CHAPTER 1 – Special encounter

I remember this feeling when we were still living in this part of the countryside. It’s great to be able to come back here after so many years.

This afternoon I am currently heading close to where our old house is at. I am currently driving my dad’s car who he lent me a day ago. I’ve been driving non-stop since morning after I’d left the motel earlier.

“It’s just how we left it, it still looking pretty good even after many years without maintenance.”

After driving for so long I can’t wait to just lie down and relax. I quickly parked my car properly at the parking space and got my stuff out of the trunk, I headed straight to the door and opened it.

Wow, even after being left alone for a long time the interior is still looking good. I think with just a little cleanup it will be just like how it was years ago. I put down my bags and went straight to the front porch.

My name is Cillian, a 19-year-old fresh graduate from high school; It’s the spring break before my college classes starts so I’m enjoying the last vacation I have before the school year starts. And right now, I am currently back at our old house from six years ago because I’ll be living here alone starting from now on. The university that I have chosen to attend is quite near here and since we have a house close by, I asked my parents to let me stay here rather than get an apartment in the city. Even if it takes 20 minutes from here to the university, I’ll still prefer living here rather than getting my parents to get me an apartment that’s expensive.

“I really missed this scenery, the sound of the waves splashing, the quiet yet relaxing mood, I’m really going to live here from now on”, is what first came to my mind after seeing how peaceful this house’s location.

Oh, I forgot, I should tell mom that I already made it.

--

Cillian: Mom, I just arrive at our old house and it still like how we left it six years ago.

Mom: Oh, you arrive pretty quick. You should rest yourself first since you’ve been driving all day. I’ll tell your dad that you got there already.

Cillian: Okay. I’ll head to my old room and take a nap. I’ll talk to you later, bye.

--

I quickly took my bags and head to my room upstairs. My room was just how I left it; I didn’t take much of my stuff to our current house because it was too much so I still have my old stuff from six years ago stuffed in here.

After cleaning for a while, my room was now all sparkly clean. I can take a rest and lie on my bed now. I’ll sort out the stuff my from my bags later but before all that I’m going to check my novel first.

[ Kingdom’s apart]

It’s an action fantasy story where many countries struggle against the monsters that are roaming around their territories. It’s a story that I have been working on for quite a while now. It’s a hobby of mine that was developed after I read my favorite novel. I first started writing this story when I was in my last year of high school; I still haven’t written that much even though it’s been a year already. I was always busy doing school works and other various of things that I have been forgetting to pay attention to this. Since I’m still at break I will focus myself to writing.

 I’ve only written 80 chapters until now and half of it was done during this spring break. I should improve myself more if I want to write even more exciting chapters.

After checking the novel, I quickly stretched my arms up and a grumbling sound was heard loudly in the room. It was my stomach grumbling, I noticed that I still haven’t yet ate lunch. I didn’t have the chance earlier since there was no food stop and restaurant along the way.

I better head out and eat outside, I may not hold my hunger if I don’t go now. I’ll go to the town nearby and search for a good restaurant, and after that I’ll go buy some ingredients and food in the supermarket for my dinner tonight and tomorrow’s breakfast.

I head out to look for a place I can dine in but it’s been an hour already since I started searching the whole town for some nice café or restaurant but I couldn’t find one until I saw a beautiful girl entering a dull looking establishment. It turned out to be a café but why didn’t they make the exterior more pleasing to the public? Oh well, I better get something to eat then.

“Ah that sure was refreshing, too bad I didn’t get to see that beautiful lady. She was really pretty with her glasses and her hair tied like that, She’s exactly my type of girl. Oh well, that’s too bad, I should go to the supermarket the-”

OW...AAH...

Accidentally bumping to someone after talking to myself is really kind of embarrassing ugh.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I’m walking-”

“Ah it’s the beautiful glasses lady” he thought to himself while being flustered.

“It’s okay, I only fell down. Well then, see you later glasses lady.”

