Melvin found himself in a completely dark space where nothing existed, even his body was no more and the only thing that was, was simply his awareness of his thoughts in the pitch-black void.
Realizing that he was no longer going to be eternally dead, he sighed in relief, he knew that he was just about to start apologizing. His knees had already begun bending down to kneel when this happened. As humiliation as it was, he would still be alive, perhaps.
He couldn't help but attempt to talk, but he had no vocal cords to speak of, and so using his thoughts, he loudly questioned with some hope and uncertainty, 'God?'
After all, who else could rescue him from certain death but the being that stood above everything?
A resonant voice reverberated through the void, its deep timbre carrying an air of ancient wisdom. "I do not know about that," it spoke with a hint of amusement, its words echoing through the infinite darkness.
The voice sounded neither masculine nor feminine, and its majesty couldn't be masked by the seemingly ordinary words chosen.
Melvin, who was drowning in a sea of confusion, sought clarity as he asked, "Who are you?"
However, instead of an answer, what he received back was a question with the same tone as before, "You are from Earth, correct? Buddha, Jesus, Tiktok, and Kim Kardashian?"
Hearing the peculiar question Melvin didn't think about it too much, and though he was very emotional at that moment, he was nonetheless able to see the humor in the way the question was composed. He hurriedly replied slightly caught off guard, "Eh... Yes, that one."
"In that particular world, and unsurprisingly like many others, the definition of God is the creator of the whole universe, life as we know it. Correct?" The voice turned somewhat serious, but it nonetheless kept finishing its statements with questions as a way to engage with the person held within its darkness.
This time Melvin was quick to say, "Yes, indeed." Deep down he was dying to hear what the being who saved him wanted to convey.
"Well, then according to that definition, I am not God. But, in your world if I showed my powers I would indeed be called God. Do you see the distinction I am trying to make?" The voice continued its line of questioning.
Melvin felt like a light bulb going off inside of his head and answered with some uncertainty, "Do you mean you are just a very powerful being who has magical powers beyond what a normal human should be capable of, like what you just did? But at the same time, you have no clue about the origin of the universe as well?"
"Correct!" The voice replied agreeably and then proceeded to explain, "Those people you were fighting with earlier are the same. They are as clueless as everyone is, but they have what you would consider godly powers."
Realization dawned on him, although he was finding it hard to accept. Just because some beings were capable of extraordinary feats didn't automatically imply that they were the creators of the universe.
He was just a regular 25-year-old man from Earth, working a normal office job. Upon his death, he found himself guided by two beings who existed beyond what he had previously considered the unknown. His first inclination was to naturally believe they were angels under God, according to many faiths in his world.
Still, this only made him even more confused as a multitude of questions rose in his mind. This went against everything that he knew, his voice couldn't help but reflect both his uneasiness and uncertainty as he asked "But... In my world, some scriptures describe a lot of the things I had seen there like the afterlife, souls, angels, afterlife, and God..."
The voice's tone was neutral this time as it remarked, "It's obvious, isn't it?"
A long silence ensued as Melvin finally accepted the fact that he had been dreading to and asked, "What is he called?"
"She, Tyara," the voice answered, its tone carrying a hint of anticipation this time.
"Why would she do that?" Melvin pressed on, struggling to comprehend why she would deceive his world with so many false hopes and empty promises, causing immeasurable suffering throughout history.
"The same reason you found those in that position, for more power. When someone who believes in their particular faith dies, they can extract some divine powers through their soul, hence bloodshed is a must for them." It clarified, but then it amusingly remarked, "It's not like humans need a third party to introduce a lie for them to believe in something."
An even longer silence stretched out this time as Melvin processed the news, and it was only broken once he finally asked the most important question, "How?"
Understanding exactly what he meant, the voice explained, "Your world is somewhat unadvanced, but there are worlds out there where the people residing in them have the opportunity to attain unimaginable powers. If they are lucky and capable enough, then they would be able to reach a certain level where theoretically anything was possible."
After registering the shocking news, Melvin was quick to process it because not only had he more or less discerned this fact from previous questions, but this wasn't the most shocking thing he had heard that day.
Thus, he finally reached the most important question that concerned both of them and asked somewhat uneasily, "Why did you save me?"
Following its seemingly favorite pattern, the being offered another question, "Do you know why, of all the people in the queue, only you were shocked by the Gods' behavior and interjected?"
After thinking about it, Melvin just chalked it up to him encountering a very big misunderstanding, but he wanted to hear the other being's thoughts, so he asked, "I don't know, why?"
"Because what happened was more or less expected by them." It uttered, but sensing his confusion still, it continued its explanation, "They came from a world where the notion that gods are merciful perfect beings didn't exist, their world has a long history of gods fighting amongst one another. So, when they saw those two uncaring about some nervous mortal, it didn't seem that unbelievable to them."
