Clash of Beliefs

Chapter: Arrival

In life no one really knows how much of an impact one decision can have until it is too late. With one decision someone can go into poverty or become extremely wealthy. In the afterlife whether people go to heaven or hell entirely depends on how many points they have earned or loss during their time on Earth. For people that have point values over 1 they are sent to their own personal paradises. Whereas if someone has a point value below 0, they experience the most unbearable tortures in hell based entirely upon their fears. For those lucky few that do not have any points they are left to wander the endless fog of purgatory while slowly losing their sanity.

PURGATORY:

Lying on the ground Grant began to rouse from his slumber. Slowly regaining his senses, he placed his left hand on the ground to help steady him as he stood up. He took note that he was no longer at the exfiltration point since due absence of sand in his immediate vicinity as well as the fact he could no longer hear crashing of waves from the Yellow Sea. As he looked up he noticed that the sky was a light grey color. Looking back he took off one of his gloves and licked index finger direction of the wind. "Strange, the wind Nampo was supposed to be blowing towards the East today not the West." Bringing down his finger he put his glove back on as he began to get ready to walk Eastward he hard something scrape against the ground. Leaning down to inspect what the noise was he spotted his M4A1 service rifle. Picking it up he looked over it for any abnormalities before pulling back on the charging handle and loading a bullet into the chamber. Resuming he hoped that he would come across someone or some landmark soon. As he started walking he observed that the area he was in was devoid of any life. After walking for about three hours Grant sighed in relief the when he saw the shadow of a man standing 300 feet in front of him. Running up to the man Grant tried to get his attention "Excuse me, sir, do you think you can point me in the direction to get out of here?" Thinking that the man didn't hear him he moved closer before asking again "Excuse me, sir, do you think you can point me-" but before he could finish, he noticed that the man was wearing a strange outfit. As he walked to get in front of the man as Grant looked the man in the lips moving no sound coming out leaning in he could just barely make out the words the Japanese man was murmuring .

As time slowly dragged on after that encounter Grant gradually became aware that time did not exist in this place. Not only that the weather remained constant with dense fog blanketing the area. When Grant first got here, he tried to escape by just walking in straight line hoping that he would emerge on the other side of the fog. Though that plan did not because two days he passed the same Japanese man not once but twice. Realizing he may never get home he started to repeat a mantra to himself. "I am Major Augustus Grant of the US Army I am the son of Admiral Alexander Grant. I am the father of Hailey Grant."

After what seemed like an eternity of repeating his mantra. Grant heard a voice speak to him.

[Major Grant, how would you like to get out of here]

Grant quickly stopped repeating himself and took aim with his rifle looking around frantically to see where the strange voice originated from "Who said that?"

[I did Major Grant. While my name does not matter, I will give it to you anyway. To mortals the mortals of Ekos I am known as Gaius]

Grant began moving around trying to find source of where the voice was coming from "So, Gaius, can you tell where am I? Or maybe why you are here?"

[I am here because I feel that you have been wronged by the universe and I seek to rectify this mistake]

"Okay and how do you plan on doing do that? Are you going to resurrect me or go back in time and prevent my death?" Grant replied smugly

[No, But I can grant you power beyond your wildest imagination. Though I will tell you that this deal with is for both are benefit for you are my last chance at survival]