There was no pain.
That was the first thing he noticed.
No burning in his shoulder. No stiffness in his limbs. No cold tree bark pressing against his back, no metallic taste of blood lingering in his mouth, and certainly no hole in the side of his head where a bullet should have torn through what remained of his brain.
There wasn't even any sound.
For several long seconds, there was simply… nothing.
Then his eyes opened.
White.
That was all he could see.
An infinite expanse of immaculate white stretched in every direction, with no walls, horizon, ceiling, or visible source of light. The place was bright without being blinding, warm without possessing any obvious source of heat. There was no sun above him, no lamps, no clouds, nothing that explained why he could see.
He remained still for a moment, staring upward.
"…Huh?"
His own voice startled him.
It was no longer that broken, guttural imitation of speech he'd struggled to produce after becoming one of those things. It sounded completely human again.
Actually…
It sounded better than he remembered.
He slowly sat up.
"Where the hell…?"
His words vanished into the white infinity without producing an echo.
He looked around, searching for anything that might help him understand where he was, but there was nothing. No buildings. No people. No trees. Not even Pombon.
That last realization tightened something inside him.
"Pombon…?"
He lowered his gaze.
Only then did he realize he was wearing nothing but a long piece of white fabric loosely wrapped around his body. It looked like some kind of simple robe, covering him from the chest down.
"What the…"
He raised his perfectly clean hands.
His fingers moved normally again. He flexed them experimentally, then touched the shoulder where his boss had torn a chunk of flesh out of him.
Nothing.
He touched the side of his head.
Again, nothing.
"…Okay."
He stared at his own hands.
"I guess I really did die this time…"
He pressed his palms against the strange white surface beneath him and stood.
That was when he noticed his reflection in the floor below.
The infinite white beneath his feet was polished beyond anything he had ever seen, producing such a perfect reflection that, for a moment, he thought there was another person standing upside down beneath him.
And that person definitely wasn't the man he remembered being.
He froze.
The face staring back at him was almost unnaturally beautiful.
His features were striking yet harmonious, without scars, imperfections, exhaustion, or any of the tiny marks accumulated throughout a human lifetime. His skin seemed untouched by age or suffering.
Long golden hair fell past his shoulders, glowing softly against the infinite white.
But it was his eyes that truly held his attention.
They were like two suns set into his face.
An intense yellow light burned within his irises like golden stars, bright enough that their reflection illuminated parts of his face.
Slowly, he raised one hand to his cheek.
The reflection did the same.
"…What the fuck is—"
"Welcome!"
He nearly jumped out of his skin.
His head snapped upward to see someone standing several meters away.
Or something shaped like a person.
The figure was completely white from head to toe. Its entire body seemed to be made from the same immaculate substance as the world around them, possessing a humanoid silhouette but almost no distinct features.
Except for a wide, friendly smile drawn across its face.
"What the fuck?!"
"Excellent first reaction!" the figure declared, throwing its arms open enthusiastically. Its voice carried the unsettling energy of a game-show host announcing the grand prize of the evening. "Classic, concise, and absolutely understandable! Welcome! It is an enormous pleasure to finally meet you, although technically I already know you, so perhaps 'meet you' is slightly redundant wording. Details! We have plenty of time for semantics later!"
The man merely stared at him.
"Who… are you?"
The figure placed one hand over its chest.
"Me?"
It pointed theatrically at itself.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega! The Beginning and the End! Creator of all things visible and invisible! Architect of Creation! Supreme Authority of Reality! Father of existence, designer of the laws governing matter, energy, causality, time, space, souls, mortality, immortality, and several other departments that technically haven't even been invented yet!"
He leaned slightly forward.
"But you can call me God."
The sound of applause erupted from nowhere.
The man immediately looked around, searching for the source.
God made a small gesture with His hand.
The applause vanished.
"Sorry. I like sound effects."
The man said nothing.
God approached him with His hands behind His back, still wearing that impossible smile.
"Now, normally this would be the part where I turn you into the first human and deliver an inspiring speech, explain the nature of existence, answer a few philosophical questions, perhaps give you a small visual presentation, I have excellent charts, but I'm afraid your situation is just a little different."
