My night started just like any other Wednesday.
As a freelance graphic designer and artist, my schedule was fairly flexible, yet I kept it structured. The comfort of familiarity and structure was something I enjoyed. Given that, I was finishing a jog and my post-workout stretches. My legs were still burning lightly. After my shower, I took a moment to look at my figure in the fogged mirror.
While I wouldn’t say my build was slim, it still bordered on the lean side. Wiry, toned muscles—thighs and core especially—under a healthy, thin layer of fat. I was in excellent shape, by any metric. And yet, that pervading sense of displeasure clouded my thoughts regardless.
“Could be worse, I suppose,” I quietly muttered.
With a light sigh, I shook my head and attempted to dislodge the image from my mind. I went downstairs to make dinner before I’d get back to working on this or that. Mostly, I tried to keep busy. My family was relatively well-off and I kept my bills low regardless, so I tended to pursue things that interested me rather than the salary.
I was 25 this year, and my small house and 7-year old sedan were already generously paid for. On top of being located in a more rural-suburban area, the cost of living was rather modest. The neighbors were friendly, the town generally safe, and things like a grocery store or school within a short walking distance. It was quiet, quaint. There were only one or two things I wished were different about the area.
After taking my meds and eating dinner, I cracked my fingers and sat down in my PC chair. While brainstorming how to tackle my next project, my phone went off with a custom emergency alarm.
Oh no.
Adrenaline began filling my veins. I quickly shot up, grabbing my wallet and a duffel bag I kept behind my couch, before slipping my shoes on and rushing four blocks down the street.
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“This is IC. Start pulling out. The fire is spreading too fast. Building could collapse at any minute.”
I had heard it over the radio, but one of the women we’d rescued said her one daughter was still inside and we hadn’t found her yet.
Something about the scenario had struck us as unusual. By the time we’d arrived, the damage to the right half of the house was extensive. When we’d pulled the meters, cutting off gas and electricity, it was already an inferno. It was an old, rural house out in the country, so response wasn’t as fast as usual.
“Chief! I’m gonna do a quick sweep upstairs for the girl!”
My lungs and legs protested. I moved as fast as I safely could up the stairs. This was my second trip after carrying that mother out. Out of our group of five, three fighters were outside providing medical aid and coordinating operations, while myself and Rodriguez were upstairs looking for the girl.
I made my way into one of the children’s bedrooms, filled heavily with smoke. Nothing under the bed or in the closet.
As I was finishing my sweep, Rodriguez’ voice came over my headset.
“I got the kid! Carrying her out now.”
I felt relief, as a small bit of tension left me. I quickly made my way back out, spotting Rodriguez carrying a girl and heading down the stairs opposite of me and across the hallway.
BAM!
A deafening explosion rocked me, as the doorway opposite my exit blew open, flattening me against the wall. I crumpled to the floor, disoriented and my mask cracked. There was a scream on comms, Rodriguez.
“Parker! You alright?! Answer me!”
I staggered to my feet, reorienting myself. Flames spewed out of the hole left by the exploding door, bits of shrapnel littering the ground.
“Parker! IC, the girl’s out. I’m heading back in!”
My voice wobbled from having the air knocked out of me.
“Y-Yeah, I’m alrigh—”
First came a hiss. A thunderous BOOM! rocked the house again, more violent than the last. I slammed into a wall. With the fire licking around me, I scarcely had time to recognize the ceiling collapsing or the beams and debris falling above before a dull thunk! struck me and I collapsed on the ground, buried.
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I coughed, letting out a hoarse cry and opening my eyes. Despite having my eyelids open, it remained completely dark. I floundered around, trying to gain my bearings. Strangely, I didn’t hurt anywhere. Yet despite my flailing limbs, I couldn’t feel them touching anything.
The lack of pain was certainly welcome, as my mind whirled back to the events minutes prior. Yet a distinct panic began to well up in me. What was going on?
A haunting, melodic voice sprang forth.
