The end came unexpectedly.
Raj Bansal hadn't been prepared. He had been walking back to his university hostel, lost in thoughts about the MTech project presentation he'd just submitted. A familiar weight of exhaustion hung on his shoulders, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary—just another busy day in Delhi. His phone buzzed once, a reminder to check in with his mom.
And then, without warning—silence.
The kind of silence that fills the air after a crash, before your body even realizes something is wrong. A screech of tires, a jolt, a world fading to black.
Now? White.
Not the pure, soft white of heaven, but the unsettling white of nowhere. A vast void stretched endlessly, encompassing everything and nothing at once. Raj stood there, feet planted, as if the ground itself was unsure of his presence. He blinked once. Twice.
"Where... am I?" Raj asked, his voice sounding strange even to himself.
"You're in the space between worlds, my friend," a voice replied casually.
Raj whipped around, startled by the unexpected response. A man stood before him, dressed in formal office wear. His expression was easy, almost amused, as though he were used to this kind of encounter. There was a faint gleam in his eyes, as if he knew things Raj couldn't begin to comprehend.
"Who are you?" Raj asked, trying to steady himself. This couldn't be real. His mind raced through every possibility, every story he'd read, every "what-if" scenario. Was this a dream? Some kind of coma-induced illusion?
The man smiled, nodding toward a desk that appeared out of nowhere. A file rested on it, its edges glowing faintly. "I'm Narada. Administrative Liaison for the CYOA Program. Welcome to the final phase of your journey."
Raj blinked. "CYOA?" He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Choose Your Own Adventure? That was a concept he'd seen in countless stories, fanfics, and online forums. But this was supposed to be real life.
"Yes, exactly," Narada said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "You died, Raj. But rather than fade away, you've been selected for a... second chance. You'll get to choose your path, choose a world, and make a difference. This is your opportunity to change things, to alter the course of destiny. But it won't be easy. There's a lot at stake."
Raj's heart pounded in his chest. "Wait, so I get to choose where I go?"
Narada raised an eyebrow, the glow from the file intensifying. "Not exactly. You'll be given options. A few worlds, each with their own rules, dangers, and opportunities. But—" Narada's smile turned a little colder, more serious. "Here's the catch. You need to make a fundamental change in the world you pick. Defeat a major threat Or survive in that world. You'll be challenged in ways you can't imagine. But don't worry, you're not completely alone. Help will be given."
Raj's stomach dropped. The weight of the words pressed on him. He was standing in limbo—dead, but somehow still here. And now he had to make a choice that could affect more than just his life.
Narada opened the file and gestured for Raj to look. The document flickered, showing worlds spinning rapidly, like a roulette wheel—worlds unfamiliar and familiar, each more dangerous and unpredictable than the last. They appeared and disappeared in a blur.
Raj's eyes narrowed. This felt too real. How could this be happening?
"You'll be asked to complete a mission, should you choose to accept." Narada continued. "You won't know which world exactly until you make your selection, but I can tell you this: Each world is a challenge in its own right. The stakes are high, but so are the rewards. You'll gain abilities, learn the rules of the new world, and with enough effort, you can return to your life. But there's no guarantee of success."
Raj's mind raced. The possibilities flashed before his eyes—he could end up anywhere. He had read stories, followed discussions on forums where people imagined the possibility of jumping into other worlds, of having their own second chances. But this? This was real. And it felt nothing like the fiction he was used to.
"I..." Raj stammered. "I never thought this kind of thing could actually happen."
Narada nodded. "Most don't. That's the beauty of it. But now you have a choice to make. A world will be chosen for you, and you'll need to adapt quickly if you want to succeed. But here's the important part, Raj: Once you've chosen, you cannot go back until you've completed the mission. You'll have to fight your way through, survive, and make a change. That's the deal. Only then will you have the chance to return to your family."
Raj's throat tightened. His family... his mother, his younger brother Rahul, back home in Jaipur. They were the reason he had to succeed. No matter how difficult this mission would be, no matter how impossible it sounded, he couldn't back out now. He needed to get back to them. He needed to make sure they were okay.
"I... I accept," Raj said finally, his voice steady with resolve.
Narada's smile widened, and the glowing file vanished, leaving only the flickering worlds before Raj's eyes.
"Good. Your journey begins now."
The roulette wheel spun faster, a blur of colors and images flashing in his vision. Raj took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. He had no idea where he would land, what kind of world he would face. But one thing was certain: He had to succeed. He had no choice but to rise to the challenge.
The worlds continued to spin, each more dangerous and unpredictable than the last. The tension in the air thickened as Raj waited for his world to be chosen.
The moment came. He could feel the sensation of falling—the shift of time and space as the universe responded to his choice. His heart raced.