A kaleidoscopic array of swirling alien colors burst from within the depths of the wardrobe, but Bill was so focused on trying to stem the blood gushing from his throat that he hardly even noticed the majestic display playing out before him. “He..lp… me,” he sputtered out over yet another mouthful of warm, coppery blood.
Pulses of mind-warping pain throbbed with every beat of his heart. Terror radiated through his body like a relentless storm. He choked out a shimmering scarlet bubble and desperately reached for his neck, only to discover that his hands were somehow restrained. Shadowy tendrils of hazy black smoke emerging from the swirling light were wrapped around his trembling wrists with a force he would've been unable to match at peak strength. As it were, his legs trembled so furiously it was a struggle to remain standing.
Bill's eyes widened in terror as he watched the broken fragments of the shattered mirror come to life, rising off the ground as if by telekinesis. Countless glittering shards rotated around the strange lightshow, rapidly taking on the shape of a glistening maw that his panicked mind could only comprehend as some kind of nightmarish monster.
Within the mouth of the mirror beast, a jet-black void stretched on into eternity, filled with flickering points of multicolored light that twinkled like tiny stars. Each one seemed to pulsate with archaic patterns that whispered into Bill's mind, beckoning him forward. A feeling of dread settled into the pit of his stomach as a piercing yellow eye opened above the glistening maw, an X shaped pupil fixating on Bill with an overwhelming intensity that left his knees knocking like a Newton's cradle.
Fear surged through every fiber of his being as the shadowy arms tugged him forward, their unyielding grip pulling him closer to the abyssal throat. Yet, basking in those lights, an overpowering compulsion to leap headfirst into the void began tugging at his thoughts. What the fuck is going on?! Mirrors can't eat people! he cried out in his mind, desperately clinging to the hope that this was all just a fever-induced nightmare.
The pain coursing through his body was too real to be dismissed. That old crone's words suddenly sounded in his mind “But remember, everything here has a price. Some are paid in cold hard cash, others in blood.“ As glass teeth clamped down on his spine, an excruciating agony engulfed him, twisting his perception of reality.
Did that crazy old bitch know this was going to happen all along?
No! I have to be dreaming! he thought, desperately clinging to the last shred of hope he could dredge up. But no matter how he dissected it, the pain was undeniable, he couldn't simply dismiss it as a delusion. The icy fingers of dread clutching at his intestines were far too real to be a figment of his imagination. The agonizing feeling of being chewed to pieces was suddenly fading, overshadowed by a sickening sense of wrongness, of a horrendous presence violating the very essence of who he was.
Unable to resist, Bill watched through blurred eyes as the hands that restrained him sank through the convulsing flesh of his arms, their grip merging with his very existence and giving it a sharp tug. The pain began to recede, only to be replaced by an eerie numbness as Bill's consciousness was abruptly wrenched from his battered body with the subtlety of a head on train collision.
Bill's existence descended into a void of absolute darkness, the alluring stars and their confusing lights fading to black as everything he had ever been was torn free from the earthly vessel it was so accustomed to. With his senses deprived of anything to perceive, time soon ceased to have any meaning. He drifted in a vast ocean of emptiness, untethered from, and unconcerned for the grim fate of his physical form. His roiling emotions fell still, ushering in a sense of inner peace and contentment. Feelings of guilt and loss were gone, and the torment he had just endured felt like an echo of a distant memory. Bill settled in for his final journey, his every worldly desire replaced by a calm surety. Sara… I will be by your side again soon.
After what felt like an eternity, a faint spark of light pierced through the darkness, spreading out like a golden wildfire. The sudden, and quite honestly unwanted distraction drew his attention like a moth to a bug zapper. Dazzling flames rippled and danced across the distance like the guiding hand of the aurora borealis. Bill's consciousness, no longer confined by the limitations of his physical shell, turned towards the heavenly radiance and shot forward with everything his immaterial body had left. A sense of anticipation and longing welled within him as he approached that majestic fire.
He welcomed the unknown that lay ahead.
As he ate up the distance, the light grew brighter. Alien shapes and unimaginable sights began to materialize within the phantasmal glow. Bill's consciousness pierced the veil, transporting him to another realm. He was greeted by a sight so surreal he would’ve pinched himself awake had he the fingers to do so. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The world was a sea of vibrant colors, swirling energies and shifting patterns. Unearthly landscapes stretched before him, their towering crystalline structures confusing to behold. Cascading waterfalls that defied gravity flowed up and over mountains that resembled the rosy cheeked, smiling faces of porcelain dolls.
Unfathomable celestial monstrosities soared through the air, their forms varied, seemingly cobbled together at random. Although there were many to behold, Bill’s attention kept returning to a floating mass of eyeballs. Hundreds of many-jointed metallic wings jutted out of its bulbous spherical body at random, each flick of a feather conjuring up iridescent trails of meteors. Welp, looks like we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto…
The scenery underwent a radical shift as Bill's disembodied presence passed through a waterfall of liquid silver. When he emerged from the other side only moments had passed, yet he was now moving so fast that the environment was blurred beyond recognition. Growing impatient, left to float alone and undisturbed, his mind had nothing better to do than turn inward, seeking to comprehend just what exactly he was experiencing.
