Prologue: One Word.

I sighed, stretching at my desk chair. I glanced around my office to see my co-workers putting on their coats and leaving for the night. Looking over the huge stack of paperwork left in my inbox, I groaned. Looks like tonight is going to be another late night. I reached into my pocket, pulling out my last bar of chocolate. Paltry though it was, I needed all the fortitude I could get if I were to get through the night. A sudden voice startled me out of my thoughts. "Hey, everyone's leaving. You still not done?" A note of concern crept into his voice. "Normally you're the first one done. Is something wrong?"

I glance up to see my boss. Fortunately, the man was reasonable and genuinely cared about his employees, so I didn't have to worry about him griping about me having to stay overtime. "Yeah. I got most of my work done by lunch, I'm just covering for someone."

He nodded. "Yeah, people have been calling in sick a lot more lately. Must be a bug going around." He glanced at my remaining paperwork. "Look, it's getting kind of late, and the conditions are terrible. Why don't you take off early tonight?"

It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "Oh thank God- Um, I mean, thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

He laughed. "Just be safe, you hear me?"

I nodded, getting up and pocketing my chocolate. Gathering the rest of my things and putting on my coat, I waved farewell to my boss and remaining co-workers. I exited the building and walked into a blinding snowstorm. 'He wasn't kidding about the conditions, was he? I just hope no car blindsides me when I cross the street.'

With that grim thought in mind, I stumbled through the endless curtain of white in the direction of my house. I managed to make it most of the way there without incident. As I approached the mouth of the bridge over the now frozen river, a fellow traveler bumped me. I stumbled slightly, stepped on an ice patch—and slid. I slipped just to the right of the bridge, tripped, and tumbled down the riverbank. I probably would've been fine, if not for the four foot drop off the side of the bank to hit the ice. As it was, I crashed straight through without stopping.

My brain picked a hell of a time to remind me that the current of this river makes it impossible to swim in, as the frigid waters dragged me under. As the burning in my lungs became secondary to the terrifying nothingness that spread throughout my body. My oxygen-deprived brain, having already accepted death, considered the sensation.

Why is the nothingness so terrifying? Why is death? And then I reached a conclusion. 'The void only scares me because I don't understand it.' And so, as black spots danced before my eyes and I felt my last seconds slipping away, I resolved to understand the void. Why did all men fear it? What was it, really? Why did it strive to tear away everything I was, everything I had, everything I would be? Why…why…why…

I continued my questions as everything went black. Yet still, I sought comprehension, allowing everything I was to fade away, used as fuel for my search. I screamed without screaming to everything that would listen, screaming of my desperation to know. And so, I launched my mind into the untold cosmos, the infinite reflections of realities passing by in a flicker as I looked into the Root of all things. And, in time, I saw it.

And it saw me.

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

T̬̪͚͉͖̝̪͋ͨͥ̾ͧ̊̌h͙̬̺̤̪̺͐́ĕ̙̠̪̠̘̜̩͌͘ ̫̈̃̚v͎̪̠͖̹̰̊͞ͅǫ̲̣̇ͩ͊̒̑̇ͮi͉̘̺̖͚̺̥͑͘d̾ ̺́w̤ͦa̷̍̒ͧs̘̭͒ͧͪͣ̋ ̰̃̀n̟͎̤̺̺͔͚ͨͣ̃ͪͨ̚ô̴ͤ̐̐͂ẗ̛́ ̘̰̫͓̪̈́ͭ̎́fͭ̃ͪ̽̍ͩo̿̓̏ͦ̓҉̜̜͕̦̝͎r̵̐͛̏̀ͫͦ̚ ͗̌ͩ̎͋m̼͕̺ͣ̇o̴͕͙̖͌̃͊̇̓̏ͦr̖͚̆ͨ̉͑̄̉t̪͍̱̹ͯ̑͝a̡̝ͯl͐͏͈̫͓ ̶ͪͭͣ͌̒̚m̹̯͍͛͗̇ͫͤ͆ͤ̀i̖̜̼̰͍̱̅̅͒ͧņ͈̻d̤̟̘͎͎s͎̱͙̰̜

̪̣̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜

I looked into it, and I understood.

