The grey sky hung low, thick with the kind of clouds that pressed down like a weight. The wind was soft but persistent, tugging at the loose ends of Taikutsuna Shi’s school uniform. He shuffled down the sidewalk, his steps slow, dragging as if the world was pulling him backward. Around him, students buzzed with the usual excitement—the chatter about upcoming tests, plans for the weekend, and whatever new trends had taken over their lives. But for Taikutsuna, it felt like a different world. He was present, yet not. His fingers idly tapped on his phone screen, scrolling through endless games and social media updates. Each swipe, each notification, brought no real change. The world he existed in was a dull, stagnant loop.
His school uniform, once meticulously neat, was now in a constant state of disarray, as if even his clothes had given up. His tie was askew, and the sleeves of his jacket were rolled up haphazardly. His disheveled appearance matched the lack of motivation in his tired eyes.
“My life feels like an endless winter. Nothing changes. No purpose. No friends. And my parents… don’t even get me started on them. I feel invisible, like I’m walking through life with no one noticing.”
As he trudged through the campus hallways, the buzz of voices surrounded him, but it felt distant. The students around him laughed, talked, made plans—but Taikutsuna couldn’t engage. No one spoke to him. No one sought him out. His heart sank as he passed the groups of students—laughing, chatting, sharing in a camaraderie that felt as foreign to him as another language.
The bell rang, signaling the start of class. He slumped into his seat, his gaze lost in the window. The gray sky seemed to match the dullness of the classroom. No one turned to acknowledge him. He wasn’t missed. He never had been.
Flashback to a Heated Moment
The memory strikes like a sharp blade. The house feels suffocating—too quiet, too still. His mother had always been distant, but today, her anger boiled over.
A loud bang. The door to his room slams open. His mother’s voice is sharp, biting.
“Taikutsuna! Get downstairs NOW!”
Taikutsuna groans in response. His body moves slowly, weighed down by the frustration, the exhaustion of a life he couldn’t seem to escape. He trudges downstairs, dragging himself as though he were moving through quicksand.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, Mom.”
His mother stands in the kitchen, her arms crossed, her eyes burning with an intensity that would intimidate most people. But not Taikutsuna. He was used to it. Her anger, her expectations—they felt like the only things about her that ever seemed real.
“You’re seventeen years old! Seventeen! And all you do is waste your time playing those damn games! What are you doing with your life? When you turn eighteen, I’m kicking you out of this house unless you get a job. I’m done babysitting you. You need to contribute!”
Taikutsuna’s heart sinks. The words cut through him like a knife. His mother, the woman who was supposed to care for him, only seemed to see him as a burden.
Taikutsuna flinches, his jaw tightening in frustration. He doesn’t want to argue. Not again. So, he bites his lip and says the only thing that feels like a compromise.
“Fine. I’ll get a job after school. Happy?”
But she doesn’t acknowledge the hurt in his voice. She just nods, turning her back to him. The coldness between them feels suffocating, a wall he can’t break through.
As he retreats upstairs, he feels the familiar knot in his chest tighten. His mother hadn’t cared when his sister had died, and she certainly didn’t care now. To her, he was just another mouth to feed—another responsibility she wanted to rid herself of.
“She never cared. She just wants me to be a money-making machine. And when my sister died… it didn’t even faze her. No one cares.”
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
The memory of his sister’s death stings. The silence that followed her passing. The quiet indifference in his mother’s eyes. That’s when he learned that the only thing that mattered was survival. Nothing else.
The next day, the weather was no better. Overcast skies loomed as Taikutsuna made his way to school, his feet dragging with the weight of his thoughts. The job his mother had demanded was never far from his mind. He didn’t even know what kind of job he could get. His world had been confined to the walls of his room and the digital spaces he frequented. But now, he had to step out into the real world—a world that had long since stopped caring about him.
The bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. The usual flood of students rushed out of the gates, eager to escape the clutches of the school day. Taikutsuna lingered, staring at the crumpled newspaper in his hands. The ad for “Donarudo”—a part-time job.
His fingers curled tightly around the paper. Maybe this was his chance. Maybe this could be the thing that proved he wasn’t a failure, that he was worth something.
The wind picked up as he walked down the street, the sound of it cutting through the air. His hair swayed in the breeze, and for a brief moment, he let himself imagine a future where he wasn’t invisible. Where he wasn’t just existing—where he was truly living.
As he neared the “Donarudo” building, the door swung open, and a man stepped out. The man’s eyes were sharp, his suit immaculate. He radiated confidence, but there was something in the way he looked at Taikutsuna—something warm, welcoming.
