Hallway

There is a door at one end of the large open hallway, that stretches as far as the eye can see. The walls and floor are as white as snow, giving of an air of peace.

The door opened wide and a middle-aged man slowly walked out, examining the hallway. His eyes felt blurry, his skin felt numb, and his ears were ringing a peaceful hum. He didn't know where he was, or what he was doing, the only thought of his was to keep on walking. He didn't know where the feeling was coming from, but it led him down the hallway.

Time felt like it was twisted as he walked along, it could have been weeks, months, or even years. It felt like an eternity, but he kept walking. His mind was a half step into unconsciousness and his thoughts were pushed away by a god-like force.

Suddenly, he awoke, his consciousness came to. He looked around the same empty hallway, but found an office desk with a man sitting behind it not too far away. It was in the middle of the hallway, blocking him from going any further.

The worker at the desk looked up, but his glasses shined a white light that gave off an eerie feeling.

"Are you Mike?" he inquired.

"...Yes, I am," Mike answered back, wondering who the man is and how he knows his name.

The man, as if knowing what he's thinking explained, "I am a mere worker of a higher celestial being, and in charge of this station. This is the Hallway of Souls, and it seems that you have been chosen for conscious transmigration. The hallway judges you on past actions that you have accomplished and the level that your soul has reached. When you can't go any further, a person like me would tend to your business. The further you go, the better. In your case, you can reincarnate in a different plane while keeping your memories and experience that you have now."

He spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, leaving Mike to digest the information.

"I have break soon, so let's finish up quick," the man complained, making Mike's mouth twitch slightly.

"Uh, can you repeat what you just sai-"

"The world I will be sending you to is similar to your planet but has a few differences. First of all, there are some natural rules here that may be different from your... Earth. The technology is also a lot different because of these rules. And yes, you will learn magic eventually. Another thing, there may be a lot of animals you've never seen before, so be careful."

He looked under his desk, searching for something. After a while, he sat back up and put a stack of books on the table.

"Here are a couple books, one for history, one for geography with a map, and a manual to learn the basics of cultivation."

The clock on the man's desk chimed, and he stood up. He pointed at a black door at the side of the hallway that wasn't there before and said, "Go through that door and you will begin reincarnation. It will take a while, so you could read the books in the mean time. I have something on so I'll be off now. Safe travels."

When Mike looked back at him, he was already long gone.

'How rude...' he thought.

He stood there for a second to continue digesting all of the man's rushed words and stared at the door in front of him.

Without him even being able to react, the door opened by itself, but there was nothing on the other side. It looked like a sleek black wall that contrasted with the white walls.

He shrugged and walked into the unknown, carrying a stack of books.