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Thus far, there had been no sign of the pearly gates, no trumpeting angels to herald his arrival. The expected heavy covering of silver clouds were nowhere to be seen, nor was anything else he would've expected, so surely this wasn't Heaven, right? Could the afterlife really be so strange? And if so, how was he to reunite with his loved ones? There was always the chance that he was looking at it the wrong way. Perhaps there were countless Heavens out there, and his spirit was seeing glimpses of alternate versions as it was guided towards the final destination.
Will I get to pass through doggy Heaven on my way? That would be nice… I wonder if I'm allowed to stop in and take Ms. Pooch home with me?
Although truly free for the first time, there was a tiny part of him that was still firmly rooted in reality. This portion of himself was still trying to find meaning in these unrealistic experiences. Was this the most lucid of lucid dreams ever to have been experienced? Or had he truly slipped free of his mortal shackles and been drawn into a distant dimension that dwarfed anything his wildest imagination could conjure up?
Wait, what is that?!
An eerie melody, at first only just barely perceptible as a subtle vibration, was tickling at his senses, beckoning him to follow. Guided by an instinctual understanding, Bill twisted his form, adjusting his trajectory so that he rocketed in the direction he perceived as upwards, confident that, at long last, he was getting close. As the reverberations gained an audible tone, it reminded him of ice tinkling on glass.
As the volume rose, the distorted realm around him rippled in sync. A blinding flash of light erupted all around him, yet just as Bill knew he'd arrived at his destination, a giant hand wrapped in armor forged of the purest darkness manifested directly in his path. Avoidance was impossible. As fingers of impossible magnitude closed around him, the world fell still and dark. Bills thoughts crashed to a halt. A booming voice suddenly reverberated throughout his consciousness, echoing with a mechanical precision that was wholly devoid of emotion or empathy.
"I am The Herald," the tinny, metallic voice exploded through Bill's mind, giving an impression of hyper-intelligence and detached emotion. "The dimensional barrier separating two of Earth's Timelines has been irrevocably shattered. The convergence of these displaced timelines now threatens the existence of everything you hold dear. The collapse of this sector of the galaxy is inevitable. System intervention is imperative for the survival of the populations inhabiting the alternate Earth timelines."
"As the unwitting catalyst of this calamity, it is you, Bill, who must grant the necessary permissions for System intervention. Reality itself must be remade; each separated timeline becoming their own individual Earth. To achieve this, vast amounts of energy and resources will be required to isolate and relocate both Earths before the impending temporal collapse consumes the Milky Way galaxy."
The Herald's revelations were simultaneously disturbing, and delivered matter-of-factly, outlining the dire situation at hand with little concern for the outcome. The mechanized voice bore down on Bill's psyche like a verbal avalanche. He was unable to think, let alone respond as it continued to explain the conditions that he would need to agree upon if he wished to avert catastrophe and preserve the existence of both Earths. Each condition laid out before him oozed with a chilling pragmatism that further revealed the harsh nature of the system.
"Several conditions must be agreed upon for this undertaking. First, possession of Earth will be relinquished to the System in its entirety. The System will assume control until suitable world leaders emerge on each respective planet. Second, all mortal beings will be granted access to the System, becoming interconnected with, and contributing a small energy tithe to, the System. This will aid in the System's recovery of resources expended in this transition. Energy tithing is estimated to span a duration of 11,500 years."
"Third, to establish a connection with the sector, you, Bill, will need to be reincarnated. However, due to the destruction of your physical form, you must be inserted into the alternate timeline. Lastly, Earth's G-Stage composition and current ambient energy levels are inadequate for planetary survival within the Mana rich territories governed by the System. Thus, Earth must undergo extensive transformations. Elements from discarded or destroyed worlds will be amalgamated to enhance the planet's density and energy signature. The integration of a World Core into each planet is imperative, and the cost for these changes must be repaid."
Despite the conflicting thoughts waging war in Bill's head, the Herald's voice continued steady and unwavering. The reality of the delicate position Bill was in became undeniable as he learned the consequences for non-compliance and the measures the System was willing to take to ensure the growth and ongoing contribution of the chosen Earthlings.
"This repayment will come in the form of forced conscription. Should conflicts arise, the System reserves the right to call for enlistment. Each Earthling will be expected to contribute and perform to their full potential. Weakness will not be tolerated, and those unable to keep pace will be utilized as fuel to propel the chosen few towards unprecedented heights. To foster growth and advancement, the System will unleash monsters and dungeons upon the worlds as catalysts to ensure rapid development."
The morbid description was devoid of any compassion or concern. It seemed to Bill that, at least in the Herald's eyes, Earthlings were mere pawns in the grand scheme of the System's objectives. Whatever those might've been.
"After one year, both planets will face a crucial test in the form of a formidable world boss. This trial will assess the strength and resilience of the Earthlings. Failure is not an option."
"If you choose to accept these terms, your memory of this encounter will be veiled, erased as if it never occurred. Alternatively, you retain the option to refuse, allowing immediate access to the afterlife. However, it is crucial to understand that the populations of both timelines will cease to exist, their fates forever sealed."
"The choice is yours, Bill Wolfe. Consider the consequences carefully and make your decision."
***
Bill blinked his eyes open, his mind reeling under a wave of pain and confusion. It hurt to think, so he tried not to do that. But as his vision began to clear, he found himself back in the Cosmic Exchange staring into an eerily familiar mirror. “Huh? What the hell is going on?" Bill demanded in a raspy voice that, while similar, sounded too rough and gravelly to be his own. Strangely enough, he got a response.
Who the hell are you spose’ to be?! What in blazes are you doin' in my body?