The world was upside down.
Metal groaned all around me. Shards of glass glittered across the floor like scattered diamonds. The air was thick with the stench of gasoline. My head felt heavy, too heavy, and each breath felt like my last.
Somewhere close, voices cut through the ringing in my ears.
"Hey! Are you— Fuck! Call an ambulance!"
"Stay with us, okay! Hey! Do you… hear…me!?"
The voices drifted away, muffled and distant, as if I were listening from underwater.
I turned my head. Slow. Pain crawled down my neck, but I moved.
She was there.
Lisa.
Her face was covered in blood. Her trembling hand reached for me across the shattered space between the seats.
"Li...s—"
But my voice broke. My chest seized. My vision tunneled, shadows closing in from every side.
Her hand blurred before my eyes.
And then everything went black.
Darkness took me.
***
Just minutes earlier.
The hum of the car engine was a steady rhythm behind her voice.
She sat sideways in the passenger seat, her heels off, bare feet curled against the leather. Streetlights slid past the window.
Lisa.
Her light brown hair fell over her shoulders in waves, catching hints of gold whenever the light hit. Bright green eyes, softly landing on me. A cute small nose and full lips, curving into that teasing smile I'd fallen for years ago. She wore a black skirt with a simple white top, paired with the green jacket she loved too much to give up, no matter the season.
I caught myself staring, just listening to the sound of her voice.
"…and then she tried to pull me into that dance circle, but you know I can't dance."
She laughed, shaking her head, then leaned against the window. Her green eyes flicked toward me, catching mine.
We stared at each other for a moment before she tilted her head playfully.
"Lukas. Why are you looking at me like that?"
I blinked, caught staring.
"I...just couldn't believe it for a moment."
Her brow rose.
"What couldn't you believe?"
"That you're mine."
She grinned, teasingly.
"Oh, yours? Becoming your girlfriend makes me yours now, huh?"
I answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
She huffed a laugh, rolling her eyes.
"Selfish."
I glanced up at the sky, then back at her.
"Remember when we first met?"
Her grin widened.
"Oh? You mean when you bumped into me as an excuse to talk?"
"It wasn't an excuse."
She waved her hand, dismissing my 'excuse'.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. I already know. Your friends told me everything. Mr. Too Shy to Speak. They practically shoved you at me."
I lifted one hand off the wheel in surrender.
"Got me."
She leaned closer, her voice softening, eyes glinting under the night lights.
"Still...that was the best thing that ever happened to me."
I smiled helplessly.
"Shouldn't that be my line? Without you, I'd still be single."
She gave a smug little shrug.
"Oh, don't worry. Some other girl would've seen your charm, eventually."
"My charm?"
Her toes nudged my leg.
"My prince charming."
I caught her ankle, pulled her leg onto my lap, one hand resting against her soft skin.
"Me and charm? That doesn't sound right."
She shifted in her seat until she was comfortable.
"You still don't know?"
"Know what?"
"You're naturally flirty when you talk. You don't even notice it. Do you know how annoyed I was at the beginning? You were too friendly with all my friends."
I laughed nervously.
"No way."
She pressed her foot to my chest, pushing softly.
"Half of them thought you were flirting. They told me everything."
I grabbed her ankle again, sliding her leg back onto my lap, brushing her skin with my fingers.
"That's the first time I'm hearing about it."
Her eyes widened.
"Really? Nobody ever told you?"
"Nope. Never had a girlfriend to warn me. And I sure as hell don't flirt with my friends."
She leaned back, flashing me a bright smile.
"Now you know. See how considerate and forgiving I am? Shouldn't you cherish me more?"
"Cherish you more than I do now? That's a tough challenge."
She raised her brow.
"Then think of something good."
I looked ahead, in thought. The ring back in our apartment came to mind. Hidden in my drawer. Waiting for the right moment and...enough courage.
'Not tonight. But soon...maybe on that trip she kept talking about. But I could tease her a bit at least.'
I glanced back at her, grinning.
"I've already got something."
Her eyes narrowed.
"What is it?"
"I won't tell you."
Her mouth fell open in mock outrage. Her foot tapped my chest again, playfully.
"Wow, really? Playing that card? We both know, people who don't finish what they start are monsters."
I chuckled.
"Right, right. So what do I get if I tell you?"
Her eyes widened.
"Now you want something in return? Shameless! Weren't we talking about cherishing me?"
"We were. But I'm an expensive boyfriend. You think you can stare at this face for free?"
She burst out laughing.
"So now we're back to you complimenting yourself?"
"Not complimenting. Stating facts."
"Arrogant."
"Confidence, girl. Confidence."
"Confidence, my ass."
I paused, smirking.
"You know what the problem is?"
"What now?"
"See how I have to compliment myself? That's because you don't cherish me enough."
She smacked my shoulder, laughing.
"Wow. You really have done it, huh? Turning the whole conversation around in seconds. How did we get from cherishing me to cherishing you?"
I laughed with her.
"Hahaha."
Then I called her name softly.
"Lisa."
Her smile softened instantly.
"What now?"
"I love you."
Her lips parted, eyes glowing.
"I lov—"
HOONK—
A horn screamed.
Headlights. Too close. Too fast.
BAM!
Glass shattered into glittering rain. Metal screamed as the world spun. The airbag slammed into me, knocking the breath out of my lungs.
Through it all, I saw her hand reaching for me. Green eyes wide, terrified.
Then my head hit something hard, and the world went dark.
