Out in the void, something was floating, intangible and dimly lit like a fire that was about to be extinguished but was still flickering strongly trying to hold on.

It was the only thing out here in the void, seems like something was lost in the void but on looking closely it is the shape of a human. How could a human get lost over here you would wonder since this was a place of nothingness and anything lost here would never be found.

But the light shaped like a human seems like it was floating while travelling on a particular route heading towards somewhere and seems not to be in a hurry no matter how long it takes. It doesn't even seem to be disturbed or bored with the nothingness that is surrounding it.

A long time passes by, could be minutes, hours, days, months or years but surely a long time went by and the light-shaped thing was still travelling on a route seems like it has not gotten to its destination even after travelling such a long distance.

After a while of travelling through the void, it comes to a place filled with moving objects. Fast moving objects to be exact travelling in directions that couldn't be calculated no matter how long it takes waiting to try to understand. The light-shaped thing waits a bit seems like it was trying to understand the trajectory of the objects to avoid being hit by any of them but after spending a long time it seems all its effort was wasted as it just continues its journey. It got hit a few times and almost got extinguished but seems like it was able to hold on.

After a while of travelling, it can travel freely in this space, seems like the objects were avoiding it but by looking closely, you would be able to observe that at the last moment the dimly lit human-shaped thing can avoid the objects when it was about to hit it. It was an impossible feat on the part of the thing cause it seems to be able to predict every movement of the objects.

While moving through the cluster of objects it gets to a place dazzling to the eyes, it seems like a river bed of milky substance since it was white. The thing didn't hesitate before diving into the river bed without bothering about the dangers involved. After diving into the milky substance it starts becoming more recognizable and it grows brighter. Seeing it this way it seems to have facial features but it was dull like a robot. Shockingly it looks a lot like Andrew when he was alive, with no obvious difference other than the fact that it looks like a floating bright person. It was the soul of Andrew.

After absorbing the milky riverbed until not even a drop could be found, it continues on its journey to somewhere far off, still obviously hasn't gotten to its destination.

Another while passes by and he finally gets to an area but there seems to be a thick barrier in place preventing him from passing through. He has been ramming against the barrier for a while now and it doesn't seem to be relenting as his efforts were obviously in vain. But he doesn't seem to give up as he keeps on trying his best to create a little hole for him to pass through but even after a long while he still doesn't get close to creating a fracture in the barrier. He continues for another moment and seeing that there was no result to all his efforts, was about giving up until a voice calls out in the void laughing, "Hahahahahahaha, kid, I like your relenting efforts. Let me lend you a little hand". The soul of Andrew turns to look behind him but finds no one or being or thing. But after those words came, there seemed to be great powers at play before cracks starts forming in the barrier. The soul of Andrew stares dumbly for a while until the voice came up again "Kid, I can't open it for long so get your ass over there". Hearing the voice holler at him, he regains focus and rushes to pass through the crack. But his soul gets injured in the process of crossing through but it doesn't seem like a too serious injury as he gets through successfully.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

A while later in the void, after Andrew gets through, a man appears staring at the crack as it repairs itself. He stares in silence for a while before sighing and saying to himself, "Old friend, I have fulfilled the promise I made to you in the former days. Let me help him with a bit of something along the way as a sign of respect to you".

Before the crack fully closes, light passes through which heads for the soul of Andrew. The man then disappears from the void.

Andrew travels for a while before entering a new dimension and then looks for a body to possess. About to enter into a new body, a light merges with the soul, seems like they were very compatible since the merge was done without a hitch. After entering a host a voice could be heard which was grumbling in obvious anger, "Tch, another troublesome being has come. Seems like I have to wrap up my plans", the grumble was accompanied by thunders which roared.

After merging, Andrew regains consciousness. Opening his eyes, he isn't accustomed to the bright light cascading on him. "Is that a diamond I see over there?", he questions himself while forcing himself up from where he lay only to be welcomed by a heavy splitting headache. On just taking a view of his surroundings, what comes to his sight is an unusual scene in which dead bodies are strewn everywhere.

He stays in that position for a moment before saying, "So I died huh". His eyes go dim for a while before shining brightly "I got a new chance at life then", Andrew pauses for a while before continuing, "Seems like I got transmigrated, a typical background encounter I did guess. Since I was given a second chance I would become so rich, powerful and famous that the whole world would bow at the mention of my name. Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha", he starts coughing hardly cause of the long hard laugh. Seems like he has forgotten all that has happened when he was in his soul form. Cause he doesn't seem to remember any of his encounters then.

After coughing for a while, a flood of memories hits him which increases the splitting pain in his head. After retrieving the memories of the body he is now possessing tears flood his face before raising his head and shouting at the top of his lungs, "How can you be so mean to me? Whoever wrote my life story I did find you and cut you down, that I promise". As if replying to him, there is a laughing-shaped cloud formed as if mocking his resolve. Seeing that cloud, Andrew gets more annoyed but since there is nothing that can be done, he sighs longly.

And now the story begins in proper....