I woke up to another ordinary day. My former fame was long gone. I looked in the mirror, washed my face, and smiled.
"My good looks haven't changed," I said to myself.
I got ready. Just as I was about to leave the house, my phone rang. It was them again… those mafia guys I had borrowed money from. I answered immediately. After a short conversation, I hung up. I dropped to my knees, questioning life.
They were serious. I could actually die today. A mix of regret and fear washed over me. I began to hum my favorite song:
> "Tell me, would you have let me cry
On your shoulder
I heard you always try things twice
Close your eyes…"
While I was lost in the song, I didn't notice the girl watching me from across the hall. When I looked up, she was smiling. She had long jet-black hair and bright green eyes. She was beautiful. She walked over and spoke:
— You have a beautiful voice. I thought I recognized you…
I couldn't help but grin.
— I used to be a singer,
I replied.
She paused for a moment, looking into my eyes, but the conversation continued. After a while, I stood up, walked to the door, and left the house. I couldn't stop thinking about the girl and what we had talked about. She had helped clear my mind, even if only briefly.
As I walked down the street, a man appeared in front of me with a gun in his hand. He looked right at me and gave me a grin I would never forget. He fired a single shot. My eyes closed instinctively…
"Forever."
I could still hear the sound of my body hitting the ground. Suddenly, I opened my eyes. Everything around me was pure white.
"Is this heaven?" I thought.
Then I saw dozens of people approaching. They were talking as they walked closer, still chatting even as they reached me. They began to introduce themselves. A tall, old man on the far left spoke:
— I am the god of nature. All plants in this world are under my command.
The one next to him continued:
— I am the god of paper. All contracts and documents in this world fall under me.
Many introduced themselves as gods. I didn't even listen to most of them. Around me were thousands of people just like me. Other gods were speaking with them too. I ignored everything else and focused on my own questions:
— Where am I?
— Am I dead?
— Is this heaven or hell?
The ones claiming to be gods gave me puzzled looks. Then a short man from the back stepped forward and spoke:
— So, what's your story, kid?
I had expected this. I began to tell it. I spoke for about twenty minutes. The gods listened like they were watching a movie. When I finished, the god on the far left spoke again:
— Foolish humans…
Then the one next to him added:
— All of them useless…
Their conversation made me laugh, but part of me was still offended. After a while, the gods left. I turned and walked in the opposite direction. Hundreds of gods with all sorts of appearances filled the space—some with long ears, others with tails or wings. I couldn't make sense of it all.
As I kept walking, I felt two hands reach from behind. It was two of the gods I had seen earlier. They held out their hands and introduced themselves:
— I am Gaia,
said one.
— And I am Nebu,
said the other.
I paused. I knew them. They were powerful gods. They told me I would reincarnate and that they wanted me to represent them in the new world I would be born into. No other gods had made an offer, so I accepted.
Gaia pulled out a piece of tree bark, and Nebu pulled out a parchment. They asked me to sign both. I did, and a flash of light followed.
When I opened my eyes, everything around me looked gigantic. There was a huge mirror in front of me.
[Meanwhile, somewhere in the universe, a little girl was grumbling after dropping her pocket mirror.]
I walked up to the mirror and looked at myself:
"What?! I'm an ant?!"
As I cursed the gods, the ground began to shake. A giant figure was running toward me.
[The little girl had spotted an ant on her mirror and was trying to swat it away.]
She picked up the mirror and flicked her finger at me. I was sent flying through the sky and slammed into a tree. My eyes closed once again. When I opened them, the same two gods were standing in front of me. They were laughing, patting me on the back.
Gaia spoke:
— Honestly, I didn't think you'd end up as an ant.
Nebu added:
— Maybe we shouldn't send you off again just yet. Stick around for a bit…
They left, and I was alone again. I had died at 22 on Earth. I died immediately after reincarnating. Just being reborn was a gift. As I wandered, other gods whispered about me. Then, suddenly, someone pulled me into a side alley.
Before I could react, I looked up at the man: Black hair, around forty years old, and in each eye, six colors swirled in every cornea.
I freed my arm and gave him a look that said, "Who are you?" He held out his hand:
— I'm Zar'Vael. God of spirits and monsters.
I had always found spirits and monsters interesting, but I stayed composed.
— What do you want?
— I want to make a deal with you.
— We're both outcasts among the gods, aren't we?
Then he explained the deal. The gods didn't take him seriously because very few could wield his power properly. He wanted me to learn his powers and prove them to the world.
— And what's in it for me?
— I'll give you a legendary artifact,
he said.
— One that removes the emotion of fear.
Fear had caused both of my deaths. That made me think. But I couldn't say yes immediately.
— Give me three days.
He agreed and disappeared. During those three days, I spoke with Gaia and Nebu. They were old gods and understood Zar'Vael. Younger gods always judged him harshly.
After three days, I made my decision. I went to the same place, and Zar'Vael appeared. I told him I accepted. He pulled out a transparent, paper-like material.
He asked me to sign it with my blood. I asked why.
— It's a seal that ensures both sides keep their promises.
I bit my finger, let the blood drop onto the contract. It vanished, and a red mist rose. I could feel the power surging through me. I looked at my hands. Zar'Vael plucked a strand of hair from his head:
— You need to eat this.
I looked at him: "Seriously?"
He smiled:
— If you eat it, your fear will disappear.
The idea of losing my fear felt strange, but I didn't want to die again. I ate the hair. I looked up at the sky and thought:
> "From now on, I'll never die again—
unless it's from old age."
Zar'Vael smiled, as if he had read my thoughts. At that moment, two more gods approached. I smiled. After a short conversation, I was ready to be reborn again.
I turned to the gods:
— If I end up as an ant again...
All the gods burst into laughter. Then, a flash of white light—
And the boy's—my—new story was about to begin.