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

Ț̤̐̈́͋̓̏̾͠h̛̼̹̦͎͚̥̒̿ͦ̏́̚e̴̴̸͖̩̺̺̻̲ͫ̈́̅̑ͧ̑̈́ ̖͉͌̾̈ͧ̈ͤ̀v̜̞̺͉͔͕̗̋̇͗ͩ̅͐ơ̬͊̑͐i͓̺͖̹͈̲͚̘̤ͬͨ͋ͫ̈d̴͔̘̤̺̝͇̯̖̭ͩ͐̐ ̷̲͚̹̻ͮ̑̈́ͧ̉̏̿ͪw͈̯ͬ͛̓͛̏ͣ̈́͝a̶̷̖̳̲͈̻ͯͬͨ̑̎̚s͙̮̲̲̒̋̄ͥ̐̄̀ͅ ̡͓̬͒̿̽̇͒́͢ŏ͇̙̩̟̑͗̎̿͊ͤn̝͔̓̒̓͊́͌́͢l̬̤̞̫͔̗̠̥͚̒͒ȳ̸̼̪̙̞͙̙͓̇ͥ̆ͣ̾ͅ ̴͙̰͙͎̙̥͛̃ͧ̑ͦͬ͛ͣ͟͜p̱̫͓̱͍̲͒̾̅̑̇̀̚̚å̧̡̠͉̖͚̘̜͖̊̊r̶̩̞͚̪͕̾̃͒̆͐ͬt̢͎͚̥̃ͯ͢ ̨̥̪͚̜͎̀̍̏̌ͪ́͝ͅo̡̝̞̼̩̥̯ͭͬ̌̇͋͆̇̃́͘f͎̤̥͚̳͔͒͑͐̔͐ͮ ̶͇̬̩̄ͥ͗̀͐͆̎̈́͑ť̻̬͇͚͇͌̆̂̈͐h̸͇̭͙͕̠͛ͮͮͯ̏̎̌̇̚ȩ̵̫̥͇͔͙̌ͥ̄ ̷̺̺͇̳̦̒́̀͛̄p̧̛̺̭̟̲̹̝̦̥̎ͪ͗ͣ̂͐̚i͓̙̺̥̳͓̣̻ͯ̈́͂̄͂͂͝c̺͇̰͗̿͘͝͡t̵̙̫͔̮̬͎̞͚ͦ̑̍̊̔̚u͚̝̮͖̙̓̓̀̆̐͢ͅr̪͇͓̥͚͙̜͑̽͒ͧͪ́͢͠e̵͉͉͍̻ͬͩ̎ͮ͑͛͑.̤̣͚̤͉͌ͩ͘͟͟

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

I saw more, more than I ever wanted, more than I should be able to sanely comprehend. Yet I still understood.

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜͜ͅͅ

T̓̔ͪ͒̾̄̂̓̒́ͅh̏̿ͧ҉̘̼̦̥̘̮̯̭e̟̪̙͋̐̇̊̀ͤ͟ͅ ͬ̂̿ͧ҉̛̙͚͉̩͝v̸̬͎̙̼̣̹̪ͭ̇̌ͬ̌̃̚o͕̪͖͕̜̠͓͓̠ͮ̏͑ͥͭ̓̓̍̕͡i̩̺͎̙̪̯ͦ̏̃ͩ͐̽̕d̴̵̻̮͔͋̌̏̍ͤ̈́ ͈̭̍ͦ̃ͪ̇̚w̡̝͚͖̼̋ͣ̋͋̓̚â̝̗̬͍̙͝s̵͍̥͙̠̬͗̊̄ͫ̓̕ ̷̜̫̱͈̥͍̼̹ͧͣ͆ͤ̚ơ̸͎̩̬͚͔ͣͤ̐̀̏ͤͥ͠ǹ̶͓͙̻͊͊̂̔ͣ̚lͨͧ͏̨̧͚̠̤̝ẙ̡͔̠̬̖͐͆̉͗͘ ̢̯̘͆ͦ͌ͪ̚͞ă̲͕͉ͣ̎̿̉ ͙̞̝̼̥̽̍̂ͪ͒ͭ͡͝ŕ̡̘͈̥̼̹̤͐̎͒ͦ̂͆̚̚ͅe̼ͬ̓ͫ̂͂̅̚͝͞f̲̘͕̊̑̍͛̂̋̕l̪̜͍ͮ̄ͦ̐͑ͥͤ̓ë́͌ͤ͒ͣ҉̥̗͍c͍̳̹̟̯̪͕̩̈̔̆́͡t̬͎͎ͦ̎͝i̢̬̤̱̳̩̘̙̿͛͌͐͋ͮ͞o̷̠̻̿̆̅̕͜n̛͇͕͚̠̠͍̟̿͐͋̍́͟ ̧̥ͬ̇͐̐̿͐̎̚ö̵̡͓̺̥̞͔͉̒f͍͙̳̬̗̝̣͚̀̾̑ͥ̐ͦ ͂́ͮ̓̾ͩ̈͌҉̶͔͇̰̣̩̰͓̹c̶̞̤̖ͬ̈́̽̉͡ŗ̠̜͔̣̭̓ͬ̇ͅe̱͇̥̜̳ͬͪ̕a̶͍̖ͩͨͩ̽ͥ̿͋͂͜t̃̈́ͣ͘͏͏͉͖̠͍̦̹̯̜i̴̱̘̱̰̹̭͔̱̤ͩ̀ǫ̰̤̞͇̲͈̫̪͐̄̒̾̌ͤ͠n͓̜̫̱̺͍̠̟͊̽ͪ̊ͪͮͣ̀͝.̧̻͚̱͇̝̙͓̝̿̅͋ͪͨ̈ ̩͈̲̼͎̙̭̤ͫ̇̅ͧ̿̀̚