“Poor, poor little moth. Flew too close to the flame and got burned. And now you’ve wound up in my web, hmm?”
It was a woman’s voice, yet I couldn’t see anything. Where was it coming from?
Suddenly, a gigantic eyelid wretched open. An impossibly massive eye stared back at me, so far away, yet the sheer size dwarfing any attempt distance might make to have it appear smaller. The white sclera, gold iris, and pitch black pupil seemed to lock onto me. My mind hit the brakes, terror swiftly catching up.
I stammered, “What’s going on? Where am I? What are you?”
Was this a dream?
“Oh, you little silly thing,” the voice replied, “If this were a dream, it’d be far less amusing.”
Wait, I don’t think I said that out loud—
“No need, dear. Reading your tiny, cute little mind is a simple feat,” the voice purred, seemingly from nowhere, yet in my ear at the same time.
Reading my mind? Wh-what? Are you some kind of—
“Goddess? Deity? Divine force of immense power beyond your wildest dreams? Something along those lines, yes.”
I was too stunned to speak for a moment. A nervous laugh escaped my lips without my permission.
“I was going to say psychic. Or an eyeball. Am I talking to a giant eyeball? The heck? I must've smacked my head too hard.”
The eyeball paused, its pupil dilating ever so slightly. My whole body began to shake and convulse. Then, it stopped as quickly as it started, leaving me panting in a pitch black void. That voice entered my head again.
“Oh, apologies. I’m multitasking just a bit and got distracted by something unpleasant in another system. I didn’t mean to frighten you. That was rather impolite of me. I was going to do a whole theatrical performance for you, but a few thousand of my projects are now requiring my attention so I’ll be just a bit more direct.”
The eyeball blinked. Instantly, it was replaced instead by a much more normal sized pair of eyes. They shone gold, still staring at me.
“You may call me Nex, Goddess of Mischief. You’ve died, and I’ve come to make you an offer. Should you decline, I shall relinquish you back to your system’s managing God.”
“That was you getting distracted?! I thought I was going to die- wait, I died!?”
A mouth formed, teeth shining white, “Horrifically! It’s probably better that beam broke your neck. I don’t imagine a mortal would enjoy being cooked alive. I’m told it’s quite painful for your kind.”
I stared at the mouth, or at Nex? My thoughts were whirling, attempting to catch up. This felt too real to be dreaming, and I did vaguely recall what happened. Logically, I was either dead or Rodriguez had managed to drag me out and I was having an incredibly realistic nightmare. Or I was in a coma.
I felt indignation. It wasn’t like fire fighters never died, but the amount of deaths per year was rather low. Not to say there weren’t risks, but we’d trained extensively for this.
“How!? That can’t be right. I had a date this weekend! What about my projects? And my parents?!”
This was, of course, more rhetorical than anything. I was simply venting my frustrations and confusion aloud. Instead, I received an answer.
“How? You mean, besides the explosion and roof collapsing? Hold on, let’s see. I’ll investigate a bit to see what happened—”
I stopped my ranting and clutching my head in disbelief long enough to see that eerie set of eyes flicker repeatedly like static.
“—Oh, that’s rather unfortunate. This is why you don’t mix industrial fertilizers and cleaning chemicals. The farmer’s wife was a maid, so they had a lot of fun things in their storage closet. I don’t need to spell the rest out for you, do I?”
A set of pale hands formed in the void, clasping then making a ‘boom!’ gesture.
“Amusingly, your blind date is going to think you left her on ‘read’, as the mortals of your planet say. You should’ve replied, you’re going to look like a jerk.”
The voice chuckled mockingly, while I could only stare in immense frustration.
“Your parents will get over it with enough time. It’s a good thing you have two siblings. Helps soften the blow a bit when losing progeny if there are fallbacks. I’m not really into the whole procreation thing. We certainly don’t need more entities vying for control in the cosmos, but quite a few of my colleagues are a bit overfond of mortals at times.”
