A waft of dry, stale air welcomed me when I entered the house. -’ Finally.’ I complained silently, as it has been a long day, one that was supposed to be free, but a call from work turned it into an aggravating exercise of working from my phone. -’ At least I got some more vacation time. ‘ I unsuccessfully tried to cheer myself up. A door closed behind me with a silent whoosh, meanwhile few automated lights turned on, they slowly outlined a gaping corridor and a wooden staircase. Vivid colors of walls and paintings did nothing to alleviate the feeling of emptiness permeating the open space. I removed a cashmere coat and hanged it in an alcove located next to the door. Gloves and shoes were next, each went to their correct resting place.
A sigh of annoyance left my lips when I entered the corridor, an incessant layer of dust appeared on a bamboo parquet yet again. Disheartened, I went up the stairs, which punctuated my steps with dull thuds, but not a single squeak. Soon enough I saw a round device neatly and quietly doing its ceaseless rounds on a first floors parquet. -’ They should make one that can travel over stairs. ‘ I complained silently, while picking up the autonomous vacuum cleaner that turned still in my hands.
For a second I considered putting the device back down and just using another staircase to go to my room on the second floor, but I quickly disregarded the notion. I have learned the hard way that if I left such things alone they would become a problem later on. After a mistake of the first year, where I ended up with overflowing trash heaps all across the house, I began to use only one set of dishes and learned to always return things to their resting places. I still couldn’t find my glasses that disappeared during that time, luckily I didn’t need them anymore, not since the operation.
I shook my head and went downstairs. When I placed the robot on the floor, a pair of red lights on its casing instantly turned green and the machine awoke to its new task with renewed vigor. Satisfied, I went to a nearby kitchen, paying no heed to eerie silence and dim illumination offered by sparse LED lights, I was so used to them that I didn’t bother with turning on normal lighting.
I busied myself with making sandwiches for dinner, blessing the convenience of online orders that kept my fridge stocked. Soon a pile of assembled food appeared on my plate and my attention turned to an oversized espresso machine. I pressed a button with hesitation and a loud buzzing sound reverberated through the room.
I let out a sigh upon hearing the familiar sound. The empty kitchen was unsettling, the lack of people from my memories made me anxious and eager for the machine to finish its task. It made me reminisce about mother, who was very different from me; outgoing and active. She moved to the outskirts of the city when she retired some years back, she said it was to pursue her gardening hobby and to leave us some space to make her some grandchildren, she let out a suggestive laugh at that point.
Me and my brother were thus left in the house that was too big for two people, but not big enough to hold two families. Soon enough he met a girl and they hit it off, before long they were married.
On the other hand I didn’t find anyone, or rather I wasn’t even looking. I have always been a solitary type that wasn’t interested in relationships. At first it was because I didn’t want to commit; while my teenage friends fooled around I had already considered marriage and kids, deciding that it was too early for me. Later, when I was a student, my father’s unfaithfulness came to light and I resolved myself to never do something like that and go only after meeting someone that I would really like to spend a life with. Well, I was thirty and princess charming was yet to appear, though due to my solitary nature I didn’t feel bad about it. Anyway, me and my brother had a talk about what to do with the house. Since I was rather attached to the house we had an agreement that I would buy out his half and he would move out.
I shook my head to banish the memories. Old espresso machine reminded me of them, as it’s buzzing almost always signaled that someone was in the kitchen… but not anymore.
I took a coffee and a sandwich tray before heading upstairs. Upon reaching my room, which took the whole second floor, I was welcomed by an expansive view from a window opposite to the stairs, it took most of the northern wall, exposing twisted dark shapes of trees from a nearby park. My bare feet skimmed over a soft carpet when I approached my computer, the machine awoke to my presence with its screens illuminating the room.
I sat down, sinking into an expansive leather armchair, and placed the dishes on a glass table, next to a keyboard and mouse. Without hesitation I extended a hand and started clicking away.
Yesterday I have reached tier one spot in my main MMO action game, which actually left me with nothing else to do in it since I didn’t want to commit enough to aim for a challenger tier. -’ Pity there’s nothing interesting coming from recent RPG lineup, been a long time since a decent release… all they do these days seem to be centered on team based action shooter stuff… ‘
I complained some more, before going through recent book releases, despite being mostly up to date it still shaved off a few hours before I was done with them. -’ I still wonder whether my quick reading is a blessing or curse… definitely a curse. ‘ I concluded, before appending. -’ Or my interests just aren’t varied enough... ‘
With a sigh I turned my attention to TV shows, as it turned out I had a bit of backlog on those. Happy with a small windfall I burned the rest of the evening watching fantasy movies.