"In other words..." Melvin interjected, his tone dripping with disbelief, "I am from another world?"
"Yes."
Melvin quickly believed that. He had indeed observed their lukewarm reactions and noticed the distinctiveness of their attire. However, he reasoned, diverse cultures existed even on Earth, each with its array of clothing styles. Thus, he hadn't given it much thought previously.
The being suddenly asked him something very unexpected, "What is the most important thing to you in life?"
Hearing such a simple question Melvin was stumped, and he had no clue how to answer it, so he could only say, "I don't know?"
Expecting such an answer, the voice perfunctory replied, "To me, it's stories."
Melvin was puzzled after hearing that and asked for more clarification, "What do you mean?"
The being's tone turned somewhat serious at that and explained earnestly, "Well everything that everyone does revolves around a story. To me, that is the essence of life itself, a story. Once you reach a certain level of strength, you need to have an essence that would lead you to a higher path, and I found nothing higher than the simple art of stories."
After a short silence, it continued, "I am right now telling you a story about how I approach life. Previously you were asking me questions about details of your own story, and even when you're just by yourself, you tell yourself stories in your head both real and imaginative. Even what we're doing right now, in this very moment, is merely a chapter within the larger story of both your life and mine."
Melvin nodded in understanding, but it would be a lie to say he completely knew what the being wanted to exactly convey.
Seeing through his uncertainty, it continued, "This is but a simple and superficial description of the actual essence of what I am talking about. It's like describing sunsets to someone who was blind from birth, and regardless of how perfect the description is, it's never the actual thing."
Without waiting for Melvin to say anything else, the voice returned to the original question, "You asked why I saved you, and that is indeed a very good question. Usually, I never interfere with almost anything, and I just watch as most things unfold."
The voice’s tone somewhat changed and had a hint of mystery to it, as it continued, “The reason I interfered this time is equally simple as well, I didn't like the trajectory of where this story was going, and I found an opportunity to do something interesting because you were an otherworlder. If you had died right then and there after that confrontation then it wouldn't have mounted to anything. Those two gods would have continued their mindless chatter and everything would proceed as usual, and frankly, that would have been too boring, and there was also the fact that the gods have been enjoying themselves way too much for the past hundred years or so."
Melvin didn't know how to respond to that. Furthermore, as he began to calm down, he realized the gravity of the situation: a Godly being had rescued him from certain death and transported him elsewhere, where they were now engaged in conversation as if they were old friends. This realization left him feeling not only strange but also utterly terrified.
The being quietened down for a while before it asked an unexpected question, "What do you think is the main driving force behind a good story?"
Melvin thought for a while and answered from some knowledge he had randomly learned, "Goals and conflicts?"
"There is more, but yes those are the big two!" The voice's tone seemed to increase a beat after that, which surprised him.
It didn't let him analyze his situation for too long and quickly continued, "I am interested in this story, and I want to introduce you as the bringer of conflict. However, for you to be deserving for that you need clear goals that align with what I have in mind. Now, imagine there was a way for you to attain power, what would be your goal?"
To say he wasn't a bit scared when he heard that last explanation would be an understatement, and although he faced those two beings from before seemingly unafraid of death, now he changed his mind after learning that there was more to life than those two being the creators of it.
Thus, when he heard the word "deserve", he was gripped with fear, afraid he might say something unsatisfying and be reduced to cosmic dust. He hurriedly composed himself and started to ponder over the question deeply, and after a while, he made up a small lie and hesitantly answered, "You can't allow a child to hold small scissors, much less a gun. Those self-proclaimed gods are too flawed to be in charge of... anything. Moreover, I just want to maybe find some meaning beyond my previous approach?"
A rumbling regal laughter resounded through the dark void, "That is not a bad lie."
Hearing that, Melvin was mortified, but he really couldn't help but lie. He knew that he had to raise his value in the being's mind, and so he made it seem like he wanted revenge.
"Conflict is already set in motion old boy. The Gods would have already begun looking for you, knowing they can't find me. As for goals, that will also be settled on its own, otherwise, you'll die. So let's see how bad you want to survive." The voice bellowed with laughter once again, seemingly enjoying that tremendously.
Melvin was even more confused somehow, 'Gods looking for me?'
Just as he was about to say something else, a rude bright light quickly managed to capture all of his attention.
The previously pitch-black space where nothing existed was instantly invaded by this bright light that suddenly began to shrink as it slowly approached Melvin's view.
"What is happening?" Melvin asked with some trepidation in his heart.
However, all he received in return was a serious warning, "Remember, when choosing a Class don't use the church's crystal."
Before he could even question what that meant, his whole existence seemed to be enveloped in that bright light before everything turned black.
