John remembered the day he died. The hospital smelled of antiseptic and the smell was accompanied by the rhythmic beeping of his life support machines. Nurses and doctors bustled around him and his family had stood over his failing body. He died from common complications of old age. There was nothing dramatic about his death. It was just the inevitable conclusion to a long ordinary life.

  He'd had three wives, two of which passed away, while the third, sweet Abigail, cared for him during his last days and multiple children and grandchildren. His career had been in IT and was fairly mundane. It had extended all the way back to the era of punch cards. John had always enjoyed solving problems and fixing issues and prided himself on being persistent, stubborn, and even-tempered. These had been traits that served him well, both professionally and personally.

  Earlier that day, his grandson Matthew had visited. He had spent an hour reading to him from one of the fantasy novels they both loved. It was a simple story about a man reborn into a new world of magic and adventure. As John's life faded from his body, he had wondered how wonderful it would be to live again in such a world. Little did he know his dying wish had been heard.

  His death came quietly and peacefully. No pain, no sense of loss, no discomfort, just acceptance. It wasn't in John's nature to fear things he couldn't control, and death was the ultimate uncontrollable event.

  His heart stopped. His body had became inert and cold. He'd watched as his family shed tears over his corpse, before his awareness had been suddenly pulled upward toward a bright light. He would miss them, but had no regrets. He'd done all he could to prepare for his end.

  He remembered dying and then suddenly he had been elsewhere.

  ---

  John's consciousness floated in the void of space. He was surrounded by stars; brighter and clearer, than anything he had ever imagined possible. That was all he could see or experience. The sheer majesty overwhelmed his disembodied awareness.

  Time had no meaning as he studied the heavens. Without a body, his emotions seemed muted and distant. Then, between one moment and the next, his contemplation ended. He found himself seated in a chair on a floating platform, facing a distinguished looking gentleman in another chair. With the return of a physical form came a rush of emotions; fear, panic, confusion. Were John able to see himself he would have noticed that his form was indistinct, but generally shaped like the man he had been. Despite this turmoil John quickly pulled himself together, drawing on a lifetime of staying cool under pressure.

  Looking around, he noticed the chairs appeared formal yet comfortable, and had been arranged for easy conversation. Between them sat a fancy tea set with cookies. The platform floated in the same starry void he'd been observing before as a disembodied consciousness.

  The gentleman across from him was neatly groomed. He had grey streaks in his dark brown hair, styled in a way reminiscent of the 1920s, complete with a full upturned mustache. Despite the grey, his face and hands appeared youthful. His suit-like clothes were dark green with raised golden brocade. The designs were nature-themed with vines, leaves, and animals hidden within the patterns. Nothing about the outfit quite matched anything familiar from Earth.

  "Hello John. Before we begin our discussion, I would like to offer my condolences on your recent death and apologize for interrupting the natural progression of your soul. I am Asonia, Lord of the Forests, Servant of the Goddess Sierra, and Demi-god of the planet Sierrallas," Asonia said.

  Asonia’s voice was clear, rich, and precise. It somehow evoked sensations of an ancient forest in summer; there was the warmth of the sun, the scent of loam, and the sound of a roaring river. His voice was both comforting and overwhelming, like the crystal clear star scape that surrounded them.

  "What's happening?" John asked hesitantly, trying to remain polite despite his confusion. "I know I'm dead, but I have no idea what happens after death. I honestly always expected to just cease to exist, not...whatever this is. I'm completely lost here."

  "Death is an overwhelming experience," Asonia replied. "It is both an end and a new beginning. I would have been astounded if you weren't at least a little discombobulated."

  "Why am I here? Where is here? What's going on?" John leaned forward earnestly. "I have so many questions."

  "I can answer many of your questions, but not all, or we would be here from now unto eternity," Asonia said. "You are here because your soul fits the criteria specified by my Goddess. She needs someone to help fix an issue with the Local Instance of the System. As for where we are, it's complicated, and you lack the context to really understand the answer. However, in simple terms, you are in a liminal space anchored above Sierrallas. You may think of it as a simulation, if you like, though that is not really accurate." He pointed to the right, where a massive planet was visible against the sea of stars.

  John was transfixed by the view as he watched the planet that rotated beneath him. Massive cloud banks, raging storms, and clear air swirled around an unfamiliar set of blue oceans, and gloriously green landmasses.

  "That is Sierrallas," Asonia intoned, drawing John's gaze away from the beautiful vista.

  "An alien world?" John's curiosity overtook his fear. "What's it like down there? Are there people? It's beautiful."

  "It is a world like many others," Asonia replied gently, deflecting John's curiosity. "It is filled with people, as most living worlds are, but we are here to discuss my Goddess's offer."

  "What can someone like me do that a goddess and a demi-god can't?" John's voice grew quieter as he contemplated his own self-worth. "I led a normal life and had a normal death. I can't imagine how I could help. I'm definitely not the heroic type like in the stories."

  "We don't need a hero or a champion like the novels you and your grandson are so fond of," Asonia said in an even, gentle tone.