At this point, I could only hope it was a dream, because I wanted to smack the floating eyeballs in front of me. Before I could voice my annoyance, Nex continued.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Getting a bit off track though. Try not to dwell too much, hmm? These things happen. You should focus on what you want to do next. Namely, if you’d like to take me up on my offer or not!”
I closed my eyes, exhaling deeply and gritting my teeth, “Please, continue. What offer? What are you talking about? You said something about being the Goddess of Mischief? And the ‘God’ of my ‘system’?”
The disembodied face nodded happily, “Indeed. Please don’t mistake us with whatever silly religion the mortals observe on your planet. You never get the scope right. And the Creator has long since been silent. I simply travel the stars, seeking amusement wherever I can find it, until the next collapse and it all starts anew—”
Nex stopped speaking abruptly, flickering for a moment. That horrible feeling wracked my body again, thankfully much more briefly this time.
“—Oh that is hilarious. Ahem. Anyways, yes your system has an assigned God. They’re rather hands off though. A bit stiff, really, but their system is remarkably stable by most standards. Kind of boring and not very high performing, but slow and steady is nice at times, too.
“Anyway, back to my main point. To reiterate, you are dead. D-E-A-D. Normally, you’d just reincarnate and perpetuate until what you call a ‘soul’ ceases tolerable operation, something gobbles you up, or if it gets too big, your God will usually split you into a few more ‘normal sized’ pieces and resets you. Soul entropy and stabilization is a fun topic. Yours is pretty unremarkable by the way, so you’d just reincarnate back without your memories.”
I blinked. Then I shook my head in disbelief. This definitely wasn’t a dream.
“Okaaaayyy… Where do you come into all this then?”
Nex scoffed.
“I’m the Goddess of Mischief, dear. It’s my nature to seek the interesting and improbable, creating things that defy expectation. You mortals are good entertainment. And watching you get reset gets a teensy bit boring. Even the most straight-laced of my colleagues, with few exceptions, likes to spice things up every few centuries or millennia. I have a rapport with most of them. I’ll visit their ‘house’, pluck a few ‘fruits’ from their trees, and carry the ‘seeds’ elsewhere to create entertainment. Kind of like television, I suppose?”
I tried to process everything I was being told, “Is it okay to be telling me all this?”
“Dear,” Nex replied, “You’re dead. What mortal are you going to tell? Who will believe you? And even if they do, so what?”
“... Okay, fair point. But why me?” I couldn’t help the exasperated pout that crept into my voice. This was the worst night ever.
The floating mouth grinned widely, “Complete, utter randomness! There is literally nothing special or meaningful about you. I just picked the first dead mortal I noticed hadn’t been processed yet.”
Wow, thanks…
“You’re welcome! Anyway, now that you either get the gist of things or even if you don’t, here’s the deal. I’ll grant you one wish and let you keep most of your memories for the next life. In exchange, I’m going to shunt you off to whichever cosmos I feel would be most exciting.”
“Wait, one wish?” I asked, “No catches? I can wish for anything?”
My heartbeat quickened a bit.
“Anything you want, except for more wishes!” she cheerfully chided, “There’s one main thing to keep in mind, though. I’m the Goddess of Mischief, dear. And I love nothing more than twisting mortal desires. You can ask for immortality, immense riches, a life of unbridled pleasure, god-like powers! The greedier or more cherished the wish, the tastier!”
That floating mouth seemed to grow bigger. I found an icy hand gripping my chest, forcing me to consciously breathe. Panic struck me again, as I stared at the giant face eyeing me carefully from above. It circled erratically.
“You can even wish to go back to your planet with all your memories intact. Speak to your loved ones, tell them you’re okay. Reclaim your old life. Ohh, that one’s a favorite of mine.”
Her voice had become venomous.
I started to sweat nervously. The reality of the entity I was conversing with began to sink in, as I realized how incredibly small I was at the moment. Desperately, I wanted to go back to being unconscious.
