Hollywood Zenith

I felt that something must be wrong. The way he paused seemed like he didn\'t want to continue but was forced into it. He sighed and said--

"It has condensed in your eyes but has begun to find its way to other parts of your body, especially your brain. It will begin to erode your mind in about a few hours, eventually leading to your death. I am sorry."

This felt like a clap of thunder stuck on my head. I felt numb, and the sudden revelation made me dizzy. It was a roller coaster of emotion, and a million thoughts kept running through my mind. I thought of everything and everyone here beside me, always supporting me, cheering me on that it would eventually get better. I thought of my deceased mother, who died during childbirth; I thought it was a shame that she died because of me. She could have lived her life to her sunset years if it had not been because of me.

It felt like a few hours had passed as I began to come to terms with everything in front of me. I was angry, mortified, and wanted to blame everyone for all the misfortune, but I knew that was unreasonable. What happened has come to pass, right? I was desperately questioning everything to find the answer to the question that was not there. As bad as It sounds, I don\'t hold my life dear to me; it just made me sad to realize how the rest of my family would feel knowing all this. I just tried to enjoy it while I could and didn\'t think about the future much. With all the magic and convenience, it was hard for people like me to make a living. I knew that my family loved me, but I always felt like a burden to them. Ironically, I thought this situation would finally resolve their problem.

I sighed, "ok" I could only muster a weak response to all the heavy stuff. I firmed my resolve and came to terms with the situation. It was surreal and comforting at the same time; at least, I knew the truth. I was waiting for him to tell me what would happen next.

He continued, " To alleviate your apprehensions, you don\'t have to perish here; as I conveyed, we debated and came up with a solution. It is you who have to decide." he stopped and sensed something and continued --

" We chose to extract you from the present macrocosm and place you in my Sister that rules another one. It will help you with your affliction as they have different magic molecules. We will still provide you with some masterships and a decent start so you can resume residency. "

[After a brief pause]

" I understand that you consider yourself a hindrance but don\'t worry, that globe is developed quite differently and will give you a chance to get your sight back."

It was comforting that he thought all this. I thought he was kind and forgiving like the stories that made him be.

I said," Well, I don\'t see any other option, and I could still experience something and won\'t be a burden to others. I may sound like a hypothetical person, but knowing the reason for my ordeal has not changed my thinking. I forgive you guys for this knowing the trouble I went through. It\'s still lovely to see you get to all this trouble for me."

I sincerely said this because that\'s what I believe. The Director always taught me to be a kind person and be forgiving. Initially, I was skeptical, but it changed because of a particular incident. It was a memory that was very fresh to me, like it happened yesterday.

When I was a little over seven, I heard a commotion outside the Orphanage. It\'s a man. I don\'t know his appearance, but he was yelling profanity at our managing people. He said we don\'t deserve funds and are wasting it on puny orphans. He was a shopkeeper, and his business was not going so well. He wanted to ask for government support, but that didn\'t go well. It was not like his shop was wrong, but he was terrible at managing it, is what I heard. He was venting at the Director, but I didn\'t hear a single argument from the Director\'s mouth. He just left after he was done with huff and puff.

Later I asked the Director, and this is what he said to me--

"It is always easy to vent and whine about anything, but It is head to control your emotions. Emotion is a part of us, but never let that part exploit you. You are the master of your mind. Always remember that. If a situation can be resolved peacefully, always go for that route. It\'s good to have pride and ego but never let that cloud your judgment. He may lash out if we confront him, which would have made it much worse. It would be best if you always were forgiving where you could be but never be merciful to your true enemies. Mercy is good when given in normal dosages; sometimes, you must see the whole situation to learn different perspectives to come to the final answer. Remember that."

I just nodded and told him I understood.

Later next year, we had a new member of the family, he was just five, and his parents passed away during a guild mission. The shopkeeper came with him as the parents were his immediate family. He looked haggard and resentful. The Director let him in and cared for the child like any other member.

On a later day, the shopkeeper came and apologies profusely about the earlier incident. Director just brushed him off and said he forgave him long ago. The shopkeeper since then often volunteered for the Orphanage and became quite an avid supporter of our cause. He began calling Director his big brother, and they became pretty close.

It was something I took to heart. Sensing my heart calm down, he continued----

"The responsible deity will follow you to the other side until your demise. He will be responsible for your demands, and we will provide you with all the different details after you arrive there. Just know that it\'s like your Mentor that knows all the things that have transpired in different universes, just like an old tree that has lived through the beginning of time. After all, he was a God of Knowledge. You will be able to use some of the abilities of this universe, but just remember that where you are going doesn\'t have magic abilities, the source is there, but they took a different route. Just like some people make different life choices, the overall world also developed different routes. This is the foundation of multiple universes."

I just processed everything with a "hmm."

He continued, " You don\'t have to worry about your family here in Guri. We will keep an eye out; that is also part of the deal. I will personally issue an Oracle sorting everything out and informing your family about your circumstances. Just tell me when you are ready. Your companion will explain everything else."

I listened and requested to say something for people here. I just recorded some apologies and thanked them for their hospitality. I will always remember them, and if somehow or someway, if stars align just right, I might find a way to contact them. After expressing everything that I could, I felt some of my worries lessened. I was ready as It was another opportunity and a different adventure. I don\'t know what the future holds for me, but I was tense and a little excited.

I said, " I was ready!"

Suddenly I felt drowsy and felt as if I was flying. My mind went blank, and intense pain erupted all over my body. I lost consciousness.