Engulfed in a blanket of pristine white, a human thought aloud, "Never imagined a sea of white would greet me after being torn into pieces."

The chill of the white-marbled floor seeped through his feet. The aroma of sterility, a scent reminiscent of a hospital room, faintly tinged the air.

Tall and lean, a man in the prime of middle age stood there. Wild and untamed, silver-gray strands cascaded down from his head, contrasting starkly with the white robe draped over him. The walls radiated brilliance. They were bathed in a luminescent glow, banishing shadows and drowning the expanse in a serene light.

With a quiver, he asked, "This is the realm beyond life, right?"

A deep, resonating voice countered, "To be precise, consider this a stopover — from the life you've left to wherever your soul is bound next."

The comment jolted him. Whirling around, his eyes, once wide and searching, narrowed into menacing slits. But as sudden as that intensity flared, it waned, replaced by a mix of bewilderment and sadness. "Wolfie? Did they kill you as well?"

Emerging from the ethereal glow, a majestic white wolf—its size defying nature at three meters in length and towering two meters high, with a luxurious fur coat shimmering like snow under the moonlight—approached deliberately.

"I am not Wolfie," the creature declared, its voice a deep rumble, resonating with a sense of ancient wisdom. "Consider me your guide, your Arbiter. This familiar form? Merely a guise to facilitate our talk."

A hint of the fresh forest wafted to him as memories of his beloved Wolfie took shape. With a tilt of his head, emphasizing disbelief, he focused only on the familiar form. "You aren't Wolfie?"

With a graceful motion, the wolf bowed its head, "No."

His voice rumbled, betraying a storm of emotions. "Then why wear his face?"

Blinded by grief and rage, he lunged. Fist cocked back, aiming straight for that pristine snout. Yet, before impact, an invisible force halted him—just inches from the wolf's muzzle, a barrier pulsated with a soft azure glow.

The wolf, unperturbed, seemingly accustomed to such outbursts, stated, "In this realm, the laws of the physical don't apply. Your force, your rage—they can't breach this threshold. Spare yourself the exertion. I have words you need to listen to. That's it."

The man's every muscle seemed coiled despite the words, like a spring seeking a breach in those mere inches of separation. The wolf, the timeless Arbiter, patiently awaited the storm's passage, ready to fulfill his designated duty.

"Aah!" The sound echoed, raw with torment.

Veins, blue and prominent, surged on Eddie Mosley's sinewy arms, painting a stark contrast to his flushed skin. His muscles flexed, threatening to burst through the skin as an ethereal, fiery glow enveloped him.

In the dimly lit expanse, the Arbiter's usually calm gaze showed a hint of surprise. The warm light glinted in its eyes as Eddie's fist drew closer, barely a breath away, before an invisible force halted its momentum, creating a visible dent reminiscent of the clenched hand.

With a soft, echoing thud, Eddie crumpled to the cold, hard ground, each ragged breath he took echoing the fragile thread holding him to life.

The Arbiter, an ancient entity beyond mortal comprehension, maintained its serene stance, unperturbed. Such defiance was unprecedented in its vast tenure. It spoke, echoing like the chimes of distant bells, "No being, irrespective of their might or intent, not even you, Eddie Mosley, can defy the laws here."

The scorched and marred flesh on Eddie's form almost magically began to mend, knitting together till it appeared untouched by fire or fury. As consciousness seeped back, his chest heaved, but his once defiant stance was subdued.

Eyes, previously aflame with anger, now held a plea, "Assume a different form. Not this."

The Arbiter responded gently but firmly, "Such choices aren't mine to make."

Silence, thick and palpable, settled between them. A weary and long sigh escaped Eddie's lips, "Why? Why am I trapped in this surreal limbo?"

Leaning in, the Arbiter's lips curled into a faint smile, "Now, that's the crux of it."

Drawing closer, the entity settled before Eddie, its form almost comforting, "Mr. Mosley, your actions, benign and selfless, have accrued vast positive karma. Such deeds grant you a rare privilege — a chance to begin anew, memories unscathed. Intriguing, isn't it?"

But instead of delight, Eddie's hands cradled his head, brow furrowed, "Me? An agent of good? Explain."

The Arbiter inclined its head, "Certainly. Recall, at eighteen, the heartbreak of your first love—"

Eddie's voice was sharp and interrupting. "Enough of that. Decades have passed, and I have no intention of revisiting that pain."

