An Opulent woman in a Green dress

Reader's first reaction on seeing the woman across from him was an immediate rush of lust. She was... well, he had a lot of types, but she matched one of them to a T. Wavy hair the colour of seafoam, twinkling eyes that seemed to know all his secrets without judgement. A kind, slightly playful grin and a figure modern artists had forgotten how to depict. Reader couldn't take his eyes off her. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be nineteen and horny, across from a woman in... not quite the same situation, she didn't look nineteen. But horny, definitely horny. Libido was flowing off her in waves so thick he could almost see them in the air.

"Reader. Welcome to the waystation," the woman said in a voice that echoed strangely in the bare room. "Do you need a minute?"

Reader considered the question. "For what?" he finally asked. The woman's only answer was a small chuckle.

"Am I dead?" he asked before the silence could stretch too thin.

"Far from it," she said with a voice that seemed about to carry him off. "But you did just die. This is where you'll decide where to go next".

"I decide?" Reader repeated, "there's no judgement or anything?"

She chuckled again. "That's what the last 84 years were about. You don't need more evaluation here, in a room with nothing but yourself and a goddess for company"

Reader nodded, a hint of trepidation colouring the wild energy he felt at his regained youth. "So how'd I do?"

"How do you think you did?"

Reader considered. "Not that well personally," he had to admit. "I don't feel like I achieved much. Maybe without knowing it, through the butterfly effect and one of my students. But things didn't turn out like I'd planned"

"You didn't achieve much, and you can't take credit for the butterfly effect" she said matter of factly. "But you never stopped trying. I was watching, and you never gave up. You made the most of your opportunities, never setting yourself too easy goals. And you were the last of your line. Together those qualify you as a holy martyr."

"Holy Martyr?" Reader repeated. "What's that mean? 72 virgins?"

She rolled her eyes but nodded. "If that's what you want, but I hope I can do better. It might be some very clever thing by the one who made your universe, that just takes a long time to work. But to most of us it looks like a terrible waste of both heroism and virginity".

"The one who made my universe? That wasn't you?"

She shook her head. "All the gods make our own worlds, but welcome of a heroic soul can be done by any of us. The one who made your last world is busy on another project, and he doesn't spend much time on mortals these days. He got very upset when so many insects went extinct in your latest lifetime. Such a temper he has! Always did".

"Sorry about that" Reader said, a little ashamed.

"Like I said, you kept trying" she said encouragingly, "That's more than most did".

A thought occurred to Reader. "What's the closest I came?" he asked, curious about the meaning of his life now it was over.

The goddess smiled, clearly expecting the question. "Remember when you spent two summers studying seawater? If you had spent a third, you'd have started a successful business around climate-friendly space cooling. Saved a few species-"

"Fuck!" Reader shouted. "Fucking coolers, I knew-" he broke off, shook his head. "no I didn't. If I'd known I would have spent the third summer, instead of..."

"She had her own lessons to learn, and it does no good to blame lesser souls for our troubles," the goddess cut in. "In case you're wondering, she is a human again, but not like when you knew her. Before I explain too much about the context we're in, there's an option you need to know about. I hope you won't take it, but the choice will be yours".

Reader motioned her to continue.