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Hod:

"Thanks for the stellar work, everyone."

Hod:

...

Angela:

"Don’t delude yourself, Hod. You don’t sincerely believe that counseling can be of any help in this place, do you?"

Hod:

"But… But I want to continue it... As long as there’s an employee who needs me."

I despise Beyonders.

For years, I've been silent. For years, I've kept my peace.

But despite that, Beyonders seem to excel at ruining the lives of normal people.

Indeed, I was among those normal people just minding their own normal lives.

*Boom!*

Until suddenly I lost my own normal life.

***

It all started on that cursed afternoon.

I cleaned my home. I washed the dishes. And finalized my chores.

I lived alone.

My parents have long passed away and I was their only child.

The house they left me was a generational house passed down since the time of my grandfather's father all the way to me.

I've been raised in that particular house all my life. To say that I valued my house would be an understatement.

Moreover, I also had a raven given to me by my parents since I was seven.

Her name was Michelle.

Michelle was a scarily intelligent raven capable of planning ahead. She also knows to hold off on immediate treats if it meant getting a better treat in the future.

Not to mention that she could talk.

And what a communicator she was.

To say that I cherished my raven would be an understatement.

But that afternoon threatened to take away all that I cherished.

***

On that afternoon, I decided to go out in order to stretch my legs and allow Michelle to cover the sky.

Upon our arrival at the local market, we were greeted by our long time friends.

I also had a chat with my regular drinking buddy. Of course Michelle somehow found it insulting if she was left out in the conversation so she always butted in from time to time.

It was fun times all around.

After some amount of time, the sun started to slowly submerge over the horizon.

Me and Michelle decided to tuck in for the night.

As our shadows gradually lengthened, we took in the last sights of the day until we could see our house from a distance.

We eventually arrived at a stone's throw away from our home when suddenly;

*Boom!*

A large stray fireball struck our house!

The moment we saw that, me and Michelle immediately dived for cover.

As we hurriedly fled the scene, I looked back and saw the perpetrator of our house' destruction.

It was a figure of a tall, red-haired man wearing a faded out military uniform.

My eyes burned his image to my mind.

The word that escaped my lips was accompanied with a snarl.

"Beyonders."

Grudgingly, we continued to flee.

***

When I determined that we've come reasonably far from the destruction of our home;

Me and Michelle couldn't help but stare blankly at each other.

Our generational home. The home which contained all of our fondest memories. The things left to us by our parents;

Gone.

Just like that.

For a long time, I just sat looking up at the sky. Even Michelle ceased from making any noise.

"Hey you!"

"It's really true!"

"You hold the secret..."

*Bang!*

My body moved on its own.

By the time my mind registered my action, I looked at my hand and found it was holding a pistol.

As any sane man have done, I likewise carrried a defensive implement.

A defensive implement meant for finality.

That said, this was the first time that I was able to actually use it in a real life scenario.

Normally, I should have felt more than I was feeling back then. Surprised perhaps?

But I found that only one emotion ruled over all the others.

Rage.

I knew the identify of the man I shot at.

This was the crazy person who kept mumbling about prophecies, fate and what-not.

Of course, I asked around regarding his situation.

That was when I learned, or rather, that was when it was confirmed to me that, other than the Dieties, the supernatural was actually prevalent.

This person was a Sequence 9: Monster of the Monster Pathway who somewhat lost his mind.

While he did not lose control entirely, he did not remain entirely sane either.

The visions that he constantly saw, I suspected that it was driving him mad.

Of course now he has driven that madness, the madness of the supernatural, the madness of Beyonders right back on my face.

Just recently too after another Beyonder upended my life.

My hands unintentionally clinched.

Rage.

Loathing.

Hatred.

"Beyonders." For the second time, I spoke the words with utmost despise.

It was at that exact moment that my hatred against Beyonders fully crystallized.

*Whumph*

But apparently, Fate has not yet pulled all of its punches.

For along with the crystallization of my hatred, something else managed to crystallize.

Specifically, a hateful glowing thing appeared from the corpse of the man I recently shot at.

Unbenownst to me at the time, a planetary wide field of Distortion swept across the land.

This caused the glowing thing from the fallen Beyonder's corpse to have its position Distorted until it was placed mid-air in front of the raven.

To my despair, the hateful object was swallowed by Michelle.

Immediately after, she fell and began convulsing.

Fortunately, I managed to catch her in time.

Unfortunately, she was still convulsing.

At that moment, I really thought that if I lost Michelle, I would not have stopped until all Beyonders laid dead beneath my feet.

I would've sworn vengeance against even the Deities Themselves.

Yes. I would even go so far as to become a filthy Beyonder myself if that's what it took to end the Beyonder plague.

*Drip*

*Drop*

Rain started to fall.

For a few agonizing minutes, the convulsion continued.

*Drip*

*Drop*

Suddenly, all movements from her ceased.

*Drip*

Along with that, the rain continued to fall around my eyes.

*Drop*

I laughed.

Of course, I laughed.

What else can a normal human like me do.

"Hahahahahah!"

"The Beyonders are a blight. The gods are distant."

*Drip*

"Cough!"

Immediately, I went to Michelle's side.

She was breathing.

Her eyes were open.

She was alive.

Alive.

"She's alive!"

I didn't care if my raven, my dear friend, my last memory of my parents, ended up becoming a filthy Beyonder.

No. Scratch that.

She's not filthy. She alone is the only acceptable Beyonder.

While she may now be a Sequence 9: Monster;

She is my monster.

However;

For the rest of the Beyonders;

The raven and I;

Will be their monsters.

-------------------------------------

There was a timeline where the raven died and the OC became a Beyonder going on a killing spree.

I actually flipped a coin for it.

For 5 flips, the coin always turned out tails.

The bird had to die.

Fate demanded it

But I refused.

And so here we are.

"I am the master of my Fate. I am the captain of my Soul". (Invictus)

Art:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/467741111282694649/

As of this day, the Order of the Bucket Head recognizes Hod as our patron Deity.

Signed,

CHOICE AD

Head, Bucket Head Order