I find myself standing in an unfamiliar room, half-asleep, a fifteen-year-old boy.
-Huh? … Hã??
I glance to one side, then the other.
-…Where am I?!
-What place is this?!
I scan the room again and realize the room is square. In each corner, there are vases with beautiful red roses. In front of me, there is a table like the kind an office worker would sit at. The walls are light gray, with golden details shaped like spirals. Aside from those golden details, the place is quite simple, but very beautiful.
-But still… what place is this?
-It even looks like one of those rooms where your boss calls you in to talk.
I look at myself and then around again, searching for something.
-(Just a moment… where are my things? I was just leaving my part-time job, and… and… what happened for me to end up here?)
While I try to think of an explanation, a light appears behind me. I turn toward it, but the golden brightness is so strong that it forces me to cover my eyes with my hand. After a few seconds, the light fades, revealing an enormous, golden, shining door. Soon, someone opens it. From inside, a tall man steps out, with white skin, white beard and hair, black eyes, wearing a white tunic and Chinese-style sandals.
The face of this old man looks like that of someone who has never heard the word "rest" in his entire life. He walks toward the table like a zombie. The door behind him had already disappeared some time ago.
I watch him with curiosity.
-(Who is this man?)
-(And where did this chair come from? It wasn't there before, was it?)
I stay alert.
-(He's getting closer.)
But the man walks right past me, completely indifferent, not even glancing in my direction. He sits down tiredly on the chair behind the table and pulls from a drawer a pile of papers, scrolls, and… a notebook?
Whoever he is, I realize he immediately starts working, writing and typing with mastery. It's impressive, one hand typing on the notebook, the other signing papers.
-(I never imagined someone could do that, but that's not the most important thing right now.)
-(What I really want to know is where I am.)
I carefully walk toward the man, stopping in front of his desk, and speak very quietly.
-Um… sir…
Before I can continue, the man interrupts me.
-Ah, yes! Just a moment!
-Let me finish this paperwork, then I'll answer your questions, okay, Nagaro?
I nod.
-…Okay…
I'm struck by his tired, aged voice. I can tell it's going to take him a while to finish his work, so I sit down on the chair in front of the desk. This chair wasn't here before, it simply appeared. Even so, I decide to sit on it. I watch the man and think he must be around seventy years old.
Then a thought surprises me.
-(Wait a second… how does he know my name?)
….
…
..
.
-(I've been here for who knows how long already… will he still take much longer?)
I keep observing the man and suddenly notice that he seems to turn into a six-armed man, as if trying to finish signing the papers faster.
I narrow my eyes.
-(No, wait… he didn't grow four more arms. He's just… really fast?)
-(What kind of elderly man can do that?)
Changing my train of thought, I realize that I still don't know what happened for me to end up here. In fact, I don't remember how I arrived in this place at all. The only thing I remember is that I had just left my part-time job, as usual. Today was no different.
But when I try to recall what happened between leaving work and getting here… I simply can't. It feels like those memories are missing. The only thing that comes to mind, very vaguely, is a flash of light… and an explosion, or something like that.
I turn my attention back to the man, who is finishing signing the papers.
The multiple "arms" that seemed to have formed disappear. At the same instant, a small gust of wind rises, making my hair sway.
The old man then throws himself tiredly into the chair, slowly closing his eyes, looking as if he has fainted.
I keep my eyes on him.
-(Is he sleeping?)
-(I watched everything he did carefully, but I still don't know anything.)
-(Should I wake him up?)
He looks extremely tired. From a distance, someone might even say he died a long time ago. But if I don't disturb him, I'll never know where I am or how I got here.
I get up from the chair, about to call out to him.
-Sir…
Suddenly, the man jumps out of the chair, crossing the entire room in an instant.
-Yuuupi!!!
-I finally finished this hunk of junk!
He laughs loudly, his head tilted upward, extremely happy.
-Ah, ah, ah, ah!
I look at him in shock, my mouth hanging open, unable to understand the old man's sudden behavior. Not only that, but I had just seen him leap from the chair to the other side of the room which, by chance, seems to be about twenty meters away. It's not every day you see an elderly man make a jump like that.
