When Ian suffered the heart attack, he was awake. It was relatively quick, a pain in the chest, a sense of panic, despair, and then it was over.
There was no high-speed movie showing his entire life up to that point, no appearance of an Angel or Death. Just darkness. Don't imagine it like being in a dark room at night with the lights turned off, but rather the complete absence of light. In fact, the key word would be absence or, perhaps, emptiness. It was not possible to see anything, feel or be aware of anything beyond oneself.
Ian had always been skeptical, a staunch critic of everything in life, and certainly, religion was no exception. A convinced atheist, the kind who would start theological debates on social media groups for hours, generating lengthy replies. Death was the end, there would be nothing more.
Unfortunately for him, death was not the end, nor the beginning of an immortal life in paradise... He was trapped in a incorporeal state.
Ian was condemned to contemplation. At first, he was panicked, a bit depressed. After all, being alone in the darkness, unable to do anything, was truly despairing. The first five years were difficult for him. Missed his friends, relatives, and girlfriend.
The interesting thing about this situation was that he was without a body, only a soul. Had no instincts, sensations, hormonal actions - only thoughts, which made his struggle in isolation a little easier.
So, when he was about to lose emotional control, in an act of resistance and stubbornness, Ian, who was always contrary, refused to accept this fate and unleashed his imagination!
Since he was a child, had created stories and worlds in mind, continuing to play with the invented sagas for years. Being put on punishment, alone and without toys in a room? That wasn't a punishment for young Ian. He played with the imagination, making explosion sounds and special effects with his mouth, a true sound designer. As an adult, didn't stray from origins and lived in a world of his own, addicted to literature, movies, series, cartoons, anime, and fantasy games.
To escape madness, his soul created a fantastic universe to entertain himself.
After an indeterminate period, occasionally, a angelic female voice would appear and try to tempt him. But as mentioned before, Ian was truly a skeptic and chose to remain in fantasy world. He wouldn't succumb to madness. It is a swore!
Whenever he heard it, the law is: IGNORE.
Years passed, and his sense of time had long been lost.
When Ian was already in the midst of the fiftieth grand fantasy narrative, celebrating the coming of age of his thousandth and sixth son in front of the seventh imperial palace, seated with thirty-two wives on the Great Ancestral Dragon... He felt something for the first time.
"A thousand years have passed, and this poor soul has not redeemed itself, nor has it even thought of its sins."
"I think he doesn't remember who he was or is."
'The angelic voice again? My madness is evolving! Now there's an old man and an angel in my head.'
"In life, he was neither a paragon of goodness nor wickedness. That's why we sent him to Limbo, to review his flaws or curse the fate."
"Who would have thought that a thousand years would pass without any result... Great Elder, I even tried to guide him on several occasions, after the first hundred years."
"Such a phenomenon has never occurred since creation."
"Is there any celestial guidance regarding a failure in the Limbo process?"
"We can only keep him for a thousand years; that is the law. After that, he must reincarnate in the other world."
"You mean that world?"
' Fuck! I'm completely crazy now. I'm inside a reincarnation novel... I can even feel a body, my deranged mind is creating sounds similar to those captured by an ear..."
"Yes, the Infinite World."
"Great Elder, what procedure comes next?"
"This young adult must make a request for a blessing, and if it is possible, we grant it, and he will reincarnate."
"But the soul seems broken... A thousand years have damaged him. Shall we choose his blessing to heal?"
"Not even the Creator foresaw such situation. In the manuscripts, section on the law of reincarnation, which has never been used before, it only states that we must give a blessing of his choice, and he must choose."
"How will choose if he is unconscious?"
"Hmm, it seems we'll have to give him a blessing to restore the mind."
"But wouldn't that be two blessings instead of one?"
"Free will is allowed; nothing is said about a second anointing."
"So be it, then."
"YOUNG MAN, I GRANT YOU THE BLESSING OF THE SOUL'S CONSTITUTION!"
A comforting, warm, and refreshing sensation was felt by Ian. He was ecstatic, felt rejuvenated.
'Insanity had captured me completely :0"
"Great Elder, it seems to have not worked."
"Impossible! The celestial power was spoken!"
The two continued to argue for a few moments before realizing that Ian was covertly observing them with half-open eyes.
"Hey, stop ignoring us! You're awake!" The angelic voice belonged to a slender young woman with four silver wings on back and a crescent moon embedded in the forehead. The hair was dark silver, enhancing her snowy complexion.
'An angel? She looked more like a goddess.'
"Goddess?" The woman frowned. This human really thought she was a being like the Creator... She felt pity for that human souls, all ignorant, destined to be unaware of the splendor of the Father.
"Ian, that's a earthly name given by your parents. Do you remember who you are?"
"Yes, Elder."
"Great. My name is Hahalar; I am your Sun. And beside me is Autiuh, your Moon. We are the guardians of Limbo. Somehow, you were secluded for a thousand years and failed to receive forgiveness or damnation. Thus, you will be granted a reincarnation and a divine ability of your choice, which we can deny if it breaks celestial principles."
The Great Elder seemed like a wise old man, his eyes were clear and shimmered with limitless depth. Although thin, he exuded a powerful aura. Six white wings were visible in back, and a sun burned on the forehead, an imposing and just sight.
"Can I choose immortality?"
"Not allowed."
"The power of creation?"
"Not allowed."
"To be the most powerful in the world that I'll be reincarnated?"
...
"Nothing is allowed? What kind of shitty wish do you want to grant me?"
Autiuh, previously serene and quiet, darkened her expression and emitted a strong presence that made Ian feel like a thousand needles were piercing him.
"YOU DARE DISRESPECT THE GREAT ELDER OF THE SUN?"
"I'm s-sorry!"
The young man's face paled, and his body began to tremble. Intense pain tested his limits. If it weren't for the blessing of the Soul's Constitution, he would have dissolved into nothingness.
"That's enough, Autiuh."
"As you wish, Great Elder."
"Ian, arrogance and conceit can be considered sins. If you don't want to be sent to Hell and live eternity in torment, you'll have only one more chance to decide about the blessing. If I have to deny it or if you disrespect us again, your fate will be a sea of suffering."
Ian swallowed hard, finally realizing that there really was a heaven and celestial judgment. He wasn't in a trance or crazy; had almost ruined his future due to carelessness.
Since he only had one choice and already realized that it couldn't be something too overpowering or arrogant, like the power of creation...
"I wish for infinite learning ability."
"It seems you haven't learned your lesson." Autiuh furrowed her brow and raised her beautiful arms to send him to hell.
"ACCEPT."
A whirlwind of energy engulfed Ian, and he vanished.
"Great Elder, are you sure?"
"Ambition alone is not a sin. The Creator preached, 'Learn from your experiences and evolve by yourselves!' How could I deny that?"
"So be it then, he is no longer under our jurisdiction."
"Nor anyone else's..."