"My situation?"
"Yes! You see, you're My first archange—"
God stopped abruptly.
His hand remained raised.
And His entire body went completely still.
The man waited.
"…Huh? God?"
God's smile disappeared.
Somehow, that was infinitely more disturbing than anything that had happened so far.
God's blank face slowly turned toward him.
Then He vanished.
The man recoiled as God suddenly appeared directly in front of him.
Two eyes opened within that previously featureless face.
Inside each glowing yellow eye were several concentric black circles, one surrounding another, disappearing into impossible depths. There were no pupils in the conventional sense. Looking into them felt less like staring into eyes and more like looking through windows carved into reality itself.
God leaned closer.
"Why can't I see you?"
Every trace of that cheerful voice was gone.
The man swallowed.
"I-I… what?"
God tilted His head.
"Who are you?"
"What do you mean, who am I?! You just said you created me!"
"I created this."
God poked him in the chest.
"Not you."
The man's glowing eyes widened.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"
God stared at him.
Then placed a hand directly on top of his head.
The man immediately stiffened.
Every instinct told him not to move.
Mostly because when the supposed Creator of Everything suddenly grabs your skull after asking who you are, resisting seems like an exceptionally poor legal strategy.
Several seconds passed.
God remained completely still.
Then the strange eyes closed.
The smile returned.
"…Interesting."
God removed His hand.
The man cautiously took a step backward.
God's smile widened.
"Very interesting."
The smile grew even wider.
"THIS IS FASCINATING!"
His voice thundered across the endless white expanse.
The man flinched.
God threw both hands into the air.
"FINALLY!"
"W-What…?"
"Something different!"
God turned toward him with an enthusiasm bordering on manic.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this?"
"No! I don't even know what's happening!"
"Exactly!"
God pointed at Himself.
"Neither do I!"
That answer was considerably worse.
God approached again, practically bouncing with every step.
"You were never supposed to be here. This body is Mine. Well, technically it's yours now, apparently, but I made it. I was creating the first of My archangels, the one who would remain closest to My Presence during Creation."
He tapped the man's forehead.
"But there's someone else in there. You."
The man slowly pointed at himself.
"…Me?"
"You! And you don't know why?"
"No!"
"Neither do I!"
God seemed delighted by that.
"That's why it's wonderful!"
God began walking again.
"When I looked at you, I tried to observe your path. Your beginning, your choices, and your end. I should have seen everything. After all, I am omniscient within My domain."
The man swallowed dryly.
"But do you know what I saw?"
He snapped His fingers.
"Nothing."
Another snap.
"Absolutely nothing!"
God stopped and looked directly at him.
"Well, at least until I touched you."
God tapped His own temple.
"Then I saw your memories. Your childhood. Your grandfather. Your career. Your marriage."
His voice softened slightly.
"The betrayal."
The man looked away.
"The outbreak."
His fists clenched tightly.
"And the dog, of course. What an adorable little thing he was."
His jaw tightened.
God didn't press the issue.
"But those were only your memories. Your past. What has already happened."
The excitement gradually returned to His voice.
"Your future, however…"
God spread His hands.
"I can't see anything!"
He let out a genuine, delighted laugh.
"Do you understand how extraordinary that is?"
"No."
"Of course you don't!"
God turned and began walking across the white plane again.
"I have existed for eternity. I have observed thousands upon thousands of Creations."
With a casual motion of His hand, lights appeared around them.
Stars.
Galaxies.
Entire universes blossomed across the white void like gardens of light.
"I know how they begin."
Stars formed.
"I know how they grow."
Planets emerged.
"I know when life crawls from the oceans."
Tiny worlds turned green.
"I know when civilizations rise."
Cities spread across continents.
"And I also know when they fall."
The cities burned.
"And I know how everything ends."
One by one, the stars went dark.
The man watched silently.
God stood among the dying universes, His hands clasped behind His back.
"Imagine watching the same movie forever."
The final star disappeared.
"You know every line before it's spoken. Every betrayal before the knife is drawn. Every love before the first meeting. Every war before the first offense. Every hero before their first act of courage. Every monster before their first sin."
God looked at him and raised one finger.
