Why is it so dark? I thought I opened my eyes but it was still dark. Have I gone blind all of a sudden?

Or so I thought.

I raised my hand to see if it’s there. I was right, I could completely recognize it, from the tips of the finger to the root where it’s connected.

It’s strange. Even without any source of light. Is this the hospital? Am I secluded in a special room?

Where am I? What’s this place?

“Naomi!”

I reactively touched my chest. I couldn’t feel her.

I sat straight, I knew I shouldn’t move but it was on impulse, and now another inexplicable occurrence.

A pure-black space.

No ceiling. The floor is there underneath me but it looked bottomless. The walls seemed far away, I’m not even sure if there are walls here.

Moreover, Naomi’s nowhere to be found. More precisely, I was the only one here.

I tried to search for the exit.

If this is the aftermath of that incident, then how come I was the only one who survived? If this is the afterlife then where are the people who had died?

I’m not freaking out but it certainly got me restless. I haven’t seen any single person nor soul.

“NAOMI! JOUJI! SATOSHI! EVERYONE! PLEASE! ANSWER ME! IS ANYONE THERE?”

“Hello, I am here.”

The voice came from behind me. A young boy with a playful tone.

I should be relieved, right? It should have soothed my restlessness, right?

Then why? Why couldn’t I move? And to make matter worse, I’m being crushed by an invisible force. Inside and out.

It’s not killing me but it definitely incapacitates all of the cells in my body. It’s no bluff nor exaggeration.

Furthermore, the aura he’s emanating was drastically vile.

Who is he? I can tell for sure that he wasn’t an ordinary child. This was verification in itself.

What’s going to happen to me?

“Do not fret, my dear friend. I’m not going to do anything to—Eh? Oh! Oh! Sorry, I forgot to turn off my holy presence… HOLY PRESENCE BEGONE!”

After he stated those words, all of the invisible force welling in me was gone. Just that I became mobile again. Also, that horrendous aura had vanished.

Did he just do that to catch my attention? No sane person would do that.

And as I turned around to that said being, at that instant, all of the oxygen in my lungs left out.

The sight before me was not in a way pleasing to the eyes.

The frame was similar to a child but enveloped in burning shadows. I do say burning but he wasn’t emitting any heat at all.

Nothing can be discerned from him apart from his snow-white teeth and unrealistically large grinning mouth.

Who is he? I think it's much more appropriate to say, what is he?

Wait! His color and the background. They're the very same tinge. Not too much and not too little but still, I can identify him.

Perhaps, it was his default setup but I can’t help but get creep out by it.

I took a step back. He cocked his head following me.

Funny enough, he didn’t have any of the organs that could have detected me.

“Is your head alright, Reiji?”

With the playful question, I immediately touched it and probed for the injury.

None. It wasn’t there. It’s much more believable to speak that the wound never existed at all.

Huh? How did he know my name?

The shadow child waggled his finger and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Knowing your name isn’t that much of importance. I know everything about you, Reiji. Your past, your present, and even your future. However, I wouldn’t want to talk about the boring stuff. I’d rather converse with you about the things that will entertain both of us.”

“…”

With just that, I got the gist of my circumstances. My injury, my mind, and myself. He knows all of it.

Let’s not forget about the previous presence and encounter.

But just to be sure,

“Who are you?”

“Hmmm… Almost everyone that I’d met, that’s the first question they’d ask.”

The shadow child scratched his head but clearly, he wasn’t troubled by it.

“P-please, a-answer me.”

“Fine, if you wish to know, then I’ll gladly oblige.”

The shadow child bowed similarly to that of a butler.

Then, he extended his hand outward and angled his head upward.

“They call me of many names, people made multiple origins of myself, and even my personas are of mere unknown. But the one I’m most known of is the character named the Almighty God—The One and Only.”

There was a pause. Or I was in a pause. He’s like glorifying himself as he said that. After a second, he looked down toward me.

“Oh yeah, you may call me whatever you like.”

I wasn’t stunned by his introduction. I was stunned because I was right. The thought of me being here and seeing him. It completely gave it away.

Naomi, Mom, Dad, Kyo, everyone. Sorry, but I’ll be heading first.

Certainly, I do have my regrets. I wish I could’ve spoken to all of you one last time. It seemed that I have died after all.

“No, no, no, no, no! You’re absolutely incorrect and what you contemplated will never be correct.”

A child in tantrums, that’s how it sounded like. He even matched it with a crisscrossed arm as he denied it.

“Huh? What?”

“Surprised, aren’t you?”

He slowly spoke like a form of teasing. However, a grinning mouth like that made it practically worse.

And of course, I’ll be surprised. How come am I not dead?

“Then, please tell me… Tell me how I can go back?”

Nonetheless, those words did give me hope. I felt the blood flowing once more, not going outside the head naturally. If it really is true, I can be with them again.

“Okay. Not so fast. You need to pull the brakes there, Reiji.”

Pointing a finger on his burning hair, he continued.

“In that world. Right over here, you have an injury, so when you go back, you go bye-bye.”

I understood that. But if he’s telling me that I still had an injury there, surely it should be being treated by now.

I still don’t know if it was fatal or not. However, having me here can be vaguely interpreted that I’m on a thin line.

