Cherreads

Chapter 14 - Ch 9 - New Beginning and Warm Welcome

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Hey guys some important information at the end of the chapter.

Also if i get 10 powerstones in the next 24 hrs ill release a double chapter.

Hope you enjoy and thank you for reading.

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The descent into the atmosphere was gentle at first, the clouds parting as if recognizing Death's presence and respectfully making room. Erik hovered beside her, awestruck, feeling the world's booming symphony of life growing louder with every passing second.

As the cloud cover thinned, the surface revealed itself in sprawling color.

Forests stretching farther than the horizon.

Oceans vast enough to swallow entire galaxies' worth of coastlines.

Cities, massive, gleaming, alive with motion. Dotting continents old and new.

The world pulsed with sound.

Vibrant. Chaotic. Familiar… yet not.

Erik exhaled slowly. "It feels full."

Death nodded. "This is a world shaped by stories."

He tilted his head. "What kind of stories?"

"Many kinds," she replied. "Some you might recognize."

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They touched down on a rooftop overlooking a vast metropolis. Skyscrapers pierced the sky like polished steel giants, neon lights sparkling along their sides.

But Erik's eyes immediately caught subtle oddities: A tower that resembled Stark Tower, only larger, sleeker, and marked not with "STARK" but a symbol he didn't recognize, something between advanced technology and classical design.

A distant building shaped unmistakably like the Daily Planet, though its globe shined with a faint golden aura, almost magical.

Streets where both sleek hovercrafts and ordinary cars moved side by side, as if two technological eras coexisted without conflict.

Posters across nearby buildings: faces he had glimpsed through mortals' "music prayers" long ago.

Heroes. Legends. Some wearing Marvel armor. Others with DC insignias. All blended into one crowded tapestry of a shared universe.

Erik's eyes widened. "This world… mixes realities."

Death smirked softly. "Multiverses bleed. Sometimes they braid together instead of tearing apart."

"Is that normal?"

"For this world," she said, "yes."

Erik stepped to the rooftop edge, listening.

Voices rose from the streets below, vendors shouting, children laughing, music blaring from open windows. The vibration of hundreds of thousands of lives created a rhythm all its own.

The city had a heartbeat.

He closed his eyes.

"It's overwhelming," he whispered.

"Good overwhelming or bad?"

He smiled faintly. "Good."

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They stepped off the rooftop. Not falling, simply drifting, landing gently onto a bustling walkway.

Immediately, Erik felt the sounds washing over him.

Metal boots clanked as armored police patrolled, some wearing uniforms reminiscent of SHIELD, others bearing symbols eerily close to the GCPD.

A small group of teenagers ran past, one wearing a shirt featuring a stylized lightning bolt. Another had a mask perched on his head like a casual accessory.

A massive holo-billboard showed news coverage of something called The Unity Accord, a treaty apparently involving multiple hero factions trying to regulate superpowered conflicts.

Erik raised a brow. "These people, they live among gods."

Death nodded. "Some worlds embrace power as part of life."

"And they don't fear it?"

"They fear plenty," she said with a soft laugh. "But they also adapt."

Erik watched a flying car zip by overhead, chased by a woman wearing a red cape who seemed completely unbothered by physics.

"Interesting world."

"Very," Death agreed. "And it's only one of many."

She gestured lightly, as if sweeping the whole horizon into view.

"This planet holds pieces of countless universes. Not just Marvel. Not just DC. Many others too mixed, merged, blended over time. You'll find remnants of worlds you've never seen. Races you've never met. Tech that shouldn't exist beside magic that shouldn't work at all."

She paused. "And yet, it functions."

Erik let out a soft hum of fascination.

He didn't know how else to describe the feeling except right.

A world where contradictions lived harmoniously. 

A world loud enough to drown loneliness.

A world full of music, literal and metaphorical.

After a time, Death rested a hand on his shoulder. "There's more."

They lifted off the ground, drifting high above the city until continents unfolded below them like pages of a colossal storybook.

Erik stared.

He saw:

A desert region, red sands glowing faintly with energy, hinting at alien influence or ancient battles yet forgotten.

A northern frozen land, where colossal statues of unknown heroes, some familiar, some not. Stood half-buried in snow.

A lush central continent, brighter and greener than Earth's Amazon, humming with magical signatures he recognized from beings across countless universes.

Islands shaped in impossible geometry, bending gravity in elegant arcs, bridges of light connecting them like constellations brought to life.

Death watched him absorb it all.

"Well?" she asked. "Does it still feel right?"

Erik didn't answer immediately.

He hovered there, listening, really listening.

The world spoke in layers. Voices, heartbeats, machinery, magic, storms, energy fields… and beneath it all, something steady.

A tone. A resonance. A frequency matching his own.

His chest thrummed softly.

"This world," he said at last, voice quiet but sure, "is a symphony."

"You like it?" Death asked.

He breathed out slowly, almost reverently.

"I think," he said, "this is home."

Death smiled.

Then the world below hummed, just slightly… As if welcoming him.

