CH4: The Offer 

***

CH4: The Offer

'When someone offers you an amazing opportunity but you're not sure you can do it, say yes first, then learn how to do it later.'

*

You now know about my first life; who I was, how I lived and how I died.

However, this is obviously not the end of my story. In fact, it's merely the beginning.

I tell you about my first life and how I died, not because I want your pity or sympathy, but because the moment I 'died' is perhaps the most important moment in my life... both lives.

*

In the moment Anthon Belair pulled the trigger, while I was dying and my life flashed before my consciousness, the final evaluation I gave myself picked the interest of a being.

And it was this being that saved my life and gave me a second chance. Though I admit, I wasn't particularly willing at the time.

*

When my consciousness began to black out and I accepted the inevitability of death, a white light pierced through the darkness and I found myself in a white void space.

I called this space a void because there wasn't anything in it.

There was no direction; up, down, left, right, nothing like that existed.

There was nothing in the space except a never ending white void.

Well, maybe it wasn't truly empty.

I was there.

And so was the being that saved me.

Beside me, I saw a human. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. All I know was that this person was human.

The person wore a black ball suit with a white smiley mask.

They stood with a presence and grace that I couldn't pull my eyes from them.

"Am I alive?" I blurted out.

The person laughed.

"It depends on what you call alive."

Even their voice was androgynous, given no clue of their gender.

"You are both dead and alive." The person continued. "As far as your world is concerned, you are dead. Your existence there has been disconnected from the world. The only thing you've left behind are your name and identity."

I gritted my teeth. I understood at that moment that I couldn't go back to get my vengeance on Anthon Belair.

"You are still alive in the sense that I managed to save your soul before it completely disintegrated."

"Why? What do you want?" I asked with apprehension.

I wanted to know why this being would save me. I didn't believe anything was free in this world. Everything had a price to be paid.

"Your life! Your story! Everything was an intrigue to the end. Then the ending, 'I was a fool' was just classic!" The person moved his arms exaggeratedly as they spoke.

I was beginning to worry about their sanity.

"You asked why I saved you? Well, it's because I am Loki, the Lord of Mischief and the patron of Fools and Jesters!" They gave an exaggerated noble's bow.

I remember being too stunned to speak for a few moments.

The person held the bow through the moment I was stunned silent.

I could see in their eyes, which I could see through the narrow, curve, horizontal slit, that they were enjoying my stunned expression.

"I didn't mean that kind of Fool." I finally responded.

"Details, Details... You are a fool, that's all that matters and that's why I saved you."

I didn't know how to respond.

I closed my eyes and recollected myself.

Indeed, it didn't matter what type of fool I was, the most important thing is that I was saved because I was a 'fool'.

I ended up sighing before I knew it.

I looked at this person, 'Lord Loki', and asked.

"You said you were a Patron. What are you? A Saint? A god?"

"Oh, silly me. I forgot my legend isn't that wide spread in your world." Loki exaggeratedly patted their forehead (mask). "First of all, gods don't exist. Well, at least not in the way you're thinking. There aren't any gods who created humanity or anything like that. In reality, beings like myself you call 'gods' are merely spirits born from you human's beliefs. As long as enough people belief something to be true, that thing receives spiritual feedback from your beliefs. Once the spiritual feedback reaches a level, a Spirit is born.

"Plus, Spirits aren't omnipotent as you lots believe. We are quite restricted in what we can do.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Loki laughed as if they just told the biggest joke in existence. "But then again, maybe there is a God in the world. Who knows. The same way we were created from humans, the world and humanity should've been created by someone, no? Maybe that's the true 'God'. The omnipotent one and the creator of the world." Loki shrugged.

I nodded in understanding.

"So, what do you want from me? You didn't save me for no reason, right? You want me to spread your belief or something."

