Reality Quest: Questism

The void was not empty. It was never empty.

It churned and writhed, a living thing, layers of darkness folding over itself like an ocean in a storm. Shapes formed and collapsed within it—impossible geometries, spirals that led nowhere, doorways to places that had never existed. Light occasionally flickered in the distance, not like stars, but like something watching. Something waiting.

Sound had no place here, and yet, the void hummed. A deep, thrumming vibration, as if the fabric of reality itself was breathing. Or struggling to hold itself together.

Two figures stood at the center of it all, the only constants in this ever-shifting abyss. They did not belong to the void, but it recoiled from them, twisting unnaturally as if it knew it could not consume them.

One figure burned gold, his form both solid and fluid, his golden eyes leaving streaks of afterlight whenever they moved. The other was the color of approaching thunder... storm-gray and flickering, his shape constantly shifting, as if he had never quite decided on a form.

And they were arguing.

Loudly.

Loud enough that the void itself seemed to shudder in discomfort.

"The Reality Quest system is superior," he declared, his voice layered with echoes, as if countless versions of himself were speaking at once. "It forces weaklings to evolve, pushing them beyond their limits! They must adapt! They must grow! It turns nobodies into apex predators!"

His opponent rolled his storm-gray eyes, sparks crackling through his form. This god was leaner, his limbs just slightly too long, his movements too smooth… like a puppet operated by an unseen force. He exhaled in exasperation, a gust of something that was never wind, distorting the fabric of the void itself.

"Tch. You call that growth? Your system just turns people into meatheads with high numbers and no brains," he sneered. "They dump points into their physical stats and call it a day. Where's the real challenge? Where's the strategy?!"

Gold Eyes scoffed, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. "You wouldn't understand. Power is strategy. My system breeds survivors. Who cares if they don't have 'fancy' team skills? If they're strong enough, they don't need a team."

Storm Gray let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating through the void as if it was an off-key melody. "Ah, and there it is. Your system breeds lone wolves. Mine? Mine builds leaders." His grin stretched unnaturally wide, his teeth jagged like broken glass. "The Questism system is better because it's not just about one guy getting strong, it's about building an empire."

He snapped his fingers, and cards materialized in the air, floating skill upgrades, stat boosts, power that could be shared.

"My system rewards the smart," he continued, his voice dripping with amusement. "You don't just get stronger… you make your team stronger. You lift them up. Distribute skill cards, strategize, delegate. You create a crew… a family."

Golden Eyes let out a low growl. "A family? Or dead weight?"

"You mean allies?" Storm Gray smirked. "Ah, I get it now. You don't trust people."

Gold Eyes twitched.

Storm Gray leaned in closer, voice dropping to a mocking whisper. "What's wrong? Afraid that a team-based system would expose just how fragile your solo champions really are?"

Gold Eyes' form flickered, reality around him glitching for a split second. His grin returned… too sharp, too forced. "Fine. You want proof? Let's put it to the test."

Storm Gray straightened up, intrigued. "Oh? Are you suggesting…?"

Gold Eyes raised a hand, and between his fingers, a single, trembling thread of reality twisted into existence… a fragile tether between dimensions.

A mortal's life.

A silence stretched between them.

Then—

Both gods burst into laughter.

Low. Unearthly. Almost… delighted.

"Oh, this will be fun," Storm Gray mused, tilting his head.

"Let's see which system truly reigns supreme," Gold Eyes agreed.

The void cracked. Reality shattered.

And somewhere, in a dimly lit bedroom, a young man's phone screen flickered… his last sight before the world around him dissolved into pure white.