At this moment I am watching the UFC middleweight belt dispute on a bar television.

Some gentlemen sitting at tables outside the bar are also enjoying the fight accompanied by a good beer.

- Blow this guy away, Anderson! - shouted one gentleman while shaking his glass and throwing beer all over the place.

- This Chris guy isn't even worth it! - I said excitedly while watching Anderson Silva enter the octagon.

It was already the 11th title defense of the Spider (Anderson), he is middleweight champion since 2006 and I always follow his fights.

- No way, kid! - Said another guy with a smile - Chris will be picking his teeth with this old man, his retirement comes this year, you'll see! - He added while lighting a cigarette.

Obviously I was annoyed with the man's comment, I am Spider's biggest fan.

My room would be full of posters and dolls of him! If I had a room at least...

- Stop talking shit, you old fart! - I shouted, facing the man with clenched teeth.

He didn't react...

Well, it's not like he could really hear me. I just yelled to vent my anger.

The truth is that I'm not really here, in this bar. Or rather, my body is not.

My name is Alex, and I am a 16-year-old boy who is dead, or half-dead to be more exact. My body is in a hospital bed next to this bar.

A few years ago I was involved in an accident trying to protect my younger brother from being hit by a car, and I got a head trauma as a result. Since then I have been in a vegetative state, lying on a stretcher with the help of machines to even breathe.

When I was hospitalized, my soul separated from my body, or something like that. And when I understood my situation, I decided to use my spirit to fly around the city, seeing people's lives, just to pass the time. And since I don't sleep and don't have anyone to interact with, I have plenty of time to spare.

And about what I have been doing since my coma, well... Sometimes I go to the library to read something, which is quite difficult since I have to settle for whatever someone else is reading because I can't touch or hold anything.

And it was also hard to keep up with the reading pace of some people, who would either read too fast, or get lost in thought on some random page of the book and end up not reading anything at all. I was also always observing relationships, imagining myself in one. In many cases, I even witnessed their beginning and end. Some long, others short, some good, others bad, some sincere, others false.

But what stuck me the most and helped me distract my mind from my miserable situation was of course watching UFC fights. Whenever I came to the bar, I could feel really alive and I always fell in laughter because of the stories that the drunks told.

- And the fight starts... - The narrator announced with an animated tone on the television while I floated close to the screen with my hands together and fist clenched, excited about the beginning of this fight that had been predicted and discussed for months.

But then, just as the fighters began to approach, I found myself in a different place. I was no longer at the bar, but in my hospital room.

- CRAP! Who is it, at a time like this, couldn't have waited another half hour so that I could watch the fight? - I roared in rage, turning to find my parents and brother.

This happened from time to time, whenever someone came to visit me and I was anywhere but in this damn room, I was teleported here before I knew it.

My parents usually come together, bring me flowers and talk to my body, telling me how their life is going, and my brother's, and how much they miss me. And my little brother would come alone from time to time, usually after school, and always tell me how he was doing in school, about the friends he made, and even a girlfriend he got last year.

I confess I felt a little frustrated that i didn't had a chance to date, but hearing him talk about the girl with such passion warmed my ghost heart. He also talked he was thinking about bringing her to meet me, which scared me, and I prayed to all the gods possible at that moment that he would forget this idea.

After all, imagine your boyfriend or girlfriend coming up to you and saying: "Hey, how about this Friday we go to the hospital and talk to my brother in a vegetative state? Nothing subtle, right?

Anyway, I am glad he gave up after a while, thank God for intervening in this!

Anyway, they usually visit me on holidays and on my birthday, so I found it strange at first why someone was here since it was neither of those cases.

At this moment I am watching the UFC middleweight belt dispute on a bar television.

Some gentlemen sitting at tables outside the bar are also enjoying the fight accompanied by a good beer.

- Blow this guy away, Anderson! - shouted one gentleman while shaking his glass and throwing beer all over the place.

- This Chris guy won't even look good! - I said excitedly while watching Anderson Silva enter the octagon.

