A piercing cold surged through Ryan's body, jolting him awake.
It's bloody freezing!
"Child, wake up" a still, small voice whispered, breaking the eerie silence.
Ryan, who just moments ago had been trudging home after yet another tedious day at work, muttered groggily, "Where am I?"
"Human, you are beyond the confines of your galaxy," the voice replied calmly, almost reassuringly.
Great! Either I've finally lost it, I'm dreaming, or I've collapsed unconscious on a sidewalk somewhere while a lunatic whispers cosmic secrets in my ear.
His eyelids were heavy, he forced them open, battling against waves of disorientation.
Finally managing to pry them open, Ryan scanned his surroundings. Around him sat a chair, a sofa, and a table topped with a softly glowing lamp, all of the furniture pristine white, radiating an otherworldly glow.
Beneath him lay uneven stone tiles, black and white fragments forming a chaotic mosaic stretching endlessly into the distance.
Besides the odd furniture, there was nothing. No horizon, no landmarks… just endless emptiness. The stillness felt heavy, unsettlingly so, and the source of the voice was nowhere to be found.
What the hell is going on here? Where is everything?
"Who are you? And where are you?" Ryan asked, anxiety flooding into his voice.
"I'm a spirit, unseen by mortal eyes," the voice replied softly.
Okay, is this one of those lucid dreams my uncle keeps on rambling about? Because if it is, I'd appreciate waking up about now.
He pinched his arm hard. Nope. That stung. Okay... this can't be a dream, can it? Where is this?
"What am I doing here, where is this?" Ryan questioned, rubbing his hands together in a futile attempt to dispel the biting chill.
"You passed away, Ryan. I've temporarily removed you from the reincarnation cycle," the spirit explained gently, its voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
Dead? Mum is all alone now… His heart sank, who would look after her now?
No, I'm not in a position to be able to worry about her.
For being dead he felt strangely normal. He still wore his suit, felt the weight of his body, and experienced no pain. Nothing about him seemed particularly ghostly.
"Why did you pull me out of this cycle thing And how exactly did I die?"
"I took you out of the reincarnation cycle because we require strong-willed individuals willing to fight for those who cannot. As for your death—well, just see for yourself."
Before he could respond, Ryan's consciousness stirred, and he found himself propelled back to Earth, walking down the pavement of a familiar road. Ryan wore a weary expression, his slender frame encased in an uncomfortable, worn-out suit. Dirty blond hair framed his light blue eyes as he moved mechanically.
Ryan was powerless to control his movements.
Why can't I move? Why don't I remember any of this?
His shoulders were hunched over to shield himself from the heavy rain. Each step was a struggle; his pace was slow as he battled the elements. The rain intensified, soaking his clothes and weighing him down.
Then Ryan felt a buzz originating from his pocket.
He took out his phone, it was Mum's text from a two hours ago. "Don't be late, okay? I've missed you so much!"
He typed back, "On my way," …and had meant it.
Suddenly, a football rolled onto the street in front of him, and right behind the football was a kid. A kid that was completely oblivious to the headlights illuminating his figure.
Without hesitation, Ryan's body sprang into action. He dashed out onto the road, his shoes slid on the wet concrete but they could not stop him.
Ryan's hand let go of his phone. It clattered on the street.
He spread his arms and tackled the kid as if he were a world class rugby player.
The kid fell onto the pavement with a yelp, not from pain but from shock.
Beeeeeeep, Splat.
A deafening honk, followed by a sickening thud, marked the end of 24-year-old Ryan Ray's life.
Darkness engulfed him and he was back in the empty plains. Ryan staggered, breath catching painfully in his chest as tears blurred his vision. His knees buckled, sending him crashing onto the stone floor.
I just… felt myself get hit and killed by a truck...
"I'm sorry, that may have been a bit abrupt," the spirit apologised.
Ryan barely heard the words of apology. He was too busy shaking his head, as if he were trying to expel the memory of his death.
"W-why exactly have you brought me here?" he whispered shakily, forcing himself upright again.
"As I said, we need you, people like you, heroes," the spirit continued, its tone both soothing and urgent. "A prophecy foretells the destruction of, countless worlds, countless souls. In a couple of decades, monstrous beings will rise under the leadership of the half-bre- *Ahem*, and we need selfless souls like you to defend the innocent."
Prophecies? Monsters? Saving worlds?
"You'll be sent to a world that requires your help. This world will be quite weak so it is not much of a target by the monsters. Therefore we are choosing to send a… weak, human there. Don't take offence, you are just a weak race." the spirit elaborated.
Ryan frowned slightly. You just showed me my own death, and now you insult me and my race? You stuck up spirit… regardless, what is so wrong with being human?
"If you succeed in your mission, you'll be granted a single wish upon your next death. Should you decline, you'll return to the reincarnation cycle and live again without memories of your previous life—an easier existence."
"This sounds pretty difficult, I don't think a weak human, like myself, can take such a job. I think I'll pass—"
"Excellent, good luck, hero!" interrupted the spirit brightly. "My assistant Jake will guide you from here. One last thing: stay within the lamp's light. A word of caution: the darkness does not take kindly to mortals. It is not death you'll find out there, but something much worse, your mind would shatter while you are alive."
What darkness? What void?
The spirit vanished. Ryan flinched as he watched the previously light-filled landscape vanish, swallowed by a rushing void. Darkness pressed in around a protective circle, created by the lamp.
Huh, this is the void...
Ryan sat down on the stark-white sofa, and began rubbing his hands together to stay warm.
Forcing me to do your bidding, and then leaving me here without any food and no activities to do… not a particularly polite spirit.
Time passed. Minutes. Hours maybe. He couldn't tell. He was still sitting on the sofa, hands on knees, eyes locked onto the surrounding darkness, afraid to blink too long in case something shifted.
Eventually, fatigue tugged at his limbs. He let out a long breath, stood slowly, and stretched, groaning at the stiffness in his back.
Where is that damn person the spirit is sendi-
Ryan stamped the ground in frustration.
His foot caught on the uneven ground.
He stumbled.
Crap!
Ryan's heart dropped as he fell sideways, half his body sliding out of the protective light. The shadows wrapped around his arm, shoulder, and cheek like ice water.
He froze.
Nothing happened.
No mind shattering like the spirit mentioned. No madness. Just cold and stillness.
Wait... I'm fine?
Did he lie to me? The shock slowly ebbed as Ryan's breathing steadied. Inch by inch, he began to shift, his limbs shaking. With every nerve screaming, he crawled backward, dragging himself back into the light.
A chill clawed up Ryan's back. As quickly as the shock of the void passed, another creeping chill came.
He could feel something, out there, in the void. Something staring at him.
Then he saw it—two bloodshot eyes piercing through the gloom, locked directly onto him.
Panic surged through his veins. Ryan fell back landing square on the floor.
Something's out there...
Click. Clack.
Ryan's pulse hammered against his ribs. The footsteps approached slowly at first, then quickened with his growing fear.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
The bloodshot eyes stopped only inches away from the circle of light.
Maybe… It cant enter the circle.
His body tensed as a figure effortlessly stepped into the light-a young man dressed impeccably in a pure white suit, blond hair neatly styled. On his back, small white wings fluttered gently.
"Hi! I'm Jake," the newcomer announced cheerfully, oblivious to Ryan's terror. "Sorry I'm late-I'm new to this!"
"What...the hell...is wrong with you?" Ryan croaked weakly, before collapsing unconscious.