We spun around in perfect synchronization, and the atmosphere transformed instantly. The man before us looked like he'd stepped straight out of a high-budget action movie. He stood tall and broad-shouldered, power radiating from his very presence like heat from a furnace. Between his fingers, he manipulated a coin with casual expertise, the metallic surface catching and reflecting the dim light in hypnotic patterns. His sharp jawline could cut glass, and those piercing eyes seemed to see straight through our souls—which, given our current location, might actually be possible.

The name tag adorning his impeccably tailored suit read John Wick, and I swear the entire room seemed to bend toward him, as if even space itself acknowledged his presence.

"I am John Wick," he introduced himself, his voice smooth as aged whiskey but with an underlying danger that made my spine tingle. "Pleasure to meet you."

I straightened my posture instinctively, offering a slight bow. "Sravan. The pleasure's mine." My voice came out steadier than I expected.

"Sriman," my friend followed, his usually casual tone taking on a formality I rarely heard from him.

I reached up to rub the back of my head, already cringing at what I knew I'd find. "The other guy is Teja. He's probably off... making friends with your companion." I tried to sound apologetic while explaining our friend's predictable behavior.

John raised a single eyebrow but showed no signs of offense. "I see."

And there he was—Teja, in full dramatic glory, kneeling before what had to be the most ethereally beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She glowed with an inner light, her silver hair flowing like captured moonbeams, and her sharp features radiated authority. Yet those emerald eyes held a vulnerability that Teja, true to form, had instantly detected.

"May I have the honor of knowing your name, milady?" Teja extended his hand with theatrical flourish, his charm cranked up to maximum.

The woman blinked, her cheeks coloring a delicate shade of pink. Given that no one else in this otherworldly space seemed capable of blushing, this reaction was... intriguing.

John's chuckle rolled through the space, warm but tinged with mischief. "It seems your elf charm—or perhaps your incubus instincts—have my stoic sister blushing."

The woman cleared her throat, her composure cracking like thin ice under spring sun. "My name is Ismelda," she managed to say, her voice floating through the air like a whisper of silk, softer than anyone would expect from someone who radiated such power.

John's lips curled into a knowing smirk as he tilted his head toward his sister. "So, you're finally embracing the name I gave you, dear sister?" His words danced with centuries of shared memories and playful jabs.

Ismelda shot him a glare that could have frozen hellfire, but her fierce expression melted under his teasing like snow in sunshine. "Impossible," she muttered, her face blooming into a shade of crimson that would make roses jealous. "No mortal should have this effect on me. Not in all my centuries of existence."

Teja, ever the opportunist and wearing his most charming grin, seized the moment like a master performer taking center stage. "I guess I'm not just any mortal," he declared, his eyes twinkling with that familiar mix of mischief and genuine warmth that had always gotten him both into and out of trouble.

I groaned loudly, burying my face deep in my hands, feeling the familiar exasperation that came with being Teja's friend. "Please, for the love of whatever's holy in this realm, ignore him. He does this whenever things get too serious. It's his... unique way of dealing with tension. Like a cosmic court jester."

John didn't seem bothered by the theatrical display. In fact, amusement danced in his eyes like starlight. "Interesting friends you have," he observed, his voice carrying notes of genuine intrigue.

"Interesting is putting it mildly," I muttered, watching Teja continue his performance with a mix of embarrassment and fondness.

John's expression shifted then, his features settling into something more serious but maintaining that underlying warmth. "So," he leaned forward slightly, "what were your lives like before you found yourselves here?"

I exchanged quick glances with my friends, reading the silent agreement in their eyes. "Well," I started, shrugging my shoulders, "we're already dead, so there's really no point in keeping secrets. Besides, I'm pretty sure you've got detailed files on all of us somewhere in your cosmic filing cabinet."

The room transformed as we shared our stories, the formal atmosphere melting away like morning frost under sunlight. We laughed about our misadventures – like the time Teja convinced us to crash a wedding just because he liked the decorations, or when Sriman accidentally started a flash mob in a library. We teased each other mercilessly about our embarrassing moments, and somehow found ourselves explaining some of our more questionable life choices to these cosmic beings.

As the stories flowed, we learned that John and Ismelda weren't just powerful figures in the afterlife – they were fundamental to the entire judgment process. The revelation that these cosmic beings, who held the power to determine souls' fates, engaged in sibling banter like ordinary humans added an absurd layer to our already surreal situation.

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By the time our stories wound down, I couldn't tell if this was an official judgment, an informal interrogation, or simply cosmic beings taking a break from their eternal duties to be entertained by mortal tales. One thing stood crystal clear: this afterlife defied every expectation we'd ever had about death.

The air grew thick with anticipation as Sriman leaned forward, his usually carefree demeanor giving way to seriousness. "John," he ventured, his voice steady despite the weight of the question, "can you tell us why we've been brought here?"

John settled back in his chair, his piercing gaze sweeping over us like a searchlight. "First, let me be clear about something. I'm not just another cog in this machine. I run this entire afterlife judgment system." His voice remained calm but carried an authority that made the air itself seem to stand at attention.

Teja's face drained of color faster than a sunset in winter. "Hold up... You're telling me I just flirted with the sister of the supreme boss?" His voice cracked like a teenager's, horror dawning in his eyes.