It was already the 11th title defense of the Spider (Anderson), he is middleweight champion since 2006 and I always follow his fights.

- No way kid! - Chris is going to pick his teeth with this old man, his retirement is coming this year, you'll see! - He completed while lighting a cigarette.

Obviously I was annoyed with the man's comment, I am Spider's biggest fan.

My room would be full of posters and dolls of him! If I had a room at least...

- Stop talking shit, you old fart! - I shouted, facing the man with clenched teeth.

He didn't react...

Well, it's not like he could really hear me. I just yelled to vent my anger.

The truth is that I'm not really here, in this bar. Or rather, my body is not.

My name is Alex, and I am a 16-year-old boy who is dead, or half-dead to be more exact. My body is in a hospital bed next to this bar.

A few years ago I was involved in an accident trying to protect my younger brother from being hit by a car, and I got a head trauma as a result. Since then I have been in a vegetative state, lying on a stretcher with the help of machines to even breathe.

When I was hospitalized, my soul separated from my body, or something like that. And when I understood my situation, I decided to use my spirit to fly around the city, seeing people's lives, just to pass the time. And since I don't sleep and don't have anyone to interact with, I have plenty of time to spare.

And about what I have been doing since my coma, well... Sometimes I go to the library to read something, which is quite difficult since I have to settle for whatever someone else is reading because I can't touch or hold anything.

And it was also hard to keep up with the reading pace of some people, who would either read too fast, or get lost in thought on some random page of the book and end up not reading anything at all. I was also always observing relationships, imagining myself in one. In many cases, I even witnessed their beginning and end. Some long, some short, some good, some bad, some sincere, some false.

But what stuck me the most and helped me distract my mind from my miserable situation was of course watching UFC fights. Whenever I came to the bar, I could feel really alive and I always fell in laughter because of the stories that the drunks told.

- And the fight starts... - The narrator announced with an animated tone on the television while I floated close to the screen with my hands together and fist clenched, excited about the beginning of this fight that had been predicted and discussed for months.

But then, just as the fighters began to approach, I found myself in a different place. I was no longer at the bar, but in my hospital room.

- CRAP! Who is it, at a time like this, couldn't have waited another half hour so that I could watch the fight? - I roared in rage, turning to find my parents and brother.

This happened from time to time, whenever someone came to visit me and I was anywhere but in this damn room, I was teleported here before I knew it.

My parents usually come together, bring me flowers and talk to my body, telling me how their life is going, and my brother's, and how much they miss me. And my little brother would come alone from time to time, usually after school, and always tell me how he was doing in school, about the friends he made, and even a girlfriend he got last year.

I confess I felt a little frustrated that he didn't get a chance to date, but hearing him talk about the girl with such passion warmed my ghost heart. He also talked about thinking about bringing her to meet me, which scared me, and I prayed to all the gods possible at that moment that he would forget this idea.

After all, imagine your boyfriend or girlfriend coming up to you and saying: "Hey, how about this Friday we go to the hospital and talk to my brother in a vegetative state? Not smooth at all, right?

Anyway, I am glad he gave up after a while, thank God for intervening in this!

Anyway, they usually visit me on holidays and on my birthday, so I found it strange at first why someone was here since it was neither of those cases.

- Tch, has the day come yet? - I clicked my tongue with my hand on the pockets of the pants I copied from a store. (By the way, this is also one of my powers in this state. I can copy any object if i know it at some point).

I remembered now a conversation I had overheard a few days ago between the head doctor of the hospital and my family.

-------------FLASHBACK-------------

- The chances of him waking up from his coma at this point are almost nil, I'm sorry. So as the Chief Medical Officer, it is my duty to suggest to you to turn off the devices, so as not to generate unnecessary expenses, and also to give the boy a dignified end. - A tall man in a lab coat spoke with a clipboard in his hands while looking my father in the eye with a sad expression.

My mother then began to cry on my father's shoulder while my brother hugged them both, sinking his face into our father's chest and sniffling heavily.