"I know their dreams."
A second finger.
"Their fears."
A third.
"The exact moment they will give up."
A fourth.
"The exact moment they will rise again."
A fifth.
"Their first breath."
Then He closed His hand.
"And their last."
For the first time, the former lawyer thought he understood something about the strange being standing before him.
God wasn't merely bored.
He was ancient beyond any meaningful definition of the word.
And He had never experienced uncertainty.
"I create. I observe. And I watch it end."
His arms fell to His sides.
"Then I begin again."
He looked at the man.
"Same theater. Different scenery."
Then the smile slowly returned.
"But you…"
God walked toward him.
"You are not from My Creation."
The man blinked.
"…What?"
"Your soul originated somewhere completely outside the system I built. Another universe. Another plane of Creation. Something beyond the structure whose future I am capable of observing."
God stopped directly in front of him.
"I can see what you were because those events have already become part of you."
His golden eyes opened again.
"But I cannot see what you will become."
The concentric black circles moved slowly within the light.
"I don't know what you're going to say ten seconds from now."
The man frowned.
"I don't know where you'll be tomorrow."
God's smile widened.
"I don't know whom you'll love and whom you'll hate."
The man took a step backward.
"What choices you'll make."
Another.
"Whether you'll obey Me."
That made him uncomfortable.
"Or whether you'll defy Me."
God's expression was almost ecstatic now.
"For the first time in eternity, I don't know how something's story ends."
The man stared at God.
And God stared back.
"So what exactly do you want me to do with that?"
God clasped His hands together.
"Anything!"
"…Anything."
"Anything."
The man narrowed his eyes.
"So what you're telling me is… I'm going to be your personal television show for all eternity?"
"That is an incredibly cynical interpretation."
"Go fuck yourself."
God blinked, perplexed.
The man immediately reconsidered every decision that had brought him to that exact moment.
Then God burst into laughter instead of being genuinely offended.
He bent forward, one hand over His stomach.
"I like your attitude!"
"Great. Wonderful. Glad my blasphemy is getting good ratings."
God wiped a nonexistent tear from His eye.
"No, no. You're misunderstanding Me. I'm not asking you to perform. I'm asking you to live."
He snapped His fingers.
The white void vanished around them.
Suddenly, the man found himself standing before a magnificent city.
Skyscrapers stretched toward the horizon. Luxury cars traveled down immaculate streets. Beyond them stood an enormous mansion overlooking an ocean so blue it looked painted.
"Want wealth?"
God gestured toward the mansion.
"Done."
Another snap.
Servants appeared.
"Never work again."
Another.
Tables overflowing with food.
"Eat whatever you want."
Another.
Stacks of money.
"Buy whatever you want."
Another.
A peaceful beach appeared beneath a perfect sunset.
"No bills. No abusive parents. No corrupt courts. No zombies. No hardship. No worrying about tomorrow."
God appeared beside him wearing sunglasses.
"I can send you to the Earth of My plan. Give you a new body, a fortune large enough to make the economy file a restraining order, and you can spend the next century doing whatever makes you happy."
The man stared at the vision.
A life of luxury without worries and without hardship.
No wondering whether next month would be better than the last.
Everything he had worked for before, except handed to him without suffering.
He could travel.
Eat whatever he wanted.
Sleep whenever he wanted.
And never worry about work again.
God slowly drifted into his peripheral vision.
The smile on His face widened.
"And I'll only watch from afar."
The man remained silent.
"No interference whatsoever."
His fingers curled slightly.
"I won't manipulate your decisions, I won't force you down some predetermined path, I won't interrupt anyth—"
"No."
The world vanished.
They were back in the white void.
God stared at him.
"…No?"
"No."
"But you looked like you were considering it."
"I was."
"And?"
The man looked down at his reflection.
Golden eyes stared back.
He thought about the office.
The wedding photograph.
His ex-wife.
And Pombon running after that final stick.
His expression slowly hardened.
"I'm tired."
God said nothing.
"I spent my entire life trying to get somewhere. Trying to prove that everything would eventually be worth it. That if I kept my head up, smiled, and did the right thing, eventually I'd finally reach the part where I could just…"
He searched for the word.
