After what felt like an instant, David's senses returned to him.
First, there was light. Soft trinkles of light cascading onto his closed eyelids.
Then, there was sound. An ethereal voice, weeping quietly, the sound echoing from all around him.
Finally, there was touch. He felt his body standing on solid ground. He felt the wind flowing softly around him, and he felt the light droplets of rain that fell against his skin, soothing his mangled spirit.
Eventually, David opened his eyes to find himself standing before a forest of pine trees, with a well-trodden path leading into it. The sky above the canopy was a distinct ocean blue and though it was raining, it was perfectly clear with not even birds inhabiting it.
Looking around, he saw only verdant hills of grass and singular, scattered trees, that seemed to continue endlessly in every direction. An unnatural haze covered most of the faraway lands, making them appear smudged, somewhat resembling the background of an otherwise hyper-realistic painting.
'As if these uncanny aspects weren't enough to convince me, it's late December. It's impossible for the grass to be green and for the trees to be full of life.'
Though confused by the sudden transportation and this place he'd been moved to, David soon came to the conclusion that he must be dreaming. Perhaps he was shot and put in a coma? It did seem like the most plausible theory.
After a brief moment, he realized there was no point in standing around and decided to search for the source of the cries. Although it was just a lucid dream, David figured it could at least serve as a distraction of sorts.
Seeing as how he woke up in front of it, the forest seemed like the place to go and so he began to follow the path which split it. While walking, he continued to bask in the rejuvenating rain, and kept an eye out for any animals that might be hiding among the trees.
Strangely enough, at this moment David was fine despite the harrowing experience that led him here. The serene nature of this place felt similar in some ways to the sedation cause by certain medicines, and for the moment, he was okay... at peace with himself and his fate.
Despite having a clear recollection of what he had just experienced, there was something about this dream, this place he was in, that allowed him to temporarily digress from misery. He didn't know the reason for it but it had been a long time since he last got to experience a moment of peace, so he decided to pause his steps and appreciate it.
However.. he soon realized this was a mistake, as the burden of his existence came back to haunt him. Not even a minute passed before his mind grew restless as if seeking to challenge its subdued state, erratically searching for ways to clash with the temporary solace it had found in this place.
Despite the tranquil atmosphere, David was helpless to stop this assault and soon his thoughts were dominated by one particular emotion. Fear.
A profound sense of dread arose, centered around his state of being.
Was he not dead? Is death not the end? What's happening in the world outside, and.. what's happened to his sister in however long he's been out? It all came back to him, the doubts he had and the emotions he discarded in the moments leading up to this.. comatose dream state.
The instinctual fear of death and the unknown combined with thoughts of his beloved sister, and the memories of his final, conscious moments. He briefly wondered if this moment of peace had been an illusion, or a final act of trickery by a damnable world attempting to placate his tarnished, dying soul.
However, he eventually came to the conclusion that it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered now was waking up and seeing his sister again.
"Please.. God. I haven't asked for much in life so do me this favor. Send me back for just a moment before killing me. She doesn't deserve this. Give me a few minutes to make it right then.. let me die."
For the first time in his life, he prayed for a miracle, to be given just another moment of life. If only to speak to his sister one more time, then death may come.
No, death must come, and it must be final.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A short while of walking later, David reached the end of the path, having arrived at a large clearing in the forest. As expected, there were no animals grazing the field, just as there had been no animals hiding amidst the trees or circling in the sky.
Instead, at the center of the clearing he saw a large stone basin and a woman standing behind it with her head held low. She appeared to be in her thirties, though if it wasn't for the air of maturity around her, she could have easily passed as younger. She had lush, velvety brown hair traveling down her shoulders and back, and was dressed in a robe dress of pristine, dark-blue silk.
Her general aesthetic reminded David of the goddesses of Greek mythology, only much more beautiful than any ancient depictions.
