A large bowl of beef stew floats in the pink-stained sky. Petals flood the world. The petals then begin lifting me into the sky towards the bowl.

  The bowl turns to me and says, “I’m going to eat you this time, CJ. After all, it’s only fair.” With a wink, it opens its wide, toothy jaw and tak- The sound of heavy knocking jolts me out of my nightmare.

  What in the hells was that? Eh, I’m going back to sleep. As the sound of knocking echoes through my dorm room, yet again, I groan. It’s still dark out. Why is someone knocking so loudly?

  Rolling over, I say, “Hopper, get the door.”

  The knocking gets louder. For the love of the Gods!! I fumble my way out of bed. With blurry vision, I look over to the other bed and see that it’s empty. Did Hopper have to go to the bathroom or something? He probably got locked out. Great.

  I swing the door open as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. “Hopper, for the love of the Gods, you're going to wake the entire Hall. Next time, break the fucking door. It’ll be quieter,” I say as I take the loudest yawn.

  “Apologies, Chosen One. I did not mean to interrupt your sleep,” a man who is definitely not Hopper answers.

  With a newfound sense of being awake, I take a closer look at who’s at my door. Looking down, I see a dwarf with a red beard and white plate armor. Well, that’s definitely not Hopper.

  “Sorry, you must have the wrong room,” I say in my half-awake state.

  “There is no mistake, Chosen One. I was sent to retrieve you,” the dwarf says.

  “Listen, I don’t want to be rude, but I was taught not to go off with random strangers. So, good night,” I say as I go to close the door.

  “Wait! Chosen One! I apologize. I should’ve introduced myself. I am Pala-” the dwarf says as the door slams shut.

  Gods, you would think that Sylvian would have better security than this. I mean, they’re just letting random people walk through the halls. I’ll make a complaint tomorrow. As I slip back into bed and into a hopefully long and- The knocking starts again. He’ll go away. Relax and go to- The knocking continues. Sleep is- The knocking intensifies. With anger in my steps, I go and swing the door open.

  “I’m trying to sleep here!” I exclaim.

  The dwarf clears his throat in nervousness. “Chosen One, the matter of my visit is of grave importance. I beseech you to please come with me,” he says with an obviously worried look.

  “Grave Importance? No, I’m not falling for your tricks. What are you looking to steal, my horns or maybe eyes? I’m not stupid enough to follow some suspicious-looking guy into the dead of night,” I say from experience.

  “Suspicious?! I am a Pala-”

  “Oh, here comes the spiel about how you’d never do anything like that or how you’re a trustworthy individual, or maybe even a Holy man,” I rattle off.

  “I am a Holy man!” he responds with indignation.

  “Sure you are. I’ll tell you what, come back here with the Pope and maybe I’ll believe you.” I say as I slam the door shut.

  I wait for a second until I hear his footsteps echoing down the hall. Finally! These criminals are getting bolder. They always do when Winter is closing in. Guess the Capital isn’t as different as I thought it would be.

  The now subdued bowl of beef stew leads me down a winding path of gold. “You’ve defeated me, CJ. I guess in the end, you got the last bite.”

  “Enough talking. Lead me to my mansion made of beds,” I say.

  “Of course. It is only fair. It's right around this corner.”

  As the path winds around the moun- The knocking returns and jettisons me out of my sleep. With a sigh, I slither out of the cocoon that is my bed.

  I open the door with a swing. “I swear to the Gods! If you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to pull your beard off.” I say before realizing who is at my door.

  “You were right, David. He is fiery,” the Pope says as he chuckles.

  The Pope stands there with long white robes and pulled-back grey hair. To his right is the Dwarf from earlier. Huh, either these scams have gotten more elaborate, or that’s really the Pope. Looks like the Pope. Talks like the Pope. Now I have to see him walk like one.

  “Greetings, Your Holiness. What seems to bring you here in the middle of the night?” I ask, trying to reel back my annoyance.

  The Pope looks at my classmates who had poked their heads out of their room. “Perhaps we could continue the conversation inside?” he asks politely.

  “Of course.”

  The Pope and, I guess, David the Dwarf walk into my dorm room. Even though it’s been less than twenty-four hours, the room is already cluttered with Hoppers’ and my stuff. It could be worse. We could be in an alley. His Holiness sits on Hopper's empty bed, and David stands by the door. Speaking of Hopper. Where in the hells is he?

  “It is great to finally meet you, Chosen One. It may have taken us a week, but we were hopeful that you’d turn up somewhere, and you did,” the Pope says.

  “Yes. I apologize for not heading straight for the church, but I’ve been busy. After all, I had to travel a long way,” I say, wondering what I’m supposed to do now.

  “No worries. We’ve found you now, and it seems you’ve already started preparing. As expected from The Chosen One.”

  “Of course. I must be cautious and vigilant. The forces of evil could be right around the corner,” I [Lie], trying to gauge what he’s talking about.

  “It is good to see that we are on the same page. Sylvian University will be a good place to nurture your abilities for your coming battle against The Great Evil. The Headmaster himself has assured me that you will be protected,” he says.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  The Great Evil? The Great Evil! I had almost forgotten. The Chosen One is always fated to fight against some sort of Great Evil. Even us street kids know that. How in the hells does Abrigon expect me to pull that off? I can’t [Lie] my way into a victory, or can I?

  “Thank you for the reassurance, Your Holiness. Although I don’t believe that’s the only reason you interrupted my rest,” I say with a tinge of annoyance that I quickly hide.

  “Of course not. I came to speak to you on the matter of The Prophecy,” he says with a grim tone.

