_Chapter Begins_
Everything was dark. Empty.
He couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't move.
He felt lifeless, and yet his soul lingered.
He had no thoughts, no desires… but still, a faint need to understand what was happening around him.
William was dead.
Well atleast thats what he thought.
…But it seemed fate wasn't finished with him just yet.
Time passed—though, did it really? William couldn't tell. Seconds or centuries, it was all the same in this void.
The only thing anchoring him, keeping him from slipping away completely, was the fact that he remembered who he was.
Well, remembered was relative. He didn't have a physical brain anymore, so how could he even "think"? How could he still cling to memories?
Again, William wasn't really sure.
And then—after what felt like either an eternity or only a heartbeat—something changed.
From nothing, a pool of blood swirled into existence. It stretched, split, and twisted, weaving itself into an intricate network of vessels.
Then came bone. White, rigid, unyielding, wrapping around the blood in a cage.
Then came muscle, growing and wrapping tightly around the skeleton like thick, living vines.
A heart. A brain. Lungs. Organs slotted into place, one by one, until the form of a man took shape.
Slowly, William began to perceive again. To be again.
And when at last his body was whole, he looked around—searching for the reason he still lived.
But all he saw was nothing.
A black expanse, endless and silent, a space that seemed to exist outside all laws of reality.
Naturally, William was confused.
Being the man he was, he had always assumed that after death came only oblivion. No heaven, no hell. Just emptiness and darkness.
And for a time, that assumption had seemed correct.
But now? His theory was shattered into a million pieces. He stood once more on two legs, conscious, self-aware, and drowning in emotions.
"So… what now?"
William's voice echoed faintly in the void.
He wasn't familiar with dying, obviously, so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do from here.
He turned his head again, scanning the endless blackness—just to confirm. Yes. Still nothing. Just him.
His eyes fell on his newly formed body, then back into the void.
"So what? Is this hell? Am I supposed to just wander this place forever? Is that my punishment?"
His whisper drifted out into the empty dark.
And then… something changed.
A ripple, subtle at first, then undeniable.
Floating right in front of him was—
"Hello. Your name is William, right?"
The figure chuckled.
"Well, I am Adam. Though some mortals call me the Angel of Salvation."
William stood frozen, silent for a long time. But Adam didn't seem bothered.
Finally, William shook his head, forcing some sense into his newly formed mind.
He raised a finger and glared.
"You… you killed me!"
Adam only chuckled. A smile tugged at his lips as he answered.
"Indeed I did… though, more precisely, it was a different version of me. But yes—it was still me."
William's glare faltered. He raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean… different version of you?"
Adam's smile widened. He raised a finger, like a teacher explaining something obvious to a child.
"You see, the abnormal people in your world—the cultists, yes? That's what you call them?"
William gave a stiff nod.
"Well, they gave me the title of Angel of Salvation."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"But of course, as you can guess, I am neither an angel… nor do I bring salvation to your kind."
William flinched slightly.
Adam swept one arm wide, then bowed with mocking grace. His voice rang with pride.
"I am Adam—a Pillar of the Universe, representing a lot of things."
He lifted his head, his grin sharpening as his black eyes bored into William's very soul.
"…One of them being Death"
_Chapter Ends_