Chapter I: The Threshold of Becoming
"Bright." I muttered, lifting my arm with a sluggish groan to shield my eyes from the brutal, unyielding glare.
"Oh, forgive us, we completely forgot to deactivate the supernova backdrop." A calm, commanding voice echoed—equal parts amused and resigned. "There. Better now, isn't it?"
Suddenly, the white-hot starburst burning through my retinas vanished like a dying ember. What lingered in its place was... an office? The walls were sterile, a flat, unremarkable gray, pressing in on me with suffocating blandness. Before me stood a modest desk, with a door silently waiting just beyond. And... some kind of creature? No, not a creature, but a shimmering figure composed entirely of pure blue light, as if sculpted from the essence of the void itself.
"Where... where am I? How did I get here?" I stammered, still blinking against the lingering afterimages. My voice cracked with confusion, eyes darting. "Who are you? What... what is this place?"
Haah. The being sighed, a sound without lungs, but heavy with weary disdain. "Great, another one who talks." It muttered under its breath. "Where are the stunned silent types I've heard so much about?" Ahem. Clearing its nonexistent throat, the blue figure continued.
"What we are is irrelevant now. Welcome to your life evaluation. Your physical form has reached its inevitable end, and—due to your surprisingly open perspective on the 'Afterlife'—your consciousness has been granted access to a higher plane. You've been approved for reincarnation. Congratulations."
"Come to its end?" Panic prickled at the back of my neck. "I'm dead? How? When? I don't remember a damn thing." I scrambled, searching my mind for any fragment, any flicker of something out of the ordinary from today. Nothing. Blankness. Everything felt maddeningly normal.
The blue entity interrupted smoothly, voice dripping with casual finality. "Well, that doesn't matter now, does it? Your fleshy shell is already rotting beneath the soil, and somewhere out there, waiting in the infinite expanse, is a new one crafted just for you. Exciting, isn't it?"
Before I could protest, the being glanced at an unseen array of spectral forms on its desk. "Let's see here. Karma... karma... karma... Ah, yes. Some good—expected. Some bad—hmhmm, nothing extraordinary. Your balance tipped just slightly positive. Congratulations, you've maintained a stable equilibrium."
"So... what does any of this actually mean? Or are you just spouting cosmic bullshit?" I asked, skeptical but curious.
"Of course it means something." The blue figure leaned forward, radiant eyes flickering with an eerie glow. "You're granted a small boon in your next life. Nothing earth-shattering, no catastrophic curse. Balanced karma means you don't deserve that shit. But—here's the catch—it's a complete roll of the dice. The moment you're born again, it manifests. Could be anything. And if you choose, you can refuse this gift and dissolve into the infinite energy field. What say you?"
I paused, the weight of the infinite calling softly, seductively. Becoming one with the endless energy—peaceful, serene. But so was the idea of a fresh start. My past existence had been a lukewarm stew of mediocrity—twenty-two years of nothing remarkable, barely a ripple in the cosmic pond. Resetting seemed like the only reasonable option.
"Will I get to choose the world I'm born into?" I asked, clinging to hope.
"No."
"Race?"
"No."
"Gender?"
"No."
"Anything?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"No."
...
"Fine. I'll take your offer—and the boon. Thank you."
"Wonderful, wonderful." The figure clapped its hands—or whatever served as hands—and gestured to the door behind the desk. "Let's expedite this. Another appointment follows in two of your 'linear' decades, and frankly, we'd like some rest before then. This way."
I stood, muscles creaking like ancient machinery. The door slid open silently, revealing a swirling portal—a black abyss encircled by shimmering rainbow hues, pulsating with impossible energy. I felt an irresistible pull, a gravitational tug on my very soul. But instinct screamed for caution, and I stopped, voice trembling, "Does it hurt?"
"Does what hurt?" the blue entity replied, mildly puzzled.
"Remolding my existence. It sounds... unpleasant."
The figure paused, clearly surprised by the question. If it had a face, the furrow of its brow would have been unmistakable. "We're not certain. It's never crossed our minds. Hmm. We'll have to consult with the boss about that after you're done." Regaining composure, it added, "But, no, it shouldn't. We've never heard screams."
Great.
"Very reassuring," I muttered under my breath. "Okay, okay, let's do this. Wish me luck." With that, I stepped forward and plunged into the unknown portal—into whatever bizarre, beautiful, and brutal fate awaited me.