My father bit his own lip with his moist eyes closed, he was always like this keeping a strong figure so that others could depend on him, and this made me admire him a lot. Sometimes, when I went to watch my family, I would catch him crying alone in his office, and a moment later he would be there consoling my mother as if nothing had happened.

- I understand... - said my father to the doctor with a sad smile as he squeezed my crying mother and my heavy breathing brother.

They knew the doctor was right, in a few years my brother would start college, which would generate more expenses making it impossible to maintain this situation for long.

- Well, I will give you some time alone. Call me if you need anything, I'll be at the reception. - The doctor said with a sympathetic look.

Having overheard the whole conversation, I was now watching the three of them cuddled up next to my bed while crying a lot.

- That's it, guys! Go on, live your lives! - I said looking at them with a satisfied smile.

I knew all about their situation by now, and I had known for a long time that this would happen. I was already resigned to my end...

- Oh man, stop being so sentimental about it! It was bound to happen sooner or later. - I said with a smile on my face, "You're going to dehydrate crying so much, this way I... This way I... I can't take it...

But at this moment, seeing the three of them so moved by my departure, I could no longer hold back my tears. My satisfied smile deformed into a loud cry that, if it could be heard, would have disturbed everyone in the hospital.

- I love you guys, holy shit. I love you guys so much. - I said as I joined their embrace and burst into tears.

---------- FLASHBACK ----------

- Looks like the day has come... - I said as I watched the beautiful blue sky through the window,

Some birds were singing happily in a tree outside the hospital, cars were honking on the street, some young people were walking by while chatting about random subjects.

Then I looked back into the room and saw my family huddled together looking at my body with a sad look on their faces. They don't cry, but it is visible in their eyes that they have been falling into tears. Except for my father, his expression was serious, but knowing his personality, I know he was shaken.

The doctor looked at them with great regret, holding his traditional clipboard. He had developed a great appreciation for my family, having spent years seeing them visit me after my accident.

- I wonder what happens now. - I said, staring at my body.

After the day my parents talked to the doctor, I wondered what would happen to my soul after I die for good. After all, it is already separated from the body, so I thought of some possibilities: I could cease to exist, I could go to my trial, or I could end up in the eternal black.

The doctor asked my father to sign something on his clipboard and then made a hand signal to the nurses, who soon started the process of turning off the machines. The machine that measured my heartbeat started beeping frantically, and with each passing second, the more chaotic the noise became.

Soon, I felt a tingling in my fingers and when I looked, my hand was starting to disappear, and with each passing second more disappeared, until it started with the rest of my body.

- Live well! - I said looking at my family.

- My only regret is that I didn't see that fight... - I spoke again, facing the bright blue sky, as the trail of disappearance reached my neck.

Suddenly, when I felt it reach my eyes and swallow me whole, everything went dark, and I couldn't hear anything else.

...

...

...

"Well, as that philosopher guy says. I think, therefore I exist." I regained my consciousness I don't know how long after the machines being turned off.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself floating in a totally dark space with nothing around, it was as if I was in my spectral form from before, but now with nothing around.

- Not limbo, man. WHAT BAD FUCKING LUCK! - I shouted angrily as I pulled my hair back wrapped in hatred.

Of all the possibilities of life after death, the one that scared me the most was limbo. The thought of spending eternity wandering endlessly in a space with nothing and no one was already agonizing.

Soon I had an idea, in my past life I could materialize objects I saw around town. I copied clothes, toys, books (only the ones I had already read completely), and any other simple object that I could understand its formation.

- If I can make some objects I believe I can fool my mind for a while to survive this lonely hell. - I spoke with my hand on my chin, imagining the possibilities.

I started with something simple, a board game. I concentrated as hard as I could and imagined the object materializing in front of me. When I opened my eyes I saw the box I had imagined floating a little in front of my face.

- FUCK YEAH, DAMMIT! - I shouted, punching the air in celebration.