  "I regret to inform you that there's nothing particularly remarkable about you, your life, or even your soul. Though your experience as a troubleshooter and problem-solver are helpful, they are not strictly necessary."

  "So then, why me?" John asked, confused but curious.

  "As I said, you meet the criteria. You are from a world that is not Awakened, your soul has never been touched by the System, or similar entities, and you were available." Asonia replied.

  "Wow, way to make me feel special," John said with slight exasperation. "Okay, so you need someone from an world that hadn't Awakened. What does that mean? What is the System you keep mentioning? I assume that being dead is what makes me available?"

  "You assume correctly," Asonia nodded. "Awakening is another complex topic. In simplest terms, it means to gain access to and awareness of what you would call magic or mana, but is commonly referred to as essence here. Essence makes the supernatural possible. You will learn more if you accept the Goddess's offer."

  John nodded, somehow not surprised that magic was real while talking with a servant of a Goddess.

  "As for the System, that is harder to explain due to your lack of context. It is essentially, a very powerful instanced artificial intelligence, that regulates magic, and the Ascension process on a wide variety of Awakened worlds, throughout the universe. Again, it is something you will learn more about if you accept the offer from my Goddess," Asonia explained.

  "What's wrong with the System?" John asked, still not fully understanding despite having some questions answered.

  "We don't know all the details. You will be part of learning more about what went wrong. All we know is that the Quarantine Protocols activated and locked many functions," Asonia explained.

  "So how do I fit into all this? Shouldn't a Goddess know, well, everything?" John asked.

  "True gods and goddesses are not the perfect beings of your Earth's many religions, but that is irrelevant. You have two options," Asonia said. He leaned back and taking a deep if unnecessary breath. "You can be returned to the sea of souls and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth on Earth, as you have throughout your many past lives, or you can be reborn on the planet Sierrallas, and become part of the local cycle, as an agent of the Goddess Sierra," Asonia said.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "Why would I choose the second option?" John asked. "I mean being reborn in a world with magic sounds nice, but I don't know about being the agent of a strange Goddess," John said uncertainly.

  "By agreeing to become a living Agent of the Goddess you will be granted many Blessings and Boons. Your duties would be minimal, not compromise your morals or ethics, and be relatively easy to carryout," Asonia explained.

  "That just leads to more questions," John paused, "But something tells me I won't get all of them answered during this meeting. Okay, so what kind of Blessings and Boons are we talking about?" John asked. He sensed no deception and something about Asonia made him feel trustworthy.

  "The very nature of the planet Sierrallas is a boon. It is an Awakened world under the System. This means System access, magic, and immortality, are available to all residents, which would include you. You will be allowed to preserve your current consciousness, without the loss of memory that typically occurs on rebirth. You will be given Traits that are required for your work. These Traits will also give you several advantages over the locals. All the details will be in the Contract with the Goddess and available via your personal System Guide, but the time has come to decide," Asonia intoned with a sense of finality and a flick of his hand.

  A scroll glowing with holy light appeared before John. He hesitantly reached for it and began to read with a sense of urgency.

  As John read the Contract the platform and all it's contents faded away. All he could see was the Contract and it's contents. He read it carefully noting all the requirements and contingencies.

  The Contract or perhaps the System somehow recognized the moment John decided to agree. As soon as he had thought to agree, everything including consciousness, vanished.

  ---

  When John's consciousness reappeared, his mind was filled with new information. A series of error messages intruded on his thoughts. If he'd been capable of complex emotions in his current state, he might have panicked. Instead, he let the messages scroll through his mind.

  A sense of welcome had flooded his mind from what he realized was his personal System Guide. It welcomed him to the System and the Five Fold Path of Ascension. John didn't know what the errors had meant, but he wasn't reassured that there were problems immediately. He continued processing the new information he was sent.

  After several more messages about errors and the Local System Instance his Guide decided to send a message to an Administrator. Unsurprisingly the Administrator was the Goddess Sierra. However, when Her Voice suddenly filled his mind he was startled.

  "Hi John, please be patient while I connect you to a higher Instance of the System. Part of the problem with the Local Instance is interfering with the integration of your soul, which is required for the rebirth process. Normally you wouldn't be privy to the inner workings of the System like this, but this System instance is not functioning at its best currently and your role as my Agent comes with certain hidden privileges,” the Goddess Sierra said while She explained the strange messages.

  The Voice of a Goddess was both like and unlike that of the Demi-god. There were layers of meaning and impressions. He couldn't parse them all. He was left feeling stunned by Her Divine Presence no matter how brief.

  The Guide let him know that a higher Instance of the System had been contacted and he was now connected properly. It also informed him that his Divine Contract would allow the Goddess to modify his soul, which was one of the scariest things he had ever read. What was his soul and what did it even mean to have it modified? Despite his unease, another message from Sierra reassured him, but also left him with new questions.

  "Time to give you those Traits you agreed to. I know Soul Modification sounds scary, but don't worry. You will appreciate the changes, eventually,” Sierra told him. The feeling of Her Voice was overwhelming in its grandeur.

