"Come into the light so that we may see you." A deep, rich baritone voice echoed out.

What. The. Fuck.

Didn't I just die? Was that a dream? Is this some Matrix shit?

Where's my body?

Ah. So I'm dead. Damn it.

I feel myself being brought forward, and I can muster neither the strength nor the will to act against it. You would think that I would be pissing my pants. Before today, I probably would've thought the same. Dying changes your perspective. Dying changes everything. And there is  peace to be had in total surrender. That and I just couldn't give a fuck anymore. Not even about the realization that I'm without a physical body. I'm dead.

Let the good times roll.

"We are your makers."

What? We?

"Yes, and you have been made in perfection for a purpose that we desire."

Hold up, hold up, hold up. Made? Purpose? And another thing, I'm not talking, I'm thinking. They are reading my mind.

"Give the child some time to orient himself." This voice is now different, sweeter and softer, gentle and firm in equal measure.

How many of them are there? From the voices alone, I can make out two of them. Wait... I have no body, no ears, how the hell am I hearing them?

"Well, you are not really hearing. You are knowing. We are giving you that knowledge, much like how you would input code into a program." A third voice, young and bright ring out.

How many of them are there?

"An infinity. We come from another creation, far older and darker than this. You know us by many names, gods, demons, spirits and my personal favorite - aliens. Hah! "

Damn I could start a whole new religion.

"Many already have, care to give it a try?" I could hear a smile in the youthful voice.

In front of me I can make our three distinct entities. "Front", that description in itself feels strange, I can't tell right from left, nor top from bottom. It's like the feeling you get when you are falling in your sleep, and wake up to realize that you were lying the whole time. Only here, I'm falling everywhere, all at the same time, towards these entities, and I do not wake up. 

Neither do I see them in the traditional sense. Rather, I have an idea about seeing them, like they are concepts or rough ideas that I'm trying to fill the details in.

There's one with a rich authoritative voice, I see him as an old man, grey and grizzled. There's another with a kindness and warmth in her tone, I see her as a caring mother-figure. The third entity defies description, he is constantly in flux, mercurial and capricious, at one moment he is wise in a way that only fools can be. In another, he is shallow, like the silliness of children. He defies labels, and my closest approximation is a youth, not yet concrete in his will.

"Enough. ♦♦♦♦. We are not permitted to interfere with the mundane. Which brings us to your purpose. You see, some of us have strayed from the ancient compacts, you will need to bring them to heel."

First of all, I'm dead, I don't need to do a damn thing. And how is this 'not interfering'?

"Correction. You are not dead. You are not alive either, not in the traditional sense anyways."

Excuse Me?

"We will have to start over if you break him, ♠♠♠♠."

An unease grows in my mind, slowly weighing down my thoughts.

"And if you do not do this, we will simply make a version of you that will"

If I had a heart, it would've stopped right there and then. Make a version of me? How many of me were there before me?

"Ahahaha! This never gets old. Oh look at you, so small and stupid." The youth cackles in delight. I make a mental note of his condescending words.

"Hold your tongue ♦♦♦♦! Or we shall find another psychopomp that will take over your duties."

"My dear ♥♥♥♥, such harsh words! I just might leave before you get to chase me off."

What is this? Am I in a tragedy or a comedy?

"Neither, but you do have a role to play. You have been made by us, to do what we cannot do."

What do you mean made? Didn't you just bring my soul or something here after I died?

"That would be a violation of the rules. Not to mention that souls, as you understand it, does not exist, much like the luminiferous aether of the past. We created you using the identity of Edward Lim. You are not Edward Lim himself, as he is dead and gone. What you are is the best approximation we can make of Edward. In other words, you are a copy-"

"-But that is a distinction without a difference. Edward is no more, you are here, and you inherited everything that he is."

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Once again the kind and gentle lady tries to soothe me. I don't know what to think. I'm not dead, but how can I be alive? I'm Edward, but Edward is dead. Is this what cloning yourself would feel like?

"That notion ... is not wholly incorrect."

As I try to get a sense of my current reality, I realize that even my thoughts could be something other than my own. If they made me, who is to say what I'm thinking now is not what they intended. I begin to fall into an endless rabbit hole of contradictions. I stop myself. I don't want to be made again.

Let me try something.

"HEY! WHAT IS IT YOU'll HAVE ME DO?  YOU MOTHERFUCKING COCKSUCKERS!?" I spew this with as much venom as I can muster.

"Hahaha! That's my boy! You have your proof now? That you are yourself?"

Not totally, but I doubt gods would make it such that their creation insults them.

"We will forgive this transgression.Those of us who have strayed. Kill them. They have manifested themselves as gods on another world. Meddling and bringing great disorder, they are a veritable scourge-"

"-Why not do it yourself."

"Are you daft? They are already told you. We cannot interfere, the ancient compacts prevent us from doing do. In our current state, we cannot move a single hair on a person's head. To do so, we would need to take physical form."

