Reborn into a World Without Us

Alex Greid, a recent graduate, is coming down from a wild night of partying and drinking with his best friend. They stumble their way back to their dorm room, both barely able to stay upright. In their drunken state, they end up puking in the hallway, adding a mess to their already chaotic night. Alex, exhausted and slurring his words, barely manages to make it to bed, falling asleep as he dreams of epic quests and magical adventures. But the next morning, Alex doesn't wake up. Instead, he finds himself in a celestial realm, face-to-face with God. Confused and disoriented, Alex learns he has died of a heart attack, brought on by too much partying and too little rest. God explains that he’s now in a place where decisions about his afterlife are made. God, in a surprisingly casual tone, tells Alex that while he’s dead, he has the chance to make two wishes before being reincarnated. Alex reminisces about his old life, missing his best friend who he shared a dorm with and who would handle deleting all his browser and Wi-Fi history to keep his embarrassing secrets safe. Alex’s wishes are straightforward but practical: an eidetic memory and all-encompassing knowledge of Earth, both public and hidden. God grants these wishes but warns Alex that his new life in a fantasy realm will not include overpowered abilities. The idea is to prevent him from abusing his new world with godlike powers. However, as God begins to grant Alex’s wishes, a sudden anomaly disrupts the process. Before Alex can fully grasp what’s happening, he finds himself no-clipping out of the celestial realm and ending up in a lush, vibrant forest. There are no signs of human civilization—just the peaceful, yet isolating sounds of nature. Now, Alex is left alone in a magical fantasy world, far from the familiar comforts of his past life, and must navigate this new realm with his newfound abilities and knowledge.