Standing in this dense forest were two people.

Me, and a self-proclaimed goddess.

As I pat all the dust off. I bow my head to her.

"Well now if you'll excuse me…"

"Wait!"

Before I tried to make a break for it, she yanked my arm back.

"Ms. Sifina, I have people waiting for me. Can you please let go of my arm?"

And you know, don't interact with me again?

Every single fiber of my being is telling me to get away from her as fast as possible.

"Hey, won't you think about it first?"

She started hugging my arm, I could feel something soft brush against it.

Yeah, that's too close for comfort!

"Doing nothing day after day, month after month, year after year. Aren't you tired of your life? Besides school, all you do is sit around in your house and play games. Doing chores when you feel like it, procrastinating until the very last second. Like your Dad said, you can't do anything at all until you're pushed into it, can you really be proud of the life you live right now?"

"How did you—"

"Know?" She laughed as she lets go of my arm. Playfully winking as she gives an teasing smile.

"I already told you, I'm a goddess aren't I?"

"As opposed to a weird stalker who knows everything about me? Well, the latter still sounds miles better than the former."

Sifina...

I have never met this girl in my life but she's already right with 90% of my life story. I don't have the right to refute what she says, even if it's pathetic. All of what she said about me was true.

"A parallel world. A different world if you prefer—"

I turn to look at Sifina but she was gone. Instead she was sitting crossed legged on a tree stump.

"What does it mean to you?"

"Don't know, why would I care to answer?"

"At least humor me for a bit!"

I blinked and Sifina was gone again. Now she was behind me, pouting with her cheeks puffed up.

"You're not a kid anymore, stop doing that. How old are you even anyway?"

"Ask me about my age again you will receive divine retribution, okay? For example, you promised to someone you will be on time. Then, as you wake up next morning, you'll realize you're already thirty minutes behind."

"...Petty."

"Shut up!" She she angrily shakes her arms around.

What are we even talking about again? Oh yeah, parallel worlds.

What does a parallel world mean to me?

I can't think of an answer other than it's a different world. Everything I know about those comes from shows and video games anyway. Even if I wanted to, anything I would say wouldn't amount to much either way.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Forget about it... I was just asking for my curiosity anyway..." She said, looking defeated.

Well, she's quick to give up at least. If she was really a goddess, she doesn't have that ethereal feeling as you would expect.

"Ken Kazutoki, let me ask you again. Would you like to live in a parallel world?"

"Sorry, you're asking the wrong guy."

I give her a straight answer.

"I don't know why I need to go in this parallel world, or why you chose me in the first place. Whatever your reason is, I'm not going to hear it."

I took a step towards Sifina who didn't moved an inch.

"I may be living a nothing life but why does it matter to you? I wake up, eat, go to school, play games, go back home to do my chores or do my homework. When I don't have anything else to do, I laze around and do nothing. It's simply the life given to me right now... A completely average life... and besides..."

I have a responsibility I can't throw away just yet.

If I somehow go to this world and leave my Dad behind... How am I supposed to face Mom?

Clutching the necklace on my neck, I wait for her reply.

Sifina looks at me with a blank stare on her face.

Within the space of a couple heartbeats, Sifina sighed as she gives her answer.

"At least you're honest."

Even though she was a goddess (self-proclaimed) I spoke to her as my equal. I don't think I need to be careful with my words.

"But, I'm sorry Ken! You don't have a choice here."

"…What do you mean by that?"

Sifina closed the distance once more, we were now face-to-face with each other.

"Because fate decided it."

The next moment I blinked, Sifina was not in front of me anymore.

She was in the middle of the small clearing we were in, sitting down on a wooden chair that was sheltered by a parasol.

Wait, where did that come from?

"Try it, Ken! Leave. If you're out of luck, I will be here waiting for you."

She spreads out her arms as if to say Do your worst, you'll come back to me anyway.

It ticked me off but it made me realize several things.

Shit.

I stare down at the ground thinking about my situation.

Firstly, I don't know where I am.

