"Damn it, it hurts like hell" said someone. As His soul was drifting in the dark depths of the sea. not a single shard of light could reach his eyes.
"No, it can't end like this." The person said frantically while his soul was sinking further and further into the dark ocean. "I won't accept this, I don't want to die before my dream is fulfilled" his panicked shout lasted for a while until he started to get tired.
A few minutes later he began to calm down. His facial expression which previously showed a panicked face now showed a more relaxed face, no more precisely a face of submission and sadness. "Is this the end, I never thought I would die like this"
Suddenly a flash of light illuminated him in the middle of the dark ocean "huh! What is this light" he was confused "is this the so-called divine light, am I going to heaven?"
Gradually, the light became brighter and brighter. "This light is blinding me" he said before closing his eyes. Suddenly the light went out.
He opened his eyes. It was no longer darkness that he saw but a beautiful black-haired woman who exuded an aura of maturity with his amber-coloured irises. The woman has a facial expression that looks very relieved like she has just been through something very painful.
Her lips moved as a voice came out of his mouth "Good morning my dear Ark" it was the first voice Ark heard after he came to this new world.
(24 hours prior)
2nd of October 2032, Now 07:02
Republic of Indonesia
Nusantara City
*Beep beep beep* I woke up to the buzzing sound of my alarm clock "What time is it?" I looked at my clock which showed 7am " crap I'm almost late for work" I rushed to the bathroom while taking my toiletries.
My name is Titanio Henantyo. I am a 28-year-old young man. I am working in the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the chief of staff to one of the new ambassadors appointed by the president. The reason for my hurried appearance is that I have to leave for the airport at 10 o'clock, because I have been assigned to the Indonesian Embassy in the Republic of Sudan. Yes, that country has just emerged from a civil war after the People's Revolutionary Forces took control of Khartoum, with the remaining forces of the military junta still resisting in the three eastern provinces. Despite this, the Indonesian government decided to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two countries by reopening the embassy. The reason why the government did this is still unknown to me, perhaps because my diplomatic clearance is not yet high enough. I know it's dangerous, but it will be a major career leap for me, even though I originally wanted to be a physicist but ended up being a diplomat. "Ahhh it looks like I've been talking to myself in the shower for too long. I have to finish my shower soon and go to the foreign ministry.
I came out of my bathroom and quickly put on the best suit I had. Before leaving the apartment I looked in the mirror one last time. In the reflection I saw a young black-haired Chinese-Indonesian man with a very handsome face. Of course I'm saying this with no bias at all.
I walked out of the apartment and hurried to the basement of this building, where my dad's sedan car was parked. Having just driven a few hundred meters I was stuck in a traffic jam "why the hell should there be road jams at this time of day" I said with a sigh, this is typical of the roads in Indonesia. It seems like traffic jams are terminal cancer that cannot be cured in Indonesia.
2nd of October 2032, Now 08:24
Main office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
"Huff I was so close to getting late"
"You're a lucky boy, nio," the person's voice came from behind me. "In five minutes you'll probably get fired for being late."
“Uncle Indro, your joke is completely unfunny” I remarked. Yes, he was the new ambassador, Indro Setya Henantyo. He is also my mum's younger brother. Maybe some people call this nepotism, but I call it a personal connection.
"Eitss, here you have to address me as Ambassador Indro" he said to me.
"Forgive me, the honourable Mr Ambassador Indro. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again" I joked to him.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"All right, cut out the jokes. We're leaving at 10am, so hurry and pack everything that's necessary, he informed me.
2nd of October 2032, Now 09:52
Joko Widodo International Airport
Walking on the Passenger Boarding Bridge and gazing at the Airbus A350 operated by Garuda Indonesia creates an odd sense of amazement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reserved this aircraft to transport a diplomatic delegation to Sudan. It will take around 21 hours to travel to Sudan. Fortunately, this aircraft's entertainment system includes a wide selection of movies, so I won't go insane from boredom.
As I stepped into the aircraft, I was greeted by a luxurious business class cabin. Wide seats, lovely and welcoming flight attendants, and an abundance of fine cuisine. The ambassador and I were seated side by side. He said, "nio, do you think it's safe for us to fly over Kassala?, it's one of the junta's controlled province"
“Kassala is indeed a battleground, but the junta forces there are on the verge of destruction. Their military capabilities in the province are already quite limited when compared to other eastern provinces that still retain huge concentrations of junta forces. In a month, I believe this civil war will be concluded. Additionally, according to BIN intelligence, they no longer possess AA capability. Flying there should be safe" I comforted him.
"Unless the report that the CIA supplied them with weaponry, including MANPADS, is accurate. then we are fuck up" I said in jest.
He replied, "Damn it, don't jinx it.