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

̗̗̆̐̋
̵̷̧̩͈̠͖͎̫̰̪̝͙͂ͯ͟͡Į͓̳̹̳̥̲̯̓̽t̢͇̘̹̑ͭ̇̿̊͗͘ ͍̮̪̠̮̪̖̫̽̉̎̚w͍̯̺̮̻͚̽͊͆͗ͬ̄a̸ͮ̂̃͏̹̜͖͖̻ş̸̤̞̫͇̻̱ͥ̃̀ ̛̫͈͆͐̿ͤn̬͍͎͚̖̯̠̠ͪͭ̂̓̃͑͞͠o̶̴̹̭̪͕̞̎̄ͨ̾t̖̳̯̜͈̮̪͕ͮ͛͂̏ͬͧ͛̄̿ ̧̪͓̩͚̯̝̼̝̃̾̋ͮ̽͡t̶̜̤̪̺̠͉̥̄ͮ̓ͪ̒̒̿ͅh̨̹͓̰̝̪̝ͩ̒̄̚͟ḙ̣̠͍̲͉͇̣͑ͨ ̸͙̱̙̺̉̔̊͠v̸̴̡͇̬̺̫̝ͮ̂ͧ͛͒̍̆o̭̞̞ͭ̊͆͒͢i͔̽d̨̛̺̟͚͖̯͔ͥͩ̇̇͋ͪ͘ ̪̬̻̎́̃s̡͎̹̟̯̪͙̞̃ͩ̇̈ͯ͂̚ţ̶͉̥͍ͮ̉̊̂̒ͬa̵̷̙̜͌ͨr̳̭̬̰̭͎̮̻̹̈́ͧͤͣ͂͠i̛̯͉̗͓͍̔̄ͪ̽̔ͣ̾ṇ̹͓̜͉͒ͦ̄g̝̭͚̜̦̰̟͌ͥ̈́̋͑ͪ̀̊͘ͅ ̴̞̬͎͈̫ͨ̋͌͌ͪ́b̫̘͔̔̿̍̇̇ͮͅǎ͓̝͋ͩ̀c͈̭͉̯̬̖͙ͥ́͗ͨ̎͂ͨ̚̕k̩̥͇̭̝͚̑͆ͯ̒ͣͭ̐̓ ̺̗̲̼̱̝̯̩̪ͤ̃ͮa̠ͩͥ̎̉͘t̨̢̲̦̠̳͌̿ͦ̈́ ̭̠̯ͯͮͫ͂ͬ͋̐ͫ͡m͉̞͓̘͊ͯ͟ę̣̙̼̹͎̘̟̿̏͋̋͐̑̋̈ͤ͘,̱̞̥̟̘̳͍̥̞ͤ̃̀ͭ̔͋̃̀͝ ̶͕̯͗͗͐͛̈ͫ̍b̧̡̠̮̟̪ͣ͌͆ŭ̲̺͉̺̼̯͍̘̄͡t́͘͏̺̖̱ͅ ̲̗͕ͧ̐̆̑͊̌ͭͅm͕̙̟̞̝̙͒͋͋͗ͦͯ͂ͭ͟ỷ̦̝̝̲̞̟͖̋͒̆ͯͤ̋̊́̕ͅs̗͉̝̙͇̆̿ͯ̿͑̄͐̓ě̮̯̱̮͙̥͚̟ͫͅļ̴̙̼̰̿̈́͛ͅͅf̜̼̳̼̟͚̞͊͐͐ͣ̚.̵̶̤͓͎̮́͠ͅ

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

I relaxed, as I finally got it. It was okay, now. I understood it. Now I didn't have to be afraid.

