The Beginning

"So, what you're saying is that I... I have died," Jordan asked the ten stars before him, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Yes," one of the stars, presumed to be a girl, replied with the purest voice ever heard in the history of mankind.

"And you guys are gods who have summoned me to reward me for all the karma I've built up?" Jordan asked again, his disbelief growing.

"Yes," another star spoke with a voice deep enough to shake the whole universe.

"Okay, let's just say what you're saying is correct and that you are gods," Jordan said, still not fully believing their words. "Why would you summon a mortal like me who hasn't accomplished anything in life?"

"Karma," the stars replied together, causing the room to shake with their voices.

"Karma?"

"Yes, karma, whether good or bad, must always be repaid. That is the rule," one of the stars explained to Jordan in detail.

"But your karma, which has never been repaid, has accumulated so much that no mortal can repay it," another star continued from where the previous one left off.

"So, you expect me to believe that the gods are actually willing to reward me personally for all my good deeds?"

"Bullshit," Jordan said very slowly, making sure every letter could be heard.

"Insolent!" one of the stars shouted, their voice possibly echoing throughout the entire universe.

Following the star's shout, the pressure in the room changed, and Jordan, who had been sitting comfortably on the floor, was forced to lie face down under immense pressure.

"Stop," the star in the middle commanded, canceling out the immense pressure that was about to crush him to death.

Gasping for air as he was freed from the pressure, Jordan finally realized that the beings in front of him were indeed gods and that he had truly died.

Although Jordan knew he was dead, he felt no sadness. In fact, he was extremely happy because he felt no attachment to life. Despite being at the lowest point in life, not because he was dumb or poor, but because he was always kind and forgiving.

"We will now mention all the good deeds you have done in your life," the star in the middle said before a long paper appeared in front of them out of nowhere.

"At the age of six, you endured the beatings of every child in the orphanage, even though you were criticized for being weird and ended up staying in the hospital for a month."

"At the age of thirteen, when the orphanage was burning, you personally went inside to save the wicked orphanage director, even though it resulted in you receiving a huge burn mark on your back and being scolded for leaving the gas on, even though you weren't the one who did it."

And after that, the star mentioned all the good deeds Jordan had done, which took an average of two hours to state.

"And lastly, at the age of twenty-two, on your way home from being fired from your job, you saw a bus on the road about to hit a little girl playing on the road, and you jumped to push the girl out of the way, costing you your life," the star said, feeling relieved that the list had finally ended.

"Now, because of how much good karma you have, we will grant you one wish, and we will fulfill it," the star in the center said, its light brighter than ever, indicating increased attention.

Jordan took a moment to think about the wish he would make. If he wished to be resurrected, it wouldn't have any meaning because of how bad his life was. If he asked for paradise, it also wouldn't have any meaning because of how boring it would be. So, he finally made the only wish that he could make that was both relaxing and interesting, if the gods would even grant it.

"I've made my decision," Jordan said with a firm look in his eyes.

The gods, now interested, replied, "Yes? What is your wish?"

"I wish to become a god."

Then silence enveloped the room as not a single sound could be heard.

"Did I make a mistake?" Jordan thought to himself as he looked at the stars.

Suddenly, the light of the middle star grew brighter, and it started laughing.

Its laughter filled the whole room, which had been silent just moments ago.

The star at the far right started growing dimmer as it shouted, "Damn, I lost the bet."

"You are as smart as we thought you would be," the star in the middle said, still laughing heavily.

"Very well, Jordan. We will fulfill your wish."

"We will give you a planet in an abandoned universe and an interface to help you learn the ropes," the star in the middle said as its form changed.

The god, whose form was previously a star, started growing legs, then hands, a body, a neck, and a misty face that Jordan couldn't properly see, followed by a white robe enveloping his body.

"I hope you enjoy your wish," the god said in a somewhat happy tone, then put his hand on Jordan's face.

Immediately, as soon as the man touched his face, Jordan felt sleepy, and his eyes began to close.

"What the..." Jordan was about to say something but immediately fell asleep after the man touched him.

"Hope we meet again, Jordan," the god said as he returned to where he came from.

"Are you sure it's okay to give a mortal that much power?" the female star asked as she transformed back into her human form, with a divine body but a face shrouded in mystery as clouds covered it. "His karma points weren't enough for you to bestow him godhood," she continued as she approached the man.

"Don't worry, I'm just using him to groom one of the abandoned universes I've been eyeing," the god said, chuckling as he recalled the man's expression when making his wish. "When the universe is ripe enough, I'm going to snatch it back and kill him, so nothing will happen," the god added as he and the other gods who had materialized left the room.

What the gods didn't know was that Jordan never trusted them from the start, and he knew they wouldn't let a mortal gain the power of a god that easily. This would be a decision they would come to regret for the rest of their lives.