When he finishes celebrating, he looks at me with an even more radiant expression.
-What tremendous luck that it happened to be my shift.
-I can't believe it'll be me who gets to guide someone to the "Other World."
-Ru, ru, ru, ru!
I try to understand what he's saying.
-(Did he say something?)
I don't understand what he's muttering, so I simply keep a cautious and silent stare. Then the man seems to remember something, scratches his head, and opens a wide, ear-to-ear smile.
He walks back toward me.
-My goodness!
He makes a slight bow.
-I apologize in advance, boy.
-You must be full of questions.
-But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Eladreo. I am one of the Regents of the Cosmos (Void).
He approaches me with a bright and contagious expression. He doesn't even look like the same person who had collapsed from exhaustion on the chair just moments ago. As he comes closer, I drag my chair slightly backward. The caution and suspicion on my face must be obvious, because Eladreo notices my retreat and shows a hint of sadness.
Soon after, he returns to the table, grabs his chair, and brings it closer to me before sitting down.
Eladreo stares at me with a serious expression.
-Well… I know you must be full of doubts, so I'll be straightforward.
-You died and will be going to another world.
It takes me a few seconds to process his words.
-W-What did you say!?
My eyes widen as I jump up from the chair.
-W-w-what!? So… so I died!?
Eladreo nods, confirming it.
-N-no way… n-no…
-(Wait! Breathe!)
-(Put your thoughts in order… take a deep breath… calm your mind in the face of this situation… that's it… breathe deeply.)
After a few minutes, I turn toward Eladreo.
-(Calm down, calm down.)
-Alright… I accept that I died. But can you tell me how? And why am I here? What place is this? And how do you know my name?
Eladreo answers immediately.
-Yes, I can tell you how you died.
-You died in an explosion caused by terrorists, five Earth days ago.
-Your parents and relatives were saddened by this event, and you were buried days after your death. But fortunately, you were granted the chance to go to another world.
-This place is my work office. On my shift, you are the first one I will guide.
-And as for how I know your name, before you appeared here, my office notified me that an individual was coming.
After hearing everything, I fall into deep thought. I feel sad for my parents and relatives, since I won't be able to see them anymore, but at the same time, I feel excited about being given a new chance.
I sit back down and look at Eladreo.
-I have one more question. Why was I chosen?
Eladreo sighs.
-Look, this matter is still a mystery to us, the Regents.
-We don't know how people are chosen or what the criteria are.
-Well… at least, I don't.
-It's something sudden.
-But know that it is a unique and random occurrence.
-What I do know is that, in total, the people chosen to go to other worlds must be five beings, including you now. Who are the other four? I have no idea. And this happened a long time ago.
After Eladreo's answer, a long minute of silence takes over the place, until he breaks it.
-Now you can go… but of course!
-How could I forget!
-Before you go, you must listen to some rules and a congratulatory speech for being chosen.
-In addition, you are entitled to one wish.
My eyes shine.
-A wish?
Eladreo nods.
-Yes, a wish. But before that, you must listen to the rules and the speech.
Immediately, I see Eladreo pull a scroll from inside his clothes and open it hastily. The opened scroll rolls across the floor toward where the golden door had been before. Astonishingly, before hitting the wall, it curves and stops very close to me.
-...
-!!!
I turn my head toward Eladreo.
-(Wait! He's not going to…)
I notice that Eladreo is grabbing a magnifying glass to better read the fine print.
-...
-(He is?!)
Eladreo clears his throat.
Cheerfully, he turns toward me while reading.
-So, shall we begin?
-Urum-rurmm.
-Dear chosen one, it is with honor and pleasure that, through this small and simple speech…
….
…
..
.
-... But let me warn you once again, dear chosen one, you must pay close attention to the rules so as not to suffer a cosmic calamity such as...
-Huh? … What?
I'm already drooling, almost falling off the chair, but I snap awake when I hear something like, "The universe will turn against you," and other threats like that. I look at the man, who remains focused on reading. It seems he didn't even notice that I dozed off.
I wipe the drool from my mouth.
