The Oblivion

"I could never have imagined what would happen next."

Until that moment, I had always been quite skeptical about what comes after death, believing that there was nothing, just oblivion.

That the various religions speaking of life after death served only to give people hope, to control them better.

At the same time, I wondered if the fact that something exists beyond death is entirely coincidental or not.

But let's go back to right after I died and fell into the void.

Immediately after my death, I found myself in a strange place. One I had never seen, and which I doubt exists on Earth.

"So, I'm dead," judging by the pain that had disappeared and the landscape I was seeing, it probably was so.

"In the end, it seems that religions were not wrong, but even so, I would never have followed them."

I decided to admit my ignorance about what lies beyond death, acknowledging my mistake, but this does not mean that if I were to go back to life from when I was a child on Earth, I would have chosen to follow them.

For me, it is simply absurd to follow those religions, seeing the various scandals that occur, and that in the end do not change anything in everyday life.

At that point, I decided to refocus on the scene.

There were various semi-transparent figures that I normally would not have been able to see on Earth.

Along with them, there were also several people who seemed to have a certain familiarity and proficiency with the place and appeared to be carrying out specific tasks.

In fact, they seemed to be guiding people who seemed less familiar, hitting those who refused to comply. Acting as guides.

Indeed, several people were saying things like:

"Do you think you are worthy of giving me orders?"

Only to be struck and say things like:

"Wait until I regain my original strength" to be struck again.

Some seemed to decide to obey in order to start planning their revenge.

They had understood that they were dead, and that no matter how glorious they had been in the past, in death, they now had nothing.

Shortly after, I was struck as well, so I decided to hurry and follow the guide.

But, thanks to listening to several of them speak, I realized that in addition to coming from different places, we all spoke the same language, which should be very unlikely.

This led me to the conclusion that there was a universal language:

"The language of the soul."

Although I usually did not believe that something like this could exist, here I had the chance to understand my ignorance and accept it.

Wondering what other beliefs of mine would change soon.

I continued following the path made by the guide for a very long way; it seemed endless when the guides suddenly stopped.

Many began to wonder why, as they could not see what was in front of them due to the large number of souls present.

This sudden pause was due to a change.

We no longer had the previous guides but guardians, as could be noted from the weapons they carried.

These guardians were strange because they seemed to have both a solid and mystical form.

Indeed, they had a solid form with their armor, which seemed to be made of the most resistant metal I had ever seen, but at the same time mystical, as it emitted an ethereal pressure more magical than logical.

Thus, I began to increasingly believe that magic existed.

If what I was going through now and the "language of the soul" were not enough to convince me, I also had these sensations from these new guardians.

I had not even finished thinking when one of these guardians' voices was heard, saying:

"Now it is time to evaluate your willpower and behavior in the face of an obstacle."

Simultaneously with the end of his sentence, he immediately spread his pressure, giving no one time to say or do anything.

This caused us all to fall to the ground, unable to do anything.

Among the people who had fallen, there were those who screamed in despair, pain, and cried because of the pain caused by it.

Although they were the majority, they were not everyone.

In fact, despite the pain, there were some people who did not flinch, and who made it seem as if there was no pressure on them, or simply as if the pain was null for them.

And among those people, I was also there.

Indeed, although I initially felt excruciating pain, I soon realized that it was not real, or at least it was not beyond my capabilities.

Thus, I came to a conclusion:

"The pain we feel must be the limit of what we can endure."

And this must also be the reason why some of us manage to withstand it.

And so time passed, it flowed slowly, indeed, it seemed not to flow at all, and the pain experienced by each one seemed to increase.

No, it was not that it increased, but we who could no longer endure it. 

When we were all at our limit, suddenly the pressure disappeared.

And the guardian said:

"End of the First Part of the Trial, you have a little time to rest. After the rest, the Second Part awaits you, the Trial of the Mind."

The tension in the group eased slightly after the end of the first part of the trial, but it was evident that what awaited us was still challenging.

I looked around, trying to grasp any clues to understand what it might consist of, but everything seemed to be shrouded in mystery.