As he stood in awe at her unnatural beauty, she slowly looked up to meet his gaze. Her cerulean eyes were covered in tears that sparkled as sunlight scattered across her face. At this point the sound of crying had stopped, yet tears continued to slowly drip from her eyes when she faced him.
A soft, melodious voice then rang out in place of the sobs, as she spoke to him from afar.
"Child of none. You were not welcome in life, but in death I welcome you."
Finishing her sentence, she greeted him with a deep curtsey, her flowing robes lightly grazing the ground around her.
Seeing her actions, David once again began to question the state he's in. Everything had felt too real and sensory to be a simple dream. Not to mention, with a bullet in his brain, he would expect his dreams to be fractured and horrifying. Not this.
Also, what death is she talking about? What if he really did die? If so, where is he?
She continued to speak while he pondered on the concept of an afterlife, thinking that maybe she's an angel, or some kind of reaper. Though the prior seemed more likely based on her appearance.
"In death, I give you new life. In return, I will be your mother and you, my champion."
'May I decline?' he thought to himself, not wanting to interrupt whatever monologue she had going.
"Do you not wish to live again?"
One would think she sounded surprised, if it wasn't for the complete lack of emotion on her face.
A moment passed in silence, as David realized she had responded to his thoughts.
'I guess it makes sense if this is a dream.'
"It's not a dream. You died and have been born anew. My child, my champion."
'Then who are you? If this isn't a dream, and I'm dea-'
"You are not dead. I have given you new life."
At this point, the rain began to fall a bit heavier, and so did the tears dripping from her eyes. Was she upset?
She continued speaking amidst the ramping rainfall, as heavy clouds quickly gathered in the previously clear sky.
"I am a mother who lost her children and you are the child of none. I welcome you, the unwelcomed son, so that you may be born anew."
Thinking back on the life he had lived until now, and some of the things he had experienced in the last fifteen or so years since his mom.. passed, David quickly came to a conclusion and responded in a somber tone,
"If it's true that I'm dead then I don't want to be your champion. I don't want to be "born anew" as anything at all. If I died, then so be it. My wish is to remain dead."
He then thought of his sister once more and continued,
"Unless you can return me to the days before my death, so that she won't have to live with the same burden as I did."
When David thought of his sister and spoke, the rain began to fall harder, faster. Before it had made no sound once it reached the ground but now it struck violently against the soil, letting out light thuds as it did so.
A moment later, the eerily impassive woman before him suddenly fell to her knees and began sobbing violently, her sorrowful cries sounding out amidst the heavy rain. Her tears fell rapidly, trickling between the dainty hands that she frantically held out in a futile attempt to catch them, and they, unlike the rain, began filling the stone basin before her.
A few seconds later, she looked up to face him while tears flowed profusely from her eyes.
Then, she let out a grief-stricken shriek, sounding out from all around him. Her voice sliced against his skin similar to sharp, icy winds,
"I CANNOT OFFER YOU A LIFE THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN."
Immediately after these words, her head fell limp, drooping down to face the basin. She kept speaking, albeit softly, while seemingly in some sort of stupor.
"I'm unable to offer you the lives that you both deserve."
Falling deeper into her grieving state, her body slumped weakly against the basin.
As she kept speaking her voice grew even quieter, and no longer encompassed him. Instead it began to be heard as soft-spoken words leaving her body.
"I'm sorry. I'm.. sorry.... my children... I'm so sorry... I cannot return to you the lives that were lost. I couldn't give you.. the lives that you deserved... I'm so sorry.. my people.."
David, who had been watching it all transpire in shock now finally realized that his words, or perhaps thoughts, had awoken something in her. It seemed she wasn't thinking of him and his sister anymore, instead having fallen into a strange state of grief.
He slowly approached her from where he had been standing, and knelt down next to her and the basin. "Hey, it's alright. It's alright. You hear me? It'll be okay."
He spoke softly and slowly, attempting only to console.
"I .. children.... mine.."
Her murmurs continued, now incoherently, as David sat there for some time, speaking to her.
