Have you ever been "body drunk" before? That state where your mind is completely sober, but your body feels drunk? It’s like your limbs have a mind of their own, and no matter how much you will them to act properly, they stumble or lag as if disconnected from your brain. It’s like being a passenger in your own body—you can hear yourself slurring your words or stumbling as you walk, but your mind is baffled as to why your body isn’t following your commands. Well, that’s what it feels like to be a baby again.
Okay, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here. I used to live an ordinary life on Earth. I went to school, graduated high school, and then joined the military—the U.S. Navy, for those curious. After my service, I used the skills I gained to land a decent job, which I worked at until the day I died.
I became an engineer specializing in building 3D printing systems, a profession that allowed me to blend creativity with technical precision. It was a field where I could constantly innovate, which shaped my approach to problem-solving and my appreciation for cutting-edge technology. One day at work, someone forgot to turn off the power to the machine I was working on. And just like that, I was electrocuted. Honestly, being electrocuted isn’t a terrible way to go—at least in my experience. I touched a live wire, saw a flash of white light cross my vision, and then… nothing. I didn’t even feel pain.
After that, I met a god. One moment, an infinite void surrounded me, silent and featureless, and the next, I was seated at a modest wooden table across from an old man. He looked exactly like you’d imagine a wise old man would—long white beard, deeply wrinkled face, and eyes perpetually closed, as if he didn’t need them to see everything.
“Well, I believe I have an offer for you that you can’t refuse!” he declared, his voice a mixture of humor and authority, like an old-school mob boss in a classic film.
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“Oh, really? What are you going to do, kill me?” I shot back sarcastically. I mean, I was already dead. What could he possibly do to me?
“Oh hoho, no, I don’t believe I will,” he replied with a chuckle. “I’m offering you a chance to live again. You see, the world I created has magic. Your universe, on the other hand, does not. I’ve worked out a deal with the god of your universe to extend this offer to certain souls. In passing into my world, you’ll gain the ability to use magic. And in return, you’ll bring a unique perspective of magic from your universe to mine.”
Hearing this, my mind screeched to a halt. Like any other nerd, the idea of being reborn into a magical world was a dream come true. Who hasn’t fantasized about having magic powers or being a superhero? “How do I know this is legit?” I asked, trying to keep my excitement in check.
The old man looked at me calmly and said, “You don’t. But tell me—what would I gain by lying to you?”
“Well, you could be the devil, trying to steal my soul and drag me to hell to torture me for eternity,” I said in a completely deadpan tone. Despite my skepticism, a small part of me desperately wanted his offer to be real.
As soon as I finished speaking, he burst out laughing, like I’d just told the funniest joke he’d ever heard. “You make a good point,” he said, still chuckling. "It's not every day someone accuses me of being the devil, but I suppose the suspicion is healthy. Keeps things interesting. So, I swear by your god that I am not the devil. I know that doesn’t mean much to you, but it’s the best I can do. I’m not allowed to persuade you further.”
I know it sounds cheesy, but in that moment, I believed him. Maybe it was because I was just a soul, or maybe I subconsciously clung to the idea of living again. Whatever the reason, I wanted so badly for it to be true that I found myself nodding before I’d fully processed what he’d said.
For the first time since I arrived, I saw his eyes. He was smiling broadly as he waved a hand at me. “Have fun!” he said, just before everything went black.