Chapter 2: Another life

The boy stared at the eye for far too long, not able to form a coherent sentence as a deep rumbling shook his entire body.

'Wait... Is it... Laughing?' The boy thought, looking at the eye and seeing it somehow, though it had no features to tell, seemed to be laughing joyfully.

"Humans never fail to make me smile, so shocked at simple things, so surprised when they find they're the last to do everything... Well, how do you do young mortal?" The thing said to the boy, still chuckling to itself.

The boy stared in silent awe. His entire life, everything he'd seen living on the streets of new york, and you can see some really strange things in New York, but nothing topped this.

"I'm sorry... Uh, sir?, I have no idea what are you saying..." The boy said, gulping a bit.

"It's ok, young mortal, clearly you are still shocked, it happens to many souls when they die, though none of them see me of course, so perhaps you are the adverse... Anywho... You've been terrible during your life you know?"

The boy widened his eyes. That was right, he'd definitely committed some not-so-lawful acts in his life. Was he being sent to hell...

"Nope, almost the opposite... You see, the commander of your realm has refused your soul entry... If it was a video game I reckon the proper speech would be "Banned" He has banned you from your universe... And so here you are, in the outskirts..."

The boy scrunched up his eyebrows, confused as to what this giant eyeball was saying. "So I'm... banned from life?"

The Eye chuckled again. "Yes, it's quite peculiar... It's like that old movie "Banning" starring Robin Williams... In the film he was forbidden to go to heaven or hell, so instead he goes to the outskirts... I think you may enjoy watching this."

"Uhh... I think I've seen that movie or something..." The boy said awkwardly. 'What am I even doing here.'

"Oh, that's an easy question to answer... I plan to throw you into a new realm, I'm just waiting for confirmation from the universe's commander haha... While we wait, do you want to know how you died? Or we could always watch that movie-"

"How did I die?" The boy interrupted, not wanting to hear about that movie anymore.

"Hah... Well, you got hit by a random taxi, then they dumped your body in an alley so they didn't get caught... Now you're being eaten by maggots and such... Pretty funny haha,"

The boy gulped, "Oh..."

They were silent for a while, then finally the eye... smiled?

"Alright, I just got confirmation... I feel a little bad though, sending you into this realm as you are... Hmm," The eye seemed to think for a while before a snap rang out through the space, as if it had clapped its hands together.

"I got it! Haha, boy, this is going to be just like the novels!" The entity said.

"Novels? What are those?"

But he didn't get an answer, as the entity had gone quiet. "Good..." The eye said after a while, "He has stopped listening, so I can go ahead and drop the act," The eye finished, a flash of light blinding the boy.

When the light died down, there stood a man, blonde spiky hair flowing from his head and one green eye still staring down the boy.

"Welcome, my new project," The man said, a smile strewn on his face as the boy looked at him in confusion.

"Yes, I know everything is weird, but we don't have much time before you go... I am, for lack of a better word, an adviser..."

The boy was about to ask what that was before the man shook his head. "No don't speak until I tell you to, adviser are simply watchers of certain realms, unfortunately my realm was destroyed... But I have decided to take action instead of waiting for the council to give me a new one."

The man looked around the space before continuing, "This world you are about to enter will be challenging, exciting, and quite the shock to someone from a boring realm like yours, however, you aren't there for a new life or happiness or anything like that... No, you will takeover," The man smiled cruelly as he said this, there was something in his eye that the boy couldn't quite place.

"Now I am going to ask you a few questions... What is your name?"

The boy felt a weight lift off his chest. "I... Don't have one," He answered. It was true, he'd never been given a name, his father had never seen the need for one.

"Ugh, stupid depressing backstories, we don't have time for that... Your name is now Hado alright? you don't need a last name do you?"

Hado was about to answer before The Adviser interrupted him. "Didn't think so... Then, do you understand-"

"Hey," Hado interrupted, "Shut the fuck up for a second."

The adviser was quiet. "What did you just say?" He asked, looking at Hado in confusion.

"I said shut up, you keep babbling on, and you're acting like I'm your friend... Why should I help you get a realm back or whatever... I appreciate the name, but unless I'm getting something out of it I won't be helping you..."

The Adviser looked angry, and Hado almost lost his nerve, but he stood there, a cocky smile creeping onto his face.

"Hah... Fine, I will let you get one wish if you help me," The Adviser said.

"Anything?"

The Adviser just shrugged his shoulders. "Yes anything, now on to the important part... You're definitely going to need some extra help to take over this world... Huh... I got it, the perfect thing..."

The Adviser smiled as he snapped his fingers, a container appearing in his hands as he walked up to Hado.

"Open wide," He smiled cruelly, pouring the contents of the container on the boy.

Hado convulsed and thrashed as hundreds of different insects burrowed into his skin.

"From this day forward you won't be a regular human kid... Now go, and take over."

With that Hado vanished, a scream escaping his mouth just as he flashed away...