  John felt a fire kindle in the core of his being as his Essence Core was Awakened for the first time. He felt himself being filled with new things he couldn't describe. The process wasn't painful, but there was a lot of uncomfortable and indescribable sensations. After he felt the changes settle; into his very being, he suddenly found himself in a new place. Once more the Voice of the Goddess entered his mind.

  "Welcome to Sierrallas! The hard part is over. Soul Modification is a tricky business, but it went great! You may feel a little weird as your newly Awakened Essence Core stabilizes and you adapt to your new Traits. Check your Guide before looking around, or you will likely be very confused. Your current state of existence may be disorienting, but you will have plenty of time to adjust. Oh, one last thing. You will find a Quest to interact with Local System Infrastructure, which includes Shrines and Temples. The more of these you visit, the faster I can fix the local System Instance, but a single interaction will start the process and fulfill most of your Contract. Good luck, and may you reach Ascension John!” Sierra said enthusiastically.

  John didn't need to look around to feel confused. His body felt strange or rather his complete lack of a body felt strange.

  He checked his Guide, as the Goddess had suggested. The Guide was an incredibly easy and intuitive tool. The results he got didn't make sense at first.

  The first thing he noticed was that he didn't have a name. He knew his name, it was John, but he also knew, in no uncertain terms, that it wasn't his name any longer. It created a strong sense of cognitive dissonance. His personal knowledge and the instinctive knowledge from the Guide were in disagreement. The first three entries on his Status Sheet had two options each.

  How could his age be negative and zero at the same time? John wondered. His race just sounded strange. Precursor? What was a Precursor? The Half Elven part seemed obvious, but what did Spirit mean? John looked around after he had read those confusing entries.

  He appeared to be in a forest clearing and the scene was idyllic. There was an abundance of life in the clearing, and surrounding area, but the center was covered in moss. The edges were full of colorful bushes, flowers, mushrooms, and even a few things he couldn't identify. The whole clearing was surrounded by massive trees larger than redwoods. A large blue grey moon and a star filled sky hung overhead.

  However, what caught his attention and would help explain his situation were the naked couple on the ground below him. One was a human woman and the other what could only be an elf. They appeared to be enjoying a post-coital embrace. A silver thread connected John’s disembodied self to the woman's abdomen.

  He did a quick review of his Traits in an attempt to understand what was happening.

  By focusing on each Trait he was able to get more details. The implications gave a strong indication of why he was in his current state. Mental Duality give him the Split Mind Skill and Spiritual Independence gave him a Spirit Walking Skill. The two Skills together allowed him to exist both as a physical being and a spiritual being at the same time. He looked at the thread connecting him to the woman below. The implication seemed obvious-if absurd. He had been reborn as promised, but not like he expected.

  Based on all the information he had, it was easy to deduce what was going on. He was a very new half-elven fetus and a newly born spirit. Since his physical body was just a zygote, his consciousness was fully in his spirit body. He wondered what would happen once his brain grew and developed. What would having two minds be like? Would they share memories? The questions just seemed to pile up.

  John's attention shifted away from his existential crisis as the couple below him began to get dressed. He felt a bit like a voyeur, but understanding the two people that were likely his new parents seemed more important than any embarrassment.

  The human looking woman was young, surprisingly fit, and overall quite attractive. She had rich wavy brown hair hanging down her back, large dark brown eyes, and brown skin. The only oddity was the fact that she had dark spots framing her face. The spots ran down her neck and back in a way that reminded John of animal markings. The spots didn't cover her front. His mother appeared mostly human.

  The elven-like man was a strange sight. If the woman had been fit this man was doubly so. His skin was a coppery tan, his hair a coppery red, and even his amber eyes had a copper hue. His ears, of course, were long and pointed. His father was obviously an elf.

  The woman carried herself with a high level of confidence and maturity for someone that looked so young. The man had a wilder, almost feral, air about him. Their clothes were in very different styles. The woman wore simple un-embellished clothes while the man wore a more fantastical outfit that matched his wilder demeanor.

  John wondered how their mixed genes would influence his future body's appearance? He didn't think he would have to worry about being ugly, but his potential coloration might be strange.

  He was surprised when, after dressing, the couple split up. The man headed west and the woman east. John was pulled along with the woman as she traveled through the forest. Despite the lack of light she had no trouble navigating the undergrowth. She had definitely spent a lot of time in the forest he thought to himself.

  John's thoughts wandered as they traveled. He only noticed the large cottage when the woman paused, to straighten her clothing, before entering. The cottage was surrounded by gardens. It was built in a rustic style that had hints of Tudor architecture, but was more organic in nature. It appeared to be made out of wood, stone, and some sort of thatch.

  The woman passed quickly through a room that seemed to combine aspects of a sitting room and a kitchen. She entered a bedroom where she promptly undressed and fell asleep.

  With little to do, John decided to do a more in depth exploration of the Guide and figure out what he was supposed to do as a spirit.