"And you can't do that because of what, an old promise?"

"In so many words."

"And I'm basically a loophole..."

"You are catching on."

"What's to stop you from closing that loophole after the deed is done."

Silence. Not even the kind mother comes out to soothe my fears.

So they will kill me then.

Wait can they? If I'm to take physical form, they can harm me right? Unless they are lying. Or unless there's something they are not telling me. Or they could send someone to kill me, then send someone to kill the person that killed me and...

That doesn't seem right.

But still, I'm at unease. There is a caveat within their plan for me, one of a fatal nature, I suspect. But what can I do about it?

Absolutely nothing. For now.

Within the greatest danger lies the greatest opportunities. I heard that somewhere. I form a thought in my mind, an audacious plan - but what's there to lose? If I leave things as such, I have only oblivion to look forward to. A deal - a quid pro quo, is what I seek.

"I shall do as you ask, but I have conditions. I died once, I'm not dying again."

"We can accede to that."

"And I want powers, if you are sending me to kill gods, you better give me some powers"

"We have already planned to do so, but yes, we will provide you with the strength to take them down."

"And I want to keep them, after I'm done. And I want to be rich."

"That... will be fine."

"And I want knowledge, of the gods, and of the world that you are sending me to."

"You are testing our patience little one. We could simply send you there right now."

"Go ahead, but I'm guessing from the fact that you made me for this purpose, that you intend for me to fulfill it. Why not secure a guarantee?"

"We are listening."

"And this shall be a compact in the manner of the one that binds you to non-interference, and I don't want any sort of  deal with the devil bullshit. You agree to this, you agree to the spirit of this contract."

"Very well."

That went easier than expected

"Isn't there some kind of black and white? Something to sign off on?"

"You have no hands. What are you going to hold a pen with?" The youthful voice laughs.

"A compact like that doesn't just binds us, it binds you too. And if we were to enter into one as such, there needs to be some parameters."

Gentle mother isn't always gentle after all.

"Like what."

"30 years. Kill them within 30 years. You were given 30 years on Earth. We shall give you 30 years there."

Do gods have an inherent love of symmetry?

"Fine. I'll swear it... is that how it's done?"

"No, open your mind, and say the words as they come to you."

And us four say in unison,

"I swear by dead who are not alive, and the living who will not die, by the first division and last unification, by the beginning and the end."

There is a change in the air. I can feel it in my very being, like a will imposed on formless clay. I'm still that clay, but now I feel bound to another form. Is this the ancient compact that they spoke of?

"I now give to you my power, the all-power, the lightning and the thunder. Take it and lay waste to the oath-breakers."

"And I shall fill you with my essence of life everlasting, that no death nor disease nor weakness of body shall afflict you."

"And I will convey you to a vessel wealthy and influential, that you may have no want for food nor love nor luxury."

A great and terrible feeling rises in me. A strength which I had not known, and a vitality which I had not experienced, resonates in my will. Knowledge of the world I'm being sent to floods my mind.

"Come."

The youthful voice beckons and I follow. My whole being is gripped suddenly, I feel myself being squeezed and compressed. Then suddenly, I'm hurled into the vastness of space and time. The old man and the gentle lady disappear from my consciousness like motes of dust into the wind. Where I was, what I was, I no longer am.

----------------------------------------

Countless stars and endless nebulae pass through me. They are beautiful but fleeting. It is as if I'm on a bus travelling through the rain, and all manner of astronomical phenomena, which I cannot even begin to comprehend, are but raindrops streaming pat the window.

This is warp speed. Hahaha!

But something feels wrong. The vice held me earlier does not let up, the pressure that has been pressing against me keeps growing. I now sense a presence travelling with me, a presence that I recognize as the youth.

Why is he here?

The knowledge that was gifted to me earlier told me that his presence here, with me, was far from normal. His involvement should have ended to moment I was sent onwards, and yet, here he is.

"Because I want what you have, or more accurately, what you are going to have."

What I will have? Does he mean my powers? Life everlasting? Wealth?

Hold on. The vessel. My intended vessel!

"You would violate your oath?! You would be no better than the gods you seek to destroy!"

"Don't lump me with those motherfucking cocksuckers. Did I get that right? I'm not the one who wanted to destroy those gods. I couldn't care less what they did. Come now, let me relieve you of your burden."

I feel myself being torn apart. The terrible power that I had was taken away, slowly at first, then all at once. It is as if I  was being tied to four great steeds, and the ropes were suddenly pulled. I feel every strain and every rip. The pain is indescribable. 

Then, I gave way.

"For what it's worth, I like you, this version of you anyways. You made me laugh. So I won't take away everything. You memories? You keep it. Ah! look, my dear Edward, we have arrived. How wonderful a world! Too bad you won't be able to enjoy it!"

The last of my strength is sapped from me. The despicable youth throws me by the wayside. I sense his presence, great and powerful, moving like shadow towards the now fast approaching world.

 Once again, I fall.