At least, I didn’t have to worry about what I would do tomorrow, I had players scheduled for a tabletop session after all.
* * *
Late into the night, I turned off the computer and went to take a shower, before heading to bed.
I was dead tired, but there was an ordeal in front of me. For last few years I have been having problems with falling asleep. My gaze wandered to a prescription drug laying on my nightstand. It worked, but one shouldn’t use such things for long and my problem was persistent. So persistent that normal medicinal drugs and herbal remedies didn’t work.
My gaze was drawn to an ebook reader that I had downloaded some meditative courses on, hoping that a doctor was right and it was just a psychological problem. With resignation I reached out and took the reader, quickly putting the content of the course on the screen.
I skimmed over the letters, keeping my skepticism at bay, so far the course has been a recurring disappointment. As someone more on the technological side of things I was at odds with some of the new age stuff described there, especially since there was no tangible benefits for past several days. -’ Calm down, those things are not supposed to work right off the bat. ‘ I chastised myself for impatience and took a deep breath. It didn’t hurt to try, and I had a prospect of a long night ahead of myself anyway.
-’ Geez, this is much like that New Age of Learning courses that I was forced to attend as a child… ‘ I scowled lightly. -’ ...though much of them actually worked. ‘ I admitted in resignation and began to follow instructions.
-’ Find a comfortable position to lie down... ‘ I obediently laid down, with hands intertwined on my abdomen. -’ Next, the usual, deep breaths, calm mind… ‘ I quickly got into the routine and banished all of the underlying thoughts.
Everything thinned down to just laying there and breathing regularly. But I still haven’t felt sleepy in the slightest… I thwarted the distraction, focusing on regular breaths and the feeling of touch...
...Breath in, breath out…
…
…
After a while, I was ready to proceed further.
I focused on muscles of my arms and legs, trying to forcefully loosen them. Before, I didn’t understand what I was supposed to do, but after a week of practice, I was able to figure it out. The trick was in trying to taunt a muscle that wasn't there, while focusing on keeping other ones from moving. After a moment a sensation of fluttering lightness began to envelop my arms and legs, letting me know that I succeeded. The exercise was surprisingly hard to maintain, due to a giddy sensation that seemed to rack my bones and because it was somewhat exhausting.
I let the feeling spread, it reached my stomach then the diaphragm and finally the chest. At that point I was almost ready to quit, due to rising exhaustion and inability to breath properly. I persevered a bit more and suddenly the exhaustion subsided, it was as if I had reached some sort of second wind that was so often described by athletes.
I kept my mind clear, while focusing only on the task that felt as if something was being drained from my extremities, instead gathering in my chest. Meanwhile I was fighting against a growing pressure, because taking even a single breath while maintaining concentration was extremely hard.
To distract myself from the intensity of the ordeal I focused on the last part, which was to imagine something calm and relaxing. For me it was an image of an outer space, with a sea of stars painting an expanse of void with clusters of small lights. There was something calming in that void, which was full of endless possibilities barred only by the unreachable distance…
I maintained my concentration for a while, but gnawing discomfort kept getting stronger and stronger. I was ready to give up, to stop focusing on loosening my muscles, in the hope that I would be able to finally get some rest. -’ Maybe the exhaustion will finally let me fall asleep… ‘
At that point something strange happened. Suddenly, a burning sensation exploded in my chest, as if something was trying to break free, or rather, was being ripped outside. A sensation of being compressed, twisted and spun around overwhelmed me... My mind blanked out under the sudden duress that felt as if my consciousness was forced through a singularity, it was almost like being drawn into a vortex...
Abruptly, the maelstrom ceased. It left me confused, dazed by the rapid turn of events. Somehow, I wasn’t nauseous in the slightest despite the ferocity of the ordeal. -” Whats happ… “ I started in befuddlement, but the words froze on my lips, stopped by a bewildering view around me. Somehow I was floating in space.
-” … “ I gasped in wonder, fascinated by the sea of stars, by countless lights shining from afar, there were so many of them… Enchanted, I extended a hand, but grasped nothing, even the brightest stars, which seemed so close, were far out of reach...
I was still getting my bearings when a voice resounded nearby, spooking me greatly. I shifted around in alarm, looking for a source of the address, but the space around me was empty.
