I was so close.

I spent years trying to run from that wretched place and the moment I succeed...

I die.

True, I died like a rat, starving on the streets.

I might have been locked up for my whole life but at least I had food. Well, sometimes.

But to be honest, it was worth it.

I hated every moment there, being restrained and having my curiosity suppressed!

I wish I could have run away earlier, but I was never alone. If not for the fire that started in the neighborhood, I wouldn't have had the chance to escape. To be honest, I don't even know what happened to mom and dad...

Damn, It hurts. I think the fire burnt me even more severely than I thought.

It's been a few days now since I ate something but I can't feel my face anymore.

My stomach aches so badly.

I curled up while numbing pain spread all over my body.

My eyes... Are closing...

As the light faded in my eyes to grey, a golden light replaced it.

As the light turned brighter, I felt my eyes opening again.

"I'm... it's incredible." I can see everything from this height!

I've never seen something from this height! I can see the entire city here.

The whole city lit up in front of my clean golden eyes, the innocent eyes that belonged to a small child.

"This is amazing."

"I've been waiting for someone great, but you are one of a kind... I see I made a good pick this time." A thunderous voice boomed high in the sky which was way too mechanical to be human. even though he was satisfied, regret soon followed.

"Still, it is a shame I don't have the right to bless you as well. Never mind, That will come too one day."

"who's there!?" As I searched for the source of this mechanical voice, a collection of sparks formed around me.

I started to crawl back in fear just like a squirrel runs back to his hollow tree.

"Don't hurt me!"

"Stay quiet."

each word echoed like a church bell in my ears.

"You are fang, right? Fang Herz?"

"W-who are you!? p-p-please leave me alone!"

my frantic eyes started to wander in other directions, seeking refuge, Looking to find the source of the voice.

I thought I'm in heaven but it doesn't feel like I died... I got to get out of here.

"Don't even try. and about your obvious question, the answer is yes. you are dead on earth."

The sky blurred so quickly that I didn't even notice that any change has happened. well, until I saw my own dead body lying on the filthy pavement in the alley.

"that... that is not real. It can't be real. I thought I was dead, I can't be alive!"

"You are dead."

"But my body! my body, is, is..." the gears in my mind were completely broken, shattered, and finally dismantled.

This is my body. my, dead, body.

"I know this is a lot, but I have more matters to attend to."

I'm dead. I'm not in my body right now, is this for real now?

"Fang." The thunderous voice called, awakening my heart and mind again.

"I just don't accept that I died."

"After living an isolated life, you got a few days of freedom. You saw the city, you saw a plane and a car for the first time. you watched so many unique faces pass in front of your eyes, so many skin colors. do you regret your actions, the same actions the led to your death?"

"I... I don't know."

The collection of sparks morphed itself into a human. well, it was shaped like one. It had the shape of a human but it was only dense lightning, nothing more. his eye sockets housed two round balls, rotating at a very high speed making them blurry and smooth.

The right eye is purple like lavender while the left is deep ocean blue.

I slightly gasped. What is worse than being dead? being dead and still afraid of dying.

"I guess some introductions are in order." said the figure gracefully.

"I am Ason, the god of lightning. a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

this can't get any weirder...

"A god!?"

"I see we have work to do..."

"you're a god. do you think... you can return me to life then? you said something about me being special."

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There is so much I didn't see. those old books from my father's library were my Lone connection to the world outside. I finally get to see the world and it ended way too soon!

"I'm sorry, but it is not my role. I can not interfere with the soul cycle without permission, and I don't think that Osborne would let me do whatever I want just. Besides, you have a much brighter future in other places."

"I apologize, mister... well, mister god. I don't think I can be of use for you even if I wanted to."

"This is where you're wrong. there is a certain competition in a few years. a very important one at that. I recruited fighters for previous competitions but none has ever succeeded and won the competition. I have given up once I understood I have none that can appease my requirements and Thus I didn't send a representative for many decades now."

"And you want... me?" I tilted my head to the side and smiled weakly. He knew it is all insane but he did stand above an entire city.

"out of all the gods, I have a problem."

"Wait, there are more gods!?" Fang's eyes sparkled for a moment like a pond sparkles under the moonlight.

"As I was saying, unlike the others I have a problem and it is choosing believers and champions."

"Why?" Fang asked in a meek voice, docile as a pet.

"The people who are accepted as my believers are usually chosen by me.

while there are tens of thousands of them across the universe, in comparison to the tens of millions of the followers of other gods my power is as pathetic as it can get. we may be elite, but no elite can take on millions of people at the same time."

"I don't understand what you're talking about but can you help me get back to life?"

"I can under a certain condition." my eyes widened in shock and as I finally managed to get something from this weird talk.

"What is it? I'll do anything!"

"Promise me you'll become a great man. you are certainly gifted, but gifted isn't worth anything without the will to become stronger. if you promise me you'll do whatever is needed to get stronger, smarter, and more accomplished, I will give you a new life."

"Deal! I don't even need to think about it."

"I'm glad you accepted your fate."

"I don't want to do it, But I don't want to die so let's do it."

"Then We must haste, I have more important matters to attend to." the god of electricity said and drew a glowing symbol in the air.

What is this feeling? I turned into light?!

"I said I don't want to die!"

but he just ignored me and continued in his weird drawing. A blinding light source has enveloped my eyes, I can no longer sense my surroundings.

"the name of your new world is Edenia. it is rich in mana but it lacks good magic users since the magic academies are exclusive to the best. Most are blessed from birth by a god, but they can't use their powers for advanced tasks."

Did he just ignore me?! Hmm? It seems like the light fades a bit... I can see my legs now.

well at least I'm not dead, but something in the air is different than earth. He did mention something about a new world, right?

It seems like we made it judging that we are standing in a forest. I wonder, can I do that too?

"Fang."

"Yes sir?"

"I can't let you become a corpse. Promise me that no matter what, you will never give up.

You must do your best."

I couldn't help but nod. Do I have any choice? I must do my best, I can't die again.

"What's next then?"

"For now, remember that I am your one true lord. you might have more than one element at your mercy one day, but I will always stay the one who brought you back to life. don't forget that." he said calmly as thunders roared in the background.

when did the sky darken so much? wow, he gives me the chills.

"How many gods are out there?"

"If I were you, I would have been more interested in a mirror."

"Why?"

Ason conjured a smooth mirror and put it in Fang's hand.

"HUH!?"