“One piece of friendly advice though,” Nex continued in a much less sinister tone, “I dislike boring wishes. After hearing things like ‘I want to live a peaceful life’ a few thousand times, I start to get offended. How is that supposed to be entertaining? If you’re going to make a wish, you should spice it up at least a little. Try something new, yeah?”
Silence began to permeate the nothingness I was currently in. As I slowly parsed through her words and implicit threats, warnings, and meanings, the gravity of my situation finally hit me like a truck.
It’d been so long, I almost didn’t realize when it started. My chest was tight. I reached up to my face, pulling away wet fingertips. Then, I began to cry far less gently. Large sobs wracked my chest and lungs.
I was dead. It was over.
Regret filled me. I’d never talk to my parents again. Never get to tell them I loved them. Apologize for doing so many stupid things over the years. So many things I still wanted to do.
I’d thought I was a bit detached at times. Certain emotions never came easily to me, and I was bad at expressing myself or dealing with people. Often, I tried conveying feelings with actions instead of words. Words seemed oddly cheap to me, who was so bad at using them. I paid close attention to tiny things people did, rather than what they said. And now, I wished I’d used words more often to those dear to me.
“Mom… Dad… Ethan… Julie…”
My choked sobs filled my ears, making me want to suppress them more and more.
“Damn it… Shit, shit…”
Minutes must have passed before I calmed down enough to wipe my eyes and look up. I was greeted by one of the most beautiful faces I’d ever seen, looking at me with a sympathetic frown. Deep purple hair flowed into the void, turning into black nothingness. Her form clad in swirls of the same colors, twisting about her in unnatural ways that hurt to look at. The disconnect took me a moment, yet the same voice came from her mouth.
“Take as long as you need. Time means little here, after all.”
With that, the self proclaimed Goddess of Mischief simply vanished.
I’m not sure how long passed after that. Coming to terms with the fact I’d died … wasn’t easy. Words couldn’t express my regrets or frustrations. If I’d been just a bit faster, smarter, hadn’t done this or done that instead… And if what Nex was telling me was true, I had one wish and could keep my memories. But then her warnings came to mind. Something in my gut told me if I wished to go back to Earth, I’d only suffer for it. I don’t know where that feeling came from, or why it was so strong, but it gripped me deeply.
What was probably hours went by. I debated spending days, or perhaps longer in this space, drifting until Nex decided she’d waited long enough. That seemed impolite, though. And part of me was becoming restless, even if I had in no way recovered from this mental whirlwind. I’d gotten enough of a handle on my emotions to not embarrass myself further, I supposed.
After that, I began to think of other things I could wish for. Something immediately came to mind, though I’m not sure if it was a good enough wish. It sounded so … silly, a waste of a wish from a seemingly omniscient being. The thought of confessing or vocalizing it made me flush with embarrassment.
I spent some time thinking about other wishes, but kept coming back. If I wished for something more ‘fun’ or ‘grandiose’, would I be able to ignore not making that wish instead? It seemed simple, but it was still important to me. There was one thing I was always dissatisfied with that I could never adequately change, so I hadn’t bothered much to try.
No. I’d surely regret it if not.
But that led me to another point. Was it ‘entertaining’? Was it too ‘greedy’? I had no frame of reference. But my gut told me that most of the things she listed wouldn’t end well. Certainly, if I had more wishes or wasn’t worried about them being twisted, I could think of countless other, more thorough, or more flexible wishes. I still had one question first, though.
“Nex? Nex, are you there?”
“Boo!” her voice called out in my ear, a finger touching my shoulder. I jumped on reflex. When I looked behind me, she was back to being a face in the dark. This time upside down, of all things.
Shaking that off, I asked, “Nex, did Rodriguez and everyone else get out okay?”
“Hmm, should I answer?” her eyes bobbed in the dark, staring at me appraisingly. They flickered like static for a moment, before returning to normal.
“Everyone else lived. Your friends and family didn’t take it well, but recovered in nearly all possible futures. That’s all the further you’ll get. I dislike scrying, even if I have little vested interest around these parts. It grates on my nerves. If you want to know more, take my offer then ask me again should we meet a second time. Looking into the past isn’t as unpleasant.”
