"Humh? Where am I?"
A guy exclaimed after opening his eyes.
The last thing he remembered was partying on the beach, having the time of his life.
But now that he had opened his eyes, the picture had changed.
He was in a huge blank space, so huge that the sky and the ground seemed to meet at the horizon.
In the sky (or what could be called as such) it did not have that characteristic light blue color of a daytime sky, everything was white.
The expansive ground was made up of what appeared to be some sort of white marble-like rock but without any imperfections.
"What the hell is this place?"
In the distance, I could only see many cloud-like formations, which were all over the place.
They were not in the sky, rather they appreciated being at ground level, as if they were mist.
However, if I took into account the apparent distance at which they were, they should be dozens of meters in diameter.
It was nothing like mist at all. Those cloud formations were as thick as the clouds you can see through the windows when traveling by plane.
Paying no attention to the clouds, he tried to see in the distance if he could recognize anything else besides the fluffy formations decorating the entire landscape.
However, after a long time looking around and then walking everywhere, he could not see anything.
No buildings, no presence of plants or animals... in this place he could not feel anything alive.
He even realized that he could not even feel a small breeze, nothing.
He couldn't even feel the passage of time!
"A very lonely place, don't you think? For my sake though, I'm starting to get used to it."
"¡!"
As if in response to his thoughts, he suddenly heard someone's voice coming from behind him, causing him to turn around quickly!
Until a moment ago, behind him there was nothing, so hearing a go so suddenly was something that frightened him.
However, right now there was something, something that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
An older man of very good appearance for his age, who appeared to be in his late fifties or early sixties, was standing, looking at the bewildered boy calmly.
Strangely he seemed to be dressed in a smart blue Tom Ford pinstripe suit, the kind worn by big New York executives, something very mismatched if you bought it with the rest of the picture,
'How... What... When... Where did this guy come from?!'
Not only was it the fact that this old man had appeared out of nowhere, but the boy began to feel weirded out by his very presence.
"The What, How, and When don't matter right now, so don't think trivial things. Come on, it's time to talk about your destiny now that you're dead" - the old man waved his hand.
The boy stood there, silent, saying or doing nothing.
"Can you... can you repeat what you said?" - he stammered in a slightly confused tone.
"Did you not understand me? I think I said it as clearly as possible" - the old man spoke as he settled back on his chair - "You're dead"
Again, the boy fell silent.
"Is this a joke?" - after a while, he finally reacted.
"Joo... Why do you think it's a joke?" - the old man replied with a curious look.
"If this is a joke... it's a very good one" - the boy turned his head and looked around as he began to fumble in his pockets in search of his cell phone - "But I think that was enough."
The last thing he remembered was a big party on the beach in Malibu, drinking all the beer he could and having a night of wild sex with a couple of hot Latina women.
While he had drunk like a Viking, he didn't think that was enough to knock him out.
On past occasions, he had also gotten drunk to the extreme, and the next morning, he would wake up with a pounding hangover but still remember everything he had done the night before.
However, today, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was this blank space and the man in a suit sitting across from him!
'I don't know what the hell is going on here; nothing makes sense!"'
'Is this a dream? One of those so-called lucid dreams? Or maybe a vivid dream?'
'No... I don't think this is one of those cases; it feels too real to be one'
the young man murmured to himself as anxiety swelled within him.
'Then... what is this?'
"Please sit down so we can continue."
The older man insisted calmly, making a slight gesture with his hand.
*Whoosh!*
In the next instant, the environment changed completely. They were no longer in a blank space but inside a luxurious room!
"W-What's happening here?!"
The young man exclaimed, startled and anxious.
He instinctively stepped back, tripping in the process. However, he didn't hit the carpeted floor; instead, a luxurious piece of furniture cushioned his fall.
Still, his shock and anxiety didn't entirely subside.
"I told you, you're dead"
The old man spoke calmly after adjusting his wrinkled jacket - "Everything you see now is nothing more than an illusion."
"Damn... this can't be real... this has to be a dream... I'm still drunk!" - the young man muttered, slapping his face repeatedly.
"Accept it, kid. The sooner you do, the sooner this will end" - the older man in the suit said, patting him twice on the shoulder before stepping back.
