Chapter 5: (5) Veren's death and pale mask god
Veren squinted his eyes, closely monitoring the locket.
'I must be imagining it....'
This locket was given to him by his grandfather. That moment was very clear in his head for some reason.
....
"Keep this locket close to you."
That was all what his grandfather said, but Veren couldn't ignore his words strangely. He had never seen such a solemn expression on his grandfather's face.
"I have already lived through my life...I do not require that blessed Item." Veren's grandfather's voice was serene, giving an impression as if he was satisfied with something.
'It's about some blessings again...I have already heard it hundreds of times while he prays at this point. Well, the locket looks cool so I will keep it...' Veren couldn't reject looking at his grandfather's face.
"Oh lost soul, may you find destiny's forgiveness in new life....ahhh....may his cursed soul be released..." His grandfather's eyes dilated in a creepy manner.
'Crazy....' Veren blankly looked on.
His grandfather died a month after.
.....
"Sigh....Now what should I do? If it continues like this, I will have to look for another job..."
Ding!
The house's bell rang at that moment.
Veren's face froze at the sudden situation. Living a reclusive life, he maintained a ghost-like atmosphere around him.
'My heart rate is rising for no reason...' Veren tried to laugh at himself as he walked towards the door.
Not knowing that he would suffer again by ignoring the sensation from his heart. The locket on his neck started shining in an indescribable manner.
"Who...." Veren tried maintaining an expressionless face. However....
Stab!
"....." Veren blankly looked down, only to find a dagger on his chest and the two hands gripping it. Without looking at the assailant, he knew who it was just through the hands.
It was his father.
"How....you motherfuc- uckk!" Veren's mouth got filled with blood in seconds.
With the amount of blood being lost, it was apparent that his heart was directly stabbed.
'Ah...only if I had the power to pull it out and stab that shit face....' Veren's hatred just grew by the second.
As the heat left his body, his emotions subsided alongside it.
'I just wanted to write a novel similar to 'the rise of the holy empire'....but I couldn't even do that....'
Veren felt regret, but at the same time felt it didn't matter. His whole life was just a series of unfortunate incidents.
Being abused by his parents and then bullied.
Getting jailed for a crime he didn't commit.
Living by somehow with the money made through his novel.....
Veren didn't want to accept his grandfather's word, but his soul might actually be cursed.
'Even till the end, I couldn't tell Laila to stop sending those annoying letters....I feel like I haven't grown at all...'
It was the reality, Veren's mind was still stuck in the prison. It hadn't left that place, living in the protection of the thick walls. He didn't want to put himself in any danger anymore.
However...
'Why does it feel so frustrating....?'
No matter how Veren tried not to think anything about his sudden death, his emotions grew complex. It was like the world had slowed down, making him suffer for no reason.
Veren had come to understand his mother and sister, that was the main reason for this outburst of emotions. But ...
"...fuck...it..."
Those were the last words Veren uttered before his eyes lost its lustre.
His hate for both of them wouldn't subside just cause he matured and came to understand them.
He followed the promise that he made to himself, while still in prison.
{I won't ever trust anyone in my life.}
{I will never build any kind of relationship where it goes above business or the casual relationship threshold.}
.....
Blink~ Blink~
Veren stared at the unfamiliar ceiling with blank eyes.
"....!"
His eyes widened the next moment.
"I'm alive...?!" Veren just grew more surprised hearing an unfamiliar voice leaving his mouth.
Veren instantly tried to get off the bed only to find himself falling face first at the ground.
"....." Veren's eyes quivered as he took a look at himself. Two small hands and short legs were reflected in his eyes.
'I grew short....?'
As he looked around, Veren felt like his vision was being obstructed. Touching or at least trying to touch his face, he found a hard metallic texture on his finger.
'A mask....' Just as he wondered what the hell was going on, an electrifying pain ran through his head. Causing memories to rise like bubbles.
Veren's eyes rolled back and he lost his consciousness with images playing before him.
After who knows how long, He opened his eyes, feeling the sun rays landing on his face.
"Ah....my head still hurts. And I even promised myself to never go through pain for no reason." Even at this moment, Veren's voice was indifferent.
Veren might have not noticed, but he was treated like a plague by his neighbours. Since the moment he left jail, expression or emotions refused to come out of his face or mouth.
The only moment his emotions showed was when it related to his past. It was apparent through this that – Veren was still stuck in the past, in the dark cell.
'The pain did let me know my current situation at least....I actually came into the world of novels, that too in the body of an 8 year old boy....'
Veren would have rejoiced normally, but he couldn't due the devilish mask on his face. If he wasn't wrong, he might just be in the worst situation, more than his past life.
"The church of the pale masked fool...this mask definitely belongs to them and it's black in colour...." Veren's body shuddered for a second.
The church of the pale mask was the most hidden organization in the novel - 'the rise of the holy empire'. They were also the second final boss in it.
In this church, the black mask signifies the highest level of ritual possible for a mortal. After the creation of this mask, only a compatible sacrifice is needed to finish the descent.
'Yeah....this mask can cause the descent of a demi-god level being. And there was only one such being in the mid-part of the novel.....an ugly monster who was around eight metres big.'
'No...I don't want to become a monster like that. But more than that....the pale mask God, his real name was later revealed as the god of death in the novel....' Veren frowned hard.
His grandfather's relentless prayer came to his mind. When he looked down, his eyes grew dark.
A locket with a red gem on its middle was hung on his neck.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone