Chapter 1: Restart After Victory.
"Her hair… brown, like wilting flowers in late Autumn… that's what I imagine my self-proclaimed fiancee still looks like…"
Smiling, he'd touch his side, feeling nothing at his lower half, as he'd only see the bright lights of the city- his bike basically crashed into the tree he had been impaled on.
"Hold the fuck up… Did I just get fucked over after my first win in a boxing match?"
Memory hazy, I touch my bleeding forehead as my breath turns to mist white as I exhale, while I eye down the oncoming truck that seems to have men in both the front and back seats.
My face turns deadpan as I'd kick my arms up, accepting my fate, doing my signature finger gun to the head, feeling the spotlight shining on me once more- or so I thought.
With every blink I take, I face the sight of a black entity shrouded in mystery.
("Maybe betting on yourself when you owe almost every loan shark is a bad idea.")
("Especially if you not only dated one of their daughters, but got her pregnant too. Man… I'm below scum, huh.")
("A deadbeat who's gonna die at the attempt of being an actual father.")
The pouring rain and my own thoughts drowned out the sound of gunshots rippling into my chest- the scent of gunpowder occupying my nose- as my ears went deaf from the loud shots, with my eyes darting to the sight of my baby girl in a debt collector's arms.
("Died at 23, a delinquent who turned from a flunkie to a top notch rookie boxer.")
("What a failure I am. Hope my baby girl at least gets my prize money and grows up to be a worthy member of society.")
I see the brown-haired girl approach step by step, her face bearing no malice nor apology- more so pity and grief- as I felt her touch, as she tried talking to me.
Her warmth turned cold as a corpse as my eyes shut down, seeing the shadow entity caressing me instead.
Awakening in what seems to be an empty space, fearless, I look up at the creepy black alien kid in front of me
"Yo, Martian. Is this Mars or Hell?"
"I know the big guy upstairs is a mega Loser. A guy like me wouldn't get into heaven,Judge me or somethin', I don't have the time."
Like the slight coward that I am, I turn tail- not because I am afraid of judgement, but because the creepy figure gives me chills.
There's something malicious about him that doesn't sit well with me, and not only do I not wanna fuck around and find out, but I wanna eternally reflect on my life-
My thoughts would be interrupted by the dark, shrouded entity
"Aww, Papa, scared of taking accountability? Well, sorry, my good sir."
"Welcome to Limbo, your eternal resting place."
"This is the middle place between Heaven and Hell."
"I'm the Warden of this prison- maybe better put. Your new owner~"
I was stunned by the words uttered by this dark entity as, only my jaw was unscrewed as my throat ran dry, and filled with guilt.
I'd turn around, sucking my pride and mean-mugging him in order to not show weakness.
"Well, if you truly say who you say you are, then I have no problem introducing myself. I'm Kael Nixson,"
The creature's face grotesquely grew a smile made of teeth out of nowhere before preparing its next speech.
"Refer to me as The Overseer Of Flock, present, future and past."
" Think of me as omniscient in knowing who comes here next."
"Albeit we have no rules here but, surely you'll understand one, I've found myself a poppet to work to the bone."
Staring at him blankly and with little fear in my body, due to the exaggerated title he had placed upon himself.
I smirk from ear to ear as my eyebrows curve upwards as I doubt him, even going as far as a headpat.
The weight of my body shifts as I feel my heart grow weaker, being chained with black cuffs, down to the floor as a projection occurs in the all black world
"I see, you do not respect my place of authority. No matter what! Allow me to show you how ruthless I truly can be!"
"Respect is in high demand nowadays huh! Well guess, I'll make you show it!"
The young dark figure cackles as a real-time footage plays of my child with a freakishly long arm.
"HEY, YOU SICK FREAK! YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE."
"I'M WHO YOU WANT RIGHT? I'LL DO ANYTHING."
"I'LL SLAVE AWAY FOR MY LIFE UNDER YOU!"
"JUST DON'T HURT THEM! NOT MY GIRLS!"
The young man had a calm smile on his face that shifted to a toothy grin as soon as his mouth slit open. I see the sight of my ex-partner and child.
My breath grew heavy and slowed down as my grief shifted to rage instantly, as I incoherently as I yell and curse in the boy's face.
Unamused he'd tilt his head and flick his finger downwards as I fall face forward, as I feel the heaviness of his leg on the back of my head as his heel massaged my nape.
"Well. I could take their lives, and make them come see daddy that's that. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT~"
"I can compromise with you! YOU, do my dirty work in another world while your family thrives on and on!"
"I decide who goes where- In terms of dying. I'm basically the shepherd of this place, empty as it may be."
"Saving them from inconveniences. Ya kid, maaaybe my fault"
He'd stoop down and face me, as he'd shine him usually pearly whites, which sparked rage to my chest.
As quiet as I might be at this moment, I can't help but want to tear his head off where he stands.
"Your punishment honestly was Hell. Buuut- because I'm merciful and feel like making you suffer."
"You only get these options: 1. Live in an alternate world as a reincarnation."
"2. Forget your prior memories, as you'll only retain the same thinking process as you had when you were 13. And finally."
"3. I leave my hands off your family."
"My swear to you is quite earnest. Oh, and finally, you are my slave upon agreement to these."
I put my grunting to rest, calmer than before as I find it fit that I had to forget my family to progress further and allow them a fruitful life- as mysterious as he had been
"Seeing how incapable you are of referring to me properly now on, I shall don the name Cherub. Not that you'll remember anyway."
The vanta cloaked kid would wave his hands as the serene image of white flowers begins to cloud the dark rose- shadow garden, we had been standing on.
My body, knees weak and arms heavy melts into the flowers as I sink into them as my eyes open to a grassy plain...