When Luke was young, very very young, he'd been adventurous in his home town of Misthallery. He often explored, basking in the fresh air around him, but especially the serenity of the wilderness. He felt a sense of belonging there, with the ferns and wildlife, one he never really got amongst people.
One day, he'd been a bit careless, though. He was walking along a river that burbled softly, mesmerised by his reflection in the pristine water. He wasn't watching where he walked, and slipped on a wet rock.
Luke only managed to yelp before the previously calm river swallowed him whole, clear waters becoming disrupted by the chaotic ripples of his flailing form. He didn't know how to swim, and it was painfully obvious as he writhed in the water, splashing and coughing to no avail.
His body tired out eventually, and his struggles slowed. His limp form floated facedown in the river.
But Luke found himself somewhere else entirely. He was vaguely aware of his surroundings, floating in a void full of little star-like sparkles in the distance, with one large, glowing presence omnipotent above him. He couldn't describe it. It was like looking at a colour he'd never seen before, seeing things that transcended reality, that filled him with an emotion that didn't exist.
The glowing form was pulsating, and he felt like it was not just watching him, but sensing him.
He tried to ask a question, being naturally inquisitive, though he found his voice let out no sound. Some bubbles of black void-liquid came out, and Luke briefly wondered how he was alive if there was no air here.
Then, the voice of the presence above him spoke. Or, rather, it just was, suddenly going through his mind, a voice he'd never heard before but found familiar, in a language he couldn't understand, but somehow still understood.
You are fortunate, Child.
Luke's head tilted. Him? Fortunate? How? His memory was slipping his mind, all he knew was he fell into the river and was suddenly here.
You will not die, but instead We have granted you this gift; to make a wish, and see it happen.
Luke felt an energy inside him, but it was gone as soon as it pulsed through him. The light tendrils of the presence swirled around him, and he felt the strangely comforting warmth of the unfathomable being above him embracing him, lifting him up. Perhaps this was the divine deity equivalent of a pat on the back?
Be warned, however, Child.
The tendrils receded, leaving Luke awkwardly floating. He twisted around, trying to find a more comfortable position, though there didn't seem to be one when you were floating in a void.
With every wish comes a price. An eye for an eye, a wish for a wish. Use your gift wisely.
With that, Luke returned to the real world. He blinked, blurry vision gradually focusing, as the muffled sounds around him became clearer. His father was above him, his face wet with tears, and Luke himself began to realise he was soaking wet.
Luke coughed, a bit of water spraying out from his mouth, blinking a few more times. He was very confused.
"Wh…?"
He was immediately hugged by his father, who mumbled incoherent words about how he'd thought he'd lost Luke.
Luke wondered if he should tell his father about his experience, but for the time being resigned to the comforting warmth of his father's embrace.