Standing beside a dumpsite, a young man held a cigarette between his fingers, trying his best to light it.
"One time should be okay, right? I mean, only long-term users are liable to die young," he said, almost as if consoling himself.
Sigh
The man sighed and collapsed onto the pavement behind him. Despite the smell and the terrible sight, he was hardly affected as his mind wandered. His eyes filled with tears, but they didn't fall.
"I don't blame them, though, Ó ègo na akpri madu!" he muttered in Igbo, then threw the cigarette onto the ground.
(Meaning: It's money that's insulting me)
He had never thought, even once in his life, that he would find himself in such a situation. Seeing it in movies and reading about it in novels was one thing, but who knew that even childhood friends could become so materialistic?
"David!!" a voice shouted.
"David!!" another voice echoed.
"I'm here! Stop shouting my name... mtcheww," David sighed as he finally stood up.
"Where have you been?" the voice said as it got closer.
The voice belonged to a young man of a similar age, looking to be around 20 to 25 years old. He stood at an average height of about 5'6" and was built like a literal brick.
"Wait, did you smoke?" the man asked, holding his nose.
"Smoke ke? I can barely handle beer. What happened?" David replied, beginning to walk away from the dump.
"Okay, oo. Anyway, did you order anything? A DHL person is waiting for you," his friend said as they walked back home.
"By this time?" David asked in surprise, quickly checking his watch only to see it was almost 10 p.m.
"You're asking me? Is it not you that ordered something?"
"If you say so," David replied as they both left the area.
Arriving at a large building about three stories high, they saw a man in a DHL jacket on a bike, waiting by the gate. Seeing him, David's friend went inside, leaving him and the rider alone.
"Mr. David Williams?" the man asked as soon as he saw him.
"Yes?" David replied, confused.
Truthfully, he didn't remember ordering anything nor expecting a delivery. Then again, he had a poor memory, so he didn't argue.
"Alright, sir. I was asked to give you this," the man said, handing him a beautifully designed blue envelope.
David began to examine it but didn't try to open it, as he couldn't recall ordering anything that would arrive in an envelope.
"Are you sure this is for me?" he asked, confused by the only words written on it.
"Yes, sir. Please sign here," the man said, presenting the accompanying documents to prove it was meant for him.
After signing, the man left, leaving David to figure things out. He had always dreamed of dealing in big things, but he knew he'd never had any dealings with the World Bank.
Looking at the envelope, he feared opening it, suspecting it might be a mistaken delivery. The name on the documents might have been his, but the envelope definitely didn't seem to be. Carefully, he slipped it into his pocket as he headed to his room.
Once inside, he stashed the envelope in his bag, deciding to forget about it until the dispatch rider returned to retrieve it. He didn't want to involve himself with such a big organization. Since it was late, he immediately jumped on the bed, trying to calm his mind.
However, no matter how he tried, sleep wouldn't come. Instead, worry nagged at him.
What if they came, killed him, and took the envelope?
Movies might exaggerate, but events like this were still possible. He'd seen enough manga, anime, and movies to know he could die just from stumbling onto a huge secret.
"Ah, fuck it!" David screamed in the middle of the night as he finally brought out the envelope.
Without hesitation, he carefully opened it, and almost immediately, everything went dark.
---
"He must have really used up all his luck," a voice said.
"Do you think he'll be able to accomplish it?"
"Not even the great emperors of the past managed to do it within the deadline… he'll be like the rest."
"I have a question. Why do we even still do this when we know it never works as we want?"
Voices filled the air, arguing over something. The voices were loud and strange, as though he were listening to ethereal beings talk.
"Holy shit! Am I dead?" David shouted, jumping to his feet.
"Dead?" one of the voices replied as laughter erupted.
Finally regaining his senses, David began to examine his surroundings. Looking around, he found himself in a dark, endless space. It was strange; he looked down and saw water beneath him, yet he didn't sink.
Turning toward the source of the voice, David saw a young woman in ethereal clothing, her beauty powerful enough to make worlds fall in love.
"Are you a goddess?" David asked.
"That I am. We apologize for such a crude invitation to an important meeting; we had no choice in the matter."
"So, I'm not dead?"
"Do you want to be?" another voice asked, making David take a step back.
He didn't understand what was happening; it felt like he was dead, and if not, he was certainly hallucinating.
"No, sir!" David replied quickly.
"Good. To avoid wasting your time, we'll get straight to the point… we are the God Council. We watch over and maintain all that relates to mortal lives."
"I kinda already got that, but what do you want with me?" David asked, summoning all the courage he could find.
...
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