"…live."
His hands slowly clenched.
"And I did."
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"For one fucking month."
God remained silent.
"I've had enough of Earth."
The lawyer looked directly at Him.
"I've seen enough."
God tilted His head slightly.
"I don't want another mansion. I don't want another career. I don't want another marriage. I don't want another hundred years living some fake life, or even another normal one."
His shoulders relaxed.
"I died. So let me stay dead."
God stared at him.
"I just want to rest."
Silence filled the place.
Perhaps for the first time since their conversation began, God had absolutely nothing to say.
The former lawyer almost smiled.
Then God's mouth slowly curled upward.
The man immediately regretted feeling victorious.
"That's it."
"…What?"
God's smile became enormous.
"That's exactly it!"
He threw His head back and laughed.
"I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT!"
The man stared at God, confused.
"I genuinely didn't expect that!"
God laughed again, pacing in circles from sheer excitement.
"I offered a mortal unlimited luxury, freedom from all suffering, an entirely new life, and you refused!"
"I think you're missing the point."
"No, I understood perfectly!"
God suddenly appeared beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"All right!"
The man glanced sideways.
"All right?"
"You want to rest? Rest."
"…That's it?"
"That's it!"
God released him and walked a few steps away.
"My Heavens will exist soon. You may live there for as long as you wish."
The man's suspicious expression softened slightly.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Is there a catch?"
"Technically."
"Knew it."
God raised one finger.
"Nothing terrible."
"Your definition of terrible worries me."
"You currently possess the vessel I created for My first archangel."
God gestured toward his body.
"And I see no reason to throw away perfectly good craftsmanship, though I wouldn't particularly care if it were discarded."
The man looked down at himself.
"So?"
"So you can keep it."
"…Okay."
"And since you already have the body, you might as well keep the position."
He stared at God.
"Position?"
"Yes. The position of Archangel."
There was a long pause.
"Do I have to do anything?"
"Occasionally."
"How occasionally?"
God made a vague gesture with His hand.
"Occasionally on a cosmic scale."
"That means absolutely nothing."
"You'll understand eventually."
The man rubbed his forehead.
Part of him wanted to argue.
Another part remembered that, less than an hour ago from his perspective, he had been a zombie sitting beneath a tree with a pistol pressed against his own head.
At this point, being hired by God didn't even crack the top five strangest things that had happened to him that day.
"…Whatever."
God's smile returned.
"Excellent!"
God raised His arms.
The infinite white trembled.
Something enormous moved beyond sight.
Light flooded the endless plane, coming not from above or below, but from everywhere at once. The reflection beneath the man's feet shattered into thousands of golden geometric patterns, spreading farther than his eyes could reach.
God's voice changed.
The playful showman disappeared.
What replaced Him made existence itself tremble.
"Then so it shall be."
The man straightened instinctively.
God extended one hand toward him.
"From this day onward, you shall stand closest to My Presence."
Golden symbols began appearing around his body.
"You shall be the Scribe of Heaven."
Letters he had never learned and yet somehow understood burned into the air.
"The Chancellor of Heaven."
Another ring of symbols formed.
"The Angel of the Presence."
His long golden hair began to rise as an invisible force flooded the space around him.
"The Prince of the Divine Presence."
His eyes burned brighter.
"The Keeper of the Celestial Record."
Wings of light began unfolding behind him.
One pair.
Then another.
And another.
"The Voice that carries My Word."
The infinite white trembled.
"And before Creation, before Man, before Sin, before the first kingdom rises and before the first grave is dug, you shall bear a name that Heaven itself will remember."
God smiled, almost proudly.
"Metatron."
The newly named archangel stood silently beneath the cascade of golden light.
His wings stretched across the white horizon.
His reflection stared back at him beneath his feet.
The first archangel.
The Celestial Scribe.
The one closest to God.
A being destined to witness the birth of Creation itself.
Metatron looked at his new wings.
Then at God.
Then back at the wings.
"…Does this job at least come with vacation days?"
God's smile slowly widened.
"You and I are going to get along wonderfully."
Creation had not even begun yet.
And for the first time in an eternity beyond counting, God no longer knew exactly how it would end.