***
I was calm.
'That's the end, huh?'
Surprisingly calm for my own death.
'Yeah…that's it.'
Memories drifted through my mind. My life, playing from beginning to end, like one short movie.
Lukas Wane.
Twenty-one years old. Just some average guy you'd see on the street. Luckily, I had good looks. I had a loving family. A couple of close friends. Even a girlfriend. A decent job. Great social skills, but too annoyed by people to use them. And lazy...the laziest person you could find.
'That's me. My life in a nutshell.'
'Yeah… I had regrets. Plenty of them. Things I never did. Chances I never took.'
But—
'It was good...right?'
The thought hung for a moment.
In the end…
'I lived. That's it.'
'And now… I died.'
My thoughts stopped as light appeared.
Blinding white light illuminated everything and swallowed the darkness.
I blinked. Then came the weight. First my arms, then my legs. I stumbled before I found balance.
I looked down.
Glass clung to my sleeves. My white shirt was soaked red and torn at the shoulder. My black jeans were ragged with holes and bloodstains.
I flexed my fingers. Shards bit into my palm. There was no pain.
And then I saw it in the corner of my eye. A figure stood ahead, just a few paces away.
I looked up.
Blue eyes. Messy black hair. A sharp jawline. Tall, broad-shouldered, athletic. He stood easy, hands in the pockets. He wore a black shirt and sweatpants.
"…Huh?"
'That's me.'
His mouth curved into a tired smile.
"You died."
My throat went dry.
"Is...this real?"
He nodded.
"Real enough."
I let out a chuckle.
"So what are you? A god or what?"
He shook his head.
"No, not a god. Just you."
I blinked, confused.
"Me?"
He took a slow breath, then tilted his head toward the blank horizon.
"Or more like…we're you."
The moment he said it, the white shifted.
Figures stepped forward one by one.
A man in a doctor's coat. A man in a soccer kit. Another in a suit. One held a toddler. One stood beside Lisa, a ring gleaming on both of their fingers.
Every single one of them was me.
Doctors. Athletes. Actors. Bankers. Fathers. Husbands... and many more.
My voice cracked.
"What the hell…?"
He gestured toward them.
"Watch closely."
"Watch what?"
His eyes met mine.
"All the things you could've become, but didn't."
One by one, he pointed toward them.
"That one? You, if you didn't quit studying."
"That one? You, if you hadn't dropped out of the business school."
"That one? You, if you'd taken soccer seriously."
"That one? You, if you stayed disciplined with training."
"That one? You, if you'd had the guts to propose to Lisa."
"That one? You, if you'd taken the banking job."
"That one? You, if...."
At last, he stepped forward.
"And me? I'm the 'you' who didn't leave the party. I kept living."
Silence pressed in. The others watched, faces unreadable.
He stepped closer, his voice rose with each question.
"Are you happy?"
"Did you live a good life?"
"Don't you have regrets?"
"Don't you want more?!"
I took a breath, steadying myself, before speaking.
"Yeah. I could have been all that. Some rich guy, famous athlete, or whatever else they are. But—I was happy. That's all that mattered."
I paused.
"I had it all. Friends, family, even a girlfriend. It was enough."
His eyes softened.
"Enough?"
"Yes?"
He didn't raise his voice.
"Is it really enough? Don't you want more?"
My answer came immediately.
"No."
"Liar."
"It's the truth."
He frowned, annoyed.
"You really think you can lie here?"
Then, while looking back at the other me's, with an expression that seemed to say—Is this guy serious?—he spoke again.
"Hey, genius. Did you forget that I am you?"
I frowned, annoyed.
"People can change."
He looked at me, dead serious.
"I am the 'you' from tomorrow."
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'm quite spontaneous, you know?"
He nodded.
"True."
A pause.
"You are still lying."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"It's the truth."
"A lie."
"No."
"Yes."
"N—"
"Yes."
My calm snapped. My voice rose. Rage took over as I closed the distance, fingers closing around his neck.
"Fuck! Of course I want more! Stop asking me questions you already know the answer to! Who doesn't want more!?"
He didn't flinch. He let me grab him and vent before he spoke again.
"Then live your next life without regrets. Don't look back and say it was a good life. Say it was the best!"
His palm rose,
Tap.
He lightly tapped my chest.
I frowned.
"What the hell are you—"
Then the light vanished.
The last thing I saw was his gentle smile.
Before darkness swallowed me again.
***
Darkness left, and light began to fill my vision, bit by bit.
At first, it was blinding. But then it softened.
My body felt impossibly heavy until something caught me.
I couldn't see yet, but I felt it all. Arms. They were trembling, but gentle. I felt skin press against my cheek, the thud of a racing heart, and warmth flowing into me.
Then my eyes adjusted, and a figure filled my vision.
A woman.
Her long hair hung loose, damp with sweat. Strands clung to her cheeks. Her eyes looked exhausted, yet shone as they found me. Her lips curved into a tired smile as she whispered.
"My son."
The words stunned me. For a moment, my head was blank.
But understanding came quickly.
I was reborn.
As soon as the thought settled, pain followed.
It climbed up my skull. My vision wavered, the woman's voice muffled into echoes. It felt as though something deep inside me was being pulled apart.
Cold washed through me. Not over my skin, but within me. As if my very soul shook.
Then it came.
A whisper.
I heard it in my head. Something tried to speak, but the words slipped away before I could grasp them.
The light dimmed again.
And once more, darkness swallowed me.