"Make your choice now," the voice intoned, an air of finality settling over it. "Stay in the world you know, content and comfortable, with all of this forgotten. Or… come with me to the world of your dreams—a realm of adventure beyond anything you've imagined."
Elil's heart hammered as he weighed his options. His thoughts flickered back and forth, each possibility tugging at him in a different way.
"My life isn't so bad here," he reasoned, mentally listing his comforts. "I've got a roof over my head, enough of Mum's money to do pretty much anything I want… I'm free, in my own way."
But then, a current of doubt wove through his thoughts. "If I go to this other world, who knows what I'll find? I could end up in some rough place with nothing, born to a poor family, or worse, someone without any talent in whatever matters over there. I could be completely ordinary. Or... worse."
His mind shifted again, veering toward curiosity. "What if I'm supposed to be some kind of hero? Maybe save the world?" he asked, his voice hopeful, though he wasn't sure why he even wanted that.
The voice chuckled, a warm yet knowing sound. "Ah, don't kid yourself. We've got plenty of heroes already. You'd just be born as a regular person, like everyone else. But you would have the freedom to shape your own fate, to find your own purpose."
"So… nothing's going to be handed to me? No grand destiny?" Elil murmured, half to himself.
"Exactly," the voice confirmed. "You'll be free of any burdens. It's up to you to discover your own reason for being there, your own path."
For a long moment, Elil stayed silent, staring into the cosmic starscape above. But then, as he considered the voice's answer, a resolve started to bloom within him.
"Since I wouldn't be a hero, and there's no burden of saving a world I don't know, I think that makes my decision easier," he said finally, feeling a strange, fierce excitement building in his chest. "Yes, I'll take you up on your offer. I'll go."
A thousand questions buzzed in his mind, and a hidden eagerness surged through him. The unknown future didn't seem as daunting anymore. In fact, it felt like an invitation to be someone entirely new, to explore the kind of world he'd only ever dreamed of, but without the weight of anyone's expectations.
Besides, there was another, deeper reason: he wanted to know who had invited him. *Was it a god? Was it… could it even be his mum?* He felt a glimmer of hope that was both thrilling and bittersweet. *Maybe, just maybe, he'd have a chance to see her again.*
As the last of his doubts faded, his heart swelled with a brimming enthusiasm he hadn't felt in years.
"Good choice, Elil," the voice murmured with satisfaction. "Close your eyes, and I'll take you to your new world."
"Wait! Before I go, I want you to do something for me," Elil demanded, a sudden thought flashing in his mind.
The voice sighed, as if indulging a last-minute request. "What now?"
"Could you prepare a will for me? I want everything I own, all of my inheritance, to go to my maid, Kayal. She's been like family to me."
The voice fell silent, perhaps in surprise, before it replied, "Sure, why not."
A moment later, a parchment appeared in front of Elil's eyes, words materializing in elegant script as he dictated his final wishes. When he finished, his signature appeared at the bottom of the document, and the paper floated gently onto the desk beside him. With that small yet profound act, Elil felt a strange peace settle over him. Now, there was nothing left to hold him back.
He closed his eyes as instructed, feeling his soul gently lift from his body, drifting into the vast unknown. Within seconds, he was soaring through the cosmos, moving faster than he could comprehend. Stars and planets rushed past him in streaks of light, and the experience was almost too surreal to grasp. He'd never felt anything like it.
In what seemed like mere moments, the sensation of rapid movement halted, and a new awareness dawned on him. He felt himself slip into a host body, not fully his, yet deeply familiar. He couldn't open his eyes, but he was fully aware of each new sensation.
Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Ammi, you have to be a better teacher than this—you make no sense!" he blurted out. The words felt strange on his lips, yet they rolled out naturally. He realized it wasn't him speaking now; it was a memory of this body he was inhabiting. These were memories that belonged to someone else… or did they?
Another scene flashed in his mind. "Raveer, let's go see what's outside the fence. I bet there are some interesting monsters out there!" he heard himself say to a red-haired boy. The excitement in his voice, the curiosity—this was a memory, too, yet he felt it in his own heart as if he had spoken it himself.
The pieces clicked together. "Wait… am I merging with this boy's life?" he wondered aloud. "Am I… taking over?"
"Not quite," the voice from the cosmos answered, returning as if it had anticipated his confusion. "You're not taking over. It's more like… a merging of souls. This boy and you are two parts of the same whole. Think of it as him inheriting your memories and knowledge. If you'd refused this journey, he would have continued as he was, never remembering you. But now, you'll exist as one."
Elil tried to absorb this revelation, though it felt overwhelming. Merging souls? Sharing memories? Was he still himself, or someone new?
In another flash, he heard a loud voice: "Vasir! Get down from that fence right now! What did I tell you about going near the village borders?"
"Vasir?" Elil thought. "Is that… my name now?"
"Exactly," the cosmic voice replied, an amused warmth in its tone. "You are Vasir, and Vasir is Elil. Two souls, but one being."
He let the idea sink in, this strange, magical merging that seemed impossible yet somehow felt… right.