-” Oh… a mortal, as expected. “ The male voice was deep and melodic, it seemed friendly due to a slightly warm undertone, but that very undertone caused warning bells to ring in my head. I have met a lot of friendly people from marketing that had very similar, even if less striking, mannerism. None of them were trustworthy.
Voice spoke again before I was able to recover from the surprise. -” Please do not speak, I will explain what is happening to you and it will be faster if you remain silent. “ Countless questions rushed through my head, but before I could formulate any of them, the voice took on the initiative. -” Firstly, you are in a pocket space between dimensions where your soul has been pulled by me. “ I was about to express my doubts, but the being interjected, almost as if it was reading my mind. -” You are alive and this is not a dream. Also, I am a God, though not of your world. “
I hesitated while trying to process what was being said, as soon as I started to draw conclusions the disembodied voice continued the explanation. -” Yes, your thoughts and memories are open to me, for confirmation the answer to the question about the number is frog. “ God answered the twisted question that I thought about but haven’t even asked, it was unsettling to realize that my very being and deepest secrets were exposed, making me feel almost naked. I crossed my arms defensively while my cheeks flushed, due to uncalled memories of past misdeeds that unwittingly rushed through my head.
-” Hmph… Mortals. “ After a pause God sighed in annoyance, making me even more distressed. -” Very well, I will judge you, otherwise we won’t make much progress. “ I raised my head in surprise, trying to understand what was going on and I was rewarded with an answer. -” Most of you think that you are inadequate or sinful or otherwise unfit when faced with godly scrutiny and won’t get over the notion easily. I will pass judgment over you so we can proceed with the real agenda. “
I was a bit wary when he mentioned an agenda, but the prospect of judgment overshadowed it quickly, making me really curious and anxious. -” You have led an empty life, exerting no effort due to your keen mind while keeping everyone at hands reach. Even your family. You question yourself about your tastes, some of which you find sinful while others just shameful, but you have done nothing evil or decadent. You have loved others twice, but decided not to pursue them, always focusing on the bigger picture. “ The God made a slight pause to accentuate the conclusion. -” You think yourself many things like weak, deceitful, cold, hedonistic but that is not what you are. You are just innocent and alienated, locked in an empty world. “ God fell silent after announcing the verdict.
-’ What…? ‘ The conclusion left me stupefied, it was nothing close to what I expected. -” But … “ I started to voice my doubts, almost speaking about things better left unsaid, but a sudden burst of stifling pressure silenced me.
-” Did you really embrace it? Or maybe you avoided most of it? Think hard on what has driven you. “ The God’s voice was impassive, it evoked an embarrassing image in my mind. I forcefully stifled the shameful vision, though I was forced to understand that I have seen things through a tinted glass. I don’t know how but I could tell that God was amused.
-” With that out of the way let me continue the explanation. “ The God’s voice took on a lecturing tone. -” It appears that you have managed to push your soul to the edge of the planes, where I happened to notice it by accident. While your action in itself is rather rare it is nothing miraculous, on the other hand the fact that someone actually saw it, is. “ The god made a slight pause to let his words sink in.
-” I have a proposition for you and I urge you to consider it thoroughly, as it will likely be the only one that you will likely ever receive. “ I squinted my eyes reflexively, my very being brimming with suspicion. -” I can see your desires and the empty life you have led thus far. It so happens that I can offer you a life in a new world… and no, this is not a hero novel. “ God pointed out in distaste, somehow I felt that we were both equally disliking the tacky idea.
-” What I offer is what I said, a life in the other world. As to why I am giving you a choice the answer is simple, you live in a world with a very withdrawn but possessive god that is also very powerful. " Seeing that I was unable to fully grasp the prospect he explained further. -" He gave your kind free will while barring all of the magic and supernatural influences to keep you under control. It means that without contacting a powerful outsider, chances of which are slim to none, you have no chance of leaving that world. On a plus side if you do manage to reach such a being you can't be snatched by it unless you agree to... “ My addled mind was slowly getting over the shock caused by being suddenly pulled to a meeting with a god. Though it didn't make me any less hesitant, the God had yet to reveal why it was wasting its time with me and most of my suspicions fell into being scammed by a demon category.