“Ah you too? What? Glasses lady? Me?”

“Aargh, that was so embarrassing, I’m never going to do something like that again.”

Filled with embarrassment, I continued to walk away while covering my flushed face back to my car. After finishing shopping in the supermarket, I went straight home.

“The sun’s already setting and I haven’t prepared my dinner yet; I need to get inside and quickly start making my meal.”

Sluggishly walking to the front door, I opened the door and was surprised to see something unimaginable; The living room wasn’t there and everything on the other side of the entrance was filled with clouds and nothing more.

“What is happening! Huh? Am I sleeping right now? Am I dead? Did I accidentally fallen asleep while driving and crashed my car? Is this heaven?!”

 “Eh where did the door go?!”

I started to explore this space aimlessly, as I was still unsure of what my current situation is I continued to wander around this cloud-filled space. I thought that maybe I was inside a dream and was just imagining all of this.

As I was walking, for a while now I noticed that there is nothing here but clouds, an empty space with no end. Maybe this is really just a dream?

“Wah! It’s a large rock?”

After a few minutes, I finally found something that isn’t a cloud.

I quickly climb the large rock and when I reached there is an old man sitting on top of it and was eating a bowl of ramen?

“WHO IS THIS MAN? Am I dreaming about an old man? Why? Or maybe he’s some kind of a deity perhaps? Maybe I am really in heaven?”

 The old man then quickly looked at me surprised, he quickly finished his food and clean his face.

“Oh, sorry about that, I didn’t expect someone would be visiting me today.”

“Um, hello, can I ask a question? I really don’t know where am I and why I’m currently here for? Where are we exactly?”

“Hey isn’t it proper manners to introduce yourself first before you start asking question.”

“Ah, I’m so sorry, my name is -”

PFFFT! Hahaha, I was just joking, you don’t need to be stiff. I already know who you are.

“Ow… Ah…You know me?”

“Of course, I know you, I know everyone.”

“HUH? Um, I’m not sure if I understand-”

“Cillian, how did you get here?”

Ah, What? How did you-”

“I told you already, right? I know who you are.”

“Hey grandpa, are you a stalker?!”

“Who you calling a stalker! I’m a god, g-o-d (ga-uh-ud)! Of course, I know you since I’ve been observing everything down at the lower plain.”

“OOOOOHH! I’m really sorry for ever calling you that, please forgive me.”

“I know, I know, It’s alright. Now for my question earlier, how did you get in here?”

“Um, I actually don’t know myself how, but I remembered entering the house and suddenly I’m here.

“Hmm, okay.”

“Oh, Um, may I ask a question?”

“Go on.”

“Ah wait, before I answer that, can you pass me that little blue stone in your foot right there.”

“So, regarding your question, I am god-god, the real and one and only-”

 Wait I haven’t asked you my question yet. Did you just read my mind?!”

Um, I guess so. To make everything easier and faster, I’ll just put the answers for your questions directly into your mind.”

*Ding

The sound of the information flowing into his mind just went in in a mere moment. All of his questions have been answered.

“Ahck, what is all this? What? Ugh, my head feels heavy.”

“Just relax and it’ll be better in a moment. Since a lot of information just flowed into your mind in one go, you’re having a headache because this is the first time you have experienced something like this.”

After a few minutes of resting, his headache was already gone and was feeling a lot better.

“UGH, that surely is a new experience. So, you are truly God, it is an honor of mine to meet you! And even have the chance to converse with you like this.”

“Yes, I am God, the one above all and creator of everything, God Bathala. You can just call me Bathala. It’s also great to have this kind of conversation with a human once in a while.”

“Oh yes, about this place-”

“Oh, this, this is my realm, the highest plain of which I reside and only I can enter, not even the other gods have the power nor permission to come here. I was actually very surprised when you got inside, I didn’t consider the possibility that someone who isn’t even a god, a normal human was able to enter here. You were very lucky indeed to be the only person to ever get inside here and be able to have a conversation with me like this.”

