I went out for a walk, to try and get a few snacks.
Not because I was hungry, more like... I don't know how'd you describe it. Restless? Yeah, that may be it.
...I'll admit it, I was getting a little hungry.
"This isn't it."
I put down a melon pan I'd been holding and stepped back from the shelf. I wasn't really feeling like sweet bread tonight.
There were other choices such as instant noodles, chips, candy bars, and some other weird items, but none really felt right.
"Maybe I really should just take some cup ramen."
Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. They had toppings such as mini sausages, boiled eggs, nori and some others in here, so I could easily elevate it.
The store clerk was just scrolling through his phone at the counter, likely eager for his shift to end. It was 11:36 PM, after all.
I took a few spicy cups of ramen along with toppings and a drink, that I promptly scanned and got out of the store a few minutes later.
Just when I left, though...
Something was wrong.
Wrong.
Very, very wrong.
The bag fell from my hands as I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air as I clutched onto the left side of my chest.
...No, I couldn't even gasp for air. It was like there was some kind of blockage in my esophagus. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't breathe.
My head landed with a thud onto the cold floor.
Was I having a heart attack?
But, there's no way. I've been healthy, and I have monthly check-ups. I walk everywhere. I eat fine. I'm only twenty-seven!
This isn't supposed to happen, is it?
It couldn't be.
To top it off, no matter where I looked, there was no one else on the street. The clerk was way too focused on his phone.
I felt my vision blurring by the second, the ringing in my ears growing louder, and I grew sluggish.
This was... death?
I was dying.
I was actually dying.
I wanted to call out for help.
But nobody came.
Shit, I didn't even get to finish the last season of Demon Slayer, did I?
...Very inspiring last thoughts, Claire. You truly are a paragon of wisdom in your final moments, aren't you?
Damn it all.
Just like that, everything was over.
Darkness overcame me.
///
I wasn't in that darkness for long, or maybe I was. Felt like hours, and yet it didn't feel like that.
"Stay still."
Light surrounded me, growing brighter to the point of even blinding me for moments.
Now that I notice, wasn't that a voice just now?
A woman's voice. Gentle, and yet firm.
"Didn't I just say to not move? Stay still."
Okay, maybe not so gentle.
"...There. You may open your eyes now."
I tried opening them.
At first, all that I saw was white. Pure, endless white stretching out onto what seemed to be a bottomless corridor, but slowly, shapes started to take form. Colors.
And then, the one in front of me.
Her.
A woman stood before me, her figure divine-like. Bright, pastel skin that was almost glowing to me. Garments that looked woven from the starlight itself. Her hair a cascade of gold threads, and her eyes... her eyes were a starking contrast to her apparel, as they were a hollow, dull copper orange without any light behind them.
Like a flame that had long since then burned out, and not at the same time.
Gosh, was she beautiful.
"I appreciate the compliment, but I am in fact alive. Albeit not in the way you mortals would expect."
And she can read minds, too. Wonderful.
The woman took a step forward, tilting her head, as if curious. I stood there nervously, unsure what to expect.
Her voice resounded in my head once again.
"Your soul held up quite well, compared to others. I think you just might be the one."
...Huh?
"W-What..." I said, finally mustering up the courage to talk. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"And you adapt quite well, too. Impressive, indeed."
I instinctually took a step back.
"Ahem. I haven't even given you a proper greeting, have I? Nor have I explained the reason you're here," she continued, her tone still one of amusement as she leaned in a bit too close for my liking. "Allow me to start over; Salutations, Claire Satou. This may be a shock to you, but you have unfortunately passed away merely moments ago."
I still couldn't believe it.
"...I'm really dead, aren't I?"
The goddess nodded, with a faint, eerie smile. Or was I just imagining things?
"Indeed, you are now—dead. You have died of heart failure, due to an illness your doctor failed to identify in time."
"So, that's how it is. Guess making an effort to be healthy doesn't really matter if your luck sucks, eh?"
"...You are surprisingly composed, despite the tragedy thats befallen upon you," she said, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "Yes, luck can be quite unpredictable at times. Sometimes, fate simply chooses to turn its threads against someone."
I don't like how she emphasized that part.
"Who are you, actually?" I said, not bothering to uphold any sort of expression.
The woman smiled. That smile, again.
"I believe the closest term to describe what I am to you would be a deity. Specifically, I am Elyxia, the Goddess of Reincarnation."
"...I see. I've never really been religious, so it's kind of hard to believe what's happening right now."
"Hahaha!" The goddess suddenly began cackling to herself. The hell? "You're amusing, truly amusing! It is not a concern whether you hold belief in it or not, so do not fret. What matters right now, is the opportunity I will offer you. You may already hold an idea of what it is, considering I just told you my title."
"And why is that? I've never done anything worth mentioning in my life. I simply followed what I loved, and became satisfied with it."
"How humble you are, and an admirable quality that is. Tell me, does it really mean nothing that you've helped so many throughout your journey?"
Helped... many?
"Yes. You have always given what you could to those in need, without any need for recognition. Forgave those who wronged you, and helped them fix their mistakes. You never mocked others for their dreams, no matter how small or strange. You stayed sincere. You lent an ear to a friend, even when they didn't want you there. Austin, was it?"
Austin...
"That's... my old best friend. From high school."
"If you weren't there at the time, let's just say he would've ended up just like you, right in front of me. Still think you've done nothing worth mentioning?'"
I still couldn't bring myself to trust her. She knows all of that, but to what end is she making me hear this?
"And that bit about being satisfied... you aren't being true to yourself. You weren't satisfied with what you had, were you?" She got close to my face with a manic grin, her dull, lifeless copper eyes in full display. "You wanted to keep living, to see what else life had to offer."
I swallowed. I've faced many things, but this... this felt like gazing into the abyss.
Surprisingly, she backed off.
"Truly interesting, you are."
"Gee, thanks."
"No, I mean it. Most simply accept their death, scream, or go on without questioning anything. Some even have attempted attacking me, and where did they end up? I believe you would call it the 'Shadow Realm.' Not a very fun place, I must say."
"...Okay, that's information I didn't need to know. Either way, I assume I'm going to get reincarnated and have a second life?"
"Naturally."
She began pacing in a slow circle around me, as if contemplating something.
"You'll be born anew in another world. A fantasy world, if you will."
"So, it'll have... magic? I'll be able to cast spells, and perform superhuman feats?"
The goddess nodded at that, maintaining that same smile of hers.
"I see. Will I keep my memories?"
"Of course," she said, stopping just behind me. "Otherwise, it would be far too boring, don't you think? Starting from zero isn't exactly ideal."
"Guess so...?"
She chuckled one last time, and walked in front to face me.
"I suppose you have far more questions before being sent, and in this space, we have all the time in the world. So, ask away."
...Okay.
This is way too shady, but what choice do I even have?
I need answers as to what's happening, and if I'm really going to another world, then...
Screw it.
Here goes nothing, I guess.
-------------------
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