Sigh.
"Forgot my phone… and my wallet… and my keys."
Stepping back inside the house, I expected a confused greeting from my parents. I had just told them I'm leaving to go to the store and get myself a new gallon of cold, iced tea since I had just drank the last of it, but I was still craving some.
"Oh, Xavier, you're back already? I thought you were just leaving."
Some phrase along the lines of that. My obvious response would be, "Yeah, just forgot a couple things." And I'd walk back outside and stroll to the store.
Strangely enough, the moment I entered the house, all I heard was an ear piercing bang.
Then it all went dark.
I feel nothing. It's just pure void now. I can't see, I can't hear, I can't feel, I can't taste, I can't smell.
There is no existence where I currently stand.
Just as quickly as the world became dark, it once again became bright. I closed my eyes with more force since the sudden flash of light was unexpected. After a few moments passed, I opened them.
I was greeted with a pure white room, similar to an asylum. However, it was less of a room and more of an infinitely stretching plane of existence. Looking up, I saw several structures and shapes that I could not even comprehend, let alone recognize. The only familiarity I could relate the structures to was that they seemed to be created of some kind of fine metal, considering its reflective properties.
The deep, yellow shine of the structures gave me the first impression that they had been created from gold, or at least something similar.
I was finally able to form a thought
"Am I… on an acid trip?"
"You're all the same! You stupid, inferior humans. Every time I try to expect something new from your kind, I'm just met with the same form of disappointment. Every. Time!"
My neck swung my head towards my left, where the voice had originated from.
Sitting upon a throne made of velvet and gold was a young man with long, silky black hair. He was wearing a white chinese hanfu with black linings.
"Who…"
"It's just the same! The same reactions, the same questions, the same! The same, the same! All I ask for once is for one of you to be original! For Christ's sake! Actually, not for Christ's sake, that fake existence aggravates me. You humans and your stupid, make-believe religions."
I could do nothing but look at the young man. The thoughts I had finally been able to form immediately scattered from my mind, running back into the deep, white void that my being was residing in.
I could not move. I could not speak. I could not think.
The young man sighed. Moments later, I felt a force connect with my chest, pushing into my body.
Pain.
A flow of intense pain immediately began to flow from my chest to my entire body, spreading like a disease. I was sent flying backwards into the white void, flying backwards infinitely before I was forced to a sudden halt.
Before I could think, the pain had just disappeared, and I was once again standing in front of the throne, looking into the eyes of the young man.
"Today, I've snatched your ascend- no, descending soul and brought it here. Do you know for what reason?"
I felt my eyebrow twitch. Was I actually going to hell? One too many offensive jokes, I suppose.
"Not… really."
"I see… Always stupid, you mortals. Well, today I've grabbed your soul so I can do what you mortals call… Reincarnation."
Reincarnation, huh?
I never necessarily formed my own afterlife beliefs. I just stuck to the 'infinite, eternal void of darkness' theory. The most basic, yes, but I was usually occupied with other tasks and thoughts rather than thinking about what would occur once my heart stopped beating.
To be honest, reincarnation is an outcome I can be pleased with. Hopefully in my next life I can live a simple life as a house pet, in a warm environment with a loving family. To me, that sounds like the best possible outcome of reincarnation.
"I'll be reincarnating you to another world."
"...Huh?"
"Are you deaf? I said I'm reincarnating you into another world."
"No, I heard you. Just… what?"
The young man cupped his hands around his face and exhaled one of the heaviest sighs imaginable. He sat like this for a few moments before removing his hands from his face.
"Let me put it in simpler terms. Or, rather, word it in a more familiar way to you specifically. I'm going to isekai you."
Isekai me…? Something I'd only experience in self insert fantasy novels or dreams? And it's becoming… reality? Wait, no, I shouldn't assume this is reality-
"This is reality. Allow me to reassure you that this is no dream, Xavier. This is no acid trip, nor is it some sort of illusion. You are in the after life. You died. You stand before me, God. And before you ask, yes I can read your mind. You should expect that at least."
"What…?"