-” Firstly, I am not wasting my time with you. I could easily hold several dozens of such conversations without a problem, though you should consider it an honour anyway. “ God responded with a tingle of superiority before heaving a sigh. -” As to your other doubt I do indeed have a motive behind my offer, though it's not as sinister as you think. To put it bluntly our world needs more souls, in a purely innocent sense. “ My curiosity was piqued by the statement, though I have already learned to wait for an answer.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
-” There was a world breaking calamity long ago and it allowed monsters to appear in the world. Gods, as there are more than one, are still working on repairing the veil, but it is a slow process that is quickened by the number of souls living in the world. Also, the making of a soul is a long and arduous process, that’s why most of us scour edges of dimensions. “ God’s voice grew faster, taking on an insistent tone. -” Think about fantasy worlds that you have read so much about and consider what the living and breathing one would be like... “ God’s voice trailed off and I could feel a strange sensation, as if something intangible was seeping into me.
Suddenly, I become aware of a new knowledge that resurfaced in my mind like a kind of forgotten memory. There was a recollection of the northern continent with its big, medieval cities full of people, of magicians practising their craft and of warriors performing impossible feats…Memories of other continents were present too, but I didn’t dwell on them too much, because the memories were simply a mishmash of minor details that would give me nothing more than a glimpse of all the different aspects of the world. Despite that the revelation was promising and it awoke a burning feeling of adventure deep inside me. Still, I wasn’t going to throw the caution to the wind, instead I tried fruitlessly to contain my emotions. God used the opening to push on with his agenda. -” Fear not, there are rules to this deal. Do you want me to explain the Covenant? “
To my surprise God addressed me directly, waiting for me to answer, contrary to the earlier almost one sided dialogue. It caught me slightly off guard. -” Yes, please do explain. “ I affirmed after a slight pause.
-” The Covenant guarantees you with three gifts that you will receive from me in exchange for your agreement to travel to the other world… “ The God’s voice was deep and heavy, it reverberated with power that shook my very being.
-” Firstly, you shall receive an agreeable vessel to hold your soul. “
-” Next, you shall have knowledge of words, so you can freely choose your path through the world. “
-” Lastly, you shall have a gift of minor brilliance, so you can make up for the lost years. “
God finished officially, before continuing in a lighter manner. -” What this means is that you can choose any humanoid form that you wish, and that you will be able to speak almost any language, apart from a few special ones. As to the last one, it is a simple gift of quick learning… or to be precise, of mastering the basics quickly. Also, you will be able to practice magic if you so desire. “
I grew thoughtful, trying to calm myself and consider the proposal objectively, but it was hard to fight against the giddy anticipation evoked by the offered possibilities. In the back of my mind a wicked, curious idea kept growing and was quickly getting out of hand. I managed to stifle it by focusing on the knowledge that someone was able to see into my thoughts and memories, the embarrassing thought instantly made me focus on the bigger picture.
After considering the circumstances, which were entirely in God’s favour, I had to admit that the offer seemed really fair… though there was a thing that was woefully omitted and really important...
-” I will add some equipment, attire and a bit of money. Also, you will appear in a safe place. “ The God stated casually, his friendly voice bearing no signs of guilt for the omission. -” And no, the offer in general is non negotiable. “ He added matter of factly, stifling my budding idea.
After further considering the offer I felt like screaming, every time I had an idea for a counter offer it was instantly disregarded as someone who knew my thoughts could easily see through all of the bluffs and feints surrounding it. -’ I just can’t get anything if I am not resolved to resign and I can’t bluff it out to make a better deal… ‘ Finally, I concluded that there was no other way around it. -” No. “ I said simply.
-” You do realize that chances of something like this happening again are non existent. “ God’s question was more like a statement.
-” I do, but there’s too much risk involved… “ I responded in a careful voice, it was worrying that he made the exchange turn into normal conversation.
-” I believe that you have not considered your options properly. “ God’s voice was casual, but it made me shiver with dread, which was caused by the realization that my very being was under impossibly invasive scrutiny that felt like a shadow looming over me. -” Have you forgotten about your curiosity? And possibilities that the Covenant offers… “ His voice trailed off suggestively and I hugged myself in embarrassment, plagued by a dark desire incited by the suggestion. It felt wrong, to have one’s darkest desires unearthed and used, it made me feel sullied.
Suddenly, the dark, invasive sensation vanished without a trace, leaving me steadied by rapid shift of emotions. I knew it was a sort of psychological trick, but it didn’t change the fact that it was effective all the same. -” You do know that there will be no second chances. Do you really believe that you can happily continue with your life, knowing that you could see the other world? “ God’s voice was soft and treacherous, its melodic, enticing cadence made me feel like a child - utterly helpless. I knew that he was playing me, using my dreams to haunt me…
-” Agree to the Covenant. “ God whispered insistently. -” You know deep down that it is the only way. I know you better than yourself, if you back down now it will break you. You won’t be able to return to that uncaring equilibrium of yours, not without dreams that you are denying here… “
I felt like crying, knowing full well that he used his ability to ruthlessly manipulate me, but the God was right. I had no other choice. Not when he knew my heart’s desire. I nodded my head in a quiet surrender.