(20 hours later)
3rd of October 2032, Now 06:03
Kassala airspace
"Speed 380 knots, altitude 10.000 feet, we will arrive at Khartoum International Airport in approximately 1 hour" said Captain Ridge. Captain Johnny Ridge was a former royal air force pilot and after retiring from the military he switched careers to become a commercial aircraft pilot.
Copilot Ilham stated, "Sir, I think you want to see this," pointing to a green dot on the radar and saying, "Whatever this is, it's heading towards us at high speed."
"Bloody hell, it's a fucking missile'" with his years of experience in the RAF he knew immediately that it was a missile. He swiftly activated the plane's emergency alert and instructed the passengers, "This is your captain speaking, please straighten your seats and fasten your seatbelts."
Business-class cabin
Fast asleep, I was startled awakened by the sudden reddening of the plane's lights and the voice over the speaker system, "This is your captain speaking, please straighten your seats and fasten your seatbelts."
Tension grew in the air. With worried and terrified expressions, my colleagues quickly fastened their seat belts. I noticed a flight attendant sprinting to the front of the cabin to take her seat. And for the first time, I witnessed Uncle Indro praying for his life. "What the hell is happening?"
I shifted my attention to the left and looked through the aircraft window. There, I noticed a faint object moving in our direction. It was coming at us at supersonic speed, leaving a trail of white smoke in its path. I recognized it right away. "Oh shit, i just had to say it didn't I"
The missile is moving closer and closer. In my entire life, I had never felt so terrified. My heart felt like it had stopped pounding, my breathing was erratic, and dozens of litres of adrenaline were coursing through my veins. until the missile eventually impacted with the plane's left wing, making It shattered into pieces. The aircraft
began to dive down.
I clutched the handle of my chair and yelled in terror, "fuck fuck fuuccck!"
Life is full of lies. People claim that your brain replays your memories as you approach death. All I could do was gaze out at the magnificent blue sky. After some time, I could make out the desolate-looking sand dunes. Many loud noises of human screams entered my ears but I didn't care what they said anymore and I could only hear them faintly anyway. Regardless, my death was imminent. Everything is quiet and peaceful. Up until a tremendous explosion eventually broke the silence and everything turned into pitch black.
3rd of Arcius 1900 CE, Now 07:12
Federal Republic of Belfast
Anwood city
Mia Butler said, "James, look at how handsome our son is." Mia appeared worn out, her body and hair both dripping with sweat. She was holding a baby whose cries could be heard even in the room next door.
"Yeah, he inherited your beautiful amber eyes" I replied. I reached out to pick her up, but my wife brushed my hand away, saying, "hey, I'm her father."
My wife told me, "You're still not ready to hold my little angel."
"What do you mean by that?" I inquired. I was desperate to hold my tiny child. I wish I could stroke her chubby cheeks. grabbing her tiny hand. My wife, however, felt that I was unprepared despite already having a child, she say, "You said the same thing when Ryan was born. At least let me hold him for a moment.”
She responded, "Okay, but no longer than 30 seconds."
A doctor arrived and snatched my tiny angel before I could even touch his smooth skin. "Your baby was born healthy but we need to put her in the NICU for some time just in case" . That's what the damn doctor said as he walked out and shut the door.
"Noooo!!!, what have I done for God to punish me like this"
"You don't have to be so dramatic” At the very least, I get to see my wife's sweet smile, so it's worthwhile.
3rd of Arcius 1900 CE, Now 07:12
Federal Republic of Belfast
Anwood city
St. Javelin Hospital, NICU
The fuck just happened. What that light did to me, did it take me to heaven?. But I had the impression that heaven would be glamorous and that angels would spoil me there. But why does the room around me appear so antique? So I suppose that's not the case. I suppose it's simply a bizarre dream I'm having as I'm dozing off on the plane. I'll probably be awake in a few minutes.
But damn, being in a baby's body is unpleasant. I'm unable to do anything and, for some reason, I'm constantly tired. Wait a second, if this is a dream yet I'm aware of it, then it must be a lucid dream. I just have to use my imagination to control my dreams, right?.
Yup, I've decided to become a dragon. All I had to do was concentrate and visualize myself transforming into a dragon. But after a few minutes had gone, I was still inside the defenseless body of a newborn. It seems that this didn't work. I should probably give up and wait until I wake up.
I lingered for a while. The minutes went into hours, but I still couldn't wake up. I started to freak out as my mind raced through several scenarios and speculations. Maybe I really was dead, and the light had brought me back to life in an isekai world like those found in anime and manga. But that can't be true, it's all fiction.
A nurse entered my room and carried me out. The nurse handed me over to a beautiful lady I had seen earlier. "Your child is very healthy, you can take him home."
"Let's go home, Ark," the woman said as she grabbed me from the nurse's arms.
Oh fuck, i’m screwed
End of prologue : Premetempsychosis