His ray of hope had finally come.
The sunlight pierced the dense nimbostratus clouds and shone bright on him. The very gods that he abhorred smiled down lovinly on him.
He ascended beyond the mountain top, past the cloud towards the heavens.
His long desired fate may actually materialize.
He didn't want to terminate his chances before they began so he put on a stoic mask to find favour in whoever will be taking him this time.
Before him was the goddess of reincarnation as well as the goddess that banged this tragic plight on him.
She stood right infront of him while the latter stood right beside her with a heavy head, her expression revealing that she must have been chastised before his arrival.
"Welcome aged soul. I greet you with bottomless apologies. I am well aware of the tradegy you have endured over the last decade and we sincerely plead for your forgiveness."
'Come on. Stop beating around the bush and just get on with it, would you?' the scornful soul bark almost forgetting that his voice could be heard even from within.
There was a long streched silence in the ominous darkness before it was severed by the goddess' unsettling words.
"I understand your hurt but unfortunately there is a problem."
"A problem! What kind of problem?"
"Ehm," she cleared her throat before proceeding with the plethora of details he anticipated.
"I don't have time to go over all the details but in summary..." she paused for a while observing the inquisitive expression on the boy's face.
"... there's a catch." She wishes there was another way but there wasn't and keeping it from him wouldn't do him any good.
She had to come to terms with facts and face this head on" And that is...to give up...."
Her intermittent pauses wasn't helping matters for the boy.
The desire to know was palpably etching off his face and the flames of what he would give up was burning him within.
She finally picked up the courage and blurted out the final words "You would have to give up your life."
"Wait. What? Life for life."
"Well not exactly. It's a test of faith. The entire principle is wrapped round the fact that Glgiving up your core may give me enough power to re-embody you give you life again."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Well...am sorry to say but.. it is considered the end for you."
"This is a joke right. You have got to be kidding me."
Life for maybe life was a scary decision to embark. Envisaging a scenerio where he accidentally chose his own death sent chills through his spine.
He didn't know what to think. How could he gamble everything for something he wasn't sure was gonna turn out right.
Would going back to his previous bodyless life be any better?
'No, back there is a tragedy. I rather end things with my life than be doomed with eternity there.'
'But wait, she has reincarnated me without this process before. Why is it so different now? Does it have something to do with why she wasn't present the last time? Or maybe...,' he decide to direct his questions directly to her.
"As I said, the details are just too much to explain but if you must know,–" she tuned her voice low and her had instantly gained weight as she explained vagely to him " –it's me."
"It's you? I don't understand? Explain!", he said with suppressed mixture of agitation and dilemma.
"It is me. My powers are weakening and I have but a few centuries to die away, that's why I brought you here."
Those words hit him like a rock.
'A god was dieing. So even celestial beings like her experience death.'
He understood the solemnity of the entire matter. She was doomed to die but still decided to give him a chance at living even though it might turned out to be a false one.
The battle of choice resumed.
Now that all the cards are on the table properly analysing the situation should output the most optimal result.
There was a chance dancing right in front of him, something he has desired for a long time. So not going for it would be anything but wise but also foolhardy.
On the other hand, going into something that had a vivid probability of terminating your existence is nonetheless foolish.
"So what would it be?", she asked inquisitively.
"Ehmm, I choose.... I choose," his voice remained as clumsy as his thoughts stumbled.
An adamant conclusion struck him as a lightning bolt and an firm decision was established "I choose life."
The goddess expression didn't seem to react to his answer.
She simply motioned her arms and streams of mana began to depart from his sides and flow towards the goddess' arms.
He gasped vehemently as the procedure began as soon after found himself within an enclosure. An empty room with two pedestals.
He walked up to the pedestals to see what it held.
On one there was a golden crown adorned with mystical gems like rubies, emeralds, sapphires and many more varieties of crystals each looming above the 7 summits of the crown and on the other, laid a blank silver dagger.
From the depths of uncertainty a voice spoke "Choose your artifact."
"Men, this is almost too easy."
Without hesitation he quickly grabbed the dagger ensueingly the pedestals spirally rolled down and were enclosed by the covert mechanism.
"You have chosen your fate!"
Immediately, the walls began to move. They were converging towards the centre.
"What is going on?!", he blurtly exclaimed.
The walls were moving at average but consistent speed.
He moved towards one of he walls and halt it by pushing against it. With all his might he revolted it's movement by it wasn't working he just wasn't strong enough.
He tried another option. Jamming the walls with the dagger. He plunged the dagger into the intercept between the wall and the floor. It slowed it down for some seconds before it shattered into numerous fragments.
He held the remains of the dagger and glanced astonished at its surprising weakness.
He crawled a bit back towards the centre of the room giving him more time to think of a solution.
"What do I do now? I knew I should have backed down from this choice, now I'm gonna meet my doom."