So, some time passed, during which we were recovering, and while reflecting again on these guardians and the power they showed when they spread their pressure, a desire was growing in me.

And finally, I tried to connect with any energy that might be here.

"If the language of the soul exists, this place exists, and apparently magic exists, why not try?" This is what I told myself.

But, just as I was about to make significant progress, one of the Guardians said:

"It is time for the Second Trial."

At that point, my mind was full of questions and uncertainties as we prepared for the Second Part of the Trial.

I did not know what to expect, but I was sure it was something within our capabilities, so I proceeded.

The guardians led us towards a well-decorated building with Doric motifs and imposing columns rising towards the sky.

We entered through a majestic gate and found ourselves in a vast hall decorated with enigmatic symbols and candles casting a soft light.

The guardians indicated a series of seats arranged in a circle around an enormous inlaid wooden table.

They told us that the Second Part of the Trial would involve our ability to discern and wisdom, and that we would have to solve a series of puzzles and mental tests.

I sat with the other participants, feeling the tension in the air as we prepared to face what awaited us.

The guardians placed before us a series of scrolls containing complex puzzles and strange diagrams, which I had no idea what they were.

I carefully reflected on each puzzle, trying to grasp the hidden meaning behind the words and find an answer that met the trial's requirements.

It was as if my mind was being tested in ways I had never imagined.

With each puzzle solved, I felt my confidence grow and my mind open to new possibilities of understanding and knowledge, and above all, I was starting to make sense of those diagrams.

It was an intense and profound experience that made me feel more alive than ever, despite being beyond the veil of death.

When we finally finished the series of puzzles, the guardians nodded approvingly and told us that we had successfully passed the Second Part of the Trial.

I finally felt the connection with the energy of this place, and suddenly my soul, which had been almost transparent, turned red.

Everyone started looking at me, trying to understand what was happening to me.

The guardians, who until a moment ago had an indifferent expression and inspired strength, frowned.

They were about to speak when suddenly my soul began to absorb everything around me, thousands of other souls, guardians, and guides were devoured in what was an unprecedented phenomenon.

I felt overwhelmed by the power manifesting through me, unable to control the explosion of energy that was happening.

As everything around me was engulfed in a vortex of red light, I realized that something extraordinary was happening.

The guardians frantically tried to stop the chaos that was occurring, but they seemed powerless in the face of it all.

The red light continued to grow, enveloping everything in a dazzling brilliance.

Then, suddenly, everything calmed down. I found myself in a silent void, surrounded by an unreal calm.

The red light slowly dissolved, leaving me in a state of astonishment and confusion.

A few seconds passed, and nothing happened anymore.

At that point, the initially frightened guardians gathered courage and began to charge at me to kill me.

While the phenomenon of the red light was happening

Inside a majestic building, with walls clad in dark marble, adorned with intricate decorations carefully carved.

The high ceiling was lost in the darkness, while imposing columns rose upward, supporting majestic arches that created a solemn and enveloping atmosphere.

In the vast hall, the light was dim, filtering through tall, narrow windows that cast dark shadows on the marble floors.

Scattered candles added a faint but sinister glow to the environment.

In the center of the hall, a carved wooden table dominated the space, surrounded by empty seats wrapped in darkness.

Figures in the shadows, dressed in dark cloaks with hidden faces, moved with an air of mystery and authority.

Their voices echoed in the silent atmosphere, discussing animatedly how to deal with the phenomenon of the red light.

Their actions and words revealed a deep understanding of events that transcended human comprehension, suggesting knowledge and experience that went beyond the boundaries of the known world.

Some seemed worried and uncertain, while others exuded an aura of power and determination.

But they all agreed on one thing:

They needed to understand more, as something they considered impossible had just happened.

So, in the end, they all reached the same conclusion:

To let the one who caused it reincarnate, as should normally happen, to put an end to that event which for them was unexpected.

And to experiment in order to try to replicate the same phenomenon, they decided to create a sealed space to put thousands of souls inside, and among those was the soul of Dietmar van Namivoli.