Rain drummed softly against the windowpane, each droplet racing down the glass before vanishing into the darkness below. Sarah sat curled by the window, staring out at the empty street. The streetlight flickered, bathing the wet asphalt in a pale, golden glow. Not a single car passed, not a single soul walked by.
The world felt deserted.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The scent of wet soil drifted through the half-open window, cool and earthy. It was a smell she had always loved, one that carried her back to childhood memories—running barefoot in the rain, laughter echoing in the air, warmth beside her that she could never reclaim. The memory pressed against her chest until it ached.
She lingered there for a long moment, clutching her knees as if the silence outside might swallow her whole. Finally, she turned away, pulling the window shut.
The small apartment was dim, shadows clinging to the corners. Sarah lay back on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The cracks in the paint stretched like veins, familiar patterns she had traced countless nights when sleep refused to come. Insomnia had been her curse for years. No matter how exhausted her body became, her mind refused to rest. Every night was a battlefield of thoughts she didn't want to face.
She picked up the small white bottle on her nightstand, shaking it gently. Pills rattled inside, a sound she had grown used to. Her fingers trembled as she tapped out the pills into her palm. She didn't want to die. Not really. She only wanted to sleep. As she lay on her bed, the darkness around her felt heavier than usual. Memories she had buried for so long clawed their way back to the surface.
Slowly, sleep claimed her. She didn't know it would be her last.
A strange warmth touched her face, bright enough that it pierced through her closed eyelids. Sarah stirred, frowning. Light? She forced her eyes open—and froze.
Before her stood a radiant figure, wrapped in silvery-white brilliance. So tall it reached like a two-story building, neither male nor female, but otherworldly and divine. Sarah rubbed her eyes once, twice, but the vision didn't fade.
Then the figure spoke. The voice was soft, melodic, unmistakably feminine.
"Dear child".
Sarah blinked. "A dream," she whispered to herself. "This has to be a dream."
But no dream could feel this empty. Her chest was hollow; her emotions, numb. It was as though she had been stripped bare, incapable of even crying.
Sarah's lips trembled. Her voice came out hoarse, broken."W–who… are you? Why am I here? What… what happened to my body?"Panic laced every word, her heart hammering even though she could no longer feel it beat.
The towering figure bent slightly, her silvery radiance softening. When she spoke, her tone was calm, soothing—like a mother comforting a child.
"My child," the goddess said gently, "right now you stand in Swarglok—the realm mortals call heaven."
The word struck Sarah like lightning. Swarglok? Heaven? Her eyes twitched, confusion flooding her mind. For a fleeting moment she almost laughed.This has to be a prank. Some elaborate show. Cameras hidden somewhere, waiting to see me break down.
But as the goddess's luminous gaze held her own, Sarah felt her throat tighten. No prank could feel this real. No human presence could carry such overwhelming serenity.
Her breath hitched. "Does… does that mean… I died?"
Her mind recoiled from the thought. No—she clearly remembered. She hadn't done anything different. She had only swallowed her sleeping pills, the same way she had for months.
So how…?
"This… this can't be real…" she whispered, shaking her head. Her vision blurred, not with tears but with disbelief so sharp it hollowed her out.
The goddess stepped closer. Her vast form shimmered, shrinking until she was only slightly taller than Sarah. She reached out and placed a gentle hand upon Sarah's head.
"My child, you have suffered enough. Let go of your burdens. Release the pain that binds you."
For the first time in years, Sarah felt… light. The crushing weight in her chest dissolved, replaced by a serenity so pure it made her want to weep. Something heavy slipped away from her soul, and she inhaled sharply, as if breathing for the first time.
A whisper echoed inside her mind.
"This is my gift to you"
Wait..... as sarah open her mouth to speak again.....
But at that time, the world collapsed and she found herself sinking.....
She couldn't breathe. Water filled her lungs, choking her, burning her throat. She coughed violently, thrashing as strong hands grabbed her arms and hauled her upward.
"Pull her out! Hurry!"a distant voice shouted.
She was dragged onto solid ground, her body trembling as someone pounded on her back. She gagged and spat out water, gasping desperately for air.
"Bring the hide, quick!" another voice shouted.
Animal skin was thrown over her shivering frame as rough hands rubbed warmth back into her chest and limbs.
At last, Sarah's eyes fluttered open. Her blurred vision cleared—only to reveal faces that weren't human at all. Men stood around her, their eyes strange, their foreheads sprouting thin, twitching antennae.
Sarah froze, heart racing.
What kind of world have I woken up to?