The End of an Emperor
«The Emperor is dead!»
These words echoed in every corner of this crappy prison of mine on a tiny island lost in the heart of the sea.
I could almost see the servants, the few soldiers still close to me, my jailers, and all the others gathered around the bed to witness my last moments of life before I rotted away in this cell. Even though I had gotten used to disappointing my enemies, this time everyone knew there would be no plot twist.
I knew it too. We were at the grand finale.
I would've liked to enjoy the show, but I could only imagine it. While my body was still in that tiny room, my conscience was already somewhere else.
Surrounded by pure light, I found myself staring at the enigmatic and downright creepy presence before me, a kind of sinister specter hidden behind a black cloak, a tricorn hat and a white mask. He just stood there without moving, looking at me through the black eye-shaped holes of the mask as if trying to peer inside me.
I resolved to break the silence. «So? I'm dead?»
«More or less.»
«I didn't know Death had a sense of humor.»
«Do you think I am Death?»
«You certainly want to pretend you are with that cloak and mask.»
«You seem pretty calm for someone who thinks they're face-to-face with Death.»
«The grim reaper has been walking beside me for a long time now. I have escaped an untimely end more times than I can remember. It's just a pity that others have had less luck.»
I can't say for sure, but I'm almost certain that my last statement made my interlocutor smile in amusement.
«Then even the great Emperor Bonaparte had someone dear to him.»
«A man who has no affection is a man as dry as the desert. And a dry man will never leave anything behind him worth remembering.»
«And the man who lives without glory dies every day, correct?»
It was unbelievable: Death was mimicking me.
«So tell me, Emperor. Are you proud of how you lived? Of your legacy?»
This time it was I who smiled.
«Considering that my enemies didn't even wait for my death to destroy everything I've built, I should feel disappointed and angry at my downfall. But that's not the case. On the contrary, I do feel sorry for them.»
«For what reason?»
«Because no matter how much they delude themselves, the hands of time never move backwards. Eventually the wave of consciousness that I have awakened, and that they think they can put back in chains, will overwhelm them. I'm just sorry I won't be there to enjoy the scene when their house of cards comes crashing down. I took a continent that had lost its way, brought order into chaos, and planted the seeds of change in every corner of the globe. For how inconceivable it might appear to you from the outside, I have dedicated all my efforts to one goal: peace. There is no greater glory for a man who aspires to the greatness than of bringing peace.»
«Bringing peace? With war?»
«Peace does not come from above, nor is it painless. For a new world to prevail, the old one must be swept away. If even the good Lord had to send a flood to eliminate the wicked and save the righteous, I don't see how it is possible for a simple man to act otherwise. Anyone who does not recognize and accept this simple dogma is either a fool or a liar.»
«So no regrets? Any aspect of your life that you wouldn't change, or where you feel you went wrong?»
Well, I supposed there was one thing... «Perhaps I should have been more careful about the people I trusted. Even those I thought I could trust didn't think twice about denying me and what they claimed to believe in order to save their lives or careers when they got into trouble.»
«That's all? Anything else?»
«Should there be?»
Death seemed to nod under his cloak, and, suddenly, I found myself observing things all around us that I would've gladly forgotten; the statues, the portraits, even that farce called coronation -the thought of which still made me want to bury myself in embarrassment-
«And how should we call these?»
«Appearances.» I answered without hesitation. «The cornerstone of any ruler. The people do not follow anyone who doesn't show they have the right amount of ambition. Anyone who aspires to be a leader has to prove he can do anything, and that's what I did. If you have problems with the coups d'état, despotism, or the centralization of power, I'll tell you that circumstances didn't allow me the privilege of wearing kid gloves.»
I decided to stop at that. There was no point in dwelling further on the past since I was already dead.
«Since you are asking me all these questions, I suppose your role is to judge me. Well, what do we do now? If you want to send me to hell, let's not drag it out any longer. I know I have done many questionable things, but I claim the goodness and righteousness of my intentions. Though I doubt you gods are very fond of such human semantics.»
«Hell is exactly the place I was thinking about for you. But not the kind of hell you might expect.»
«Excuse me?»
«Contrary to what your people believe, there is no such thing as heaven and hell. When a person dies, he loses all memories of his past life and his spirit is immediately reincarnated somewhere else. Most are reborn in their home world, others instead move across time and space to come back to life in a different world altogether.»
