What's really going on?
I couldn't help but sigh at the situation before me. I truly didn't understand how this happened or why. I was still struggling to process it all.
"Hmm…"
Putting my confusion aside, I carefully observed my surroundings. Everything was dark, yet I could see clearly around me. It seemed to be nighttime, although there were no stars in the sky… nor was there a moon.
"Huh?"
Why wasn't there a moon? Everything seemed to be a plain of white sand, and there were no clouds or anything else to obscure the sky. So why couldn't I see it?
Unfortunately, in this place, there is no moon or anything else.
"Your mother!"
I couldn't help but shout at the sudden voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. This place was already terrifying enough, and I really didn't expect anyone to answer me. Seriously, they could at least use another method to appear instead of speaking suddenly like that. I almost had a heart attack!
Fufu, well, I'll keep that in mind.
"Thanks… wait, who am I talking to? I haven't gone crazy, have I? I don't think I saw anyone else until a few moments ago."
Don't get so worked up, I'm right here.
"Huh?"
As I moved my head from left to right, searching for the source of the voice, I caught sight of a strange figure at the edge of my vision. It didn't have a defined appearance; it was like a mass of black smoke forming the silhouette of a woman sitting on a throne made of the branches of a dead tree. At least it didn't look dangerous… or so I wanted to believe.
A pleasure to meet you, otherworldly soul.
The person in front of me, if she could be called a person, greeted me in a polite tone. Although she had no distinguishable form, her voice was dignified, like that of a king or an empress.
Fufufu, thank you for the compliment.
"It wasn't just my opinion, was it?"
I hadn't said that out loud… right? I didn't remember doing that. Or did I?
Well, I can read your thoughts.
"Really?!"
Really.
Is that so? Then let's see… what am I thinking right now?
You're thinking about what to think so I can guess what you're thinking.
"Is that true?!"
I was starting to feel a little insecure… Wait, this wasn't the time for that. First of all, who exactly was she?
Isn't it a little late to ask that question now?
"Oh. Yes, sorry."
I had gotten a little sidetracked. I also forgot to return the greeting.
Well, not that I care that much, but first things first. Let me introduce myself.
As such, I don't have a name, but they know me as the Goddess of Death and Vengeance.
"Goddess?"
I knew I was being hesitant given the situation, but was she really a goddess? And those titles sounded… a bit dangerous. They didn't exactly inspire confidence.
It's not like that automatically makes me evil! Humans associated those things with me. It's not my fault, mooooo…!
I think I stepped on a landmine. She seemed sensitive about the subject. Though for some reason, she looked kind of cute when she got angry, even though she was just a cloud of mist.
Flattering me now won't do you any good.
I wondered where the dignified air she had at the beginning went. Now she reminded me more of a niece visiting her grandparents' house every day.
I am a goddess! I know I don't look like one in practically any way, but it's true.
But that's not the point. This goddess showed up here for you.
"For me?"
Yes, for you. Have you forgotten where you are?
If I knew that, I wouldn't be so disoriented… Just where was I?
That's what I was getting to. Cough… Right now, you're in a space outside of time and reality. My sacred realm, so to speak.
"Sacred realm?"
Something like a private island, isolated from the world.
Well, that made more sense. And it wasn't that I didn't understand, it's just that I really didn't see what was sacred about this place.
How rude. I did my best creating it, you know.
I doubted that… If you painted any random desert black and white, it would look the same.
"…Hmm."
"Okay, I understand, sorry. You do not have to be angry. So, why am I here?"
Ah, well, I am getting to that. But I want you to understand something. Normally it is impossible for a being with a physical body to be in this place, since the environment is absolutely devoid of everything. That would be deadly for anyone.
"If that is the case, why am I okay?"
That is because it is not your physical body that is here.
"It is not my physical body?"
Look at your feet.
"Huh? What is wrong with my…? They are not here!"
"Why are my feet not here? Now that I look at myself properly, my whole body is strange. I am almost transparent. What is this?"