-(What's happening again? Oh, right… I died and I'm going to another world.)
I rub my eyes.
-(Now that I'm awake, I should focus on listening to the speech.)
I straighten my posture in the chair, paying attention to the speech, but my ears only catch distant sounds and noise. My eyelids start to feel heavy, yet I can't fall asleep again.
I repeat to myself mentally.
-(I have to listen to the speech.)
-(I have to listen to the speech.)
-(Please tell me it's already ending.)
I still struggle to stay awake, but my eyes want to close, without any subtlety at all. I look down at the floor and see that the scroll hasn't even reached halfway yet.
I stare at it with tears in my eyes.
The words go in one ear and out the other. It feels like this is worse than dying.
….
…
..
.
-... Rule sixty…
Eladreo is clearly tired of reciting so many unnecessary rules, but it's standard procedure whenever there is a chosen one.
-Uf!
-(Finally.)
He puts the scroll back inside his garments.
-Okay, that's it.
-These are the rules… do you understand?
When he looks at me, he realizes that I am actually paying attention, with sincere eyes. Eladreo even seems happy, because it's extremely rare for someone to truly pay attention to this, some Regents don't even give these rules the importance they deserve.
I respond with a salute.
-I understand, sir.
-(I didn't understand a damn thing. After the speech came this pile of rules, and I don't remember anything.)
After Eladreo finishes reciting the rules, we talk for quite a while. Before I realize it, I'm talking to him as if I were chatting with a friend.
I lean back in the chair.
-(Wow, this guy is funny.)
Eladreo explains what he does and what it truly means to be a Regent. According to him, a Regent's main function is to take care of planets. Currently, he is a "Regent in training." Because of that, Eladreo serves as support for other Regents who are officially responsible for planets.
Right now, specifically, he is helping the Regent who takes care of planet Earth.
I think about the information.
-(In short, I can sum it up like this.)
-(Eladreo is a jack-of-all-trades.)
He takes care of one planet here, another there, and when the official Regent isn't present, he's the one responsible for holding things together and managing the workload.
-I see. That must be quite exhausting.
Eladreo replies tiredly, remembering that he still has many tasks after sending me to the Other World.
-Yes. It's very exhausting… and… ah!
-My goodness again!
-I almost forgot, remember? You're entitled to a wish.
I immediately cheer up, but Eladreo continues.
-But I can't give you powers that would turn you into a "god" in the world I'm sending you to. Remember the rules and the speech?
-The way the universe deals with these things is slow, but it never fails.
I understand and nod. I begin to think about what I want to wish for.
-Don't worry, I still have… let me see here.
Eladreo pulls back part of his tunic sleeve, revealing an arm filled with dimensional watches. He searches for the one synchronized with Earth.
-Hmm… I still have two Earth days for you to decide.
My eyes shine even brighter.
-Really?
-(What a nice guy. In the mangas, animes, and novels I used to read, beings like this are usually annoying and impatient… but this one is different.)
-(If I had to rate him from zero to ten, I'd give him a ten.)
We talk for a long time. It feels like we talked for an entire day. During that time, I think carefully and finally decide on my wish.
-I've decided on my wish.
Eladreo claps his hands, curious.
-So go ahead, boss.
-I want to be strong.
-According to what you told me, the place I'm going to will initially be very dangerous, right?
-So please, grant me a lot of power.
He shakes his head.
-I can't.
I almost fall off the chair.
-Huh?
-No?!
-Why?!
Eladeo.
-A lot of power right from the start can make you greedy and lead you astray from the path of good. Besides, it's written in one of the rules I mentioned, remember?
-Wishes like "I want a lot of power," "I want to be the strongest in the world," or "I want to be able to do anything" are examples of wishes I cannot grant.
I think a bit more… and then I get a good idea.
-Then…
Eladreo immediately raises his hand, signaling me to stop.
-And definitely not asking for more wishes.
I.
-...
-(What a shame.)
-Then…
Eladreo.
-No, no. You can't wish to have the power of a Regent.
I.
-I wish…
Eladreo.
-Not that request.
I
-...
-Do you have telepathy?
Eladreo.