He didn't say much at all, instead only addressing her in simple words, making general statements in an attempt to calm her.
In the beginning she simply wept and spoke to an unknown recipient, entirely unaware of her surroundings, but after some time she began to lean into the sound of his voice and the violent cries slowly returned to a soft sob.
Following this, the rain began reverting back to it's original tranquility and the dark clouds gathered overhead quickly separated and passed, having served their purpose. The sun was once again able to provide the clearing with it's light.
"Thank you. Please do not think badly of me because of this. I must weep. It is who... what I am."
She raised her head to look at David, who was kneeling on the ground next to her. Up close, she was even more mesmerizing than he had previously thought. Thankfully, it seemed she either lost the ability to read his mind, or simply did not care what he thought of her appearance.
"As mentioned, I'm unable to return to you the life that you had. It is far outside my power. I can only offer you new life in my world, where I know that you will find the happiness you deserve."
Mostly content, having looked into her shining blue eyes for some time, David calmly considered his options.
'What kind of world is it?' he wondered, attempting to test her clairvoyance.
Still aware of his thoughts, she answered kindly,
"Unlike Earth, it is rich in aether, an element rarely found in your world. My world's inhabitants are affected by it in many ways, and some are even capable of manipulating it with their will. It is magic and many other things that Earth will never experience."
'Would I be able to control this substance and use magic, too?'
She nodded, "You will. The quality of your soul is almost unheard of, though it is.. rather dark. It will be a simple matter but first you must awaken and learn how."
Not even magic appealed to him much but he did not wish to decline her request just yet, perhaps in fear of another downpour.
"What did you mean by champion, earlier?"
David continued his questions but decided to instead speak his thoughts aloud, which prompted the Goddess to smile just slightly. This, too, appeared bittersweet due to the constant flow of tears.
"My world was once a paradise but now it harbors less life than death. Chaos grows where order does not. Your soul is beautiful, truly. I have brought you here with the hope that you will be my representative when you live again."
"What would you expect of me?"
"I do not wish for much, only for you to live and seek your own happiness. In your search I hope that you will bless my world just as you would have done yours, had you been given time."
David was about to ask why she thought so highly of him but then figured she wouldn't be able to explain it in a way that made sense. Instead he considered the "opportunity" presented to him and felt that it would be interesting, but at the same time... would he have to keep his memories?
He did not want to live again if it meant continuing as he had done for the last couple of years, and especially if it meant keeping the memories from earlier, on top of his already burdensome past.
"I'm unable to offer you the peace that you desire, as I require you to remain as you are. Instead, I make you this promise. If you are willing to live on in my world, you will one day find it yourself and when you do, you will be happy. This I swear, as your mother.."
Perhaps she felt embarrassed to call herself his mother, after her previous cry show, as she paused for a moment while appearing somewhat flustered.
"-and as the goddess of Astaria."
After she finished speaking, without waiting for a response, she began scribbling a brightly colored sigil on her palm, using her index finger. In an instant, she appeared to be done, having drawn the image of a feathered wing with several lighter drops and lines decorating it- likely visualizing water.
A few seconds passed and the symbol began to burn with a blue flame, searing and sizzling as it rested in her flesh until finally, it began to fade into her hand, leaving behind a thin scar in its place.
She then did the same on David's chest and as it burnt it caused no pain, only confusion.
"Now then, my child. It is time. I have made my promise."
"No, wait.. I-"
Without being allowed to protest, or ever being given the option to decline in the first place, David's vision went dark, followed by his mind becoming groggy. He once again experienced the feeling he had felt when the bullet entered his brain and his soul escaped its cage.
Only this time, it was comfortable, as if carried by thousands of tiny droplets that softly caressed his consciousness as it went back to sleep.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Soon after David's soul had entered its slumber, the woman's voice sounded out once more. It was kind but drenched in desperation as it drifted off into a vast, empty space.
"I pray that you will one day find the happiness that was robbed of you and above all, that you become a blessing to my dying world.. good luck, dear child."