The Mercenary King opened his eyes.
"Wait… my eyes." His voice caught. "After all these years, I can see out of both. It feels strange."
He lifted a hand and touched his face, fingers tracing skin that had not been whole in decades. Smooth. Unbroken. Whole.
Lowering his hand, he took in his surroundings.
He stood within a vast chamber of white marble. Walls, floor, pillars, and towering columns stretched outward in every direction, pristine and untouched. The space felt endless, silent in a way that pressed gently against the senses. It was exactly what one would expect of the afterlife.
At the center of the chamber rested an enormous well.
Its stone rim was worn smooth, as if by countless hands over immeasurable time. Perched upon it sat a woman.
She had red hair that fell freely down her back, vivid against the pale surroundings. A long white dress flowed over her form, pooling softly against the marble. She stared directly at him, her gaze unwavering, as though she were seeing someone precious after a long absence.
The silence stretched.
And stretched.
It became uncomfortable.
"Um, lady," One-Eye said carefully. "I do not mean to be rude or anything, but is this the afterlife?"
He hesitated, then added, "I am dead. Right?"
The woman blinked, as though startled awake.
"Oh. Yes. Yes, of course," she said quickly. "I am sorry. I was just… looking at you."
Her hands rose to her head, fingers pressing lightly against her temples.
"You were my favorite, you know," she said, frustration seeping into her voice. "Out of all of them. And now you are here."
She exhaled sharply.
"And now your story is over. Over far too soon. My beautiful Mercenary King never got his happy ending."
One-Eye looked confused.
"You know," he said slowly, "I have never been called beautiful before. I am not entirely sure how I feel about that."
He straightened slightly.
At six foot eight, he towered over most men. His arms were thick like old branches, his body marked with scars from countless fights, battles, and wars. Beauty had never been a word associated with him.
"And what do you mean by favorite," he continued. "Favorite what. Favorite person?"
He let out a short laugh.
"With the life I lived, you are telling me I was favored by a god the whole time?"
The thought amused him far more than it should have.
A god's favorite, born an orphan, betrayed and left to die alone in the mud.
The woman coughed lightly, regaining her composure.
"Allow me to explain," she said. "My name is Aurea. I am the Goddess of Fate."
She gestured gently, her hand sweeping outward.
"I set the paths of souls when they are born into the world. And then, I watch their stories unfold."
Her finger turned toward the well at the center of the chamber.
"If you wish to understand what that means," she said softly, "it begins there."
"I cannot change anything once it has been set in motion," Aurea said quietly. "And your story… you were my favorite."
She met his gaze, unflinching.
"I understand what you are thinking. That it was a hard life. But that hardship was meant to make the ending sweeter. The longer the road, the greater the reward when you finally reached it."
Her fingers curled against the fabric of her dress.
"If only another god had not intervened." Her jaw tightened. "They gave their blessing to that wretched House Samson. They altered the path."
One-Eye surged to his feet, anger flaring through him like a sudden blaze.
"You are telling me," he said slowly, "that I was fated to succeed. That I was meant to get everything I fought for."
Rage filled his voice.
"And another god took it away from me."
"Yes," Aurea replied. "We gods cannot interfere directly. But to those who earn our favor, we may grant blessings. Strength beyond the limits of ordinary humans."
She did not look away.
"The god of war blessed House Samson in the middle of your story."
"Damn it," One-Eye snarled. "Where are they. Him or her, I do not care. I will go…"
He took in a breath, then clenched his fist.
"I will punch them. Beat them for ruining what I spent my life for."
Aurea laughed. This is why she loved him.
It was a full, unrestrained laugh, bright enough to cut through the tension of the chamber.
"They are far beyond your reach," she said, still smiling. "For now."
Her expression softened.
"I could send you onward. To the great halls reserved for warriors who died gloriously upon the battlefield."
She paused, choosing her next words with care.
"But I have another plan."
"It may be selfish," Aurea admitted. "But I want more of your story. I want to see you win. I want to see you succeed."
She stepped closer.
"For that reason, I will grant you a new life. However, it will exist outside of fate, because your story has already ended. To receive another goes against the story of the world."
"With that," she continued, "and with my blessing, you will wield power beyond that of a normal human."
One-Eye stared at her.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "You are sending me back. Giving me a new life. Giving me power."
"All so you can watch me, that feels like a bit much."
Aurea smiled, unashamed.
"I suppose you could say I fell in love with your story," she said. "An orphan from birth. A man who struggled through every step of life, chasing a simple yet beautiful dream."
She tilted her head.
"It is classic. A little cliche, perhaps. But you made it perfect."
Her voice grew serious once more.
"I will not lie to you. The life I give you will not be easy."
"But I know you can endure it."
She met his eyes again.
"You have already proven that."
"Before I accept," One-Eye said, "answer me one question."
"Will I…"
"Yes," Aurea interrupted smoothly. "You will have a chance to take revenge on House Samson."
One-Eye blinked.
"What? No. I was already going to kill every single member of that damned house," he said flatly. "Every good story has revenge, right?"
He shook his head.
"That is not what I wanted to ask."
He looked at her, his expression steady.
"Will I have a chance to claim land of my own. To build a place where my people can live without anyone telling them what to do, or how to live."
Aurea laughed again.
It was warm and genuine, and it carried a hint of fondness she did not bother to hide.
Her Mercenary King never failed to surprise her.
"Of course you will," she said. "But because you will exist outside of the normal course of fate, I can only place you at the beginning of a road."
She gestured lightly.
"Where that road leads is entirely your choice. Even the fated paths of others will bend when they cross yours."
One-Eye nodded once.
"Then I will take it," he said. "I will make sure my story is worthy of what you are giving me, and I will get the ending I always wanted."
At that moment, his eyes started to feel heavy. He could do nothing but allow them to close.
"Goodbye, my Mercenary King. I will be watching over you."