Alger woke up from his sleep and leisurely sat upright. He rubbed his palms together for a minute and then gently massaged his eyes and cheeks. He slowly breathed in and breathed out a couple of times and opened his eyes. looking around his room, he got up from his queen-sized bed and went into bathroom to freshen up. This was his everyday morning routine, which he followed whenever he was in the city.
After he freshened up, he opened his wardrobe and took out a box from the bottom. When he opened it there was a priest's garments inside? He put on his pants, then his white Alb and tied it around his waist with a maple coloured ribbon cincture.
" Today is the day the chosen come into EDEN. I should wear something more extravagant. First impressions always matter." Alger thought to himself and then put on an ankle length white vestment with red coloured edges and a golden coloured stole around his neck. The stole was embroidered with dark gold patterns and as a whole exuded a tinge of holiness. Finally, he wore an Amice on his shoulders and tied up the ends with a golden rope, almost like a bow tie.
Looking into the mirror he was pleased with himself and he started walking towards the city gate. Along the way many people greeted him and he greeted them back. After he arrived at the gate, he greeted the guards inside the city then just stood and waited for the city bells to ring. Every year once, this day when there is light without sun, he has to do this job, welcome the chosen into the city. This was the path he chose to survive.
When the city bells rang the guards inside the city opened the gates a little and he walked outside.
There were loud noises from outside the gates just a moment ago but as soon as the bell rang and he walked out the noises stopped. All the people looked at him with their curious and doubtful eyes. He began to rise in the air so that people at the back can look at him, everybody was amazed, with their mouths open and fingers pointing to him everybody had on a funny expression on their faces.
With an orotund voice Alger spoke " Greetings everyone. Praise be upon the Lord, for he has chosen you and gave you the boon to live in EDEN and participate in the Game Of Divine Selection."
" It is my obligation to inform you a few things before we start-off. Firstly, all of you have been bought here without consent but here you can choose. To enter or not to enter, that is the choice to make. "
"Everyone and anyone who chooses to enter the city has to participate in G.O.D.S, but, please keep in mind that it is a survivor game and you can die at any point. Everyone who chooses otherwise can live outside the city, outside it is as close to what you call heaven in your world. You will never grow old, never be hungry nor thirsty, your body will stay as is and never fall sick. As long as you have life force in you, you can live freely. You can live as you want, be as you want, do as you want and none of us can say otherwise."
" If you have any questions you can ask me now."
A lady in a sundress spoke " I don't want to be here please send me back to my world" and the others followed her shouting " Me too ". Soon it started into protests and shouts once again. Alger raised his hand and there was silence all around. Their mouths were moving but there was no sound!
" Ask your questions one by one and don't shout. I have sensitive ears. I'l bleed from my ears if you continue shouting like that."
Everyone "...."
" Nod if you understand or you will forever lose your voice. "
Was it because everyone understood or they were just frightened by Alger, we will never know, but everyone frantically nodded their heads until their neck were sore. Alger smiled seeing them and continued
" You can't go back to your world. I suggest you to think of yourselves as if you have died and came to heaven and there is no reincarnation for you. You can never go back, well I shouldn't say never because as God says ' Where there is a will, there is a way', but in my opinion you only have a one in a million chance to go back. So, what is say is still almost correct, you guys will never go back."
A kid in school uniform raised his hand within the crowd, Alger saw him and gave his voice back. The kid asked " what is that one chance?"
" Become the Divine Agent...… But don't worry about it now, unless you choose to enter in to the city, you can't participate in G.O.D.S and even if you participate, becoming a divine agent is very hard... As hard as licking your elbow."
There were a few more unimportant questions from people about bed, food, water etc, Skye himself asked a question " Can I get some clothes? " to which Alger responded " Yes, only if you enter the city."
After an hour of questions and answers, Alger spoke, " I have given you enough time for questions, now it is time for you to choose. Those of you who want to enter the city form a line in front of the guards and come inside one by one. Those of you who don't want to enter inside the city disperse. Once night sets anyone who is outside the city can never enter again, and night will set in 6 hours. I hope you make your choice soon." saying this Alger himself went inside the city gates.
Some people got anxious and immediately formed a line, some formed groups and started discussing about their choices and decision. Since nobody wanted to come near Skye, he thought about his decision alone. Skye was rather happy with this, because he didn't want to consult others and get biased with their opinion on such an important decision. He wanted to come up with a decision on his own so that he doesn't have regrets later on.
When he thought upon the choices, Skye was heavily inclined towards living outside the city. He was a lazy person and most of the time he just lived inside his dorm room, either reading web novels or binge-watching TV-shows. So, he liked this option of living lazily without a care nor goal in his life, where he did not even have to do house chores like cleaning his room nor he would have to worry about his future like how to earn money etc. He can live as he wanted.
But thinking some more he speculated that since God bought them here to become his Divine Agent, without even giving them a choice. Why would he create such an attractive alternative now, so that people won't choose to come inside his city, and sabotage his own plan? It doesn't make sense. Smelling something fishy and weighing his options Skye finally decided to go inside the city and joined the line.
Most people started dispersing and some took the wait and watch approach. Some people who anxiously joined the line immediately, later left the line after seeing that most people are choosing not to enter the city. The guards were allowing people one by one to enter in to the city, even-though there was a slight delay between each person, it wasn't much to get bothered. In total around half of them dispersed and around 20% of them just waited and watched without getting in line and around 30% of them got in line.
After Skye joined the line, just behind him the kid who asked about the way to get back to the world also joined. Seeing Skye in front of him, the kid introduced himself " Hello uncle, I am Skanda. "
With a frown on his face, " Who are you calling uncle? Do I look married to you? I haven't even had a girlfriend yet" Skye said angrily and rubbed his chest to console himself saying, " Don't mind, Don't mind. He is just a kid, and he may not even be from earth. Don't mind, Don't mind."
Skanda amusedly looked at Skye's expression and chuckled. He knew Skye was not old but he just felt like playing around, Skanda then said " Okay ojisan, my name is Skanda. What's your name? "
Skye clenched his lips, and started rubbing his chest faster. As if his chest hurt, listening to Skanda addressing him as ojisan. He consoled himself again and angrily said to Skanda " Don't they teach manners to kids in your world? Don't make me angrier kid, and call me bro or you can call me by my name Skye."
Thinking it's enough Skanda stopped teasing Skye and asked politely " Bro, why did you choose to go inside?"
Skye was still a little angry at the kid so he looked at the kid with narrow eyes and replied " To get some clothes."
Skanda "!!!!!!!"