T̟̮̜̞̦̜̤̘ͪ̔̅̈͆̌ͮ̐ͣ́͢H̸̥̺̥͎̖͙͖̙̅ͪ̽̄͆̇Ě̖͕͈̱̝̈ͤ̉̒̑͋̾͝͝R̸̹̫ͨͦ͛ͧ̈́͝E̵̪͇̪̮̫͈̯͓͊ͤ̃ͥ́̈́̇́̚ ͔͌̈͂͂̄Ịͬ͐ͭ̚S̠̙̖̺̺̞͓͍̓̐͌̀͂̒̉ ̥̙̈́̾͘͜Ň̦̬͌͠Ǫ̦̝̗͈̓̇͒̈̽̎̏̐̀ ͩ̐̓̎ͬ̈́̽҉̥̰̟̳͔͍̝̤̠V̙̫͓̹̯̭̗͇̔̏͂ͣͧŌ̺̬̟̺̊̃̏ͯ̉̀͞Î̖̙͈̣̒̅ͨD̥ͬ̈̄̒̾͐.̓͌̆͋̚҉̡̰̹̮̪̪̖̖̯͈

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

̵̳̋̐͐ͭ̈̎̍ͧT̩͓ͪ̀͢H̨̭͌̾ͮ̄E̵̗͈̟̟͇͆ͦ̈̇ͩ̃͝R̡̩̩̠̰̖̗̦͌͑̇E̊ͣ͊̈́ͪͫ̾͜͏͙ ̏͆͗̌̌̑҉̣͘I̮̩̞̗̻ͭ̐͆͑Ş͉͓̱̳̮̀͒̓ ͈̮͇͖̱ͬ̾ͨ̂͆N̋͋̈́҉̗O̧̩̜͚̙̪͎ͬͬ̈́͊ͅ ̵̘̮̬̩͈̔̅ͪͦ͋ͥ̇́͟C̹͎̋ͨͫ̇R̙͕̙͕̜̐͗̔ͬ̄̿ͥ͋͡É͉̟͗ͅĄ̛͓̦͉̃ͬ̍̾Ț̯ͬͥ͐͘͞Ȉ̵̡̪̗͓̠̯̘̺͕̩̑̌̉͟O̲̬̹̰̮̩̅̎͝Nͩ̿̓͆͞҉̲̩̹͎̯̙̺̪͎.̲͖͚̞͍͈͙̘͋ͨ̆͑̿̏͗

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

Ơ̴̠͉ͨ̒ͬͮ̽́͢N̵̛̼̬̰̩̬̓̊͟L̻̆ͭ̉ͬ̎Y̢̪͚̗ͩ̓ͥ͛͑ͮͦ͒ ̇̉ͦ͏̛͉͖͎̻͡B̖͖̮̰̺͚̭̎́̔͒̆͂̿̄̃͝͡À̢̱͓̲͉̐̎ͅL̰̳͈͊̐͡Ạ̷̞̻̟ͮ͋͑̓͋͋ͯ̎̋Ṇ̺̳̗̟͆͛͝C̷̨̲̖̙͍̘̮͔͍͈ͧ́ͨͪ͑ͥE̸̲̘͉̾̊ͣ̋͆͐͢͢

̪̣̺̣̗͙̦̔̎ͯ͗͒̋̑͜ͅ

I finally let go.

I woke up, looking upwards into a bright light. I squinted, as my eyes strained. Funny, it was as if I hadn't used them in a very long time. I blinked slowly. 'Wait, did I just wake from a coma? Was all of that just a dream?'

Ṇ̠̘͇̣̟̘̫ͥͭͮͩO̧̅́ͥ͜҉̪̟̘̰͎

I understood now. That was not a dream that was real. But wait… even if this was a dream, then what would I have woken to? I couldn't… I didn't… I understood, but I still didn't remember. I think… I burned it. All of it. Used to push me beyond my limits, into my final desire. 'But still, I want to know. What was the cost? If I know anything, is that everything, especially knowledge, has a price. My entire being can't be the price, because I still have my curiosity. My curiosity is all that I kept with me when I left… wherever. So, what am I missing?'