“So how long will it take for me to go back? Is there even a concept of time here?”

“About that, Reiji. I’m sad to say that you’ll not be returning to that world as of yet.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“First of all, let me remind you again, you’re not dead. However, you’re on the verge of dying. And on that world, the injury on your head is still widely conspicuous. You already learned in class that a brain can last for a few minutes before withering, am I right?”

“I do. But how is it that I couldn’t return? Is there some kind of test or something?”

“Do you remember the peculiar object before you became unconscious?”

The black-looking-orb.

“Bingo!”

The shadow child clapped three times in a carefree manner.

I just ignored it. I really don’t like his attitude and his entirety but he’s the only company I had.

But if the black-looking-orb is the reason I couldn’t come back there. What’s the connection? What are the substances composed of that thing? An attack from another country? I should ask him.

“What was that thing?”

“Hmmm, how should I describe it?”

He held his chin like he was in deep thinking.

At least from what I remembered; it wasn’t a lethal weapon nor a bomb that would cause a large explosion. In fact, the explosion was just a strong wind. The reason I only received my injury was because of an unexpected accident. That’s all. The aftereffect was the darkened sky but is there more to it?

“Would you believe me if I tell you that it’s magic?”

“…”

That made no sense. Not one tiny bit.

He shrugged his shoulders.

“You should really stop with those surprise reactions by now. You know that common sense wouldn’t work anymore. Sigh, I’m getting too senile for this… Wait—I’m a kid right now. Hahaha!”

He’s really irritating. He's definitely growing on me now. If that’s his personality so be it but If I had to choose, I wouldn’t want to be in the same space with him again.

However, he was the only one I can gain information from. That’s right, I can ask him about my friends’ conditions. That might give me a clue.

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Hm, what is it, Reiji?”

“Is Naomi, the woman I was with, alright? Are my friends and the people at school, okay? Are there any other casualties beside me?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there! What are you, a terrorist? Stop bombarding me with questions. Geez, humans with their inquisitiveness.”

“…”

“They’re fine. You were the only one who received an injury.”

Thank goodness. That means I can be brought to the hospital.

I can finally loosen up. Great news. Great news indeed.

“… Well, they’re fine for now.”

"!"

I was left agape. I looked at him.

“What do you mean for now?”

“The black-looking-orb will destroy everything. Not only the perimeter of your school but the outside as well.”

How? Mom, Dad, and Kyo, even they’re going to be affected. Isn’t that just a strong wind?

Now that I realized it. His tone changed since I asked about my friends' condition.

“Your world is on the brink of destruction.”

I was speechless. I still don’t get what he was saying. Perhaps I’m in denial but what’s with the sudden change of ambiance? It felt grim.

“As I told you, the black-looking-orb is made out of magic. Therefore, it is not a part of your world. If you merely thought of it as “just a strong wind”, you’re certainly mistaken, Reiji. Your science-based knowledge wouldn’t fathom the catastrophes it would bring.”

He forwarded his hand toward me.

“That’s why I summoned you to this space. To save humankind from their demise.”

“T-that must be a joke, right? It’s a terrible one too. Please stop lying…”

There’s no way that’s true. I disregarded it thinking that it was some comedic gibberish. After all, he seemed to be fooling around most of the time we’re together.

“I do admit that I’m somewhat of a prankster. I wouldn’t deny that. But never ever never would I lie and never in my entire eternal life would I dare to do so.”

I bit my lip. Do I keep questioning him or what? I might or I should just go with it.

If that was the truth then there’s a way to save them. He said so himself.

“How could I save them?”

“Now things are getting interesting. I like it.”

He muttered something. I had no idea what he said but I saw a bit of twitch in his grinning mouth.

“I’ll have to send you to another world. A world where you can gather the power to stop the black-looking-orb.”

Another world? Like the ones in the novels and manga? But that’s not the important thing.

“That’s impossible. You clearly stated that I was on the verge of death. If I went to another world, what would happen to me? And the people, how long will they survive?”

“Oh, you’re right, I didn’t explain it well.”

“?”

Is he really surprised by my query?

“Before your untimely supposed death, I’ve already stopped the time. Even now, they ceased all kinds of motions. The people, the animals, the photosynthesis of the plants, you could also count the solar system if you want to.”

“Stopped?”

“Duh, I’m God or what they like to call me. I could stop it like boom and everything will go buzz."

He made child-like poses. Even though the world that I live in could disappear at any moment, he still had the audacity to do that.

However, if he could do that then probably…

Like matching the dots, from one point to another. Now, I realized all of it.

“May I ask you another question?”

“Hm, what is it, Reiji?”

“You can save my world, right? You can destroy that thing.”

“…”

“And you can read my mind. So, you already knew what I’m going to ask next.”

“…”

“Please, answer me… If you wanted to, that black-looking-orb would be gone in an instant.”

He became absolutely silent. Has the cat got your tongue?

Either a yes or a no. That’s the only answer. A very easy one at that too.

So, why aren’t you answering? Accept or reject? Which is it?

Nothing would be done if I can’t force him.

Thus, I gritted both my teeth and hand.

“ANSWER ME!”

“What if I was? What if I did?”

At that moment, that grinning mouth really became disgusting to me.