Well, listen carefully. The reason is that you are in your astral form. You are manifesting only with your soul.
"Only with my soul? So that means..."
Yes, unfortunately, that is what you are thinking.
I had a faint feeling it would be like that. The place, the atmosphere, and the last memories I had before appearing here… I did not want to accept it, but it was the only answer.
I…
"I am dead."
That is right.
"Really… what is going on?"
...............
Have you calmed down?
"Yes, sorry. It is something difficult to process."
After learning what had happened, my mind went into momentary shock and I was lost in thought. It was quite heartbreaking.
Do not worry, it is perfectly normal.
Although it was still painful. The truth was that my life had been monotonous and simple. I had no friends or girlfriend, and my parents died when I was a child along with almost all my relatives. Time took them away, which was probably the disadvantage of being the youngest in the family.
My grandfather was my only remaining family, but he was very old and could barely feed himself. To repay him for all the time he had spent caring for me, I did my best to look after him and give back everything he had given me when my parents died.
After graduating from university, I tried to find a job as quickly as possible, but I always failed. The reason was that I never inspired confidence because of my appearance. I had a sullen face and looked older than my age, with several scars from accidents over the years, all signs of my terrible luck.
Although I was rejected many times, I never gave up and kept trying until I finally got a job. I was so happy when I received the news. I wanted to tell my grandfather as soon as possible. I never imagined I would not make it home that day.
"Seriously, I was crushed by a lamppost."
Yes, it was impressive that you managed to dodge a truck at that speed, but those kinds of things happen.
"I really did not expect that."
You have terrible luck, do you not?
It is not funny.
Hehehe.
Make fun of me all you want. I do not care anymore.
I did not really have any attachments in my life except for my grandfather. I clung to him with everything I had.
"Do you know if my grandfather is okay?"
I could not help but worry. My grandfather was in a state where he could not be left alone, so my anxiety grew with every second I did not know what had become of him.
You have nothing to worry about. Before summoning you, I slightly altered your grandfather's destiny so he could live a little longer without you having to worry.
"Can you do that?"
Of course. I am a goddess, after all.
So the goddess thing was real. I felt relieved and melancholic at the same time. At the very least, I would have liked to say goodbye, but one cannot choose when one is born or when one dies.
More importantly…
"You said you summoned me, right? Why?"
Yes. This beautiful goddess summoned you personally. Feel honored.
"Aside from the word beautiful, what explains the sudden change in character?"
How rude. I simply wanted to try something new. I very rarely get the chance to talk to anyone, and when I do, it is always short and one sided. I prefer being alone rather than listening to the stupid things the gods who show up here say.
"Get to the point, goddess of waxed cloths."
Do not call me that. I cannot help it. If I leave here, it would become a universal genocide.
"Okay, I understand. So why did you call me here?"
I feel like you are still making fun of me, but it does not matter. I summoned you to make you a proposition.
"Sorry, I do not have a fetish for black mists shaped like women."
No, not that kind of proposal.
"I am sorry. I meant to bother you."
Nnn!
I decided to stop with the jokes before she actually got angry.
Huff. What I am offering is that I would like you to take my place.
"Your position?"
Yes. I want you to become the new goddess of death and vengeance.
What? Me… a goddess? I could barely get a job before. How did things escalate to the point where I might end up sitting on the throne of a god? And even worse, a position that could easily be considered evil.
I'm not evil!
"I understand, but why do you want to resign and give me the position of goddess?"
Well, it simply does not make sense to me anymore. I have seen everything, from death to the birth of different worlds, and I have always been in this space watching everything unfold from a distance. In some cases I wanted to experience many things, but it is impossible for me because of my nature. So I just want to leave this life behind and enter the cycle of reincarnation so I can experience both the good and the bad of mortal life. It is exhausting being alone all the time.
"I see."
Furthermore, even if I reincarnate, I will retain my memories and be able to manipulate the course of my life before ascending, so I can live the kind of life I want. Although I will lose that ability once I am reborn.
