I spun around, heart racing. Who was speaking? A shadow?
A figure emerged from the mist – a woman. Ethereal and composed, with eyes holding inexplicable depths within them, she appeared. She was an angel; breathtaking in every way, with a slim, fit waist and stunning white wings spreading beyond her sculpted back. Her presence radiated power and calmness, overwhelming me, calming me.
"Who are you?" I managed to hoarsely stammer.
The woman smiled, her face colored by warmth and a hint of sadness; somehow, it was a natural expression on a face as beautiful as hers. "I am the Guide, tasked with assisting souls like yours in their transition."
"Transition?" I repeated in confusion.
"Yes, the transition from life to the afterlife, from one realm to another," she explained gently. "You stand at the crossroads, Alex, a soul on the edge of a new journey. Anamesa, that's what this place is called – neither here nor there, a place between worlds, between lives."
I blinked, realizing that she knew my name. "How do you know who I am?"
The Guide's gaze held mine as if she could peer into the depths of my being. There was something unfathomable in her gaze. A sorrow of sorts, perhaps. "In this realm, your past, your essence is laid bare. And your journey is a special one, Alex. You are one of the few who remember."
Remember. The weight of that word settled over me once again. "Remember what exactly?"
"Your past lives," she answered, her voice a silky whisper that seemed to resonate within me. "Each death, each rebirth – you retain the memories, the experiences that shape you."
My mind raced, trying to grasp the enormity of her words. "Why? Why do I remember when others don't? Why can't I remember my previous lives then?"
The Guide's alluring eyes brimmed with compassion and understanding. "It is not by chance. There is a purpose to your unique gift, a purpose that you will come to understand as you navigate the gates of Anamesa. I wish I could give you all the answers, but I cannot. I may not."
She couldn't?
Her gesture toward the archways refocused me to her words. "You are already familiar with Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and countless others. However, there are many possibilities. Your past lives have led you here, and now you must forge a new path."
Fear and curiosity battled within me. "What happens when I choose a gate?"
"Your journey begins anew," the Guide replied. "Each choice will shape your soul, mold your essence. You will live, love, suffer, learn, die. And with death, you will return here, to Anamesa, to choose once more."
A whirlwind of emotions swept through me – uncertainty, immediately followed by fear.
But, deep, deep down, I was excited.
I had finally found my chance to travel - to explore. To escape my dreary life on Earth. The passionate child within me, who had always wanted to adventure, to explore, to love, to fight, was spreading his wings.
I would not waste my second chance; I was going to make the most of it.
"How do I choose?"
"Listen to your heart, Alex. When you touch the gate, you will see images of the world within. Just like the Reborn, the shadows you see, your soul will be able to feel the resonance of each gate - to understand what next life will follow. The answers are within you."
As I stared at the archways, a strange sense filled me. Perhaps it was a sense of purpose. I honestly don't know.
But, there was one thing I was aware of. For the first time in my existence, I held the reins of my fate.
I no longer would be forced to work to survive; I would no longer be trampled upon.
No, each gate held a world, an opportunity, a story to be written.
Despite my excitement, I also had many questions: What was my future going to be like? Was I going to be stuck in the loop of dying and living forever? I needed answers.
As I took a step toward the ancient, arcane arches before me, excitement fluttered within my heart. I could hear the Guide's words echoing in my mind, urging me to embrace the unknown.
"Choose, Alex. Embrace the lives that await."
When I looked back, the guide was gone. Despite hardly speaking to her, disappointment crushed me.
And yet, somehow, I felt at peace. I could feel fear, but I felt in control. How confusing.
It was a hard feeling to describe. On Earth, I had made decisions - I had worked - for the sake of others. To feed my mother. To make my friends happy. To attract girls. I had lived a hard life; an unhappy one.
Worst of all, I hadn't controlled my fate. From my job to my lackluster friendships, I had fallen prey to the vices of life. Indeed, destiny had forcefully dragged me along, bruised and bleeding all life long, keeping me in the office, away from my dreams.
But here, when I took a step on these stairs, I felt in control. I could feel the weight of my foot squarely pushing the marble stairs. And, I could feel that marble pushing me back. With every step, I was pushing the world, moving it. Causing it to rotate just a little faster. In return, it was pushing me. Propelling me forward toward a new future. One of my choosing.
It was an oddly comforting feeling.