Erik hovered above the vast landscape, the world sprawling beneath him like a living tapestry. His chest still thrummed with that strange resonance, an echo so gentle he almost thought he imagined it.

But then the wind shifted.

A soft breeze brushed against him, warm despite the altitude, carrying with it a faint hum.

A hum he did not create.

Erik stiffened slightly. "…Did you hear that?"

Death looked at him calmly. "I hear many things. What do you hear?"

He didn't answer at first. He just listened.

The wind hummed again, three soft notes.

Not language, not a voice, just awareness.

"Death," he whispered, "the planet responded to me."

This time, she smiled knowingly. "Of course it did."

Erik's eyes widened. "This world is… alive?"

"Not alive like a person," she clarified. "But worlds have consciousness. Some faint, some strong. Some fractured by wars or tragedies. Some are strengthened by life and hope."

She looked out over the horizon. "This one listens more than most."

Erik glanced down again. The resonance tugged gently at him, not pulling, not demanding, just acknowledging him.

Like a greeting.

Like the world was saying,

I hear you.

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As Erik descended closer to the surface, subtle shifts rippled across the environment.

Not dramatic. Just curious.

They passed over a massive forest, trees larger than Earth's redwoods.

As Erik drifted above the canopy, the leaves tilted toward him like sunflowers following sunlight.

The branches rustled in a rhythm matching his heartbeat.

He stared. "They're reacting."

Death chuckled softly. "They're harmonizing. Many plants here are sensitive to magical or cosmic frequencies."

Erik placed a hand on his chest. "My presence is affecting them."

"Not affecting," she corrected. "Resonating."

He swallowed. "Is that good?"

"If it were bad, the forest would be screaming."

He blinked. "Comforting."

They moved farther until they hovered above a boundless, shimmering ocean.

A moment later, the waves shifted subtly, rising in spirals beneath him. Not violently. Playfully.

The sea made ripples in perfect circles around where he floated, like water acknowledging a familiar song.

Erik's breath hitched. "It's everywhere. Not just the wind or trees. The whole world is listening."

Death nodded. "You are the First Sound. Worlds that contain music, magic, and soul will always feel something when you're near."

He gazed down at the spiraling ocean.

"It feels like a heartbeat," he whispered.

"Perhaps it is," Death murmured.

When they drifted toward one of the major cities, Erik pulled back instinctively.

"Maybe we shouldn't, I don't want to unsettle the people."

"You won't," Death assured. "Most mortals can't perceive what you radiate. They only feel an emotion they can't explain."

Erik hesitated. "What emotion?"

"Comfort. Calm. Like hearing a song from childhood."

He blinked. "That's, unexpectedly gentle."

"You're not what the Great Ones feared you'd become."

He didn't respond, but a soft smile teased the corner of his lips.

They hovered above the city's skyline.

Below, a street musician strummed a guitar on a corner.

When Erik drifted past, the musician paused, frowned, and tuned his instrument slightly, as if he suddenly sensed the correct pitch without knowing why.

A child with headphones stopped mid-step, looking around curiously.

A flock of pigeons rose from a rooftop and formed a loose spiral in the sky.

City lights flickered, not malfunctioning, but pulsing faintly in a rhythm matching Erik's hum.

Death nudged him lightly. "You see?"

Erik stared in awe. "They don't even know I'm here."

"No," Death agreed. "But their world does."

Erik landed on a quiet overlook outside the city. Death joined him, her presence warm and steady beside him.

He took a slow, deep breath.

"This world welcomes me."

Death tilted her head. "Do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"Because," she said, stepping closer, "you didn't shape this world. You didn't influence its birth. You didn't force yourself into its story."

Her expression softened. "You simply arrived. And it chose to hear you."

Erik closed his eyes, overwhelmed in the softest way.

"I've never been chosen." he whispered.

Death placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You were today."

A soft hum rolled through the wind once more, matching Erik's internal resonance perfectly.

Not louder. Not stronger. Just synchronized.

Erik opened his eyes.

"This is the one," he said again, more certain than ever.

His voice didn't echo. It didn't thunder.

It just fit.

"This is home."

Death smiled, warm and truly happy.

"Then," she said gently, "let's explore it properly."

Erik nodded.

And the world hummed one last time, as if whispering.

Welcome.

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Ok guys hope you enjoyed it. Let me clarify something.

Erik's personality is kind of cowardly and cautious at the moment and that is fine, remember he was trapped for eons in a seal where he could not hear or see anything change until he was free. And even though he gained all the knowledge after being free, he still needs to adjust. Even as a god its not easy to adapt. After all most if not all gods have a hard time adapting to change. But dont worry Erik is just worried he will destroy his chance at freedom. His mindset will change soon into more of a confident person. It will take time but in the next few chapters or so you will see a subtle change.

The world Erik is in has DC and Marvel elements to it. Some plots will be the same, some will change since new factions are introduced together. And yes there are other worlds mixed in as well. I don't want to spoil it but it can be from anything remember that. Anime, tv shows, movies… anything. I already have a few in my mind. If you have any good suggestions let me know ill see what I can do if i think it fits well.

As always any questions or concerns leave a comment.

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