The guy didn't reply. He just stared at his hands for a moment. It was only now that he realized he couldn't feel anything—the texture of his clothes, the touch of his skin... nothing.
No heat, no cold... not even the pain when he hit his face.
'A-Am I dead?' - he wondered - 'Is this... heaven?'
When had it happened?
Did he drink so much this time that he ended up poisoned? Did he suffer a fatal accident while drunk? Or had someone drugged him to rob him?
"Yes, you're dead" - the older man suddenly said as he walked - "And no, this isn't heaven. This is the station where trains to the afterlife depart—a place between two worlds"
'Damn... can this old man read my mind?' - the young man thought, shocked.
He tried not to think of anything to prevent the man in front of him from reading his thoughts, but his mind was so overwhelmed that he couldn't stop thinking.
Eventually, he gave up and asked.
"Tell me... are you... God?"
"No, I'm not the God religious Catholics believe in. I'm what's colloquially known as a ROB, nothing more, nothing less"
'What the hell does that even mean?' - the young man thought, unable to grasp the term.
"How did I end up here? I mean, I don't remember dying."
While he understood part of what was being explained, his mind was still chaotic.
Anyone would think this was a bad dream caused by heavy drinking, an acid trip, or a mix of both.
But the young man had experienced both situations before—sometimes simultaneously—and this was entirely different.
It seemed like what the old man said was true... he was dead, and this world was an illusion.
The question now was: How did he die?
"You should be wary not only of people who look strange and dangerous but also of beautiful women who don't appear to be. Especially those who carry roofies in their purses"
The old man's words made the young man's eyes widen in shock!
So, he had been drugged!
Those damn women he had slept with were responsible for his death!
He was a careful drinker and knew how to avoid being drugged, and this time was no exception. No matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn't figure out how that woman had managed to spike his drink.
"Come on, kid, there's no point getting upset now. What's done is done. Don't blame the girls who don't know how to mix pills with alcohol; blame yourself for not knowing what the hell you're drinking. Maybe in your next life, you'll act with moderation"
The old man spoke with irony, walking away with a smile on his face.
The young man gradually calmed down as he tried to suppress his anger.
'Damn… thinking I died because of a woman, hahaha, what the hell'
Although he was truly furious about having been drugged to death, it wasn't like he could come back to life.
He tried not to dwell on it since it no longer made sense.
He slowly became distracted by all the things he could see in this place, eventually recognizing where he was—a location he had stayed in multiple times before.
Right now, he was in one of the suites at the Park Hyatt in New York, one of the city's prominent hotels.
Sitting where he was, the young man could see the entire metropolis through the glass. It was a truly captivating view, and in the distance, he could see the orange sky beginning to darken, signaling the imminent arrival of night.
'A beautiful view for crossing over, huh… I wish I had enjoyed my life more' - the young man muttered to himself.
Finally, he had accepted that he was dead.
'Ah… damn, sex, another thing I'll miss' - he lamented internally.
His personality wasn't that of a recluse but rather that of a charming and sociable young man.
He wouldn't boast about having a precocious mental maturity, but he had learned a lot about life early on. He knew what to do and what not to do to get the most out of situations.
Adding his good looks and physique, as well as a promising future, it wasn't surprising that he had never lacked female companionship.
'I'll miss... maybe her… every time she wore her cosplay outfits, she always left me completely drained'
He thought of one of his ex-girlfriends, a cosplayer, with whom he had explored roleplay in their intimate moments.
"Stop thinking nonsense and stay still" - the old man instructed - "I'm going to begin the transfer"
'Transfer?'
The young man sighed, a bit hesitant, but complied. He didn't want to upset the old man.
"Alright, alright, let's get on with whatever this is"
As the old man had said, he was dead, and according to the elder's words, this place was some kind of limbo—a point where it was decided whether one would go to heaven or hell, perhaps.
And this old man before him, strange as he seemed, appeared to be the entity guiding him to his fate. For this reason, the young man decided to tread carefully and not get on his bad side—he didn't want to end up in hell.
Could this be the modern version of Charon? Hopefully not, as he didn't have any coins to pay the fare right now.
"Now, pay attention. I'll only explain this once," the old man said suddenly, standing behind the armchair and placing both hands on the young man's head. "If you remember these words, you'll be able to achieve great things in the future."
