“Time is precious. It does not wait everyone.” A famous saying brings a cold truth to many people whom has wasted their times, especially those with more than half of their life span gone.

“If at that time, I had tried harder …” or “If at that time, I had that courage to …”, those what if sentences appear in everyone’s mind as they finally find their free time and start reflecting their own life. Such sadness becomes more and more depressing as they have enough time to start reminiscing their entire life. 

“What on earth have I been doing…?” That question strikes the hardest as they realize that they cannot get back the time spent anymore, especially those realizing the great mistakes they have made their whole life.

Even for those who believe they do not commit any great mistake, that question can still come to haunt them as they start questioning whether they have missed something in their life. Youth is a beautiful thing as they can enjoy many things without boundary, unlike the old bodies that have so many restrictions, be it health or responsibility.

I am also a victim of that haunting, when I am in the final years of my life. It is such a strange thing.

I had a good job, earned a lot of money, married a beautiful and smart wife, raised two healthy and intelligent kids into successful man and woman of society. I had a circle of good friends, enjoyed many fun occasions together, both in meaningful or stupid ways. I had fun with my career, completed meaningful objectives that can be used to brag about even today. I had so many good memories and experience in life that I think that I am one of the most blissful person in the world.

Yet, I still find my life missing something. After a long time remembering the past, I have realized what it is: a yearn for an adventure.

The brain is an amazing organ in your body. That old brain of mine cannot handle the learning or remembering of anything new, yet it can replay perfectly the memory of long long past that I have pushed into the corner of my mind.

Memories of the game, anime, and novel are so vivid that I can tell the details of the plotline, characters, and the philosophical lessons behind the endings of each one. I have read, watched, and played so many of them, from years to years that I have lost count. Despite of that, I am now able to remember them all, a feast that unachievable to my young self but done by this old me. To make it worse, the emotions and excitement of that time surface at the present me, making me feel anguish.

There are times when I wished I could enter that story, playing a character along with the protagonist’s party, times when I wished I could change the ending to prevent the sadness of the characters inside, and times I wished I could make an exciting adventure of my own.

I have been bounded by so many things in my life that I could only choose the safe choice, leading to a fun happy ending but predictable and unexcited.

………………………………………….

Where am I……..?

What is this place…?

Only darkness fills my vision no matter where I turn to. The surrounding is so black that I can’t even see my hand nor my body.

How am I here…?

Why am I here…?

Inside my head seems to be pitch black too. There is no visual information, no colour, no sound except the voice of my thought.

And who am I… ?

It seems that I cannot even remember my name. Do I even exist at the moment? What a ridiculous question. The fact that these questions come up proves that my consciousness is present and I exist. But this makes me remember an answer to my previous question. I’m here because I am a dead person.

I wonder this is what called the void. This nothingness aligns with the concept of the void, and because I’m already dead, it seems reasonable that I will be sent here. Instead of hell or heaven, this empty space seems like a better place to send dead people to. It brings tranquility to my mind and everything I feel is mysteriously calming.

A strange yet indescribable comfort that has been telling me to stop thinking, to let my mind sleep for a long eternity. But I resist that. I don't know why but I know that the thing I must do is to keep asking these questions again and again, not letting my mind quiet for any single second. Even in here, I have an instinct that everything’s not completely over yet. I have to speak with my inner voice, keep talking by myself, to keep my existence alive. I have to wait, for a time when thing starts to change.

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............

As time passes, a bright light suddenly comes. The surrounding starts changing around me. It is not only the surrounding, but my mind too. The empty blackness is now filled with color, sound, feeling, taste, and smell. For a long time, I find myself alive again.

The cold yet smooth surface of the wooden floor applies the reverse pressure on my face as I lie on it. The aroma of the wood brings comfort to me as I believe it as the smell of nature. I am not knowledgeable about furniture but the wood used here must be expensive. The clean and beautiful brown color gives an elegant touch to it.

As a reflect, I push both hands and rise on the floor, changing to a seating position. Only 5 seconds later, I notice that I have done something amazing. For the first time, I did not realize my own body anymore.

