is Invalia!"
Melissa bolted, chasing the sun across a wasteland. She muttered, "The books said follow the sun… but how would he know that? He never knew anything about enlightenment." She stopped and turned back.
A voice answered. "So you share that memory too."
Melissa spun to see Eliza. Blood-red hair, ruby-pink eyes, a white gown stainless as heaven. But her face was wrong: mortified, trembling, mouth quivering corner to corner.
"Aren't you—" Melissa's own mouth shook.
"You're the reason I'm like this." Eliza's voice was quiet, broken. Her gaze pierced Melissa's chest. "After the enlightenment, I killed Ezekiel. We were that powerful."
"We?" Melissa spat.
"He spoke an incantation — split power from personality. Me and you." Eliza crushed sand in her hand.
Melissa stayed silent.
"As God of Matter I can enter any reality. But I can't stay soulless anymore." Eliza grabbed her hand. "We must become one again."
"No."
For the first time, Eliza faltered.
Melissa twisted — body contorting into a red spiral mass, swelling endlessly. The thing screamed in tongues at Eliza, purple swirls gnawing the sky.
The god trembled.
The monster consumed the wasteland. Eliza fled higher and higher until she whispered, "We'll speak when you're stable… I don't know which role I am now." She snapped her fingers.
Melissa punched out of her cocoon, breathing hard. Five strangers were already gathered, talking near broken pods. She ignored their faces until one raised a gun toward her — then lowered it.
"You're the girl!" said a boy in a grey jumpsuit and biker gloves.
"That red swirl… was that you, blue bonnie?" A cowgirl with golden curls leaned on him.
"Calm down, Richard. Roxanne." A tuxedoed boy with slicked hair adjusted his round glasses. A zigzag scar cut down one eye. "She's Balaternian. Dangerous."
"Gloxer, we should leave," said an orange-skinned goblin in spiked shoulder pads.
"Enough. I should just decay her!" Richard growled, stepping forward—until he felt cold steel at the back of his head.
"Ilya!?" He froze.
The girl with the pistol, brunette hair in a bun, green apron tied neatly, aimed steady. "My mother would've done the same."
"Every day it's Emilia this, Emilia that!" Mog the goblin groaned.
"Shut it, Mog," Gloxer snapped. "We'll deal with her later. Let's move."
The quintuple departed. Melissa trailed behind them back into the auditorium.
Chaos reigned.
"I told you! Shut the fuck up!" Famine was nose-to-nose with Gabriel, spitting rage.
"I can't pay you today!" Gabriel shouted back.
Jeremiah, Saraline, and Psylaiso groaned in unison. Felix cackled from Psylaiso's side. Jonah and Lichness chuckled behind Famine. Dara huddled under Jeremiah's chair, hands clamped to her ears. The quintuple Melissa had joined earlier whispered with the Saints.
"What's going on?" Melissa asked, stepping in.
"Shut up!" Famine barked. He sneered. "Oh, you're Paris' sister."
Melissa groaned, slouching into a seat. Her eyes drifted to the right door — and froze.
Zero walked in, a mermaid floating beside him.
"What's going on here?" Zero asked, plopping down beside Melissa. The mermaid perched next to him, smiling.
"Shut up!" Famine barked again.
"No, you shut up, skeleton!" Nil snapped, her voice cutting sharper than his.
"Attention!" Merlin's voice cracked through the uproar. "The first challenge — face your past — is complete! There will be an interlude of several days. Dorms have been prepared. Extra space for you all!"
With a single swing, Merlin's arm cast a gale that shoved every participant out of the room. The golden doors slammed shut.