In the middle of the Vast Starry Sky...
A powerful soul fragment crossed countless light years and eventually reached its destination — one of the many planets housing intelligent life in this universe — Earth.
Slicing through the atmosphere , the soul fragment made a beeline towards one of the public hospitals on Earth, where a young woman of around 22 years was about to give birth to her child.
Unbeknownst to anyone present at that time, the incorporeal soul phased right through her stomach and entered her womb.
There, the fragment began erratically jumping around in joy before finally settling down inside the unborn child's body.
Just then, from the depths of existence itself, a chime sounded, echoing inside the baby's unconscious mind.
[ Ding ! ]
[ Necessary prerequisites fulfilled. ]
[ Awakening the Forgotten God's System… ]
[ Awakening complete. ]
[ Initiating fusion of the Forgotten God's soul fragments (Godking soul fragment + mortal soul fragment)… ]
[ Fusion failed… ]
[ Analyzing the cause of failure… ]
[ Cause found : Excessive disparity in strength between both soul fragments. ]
[ Searching for solutions… ]
[ Solution found – Slow and gradual fusion over time – Probability of success: 99% ]
[ Implementing the solution ]
[ Estimated time till complete soul fusion occurs – 25 years ]
[ Counting down…
24 years, 365 days 23:59:59
24 years, 365 days 23:59:58
24 years, 365 days 23:59:57
.
.
. ]
[ Note : The system will be going into sleep mode temporarily to preserve the remaining energy ]
Exactly 24 years and 364 days later…
"Gasp..."
Galen jolted awake from his sleep feeling a stabbing pain coursing through his chest.
"UGH...."
Letting out a muffled groan, he gritted his teeth to endure the excruciating pain.
'Fucking hell... It's this again.'
After ten agonizing minutes that felt like an eternity to him, the pain finally subsided, leaving behind a dull ache that would usually fade with in an hour.
Fumbling through the dark, he grabbed his phone from a nearby table and squinted at the screen with bloodshot eyes.
2:00 AM
"SIGHHHHH..."
Letting out a tired sigh, he flopped back down on the bed.
It was his mysterious illness, which he had since his birth, acting up again.
He would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night feeling unbearable pain in his chest, lasting anywhere between five to fifteen minutes.
At first, it had been rare, occurring only once or twice a year at most. But as he grew up, the frequency of these painful episodes have also been steadily rising.
During his childhood, thinking it might have been a medical issue, his adoptive parents brought him to all kinds of hospitals.
But the results were always the same no matter where they went.
He was perfectly fine whether physically or mentally, that's what they were told.
Not wanting to worry his parents further, Galen lied about his illness, saying that he wasn't having those episodes anymore.
As he had learned to endure the pain over the years, he was able to fool them into believing his empty words.
Meanwhile, he swore to find a solution for it himself.
Dedicating himself to his studies, he spent countless sleepless nights and eventually became a respected doctor.
Brimming with hope, he started his medical career.
But reality wasn't so kind.
Even after becoming a doctor and doing all kinds of research in the field, he couldn't find a single clue about his illness.
To make matters worse, recently the pain has started recurring daily, tormenting him at nights and depriving him of his much needed sleep.
With frustration gnawing at his inside, Galen shut his eyes.
He planned to get as much sleep as possible in the remaining time before morning arrived.
After all, he still had work to go to.
Tossing and turning for hours, he finally slept, barely managing two hours of sleep before the alarm woke him up at exactly 7:00 AM.
Dragging himself out of bed, Galen forced his sluggish body into motion.
Freshening up,
he dressed himself into a set of presentable clothes,
had breakfast,
and left for work through the nearby subway train.
Taking a seat, he began absentmindedly scrolling through his phone.
That's when he noticed the date.
' June 4 '
"Tomorrow's going to be my birthday, huh..."
"Just great... Yet another year of torment in this miserable life."
A mirthless laugh escaped his lips as he recalled the heartwrenching pain that had started recurring every night.
Pocketing his phone, he closed his eyes and began reminiscing about his life so far.
***
Galen Vaelthorn - that was his name. A young man of 24 years, currently at the prime of his life.
With somewhat short black hair, and light golden eyes, he could be considered quite handsome, that is, if his hair hadn't covered half his face all the time.
Abandoned soon after birth because of poverty, he was raised in an orphanage.
At the age of 5, Galen was adopted by a kind couple who didn't have the fortune of having their own child.
As he grew up, they showered him with unconditional love, filling the void in his heart left behind by his birth parents.
For Galen, being with them was the happiest time of his life, even with the unknown illness still plaguing him.
But his happiness didn't last long.
In an accident last year, he lost both his father and mother, falling into depression as a result and isolating himself.
Even before that, Galen had always been a quiet boy in school, not interacting with others too much.
The occasional friends he had in school, just for the sake of it, only lasted till his graduation.
As for having a girlfriend, Galen hadn't even dreamed of it.
If there was anything he was ever grateful for in his bland school life, that would be meeting his goddess — Rhea Everlight.
As a teacher, she was the perfect example of grace and kindness shaped into a beautiful woman.
And not just for him, she was a goddess for everyone in the school.
Just remembering her smile alone, had always soothed Galen's pained heart, even if only by a little.
After graduation, he had to focus on his college studies and the following research, leaving little time to find her again.
"It's been years already...
Since I last saw that smile."
Galen recalled with slight regret.
With that thought lingering, he finally arrived at his workplace.
*
Six hours later...
After finishing his shift and grabbing a quick lunch at the cafeteria, Galen headed out.
But on his way back, he suddenly stopped at an intersection.
From there, instead of going back home, he changed his direction and went to the local cemetery.
Standing in front of his parents' graves who had raised him with all their love, Galen felt a lump forming in his throat.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and began meticulously cleaning their resting place.
When he finally finished, his gaze landed on the words carved on both of their tombstones.
"Here lies the Mother and Father of the brightest soul in the world."
read their Epitaph, causing the tears that he had been silently holding back since arriving to start streaming down his cheeks uncontrollably.
When he had found them at the hospital, it was the last thing his parents asked of him, before closing their eyes forever.
Saddened beyond words, Galen knelt with a lowered head, letting his tears soak the soil beside their graves.
Eventually, when his eyes didn't have anymore tears to shed, he wiped his face with his sleeves and sat down on muddy ground.
Sitting beside his parents, he began talking about his life so far –
his struggles,
his exhaustion,
his unanswered questions,
everything.
As he kept talking, minutes turned into hours.
Only when the night had fallen completely did Galen finally rise from his seated position, and left the place with a lighter heart.
On his way back home, he ordered a simple takeout dinner and almost as an after thought, added a small piece of cake.
*
At 11:59 PM, inside Galen's apartment,
Galen took out the small cake and lit a candle on it.
Wishing for his parents' souls to find comfort in the heavens, and asking for their blessings, he leaned in to blow.
Just then, as the clock ticked forward, and reached 12:00 AM...
A sudden, violent pain surged through his entire body.
The next second, his mind went blank and he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, the quietly burning candle flared upward for a brief moment before extinguishing itself.
Yet no one was there to witness that bizarre sight in the silent night.