A weight felt like it was lifted off my chest. I could at least use this wish without feeling guilty, I suppose. Possible futures, though? There was just so much to unpack the past few hours, I didn’t even feel inclined to begin.
“Thank you, Nex.”
She laughed, “You really shouldn’t thank me just yet, little one.”
With a blink, I was suddenly staring at an immensely massive eye yet again. This time, it was a bit less disconcerting at least.
“Well? What’ll it be? I won’t answer any more questions, by the way. Now choose,” her voice purred in my ear.
You already know what I want, don’t you?
A mouth formed from nothing into a vicious smile.
“Hah, you’re learning. You caught me,” Nex giggled gleefully for a brief moment, “For something as little as this, in such close proximity? Yes, I already more or less know the outcome. After all, in this space I've made? It takes much attention to not subconsciously read your mind. I know all your thoughts, fears and deepest desires. What comes after this is what I’m interested in.”
I let out a dejected chuckle in response, wiping a residual tear away and clearing my throat. Things felt oddly at peace. Or perhaps I was just resigned.
“Is it too much?” I asked quietly. My eyes dipped down, almost in shame.
She chuckled in response, “Hardly.”
My throat felt dry.
“Well, I guess that’s it. I suppose I’ll have to try making everything after just a little entertaining then, huh? Please go easy on me. I’m just one ‘little mortal’, after all.”
Nex grinned at me, a voracious smile that continued to instill terror down my spine like lightning.
“Not a chance. Rules are rules. I will say though, it's amusing how much greed you can pack into such a mundane and tiny wish. I like that you were smart enough to make a small revision, yet … I could twist this just as well, you know? Mental compulsions are easy enough. I could turn you into a thoughtless drone and still fulfill your desire. Did you consider that?”
I paled. I hadn’t considered that.
She laughed again.
“Relax. Even I am not that cruel. I’m actually rather pleased. You see, your wish is flexible and open ended. I can fit you into whichever world I find most entertaining. Like a jigsaw piece I can pop into any spot I want. Or a joker in cards. Hmhm, my favorite.”
The mouth disappeared, leaving me staring at the giant eyeball yet again. A small light sparked within her pupil, which seemed to be growing around me. My whole body felt like it was vibrating.
I replied shakily, “I’m not sure if it’s a good wish, though. It’s hard to figure out how a Goddess thinks.”
“You shouldn’t try,” she chuckled, “You might fry your brain in a less literal sense this time. We’re both more similar and more far apart than you could ever conceive.”
I stared at the eyeball in exasperation.
The space around me seemed to tremble harder, as I continued to stare into the massive pupil before me. The light within seemed to be growing. Moving became cumbersome.
“Do you think we’ll meet again?” my voice barely managed to rasp out.
“Who knows?” she laughed, “I don’t, and I’d rather keep it that way. The next time you die, you might just go straight into your next life. Try not to do that too quickly. If I’m not busy and notice you expire, I might pick you up for a short while to say hello. I won’t make the same offer again, however. Once is a fun anomaly, two is a pattern.”
The white light in her pupil grew, then multiplied several times. I began to feel faint. Thinking was becoming oddly hard and I couldn’t move.
Thanks again, Nex. Is there anything I can do for you in return?
A distorted chuckle surrounded me as that light grew brighter and brighter, nearly blinding me.
“Do you think a mortal could offer the Goddess of Mischief something besides a modicum of entertainment? Hilarious. Perhaps you should spend the rest of your life praising me. They usually end up cursing me till death, so that might be a novel change.”
Nex’s voice seemed to whisper, then echo into my ear one last time.
“Farewell, Jordan Parker.”
Abruptly, I felt like I was being tugged and squeezed in every direction—parts of me flaking off, swirling around, then folding in again. The bright light flashed, replaced by a far less oppressive darkness and the gentle patter of rain.