"I see, I suppose that is the case."
Do you understand then?
"But if I accept, does that not mean I will have to live that kind of life?"
It was a reasonable question, but she quickly reassured me.
Do not worry. This is due to my nature, which is linked to my origin. It does not allow me to interact freely with living beings, including gods, without tearing their souls apart or killing them.
"I am fine."
That is because I am protecting you with my power, and you are already dead.
"It makes sense."
The reason for this is that I was born from the death of stars that shaped various worlds, causing my own being to interfere with life and death.
"I see."
In your case, since you were born mortal, the power will not manifest constantly. Its origin will have a base on which to merge and adapt. This means that if I grant you my power and authority, your body will change to adapt and merge with your soul without causing any strange effects.
"So my body will change, but it will not transform into something that does not resemble my human or mortal nature."
Well, you will still be a god, so you will have a vast amount of power. I am one of the strongest goddesses in existence, so the scale could be unimaginable. Given the evolutionary nature of mortals, you could become even stronger… and also more unpredictable.
I could not hear the last part clearly, but I did not think I needed to know more. I had one last question.
"Do the gods not have limitations and rules that prevent them from interacting with mortals or descending to their world?"
Normally that would be the case, but you are an exception. There is a loophole that says gods recognized as such cannot interfere with mortals. And you, once you possess my powers, will be more like a new, unrecognized god.
"Could other gods use that rule to descend to the mortal world?"
If they did, they would lose their powers. The lesser gods are bundles of pride, so they would rather die than lose their authority, and the greater ones would not even consider it. Some of them do not even have heads.
"So… what do you say?"
To tell the truth, I was interested. I was already dead, so I had nothing to lose. Besides, as a god I could continue living as a mortal. Perhaps I could finally have a quieter life.
"By the way, could you not simply give up your powers and reincarnate?"
If that were done, the world would be left without the concept of death. As terrible as it may seem, for something new to be born, something else must die. A world without death is a world without life.
"That is quite responsible of you."
Thank you.
"And what about revenge?"
Her figure became more visible for a moment when I asked that.
"That was an accident I had millennia ago, but it was not my fault. I only wanted to help that poor farmer. I never imagined he would transform into an unstoppable killer who caused the destruction of an empire. For that alone I was given the title of goddess of death and vengeance, and the worst part is that it was recognized in several worlds."
"Calm down, calm down. I know you are not a bad person. It is okay. It is not your fault."
Ha ha ha.
That must have affected her quite a bit. She was exhaling heavily in a place where air did not even exist.
Okay, I am fine now. Now tell me, do you accept?
"I do not see why I would not accept."
Yes, finally. It was worth the wait of thirty thousand years. Very well, I will begin the transfer. As I send you to a new world, your new body will be created in the process of merging with the divine.
"A new body?"
Yes. Yours was crushed and burned, so another one is needed.
It still hurt to remember it. Even though I looked unwell, my body was in good shape. I worked hard every day to stay fit.
Do not worry. Your new body is literally the body of a god, so it will be several times more attractive.
I was not worried about that, but I appreciated the reassurance.
"It is fine. I just hope it is not too noticeable."
It is finished. Once the process is complete, I will also enter the line to reincarnate.
"So this is where we say goodbye. It was short, but I enjoyed meeting you."
Same here. I have never talked to anyone this much in my entire life. I am sorry we have to part ways, but we are going to the same world, so we will meet again someday.
"I see. Then… see you soon."
Yes, um…
"What is wrong?"
You never told me your name.
"I thought you already knew."
I had forgotten until now, tehe.
"Yes, of course. Well, I am Santiago. Santiago Ramirez Rosario Morales."
How long.
"That is how Mexican names are."
Everything is ready. Now we can go.
We looked at each other one last time before a bluish light enveloped us both.
See you soon.
It was the last thing I heard before losing consciousness in a bright beam of light.