Melvin found himself in a completely dark space where nothing existed, even his body was no more and the only thing that was, was simply his awareness of his thoughts in the pitch-black void.
Realizing that he was no longer going to be eternally dead, he sighed in relief, he knew that he was just about to start apologizing. His knees had already begun bending down to kneel when this happened. As humiliation as it was, he would still be alive, perhaps.
He couldn't help but attempt to talk, but he had no vocal cords to speak of, and so using his thoughts, he loudly questioned with some hope and uncertainty, 'God?'
After all, who else could rescue him from certain death but the being that stood above everything?
A resonant voice reverberated through the void, its deep timbre carrying an air of ancient wisdom. "I do not know about that," it spoke with a hint of amusement, its words echoing through the infinite darkness.
The voice sounded neither masculine nor feminine, and its majesty couldn't be masked by the seemingly ordinary words chosen.
Melvin, who was drowning in a sea of confusion, sought clarity as he asked, "Who are you?"
However, instead of an answer, what he received back was a question with the same tone as before, "You are from Earth, correct? Buddha, Jesus, Tiktok, and Kim Kardashian?"
Hearing the peculiar question Melvin didn't think about it too much, and though he was very emotional at that moment, he was nonetheless able to see the humor in the way the question was composed. He hurriedly replied slightly caught off guard, "Eh... Yes, that one."
"In that particular world, and unsurprisingly like many others, the definition of God is the creator of the whole universe, life as we know it. Correct?" The voice turned somewhat serious, but it nonetheless kept finishing its statements with questions as a way to engage with the person held within its darkness.
This time Melvin was quick to say, "Yes, indeed." Deep down he was dying to hear what the being who saved him wanted to convey.
"Well, then according to that definition, I am not God. But, in your world if I showed my powers I would indeed be called God. Do you see the distinction I am trying to make?" The voice continued its line of questioning.
Melvin felt like a light bulb going off inside of his head and answered with some uncertainty, "Do you mean you are just a very powerful being who has magical powers beyond what a normal human should be capable of, like what you just did? But at the same time, you have no clue about the origin of the universe as well?"
"Correct!" The voice replied agreeably and then proceeded to explain, "Those people you were fighting with earlier are the same. They are as clueless as everyone is, but they have what you would consider godly powers."
Realization dawned on him, although he was finding it hard to accept. Just because some beings were capable of extraordinary feats didn't automatically imply that they were the creators of the universe.
He was just a regular 25-year-old man from Earth, working a normal office job. Upon his death, he found himself guided by two beings who existed beyond what he had previously considered the unknown. His first inclination was to naturally believe they were angels under God, according to many faiths in his world.
Still, this only made him even more confused as a multitude of questions rose in his mind. This went against everything that he knew, his voice couldn't help but reflect both his uneasiness and uncertainty as he asked "But... In my world, some scriptures describe a lot of the things I had seen there like the afterlife, souls, angels, afterlife, and God..."
The voice's tone was neutral this time as it remarked, "It's obvious, isn't it?"
A long silence ensued as Melvin finally accepted the fact that he had been dreading to and asked, "What is he called?"
"She, Tyara," the voice answered, its tone carrying a hint of anticipation this time.
"Why would she do that?" Melvin pressed on, struggling to comprehend why she would deceive his world with so many false hopes and empty promises, causing immeasurable suffering throughout history.
"The same reason you found those in that position, for more power. When someone who believes in their particular faith dies, they can extract some divine powers through their soul, hence bloodshed is a must for them." It clarified, but then it amusingly remarked, "It's not like humans need a third party to introduce a lie for them to believe in something."
An even longer silence stretched out this time as Melvin processed the news, and it was only broken once he finally asked the most important question, "How?"
Understanding exactly what he meant, the voice explained, "Your world is somewhat unadvanced, but there are worlds out there where the people residing in them have the opportunity to attain unimaginable powers. If they are lucky and capable enough, then they would be able to reach a certain level where theoretically anything was possible."
After registering the shocking news, Melvin was quick to process it because not only had he more or less discerned this fact from previous questions, but this wasn't the most shocking thing he had heard that day.
Thus, he finally reached the most important question that concerned both of them and asked somewhat uneasily, "Why did you save me?"
Following its seemingly favorite pattern, the being offered another question, "Do you know why, of all the people in the queue, only you were shocked by the Gods' behavior and interjected?"
After thinking about it, Melvin just chalked it up to him encountering a very big misunderstanding, but he wanted to hear the other being's thoughts, so he asked, "I don't know, why?"
"Because what happened was more or less expected by them." It uttered, but sensing his confusion still, it continued its explanation, "They came from a world where the notion that gods are merciful perfect beings didn't exist, their world has a long history of gods fighting amongst one another. So, when they saw those two uncaring about some nervous mortal, it didn't seem that unbelievable to them."
