I was floating in an empty void, surrounded by darkness in all directions. All I could make out around me were subtle wisps of purple fog, somehow visible despite the lack of any clear light source.
Looking down at my body, I wasn't particularly surprised to see that I was naked. I had no memory of where I was or how I'd gotten here, so with my situation already so surreal, somehow the lack of clothes didn't hit as hard as it might've otherwise.
I blinked, and suddenly my feet felt solid ground. Looking down, I still saw nothing but endless expanse below, but my body was convinced that I was no longer floating, and instead standing atop some invisible... floor? Platform? I wasn't sure.
Raising my gaze and blinking again, there was suddenly a woman standing before me. Despite the fact that "beauty" can be complicated and imprecise, I can easily say that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and there was no doubt in my mind that everyone I'd ever met would agree. There was not a wrinkle to be seen on her flawless, chocolate brown skin, and her straight, jet black hair was so long it nearly touched the (invisible) floor.
Her clothing was simple, hardly more than a long piece of black cloth draped across her front, and it did little to hide her hourglass figure. From the swell of her chest, her breasts were obviously massive, and her hips jutted out sensually to the sides.
Oh, and I forgot to mention her most noticeable feature. Growing out of both sides of her head was a pair of large curled horns, like a goat... or maybe a demon.
The woman began to walk toward me, so gracefully that she practically seemed to glide through the air. Before I could say or do anything, she began to speak:
"Welcome, aimless dreamer, to the domain of Alexandria."
Her voice was sultry and seductive, but also regal and imposing. There was a power and confidence to her tone that almost compelled one to listen.
"Who are you? Where am I?" I managed to eke out in response.
The woman -- Alexandria, apparently -- smiled slightly and stopped just in front of me. Now that she was so close, I could tell she was also remarkably tall. I'm bad with estimating measurements, but I was above average height for a man and I still had to look up to meet her gaze
"You are very fortunate, mortal. You have been selected, out of the billions of your world, to receive an extraordinary power. Gaze upon the device in your hand."
She completely ignored my question and, as she spoke, I felt an object materialize into my hand. I turned my head and looked down to find... my phone?
The presence of such an everyday device in this otherworldly environment only made the situation even more absurd, especially when I looked at the screen. The usual interface was gone. All that displayed was a white screen and a point value ("10 POINTS", it said).
I looked back up at the woman -- or whatever she was. Perhaps sensing my confusion, she continued.
"The device in your hands is capable of altering the very fabric of reality itself. Conjure in your mind's eye the appearance of another."
Following Alexandria's instructions, I thought of my mother. I felt my phone slightly vibrate, and then her name appeared on the screen. Next to her name, there were three symbols: a silhouette of a body, a simplified illustration of a brain, and a nine-pointed star.
Without waiting for any questions from me, Alexandria continued speaking.
"Each of those icons may be used to alter the listed individual.
The first icon requires 1 point of power, and can be used to alter one simple aspect of an individual's physical appearance. It may increase one's height or change the color of their hair, for example, but it cannot affect more fundamental properties of their being, such as age or gender.
The second icon requires 3 points of power, and can be used to alter an individual's mind. You may give the individual any one sentence command, and their mind will be shaped to accommodate it. The possibilities of this icon are vast, limited only by your creativity.
The third icon requires 10 points of power, and can be used to alter an individual's core nature. You may change one property of the individual, and there are no restrictions on the extent of this change. It does not matter if the change is illogical or contradicts the established facts of reality.
Bear in mind that all changes made through all three icons are permanent. They can never be undone, even with the all-powerful third icon."
I listened quietly to Alexandria's long-winded explanation, while my eyes couldn't help wandering over her exceptional curves. If what she said was true, this was a stunning development that could potentially change my life forever, but part of me was skeptical.
"This all sounds great... but let me ask again, who
are
you?"
Her gaze became slightly colder -- maybe she didn't appreciate my attempt to pry -- but she responded after a moment.
"I am a goddess over your reality, overseeing its evolution since time immemorial. I have existed since before you can imagine, and will continue to exist long after you have passed."
"Then why is such an almighty being giving a random nobody like me a power like
this?"
, I asked, pointing to the phone.
Alexandria glared at me with such intensity that I began to regret my casual tone, but she eventually stated, "The workings of the gods are beyond mortal understanding. Simply be grateful that you were chosen."
What a copout answer... but I was frankly a little scared to call her out on it.
After a few seconds of silence between us, Alexandria said, "If there are no further questions, I shall return you to your native reality. Please enjoy your new abilities to their fullest."
I had more questions, a hell of a lot more, but I could tell from the tone of her proclamation that she saw no need to indulge me any further. As I stood there thinking, the goddess began to wave her hands in the air, presumably about to transport me back home, away from whatever dimension she'd brought me to.
Should I just let it happen? It sounded like this would be a pretty sweet deal if I just went along with it...
And just like that, I was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea.
I thought of the individual in front of me, the apparent goddess named Alexandria. I almost doubted this would work, but...
My phone buzzed, and Alexandria's name appeared above my mother's, along with the same three icons.
Holy shit.
However, this did not go unnoticed by the woman herself. She stopped moving her hands and looked at me with a sudden, palpable fury.
"You
dare
to --"
I was already in motion as she began to speak. Whatever punishment she was about to give caught in her throat as I pressed the brain icon, the symbol for mental change. Once my finger touched the screen, the world seemed to pause around me. Somehow, I knew that this would only last just long enough for me to utter my command.
"
You will be indifferent about seeing your name on my phone, because you are under the firm but mistaken impression that this power cannot affect you.
"
Maybe too long-winded, but I wanted to be thorough since the changes are supposedly permanent.
After I gave Alexandria that mental command, the world around us resumed.
" -- use my gift against me? Hmph. Do as you wish. You will find it is of no use."
She completed her sentence, but the rage in her voice and demeanor had immediately dissipated, replaced by a cool indifference. That was a good sign, but there's the slim chance she was trying to trick me and it actually
didn't
work. I hit the brain icon again.
