There comes a point in everyone’s life where you ask yourself “How did I get here”?

What sequence of events, choices and circumstances led to where you are right now and, if you could go back to some point earlier down the line, would you change anything?

I was having such thoughts as Inan, a Goddess of Darkness, pressed her thin heel on my neck.

She looked down at me, as I lay sprawled on the ground, with scornful eyes that barely acknowledged my presence.

As if she was looking at a soda can that she was about to crumple.

She wore a pair of black leather heels and her ankles were modestly hidden in her equally black pants which snuggly hugged her tall, ample figure.

Covering her chest was a plain white shirt which was beneath a black blazer which all served to contrast against her marble white skin and neck long jet black hair from which plumes of black smoke rose.

Her irises were pools of liquid darkness from which escape seemed impossible-

“Well? Use that weasily voice of yours to explain how I’m going to explain another dead hero to the manager?” Her thin rosé lips whispered as she stood above me in the kitchen.

Why was she so angry with me and why was she pressing her heel onto my throat?

Well, it’s better if I start from the beginning.

.

..

Despite my shortcomings during my time on earth, one thing I took pride in was my work ethic.

While working in the delivery industry wasn’t the most glamorous thing, I made sure to dedicate all of my focus to my work when I was on the clock.

Was the ceaseless daily grind, long work hours, ever-dwindling social life and poor eating habits slowly driving me nuts?

Not at all!

This much was what most of everyone else was dealing with at minimum so I didn’t complain and worked my life away with a polite smile at all times.

That was until I got hit by a fellow delivery truck.

And while my death was terrible, I didn’t hate the person who killed me and chose to pass on peacefully.

I then awoke in a dark place that seemed like the foot of the very universe I once existed in.

As if I was outside the cosmos itself.

Dread then followed.

I, a human, as defined by my mortality among many things, had died.

My life, twenty something years of joy and pain had suddenly ended.

I felt my naked, ethereal form tremble a little as the weight of my demise dawned on me.

I was afraid of whatever was to come.

Remorseful of any wrong I might have done and somewhat grateful for all the good I had experienced.

A voice then spoke to me. In a voice that was sweeter and more comforting than any other, washing away any sorrow I felt in the moments prior.

It said that I was in a place called the Realm of Thought, where souls, thoughts and even God’s existed.

This was where souls got distributed since every soul in existence had already been created, no new ones could be made and so had to be reborn through the process of reincarnation for the sake of the perpetuation of life.

That much was easy enough to understand and so I nodded along as the voice spoke.

It then said that the forces of good and evil were at war and some worlds in the universe needed heroes to save them but, before the voice could send me off as a potential hero, another voice suddenly spoke up.

[My apologies, Almighty Cycle Sir but can I have that one?]

[Mmm? Hello, Cí'ài. Short-staffed again?] The Cycle asked.

[Yes, unfortunately. The last one shattered a couple of days ago and we need someone on the ground as soon as possible.] Cí’ài sighed.

[That’s unfortunate. Even the Soul, most divine its craft as it may be,  has an upper limit on how much it can handle. Oh, well. You can take him.]

I wanted to ask what was going on but, before I could even open my mouth, I suddenly found myself on my knees and in another space. It looked like I was in a version of my old body.

The space I was in looked like an office lunchroom only sitting in front of my naked self were four women.

Starting from the left was the shortest. She wore a pair of orange sneakers, a pair of red track pants, a white tank top and her short, kinky red hair, which had actual flames rising out of it.

She had a petite figure and her irises looked like two miniature Suns which were just as bright as her grin.

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Her dark skin was lined with sweat and her frantic breaths made it seem like she had just finished running.

Next to her was a woman in a wheelchair. Her skin was also lined with small cracks that appeared to be made of gold.

She wore a light grey gown and draped over her shoulders was a cardigan which was lined with strange symbols I couldn’t recognize.

Her silky, long black hair was bound in a messy bun behind her head and also seemed to be damp.

She had a frail figure and her thin hands rested over a one-meter-long box that rested on her lap.

Her eyes were like whirlpools of water that twisted in towards their pupils.

Next to her was a woman who was clad in a dark blue silk gown that, while modest, clung closely to her slender figure.

Her hair was short, dark and had countless sparks darting along each strand.

Her eyes were two orbs of fulmination.

The last was the woman from the prologue section of the chapter.

She was the tallest and had the fullest figure although it maintained a vaguely hourglass shape.

“For how long do you think he’s going to ogle at us?” She snarled.

“Now, now. We were staring at him just as intently. Hello, Tanaka. My name is Cí’ài and I am the manager here at Red Dragon Distributors.” The woman in the wheelchair greeted with a weary smile.

“As you witnessed, you died and while you were supposed to reincarnate as a hero, I decided to acquire your soul for the purpose of delivering blessings to the heroes in the worlds on the Physical Plane,” Cí’ài explained but, while I was able to understand the first cosmic being’s words, I wasn’t sure what Cí’ài meant.

She apparently noticed my confusion and tapped the box on her lap.

“We are Goddesses who work the Great Cosmic Cycle, that being that you interacted with earlier. He is what is known as a Constant and he monitors the distribution of souls. We do the same only at a smaller scale. We also manage heroes and bestow blessings upon them.”

I weakly nodded before squinting a little.

