“Hey there. I’m GOD.”
The woman in front of me said that.
It was pure white all around, like being in a hazy landscape in the clouds. It was just me and this beautiful woman, who looked to be about the same age as my older sister.
“…Is this a dream?”
“That’s right, it’s a dream, Yuichi Hirano. But you shouldn’t just think of it as any ordinary dream. I have something very important to talk to you about.”
“Who are you, lady?”
“I’m a god.”
The lady puffed up proudly and let out a little “hmph.”
“You’re a god? Whoa, that’s awesome!”
“Yes, yes. Pretty amazing, right? You’re such a good kid.”
“What does a god do here?”
“My job is to decide if people who die go to heaven or hell.”
“Wow, that’s so cool!”
“Yes, yes. Isn’t it though?”
“Wait, does that mean… I died?”
“No, no. Right now, you’re sleeping peacefully in your bed. I’m just popping into your dream for a bit.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
“Yup, it’s great that you’re alive.”
“So why did you come into my dream?”
“Yes, yes, that’s the thing. I actually have something important to tell you all.”
The lady cleared her throat and continued.
“Humans have a second life after they die, either in heaven or in hell. But which one they go to depends on how many good things they did before dying.”
“Huh, I didn’t know that.”
“And then, after they die, everyone thinks, ‘Ah, if I’d known, I would’ve done more good deeds.’ So I thought, why not just tell everyone about this afterlife system in advance? That way, everyone can do as many good deeds as they can while they’re alive. Then everyone will be happy. Don’t you think that’s a great idea?”
“Good deeds… what are those?”
“It means, if you’re a good kid, there’ll be rewards for you after you die.”
“Like, I’ll get toys?”
“Even better! You’ll get unlimited toys, all-you-can-eat candy, five days off every week, and all the perks you could ever want!”
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“You’re so cute, getting surprised by everything. So, anyway, I’ve decided to set a ‘Human Level’ for everyone. Good deeds will add points, bad deeds will subtract points. Raise your level as high as you can before you die, so you can enjoy your second life after death!”
“Okay!”
“Good answer. Well, I’m off now, but Yuichi, make sure to keep being a good kid, alright?”
“Okay!”
The lady waved her hand and said, “See you later.”
When I came to, I’d woken up.
I rushed downstairs, where Dad and Mom were getting breakfast ready.
“Oh, Yuichi, you’re up early today.”
“Really! You’re usually such a sleepyhead.”
“Yeah, I had this amazing dream last night!”
“Oh? What kind of dream?”
Mom looked down at me with a big smile.
“Well, you see, a god came into my dream and told me that if I’m a good kid, I’ll get to play with all the toys I want!”
Then, all of a sudden, Dad and Mom froze.
They looked at each other and went quiet for a moment. After a while, Dad spoke up, slowly.
“…I saw it too. Something about setting a ‘Human Level’ to determine our treatment in the afterlife.”
“…I saw it too. Adding points for good deeds, subtracting for bad deeds…”
“…?”
They both looked puzzled, like something mysterious was going on, and I tilted my head, not quite understanding.
April 1, 2008. On that day, every human being had the same dream.
The story spread like wildfire across the world, and humanity suddenly, unexpectedly, accepted the reality of an afterlife.
―“Human Level.”
A standard was established to measure a person’s worth, and people were faced with choices about how they should live.
Thus, the gods’ observation began.