"Haha. I was right. You're interesting." Loki laughed. He wiped the non-existent tears from his eye-slit. "No, I don't want you to set up a cult for me or anything of the sort. I want to pull of the biggest act of mischief and I need your help. Don't worry. You don't need to do anything, just merely live your life."

Loki's tone suddenly became serious.

"You have two options. You can choose to die completely or reincarnate in another world and live a whole new life. So what do you choose?"

"If I accept the second option, I'll get to live a new life? As simple as that? What's the catch? What's in it for you? I won't make a decision without getting the right information."

"Every world or timeline has its own set of fundamental rules that make it different from others. For example, your world's rules dictates that there's no magical or mythical energy, so its denizens rely on technology running on electricity. However, the rules of the world I will be sending you to allows the existence of this energy so its technology revolves around mana as a rule.

"You are a being from a manaless world. This new world would naturally want to convert you to a mana being. I'm going to attack it and prevent that from happening. In other words, you'll remain a manaless being in a mana world."

"Why?"

"Because I can!" Loki laughed. "Because I want to see how the world would react to my meddling."

I don't know what to tell you because I was more than speechless after hearing him say it out loud.

"Ok. I've made my decision."

Loki gazed at me with interest.

"I choose death." I said to him. "I lived for more than forty years. There're only a few people who can say they've lived for longer considering what I've seen and done. I don't intend to live another life like that. Not when I'll just be a pawn in your game."

I'm pretty sure my decision caught him off-guard. I mean, how many people can turn down the chance to live another life.

Unfortunately, at that moment, I wasn't one of them. I lived a miserable life already. I didn't want to risk living another life so it may turn out the same way.

"I must say, I'm disappointed." Loki shook their head. "You of all people should've realised that we are all pieces in someone else's game.

"I am giving you the opportunity to become a bigger piece in the grand scheme of things. At least, you can become the player of your own life. However, it seems you're a bigger coward than I expected."

For some reason, these words got to me.

"I am no coward!"

"Really? That's rich coming from a man who was too afraid of losing what was in front of him that he couldn't take the risk to go for and do what he wanted!"

I realised why Loki's words got to me.

It was because I knew they were true.

The truth was always bitter to hear.

Indeed, I who didn't flinch in front of bullets and bombs was too afraid to throw everything away and chase my dreams. I was a coward who turned his back on the two dreams he had in his life, only to end up regretting it at death's door.

"You've heard it before right? 'When someone offers you an amazing opportunity but you're not sure you can do it, say yes first, then learn how to do it later'."

I froze.

Not only have I heard those words before, I was the one who spoke them to convince a person.

That person took the risk and later became my strongest partner in Taskforce 47, the Black Ops unit I led abroad.

"You threw away the chances to achieve your dreams. Now, you're throwing away the chance to live another life where you can get a fresh start, free of the mistake that marred your first. Just because you're afraid you're set in your ways. Because you're afraid you'll only make the same mistakes again.

"Why don't you take the risk first and see if you'll truly make the same mistakes again. It's not like anything is stopping you from dying again if that's truly the case."

Life is truly ironic.

Never in my widest dreams did I expect someone would use my own words and argument against me. The worst part was that it worked.

Like I convinced my Taskforce partner, Loki also succeeded in convincing me.

I saw a different perspective on the issue now that I was open to the challenge.

I realised something.

"I never had a choice, did I? You'll make me accept the second option one way or the other."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I could never force you to do something you don't want to. I'm not that kind of person."

Yeah, right. Even a baby wouldn't believe this.

"Why didn't you just force me?"

"Like I said, I don't know what you're talking about. But let's say hypothetically I understand what you're saying. I'd remind you that I am a Spirit. And I told you, Spirits are bound by strict rules. I'm offering you a contract and I need you to sign it. It's more binding if it is done willingly."

"I see... So, tell me about this world you're sending me to."

"No problem. Just sign here."

A large contract manifested between the two of us. Loki pointed at the signature line.

"Nice try. I'm not signing anything until you tell me what I'm getting into."