Questions churned in my mind – about the angel, my deaths, the memories I had retained. Pausing, I sorted through the chaos. I had no answers. Yet, that was better than my alternative – to be a mindless shadow bound for hell. Or worse yet, to trip on these cold stairs yet again. I briefly glanced down at my feet, pausing to ensure I was stable as a shiver raced through me, the pain rekindling.
With a resigned shudder, I acknowledged that trusting the angel was my only option for now. I had no other choice.
Eventually, I would find answers to my questions. But not now.
And so, I stepped forward.
Archways loomed before me, each a portal to a distinct world, a new life awaiting my choice. I walked closer, overwhelmed.
....
The words on the archways shimmered, their meanings swirling within my mind like distant echoes. Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Earth – they were just the beginning. Other gates beckoned with labels belonging to the confides of novels; names like "Martial Realm," "Warrior's Path," "Mystic Realms," and "Forgotten Lands" spun within my mind.
Each held its own allure, its own set of experiences to shape my destiny. No. I corrected myself; these arches held the opportunity for me to shape my destiny.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed my instincts to guide me. Slowly, I extended my hand, allowing my fingers to gently run against the rough surface of the most colorful archways. Its label read, "Artisan's Haven."
Warmth greeted me. Like a mother's hug or a lover's embrace, the gate was truly welcoming. Soon, images pulsed before my closed eyelids – vibrant colors, intricate designs, hands molding clay, paint brushing canvases. In my hands was a world of creativity, a world of artists, for artists, by artists. I felt a pull, a connection that resonated deep within me.
But as quickly as the images came, hesitation followed. Was I prepared to live a life surrounded by art? Hold up. No - I didn't even like art. I wanted to explore. To adventure. What was wrong with me?
I stepped back, doubting myself. The Guide's presence seemed to linger, her wisdom a silent guidance. I slapped myself on the cheeks, then looked around with determination, cheeks red. I was going to explore more gates. I couldn't allow myself to be absorbed by their warmth.
Days blurred as I explored countless gates. Eventually, however, a modest gate caught my eye. Its label glew softly – "Wanderer's Path." It was a poorly built rock gate, with grass growing above its towering arch in unassuming clumps. Much less assuming than the golden, lavish "Heaven's Gate" or the brightly colored and woven "Artisan's Haven," it was still magnitudes larger than me.
I stretched out my fingers and brushed the gate's rough, cold surface gently. This time, the images were different. Vast landscapes stretched before my mind's eye – towering mountains, endless deserts, lush forests. It reminded me of Earth. But not our modern, suffering, bleak Earth. It was a brighter Earth; one of joy and energy.
I saw many happy people; a little, warm village in the midst of a celebration. A life of exploration and discovery, one I had dreamed of. It was a world where I could forge connections with people from all walks of life, unbound by the constraints of modern drudgery. The pull was undeniable, a sense of freedom that tugged at the core of my being.
"Its beautiful," I whispered to myself. "But why is it called 'the Wanderer's Path?'"
I paused, doubting the world behind this arch. What did it mean to wander - would my family die when I was young, leaving me bereft and homeless? Was I ready to face that kind of a world?
And, despite the happiness I could see in the world, challenges existed - I could see monsters, death, war, famine. The future was uncertain, a maze of possibilities and challenges. The gate felt was a leap into the unknown.
"Maybe its not the best choice," I sighed to myself in a bout of doubt as I stepped back.
And so, I found myself back where I started, with a constellation of choices awaiting my touch. I nervously wiped my sweaty hands together and eyed all the numerous archways; if I viewed all of them, I would never be able to find the perfect choice. It would take too long. As far as I could tell, every gate came with its own challenges, its own rewards, its own story.
What a nerve-racking, life-changing choice to make. I needed to find the world that was going to make me happy. Indeed, I was sure that within one of these gates, I would find my personal utopia. A place of amazing sights and experiences, which also held answers to my questions.
Somewhere, I would find an answer to why I had retained my memories.
With a deep breath, I sighed and made my choice. The Guide's words echoed once more, encouraging me to embrace the journey that was unfurling before me.
Only one gate seemed to match my fate, my goal. The fate of a lost soul, an adventurous soul, unable to be cleansed of its past memories. Of its death.
I strode past the shadows which I had previously ignored. As I walked through the archway that bore the label "Wanderer's Path," a surge of energy coursed through me. The mist swirled around me, and the archway became a doorway, a threshold to a new life.
I stepped forward, ready to embrace the unknown, to weave my own threads into the tapestry of this world. The mist reached out as if to hug me, and as I passed through the threshold, the world quickly shifted around me.
Destiny was guiding me forward.