  “Of course,” I say, having no idea what he’s talking about.

  “The Holy Maiden has received a message from the Gods. The message was two-fold. As you know, it told us of you, The Chosen One. It also gave us The Prophecy on The Great Evil,” he pauses dramatically.

  “Go on,” I say, somewhat annoyed at his dramatic pause.

  “It is said that The Great Evil will arise from the east in six years' time. It will bring an army that this world has never seen, and if not stopped, will sunder this world,” he says.

  Oh, thank the Gods. I’ll have graduated by then. Wait?! I count the years in my head. Damn it. It depends on what he means by six years. Exactly six years or in the sixth year? Damn it. Why can’t this Prophecy be more specific? Well, at least I’ll be safe before then.

  “From what we can tell, this Great Evil will be the worst in hundreds of years. It could even rival the first Great Evil. If that is the case, then in the years before The Great Evil arrives, we should expect a constant barrage of attacks from the forces of evil. They will be merciless and will be aiming to take your life. As you are the only one who stands any chance of defeating The Great Evil,” he says with a hint of hope in his eyes.

  Why Gods, why? Why do I have to go through this? It was supposed to be a simple job. One that would let me buy a house made of beds.

  “You can trust in me. I’ll defeat The Great Evil and anyone who tries to stop me,” I [Lie], fully knowing that I’ll run away before it comes to that.

  “That’s good to hear. If you need anything, send a message to the cathedral or stop by anytime. You’ll be more than welcome. So, to reiterate. Grave danger comes your way. Be wary,” he says as he heads for the door.

  “Wait! Are you going to guard me?” I ask, confused.

  “Guard? We’ve heard that you are the strongest Chosen One we’ve seen yet, and this is one of the safest places for you to be. Goodbye,” he says before abruptly leaving.

  That was a lot of information to get in the middle of the night while I’m wearing pajamas. Well, no point in worrying about it now. I’m going back to sleep.

  “The Pope sure is weird, isn’t he?” Abrigon says.

  “Yeah, he was. Good night, Abrigon,” I say as I lie down.

  “Night, CJ.”

  I shoot straight up and look over at Abrigon. He sits on Hopper's bed with the same expensive suit and gold rings as the first time I saw him. His eyes glow in the darkness as he watches me.

  “You motherfucker!” I say a little louder than I should.

  “It’s good to see you, too, CJ,” he says sarcastically.

  “You had me impersonate The Chosen One. Are you insane?” I whisper.

  “Of course I’m insane. I had a street rat impersonate The Chosen One,” he says, mocking me.

  “This wasn’t what we agreed on.”

  “Really? I seem to remember asking you to impersonate someone who shares your name,” he says while thinking.

  “You didn’t say that ‘someone’ was The Chosen One,” I say with more than a tinge of anger.

  “You didn’t ask.”

  He’s pissing me off. Mostly because he’s taunting me, but also because he managed to get one over on me. Relax and don’t let him wind me up.

  “I want to void the contract,” I say.

  It’s been fun, but this is way more than I bargained for.

  “Ok. If you want to. Where should I bury you?” he says nonchalantly.

  “Are you threatening me?” I ask, baffled at his brazenness.

  With a chuckle, he stands up and walks to the window. “No, I’m warning you. If you void the contract, I’ll be unable to help you disappear. The church or the crown will find you and execute you on the spot for daring to impersonate The Chosen One. And if you decide to abandon the contract without voiding it, the [System] will kill you. So, you’re stuck here.”

  Damn it! He’s right, but I’m not doing this for ten thousand gold.

  “Fine, you’re right. You’ve got me. I can’t do anything. I definitely can’t tell the Pope about this guy named Abrigon, who I believe to be working with the forces of evil,” I say as I stroke my chin.

  “You wouldn’t dare. I’m your only hope of ever disappearing after this is done with,” he says, not believing me.

  “You really should’ve checked in on the kind of guy I am. I’m reckless, bullheaded, overly confident, and vindictive. I’ll turn you in faster, then you can say mommy and I’ll get away with it somehow. I always do,” I say with confidence.

  He lets out a long sigh. “What do you want?” he relents.

  “An addendum to the [System Contract]. I want one million gold coins instead of ten thousand,” I say with a devilish smile.

  His nose twitches in annoyance. “One hundred thousand.”

  “Eight hundred thousand,” I bargain.

  “Two hundred and fifty thousand,” he says with annoyance.

  “Seven hundred thousand.”

  “Five hundred thousand. Final offer,” he says.

  “Deal. By the [System], I, CJ, accept this addendum.”

  “By the [System], I, Abrigon, accept this addendum.”

  Always aim higher than you actually want. Especially when you have leverage.

  “Now, on to business. I’ve come to commend you for surviving your first day and to give you this,” he says while holding out one of his gold rings.

  “I think I’m a little young to be getting married,” I jokingly say.

  With a flick, he sends the ring flying towards me. “It’s a magic item. It’ll disguise your [Stat Window] from any prying eyes. Wear it at all times,” he suggests with a forceful tone.

  I catch the ring and pocket it. “Thanks. Why didn’t you give it to me earlier?” I ask.

  “I didn’t want to waste one on someone who couldn’t do the job, but you’ve proven yourself,” he says, stopping for a second. “I would recommend you stay away from the Princess.”

  “Why-” I ask as the door unlocks.

  As I turn to look, the door opens and Abrigon disappears. Hopper walks into the room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

  “Sorry, did I wake you?” he whispers as he limps to his bed.

  “No. Something else woke me up. I was about to go back to sleep. Night, Hopper,” I say, ignoring his obvious injuries.

  “Night, CJ.”