*Beep!*

*Beep!*

The faint morning light seeped through a crack in the curtains, casting a gentle glow into the room, where a man lay alone in a double bed. The intrusive noise of the alarm persisted, slowly rousing him from his slumber. Gradually, his mumbled complaints grew louder, until finally, a pair of weary, yet determined, blue eyes fluttered open. The telltale signs of exhaustion were etched beneath his eyes, a testament to the restless nights he had endured.

With a practiced motion, he reached out and silenced the alarm, his hand moving effortlessly towards the bedside table. It was a well-rehearsed routine, as if he had performed this act countless times before. Relief washed over him as the grating sound faded away, and he let out an audible yawn, stretching his limbs in the process.

As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his tired gaze caught sight of his reflection in the wardrobe mirror. A momentary pause allowed him to take in the disheveled hair and the weariness etched into his features. It was a stark reminder of the restless nights he had endured, each one leaving its mark.

Determined to shake off the remnants of sleep, he rose to his feet and made his way towards the bathroom. Each step seemed deliberate, as if he was gathering strength to face the day ahead.

*Splash!*

*Splash!*

As the faucet turned on, the cold water made direct contact with his hand, causing a slight "Tch!" of discomfort. Nonetheless, he didn't flinch and instead cupped the water with both hands, splashing it lightly onto his face to wake up faster. As the cold water trickled down his face, the mirror reflected the image of a middle-aged man with piercing blue eyes and slightly defined facial features. His body, affected by the lack of proper nourishment, was thin enough for some of his bones to be visible, but not excessively so. Consequently, his cheeks appeared slightly sunken, but overall, his appearance could be considered ideal. His hair, tousled and disheveled, symbolized the grogginess of just having woken up.

This man was Javier McCalin – an ordinary employee of an ordinary company, holding an ordinary job that provided an ordinary salary. He neither loved nor hated his job. It was sufficient for meeting his needs; he desired nothing more. For someone like him, who sought a normal life, it was indeed a suitable profession. With the cold water droplets still dripping from his face, he entered his bathroom to take a hot shower. Although he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about going to work, he disliked being late as much as he disliked those who were chronically late. Therefore, he hurried to finish his shower, dried himself off, and then dressed in a white shirt and black pants. Despite the absence of a dress code at the office, this combination felt most comfortable to him. After fastening the last buttons of his shirt, he made his way directly to the kitchen. He poured the half-full milk bottle from the refrigerator into an empty bowl and added his favorite cereal. Stirring gently with a spoon a few times to ensure everything was well mixed, even those bits that hadn't come into contact with the milk, he began to eat.

He chewed calmly but swiftly, careful not to let anything get lodged in his windpipe, and within five minutes, he had finished his meal. Glancing at the classic watch on his right arm, he headed towards the door. After grabbing his jacket and a bag filled with documents from the coat rack, he put on his shoes and opened the door.

This was the 3,685th time he had gone through the exact same routine.

After double-checking that his door was securely locked, he proceeded to walk down the dimly lit corridor at a leisurely pace, finally reaching the six-person elevator. Fortune favored him today as the elevator happened to be waiting on his floor, a rare stroke of luck. Yet, upon reflecting on his memories, he knew this had occurred on numerous occasions before. The illuminated number for the minus first floor signaled the elevator's descent, gradually carrying him downward. It took precisely sixteen seconds for the doors to slide open once again, revealing a bustling parking lot filled with cars as he stepped out into the world beyond. Without hesitation, he strode forward, heading directly towards his habitual parking spot.

Slipping the key into the ignition, he brought the engine to life, the familiar hum resonating throughout the car. Easing his foot onto the gas pedal, he began his journey, skillfully maneuvering towards the exit of the parking lot. The soft rays of the early morning sun forced his eyes to squint, adjusting to the subtle interplay of light and shadows. Guided by habit, he turned right, embarking on his well-worn path. Maintaining a steady speed, his confidence grew, knowing all too well that he would arrive punctually, his familiarity with the route instilling a sense of certainty. Metaphorically speaking, he could traverse this road with his eyes closed, so deeply ingrained had it become in his consciousness.

Just as he was about to make his second right turn, cautionary signs came into view, signaling road construction ahead. A faint internal sigh escaped him, and he made the split-second decision to press forward instead, bypassing the upcoming intersection and extending his route. Regrettably, circumstances had conspired to prolong his journey this time.

Navigating the road with one hand on the wheel, he glanced intermittently at his phone, scrolling through the latest news headlines. Murders, politics, sports, and gossip—repetitive themes that seemed to dominate the media. A sudden yawn caught him off guard as he approached the impending turn. Yet, his attention swiftly snapped back to the present as a cacophony of sirens pierced the air. Casting his gaze ahead, he witnessed a fleet of police cars hurtling toward him, their urgency palpable. No, they were in pursuit of something—a black van daringly traversing the wrong side of the road, its darkened exterior marred by bullet scars, testament to a recent altercation. Astonishingly, it outpaced even the fleet of law enforcement vehicles chasing it.

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The black van continued its audacious course, narrowly evading collision with a white car at the last moment. The driver of the van, engrossed in this daring maneuver, failed to anticipate another vehicle's attempt to turn right onto the road. And, unfortunately, that vehicle belonged to Javier.