-” You need to speak. “ God stated friendly and casually, his earlier manipulative attitude gone without a trace.
-” I agree to the covenant, terms as explained. “ I whispered in a soft voice, defeated.
Suddenly, I felt something like a snap and some sort of pressure had lifted from me, I wasn’t aware of it until it was gone. Without warning my presence began to weaken and I began to disappear, but only for a moment. God’s presence suddenly enveloped me, stabilizing my being, it was as if I was basked in some sort of electrifying energy.
-” You died. “ God calmly gave me a shocking answer to my unasked question. -” Or more precisely, a connection between your soul and the body was cut. You can’t go back. “
The statement evoked a bout of sadness from me, as I realized what mother’s reaction would be…
-” Don’t worry. I have arranged something to calm her, a vision of sorts. “ Unexpectedly, God started to soothe me in a matter of factly manner. A sliver of warmth in his voice surprised me. -” She will get over it and believe me, it wouldn’t end well if you have stayed.” I wanted to ask a question, but again the God responded before I could ask it. -” It is a little futile to ask a god of freedom about fate. And no, I don’t know the future, but I do know the people. “
For a moment I was at a loss, due to duality of the being that I was facing. On one hand he was ruthlessly manipulative, on the other he seemed almost caring. -” There’s nothing surprising about it. “ God suddenly stated in a cheerful voice. -” When you can see into someone’s very soul it is quite hard not to empathize. Also, I quite like your particular shine. “ Before I could fully process God’s words a humanoid figure made out of shadows appeared in front of me.
-” Now, think hard and think well. You have only one shot at creating this character. “ God exclaimed merrily with a bit of mocking undertone. He knew about my role-playing hobby and the darker side of it. -” To start, just form an image in your mind and the shadow will take that form, afterwards you are free to sculpt away by making alterations with your imagination. “
Upon hearing the details, all of my thoughts seemed to vanish, banished by the unrelenting joy of facing the greatest adventure of my life. My fervent gaze was glued to the shadowy silhouette while frenzied considerations rushed through my mind...
...and intertwined with shiver wreathing feeling caused by a small amount of foreign memories that were seeping into my mind. I knew that there were elves, humans, dwarves, orcs and goblins, as well as some other races. My thoughts coalesced around a particular idea for a moment…
-” Do you really believe that you have the strength required? “ God stated casually, making me disregard the notion of picking a demonic race. It was due to the fact that their society, which was really scarce in numbers, revolved around only one trait, power, and I would be hard pressed to keep up with my peers.
-’ Not to mention the general *dislike* of other races… ‘ I thought to myself silently, meanwhile disregarding humans…
-” Haha. “ God chuckled lightly. -” It is true that humans aren’t most long lived of races, still it doesn’t mean that you have to limit yourself… though I see that it was not the only reason. “ God finished good naturedly, while I began to consider an elven race.
Since I was really interested I began to draw heavily on the godly knowledge. To my surprise elven race was quite different from humans, the differences were evident in the scope of their five senses, their build and cellular structure seemed to wary as well…
-” That’s enough. “ God interrupted my musings with a warm voice that had a chastising undertone. The stream of knowledge flowing into me was cut short, leaving me with fragmented pieces that were selectively being purged from my mind. -” I might be lenient but you shouldn’t abuse my gifts using otherworldly science... as I hate science. “ God finished, a slight distaste evident in his voice.
I nodded meekly, duly chastised. To my relief God didn’t seem to mind all that much and the flow of information resumed. I quickly skimmed over the other possibilities and stopped prying into the details, I had enough information anyway.
A shiver of embarrassing anticipation ran through me when I looked at the shadowy image. I have always been curious, I would even say sickly curious, about the other side. - ‘ On how it was to be… ‘ My cheeks flushed furiously while I fought a notion of stepping from foot to foot in embarrassment…
-’ ...a girl. ‘ I finished my train of thought shyly and unsuccessfully tried to calm myself down.
-” … “ A sudden premonition, or rather, assuredness that I was being laughed at made me hug myself in shame. -” There’s nothing to be embar… “ God started in a cheerful voice but suddenly stopped mid sentence, letting out a sigh. -” Hmph, I will leave you to your own devices then, when you are done just call me. “ With those words God’s presence disappeared, leaving me alone among the sea of stars. Only the shower of electrifying, invisible force reminded me about the situation I was in...
