Face Reading

"He is the best man for the job."

"I think so too."

"But I don't think he can do that. He is too damned."

"That's exactly why he can do that."

"You know we desperately need someone, right?"

"That's.. yes."

"It's settled then. We'll choose him this time."

———

'Hmm? Is this afterlife?'

Pablo found himself standing in front of a big white door and around him, there was only darkness.

'Shouldn't the door to Hell be black? I am not going to heaven, am I?' Pablo was sure heaven won't accept him. If Heaven exists, he won't be appointed there even as a peon.

He looked at his hands, touched his chest and gave an appreciative nod.

'I am a teenager again. Fair enough.'

Pablo then directed his focus on the white door again.

'I hope I don't meet Gods on the other side.'

He had destroyed all their temples. That would be a big deal for the Gods. If they really exist, they wouldn't be happy to see him.

Nevertheless, Pablo moved forward and pushed the white door.

THUD!

The door swung open and Pablo brows shot up.

'Is this a King's chamber?'

In front of Pablo, five huge thrones were present and on all of them someone equally huge was sitting. Pablo couldn't see them clearly though.

Pablo roamed his head and saw five more thrones. However, those five thrones were shrouded with darkness.

Still, Pablo walked further inside the castle and stood on a red circle made in the center of the floor.

"Is this Hell?" Pablo asked. The surroundings definitely weren't giving him the feeling of Heaven.

He stared at the throne in front of him, awaiting a reply.

"Welcome, child." A reply came in the form of a heavy voice.

"Call me Pablo." Pablo instantly replied.

He didn't waver under the voice. He also figured that the voice came from the figure sitting on the middle throne. Moreover, he constantly roamed his eyes on the other thrones as well.

"No need to be suspicious, child. We will not hurt you."

Pablo glared at the throne in front of him.

"Just call me Pablo. And if you can't do that then call me scum. I won't say it again."

"Very well. So, Pablo, how wa-"

"Who are you people?" Pablo interrupted the voice. "And you all are too big. I can't even see your faces. Make it easy for me to talk."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Human. You don't know who you are talking to." Another voice spoke.

"Exactly. I don't know who I am talking to."

"You ins-"

"Mind your tongue." Pablo interrupted the voice. "I may be dead but I am still Pablo Castillo. Remember it."

"This vermi-"

"It's fine. Let's make it easier for both of us." The being in the middle interjected. He even agreed to Pablo's demand.

Pablo nodded and waited.

The being in the middle, raised his right hand and…

SNAP!

He snapped his fingers and the thrones rumbled.

Then, in front of Pablo, the five thrones became smaller and he finally saw the faces of the people sitting on them.

"You all look like those princes. Royal attire and sparkling faces type." Pablo commented. There was no surprise on his face.

"Haha. That's a new comparison you made." The man in the middle laughed. Although he was surprised that Pablo showed no surprise. He literally did magic in front of him.

Pablo then roamed his eyes again and saw the other five thrones. They were still shrouded in darkness. They were as big as before.

"What about those thrones? Will they not turn small?" He asked.

The man sighed. "Forget about them. They are empty."

Pablo shrugged and focused on the middle man. "So what is going on here? I am dead, right?"

"Yes. You are dead." The middle man answered.

"And what is your name?" Pablo asked about the man in the middle. For him, the man seemed like the spokesperson of the other four people.

"My name is Altor." The man revealed.

Pablo just nodded. "So Altor, what now?"

"You see, Pablo," Altor leaned forward on his throne.

"We will send you to a different world."

"Why?"

"Don't question us, Human." The man sitting on Altor's right spoke.

Pablo frowned, he stared at the man who just spoke and after a second, he sighed.

"Alright. Get me a chair."

SNAP!

Altor snapped his fingers again and a chair appeared behind Pablo.

It was a simple wooden chair and Pablo touched it, shook it hard, and finally sat on it with one leg on top of another.

"I am not sure how you can remain unfazed by all this." Altor finally said it.

"Unfazed by what?" Pablo asked.

"By this, of course. The reduction in the size of our thrones, the instant appearance of the chair just by a snap of my fingers. How are you so calm after seeing all this?"

Pablo smiled. "I am surprised. I just didn't show it on my face. I don't like people reading me."

"I see." Altor smiled in return. "You can survive there then."

"Altor," The man on Altor's right spoke again. "It's high time you talk about the main thing."

"Right. Give me a second." Altor looked at Pablo and raised his right hand.

"Pablo, let me introduce you to these people."

Pablo waited.

"On my extreme right, the man with green hair, his name is Demeter."

Demeter nodded at Pablo and Pablo nodded back.

"After Demeter, the man on my right, who just spoke, is Rameses."

Pablo turned his head at Rameses and the man had red hair. Along with that, Pablo also began to understand something.

Rameses and Pablo looked at each other but they didn't exchange any nods. It was clear they didn't like each other.

Altor then moved on. He raised his left hand.

"On my extreme left, the man with yellow hairs, he is Chrysus."

Pablo turned his head at him and Chrysus with a smile, waved at him.

Pablo gave a nod and looked at the person sitting on Altor's left. He was most curious about this person as it was the only female present there. Her hair was white and she was beautiful beyond limits.

"This beautiful woman you see here is Alfida."

Pablo gave a light nod to Alfida and instantly turned his head back at Altor.

The man had black hair and all the five people were beautiful to no extent.

"I see." Pablo said and leaned forward on his chair.

He looked straight at Altor and said :

"So you five are Gods."