*Click*
With a snap, tension fell over the young man's body, leaving him completely still and only able to move his mouth and eyes.
*Sssssss*
At the same time, a small current of multicolored lights swirled around him, spinning faster and faster.
Suddenly, he heard the old man reciting lines as if they were part of a religious chant or some sort of mantra, while a golden light appeared in the hands holding his head.
"With the lives of millions of pure souls offered as tribute!"
"With the blood and flesh of the executioner delivered by the hand of the one!"
"With the key to the prison offered amidst the creator's cries!"
'Pure souls as offerings? Flesh of the executioner? What the hell is this old man saying?! Am I not going to heaven? Those chants sound more like a demon's summoning ritual!'
The young man grew anxious again as he listened to the old man!
However, he didn't try to move. His head was being held firmly, and he didn't want it to explode like a watermelon.
"Listen closely; there's no time left!" - the old man's voice began to convey urgency - "You're going to a fantasy world, an anime world to be exact. Got it?"
"An anime world? Aren't I supposed to go to paradise?!" - the young man complained, his eyes fixed on the old man's impassive face.
Once again, he had no idea what the hell this damned old man was talking about!
First, he was told he was dead, and now he was being told he was going to a world of… anime?
"Stop complaining!" - the old man replied, his voice turning slightly serene - "Think of this as your paradise, where you'll be able to do many things and enjoy life. Think of it as your paradise"
The young man fell silent for a moment as he processed this information.
"Is this happening?" - he asked - "It sounds too good to be true!"
Even though he was already dead, there was one thing he had learned throughout his life.
"Although I can't prove it right now, everything I'm telling you is true" - the old man said calmly - "But don't worry, no one will demand anything in return for this… this is something that was meant to happen"
"It sounds really good, honestly. What happens if I refuse?" - he asked as the multicolored lights spun faster and faster around him.
"You can refuse now, and then terrifying creatures will come for you. They'll shatter your body into a thousand pieces and torment your soul for all eternity in a place that will make hell look like a field of flowers"
The old man's words were so casual, yet the young man's skin was now crawling with goosebumps!
'Damn,' was the only thought that crossed his mind.
Were those words true? He had no way of knowing.
Would he risk finding out? No, thank you.
Would he accept? Hell, yes.
"Okay, okay, I get it… damn it… this will be like a vacation, right?" - he replied with an annoyed tone - "So, what's the catch? I don't think you're sending me to another world without a reason. You must want me to do something"
"Of course, there's a catch, kid! If you want to preserve the peace and tranquility of your world, you'll have to complete certain tasks, but you'll find out in due time"
"No information?... Sure! This sounds like a crappy deal" - he responded sarcastically - "I just hope you're not sending me to the world of Dragon Ball Z"
The young man wasn't exactly an anime fan. He had only seen a few shows when he was younger or when one of his girlfriends made him watch one or two, so the most famous anime he could think of came to mind.
"Who knows! I don't even know what you'll encounter in the world you're going to" - the old man tried to smile, but the worried tone in his voice was too obvious.
The old man's words seemed simple, but a cold sensation ran down the young man's back.
With every word the old man said, an invisible weight grew heavier on the young man's shoulders, as every red-flag alarm blared in his mind!
"I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I'll try to explain it another time!"
"Wait, wait! What do you mean by that?!" - the young man shouted, still not understanding.
But he couldn't ask more questions as the multicolored lights enveloped his entire body, causing him immense pain.
"Agh, damn it! Hagghhh!"
Suddenly, the first ray of dawn illuminated the entire room through the glass window, just as the golden light covered the young man's body, making it explode in a luminous burst!
*Boooooooommmm!*
The explosion lit up the entire room, and the bright flash even expanded outside through the glass, illuminating the sky across the region!
After a moment, everything returned to normal in the luxurious suite. Little by little, things calmed down. The old man stood behind the armchair, his hands raised above its backrest.
The young man was nowhere to be seen.
However, this didn't seem to matter to the old man. He was simply staring at the horizon with tired eyes.
"Haha… in the end, it worked" - the old man said in a mocking voice as he closed his eyes and smiled - "I just hope you don't die, kid."
The old man sighed and uttered those final words before disappearing along with the rest of the world.