Excruciating pain, a life full of wasted family time, meaningless sex, heavy drinking, cocaine and regret flashed before his pitch black dilated eyes, still high as a kite as he died, he saw the last disapproving look from his father, right there in his mind's eyes as the world went pitch black.
There was silence. Heavy, choking silence. No more car horns, no music, no drunken laughter or angry shouting. Just... nothing.
He couldn't feel his body. No breath, no heartbeat, no weight.
And then—something odd. A faint echo. Not a sound exactly. More like... space itself cracking open.
He blinked—or thought he did. His eyelids didn't work, but his awareness shifted. Ahead of him, in the endless dark, a white door appeared. Standing there like it had been waiting forever. Old-fashioned, elegant. A gold handle gleamed faintly.
He felt drawn to it. As if he didn't walk, but glided. The door opened with a soft click.
Inside was the strangest hotel lobby he had ever seen.
Cream-colored marble floors shimmered beneath a chandelier that seemed to hang from nothing. Ornate wallpaper faded into the distance on either side. Behind a long walnut desk sat a man—no, a being—wearing a black waistcoat and reading a file.
The being was ageless. Not handsome, not ugly. Not even human, exactly. Just... there. Like he had always been there.
"Prince Martin," the being said, flipping a page in the file. His voice was smooth and faintly amused, like a professor reading an idiot's essay. "Well, this is a hot mess."
Prince opened his mouth, but no words came. He wasn't sure he had a mouth anymore.
"I've seen bad lives," the being continued, closing the file with a sigh. "But you managed to cram every tragic vice into one short ride. Arrogance. Violence. Lust. Sloth. You ticked off the whole bloody list. Gold star."
He winked.
Prince finally found his voice, or the soul version of it. "Where... am I?"
"Call it Limbo. Purgatory. The Waiting Room. I call it Check-In." He tapped the file. "You died high, drunk, and broken. Standard stuff. But lucky you, you've qualified for the Wheel of Re-Spin."
A giant wheel materialized beside the desk, glittering and colorful, like something out of a game show. Each section had labels:
"Worm Rebirth""Cursed Tree""Reincarnate as Cockroach""Sexy Anime Protagonist""Torture Loop""Remorseful Rebirth (With Perks)""Random Lottery""CEO's Cat""Sentient Rock""Instant Oblivion"
"You're kidding," Prince said.
"I wish I was." The being chuckled. "But you get one spin. And depending on where it lands, that's your next life. Some win. Most don't. Let's see how the cosmic dice fall, shall we?"
The wheel started to glow. Prince stepped forward.
He hesitated. For the first time in years, he felt... shame. Not the fake, morning-after kind. But a true, rotting guilt in his chest.
The being saw it and raised an eyebrow.
Prince took a breath and spun the wheel.
It clicked and whirled violently, the colors blurring. Around and around and around.
Slower... slower...
The arrow stopped.
Remorseful Rebirth (With Perks)
"Well well well," the being said, sitting back in his chair. "Didn't expect that. You must have just scraped enough regret to qualify. Maybe your poor mother praying tipped the balance."
Prince blinked. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're getting another shot. A new life. With some boons, as a reward for your... let's call it emotional evolution." He snapped his fingers, and a panel appeared in midair.
Choose three perks it said.
A list unfolded.
▢ Accelerated Learning▢ Peak Physical Growth▢ Emotional Control▢ Regeneration▢ Enhanced Metabolism▢ System Guide▢ Control Over Bodily Systems▢ Combat Talent▢ Rich Parents▢ Sexy Voice▢ Magic Affinity▢ Anime Protagonist Halo▢ Choose Your Own World▢ Born Into Royalty▢ Insanely Lucky
Prince stared.
He hovered over "Born Into Royalty" for a second. "Anime world?" he asked.
"You could," the being said. "It's a crowd favorite. Flashy fights. Harem schools. You'd love it."
Prince thought of his father. His mother. The blood on the pavement.
"No," he said. "I want... I want to go back. Same world. Same parents. I'll do it better this time."
The being didn't laugh. For once, he looked serious.
"That's rare," he said. "Painfully rare."
"I owe them."
"Fine," he said, snapping his fingers again. "World locked: Earth. Parents: Bibin and Maria. Let's see what you choose."
Prince hovered and clicked:
✔ Intense Muscle Growth and Regeneration✔ Control Over All Bodily Systems✔ System Guide (Cricket Career Focused)
The moment he clicked the last one, the perks etched themselves onto his soul like gold ink on black paper. A jolt of energy surged through him. The hotel began to fade.
"You sure about this?" the being asked. "No do-overs."
"I'm sure."
The being nodded. "Well then, Mr. Martin... good luck. And try not to screw it up this time."
The world went white.
Warmth.
Softness.
A rhythmic sound, like the ocean inside a shell.
And then—a cry.
His own.
Prince opened his eyes.
The ceiling above him was blurry, and everything was bright. He couldn't move properly. Couldn't speak. Couldn't even control his head.
Arms lifted him gently. A woman's voice, sobbing with joy.
"Bibin! Look—look! He's here! Our boy is here!"
Prince blinked.
He was cradled against a warm chest. He knew that voice. Knew that heartbeat. Maria.
She looked younger. Tears poured down her face as she held him close. Bibin hovered beside her, eyes wide and terrified and hopeful.
"Prince," Maria whispered. "Our little prince."
Prince Martin had been reborn.
But this time, he would do everything differently.