After several minutes accompanied with few renewed bouts of embarrassment I managed to calm myself down. -’ So I want to be a… girl. ‘ I started yet again, forcing myself to endure the mortifying ordeal. I had my resolution, but that didn’t change the fact that thinking openly about it was distressingly awkward. I fought down my humiliation and yet again faced the shadow, my heart beating hard.
I clasped my hands, which were shaking for some reason, closed my eyes, to avoid distractions, and concentrated on the image that I wanted for myself. My breath whizzed through my clenched throat when I tried to visualize an image of a half elf, I decided on the race somewhere along the way. Nervously, I thought about long straight hair, radiant pale skin and deep black eyes. My breath grew short as I made the minute alterations to the face and then opened my eyes.
Instantly, I turned my gaze away from the naked form, my breath held back in embarrassment. For a moment I was at a loss on what to do, then I concentrated and made a shadowy screen that appeared between us. I breathed out a sigh of relief.
My gaze returned to the silhouette in front of me and an involuntary scowl of dissatisfaction twisted my face. There was still a lot of work to do. A series of images rushed through my mind, changing minute details of the form. My attention focused solely on the being before me, my whole world narrowed down to a single act of creation...
I was heedless of the time that passed during my uninterrupted meditation...
...I did not care, I was enchanted, focused on the task…
...and then, after unfathomable time, my concentration suddenly broke…
...I was done…
I looked around absentmindedly, veil of tiredness slowly lifting from my mind, thanks to energizing shower of God’s power…
Inadvertently, I sneaked a peek at the form before me, seeing a cute young girl that was seemingly looking back at me. The screen of shadow was nowhere in sight and a thought about turning back appeared in my mind, though it was for naught, my gaze was glued to the view.
To a soft, convex curve of the jaw that drew a striking arch of the heart shaped face; to a tiny, straight nose that was just so slightly curved back as to leave a mischievous and cute impression; and to a pair of almond shaped eyes that seemed so big and black as to resemble an abyss that one could almost drown in. I felt my eyes tearing up, my heart overwhelmed with grief, due to seeing their empty and absent look; the being before me was so small and petite that against my better judgement I felt saddened by her dead and unfeeling gaze, which inadvertently forced me to think about vile deeds that might have caused it.
I broke the contact, unsettled, my stare travelling down, to a slim, almost childlike frame, accented by small curves that roused one's imagination with alluring hints where others would likely put obscene banners. Smooth, ivory skin had an almost unreal quality to it, one would sooner believe that it was some work of art, created to best the reality, rather than a living being.
I swallowed slowly, enchanted…
Suddenly, I realized what I was doing and a screen of shadows appeared between us, barring the view and allowing me to slowly collect, and correct, my thoughts...
Breath in, breath out…
…
…
…
Starry void around me helped and after a while I managed to settle down. I kept the screen of shadows in place, my equilibrium was already unsettled enough.
Finally, I decided that there was nothing else for me to do. -” God… “ I started and realized that I didn’t know all that much about the being that I was parlaying with.
-” God of freedom and humanity if you need to know. As to the name, there are many, but since I don’t really care… you get the idea. “ God’s presence appeared out of a sudden and his cheerful, outspoken attitude somehow managed to make me feel at ease. -” Also, I am not going to brief you on all the different aspects of the world hence you will need to figure them out yourself, though I will get you someone that will help you a bit at a start… consider it a sign of my favor. Good luck! “
-” Wait! What? “ I tried to protest, while a thickening cloud of power began to engulf me.
-” Don’t bother, you know enough and you're done with the body, quite… nice. *khem* “ God coughed slightly, and I unsuccessfully tried to interject, but couldn't due to my suddenly insubstantial throat. -” Also, there are no temples of mine to speak of so if you want to worship just make up something. Good luck! “
God finished his speech and I had an impression of him waving a hand in goodbye, but that was only for a moment because I suddenly felt as if my very being was being grasped by an invisible force. A whirlpool of sorts. The dizzying sensation of being compressed into a single point enveloped me, before suddenly turning into a feeling of being turned inside out. The threateningly vivid experience made me lose my bearings and before I knew a feeling of motion, as if I was thrown down from the heavens, dwarfed everything else. I was pressured by an impossible speed and then there was an impact of sorts and I lose my consciousness…