Shaken to the core, the pain from both my deaths throbbed within my soul. Fearfully, I thought to myself: this time, I am going to be careful. I will not die a third time.

I slowly, carefully pried my eyes open. As the unfamiliar surroundings came into focus, a dimly lit space stretched out in all directions before me as a chill settled into my bones.

The air had a strange clarity to it, a dreamlike quality that whispered of a world beyond the grasp of the living. Beyond me, a white, marble staircase stretched out into the distance.

Trembling, I got to my feet, my body aching as if the fall down those stairs still echoed within me. A gorgeous scene unfolded. Within the dark misty expanse stood towering, colorful archways, each labeled with words I couldn't quite interpret from a distance.

They were magnificent; some made of dark, towering stone, others of gold and luxury. On the arches, words seemed to shimmer and shift, as if they held secrets that only the dead could decipher.

Surrounding me, I could see shadows moving into these archways. They were disappearing as they set foot into the arches. ....wait. WAIT. WHY WERE THERE SHADOWS MOVING ALL AROUND ME?

Panic welled – shadows moved around, closing in. I could feel myself dying. Screaming, I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst.

….but death never came. Adrenaline surged, calming me. My mind began to return to its natural stockbroker mode – panicked, yet collected and hyper-focused, as if I were someone who had just lost millions. I did a double take. The human-shaped shadows seemed to be moving towards the arches - not me. Indeed, they hardly seemed to notice me as they disappeared within their respective arches.

Fair enough, I suppose. "As long as you don't touch me, I won't touch you," I mumbled to myself as I nervously eyeballed the shadows passing by me. And so, I considered my next move.

"Do I stay or do I go? Do I stay or do I go….?" I muttered to myself, eyeing the stairs I had just tripped off of. After a brief internal fight, I ultimately decided that I had no choice except to try to explore this place. After all, I couldn't stay here for the rest of this life.

Carefully, I stretched a foot out, being careful to place it on the next step. I gently pressed. "Huh. Seems hard enough."

Time for another step. Sweat dripped off my forehead.

As I took another *very* tentative step forward, I tentatively felt out the ground beneath me once again, and, once again, it seemed solid enough. I paused, not trusting my instincts. Then, I shrugged, deciding there was nothing I could do, and began climbing up the stairs.

As I climbed, I noticed there was a weightlessness to my movements, a sense that the rules of the physical world were slightly askew.

....if only this had prevented me from tripping an hour prior.

Eventually, I approached one of the archways with the fewest shadows walking into it. Its label pulsated with otherworldly energy. "Heaven," it read. A sense of longing tugged at me, my arm reaching towards the gate. Before I could reach it, however, a voice, rich and resonant echoed in my mind.

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"Not yet, traveler. You do not want to go through that gate."

I spun around, heart racing. A figure emerged from the mist – a woman. Ethereal and composed, with eyes holding inexplicable depths within them. She was an angel; breathtaking in every way, with a slim, fit waist and stunning white wings spreading beyond her sculpted back. She wore a black, woven robe that seemed to blend seamlessly with the surroundings and her bosom. Her presence radiated both power and calmness, overwhelming me.

"Who are you?" I managed to stammer, my voice hoarse.

The woman smiled, a natural gesture on a face as beautiful as hers. The smile carried both warmth and a hint of sadness, the definition of perfection. "I am the Guide, tasked with assisting souls like yours in their transition."

"Transition?" I repeated, feeling a mix of confusion and fear.

"Yes, the transition from life to the afterlife, from one realm to another," she explained gently. "You stand at the crossroads, Alex, a soul on the edge of a new journey. Anamesa, that's what this place is called – neither here nor there, a place between worlds, between lives. "

I blinked, realizing that she knew my name. "How do you know who I am?"

The Guide's gaze held mine as if she could peer into the depths of my being. There was something unfathomable in her gaze. A deep sorrow of sorts, perhaps. "In this realm, knowledge flows differently. Your past, your essence – it's all laid bare. And your journey is a special one, Alex. You are one of the few who remember."

Remember. The weight of that word settled over me once again. "Remember what?"

"Your past lives," she answered, her voice a silky whisper that seemed to resonate within me. "Each death, each rebirth – you retain the memories, the experiences that shape you."

My mind raced, trying to grasp the enormity of her words. "Why? Why do I remember when others don't? Why can't I remember my previous lives then?"

The Guide's alluring eyes brimmed with a mixture of compassion and understanding. "It is not by chance, Alex. There is a purpose to your unique gift, a purpose that you will come to understand as you navigate the gates of Anamesa. I wish I could give you all the answers, but I cannot. I may not."

She gestured toward the archways, each representing a different path, a different destiny. "Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and countless others – these are the choices that lie before you. There are many possibilities. Your past lives have led you here, and now you must forge a new path."

Fear and curiosity battled within me. "What happens when I choose a gate?"

"The journey begins anew," the Guide replied. "Each choice shapes your soul, molds your essence. You will live, love, suffer, learn, die. And with every death, you will return here, to Anamesa, to choose once more."

A whirlwind of emotions swept through me – uncertainty, immediately followed by fear. But, mixed with the fear, I could feel just a little bit of excitement. I had finally found my chance to travel - to explore. To escape my dreary life. But... was I going to be stuck in this cycle forever? "I don't really want to die again," I muttered to myself, dejectedly.

I was finally going to escape the awful life I had lived on Earth and the weight of responsibility. A flame of excitement coursed through me. The child within me, who had wanted to adventure; to explore, to love, to fight, had spread his wings.

"How do I choose?"

The Guide's smile held a twinkle of encouragement. "Listen to your heart, Alex. When you touch the gate, you will see images of the world within. Just like the Reborn, the shadows you see, your soul will be able to feel the resonance of each gate - to understand what next life will follow. The answers are within you."

As I stared at the archways, a strange sense filled me. Perhaps it was a sense of purpose that was stirred within me - I honestly don't know. There was one thing I was fully aware of. For the first time in my existence, I held the reins of my fate.

Each gate held a world, a story waiting to be written.

A myriad of emotions warred within me. Foremost though, was anxiety - I had so many questions. What was my future going to be like? Was I going to be stuck in the loop of dying and living forever? I needed answers.

Despite these uncertainties, excitement fluttered within my heart as I took a step toward the ancient, arcane arches as the Guide's words echoed in my mind, urging me to embrace the unknown.

"Choose, Alex. Embrace the tapestry of lives that awaits."

My adventure had begun.