S̀҉̙̞̜̣̘̪̺̝I̢͈͔͇͐̊ͫ͗͑̏̒͌͢G̴̷̷̠̫̙̯͈̃ͧH͇͓̜͍̞̪͂̇ͅṰ̸̶͚̭̹̥͇͉̜̒̈́̐́͑̐͆ ̪̟̟ͥ̾̏ͪ͘͢ ̸̸̮̼̒̄̆̋́

…clouds floating lazily across the azure sky…

͐ͤ͊҉͕̺͇̙͖̜ͅ ̧̣͕̫̦ͣ̃͆͛S͕̘̿ͯ̃͋̎ͪ͌̕O͈̎̊̕ͅƯ̩̟̪̠̝̤̂̀͆N͗ͧ̽̔̽͏̵̮͍͖̞͞D̢̟͖̪̽ͮ̚ ͙̫̙͚̖ͨ̓̑ͭͨ̒ͮ͘ ̸̸̡̤͙̣͕̼̰̞̋̒̇

…an echoing boom hit my ears as thunder roared…

͙̰̺̗ͦͫͬͭ̀ͫͦ̀̚ ̧͉͓͓̯͛̉̆ͧ͆ͯͤ̽C̴͓̙̘̣͚̫̰̉̔̈́ͩ̓̇ͨO̦̜͉̣̜̘̍ͯ̓̕L̵̦͓̱̹̰̹̿̍͗O̲̻̯̝ͤ͆͊̅͋͢͡R̙͇̗̝̎͋͊ ̷̲͍̝͓͕̟̙͆̆̔ͪ̐ͨͦͮ͘ͅ ͔̀ͪͣͤ̉

…a beautiful array of pastels lay before me, arranged by shade…

̜͔̦ͨͦͮ͌͑ͅ ̸͙̰̦̰̬͎̹̥͖́̒̈́͒͒M̸̯̜̩̠̺͓̥ͥ͗ͥ̎E̟͚̙̰̝ͯ̄̽̎̉̋ͥ̚͡M͎͖̮͇͇ͯ͗͡ͅÒ͍̣̟̝͙̜̼ͯͭ͌͞R̸̰̝ͯY̷̥͙̲̾̐̅̈ͫ͡

YOUNG OLD BLACK WHITE TRUE FALSE RIGHT WRONG

Now I get it… Yes, that's who I was. 'But… that's not really me anymore, is it?'

Ṇ̠̘͇̣̟̘̫ͥͭͮͩO̧̅́ͥ͜҉̪̟̘̰͎

'Why not?'

Y̼̟̩̦͖ͦ̄͐͛͆̅͊͢Ơ̡̮̥̤̙̇̿͌̄̕U̐͏̦͖͓͔͎͔̤̞ ̸̹̙̮ͥ̋ͦ̔̋͌̒Ḵ̪̭̙̩̿̏͊͢ͅͅN̄́ͫͨ͋̽ͬͮ̀͏̳͙͇͍O͑̓͒̆ͥͯ̌̃͏̣̤̘̙̦̪̻W̛̺͕͛͂̉͠ ̡̙ͥ͆̄̀͟A̛̤̰̥͆ͤ̅͝L̡̠̖̣̝͈ͧ͆ͅR̠͚̈́̂̔ͮͫ͌E̵͚̭̦̰̾͑́ͣͬͫ̃̂A͖͙̓̈́̄ͬ͑́D̛̘̪̰̳̯̲̝̯̅͗͗͋̈́ͫ̎ͭ͝Y͕̭͓͍̖̲̥̖̟̓ͨ̊

'Gee, thanks.' I paused, as inspiration struck. 'Wait, I get it. That whole thing about the abyss gazing back, that must apply here.' So, the cost of my understanding was my old self. Following that logic, and compiling what I know already…

I was startled from my thoughts by the sound of a door opening. I stayed still, unable to sit up as a giant entered my field of vision. He had long, red hair, a pretty face, and green eyes. Then, disturbingly enough, he leaned down and began making cooing noises to my frozen form. Cooing noises, like the ones people do to puppies, or…

Already feeling a sense of dread, I lifted my arm in front of my face. My new, pudgy baby arm.

Another person entered my sight. A haggard-looking silver-haired beauty snatched me up and placed me against her chest, saying something stern to the red-haired man.

Wait… I recognized those faces, if only just. Something from my old life. I concentrated, bringing the memories to the light. Grayfia and Sirzechs, the names floated out of the fog. The Lucifer and his Queen.

I froze, or at least as well as a baby can freeze. 'Let's put together the facts. I wake up and the Great Maou himself walks in, and I am currently being held by his wife.'

I am in the world of Highschool DXD. I am most likely the son of Sirzechs Lucifer.

Even through my new perspective, one word still filtered through unhindered.

Fuck.