I picked up the box I had materialized and started to set up the game. I took a small piece and started to play, I'll have to do this for a long time, eternity awaits me.

...

...

...

After a few hours of playing, I was finally reaching the end.

- This game is much longer than I thought! - I said scratching my head a little impatiently, but soon calmed down. - But that's exactly what I need, kukuku. - I said with a devilish grin.

I threw the dice excitedly and walked the corresponding number of squares.

- Six... One, two, three... - I put the little piece aside and read what was written on the square. "Take a life card." - Okay, let me see what came. - I spoke excitedly as I pulled the card from the pile.

- Someone fucked your wife! Come back 20 squares! - I read the contents of the letter out loud while frowning.

- What the fuck is this! What the fuck?

I read the letter again in disbelief, but it really was written there. I sighed and went back the twenty squares as instructed. Then I rolled the dice again and walked to the corresponding square.

- Okay, let me read here... "Take a life card", again? - I read it suspiciously, but still pulled the life card and read it.

- Um, ehr... "Your daughter is dating a peasant... Come back 10 squares!" - I looked at the card in irritation, my expression darkened. - WHAT KIND OF FUCKING GAME IS THIS!

I took a deep breath to calm myself while I mentally counted from 1 to 10 several times. In the end I followed the order of the card and threw the dice again.

It fell again on a "Take a life card" square. I looked irritated at the dice, considering throwing it away into the infinite darkness, but sighed and then pulled a card from the pile again.

- Humph. It's not possible that something like this will happen again, right? - I turned the card over, hoping that I could finally finish the game.

- Um, "Someone fucked your wife aga..." FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING GAME! - I screamed, throwing the dice away, covering my face in frustration as I screamed.

The game box next to me spun when I accidentally bumped it with my elbow, and now I read the name of the game for the first time.

- What? "Game of Thrones"?! What kind of fucking game is this? Did I imagined the wrong game? ARGH! - I whined as I clenched my fists in anger.

Only then, my eyes caught in the middle of the darkness a small beam of light in the distance, coming closer and closer to me.

- Light? - I questioned, covering my face, as my eyes, already used to the darkness, were now witnessing an intense light.

Moments later that beam of light was in front of me. I couldn't see it, as it was huge and intense, but I could still feel a lot of light piercing the skin of my eyelids and bothering my closed eyes.

A short time later I felt something hard grab my abdomen and pull me into the bright portal. I tried to fight it, but it was hard and strong, and its texture was like that of a... Tree?

After I felt myself passing through that big portal I could perceive the clarity gradually diminishing still through my eyelids. Until it reached a point where I found it possible to finally open my eyes to observe the surroundings and what had pulled me there.

My pupils dilated, getting used to the ambient light; after all, I had spent hours in that dark limbo. When I could see normally, I was startled to realize that what had grabbed me was really a giant root, while in front of me was the biggest tree I had ever seen in my life? And a half-life too.

It must easily be 500 meters tall, several times the size of the biggest building in my city. Its trunk is a golden brown that glistened in several spots as far as I could see on the tree. Its leaves were golden, really reminiscent of gold, and glistened just like the trunk. Around the huge branches, which would make big trees by themselves, were some beautiful and giant fruits of various colors, some blue, some red, some green, some purple, and so on...

If it were possible to sum up this tree in a single word it would be:

- Ma-majestic! - I said with my eyes wide open, my mouth hanging open at the beauty of what I was witnessing.

It was simply divine! It would never have been possible for me to imagine something so beautiful that exuded such a noble aura.

- It was as if I was... In the presence of a... God.

- Yes, my child! - said a thin, elderly voice coming from the direction of the tree.

- WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? DID THE TREE SPEAK? - I cried out in fright at hearing this and tried to pull myself off the root as hard as I could.

An old face began to form on the trunk of the huge tree, which was staring at the boy smiling with excitement.

- Nice to meet you boy, I am Yggdrasil and I have a mission for you, kikikikiki! - said the giant tree with an excited expression to the child in front of him.

End of chapter