A Strange Offer from a Deity (?)

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for a fool, a comedy for the rich and a tragedy for the poor. - (Sholom Aleichem)

"It is a miracle, indeed!" exclaimed all doctors who visited Xi in the following day.

All day long, Xi passed several tiring test to examine her conditions. MRIs, blood test, physical tests, etc. They were done by all the specialist doctors Xi ever wondered. Orthopedic surgeons, neurologist, physiatrist, etc. They all agreed that what just happened was miracle for Xi. No broken bones, no severe injury. Just minor scratches and bruises. Maybe the one she needed the most at that time was Psychiatrist. She almost lost her sanity. She bet something was wrong with her mental health.

Xi just smiled awkwardly while Amma's eyes were teary but happy. Guan was not there that day because he had trainings to prepare his upcoming competitions.

Xi remember what that guy said to her in her dream the previous night. But was it a dream?

"Your pains were lifted."

She remembered his voice and expressions vividly.

Those words kept appearing on her mind.

Amma kept praising the God, while Xi could only look at her puzzled.

Deep down in her hearts, she felt something was fishy. Her guts said so.

Her curiosity emerged and forced her to look for the facts. A basic instinct for every journalist.

She asked Amma her phone and realized that even her phone was completely okay.

She tried to remember his name. Yeomla? yangluo? Hmm.. Yamla?

She opened the internet browser and searched for "Yamla."

She found the articles about her keyword. She saw the top article and read it carefully.

She dropped her phone. She finally understood the meaning of that rude guy's name.

"The King of Diyu (The Underworld)"

She dropped her jaw. So Death Deity brought her back from the brink of the death.

But she refused to believe her own conclusion.

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In a strange way, Xi was being the talk of the hospital

" A Girl was brought from Death", "A lucky girl saved by Heavens"

They exaggerated the talks about her. Every time they saw her while Xi's passing by, they would look at her in the strange looks

She sighed. She continued her walk. She decided to stop in front of the glass window and looked at the clear sky.

She daydreamed and thought that the Deity must be insane to save her.

She didn't pay attention with her surroundings. Her left hand held the infusion fluid pole and her right hand held the vanilla milkshake she bought from hospital coffee shop. She took the sips while admiring the clear sky. She just realized that staying alive was strangely fine.

She hated her life so much before. But when she remembered the accident, where she was on the brink of the death, a strange feeling of relieve was fulfilled her mind and heart.

Suddenly a voice broke her daydream

"Jiejie, we meet again." A little girl greeted her and stood beside her.

She looked at her and recognized her face. Xi smiled.

"Ah.... you... You were the one who were in the supermarket, right?" said Xi.

That little girl smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad, Jiejie remembers me. What a coincidence"

Xi smiled at her,

"Of course, my brain is not that bad. Yeah.. What a coincidence " Xi laughed.

"So Jiejie is the "Lucky Girl that saved by Heavens" they talked about? " the little girl asked Xi

Xi sighed.

"Well, God must be crazy enough to save someone like me. "

They both looked at each other's eyes. There were something in that little girl's eyes. Indescribable expressions and emotions were shown in her face.

But then the little girl turned around and looked at the clear sky without saying anything.

"Heavens must have their reason for doing so, Jiejie."

It was a very simple sentence from a little girl that probably much younger than Xi. But those words were like a thunder in daylight for Xi.

The little girl then smiled to her nicely. She greeted her goodbye. But before she left, she looked at Xi once again.

"Live your life wisely, Jiejie. Think about it as if you were just reborn."

She smiled once again then walked away.

Xi was speechless.

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Xi wandered around at the hospital lobbies because she was so bored staying at her room. Then she decided to go to the hospital rooftop to enjoy the clear sky and fresh air.

Unexpectedly, there was nobody else in the rooftop at that time. She just sat in a wooden bench and looked at the sky.

Then she looked around her. Her eyes caught a familiar figure.

THAT GUY IN BLACK. He probably liked a gothic style, Xi thought. His top-to-toe attires were completely in shining black. But guessing the price, Xi bet that they were insanely expensive.

Their eyes met each other. In the same time, it felt like the time was frozen.

That guy walked closer to her. She was so scared. She stood up and held the infusion pole tightly and was ready to hit him if he wanted to do something bad. The guy stopped and stood in front of her.

"Xi Yuan." he said her name with a flat face.

"What do you want? " She asked and clenched her hands.

He laughed looking at her clumsy and strange act. Comparing their height difference, he was much taller than her. Her body was also so small and could be easily defeated.

"You are indeed a weird mortal."

"What do you want?" She asked him for once again.

"I want you to be my apprentice. " he said the words out of the blue.

He was quite straightforward guy who spoke his mind directly.

"An Apprentice???? Xi was dumbfounded and startled.

This guy was completely lunatic, she thought. This deity, for the correct call.

"Are you deaf??" He was annoyed with her question.

"Yeah, For 100 days. Just think of it as an apprenticeship. It is a very nice offer regarding your cursing prayers to us from years ago until now." he continued and explained what he meant to her.

"You will be under my direct supervision," he said proudly.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?? WHO DID GIVE YOU THAT PERMISSION?????" Xi shouted in front of his face.

Yamla moved closer to her face and looked at her fiercely. He was offended, for sure. He wanted to eat her alive but He restrained himself to avoid any problem.

"Nope. You are not completely right. I am not hell. I am its Ruler."

"Your Great Heavenly Mother asked me to do so. Nuwa."

Nuwa? Xi was familiar with that name, somehow. Her brain kept looking for any memories of her which contain that name. But although she thought about it so hard, she couldn't remember that familiar name.

She looked at Yamla puzzled.

Unexpectedly, with a quick move, Yamla just touched Xi's forehead and a blinding light came from His finger. All her memories and the memories of strangers overwhelmed her. She saw a fiery pit. Deceased spirits growled and crawled there. They screamed and asked for mercy for their sins. She just saw Yamla in His Older appearance sat in His throne and being a Judge of the Underworld with a long parchment, wearing a long black robe. She saw anything that shouldn't be seen for any living human. When she blinked her eyes, she could see wandering ghosts around her, looking at her with various indescribable expressions. No, She was not afraid of what she just saw. She was just confused.

After those sights, she felt warmth then coldness came to her.

Yamla just pulled his finger.

"Enough for the introduction. I sealed my power in you. You will know the next task when the time comes. I will train you hard. Goodbye for now, My Apprentice. "

He smirked and walked away. Then He just vanished into the air, as usual.

She was speechless. Her brain found it difficult to proceed with what just happened.

Until she could finally clear her thoughts, she yelled to Yamla's vanished shadow.

"ENOUGH??? SEAL THE POWER??? IS HE LUNATIC????? WHAT THE HELL IS HE???"

She took a long deep breath.

"So I am Death's Apprentice, now?"

She kept questioning herself. Was it the side effect of the accident? Did her head bump something so hard?

She completely lost her sanity.