"I am dead. Just like that." Kartik thought to himself,
his eyes fixed on the figure sitting before him. The place where he stood was no ordinary room; it had no shape, no boundaries, and no end. It was a void of absolute darkness, filled only with a thick fog that swirled around his knees.
"So, tell me... what do you have to say for yourself?" the being sitting in front of him asked.
Kartik slowly raised his head to look at him. He showed no expression. The being's body was like a silhouette of black smoke—no face, no color, just a shifting shadow.
Kartik spoke softly, "Is there even anything left to say?"
At this, the being let out a light chuckle. "Haha! Fair enough, fair enough! It seems you aren't exactly thrilled about your death."
Kartik gave a faint, cynical smile. "I wasn't exactly thrilled with my life, either."
Kartik had been a sickly child from the start. He suffered from a heart condition that forced him to spend most of his life confined to hospital beds. Going outside, traveling, or playing sports were all forbidden to him. Because of this, he never truly got to live, and at the age of only seventeen, a heart attack finally claimed his life.
The being laughed again. Clearly, he was well aware of Kartik's past. He was no ordinary man; he was a Celestial Entity—the one who controlled and maintained the fabric of space and time.
"You're not 'God,' are you?" Kartik asked quietly.
"No, I am not," the being replied.
"Then... what happens to me now?"
"Nothing," the entity said simply.
"Then do you want something from me?" Kartik asked again.
The shadow laughed softly and said, "I don't want anything from you. Rather, I want to give something to you."
Kartik was taken aback. "Give me something? Like what?"
"Exactly what you have always wanted," the entity replied.
"Which is?"
"A real life."
"But... I'm already dead," Kartik said, a hint of distress creeping into his voice.
The entity chuckled once more. "Don't worry about that. I can send you to another world, or perhaps create a new one exactly the way you desire."
"But why would you do this for me?" Kartik questioned.
"Not for you! I'm doing this for myself," the entity countered.
"How so?" Kartik asked in bewilderment.
The being laughed and explained, "I have been sitting here for centuries, bored out of my mind. I want you to entertain me with your life."
Kartik's eyes widened. "What?"
Still laughing, the entity continued, "Just as you humans watch television, I will watch your life. So, don't bore me. Make sure your life is worth watching—otherwise, I'll just kill you again."
Kartik took a deep breath. "Are you serious?"
"Entirely."
Kartik nodded. "Fine. I accept."
"Excellent," the entity said with a grin.
He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the fog in the room began to swirl violently around Kartik, wrapping around him like a shroud. The world turned pitch black, and Kartik's consciousness faded into the dark.
TO BE CONTINUED...
thanks for reading the chapter....
the story will start from next chapter....