He seemed disappointed I didn't sign, but I couldn't be too sure.

The guy was back to his bubbly self in the next moment.

"Fair enough. You drive a hard bargain, customer, but I believe I can accommodate your request. Let me see...

"Okay... the world I'm sending you is called Arun. In this timeline, the massive catastrophe that caused the splitting of the Pangaea, as well as the massive movements of the Tectonic plates which eventually resulted in the different continents did not happen. The continents are one gigantic whole, though separated by large water bodies. The water bodies at least aren't as large as oceans. Instead, the massive event caused the release of the energy 'Mana' onto the planet. As a result, all creatures are blessed with Mana."

"All creatures?"

"Yes, all of them. But don't worry, humans are still at the top of the food chain... in a sense. Perhaps to balance the irregularity across the timelines, humans were granted two awakenings that gave them the power which, plus their usual intelligence, they used to combat the beast and monsters in the world and reach the top of the food chain like in most of the timelines.

"The first awakening, which occurs at age seven, unlocks a person's affinity to mana. But not everyone completely unlocks it immediately. Those who do are seen as the darling sons and daughters of the world because they'll have better grasp of Mana than others. The rest, which makes up the majority of people, gradually complete the unlocking of their Mana affinity over the next seven years.

"The second awakening comes at age fifteen. This is when a person awakens a Pangea. This can be anything, a beast companion, a weapon, an ability. Different people mostly have different Pangea. You'll have to find out about the exception when you arrive in the world.

"The Pangea each person awakens depends mostly on luck, but mostly, the earlier you completely unlock your Mana affinity and the better your Mana control, the more likely you'll get a higher grade Pangea. So, those who immediately complete their first awakening have about a seven-year head start compared to others."

"The Pangea have grades?"

"Of course. You humans loved strata-sizing yourselves. It's only natural you'd grade your Pangea, no?"

I felt his words made sense so I nodded. Then I asked something else.

"You said I won't have Mana so the two awakenings don't have anything to do with me, right?"

"Yes and no." Loki replied.

They hesitated.

It was almost like they wanted to tell me something but couldn't.

Probably has something to do with the strict rules he mentioned Spirits are bound by, I figured.

"Your awakening won't work the same way as the denizen of that world. Instead, you'll get a blessing for me. The blessing will protect you from the world's influence and give you a way to strengthen yourself." He eventually said.

"That's all I can tell you about the world. You'll have to figure out the rest yourself when you get there."

Loki rubbed their hands expectedly while gesturing to the floating contract with their head.

It didn't take a genius to know what they wanted.

"Fine. How do I sign it?"

"Just place your hand on it and say 'I accept'."

I read through the wordings of the contract and they pretty much tallied with what Loki told me.

I placed my right hand on the signature line of the contract and signed it.

In that instant, the contract shot into Loki. Afterwards, a golden beam of light shot out from the Spirit into me.

I somehow knew it was the blessing he told me about.

I saw a crest(?) appear above my head and my body began glowing in a golden shade.

My journey to the new world was about to begin.

However, something happened that I still do not understand till today.

Two people appeared beside Loki.

"LOKI! What have you done?" One of them shouted.

"It's too late, Heimdall. It's done. Behold, my latest masterpiece!" Loki let out a crazed laugh.

"Loki, you madman. Why did you steal my candidate?" The other unknown figure held Loki's collar.

"I'm sorry, Diana, but he was the perfect piece to carryout my plan. I had to risk it." Was Loki's reply.

Too bad I didn't get to see what happened afterwards.

The transmission's start-up was complete and I was whisked away.

For some reason, a part of me felt I might have been tricked by Loki. However, this was something I was never able to confirm.

Anyway, this was how I began my second life.

(To be continued...)

[A.N: If you're enjoying the book, please leave a review, vote with power stones and golden tickets. Gifts are also very welcomed. Also, please check out my other book Soldiers of Time. Thanks.]