“Ah! You must be here for the interview! Welcome to Donarudo!”
“Y-Yeah. That’s me.”
The manager led him inside, the cool air of the building refreshing against the heat of his nerves. The interview room was sterile, minimalist, yet it somehow felt like it could be a place of opportunity. The manager’s questions came fast—too fast—but Taikutsuna pushed through. He stammered at first, but something in him—something deep—made him power through.
Despite the shaky start, by the end of the interview, the manager gave him a firm handshake.
“You’ll do. Come back tomorrow at 5 AM for training. We’ll see what you’re made of.”
The door closed behind him, and Taikutsuna stood there, the first real glimmer of hope in his chest. This was it. This was his chance to prove he wasn’t a failure.
“I’ll do this. I’ll show her. I’ll show everyone that I’m not worthless. I’m going to make something of myself.”
The day had barely begun to turn to night when it happened. Taikutsuna clutched the job listing in his hand as he walked down the street, the weight of his future pressing on him. He didn’t see the car coming around the corner—the tires screeching against the pavement.
The impact was sudden. The world around him blurred into a mess of sounds and sensations, the force of the crash throwing him backward. His phone slipped from his hand, and his body hit the ground with a sickening thud. Pain exploded in his chest as everything went black.
The world slowed. The cold asphalt was unforgiving beneath him. The world was fading, and Taikutsuna felt himself slipping away. His vision darkened, but his mind was still alive with memories—his childhood, his sister’s laughter, and the painful distance of his mother’s gaze. He could feel her indifference, the emotional emptiness that had haunted him for years.
“No… this can’t be how it ends! Not like this!”
Then, the pain stopped.
A pure, blinding light consumed everything. The pain, the fear—it all vanished. When Taikutsuna opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in an ethereal place. The ground beneath him was soft, cloud-like, and the air was warm, carrying a strange but soothing energy.
A figure approached, a woman whose golden hair glowed with a light that seemed otherworldly. Her robes flowed around her, pure and radiant.
“Where am I? What is this place?”
The woman’s gaze softened, and her voice, though gentle, carried an undeniable authority.
???
“Welcome to one of the many rooms of Heaven. I am… God.”
Taikutsuna’s heart skipped a beat. His breath caught in his throat.
“W-Wait… You’re God?”
God nodded, her gaze steady and full of compassion.
“Yes. But I have a question for you. Do you remember how you died?”
The memories hit him like a freight train. The crash. The blood. The pain. And then… nothing.
“It was a car crash… I remember being hit, but I don’t know what happened after that.”
God’s expression softened with understanding.
“It was your mother. She hit you, and instead of helping you, she drove away. She didn’t care about you. You were just a burden to her.”
The words were like a dagger to his chest. His hands trembled as tears welled up. The hurt, the betrayal—it all came rushing back.
“She didn’t care about me?! She was the one who… who…”
God’s voice softened, as if to comfort him.
“I know it hurts. But even in the face of betrayal, everyone is given a second chance. You are no exception.”
Taikutsuna’s heart raced.
“A second chance? Are you serious?”
God smiled warmly, raising her hand in a gesture of power.
“Yes. I’m sending you to a new world, a place where you can truly live. You’ll have powers beyond what you can imagine. But there’s a catch—if you die again, it’s permanent. No second chances after that.”
Taikutsuna’s mind raced as he processed the words of God. A second chance? A new world? The very idea seemed impossible. Was this some kind of twisted dream? Or was this a gift, a lifeline that could free him from the prison of his current life?
His heart pounded in his chest. A world where he could be something more than just a shadow—a place where he could live without the weight of his past, without the indifference of his mother, without the memories of his sister’s death. The thought was intoxicating, and for the first time in years, he felt a flicker of hope.
“I won’t let it end like this. I’ll make something of myself. I’ll prove to everyone—especially her—that I’m not worthless. I’ll show the world what I’m capable of.”
God’s expression softened, her smile widening with pride. She raised her hand, and in an instant, the world around them shimmered like a mirage. The air pulsed with energy, and the ground beneath Taikutsuna’s feet seemed to crack and shift.
“Then go, Taikutsuna. Embrace your destiny. I’ll send you to this new world, where you will have the chance to carve your path. But remember: death, once more, will be the end. Make it count.”
As she spoke, the ground beneath him shattered like glass. A blinding light erupted around him, and the air rippled with power. Taikutsuna’s body was pulled forward, as if the very fabric of reality itself was unraveling. His thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind, his body weightless as he fell through the void.
The light grew brighter and brighter, until it consumed everything. And then, with a sudden rush of wind, the world went dark.