In a vast, dark expanse, a ball of light floats aimlessly, tired of dealing with such a depressing place. His name was Mikhail, a 32 year old Russian who partied like their was no tomorrow.
He unfortunately took that to a literal meaning as he had drunk too much vodka and passed from alcohol poisoning the next day. His friends would and probably are calling him weak for such a poor alcohol tolerance.
A sudden flash of light forces him to close his imaginary eyes.
" Blyat! Who turned on the damn sun!?" He soon adjusted and was shocked to find he was no longer alone.
" You are quite the foul mouthed individual, aren't you?" The speaker was dressed in a blinding white robe, carrying a scepter in their right hand and an ancient looking book in their right where their head should have been was enshrouded with a yellow glow as their ethereal voice, neither male or female, echoed within the void.
Mikhail soon realized he had been staring too long and hurriedly apologized. " sorry, comrade, but you kinda just appeared out of nowhere. But where am I? And is there any vodka around? I'm done drifting around this dull place."
"Well first off, there is no 'vodka', as you call it, here."
"Blyat…"
" And secondly, you are in the void. No, it is not hell, but it definitely isn't heaven either."
Mikhail arches an imaginary eyebrow seeing as his unasked questions were answered, before suddenly grinning.
The angel(?) seems to pause before looking at him, the flames a low red now. " Those are some…. Unique dance moves, but we are getting off topic. Fast at that."
" The reason I'm here is that I have a proposition. You get to live again in exchange for a record of your memories."
"Pass. I'd like to stay being me, thank you very much." Mikhail refuses without batting an eye( not that he has any).
" you misunderstood. I only ask for a copy of them, so as to have more info on your world. Others I have found in my travels took the deal as they seemed to love this thing called 'life.' I merely want to understand why."
'Now that's tempting.' " alright then, I'm convinced. Go ahead, just don't make me a lady, I like my gender."
The being glows purple with possible excitement. " wonderful! Hold still please." The scepter glows as a small light exits Mikhail's form. " I will send you on your way. Before I do though, I'll send a guide with you. It will only show 'you' and can answer any questions you might have. Think of it like an a.i from your world."
"Ok, that sounds good, I guess… so how will you send me over?"
The being's head glows orange as it says. "That's the fun part. For me at least." And then the scepter was raised high.
A bad feeling settled quickly over the Russian. " Now wait a min-" Mikhail never got to finish his sentence as the spherical end of the scepter smashed onto what could have been his head or his body.
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South blue, Roshwan kingdom, 1504
"PUSH!" Your almost there!" The midwife exclaims to a soon to be mother.
The woman breathes heavily as she endures excruciating pain.
" AGGGGHHH!" And with a final push, the baby is born.
" Congratulations, Alexi! It's a boy! And a healthy one too."
The woman is passed her newborn soon, the babies cries ringing true. A smile reaches the woman's lips as she speaks to her child. " Thank goodness you are ok, my little Mikhail…"