Death had claimed Johnny Hide, like a relentless lover. He was no longer among the living, nor among the dead, but immersed in a state of indescribable emptiness. There was no light, no sound, not even the sensation of having a body or limbs. He floated in the dark vastness, a shapeless consciousness, trapped in a shadowy limbo.
In life, Johnny was familiar with the macabre and the sinister, but this place surpassed all the horrors he had ever faced. It was not the torment of a burning hell, nor the comfort of a heavenly paradise, but rather an abyss of nothingness. Wherever he looked, he saw nothing. Wherever he reached out, he felt nothing. It was as if his existence had been reduced to mere thoughts floating in the vastness of emptiness.
The fear, anger, and desire for revenge that had shaped his life on Earth were now distant memories. They had no place in this emotionless, senseless void. Johnny was alone in his own nightmare, a mind without a body seeking meaning in a sea of infinite darkness.
Johnny remained immersed in the darkness, his words lost in the endless void. His despair and frustration were palpable, even though there was no one to hear his complaints. The somber silence that surrounded him was deafening, and the words echoed only in his own mind.
"Is this what they call life after death?" Johnny muttered bitterly, his voice echoing without an echo. "Where are the cheap clichés? Well, at least it's a deserved end to pay for my sins."
He tried to move, but his existence seemed suspended in an inescapable void. The lack of sensation, of form, was a torture in itself. Johnny was immobilized, a solitary consciousness adrift in the darkness.
"The silence may be the worst eternal torment," Johnny continued, his thoughts consumed by his situation. "What frustrates me is the incompetence of having so many religions on the planet, and none of them getting it right. Is this some kind of sick joke? How infuriating!"
His mind continued to wander, exploring the mysteries of the afterlife that he couldn't comprehend. But despite his anguish, Johnny found a comforting aspect in his situation.
"At least I won't have demons poking my eyes or an eternal lake of fire," he pondered. "In other words, I'm free from my crimes!"
"Hahaha!" A sardonic laugh of satisfaction escaped Johnny.
Johnny celebrated his condition but soon grew perplexed as he reflected on religious theories. Before he could reach a conclusion, he was abruptly interrupted by a loud noise.
Kaboom!
A powerful male voice burst into the darkness. "Subject number 912.700.205.001, first attempt at contact, can you hear me?" The question resounded, with a voice full of authority and power.
Johnny looked around in the darkness. "Seriously? God? Demon? Who are you?" he thought, trying to make sense of the situation.
"I see that you are tired, confused, and lost in thought. Concentrate on trying to locate my voice," calmly stated the mysterious voice.
Johnny began to notice a subtle silhouette in the vastness of the void, expanding rapidly and approaching. He could now visualize a faceless man in a gray overcoat.
"Wait, did you say something about being a test subject? What's going on here?" Johnny said, unable to contain his confusion.
"I see that you can maintain your rationality and memories after the event that mortals call 'passing away.' In other words, experiment number 912.700.205.001 was a success!" revealed the faceless man.
Johnny attempted to process this information. "Wait, did you just read my thoughts? Does that mean you're some kind of god or demon?"
"God? Demon? No, you overestimate me, mortal. What would humans call someone who reincarnates souls and guides the dead to their destinies? The fools of your world call me Anubis, others call me the Spiritual Guide. The diversity of my name is immense, but it is irrelevant and tedious."
Johnny, filled with astonishment, murmured, "So the gods are real," while contemplating the possible hell that awaited him.
"What will happen to me now, oh powerful being that transcends death?" Johnny wondered.
"An adulator? I hate sycophants! You will soon undergo a process of reincarnation, or, as a physician might call it, endometrial implantation... However, that's irrelevant. On a different note, I have good news for you; your memories and rationality will likely be preserved during the process of reincarnation. Congratulations, Test Subject 912.700.205.001! My master instructs me to congratulate you on becoming a singularity."