John's laughter boomed through the room like thunder, shattering the tension. "Don't worry about that," he said, flashing a grin at his still-flustered sister. "It's been centuries since anyone made her blush. You've done me a favor."

Ismelda shot another deadly glare at her brother, her cheeks still painted with a faint pink, while Teja tried his best to become one with his chair, as if hoping to disappear into the fabric of reality itself.

John's expression shifted, his playful demeanor melting away like morning frost. "Now, let's talk about why you're really here." He paused, letting the weight of silence press against their ears. His eyes held a depth that spoke of countless centuries, maybe even millennia of existence. "Living forever comes with its own set of problems. And the biggest one? It's not what you'd expect – it's boredom."

Sravan couldn't help but laugh, the sound bubbling up from his chest like champagne fizz. "Boredom? You're telling me immortal beings get tired of living forever? Come on! We humans survived years of calculus and still came out sane!"

John's lips twitched into a knowing smile, one that held centuries of understanding. "That's exactly it. Try doing the same things not just for years or decades, but for thousands upon thousands of years. Even the strongest minds start to crack under the weight of endless time."

He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement, like a child about to share a fantastic secret. "That's when everything started changing. One of our entertainment gods – yes, we have those – came up with this brilliant idea. Instead of creating new worlds from scratch, why not dive into the incredible stories mortals were already creating in their own worlds?"

"Hold up," Teja interrupted, his jaw dropping like a broken elevator. "Are you saying you guys actually binge-watch our stuff?"

"Oh, it's much bigger than that," John replied, his smirk growing wider with each word. "It sparked a revolution across the cosmos. Entertainment became the lifeline for countless divine beings. We couldn't get enough of it. And then, just recently, this startup – and yes, we absolutely have those up here – pitched me something revolutionary."

"Divine startups?" Sriman's voice cracked with disbelief, his eyes wide as dinner plates. "Like some celestial version of Silicon Valley?"

"Why not?" John shrugged, the gesture somehow both casual and elegant. "This particular one calls themselves Nebula Stream. They're pioneers in mixing mortal creativity with divine innovation. Think Netflix meets cosmic consciousness."

"What's their big idea?" Sravan leaned forward, curiosity dancing in his eyes like flames.

John rose from his seat with the grace of a cat, his presence filling the room like morning sunlight. With a casual flick of his wrist – as easy as someone swatting a fly – a new chair materialized out of thin air. The furniture looked both ancient and modern, impossible yet perfectly real. He settled into it directly across from them, folding his hands in his lap with deliberate slowness. His gaze locked with each of them in turn, like a spotlight finding its targets.

"They want you," he said, his voice soft as velvet but sharp as steel.

The trio exchanged confused glances, their expressions a perfect mirror of bewilderment. "Us?" Sravan echoed, the word hanging in the air like mist.

"Yes, you three specifically," John confirmed, leaning forward slightly. "Nebula Stream wants to launch their first program with you as the stars – it's a groundbreaking concept where mortals become the main characters in a cosmic storyline."

Teja's hand shot up like an eager student's, his face scrunched in confusion. "Look, I barely passed my school plays. I don't think we'd make very good actors..."

Ismelda's laughter trickled through the room like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. "Oh, sweetie, this isn't about pretending. This is about living."

John's grin widened until it seemed to light up his whole face. "Exactly right. Let me explain it better." He dropped his voice to just above a whisper, yet somehow it filled the entire room like thunder. "What if I told you there's a second chance waiting for you? A chance to leave everything you know behind, start fresh in a completely different world, and write your own story from the beginning? No baggage. No restrictions. Just pure, unlimited potential."

The silence that followed felt heavy enough to touch. Even Teja, who usually had a joke ready for every situation, sat speechless, his wit finally failing him.

John's voice resonated through the room with a mesmerizing cadence, each word pulsing with power. "You wouldn't just exist as background characters – you'd become the heartbeat of a story that spans across countless dimensions. Picture your every decision sending ripples through the fabric of reality, your journey witnessed by countless beings across the cosmos. This isn't just about surviving; it's about crafting a legacy where every breath you take shapes the universe itself."

Sravan's heart thundered against his ribs, each beat echoing the magnitude of what lay before them. The offer wasn't merely about cheating death – it promised something far more intoxicating: the chance to become legends in a story that transcended mortal understanding.

"Tell me the downside," Sriman cut through the tension, his words barely disturbing the air. His eyes narrowed, searching John's face for any hint of deception.

John's laugh rolled through the room like distant thunder, genuine amusement dancing in his ancient eyes. "The downside? Only that you'll need to embrace uncertainty. Trust your gut when logic fails. Rely on each other when the path grows dark. This isn't some scripted performance – it's raw, unfiltered existence at its most primal and unpredictable."

The silence stretched between them like taffy, thick with possibility. John settled back, his smile taking on an almost predatory edge. "Well? Are you ready to step beyond the ordinary and into something extraordinary? To become the heroes of a tale that will echo across the cosmos?"

The air crackled with electric potential, charged with a magnetic pull that seemed to tug at their very souls. Each of them felt it – that irresistible urge to leap into the unknown, to grasp at something larger than themselves. The moment hung suspended, waiting for their answer.