I feel something poking on my left cheek. I tried to open my eyes, but I feel it heavy. I felt again the poking on my cheek.

"What?! I'm sleeping! Don't disturb me!" I said angrily. If you want to anger a lazy man, go disturb their sleep.

"Do you want power?"

I open my eyes and start to focus on the source of the sound, but I don't see anything. I tried to feel my hands and rub my eyes, and yet I can't feel my hands.

I started to panic and started to look around but all I can see is dark and nothing else. I know it's useless, but I still tried to get up and as expected. I can't even feel my whole body.

"Do you want power?"

I shift again my gaze to the source but for real, I don't see anything.

"Do you want power?"

I started to bombard a question.

"Who are you and where are you? Why it's dark here. Wait what am I doing here. Ughhh" I feel a throbbing pain in my head

"Do you want power?"

What? Power?

"Answer my question first!" I started to get angry and anxious besides being panic.

"Do you want power?"

Fuck!

"Power? Why? Does it help?" I shouted. Mix emotions are starting to surround me as I can't remember anything. The only thing I know is my name.

"Yes, it will help you"

Really? When I said the word power, it started to answer my question.

"If it will help me, answer my question first. What happened? Why can't I remember anything besides my name?"

"Do you want power?"

What the heck! Back to those again? My mind is telling me that having power is good, but my gut is telling me to answer "no" because to have something, you must pay or sacrifice something as well.

But it said that power will help me. And I don't know what will happen if I say I don't. Worse I am going to be stuck here.

"Yes! I want power!" I shouted

I heard a cracking sound above and look at it. The light started to form and suddenly a burst of light showered my surroundings. I tried not to close my eyes to be aware of what is happening but it was too bright.

I heard a voice of an old man.

"That's good. You want power. I didn't waste all the remaining strength left in me. You can open your eyes now." Old man

I open my eyes and gasped when I saw the dark surrounding become full of stars and galaxies. Am I in the universe?

I shift my gaze to the old man. He's wearing a white robe, and his long hair and beard are colored white. He was holding a staff in his right hand.

"Now, I will tell you everything that happened to you. No, I will enlighten you with my power so you can remember your past life. But in one condition." The old man said in a firm voice.

My gut is correct, nothing comes for free.

"What's the condition?"

"It's simple, you will get all my power and knowledge." The old man smiling

"And the catch?" I instantly replied.

"You will shoulder the burden I can't carry anymore." the old man said in a sad tone

"Burden? What do you mean?" I said with a confused sound.

The old man sighed and suddenly a light appears beside him and floated toward me which pass through my head.

"There is no going back now, even if don't give you my power and my burden, you will be stuck here forever. I know I did something wrong to you but you're the only one who can help. Your soul is stronger than all the souls I saw from the planet called Earth."

Once he finished talking, I started to remember my past life, what happened from my birth to my unlucky death. Then the pain hit my head and my hands started to rub my temple.

I open my eyes and suddenly I saw a big world. The countless and vast green forests, the birds and animals everywhere. The majestic view of many fountains. The villages, awesome cities with their castle, the castle in the sky, the castle behind the big mountain, the castle underground, and the castle in the cave.

The awestruck me where I stand as I saw different races other than humans. Namely, beast-men, angels, demons, dragons, and other kinds of races you can only read in fantasy novels.

The vision becomes blurred with a snap of the finger of the old man. The scenery changed from majestic views of the planet to full of horror. The vast green forest is nowhere, skeletons and the spoils of war are lying everywhere. Some mountains become flatland which is full of dead races.

"That's the future 5 years from now." The old man said in a sad tone and continued

"I was supposed to stop the war and annihilation of all races and yet I failed. That's my burden that I will entrust to you."

I can't say anything. My brain is trying its best to process the many information I saw and heard. My death, the power, and the burden.

Though the sudden information, my brain still functions like it's my normal daily life. Besides being lazy and capable, my co-worker called me a genius. I'm not being humble or what, but I don't feel I am a genius.

Maybe I was above average but all the knowledge I learned throughout my life is from reading. A genius is something that can create or can make a groundbreaking discovery which I'm not capable of or that's just my thought?

I snapped back to reality when the old man started to talk.

"As I said before, you will be stuck here forever if you don't accept my power and burden. Even though the burden is heavy, you still have a chance. You can use my power and knowledge. Your personality and knowledge of your past life will stay intact once I transferred you to my planet."

"The only worry I have is your lazy personality." The old man sighed

"Me being lazy? If I were you, I'll be troubled more if I do not shoulder the burden that I will carry." I said honestly

"Hahaha. Yes, but after looking deep at you, I'm sure you don't. To live lazily and peacefully is etched deep in your soul. You cannot live peacefully if you don't have a world to live in, right?" Old man.

I was lost in words. I just sighed and surrender in the end.

"Yes, you are right. What choice do I have? It's better than getting stuck here. So, what kind of power I will get from you?" I asked the old man excitedly.

Of course, I am excited, who is not the right mind who will not get excited about having power?

"My power is all about creation but due to my death and waiting for 500 years here in vast space I lost my full power. What I have now is so small, but it will make you stronger." Old

I have a bad feeling about this.

"So small? How will it help me if it's small? Some races have a strong power out there. How can I carry your burden, you selfish old man!!" I shouted angrily.

"Your soul and will to live are strong. Everything that is born always started from a little until they are grown. But you are special since you will be transmigrated. Now I will give you my power and knowledge, oh don't worry, my knowledge is vast. My time is running out, the fragment of my soul is slowly fading."

I saw the old man slowly fading as he throws his staff up in the air. The staff showered me with a majestic and bright light. I feel something etched on my soul, but it feels relaxing and calm.

"It's time. You will learn the power I gave you once you wake up on the planet. Be careful and always remember that all races are born with emotions."

"May you live a meaningful life and stop the annihilation."

"Close your eyes and after a few seconds you will wake up in the small village nearby. Goodbye." The old man said while smiling without regret on his face

The old man faded completely, and I start to close my eyes as he instructed.