I saw the car leave out of the corner of my eyes. I couldn't move anything, and I had no feeling below my waist. Was this what death felt like? As I laid on the ground, I could only look up at the meteor speeding towards me. Time seemed to slow down.

At that moment, I thought of everything I had ever done, all the things that I wanted to do, the things that I wish I could have changed, and the people I would miss. I thought of Isa one last time, and how I wished things could have ended differently.

All I could do was stare at that damn meteor. I braced myself as best as I could with my broken body. Any second now.

3

2

1

***

Black. When I woke up, that was all I could see. I rubbed my eyes- still nothing. A chill ran down my spine, and I felt my legs shake. Wait, my legs? Why can I feel my legs now? And why can't I see anything? Am I in he-

"Arise Ezra."

I flinched when I heard the deep voice boom from the darkness.

"Why do you lay on the floor? Stand."

I didn't realize I was on the ground. I slowly got up, trying to keep my balance. It's hard to describe what I was feeling, but if I had to sum it up in one word, weird. I kept feeling like I was losing my footing. Was the floor moving? The darkness didn't help either.

"What happened?" I asked the stranger.

"When the meteor hit, only you died."

"How was I the only one that died?" I asked. "I thought that meteor was going to destroy the whole world?"

"You died from your internal injuries. Not from the meteor," It explained.

I froze up.

The voice broke the silence and said, "You died, but you are still alive."

"What does that even mean?"

"Because of your sacrifice, your body is dead," It responded. "But, your soul remains intact."

"So, am I in hell?"

"What makes you think that?" It chuckled.

My eyes tried making sense of the darkness surrounding me. "Well, when I think of Heaven, I think of baby angels playing harps, white puffy clouds, and lots of gold. This is not it," I explained. "This place is the literal definition of hell. All it is missing is the flames."

"That is because you do not understand what you see," It said. "How can someone from a lower plane of existence understand what is above him?"

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"I don't understand."

"Right now, that is not important," It said. "What matters is that you died, but you don't have to stay dead."

What is with all of these riddles?

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You may call me Bel," he responded.

"Okay, that's your name, but who or what are you?"

"I am a god that is offering you something you desire the most," Bel answered, "A second chance at life."

"A god? What are you the god of then?" I asked.

"You're thinking of Greek gods. Real gods aren't limited to having authority over one domain of nature," Bel corrected. "Throwing lightning bolts and making earthquakes is child's play."

"If you're so powerful, what could I do to help you that you couldn't do for yourself?"

"Just like you, my vessel is broken," Bel explained, "but I still have a sliver of power left. What I need is to gather the rest of what was lost. Right now, I don't have the strength to create a new body for myself. Right now, I am only a spiritual manifestation of my former self- just like you. However, making you a body would be simple enough."

He died too? How does a god die?

"But what if I don't want to accept your offer?" I shot back.

"Don't fool yourself," he chuckled, "you know you have unfinished business."

Of course, I want a second life. Who wouldn't? Still, there's no way this is free if he's being so mysterious.

"So, all I have to do is find the rest of your power? How would I even do that?"

"I will guide you to where you need to go. You won't have any problems locating it."

"Wait a minute, so you're going to be in my head this whole time?"

"No, I will give you an object that will act as a medium for me to communicate with you."

It didn't seem like there would be any considerable risks to accepting this. I only have to gather the rest of his power, and he's even giving me a tool to find it. The only thing is: where's the danger?

"Will I be in any danger trying to find what you need?" I asked.

"Yes. But with my help, you will be able to overcome any obstacle."

"Do you swear it?"

"Hahaha, yes, I swear it. I'll even swear on the rest of my powers that you will be safe until the end."

I took a minute to think about the potential danger I was about to get myself into. But, I'm already dead. So, it can't get much worse than this...right?

"I... I accept your offer," I finally decided.

"Excellent. However, before I can send you back, you must pass my test," Bel announced.

"A test? What is it?"

"I told you earlier that there will be obstacles you will have to face. I need to know whether you have the strength and courage not to give up."

"I guess that makes sense. So, what's the test?"

A light suddenly lit a small portion of the room. I felt a sharp pain in my eyes before they quickly adapted to the brightness again. When I adjusted to the light, it felt eerily familiar. I couldn't remember why it stood out to me.

I noticed something right below it and began walking forward to get a better view of the illuminated object. When I was a few steps away from coming into the light, I finally saw what it was, a blade floating in the air. That was when I realized that this was the exact same light I was staring at before I died, the meteor. Before I could go any further, Bel stopped me.

He stepped out of the darkness; I finally saw him. He had a tall frame and slim stature clothed in a black robe. His skin was milky pale and smooth, and he had long strands of black hair resting on his shoulders. What stood out to me the most were his eyes. Deep gray eyes that felt like they were looking straight through me.

His presence was undeniable. I felt all the cells in my body shaking in fear at the god in front of me. I felt part of myself begging to do whatever I could to get away from him.

"This is your test," Bel said as he walked towards the blade. "You must be able to stare death in the eye and not back down."

He turned around and reached out for the blade. As if sentient, it drifted towards his outstretched arm and placed its hilt in between his hand. Flicking his wrist, he brandished the curved blade. The light reflecting off the blade cut through the darkness. Looking closer at the sword, it looked similar to a Japanese katana. The way that he handled the sword, it looked like it was an extension of his arm.

"Come," he motioned towards me. "Your test begins now."