"In other words..." Melvin interjected, his tone dripping with disbelief, "I am from another world?"
"Yes."
Melvin quickly believed that. He had indeed observed their lukewarm reactions and noticed the distinctiveness of their attire. However, he reasoned, diverse cultures existed even on Earth, each with its array of clothing styles. Thus, he hadn't given it much thought previously.
The being suddenly asked him something very unexpected, "What is the most important thing to you in life?"
Hearing such a simple question Melvin was stumped, and he had no clue how to answer it, so he could only say, "I don't know?"
Expecting such an answer, the voice perfunctory replied, "To me, it's stories."
Melvin was puzzled after hearing that and asked for more clarification, "What do you mean?"
The being's tone turned somewhat serious at that and explained earnestly, "Well everything that everyone does revolves around a story. To me, that is the essence of life itself, a story. Once you reach a certain level of strength, you need to have an essence that would lead you to a higher path, and I found nothing higher than the simple art of stories."
After a short silence, it continued, "I am right now telling you a story about how I approach life. Previously you were asking me questions about details of your own story, and even when you're just by yourself, you tell yourself stories in your head both real and imaginative. Even what we're doing right now, in this very moment, is merely a chapter within the larger story of both your life and mine."
Melvin nodded in understanding, but it would be a lie to say he completely knew what the being wanted to exactly convey.
Seeing through his uncertainty, it continued, "This is but a simple and superficial description of the actual essence of what I am talking about. It's like describing sunsets to someone who was blind from birth, and regardless of how perfect the description is, it's never the actual thing."
Without waiting for Melvin to say anything else, the voice returned to the original question, "You asked why I saved you, and that is indeed a very good question. Usually, I never interfere with almost anything, and I just watch as most things unfold."
The voice’s tone somewhat changed and had a hint of mystery to it, as it continued, “The reason I interfered this time is equally simple as well, I didn't like the trajectory of where this story was going, and I found an opportunity to do something interesting because you were an otherworlder. If you had died right then and there after that confrontation then it wouldn't have mounted to anything. Those two gods would have continued their mindless chatter and everything would proceed as usual, and frankly, that would have been too boring, and there was also the fact that the gods have been enjoying themselves way too much for the past hundred years or so."
Melvin didn't know how to respond to that. Furthermore, as he began to calm down, he realized the gravity of the situation: a Godly being had rescued him from certain death and transported him elsewhere, where they were now engaged in conversation as if they were old friends. This realization left him feeling not only strange but also utterly terrified.
The being quietened down for a while before it asked an unexpected question, "What do you think is the main driving force behind a good story?"
Melvin thought for a while and answered from some knowledge he had randomly learned, "Goals and conflicts?"
"There is more, but yes those are the big two!" The voice's tone seemed to increase a beat after that, which surprised him.
It didn't let him analyze his situation for too long and quickly continued, "I am interested in this story, and I want to introduce you as the bringer of conflict. However, for you to be deserving for that you need clear goals that align with what I have in mind. Now, imagine there was a way for you to attain power, what would be your goal?"
To say he wasn't a bit scared when he heard that last explanation would be an understatement, and although he faced those two beings from before seemingly unafraid of death, now he changed his mind after learning that there was more to life than those two being the creators of it.
Thus, when he heard the word "deserve", he was gripped with fear, afraid he might say something unsatisfying and be reduced to cosmic dust. He hurriedly composed himself and started to ponder over the question deeply, and after a while, he made up a small lie and hesitantly answered, "You can't allow a child to hold small scissors, much less a gun. Those self-proclaimed gods are too flawed to be in charge of... anything. Moreover, I just want to maybe find some meaning beyond my previous approach?"
A rumbling regal laughter resounded through the dark void, "That is not a bad lie."
Hearing that, Melvin was mortified, but he really couldn't help but lie. He knew that he had to raise his value in the being's mind, and so he made it seem like he wanted revenge.
"Conflict is already set in motion old boy. The Gods would have already begun looking for you, knowing they can't find me. As for goals, that will also be settled on its own, otherwise, you'll die. So let's see how bad you want to survive." The voice bellowed with laughter once again, seemingly enjoying that tremendously.
Melvin was even more confused somehow, 'Gods looking for me?'
Just as he was about to say something else, a rude bright light quickly managed to capture all of his attention.
The previously pitch-black space where nothing existed was instantly invaded by this bright light that suddenly began to shrink as it slowly approached Melvin's view.
"What is happening?" Melvin asked with some trepidation in his heart.
However, all he received in return was a serious warning, "Remember, when choosing a Class don't use the church's crystal."
Before he could even question what that meant, his whole existence seemed to be enveloped in that bright light before everything turned black.