“Ow haha, I guess I am quite lucky indeed but how do I go back?”

“I can just take you back whenever you want. Are you going to leave already?”

“Yes haha, I still have to finish writing the chapter of my novel I left unfinished earlier; I want to improve the chapter I am currently working.”

Having to see Cillian’s expression while he was talking about his work, Bathala started to develop a deep interest on him, the only human to ever enter his realm and was able to have a familiar and friendly conversation with; Even though he knew that there are people like him in the lower plain, it was a new experience for him. And so, he decided to grant him a single wish.

“Okay, I’ll open up a door to your house then.”

“Ah, oh yeah, I haven’t finished yet cleaning the house. I should clean it up before I continue with my novel.”

“No need”, Bathala said as he sent all the dust and dirt away and organize all the furniture in the entire house in just a snap- “it’s already taken care of.”

“EEEEEEH! This is too much, thank you very much, it saved me a lot of time, now I can focus on the novel. I don’t know how can I ever repay you for your help.”

“About that, how about you show me this novel that you have been talking about since earlier.”

“Ah yes, it’ll be my honor to show it to you!”

They went and see the novel and talked throughout the whole night, Bathala was impressed with his writing and had fun reading it.

“This novel was written well, why haven’t you submitted it to a publisher yet?”

“Ow, I don’t really know, I just think that it won’t be good enough for it to be made public and it’s just a hobby of mine I picked out when I was in high school.”

“Come here we’ll go somewhere amazing.”

Bathala then opened the door leading to the balcony but when they entered it, it was a place seen in a fantasy world.

“Huh? Where did this door took us to? Why do I feel like I’ve seen this place before? This unique mountain that doesn’t exist in earth and these flying whales soaring the skies and this incredible view, I’m sure of it, I’ve seen this somewhere before!”

Well, doesn’t it look fantastic? This world you have created with your imaginations, the place where you have visited a hundred of times in your dreams, it certainly is more than enough to be shared to the whole world, right? You’re a capable writer, dedicating your time and making your work enjoyable to read by improving it over and over so it becomes interesting so that many people will enjoy it like you do.

“This-this, Are we inside my novel right now?!”

“It’s a gift, I made this world just like how you’ve written it and imagined it in your writing. It’s incredible, isn’t it?”

 “Gift? What are you-”

“I’m giving it to you. You made me experience something incredible today and you’ve shown me just how incredible a human can be, I’m giving you this realm, not just an access but full control over this place.”

“Whaa-WHAAT?!!! This is too much, not just too much but it’s even unthinkable!”

“It’s a gift, are you not going to accept a gift from your creator? Ah, it breaks me to hear that you would decline my gift, huhu.”

 “AAAH please don’t cry! I’ll accept it, I’ll accept it!”

“Hehe!”

“Aaargh, you were faking your cry! That’s not fair!”

“Since you’ve already accepted my gift there’s no take backs, okay?”

“Yes...”

“Come on, you’ll enjoy this! You have been granted the full control over this space; You’re technically a god over this place now.”

“What? Wait… Does that mean I’ve become a god now?”

“Hahaha, there’s no need to overthink it. You can still continue your life even if you’ve now become the god of this space. You can create a portal from here to earth and visit any time you want, you can even have a fun adventure in this place.”

“Oh yeah, I can do that too. Thank you very much for your gift! I very thankful to receive this!”

“Now then, I’ll be going back now, I’ll be seeing you more from now on.”

Bathala suddenly vanished and leaving Cillian alone with a flustered face, he now just realizes the amount of fun he’ll be experiencing from now on.

“I didn’t know that from having to go on a trip back to our old house that I’ll be able to have a special encounter that will forever change my life. I’ll start exploring and enjoy this new chapter of my life to the fullest!”

 Chapter one ends~ to be continued