Alistair's perception of time in the nothingness was hard to judge, be it felt like he was in there for what seemed like fifteen minutes or so. Alistair couldn’t be sure how long it had been, but quickly and without warning, there was an endless white cloudy expanse that was just… suddenly… there. Alistair looked around, or at least tried to. He went to look around and could feel the sensation that he wasn’t moving even though his internal workings were turning him. What is going on?

“Hello there, Alistair.” A perfect-sounding female voice seemed to come from everywhere. “Do not be frightened, you have nothing to fear here.”

“Wh-What?! Where am I? Who are you?” He asked, more questions swelling up inside him.

“I have gone by many names, though none seem to stick for very long. Most recently people have just called me ‘Mother.’” She answers. “As for where you are, well, you are in a transitional plane you could call it.”

“Transitional plane, what do you mean? Transition to where? What is going on? I remember testing my… Oh no… It exploded… Am I dead?” Alistair asks, trying to recall the events that led him to this strange place.

“Yes an--” She started to reply before Alistair cut her off.

“Oh God, No!” Alistair frantically lets out.

“and No. Alistair you have died. And although your life on Earth is irreversibly over, you have been deemed worthy of a second chance, if you wish to take it.” Mother or so she says she goes by, says.

“I don’t get it, So I’m dead, but I can have a second chance? Who deemed me worthy?” Alistair asks, more and more questions forming in his head. “What have I done to get a second chance?”

This is all way too strange, I need answers. I need to make sense of what the heck is going on!

“I know this is a lot Alistair, but please try and follow along, all of your questions will be answered in due time. To answer your question of what you have done to deserve a second chance, well it's a combination of your good nature, potential, and extraordinary selfless endeavor to heal the world from pollution and solve the energy crisis that plagued your world.” She says, her voice sounds like what one would expect an angel to sound like.

“Good Nature? So just drive the speed limit and don’t hurt others?” Alistair asked, honestly taken aback by these simple criteria she listed for a second chance.

“Among a lot more others, yes. I’ll give you an example of one of my favorite decisions you made, hopefully, this can paint you a bigger picture as to what we mean by your good nature.” She says. “Do you remember on your eighth birthday, when your brother was jealous that everyone was paying more attention to you than him, and he got mad and tried to throw dirt all over your cake until your mom stopped him at the last second?” She asked.

“Vaguely, it was a very long time ago,” he replied, honestly trying to remember, and then suddenly as if it was as simple as watching a movie he could recall it in perfect detail.

“Well, what you did afterward, instead of getting mad, or upset, you put yourself in your brother's shoes, and selflessly offered to have him help you to blow the candles out and even suggested that you split your wish.” She said. “Do you know how rare that is for an eight-year-old human child?”

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“Not really, I believe that’s pretty normal,” Alistair replied.

“No, Alistair, it is not. Empathy is unfortunately a learned skill and no one is born with it. If they were, no child would ever cry, or deprive their parent of sleep.” She explained. “Your ability to catch on to others' feelings and empathize with them while also not trying to manipulate others like most do, and instead choose to prioritize others' happiness over your own is exactly what I am talking about.” She finishes.

A wave of warmth washes over Alistair, although he doesn’t know how, since from what he could tell he has no actual body.

“As for your potential, well, you were so very close to creating Earth’s salvation to the most severe problems it is suffering from.” She said. “If it weren’t for Beth sabotaging your experiment, you would have succeeded.”

“What?! I don’t believe this. There is no way she would turn down equal credit for a Nobel Prize. Not for money, not for anything. She loved Earth and people just as much as I do.” Alistair shouted.

“Alistair, the fear of losing those closest to you makes humans irrational. In this case, Beth loved you. She was approached by a representative from an oil company that threatened not only her life but your life as well as her parents if she did not sabotage your experiment.”

This can not be happening. “What the hell, this doesn’t make sense, if what you say is true, then why kill me herself?” Alistair asked.

“She did not plan to kill you, you weren’t supposed to start the experiment until the next day when you all would be behind the safety glass during the presentation.” She explained in a soothing tone. “Alistair, you can not blame her for trying to save your life by killing your project. you know what they say, ‘The road to Hell is paved with the best intentions.’”

Alistair let out a mixture of a snort and a sniffle. It’s weird, I can feel the tears on my face, but I know I don’t have a face. I can feel my heart break, but can't feel a heartbeat. The warmth Alistair felt a short while ago, is now replaced by a deep cold that makes him want to crawl up in a ball.

After what seemed like hours Alistair asked, “So what now? You said something about a second chance?”

“Yes. There is a world that is in a similar crisis that I believe you could play an instrumental role in saving.” Mother said, “Instead of energy and pollution, however, this world is about to face its destruction. This world is one where Magic is real, and monsters roam free. Where Dungeons are growing more and more powerful by the year. They absorb mana over time.”

“Mana?” Alistair interrupted.

“Yes, mana is the essence that fuels magic. Where electricity fueled your world to power everything, this world uses mana to fuel all things magic.” Mother explained. “However, as the Dungeons absorb the mana around the world, the levels outside of the Dungeons are dropping. Soon the world's mana supply will be so low that things will stop working and the monsters that roam will become unhindered in their destruction.”

“I know nothing of magic, how can I help you with such a thing? " Alistair asked.

“Do not worry, I will have a follower of mine accompany you and teach you all things pertaining to this new world. Think of them as your personalized Google for this world, if you will.” Mother replied. “I must warn you, however, the more mana Dungeons absorb the more difficult they will be to take on.”

“Why would I need to take on Dungeons?” Alistair asked, confused.

“Because, when a Dungeon is conquered, the mana it has gathered will be released back into the world, not to mention the treasures they hold for those brave enough to defeat them.” Mother said. “I ask you to help me deliver hope and salvation to the people of Riftor. Will you again endeavor to help those in need?”

Alistair’s head was spinning. Beth’s betrayal, the loss of his family, friends, and his entire world. He wanted nothing else but to crawl up in a ball. His life’s work had been undone, one mistake and now he is dead. The trust he once had for others, shattered. Heartbroken and devastated, Alistair just wanted to move on to the afterlife. The very thought of having to start over, learn about a whole new world, and spend a whole lifetime trying to fix another world while battling monsters trying to save it sent Alistair into a deeper state of depression.

Alistair took several what seemed like minutes and weighed out everything in his mind before finally, he replied, “Sure, I guess.” For fuck’s sake…