The vast, shimmering workspace of the afterlife stretched endlessly in all directions, a kaleidoscope of glowing lights, rhythmic pulses, and data streams flowing like rivers. To Yogi, it was like staring into infinity while trying to find a single grain of sand. He gripped the edges of a floating console for balance, his head pounding as the knowledge absorbed from the orientation session continued to swirl chaotically in his mind.

  The console pulsed beneath his fingers, its surface rippling with strange symbols and patterns that he could barely comprehend. Rows of error messages scrolled across the screen, their alien script briefly translating itself into a language Yogi understood before vanishing back into gibberish. The more he tried to focus, the worse the migraine became.

  “This is insane,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “How am I supposed to fix—any of this?”

  “Oh, you’re still moaning? That’s cute,” came a voice, smooth and electric. Photon appeared beside him, their form glowing in waves of teal and cyan. “It’s always the same with humans. You get dropped into the system and immediately start complaining about how hard it is.”

  Yogi shot them a glare. “This isn’t exactly what I signed up for. In fact, I didn’t sign up for any of it. I died, remember?”

  Photon’s glow pulsed rhythmically, almost like laughter. “Death is hardly the end, little human. You should be grateful. Most mortals don’t get the chance to contribute to something so… vast.”

  “Grateful?” Yogi scoffed, gesturing to the endless streams of data. “I can’t even make sense of this. How am I supposed to contribute?”

  “You learn,” Photon replied matter-of-factly. “Or you fail. Either way, the system moves on. It’s bigger than you.”

  Before Yogi could respond, Root’s familiar voice cut through the air. “Photon, ease up. He’s been here for what? Ten minutes? Let the guy breathe.”

  Root strode into view, his ever-present grin softening the sharpness of his words. His glowing form seemed less rigid than Photon’s, more approachable, though there was a glint of impatience in his eyes.

  “You doing okay, Yogi?” Root asked, leaning casually against the console.

  Yogi let out a bitter laugh. “Not really. This is all… too much. I don’t even know where to start.”

  Root clapped him on the back, the gesture surprisingly solid for someone made of light. “That’s normal. Happens to everyone at first. The trick is to stop thinking about the whole system and just focus on the piece in front of you.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Yogi muttered. “You’re not human.”

  Root’s grin widened. “True, but I used to be. A long time ago. Trust me, I know what you’re going through.”

  “Do you?” Yogi’s voice sharpened, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Because it doesn’t feel like anyone here understands what it’s like to suddenly have all this dumped on you.”

  Photon’s glow deepened, their voice laced with sarcasm. “Oh, poor you. The universe handed you an opportunity to be part of something greater, and all you can do is whine about how hard it is.”

  “That’s enough, Photon,” Root said, his tone firm. He turned back to Yogi, his expression softening. “Look, I’m not saying this is easy. It’s not. But you were chosen for a reason. The system doesn’t make mistakes.”

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  “And what reason is that?” Yogi demanded. “What makes me so special?”

  Root hesitated, then shrugged. “That’s for you to figure out. My job is to help you get your bearings, not to hand you all the answers.”

  Before Yogi could press further, a rapid clicking sound echoed through the space. Grimace emerged from the shadows, his insectoid form gleaming in the ambient light. His multifaceted eyes fixed on Yogi with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

  “Still struggling, human?” Grimace asked, his mandibles clicking as he spoke. “Typical. You’re all so fragile.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Yogi muttered.

  Grimace chittered in what might have been laughter. “Confidence is earned, not given. Let’s see if you can handle even the simplest task before we start handing out praise.”

  Root sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, enough posturing. Let’s get Yogi moving. He needs to see more of the system if he’s going to understand his role.”

  Root led Yogi through the vast expanse of the karmic system, the environment shifting around them like a living organism. Streams of light flowed like rivers, branching and converging in intricate patterns. Nodes of energy pulsed rhythmically, each one representing a connection between souls, events, and actions.

  “These are the Karmic Flow Nodes,” Root explained, gesturing to a cluster of glowing orbs. “They’re where energy transfers between living beings. Every action, every thought, every intention creates a ripple that passes through these nodes.”

  Yogi stared in awe, the sheer complexity of the system both mesmerizing and overwhelming. “And you expect me to… fix this? How?”

  “One step at a time,” Root said. “You don’t have to understand the whole system right away. Just focus on the errors.”

  As they walked, Root pointed out other key components: Reincarnation Hubs, where souls were prepared for rebirth; Energy Reservoirs, where excess karma was stored; and Error Zones, where glitches in the system caused disruptions.

  “This is beautiful,” Yogi admitted. “But it’s also… terrifying. It feels too big for me to handle.”

  Root smiled. “That’s how everyone feels at first. But you’ll find your footing. Trust me.”

  Their reflection was interrupted by Photon’s arrival, their glow sharp and urgent. “We have a minor karmic error that needs correction. It’s a good opportunity for our human friend to practice.”

  Root raised an eyebrow. “You sure he’s ready?”

  Photon’s glow dimmed slightly. “Ready or not, he’ll have to learn somehow.”

  They led Yogi to a smaller console displaying a specific error: a karmic imbalance between a grandmother and her estranged grandson. The flow of positive energy between them had been disrupted, causing a ripple effect in their lives.

  “This should be simple,” Photon said. “Redirect the energy flow to restore balance.”

  Yogi hesitated, staring at the console. The symbols and patterns were still confusing, but he could vaguely sense the disrupted flow. He reached out, his hands trembling, and attempted to make the correction.

  At first, it seemed to work. The energy began to flow more smoothly, the disruption easing. But then, a sudden surge of energy caused the system to overload, creating a new error.

  Photon’s glow flared angrily. “What did you do?”

  “I… I don’t know,” Yogi stammered, his heart sinking. “I thought I was fixing it.”

  Grimace’s mandibles clicked in amusement. “Typical human. Always rushing in without understanding the consequences.”

  Root stepped forward, his expression calm but serious. “It’s alright. Mistakes happen. We’ll fix it. But you need to learn from this, Yogi.”

  Yogi nodded, his face burning with embarrassment. “I’ll try.”

  Later, Yogi sat alone in the shimmering workspace, staring at the console. His earlier failure played over and over in his mind, the weight of it pressing down on him.

  “What am I doing here?” he whispered. “I’m not cut out for this.”

  The console pulsed faintly, as if responding to his despair. He glanced at the screen, where rows of karmic balances scrolled endlessly. The vastness of it all was suffocating.

  For a moment, he considered giving up, letting the system reassign his role. Surely there was someone better suited for this.

  But then, the console flashed with a new error message. Unlike the others, this one was larger, more complex, and pulsed with a strange rhythm. Yogi frowned, leaning closer. The pattern felt familiar, like something he’d seen before but couldn’t quite place.

  Despite his frustration and self-doubt, curiosity sparked within him. He reached out to the console, determined to understand.