The Omnipresent Force

Elliot stood frozen in the square, staring up at the crimson moon, his mind racing. The reality of his situation began to sink in, and the weight of it almost made his knees buckle. This world—the world of The Lord of Mysteries—was nothing like any of the other books he had read. Here, knowledge wasn't just power—it was a curse. And Elliot knew far too much.

The Lord of Mysteries and its sequel, The Circle of Inevitability, had been two of his favorite books. He had devoured their pages, relished every twist in the plot, and absorbed their hidden depths. He hadn't spent years re-reading them, but he had read them often enough to remember the critical details. Details that, in this world, could be his undoing. He knew too much about the gods, the outer deities, the angels, the spirits, and the terrifying forces that walked this world. And now, in this reality, that knowledge was dangerous.

Here, understanding the truths of the world could make you a target—a target for the gods, the outer deities, the angels, and other malevolent beings who served them. The more you knew, the more likely you were to be noticed. And once you were noticed, corruption wasn't far behind.

He could feel the urge rising within him—the urge to recall every single detail, every piece of knowledge he had gleaned from the books. The gods, the sequences, the terrifying beings that roamed this world—they were all so tempting to think about, to explore. But he had to stop himself. He couldn't afford to dwell on these thoughts. If he even allowed a single stray thought to form, it could draw attention, draw the forces that would end him.

The pressure built in his mind. The more he tried to stop himself, the stronger the pull became. It was like a flood, rushing through his thoughts, threatening to overwhelm him. He couldn't control it. He could feel the disturbance—the shift in the air. It was subtle at first, but then it grew stronger. Something, or someone, had noticed.

The ground trembled slightly beneath him, and the city around him seemed to shift in subtle ways. He couldn't see them, but he could feel the presence of eyes upon him—eyes that could peer into his soul. He had crossed the line. His knowledge was dangerous, and he was being drawn into the web of those who hunted for it.

His heart raced, panic setting in. He had to stop thinking, to push everything out of his mind. But it was too late. The knowledge he had absorbed, the truths he could not unlearn, had made him a beacon, and the more he tried to control it, the more it pulsed within him.

The pressure grew, unbearable now. His mind was being torn in two, and he could sense the malevolent presence growing closer. The gods, the outer deities, the dark forces of the world—they were coming for him.

Just as the weight of the world seemed ready to crush him, something shifted. A low hum filled the air, distant at first, but growing louder. Elliot's thoughts stilled, his mind sharpening. He looked around, but the square remained empty. The hum wasn't coming from anything visible—it was inside his head, like a machine booting up.

The hum intensified, then abruptly ceased. Silence.

And then a voice, calm and neutral, echoed in his mind.

[System Activation Complete]

Elliot stiffened, feeling the sudden intrusion, but it wasn't a force of malice. It felt... different. It felt like something was reaching out to him, offering him something. His heart pounded as his thoughts raced. What was this? Was this some new force in this world, or had he imagined it?

Before he could think further, a prompt appeared in his mind's eye, glowing with an almost ethereal light:

[You have been granted a gift.] [Do you accept?]

The words burned into his mind. The pressure around him, the sensation of being watched, pressed down harder, suffocating him. There was no time to hesitate, no time to consider the consequences. Desperation filled him.

Without a second thought, he accepted.

[Gift Accepted.]

In that moment, a rush of energy surged through him—sharp and potent, but not painful. It was as though a weight had been lifted from his mind, and yet, at the same time, something protective had wrapped itself around his consciousness. The knowledge, the dangerous thoughts that had threatened to consume him, no longer held the same power over him. It was as if his mind had been shielded from the outside forces that sought to pry into it.

A new sensation settled over him—calm, yet unwavering. The world around him seemed to steady, the presence of unseen forces fading into the distance.

[Skill Acquired: Mental Barrier]

[Mental Barrier is a growth skill that creates an unyielding barrier around the user's consciousness, protecting them from corruption, mental intrusion, or manipulation. The user's mind is safe from the influence of powerful beings and the dangers of forbidden knowledge.]

Elliot blinked, feeling the rush of information and the weight of the skill settle into his very being. The Mental Barrier skill wasn't just a shield—it was a fortress around his mind and soul, it was a safeguard against the very forces that had threatened to consume him.

For a moment, Elliot stood there, his breath slow and steady, feeling the lingering effects of the skill. He was safe. For now.

But as the last remnants of panic faded, a new thought arose—a thought that chilled him to the bone.

What would this "gift" cost him in the future and who gave it to him?