«I suppose your presence here implies that my case falls under the second option.»
«It's up to you. But first, I have a proposition for you.»
«I'm all ears.»
«There is a world out there, similar to yours and yet different. At first glance it may seem peaceful and prosperous, but, in truth, it's on the brink of the abyss.»
«What do you mean?"
«This world is made up of two continents, Erthea and Treibam. The oceanic distance between them has been too great for them to previously know of each other's existence, but things have changed. One hundred years ago, the Demon Lord appeared on Treibam, which is now on the verge of being completely conquered by his army. When that happens, Erthea will inevitably become his next target. Theoretically, the nations of Erthea would be powerful enough to defend themselves against the invasion, if they all joined forces to fight together. The problem is that Erthea is a continent plagued by countless problems that make this unlikely to occur.»
«What kind of problems are we talking about exactly?»
«Nothing you don't already know about. Mistreated slaves, exploited poor people, ambitious nobles. Although its nations have ceased to war with each other, the balance between them is constantly at the point of breaking.»
«I understand. If the Demon Lord's troops should make their appearance with Erthea in such a state, they would have no trouble subduing it.»
«Which brings us to the heart of the matter. If you were reborn in Erthea, would you be able to prevent this fate from occurring?»
The situation was so absurd that if I hadn't been sure I was already dead I would have thought I was having the craziest dream of my life. Seriously, what kind of request was that? To be reborn to another life only to repeat the same one I had just concluded, and which certainly hadn't ended in the best of ways?
Yet, why did the thought tug at my heartstrings?
«Whether this story of reincarnation is true or not, now I can say for sure that you are not an angel, a demon, and certainly not Death either.»
«What makes you think so?»
«Death is absolute and impartial. It is the very image of the inevitability of fate. It would never bother trying to turn the tide of the living.»
«Do you believe in fate?»
«I believe that fate is a blank canvas that every man paints with the actions he performs. They can become superb paintings or children's scribbles. But sooner or later the drawing must end, and that drawing establishes what we have been and the legacy we leave behind.»
«In that case, I'm offering you a new canvas. If that's not reason enough, I'll even give you the colors to create it.»
«What do you mean?»
«If you accept my offer, you will be reborn with all your memories. You will already know what consequences your past actions had and how to avoid making the same mistakes again.»
«Let's suppose that I decide to accept. What would you expect me to do? Should I unify Erthea and prepare it for invasion? If I succeed, then how should I behave? Should I focus on defense? Or attack first, myself?»
«That doesn't concern me. The important thing is that Erthea is pacified and the invasion averted. How you carry out this assignment is secondary.»
There were still a few things I wanted to ask before deciding. «You look exceedingly powerful. Why do you need someone like me? I am but a man.»
«For two reasons. The first is on account of circumstances that I won't explain to you which prevent me from acting personally in the physical world. I can only point the way for others.»
«And the second?»
Death seemed to sigh, looking away for the first time since our conversation had begun. «Let's just say that some of Erthea's current problems are a direct result of my actions elsewhere. I feel I owe a debt to its most unfortunate inhabitants, and I felt this was the only possible way to repay it. So? What's your answer?»
«I accept.» I said, without thinking further.
«Very good.»
«But I want to be clear right now. When I set myself a goal, I pursue it regardless of anything else. I've never let anything stop me from doing what I thought was right, and I won't do it this time either. I will not be held responsible for the blood that will inevitably flow if I follow this path.»
«It does not matter. As long as I am convinced that you are acting in Erthea's best interests, I will do nothing to hinder your mission.»
The light around us became brighter. Starting from the feet, I saw my body gradually turning into shiny sparks. «And now?»
«Your soul has already reincarnated in a new body. I acted preemptively as I was sure you would accept my offer. When you wake up, you will already have lived for ten years as human child. You will have ten more years at your disposal before the Demon Lord's troops arrive.»
«Do you expect me to get in ten years what I failed to achieve in thirty?»
«I never said it would be easy, after all you never let yourself be frightened by impossible feats. And you will still have your memories. I trust you will put them to good use.»
«Will we meet again?»
«Not if you do a good job.»
At that point, more than half of my body had vanished, and I could feel my own consciousness fading.
«Do not disappoint me. Emperor.»