That pair of arms used to be so weak are now filled with strength. I can even clench my hands tightly and do some imaginary weight lifting exercise. The back and legs, too, are filled with muscles that can support me to stand up on my own, an exercise that I could only do it with the help of other people. And there is nothing happening on my body too. That worn-out, sickly, and heavy feeling on my body is completely gone without a trace. All of these mean I have regained my youthful body back.

Surprised by myself, I then survey around the surrounding. A closed room with no exit, no window, no door, only brown wooden walls on four sides.  The only things inside are a desk and a notice board hanging behind it.

Drawn to the only things inside that room, I nervously stand up and walk toward it. On a desk, there is a pen and a clipboard with paper on it, a contract as it appears. I pick it up and read the content inside:

“This is a place that transcends the imagination of a mind.          

A place with manifestation of all possibilities and unknowns.

Those who have come to this room possess a potential to explore this world.

Your choices and actions shall guide you through this infinity

and grant you the power to achieve your wishes.

However, please bear in mind as you yourself has to bear the consequences

of your journey. Your end shall be shaped by your own hand.

 The power to shape your own future is granted to those who sign this contact.

Please remember these words.”

“The power to shape your own future”. Those words echo in my head as if they represents what I am yearning for. Bits of memory of my previous life surfaces. A repeating lifestyle shaped by choices of rationality and responsibility: have to be filial to parents, be a good person, find a good job, and be committed to your work. All of them are like chains binding me. I was given choices to select but they are only what the other's expect me to do.

That life had a happy ending to it. I did not it any dissatisfying at all, despite those chains. I was able to become a good person, enjoy a good life, and learn many lessons from it. However, it is not enough at all.

The word “shape” feels so magical to me. A power resonates inside me as I read that word. Now that my previous life is gone. All those bonds, responsibilities and promises are now things of the past. The chains have gone. I am now free, and have the power to make my own adventure, on my own free will. With this, I can finally join the exciting adventures that are usually depicted in the stories.

With no hesitation, I grab the pen and sign my name at the corner of the contact.

Lexar.

Having a chance to renew myself, I have decided to start afresh as a new person with a new name. I have decided to throw my old identity away.

The moment the pen leaves the paper, the clipboard shines brightly then disappears. In exchange, a paper has been attached to the notice board behind the desk. I go around the desk and look at it:

“ World name: None

Description: On Earth 2014, a strange energy suddenly appeared and allowed manifestation of people cognition into a separate new world. This new world is expanded and strengthened by the complexity of human mind as time passes. After a year, it has reached the stage where it can affect the real world, thus the fusion between two worlds has begun. Once the fusion is completed, the real world will be filled with monster created from human imagination and inner thought, leading the downfall of humanity.

Objectives: Prevent the complete fusion before December 24th 2016

Assigned power and role: Grant people with their inner desire materialized to fight against the monster and assist them to prevent the doom.”

No matter how many time I read it, this looks like a synopsis of a game, or anime, novel, or manga. The genre is easy to distinguish as it clearly mentions about world having incoming calamity and someone has to do something about it. Modern world fantasy setting with people having supernatural power to fight against monsters. It’s a common setting that never gets old enough. It just evolves from time to time.

In addition, the format of this paper looks like a quest in a RPG game, except the fact that the scale of mission is extremely big comparing to normal quest. S rank quest, slaying a legendary dragon, is nothing compared to this. Saving a whole world seems like a grand quest that involves the whole population with it. Or in game term, this is an ultimate quest that requires all the guilds available to participate to clear this.

Since this paper looks like a game to me, I wonder if I am teleported to a game world where every thing can be displayed in status table. 2014, a year when I was still only in 20s, also the time when web novels with reincarnation theme and transporting to game world was very popular. Most of the stories are about transferring to the western fantasy with sword and magic though.

This paper appears immediately after I signed the contract. This means it is a quest directed to me, and I have to complete it. I don’t know why I am here and why I have to accept this quest. But that doesn’t concern me much any way. I have been yearning for an exciting adventure, and perhaps it’s my death wish that sent me here. So, to the person who has sent me here, I don’t know who you are, but let me thank you first.

I mutter “Accept” and the world before me turns dark again.