A surge of adrenaline pulsed through Javier's veins as he instinctively attempted to veer away from the impending danger. But the unfolding events transpired with lightning speed, leaving no room for timely reactions. Both he and the driver of the black van found themselves caught in a devastating collision, their vehicles entwined in a violent ballet of twisted metal, tumbling and spiraling out of control.

*Crash!*

*Crash!*

The next thing Javier experienced was an excruciating pain that surged through his body. It felt as though a hammer had struck his head, leaving him disoriented and throbbing with agony. His car spun through the air like a helpless toy, flipping and twisting in chaotic motions. He couldn't distinguish which way was up or down amidst the dizzying whirl. In a matter of seconds, all sense of awareness faded into oblivion. It was his first encounter with such a harrowing situation, and right before succumbing to unconsciousness, he felt a brief, intense wave of piercing pain that enveloped his being.

And then... darkness. A profound and all-encompassing darkness.

Where was he? How long had he been devoid of consciousness? Could he have lost his ability to see?

He had no answers.

All he could perceive was the chilling embrace of an eternal, pitch-black void. It was a realm without boundaries, devoid of any signs of beginning or end. Amidst this profound desolation, he couldn't even catch a glimpse of his own physical form.

But then a flicker of realization sparked within him.

"No, it's not that I can't see... I no longer possess them." He attempted to move his limbs—his arm, his legs, even his head—but there was no response. They lay motionless, unresponsive to his will. And in that moment, a specific thought lodged itself in his mind, igniting a surge of primal fear.

Death...

He, Javier McCalin, had met his demise. Though devoid of a physical body, a sense of coldness permeated his being. He had never experienced such profound hopelessness. Throughout his life, he had always considered himself cold and indifferent, believing that nothing could affect or disturb him. After all, he had nothing to lose.

But now, the tables had turned... A sudden rush of emotions overwhelmed him, flooding his consciousness. Memories from his entire existence bore down on him like an immense weight, crushing his spirit. There were no tears to shed, no voice to utter, yet within, he screamed. Silent screams that would forever remain unheard, akin to a lost child in the abyss of darkness. It was as if he had suddenly become acutely aware of his fragility and vulnerability.

His entire existence seemed utterly devoid of meaning... And in that moment, his mind drifted to the fleeting moments of pure joy from his childhood. Those carefree days spent with his family.

"Oh, how beautiful they were!"

However, even those carefree days had proven transient; they shattered when divorces tore his family apart during his adolescence. From that point onward, all he could recall was burying himself in his studies, gradually transforming into a cog in the machine, a high-paid office worker driven solely by the accumulation of wealth until retirement.

Time was a merciless force indeed. The power it wielded over people, the transformations it wrought. Time truly showed no mercy...

Perhaps, had the alarm not rung that day, or if the elevator had not been waiting on his floor, or if the road had not been under construction, the course of events might have unfolded differently. Even the slightest deviation in that fateful day could have meant he would still be alive!

Before he could free himself from the grips of his emotional turmoil, the darkness before him parted, revealing a radiant beam of light, akin to the brilliance of a thousand suns, beckoning from a distance. It seemed to consume his essence and draw him inexorably closer. Strangely, it felt right. As if his ultimate purpose since birth had been to surrender himself to that ethereal light, to embrace the unknown that lay ahead.

As he inched closer to the light, a sense of awe replaced the eerie coldness of the surrounding darkness. The light enveloped him with a nurturing warmth, akin to a mother's loving embrace, melting away all sorrow, pain, and despair. All he had to do was reach out and surrender to its embrace.

But such a fate was not meant for him.

"No..." The words echoed forcefully within his current ethereal state, causing his journey towards the light to abruptly halt. The boundless darkness trembled, as if a solitary drop had disturbed the stillness of an ocean.

Anger surged within him.

Had everything he had ever done led him to this moment? Was this the predetermined path, his immutable destiny?

As anger consumed him, the darkness trembled even more intensely. Resisting felt like a deluge of a thousand blades piercing his mind. Yet, he refused to yield; no, he couldn't yield. The notion of vanishing in such a pitiful manner repulsed him in an inexplicable way. For the first time in his existence, he yearned to take action. It was as if he had seized control of his own destiny. For the first time, he fought with every fiber of his being. As the light's power intensified, so did his determination to resist.

He would neither fade into oblivion nor allow himself to forget.

With each passing moment, his defiance only served to amplify the agony. The unfamiliar, spiritual state he found himself in grew increasingly feeble, crushed beneath the relentless might of the light like an ant going against a hammer. "I can't stop! I will not!" With every ounce of his minuscule, seemingly inconsequential will, he incessantly echoed those words within his mind, resolutely battling against this overwhelming force.

And as the battle raged on, the darkness no longer trembled like a solitary drop but convulsed under the tumultuous onslaught of an impending storm.

This was no longer a mere struggle; it had transformed into a full-fledged war.

On one side, a feeble human engaged in a desperate battle for existence, while on the other side, an enigmatic embodiment of divine judgment, veiled in the mysteries of creation since time immemorial.

-END-