-No, but I already imagined you would try those kinds of wishes.
I.
-...
-Alright.
-Then I wish to inherit an ancient power from some dragon.
Eladreo.
-Not allowed. An ancient dragon's power is far too strong.
I.
-Then I want a powerful weapon and armor.
Eladreo.
-Composite wishes aren't allowed. Neither are objects, even insignificant ones.
I point my finger at him.
-Then a necromancer.
Eladreo.
-That violates the laws of life. Try again.
I.
-...
-...
-Hmm!
I snap my fingers.
-Then I want to have extremely high and efficient regeneration.
-(This is probably the best wish I can make under these conditions.)
Eladreo tilts his head, scratching his chin.
-Hmm. Isn't that almost immortality?
I.
-No!
-(Don't complicate things, you old geezer.)
Seeing his expression, I try to explain it better, but it doesn't seem very convincing. He then picks up a notebook and searches the cosmic internet to see whether he can approve my request.
-I see… it seems that, in a way, I can grant you this wish.
I nod excitedly.
-Really?
Eladreo.
-Alright. I'll give you this power. But there are conditions. It won't be regeneration at a molecular level, understood?
I.
-Yes, that's fine with me.
Once again, we talk for a long time. It feels as if another entire day has passed.
-So that's it. It was good talking to you, Nagaro, but unfortunately my time is running out.
I feel sad hearing that I have to leave, but I understand that Eladreo still has a hard and exhausting job ahead of him. I stand up from the chair and look around, noticing that the room has no visible exit.
-Where should I go?
Eladreo points forward.
-You just need to go through that door.
I turn my head, but I don't see any door. Then, suddenly, fireworks explode, a red carpet unrolls, and along with it appears a majestic golden door with white edges… out of nowhere. It's astonishing.
The fireworks fade, but the imposing door remains.
-(It looks extremely expensive.)
Surprised, I turn to look at Eladreo. For some reason, he is standing in a heroic pose, smiling proudly at what he just did.
I walk toward the golden door, but just before opening it, I turn back.
-Can I ask you one more thing?
Eladreo shakes his head slightly before sitting back down.
-Well… I can't give you another wish. That would break the rules.
-No, that's not it.
-I just want to change my appearance. Is that possible?
Hearing my request, Eladreo considers it.
-(There's nothing preventing me from doing that.)
He smiles widely.
-Of course. I may still be in training, but I am a Regent of Reality. This is well within my reach.
He stands up, walks behind the desk, and opens a white door that appears out of nowhere.
-Come.
I follow him.
….
…
..
.
Eladreo leaves the room, stopping near the desk before turning toward the door, waiting for me to come out.
-So? What do you think?
As I step out, I am a completely different young man from who I was before.
What I wanted to change was practically everything about my body and clothes.
Now I wear a black mantle. My skin remains tan, my hair, once brown and curly, is now black and straight. My old gray eyes take on an intense blue hue, and my physique becomes that of a boy between sixteen and seventeen years old.
I see myself reflected in a mirror… who knows where it even came from.
-Wow!
-Thank you. This is much better.
Eladreo speaks with pride.
-Look, since I liked you so much, I'm giving you some extra attributes along with these clothes, as a gift.
-Oh! Which ones?
Eladreo smiles.
-Surprise. But they'll be very useful.
I look down at my new clothes.
-Then, thank you very much.
I spend some time looking at myself in the mirror and thank him once again, both for the things he gave me and for the wish he granted me. We talk a little more, and then I walk toward the golden door.
When I arrive in front of it, I open it and see that the other side is completely white, making it impossible to see what awaits me beyond it. Before stepping through, I turn back and say goodbye.
Eladreo sits down on the chair behind the desk. Just as I'm about to cross the threshold, he speaks.
-Boy, be careful.
-I don't know for sure what awaits you in that other world.
-It may sound silly, but don't let the world change you.
He smiles without showing his teeth, and I feel a deep weight in those words.
I look at him and nod, letting a small smile appear.
-Yes, Eladreo.
-I won't change… that's a promise.
And then, I cross the door, closing it behind me…
….
…
..
.