Thomas stood in silence, confused. "Hello? Where did you go? Whoever you are?" He waited, but silence answered.
He wandered aimlessly, searching for anything familiar. "Come on, there has to be an end somewhere. Where's the exit?" His narrowed eyes widened. He parted his lips to speak, but a calm, composed voice cut in.
"What the hell is happening?"
Thomas didn't bother screaming either. What was the point? They were both lost. "I don't know, you tell me. I was just kicking a ball after a long time. From what I remember, I... I was about to kick a ball, then what happened, where is this place? This is Earth, right?"
Thomas's eyes widened even further. "Did Earth get destroyed? Are we on Mars?"
"No…" The voice sighed. "That would take a long time. Wait—" His breath hitched. "You said you were kicking a ball? Did you just retire from football a few months ago? Forward player… number 10?"
Thomas frowned. "Yeah, that's me. I'm Thomas. Wait—" A sudden thought hit him. "Am I being kidnapped by aliens for my World Cup performance?"
"No, no, no. That can't be it. I must be dreaming." The voice muttered before slapping itself—only to flinch in pain. "That hurt…"
"What do you mean? What's happening? Tell me! Who are you? Where am I?" Thomas shouted into the emptiness.
A deep breath followed before the voice finally answered. "I think… I think you died."
"I.. What?"
"died."
Thomas breaks down to the ground in sadness. "What would happen to my son and daughter? What would happen to my wife?" He murmurs as he looks down in grief.
Thomas lifts his head and looks at the nothingness with a concerned face. "She…. Would?"
"Yes.. but.."
"Yes?"
Thomas raises his head to realise that candles and a flower in front surrounded him. The creator creates the sound of a bell in the inner world.
Outer stays silent, knowing what the person inside feeling until the insider said, "Wait?." Thomas lifts his head to look at the nothingness once again. "So you are the god?"
"Ooh, god…. Kinda like…. Jesus…?"
"...."
"...."
"...."
Person In Front of the laptop covers his face, shoulders relaxed, and inhales air.
"I know, there would be a story in my name but…".
"Oh, so someone is writing a novel about me as the main character? Hmm." Thomas placed a finger on his chest. "But that doesn't add up. If it's about my life, it should be non-fiction, not fiction."
After yelling, he exhaled sharply and composed himself.
"So… what's happening to me?" Thomas asked, scratching his tilted head.
Outer shouted before muttering,
Thomas's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape. "Wait… is this some kind of transmigration?" His lips curled into a grin.
"Ohh. Now I get it. So I've been transmigrated into a fantasy novel, and you're the author." Thomas nodded, arms crossed.
"Then why didn't you just tell me directly?"
"Yeah"
"Wait, no—are you kidding me?" Thomas said, staring into the distance with narrowed eyes. "If you had told me I was sent to another world by a god to save it—all that hero stuff—maybe I'd believe you." He gestured with his hands. "But inside a novel? Are you serious?"
Outer muttered, staring blankly at the air for a few seconds before speaking again.
He turned his focus back to the screen where part of the story was written, waving his hand toward it.
Thomas side-eyed him, scratching his head. "I don't know… Maybe I'm just dreaming. I'll probably wake up in a few minutes."
Outer clenched his fist, his teeth grinding behind a forced smile.
Suddenly, the air around Thomas thickened, and heat engulfed him.
He looked down and found himself standing on a field of molten lava. His eyes darted around, taking in the countless volcanoes towering around him. Lava churned beneath his feet, glowing red through the cracks in the charred ground.
"Argh! Stop!" Thomas screamed, clutching his head in agony. "It's hot—!"
His sweat evaporates before it could even form—except for a single drop that slid from his brow to his chin, freezing solid.
Though Thomas couldn't see it, he had been dropped into an endless frozen wasteland. The pain he felt was beyond anything he had ever experienced.
Outside, Outer sat hunched over, a wide grin splitting his face as he buried it in his hands.