“I-I see. But why do you need me?” My voice was hoarse and my throat was dry.

“That’s because you are a Bridge Soul and are able to jump not only between worlds but Realms as well. We gods aren’t allowed on the Physical Plane so you will deliver blessings in our stead.” Cí’ài elaborated.

“Mmm… that sounds amazing and everything but I really wanted to be a hero. This sounds uncomfortably similar to the job I had when I was alive. So is it possible for me to decline-“ My heart sank as the air suddenly got heavier.

I was already on my knees but it felt as though they were being forced onto the hard tiles beneath.

“Bridge Souls are extremely rare and, unfortunately, this is not something you can simply decline, I’m afraid. Our company offers a few benefits and while you won’t be a hero, I can guarantee that you will be fulfilled with your new purpose.” Cí’ài’s smile brightened a little and while I wanted to maintain my defiance, I also didn’t want to find out what the consequences of refusal were so I nodded.

“Alright, I’ll bite. And what benefits can I look forward to?” The air returned to normal and it was here that Inan, the tall one, walked up to me after letting out a sigh.

“We'll explain the rest when he gets back. We really need to get this delivery done so please give me the World Code.” She spoke in a monotone drone as she grabbed me by the back of the neck with one hand.

She then picked me up and while I expected to feel pain, I only felt the discomfort of being grabbed.

I felt somewhat weightless and it was here that I realized that Inan was handling me pretty roughly.

She dragged me out of the lunchroom and, after walking past the main office area, she took me to the exit which was a door at the side of which was a keypad.

“The world code is 1042001,” Cí’ài said from behind us and Inan promptly pressed the numbers before opening the door, revealing a vast space of white light.

Inan dropped me before stepping aside, allowing Cí’ài to hand me the box which was surprisingly heavy.

“Your first task is to go to the world of Solace where you will deliver this blessing to the Hero known as Lucas. His world is besieged by the forces of Evil and without this blessing, I fear that countless more innocents will perish. Once the delivery is complete, you can use your abilities as a Bridge Soul to teleport here.” Cí’ài said and I couldn’t even ask how Bridge Soul powers worked since Inan kicked me in the face, sending me flying into the white space which rapidly disappeared revealing a world that was engulfed in the flames of war.

I was falling from high in the atmosphere and even from here, I could see the millions of people who were fighting all kinds of monsters on the muddy battlefields below. Titans of both steel and flesh crushed entire villages beneath their steps all under the light of a red star. The screams of the damned and forsaken filled the air and even reached me all the way up here.

But I had no time to worry about that.

How was I going to land??

I knew that I was lighter now but did that mean I wouldn’t take fall damage?

I… maybe.

I couldn’t think of anything else and so I fearfully awaited the ground's arrival with closed eyes.

“Mmm? Who are you?” An unfamiliar voice asked.

I opened my eyes to find that I was in a medieval castle.

I was in an office of some kind and sitting in a work leather chair, clad in golden armour, was a man who looked like he was so tired, he would have fallen asleep if he blinked one more time.

His dark hair and pale skin were governed in grime and sweat which only served to make him look even more depressed.

“That box… Miss Cí’ài sent you.” He growled before forcing himself onto his feet. As if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

His every step suggested as much as he shook the very castle with his every move.

He asked that I give him the box and I did.

He tore it open, revealing what appeared to be a steel short sword only the space around it was distorted.

Lucas’s face finally changed and it looked like he was relieved.

“Hehe. It’s good to see that even now, in our darkest hour, God is still with us.” He smiled while walking back to his chair behind a map littered table.

"Phew... I had fallen into dispair again. Please, sit." He gestured and, naked as I was, I sat before him.

I felt small in presence.

Like he had been forged in the fires countless trials which made the determination in his eyes seem unbreakable.

"So, you're the new guy. Did you just die or did you get transfered from somewhere else?" The Hero named Lucas asked as he grabbed a bottle of what looked like a bottle of wine which he poured into two bronze goblets.

"I-i just died." I admitted while accepting a goblet from the hero.

"Oh? So, how's home doing nowadays?" He took a swig of the wine while inspecting his new sword.

"Home?" I asked after taking a shy sip of the room temperature booze.

"You know, earth. Don't know if you know this yet but our Pape blue dod produces the largest number of Bridge and Hero Souls in the universe." Lucas looked genuinely proud as he spoke.

"Oh- well, you know. It's not perfect but we manage." I sheepishly answered.

"Sounds like now much has changed. Which is good. Good." Lucas nodded before finally turning his tungsten gaze at me.

“Now... back to business. I understand that things are hectic up there as well but..." His expression of relief and pride slowly twisted into one of anger and eventually rage.

"What the fuck took her so long?” He suddenly motioned to decapitate me with the sword but, as if my body knew to flee, I suddenly returned to the white space and with a racing heart, I let out a horrified scream.

I then suddenly landed back in the break room where Cí’ài awaited me.

I frantically looked around and finally settled my gaze on the Goddess who wearily looked at me.

“Good. You survived.” She breathed.

“W-what would have happened if he…” I stuttered as tears welled in my eyes.

“You would have experienced death again and returned here. That is the nature of your job. You, on our behalf, will travel to countless worlds, aiding countless heroes and you will return here every time you die. This will undoubtedly push your soul to its limits and when your sense of self finally breaks, your soul will shatter.”