The silence has a weight to it. It's not the quiet of a room; it's the heavy, ringing absence of everything. My eyes snap open, but there is no horizon to catch them. Just a sterile, blinding void that feels like a headache behind my temples.
"Another overdose?" I mutter. My voice sounds hollow.
Suddenly, the memories return. The rain. The cold steel of the pistol against my temple. John's distorted face.
"No," I correct myself. "Not the pills. John." A bitter laugh escapes me. I'm dead. "So, is this heaven?".
I let out another jagged laugh. "Yeah, right. As if I'd ever make the cut".
"You aren't entirely wrong about what you're thinking".
I shrug and turn around—then I freeze. A being stands before me whose mere presence makes my heart race. It is majestic, overwhelming. Every inch of it radiates a calm and a power that feels entirely foreign to me. Light seems to flow from within the being itself, without a source, casting no shadows. I realize instantly: This is God.
"Your life has ended, Jordan. But do not worry—a new, better life awaits you in a new world".
A new world. I swallow hard. "Thanks, but no thanks," I say, my voice trembling slightly. "My life wasn't a gift. It was a nightmare. I have no interest in a repeat performance, even if it's 'new and improved'".
The being tilts its head. "I know the hell you lived through. Used, broken, discarded. You learned to bite first. That is exactly why you are here".
"An experiment, then".
"Compensation," the being counters. "A new life that allows you to change the sum of your past decisions. The choice is yours".
"And why should I believe this life will be any different?" I ask. "That I won't just go through the same thing all over again?".
"The path lies before you—which road you take is for you to decide. You will be born into a noble family, gifted with special abilities and a loving environment. It won't be perfect, but it will be better than anything you have ever known".
"A noble family... special gifts?" I furrow my brow. "Is this some kind of fantasy world?".
"You will discover that for yourself. It is different. More exciting. More adventurous. Dangerous, too, but full of possibilities".
I fall silent. The offer smells like a trap, but the alternative is death. And as much as I hated my life—my ego, my drive to exist and to win, is stronger than my exhaustion.
"What's the catch?".
"Only one rule: Never tell a living soul that you come from another world".
"That's it?" I scoff. "No 'kill the Demon King'? Just silence?".
"Do not underestimate this rule," the being warns. "In this world, 'Otherworlders' are not celebrated. They are hunted. Despised. Executed".
"Why?" I ask cautiously.
"Partly, it is my fault," the being admits, and for the first time, it sounds almost human. Tired. "In the past, I sent over anyone who had lived a miserable life. But I underestimated the psychological damage. People who have been through hell and abuse are often... scarred. Many of them became evil. Or were so mentally fragile that power corrupted them".
The being fixes its gaze on me. "Just like you, Jordan".
I stiffen. It's looking directly into my head.
"I know about the schizophrenia. I know the voices you hear. The whispers telling you to hurt others before they hurt you. I know about the pills you swallowed like candy".
"It's under control," I say coldly.
God ignores me. "Previous candidates became a threat. A devastating war followed. That is why a deep mistrust exists. If they find out what you are, they will kill you".
He pauses. "But I have taken precautions. I will alter your physical appearance. Your eye color, your hair texture... you will look different from your old shell to make identification difficult. You will fit into this world".
"And most importantly: I now choose carefully. I look for those who have the potential to change".
"And you see that potential in me?" I ask, my sarcasm unmistakable.
"Yes," he replies simply.
"Mhm." I nod to myself. "I see. Just don't be surprised if you're wrong about me".
"I won't be".
The world around me begins to blur, dissolving like ink in water.
"Do you have any final request?" the voice asks, now coming from everywhere at once.
"My medication. I need it". "I need it. Desperately".
The being laughs. "Oh, Jordan. You don't need those anymore. Your illness is a product of your old world".
"No!" I snap. "It isn't a flaw. It is the result of the hell I lived through. It is part of me. I will defeat this part of myself, but on my own terms. Not because you're taking the responsibility away".
"You truly are your own greatest enemy—and your greatest prisoner," the God says finally. The amusement is gone, replaced by a hint of respect. "As you wish".
A small, white box materializes in my non-existent hand. It is identical to the one I always used.
"It refills itself," he whispers. "Take it as a head start. And as a reminder of what you wish to conquer one day".
"Now, then. You may go. May fate be kind to you. May you find what you seek—and perhaps even more".
The whiteness swallows me, pulling me down into a darkness that feels warm and tight.
And then I hear it: a dull, rhythmic pounding.
A heartbeat.
"It's a boy".