The woman's smile was as mysterious as ever. Her eyes gleamed with something unreadable, and her voice was soft yet filled with an unspoken promise. "Come," she said, gesturing for Narda to follow her. "I'll show you."
Narda felt a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty, but she trusted the woman—whoever she was—and nodded. Without hesitation, she walked behind her, her footsteps light as she followed the woman through the endless expanse of white. As they moved, the white faded away, and suddenly, they were no longer in the void. Instead, there was a door—its frame glowing softly, as though inviting them in.
The woman reached for the door handle and opened it slowly. The bright light that poured through made Narda squint and cover her eyes reflexively. The light was blinding, pure, almost heavenly. And when the light finally softened, Narda blinked and looked around.
Her breath caught in her throat.
They were standing in the middle of an enchanting forest. Towering trees with thick, emerald green leaves stretched toward the sky. Vines wound up the trunks, and the air smelled fresh, filled with the scent of nature. The ground beneath her feet was soft, like a blanket of moss, and the soft sound of birdsong echoed in the distance. It was peaceful, calming, and surreal.
The woman turned and began walking deeper into the forest, her steps purposeful and steady. Narda, still absorbing the beauty around her, hurried to follow. She was overwhelmed by the sudden change in scenery—one moment she was in a blinding, sterile white, and now, she was surrounded by the vibrant, living world of a forest unlike any she had ever seen.
They walked for a few minutes, with Narda trying to take in everything—the way the sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting soft beams of golden light on the forest floor. But as they moved forward, something caught her eye. There, standing near the edge of a small clearing, was a familiar figure.
"Tengteng!" Her heart surged as she called out, running toward him without thinking.
Her little brother turned at the sound of his name, his face breaking into a wide, relieved smile. Before she could stop herself, Narda threw her arms around him in a tight hug, and he immediately returned it.
She squeezed him, thankful to feel the warmth of his body, to know that he was alive and here with her. The familiar comfort of his embrace was the only thing that grounded her in this strange new place.
"You're okay," she whispered, her voice shaky as she pulled away to look at him, her hands holding his shoulders.
Tengteng nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm more than okay. We're going to get reincarnated into another world, Ate! This is amazing!"
Narda blinked in confusion. "Wait—reincarnated? I thought we were going back to Earth? We're not…?"
Tengteng's expression dimmed slightly as he looked up at the woman who had been guiding them. She gave a soft smile before answering.
"You cannot return to Earth," she said gently. "Your bodies are beyond repair. Even if you could, returning to your old life wouldn't be possible. You would appear as if you came back from the dead, and there's a possibility that you would be experimented on. Time would also be disrupted, and that could cause unforeseen consequences. I'm afraid the timeline of the world would be unstable if you tried."
Narda felt a chill at the woman's words. The thought of being treated like a specimen, of being studied like an anomaly, made her shudder. The woman was right—they couldn't go back. It wouldn't be safe.
Narda nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I understand. Thank you… for explaining."
The woman gave a kind smile and nodded, as if she knew it was a lot for them to take in. "Now, as for the world you will be reincarnated into..." She paused, and Narda's heart raced, anticipation building in her chest. "You may ask your brother what world it will be. He's already chosen, after all."
Narda turned to Tengteng, her eyes wide with curiosity. He grinned at her, clearly bursting with excitement.
"Do you remember the TV show we used to watch?" he asked, bouncing on his feet. "You know, the one where we talked about what we'd do if we got reincarnated into a world like that?"
Narda furrowed her brow, trying to recall the conversation. It felt like ages ago, and with everything that had happened since, it was hard to remember. Still, she gave him an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, I can't really remember... we talked about so many things back then. It was so long ago."
Tengteng didn't look disappointed in the slightest. He simply beamed. "It's okay, Ate. You'll remember in a minute. We're going to be reincarnated into Young Justice!"
Narda's eyes went wide. Young Justice. She froze, trying to process the information. That was a superhero-themed world. She had heard of it before, even watched a few episodes with Tengteng. But living there? Surviving in a world full of heroes and villains? It felt... overwhelming.
Her heart thudded in her chest as she looked at Tengteng. "How are we supposed to survive in a world like that?" she asked, her voice small. "I... I'm not strong. I'm not like them..."
But before she could spiral further, Tengteng's grin grew wider. "Wait! We have powers! We get powers, Ate!"
Her eyes widened even more. "Wait… we get powers?" she asked, her voice a mix of surprise and excitement. "But… how?"
Tengteng explained quickly, his voice filled with excitement. "The woman here—she asked me what powers I wanted. I said I wanted you to choose! And now here we are!"
Narda glanced over at the woman, who gave a small, encouraging nod.
"The Lord God is giving you both a chance," the woman explained. "You will have the power to choose what abilities you desire, but Tengteng wanted to leave that decision to you, Narda."
Narda felt the weight of that responsibility. Choosing powers? She had never even considered such a thing. But before she could say anything, the woman continued, her voice soft but filled with warmth.
"Originally, you were allowed only one wish. But seeing the bond between you two, the Lord God has granted you an additional three wishes, for a total of four."
Narda gasped, her mind racing. Four wishes? She and Tengteng could choose anything? The possibilities were endless. She glanced up at the sky, her heart filled with gratitude and disbelief.
"Thank you... Thank you, Lord God," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
The woman smiled at them, nodding. "You have time to think about it. Take your time, and when you're ready, we will make your wishes. But for now, I will leave you to it."
With that, the woman began to step back, her figure slowly fading into the distance. Narda and Tengteng sat down on the soft grass, both of them silent for a moment as they took in everything that had just happened.
Tengteng turned to her, his eyes wide with excitement. "So… what powers do you think we should ask for?"
Narda stared out into the forest, her mind whirling with the possibilities. The future was wide open, and for the first time, she felt a sense of hope. She wasn't sure what to choose, but she knew one thing: whatever they asked for, she and Tengteng would face it together.
"Let's think carefully," she said, her voice steady, her resolve firm. "This is our chance, Tengteng. We'll make it count."
Tengteng grinned and nodded. "Yeah! Together, we can do anything!"
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Guys, make do without italics for now. It's such a hassle... sigh