The Arbiter acquiesced, "Understood. Fast forward, then, to your retreat to that inherited farmhouse. The sanctuary you provided the creatures, sharing sustenance till your bank balance bled dry? That, Mr. Mosley, gave you pure karma."

Memories washed over Eddie, a montage of shared meals, comforting touches, and grateful animals, and a slow nod signaled his acceptance.

Whispers of ancient days murmured in the air. "Your valiant efforts in safeguarding the wild from the clutches of poachers did not go unnoticed. Such selflessness, indeed, is good karma."

The ghostly crack of a distant gunshot tore through Eddie's memories. He could feel the cold, clammy touch of dread as he had crouched low in his room, heart pounding. On investigating, the acrid scent of burnt tobacco hung in the air, revealing two men. One was busily tying up a deer, its eyes liquid pools of distress, while its calf watched, eyes wide with horror.

Eddie's blood boiled when one of the men took aim at the innocent calf. With sheer adrenaline, Eddie hurled a hefty stone, knocking one poacher off his feet, then engaged in a fierce scuffle with the other. The aftermath was grim — a poacher lying motionless, life extinguished by his very tool of death. Thus, Eddie became a savior and a neighbor to the deer and its calf.

"And your continued crusade against deforestation and human avarice is truly monumental karma."

Eddie's vivid memories showcased his radical feats: sabotaging colossal machinery, confronting and eliminating malicious tycoons, and foiling nefarious plots to transform the verdant paradise into hollow entertainment zones. Over two decades, Eddie had held the line, ensuring the safety of countless creatures and species.

Recollections brought a wry smile to Eddie's face. Yes, he'd preserved the sanctity of the wilderness he cherished, but at a steep price. Wanted posters with his visage littered cities, elite task forces trailed him relentlessly until one fateful encounter left him scattered in fragments.

The Arbiter's voice, smooth yet echoing with purpose.

Eddie interjected, "And?"

Once lost in memories, his eyes were locked onto the Arbiter's. "All this reminiscing, for what?"

"To present to you a divergent path," the Arbiter began, "where your demise isn't as a beleaguered outlaw at the mere age of 50 but as a revered sage."

Tension crackled in the air as Eddie's eyes flared. His voice, laden with years of pain and defiance, boomed across the ethereal space, “I AM NO GRAND SAGE!” The words resonated, their force tangible against the unyielding whiteness around them.

The soft hum of the room intensified as the Arbiter's voice, peaceful as a calm lake, responded. "Your life's journey has its own significance. At 30, untouched by love's embrace, you turned into a Wizard. By 40, you matured into a Sage; by 50, you ascended to a Grand Sage. It's just unfortunate you never tasted the essence of 60."

The heat of anger radiated from Eddie's face. His fist, initially thrust forward with all its might but halted as memories of the past futile struggle resurfaced. The sensation of grit and resolve tingled on his skin, reminding him of a lost battle.

The Arbiter, professional and to the point, motioned toward the ethereal screen shimmering before them. Visions danced, replaying the stinging moment when Eddie, at 18, stumbled upon his first girlfriend's betrayal.

But as the scene morphed, his choices shifted; he sought solace in academic halls, shunning personal ties. Degrees followed, and Eddie appeared adorned in a lawyer's robe. Time flowed like a gentle river, revealing a reserved woman by his side and the echoing laughter of three children in a house full of memories. As the sunset of their life approached, Eddie departed first, leaving behind a legacy spanning three generations.

A weighty silence settled. Eddie's throat constricted, emotion clogging every word. The tantalizing scent of 'what if' was so potent it threatened to bring tears. His mind churned with images of a life that could have been. Yet, the Arbiter remained a silent observer.

Drawing a shaky breath, Eddie whispered, "What more?" With its tendrils of sorrow and remorse, the past was an abyss he wished to avoid. Time's arrow flew in one direction, or so he believed.

The Arbiter's voice resonated once more. "With your vast reservoir of good karma, consider it your currency. It enables you to embark anew, retain memories, and secure blessings."

Eddie's brow furrowed. "Blessings? You're implying... the existence of a deity?" A scoff escaped him, disbelief evident. "Tell me, does a god really exist?"

The Arbiter's gaze drifted, lost in a vast expanse of knowledge. "The question of divinity isn't mine to unveil. But know this: your life and journey aren't mere chances. It isn't an error in the cosmic records."

MisterOp

How did I write this first chapter? What blessing do you think Eddie will ask for?