My Hermes System

"Well, that took longer than expected…

…considering you're supposed to be the fastest creature in this universe."

Inside a white space; vast, but at the same time, minuscule. It felt like it went on forever, but then if one were to stretch their hands, they would touch its walls that also seemed to stretch to eternity.

And in the very center of that white field, or perhaps at the very end, one can't really tell— two individuals stood. Identical, almost like a reflection.

"My height really did come from you."

"Seriously, that's the first thing you'll say to me?"

"It's been one of my biggest problems."

"...Pft, you should really get a haircut."

Sage— the god in the universe in which Van dwells. He had been trying to search for him for more than a thousand years; not even once stopping as he let himself get lost in the eternity that is called time.

And in a way, because of that, Van became a myth to the people that were lucky enough to get a glimpse of him in space.

A white blur, a shooting star, a ghost. There were many that blocked his path, but never once did he stop. This was the first— the first time in a thousand years that he stopped moving as he finally searched for what he was looking for.

"..."

"..."

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Why would I?" Van then said as his eyes turned towards the feathers that were scattered everywhere on the white, fading floor.

"Your mother died here, by the way."

"I could see that," Van said as he removed his eyes from the feathers.

"That's kind of cold, no?" Sage raised an eyebrow as Van very slowly stepped closer to him; but each time Van draws closer, it was almost as if the distance between him and Van stayed the same, "She's still your mother."

"I don't even remember much about her anymore," Van only sighed as he picked up one of the feathers before it withered away into nothing; merging with the white space around them.

"What about the people you left behind, do you remember them?"

"Of course," Van nodded as he closed his eyes, "That's why I am here in the first place."

"Do you want to know what's happening to them now?"

"...Nah."

"..."

"..."

"I liked you better as an egg."

"I liked it better when I didn't know you existed."

"...Ouch, I could still be considered one of your fathers, you know?" Sage clasped his chest as he took a few steps back, if it wasn't for the chair that suddenly popped up behind him, then he would have probably fallen into the white space around him.

"I never really thought of it like that," Van slightly squinted his eyes, before he too, took a seat on the chair that suddenly appeared behind him,

"So, did you lay the egg that was used to create me?"

"...No, that's disgusting," Sage almost winced as he heard Van's words, "I tore some of my flesh from several parts of my body and then turned that into an egg."

"...That's disgusting."

"Well… if you put it like that," Sage could only shrug as he raised his eyebrows, "Have I already told you how that Hermes guy stole you? I wasn't looking just for a second and then bam, you're gone."

"...What did you create me for, anyway?"

"To replace me, initially."

And then, all of a sudden, a colossal ripple reverberated throughout the entire white space; almost as if a boulder was dropped, but there was nothing at all. Van truly can't understand how everything worked here, but he gave up a very long time ago on understanding things that weren't really that important.

"I got tired you see," Sage then said as he let himself relax on the chair, "I've been alive for… well, forever. I don't really know how to explain my age to you. Endless, perhaps?"

"..."

"I created you to replace me for a little bit so I could take a vacation in another universe," Sage sighed, "But then the Seraph and the Olympian came and, well… I wasn't so bored anymore."

"...So you joined them in toying with me?"

"Well, if you put it like that…" Sage once again shrugged.

"I suppose it doesn't matter," Van could really only shake his head; his hair that almost seemed to go on as long as the white space itself, moving along with him, "You don't care about the Systellions that invaded your… universe?"

"They're not the first," Sage only hummed, "There was another one that tried to conquer my universe, a billion years ago, I think."

"What did you do then?"

"I let them do whatever they want. They were gone in a million years or so. They didn't even know I existed," Sage sighed, "You'll understand when you're as old as me. Anything that happens is… insignificant. But the Systellions, huh? What's that about?"

Sage then leaned forward from his seat as he looked Van straight in the eyes, "Making a world without war, making planets that wouldn't end. Crazy, right? And right when you think you've seen everything."

"...Right," Van also let out a small sigh as he stood up from his seat; returning Sage's gaze as he slowly made his way towards him. And this time, the distance between the two of them started to shorten,

"You know why I'm here, right?"

"Maybe, but I still need to ask," Sage also stood up from his seat as he closed his eyes, "Why did you come here, Evans?"

"You can send people to another universe, right?" Van then said.

"Only at the supposed time of their death," Sage nodded, "I actually sent one of your acquaintances a few years ago someplace else, I think his name was Gerald?"

"...Gerald's dead?" Van blinked a couple of times as he momentarily looked to the side, but after a few moments, his eyes returned to Sage, "Do…

…I need to kill myself so you can send me to another world?"

"Not at all," Sage then opened his eyes, before stretching his hands to the side as the white space as a torrent of… something emerged from the white space around them. This white rain then very slowly shaped into what seemed like… planets.

Billions of planets.

"You're already here," Sage then said with a smile on his face,

"All you have to do...

...is choose."

***TO BE CONTINUED IN -- 'Speedster in A Fantasy World'***

For everyone that has stayed this far and reached the end of this chapter of Van's life, I thank you from the deepest parts of my bone marrows. As you may have very well surmised, this was a rush ending--- more like it was axed, no readers anymore.

But Van's story is not over, he will be back. And hopefully this time, his story would be better. It is also a way for others to experience his new story.

Once again, thank you for staying this far! I wouldn't be here without you guys.

Please do check out the next book of Evans, 'Speedster in A Fantasy World'.

That's right, we're finally going the route that was meant to be in the first place.