"Allow me to explain myself, I suppose I owe you that right, at the very least. Long ago, I created another world. Mixing all sorts of races you could imagine. Humans, elves, dwarves, and many others you may be able to think of. This world was a world of chaos, a world of destruction, a world of… freedom. I created this world solely for my own entertainment. You know, just watching all these universes I have now can get boring. However, one day…"
God snapped his fingers and pointed to the right.
"This man. This stupid, senile… No, not stupid. This retarded old man ruined everything!"
To my right was what I assumed to be an illusionary image broadcasted through cosmic means. Standing there was an old man, scrawny and pale. He had a very long, gray, unkept beard with very minimal grey hair coating his head.
"The God Emperor. Which, first off, allow me to comment, a very stupid name. Next, he was able to become a being so powerful that he reigned above all, bringing peace to my world of entertainment and chaos. He then had arguably the dumbest idea one could think of. He challenged me to a duel. Of course, I slaughtered him in an instant, but that did not change the fact that my world was ruined… So I reset it. However, I did not reset it to total chaos, I reset it to a middle point of peace and freedom. Now, my puppet, that's where you enter."
God snapped his fingers once more, dematerializing the projection of the so-called 'God Emperor.'
"I will say, you are being very quiet and impatient right now. Obedient, but not annoyingly so. I appreciate that. Though, as I was saying, I snatched not only you, but a few other passing souls as well, to enter my world and be the new factor of chaos. I want you to entertain me. Of course, I will provide you with gifts for such an occasion. Leaving you to your own devices is something that not even I am naive enough to do."
Within a moment's notice I was back at a noticeable distance from the man who called himself God.
"Your first gift. The artifact that will help you pave your path to power and become a being so strong you may even be able to challenge myself."
He snapped his fingers. Descending from above was a constantly moving black cube. Looking closer, I noticed it was not just one cube, but instead a cube that was made of many other cubes, like magnets fluctuating and creating an oddly moving shape.
"I call this, The Concept. Do note that this is a physical object. It is possible for you to lose this. If there is one thing I request from the bottom of my non-existent heart, it is for you not to lose this. Within this cube you hold is a sort of… pocket dimension. It will help you visualize the possible paths to power, or you could even pave your own if you so desire."
I fidgeted around with the cube. Tossing it and catching it, swirling it around in one hand, dropping it from one hand to the other like I had been sifting it. All sorts of movements, playing with a godly artifact like it was a simple children's toy.
"Your second gift. I believe that you are aware of a mindset labeled as Protagonist's Syndrome, correct?"
I silently nodded my head.
"Very well. I want to give a little bit of… spice to your adventure. So I will allow you to request one ability or item that is unique to your being. Not a single other soul will be able to obtain or possess it. I will give you an eternity to think about it."
Time began to slow, I felt everything fade into nothingness as now I could not even move my eyes to look without feeling an immeasurable amount of force preventing it. The only outcome I could assume was that he had used his powers to slow down time around me specifically, truly giving me an eternity to think about it. For him, mere fractions of a second have passed. For me, at least 10 minutes have flown by.
Years later, I felt time move normally again, everything felt so fast my brain started to rattle. My head was pounding like it was being caved in by a massive hammer.
"3 seconds have passed, have you thought of your requested ability or item?"
He snapped his fingers and the pain in my body began to subside, returning it back to its typical state. My legs were still shaking quite a bit, but I eventually was able to stand up through my own means.
"Is there… magic in this world…?"
"Indeed there is. Have I stated that already? I could have sworn I did… maybe I'm gathering memories from one of the other clones attending to another soul. But, yes, there is magic."
"I want… every attunement… there is…"
He pondered for a moment.
"No can do. But I can meet you in the middle. In this realm, magic is infinitely expanding with a near infinite amount of combinations to create new attunements. Giving you every single one would be even a tad too strong for my tastes. So, instead, I will grant you one of the most complex attunements there is. One that nobody has ever reached before, and one that not a soul except for yourself will ever likely reach. However, you will only attain this as you progress your journey. You will start with the bare minimum necessary for your adventure… Fire and ice, yes. I will start you with the attunements of fire and ice."
At that moment, I can't recall much from then or beyond. As 'God' begins to speak again, the memory begins to get muffled, the sound becomes drowned out and a ringing begins to pierce my ears. From there on, I can only make out the words…
"As for your third and final gift…"
And then I woke up.