My death came and went, and sadly I don’t remember a single instant of it, and from what I've been told, I may never know how I died.

So.. Let me catch you up…

I'm Dave Wilson, nothing special there, but it's who I am... who I was? This death thing is confusing. From what I remember, my life was pretty fulfilling, had a house, a family, a decent-paying job, and I don’t think I was sick… a part of me wants to know how I died, and then another just hopes that I got to tell my loved ones goodbye.

Comparatively, my life was nothing special, my wife and I just had our daughter, and my son was entering elementary school. I was excited about every part of it, even diapers again... now, I'm here and I don’t know how I got here. To me, it feels like I stepped into a room that was rearranged without my knowing, because everything before felt so familiar, and now I'm lost somewhere that feels like I should know it. Since there is no way to get back home, I have to make what's the best of a bad situation...

Waking up here was strange, the world came into view like dark clouds were pushed away as I came into existence, like watching a window or mirror fog over in reverse. Once everything came into focus, I was greeted by a pleasant... creature? they had horns, hooves, feathered wings... and a musically lilting voice... She, at least I think they were a she, was quite pretty...

"Welcome to the Afterlife!" She'd said as if she were a greeter at an amusement park.

Dave realized that he was moving, but not of his own accord, passing through arches as if he were walking through rooms with the greeter, his body clearly not under his own control.

"Here is the actual afterlife, nothing like what all your religions spouted, but more akin to some of your video games." The voice echoed in his head as the words didn't match the lips of the greeter. "And based on your memories, it would be much more akin to 'A new game plus.' and that is a pretty close idea of how this whole place works, you'll get more information on this from your patrons."

The colorful world of the afterlife came into focus: tall towers, flying creatures everywhere, and from what Dave could see, except for the group that he just realized he was with, not a single other person was in sight. Everything he could see had an ethereal edge to it, as if it was not quite fully there, shifting in and out of focus as creatures, who Dave assumed were the people of this town, moved along the edges, things becoming crisper and more solid the closer to something that they got.

"Welcome to The Rainbow Bastion, this is just the entry city, most of the people here are here to help get you where you need to be, so don’t be afraid to ask for help, but wait till after the tour."

The skyway-type bridge that the small group walked upon gave them a huge view of the city as they approached it, mixed themes seemed to clash all over, like they couldn’t agree on a single architect, pristine towers slapped next to groves of giant trees, next to jagged stones jutting in all directions, and that was just what could be seen, mists seemed to linger over everything.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Each step that the group made as they moved caused the colors of the world to seemingly ripple around them, making Dave think that the path that he walked wasn’t truly solid, but from the bits and pieces of the tour that he'd caught from time to time, this world wasn’t made of the same stuff as earth, thinking its structure came from a belief in it, and the more powerful the belief, the more solid things became.

We approached an opening, framed in elegant and disturbing figures, as though this was a shrine honoring some ancient monsters…. There was no door in the opening, but it seemed dark as pitch inside, all I could hear from the other side was a low murmuring, as though a group was having a relaxed conversation. The group I was with, based on the number of steps that could be heard, seemed as though none of us could speak, even if we could I'm sure I'd been in too much in a state of shock to even articulate words. The way my mind was racing it seemed to be the only part of my body I could even control. As we passed into the darkness I felt as if I'd fallen into a massive hole, the openness of the room was staggering. When I entered this world the darkness melted away rather than my eyes adjusting to it. That is when I saw them, giants, monsters, I didn’t have a better word for them in my vocabulary, but there were also angels, demons, and a tree? Were these the kings of this world…? I could feel it, with every fiber of my being. They were what made this world…

"Let me introduce you to the Patrons of the afterlife, they come from all aspects of life from across the universe." The group now stood in the center of a round room, larger than what the mind could grasp… the creatures felt as if they were the size of buildings, towering over the group. Silent, the weight of their presence heavy on their spirits. "You each should naturally align with a patron that best fits your disposition in life, they each have their morals as well as their plans for you," the bubbly demon girl said.

In Dave's mind, he felt a tingle, a presence, like when you enter a room and you know that there is someone there with you.

"Well hello mortal, I see you made it to the afterlife, let me welcome you to your new home." The voice echoed in Dave's head, not painfully, but as if it was a song that had been stuck in his head as if it was his mind speaking to him.

"Hello?" Dave responded in his thoughts, "Who are you?"

A low rumble filled the room, evolving into a deep chuckle. "Have you not heard a word that the guide has said?" The voice in his head replied.

"Uh… I've caught bits and pieces, there's a lot going on here." Dave gave in a mental huff. "Like I get the basics, I died, and now I'm here, and you uh, guys? Seem to be the ones in charge."

The low rumble filled the room again. "That is a very shortened version of it all, but yes, and based on the things that I feel from you, we are rather in sync, so, would you like for me to be your patron?".

"How do I fit?" Dave questioned, wondering just what exactly he did to get the eye of this 'god'.

"You worked hard for your family, you sought adventure, the games you played, the stories you enjoyed, you’ve had the thought of 'what if I was there' too many of those scenarios that you experienced as an outside observer. I am the patron that encourages adventure, hard work, and a sense of wonder. I want you to see all this new realm has to offer." The creature responded slowly yet with an undertone of excitement.

Thoughts started to run through Dave's head, thinking back to every game he'd played, his favorite characters, every tabletop game, every adventure he had ever read about, even thinking about the history of Earth and the explorers that explored the world. The idea of being able to do all of that in a new world and go on adventures honestly sent his mind into an excited state that he had never felt before.

"I'm in"

Those were the last thoughts before Dave's mind went blank and the world grew dark again…