I could try going back to the direction I came from but I was already lost.

The forest itself felt different compared to a normal one. I already had a taste of it when I first tried to follow that cat, an endless sea of bush.

The rules of this forest might be completely different from what normal is... I might be lost forever trying to leave.

Secondly, there were no bars to speak of. I can't use my phone to call for help.

Thirdly, I have bad camping skills. Even if I waited for rescue to come, I don't think I would survive long enough (assuming they find me).

"I'm trapped."

That was the conclusion I came up with.

If you look at it from another perspective, everything that happened so far seemed planned.

She said it herself, she asked her servant to fetch me.

If she already planned that out, she should have known this would happen as well.

"That's a bad joke."

While I'm slightly pissed off, I dismiss that feeling.

There's a reason for most things in life, I just need to understand why.

With my head hung low, I approach the table where Sifina is.

She had her legs crossed as she enjoyed a cup of tea she brewed for herself.

"Oh? You didn't even try to leave." She said, unsurprised at all.

"What do you want from me?"

She giggled, gulping down her tea as she did so.

Sifina stood up from her chair and went face to face once more with me.

"Do you want to live in a parallel world?"

She asks the same question once more.

"Why?"

I asked her.

Why does she want me to go there so badly?

Why me?

"Fate decided it."

It all comes down to that huh?

I don't know what else should I do.

If I agree, I would be leaving someone important behind. I don't think I can forgive myself for that.

"Close your eyes," Sifina asks.

"Close my eyes?"

I shrug and follow her instructions.

As I do, I felt her soft fingers gently touch my face.

Wait. I'm not ready for this!

All my prior feelings of annoyance switched to nervousness.

I could feel my hand build up with sweat as I gulp my saliva down.

I'm not used to getting physical with anybody. Her actions made my mind arrive at the first conclusion I could think of.

She said she wanted something from me but not this!?

Finally, her fingers rested at the top of my eyelids.

"Sorry about this!"

"Wha—Aah!?"

A sudden spike of pain goes through my mind.

Her fingers dug into my eyelids.

A seething pain raced through both of my eyes, blood seeped down her fingers as I wailed and screamed. My reason ran out, trying to tear her hand away from my face. I scratched and pulled to no avail.

"Almost done!"

The pain became stronger, and the feeling of hot oil being doused through my eye sockets flowed down.

"And done."

Freed from her grip, I stagger as I reach to cover my eyes.

The pain was gone, but the memory of it was fresh inside my mind.

"…Why..?"

Suddenly, my voice was gone, my vision darkened, and an unbearable sound rang through my ears as if I heard a deafening explosion.

I struggled to keep myself conscious but I mouth out what I wanted to say.

"…why..?"

Hey, Sifina. Can you give me a clear answer?

Give me another reason than fate. Don't I have a right to choose what that is?

My knees suddenly gave out, causing me to buckle on the ground.

But at that moment, I felt a soft hand reach unto mine.

You are going to live in another world

What was she saying?

It might be hard at first. There will be times where you would want just want to give up, but I'm sure you will be fine.

I could barely make out the words she was trying to say.

You will make new memories.

And face the past of not only yourself but others.

Something was being wrapped from my hand to my shoulder.

I don't know what it is but it felt cold.

I know there are those who you would like to meet again.

So, I will grant you this wish.

My head ached, I was close to passing out.

Take this second chance.

Protect the ones that you have failed to save before.

Along with the new, that will come into your life.

I struggled to form a coherent thought in my head.

My consciousness faded in and out.

And finally…

At the edge of my vision, I see a distorted smile from the goddess.

She pulled me up to her, my head resting just above her chest.

I hope you fall in love with that world!

"Si..fi..na…"

"See you later Ken."

With a light push, I fell backwards.

I didn't land on anything, I continued to fall as if I was falling through the sky.

The air pushed against my back, my clothes fluttered in the wind.

With the last of my willpower, I opened my eyes for a split second.

I see a silver necklace flutter against the bright azure of the sky before I completely pass out.