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The sound of rain pattered over my hoodie as I gazed over the river below me. How long have I been here for? An hour? Two hours? I was staring at a black void that would soon be my casket.

Wondering how I got here? I’m asking myself the same damn question. I guess I could reflect on the recent events that transpired.

My name Is Travis, and I'm Eighteen years old. I'm High school student and Many students at my school have turned their heads away from me. I was beaten and given death threats by all students, even teachers. But how’d I get here? Before we get there, let’s begin where this all started.

During the beginning of my High school year was where it began. I wasn’t relatively popular, but I wasn’t an outcast or anything, I made friends with a couple of people I’ve met there. They were the best of friends, some I considered my friendship with. To be honest, I wasn’t the greatest of kids. I myself have taken chances at bullying and beating some kids up. But that was with friends. Lot of peer pressure is involved. But one event set me off.

During my sophomore year, I ended up going to a party with some friends. Where we all chatted it up and such, but one of my friends noticed a girl who was getting a little tipsy. So he went to take her to a room, I didn’t really mind at first. But as the night went on, I felt something was amiss. A dude going into a room with a girl at a Party? I should’ve noticed at first. I tried to dismiss myself from everyone else, but they ended up following me as I entered the room where the two ended up in.

Once I stepped in, I immediately tensed up and watched as my friend, some I knew, started to undress the girl.

“H-hey!” I sputtered out. What the hell was I seeing?

He turned back at me and waved. “Dude, we got the jackpot, come on!”

“Fuck no.”

“Tsk, more for me.” As he said that, the rest of our group came in. And they were encouraging him as he continued undressing the lady.

And then I took a step forward, I couldn’t just stand there and let it happen. Who the fuck does that?

We ended up fighting and I ended up losing. I found myself on the floor of the room as suddenly the girl awoke, confused and dazed.

“W-what?” She looked around the room, seeing my friends look at her before she realized she was half naked. “H-hey, who did this?!”

There was no answer for a moment before the friend that beat me spoke up. “ It was him, Travis. I saw him!”

He lied. And almost instantaneously, everyone else joined in. Found myself getting my ass beat by others at the party and tossed into the front lawn of the house we were in. And things quickly grew worse.

The rumor that I had sexually assaulted her spread rapidly through the school, student berated me. Even the teachers gave me a sour eye as I entered my classes. I tried speaking to the girl, reasoning with her.

At first, she seemed to have forgiven me. But quickly shut me down after a few moments. With her own reputation on the line and being called a faker. She chose to continue with the rumor.

I didn’t offer any sort of resentment to her choice. In fact, I merely accepted it. The only ones I was upset with were my friends. The ones who made me take the blame. As the years passed in school, so did my anger. I told myself to not let that ever happen again, to have someone be harassed. It was then that I got more aggressive at school. So much so that…my own parents couldn’t take it. The amount of kids I beat up and teachers That sent me home was enough for my dad to call it quits during Senior year.

A useless son I remember him saying. Even with all my reasoning with him, it never got through. My mother tried, but it was too late as I was already out the door.

Ever since then, I’ve been on the streets. I haven’t even attended school for some months.

But I didn’t care, none of this mattered now.

And now here I was, on this Bridge. I’m going to jump…

Well I would, but I think I have an audience. Looking behind myself, I noticed a Woman and an Older man were watching me from the street I was on. They were talking, but I could tell the Woman was giving me glances.

Oh well, at least they’ll be witnesses to confirm my death. Just hopeful that they’ll not make it as ba- are they filming?

I whipped my head towards them as I noticed their phones, maybe I was overthinking it? They are probably calling the police or something. But I got their attention as the lady stormed towards me.

She had Short brown hair, brown eyes. She looked about my age actually. She wore a fur coat and a very skimpy looking skirt that I tried to avert my eyes from. Her shoes looked rather expensive as well.

“Hey! What are you doing?” She asked, she folded her arms as she said that. “Get off the edge!”

“Or what? I’d rather be dead than live in shame for the rest of my life.” In a way to assert my motives, I scooted closer off the edge.

“Why? Hold on, the cops are coming.” She slowly walked towards me. “Let’s have a chat.”

“Anything you’ll say won’t change my mind. I’m like a hundred percent sure it won’t.” I grumbled. “Besides…what is a girl like you doing out here so late?” I took at the older man who was awkwardly standing along the road.

“That…erm, that’s a difficult question you are asking…” She leaned in close to me and looked around to see if anyone was nearby, which no one was. “Look, I was just out here trying to make a couple of stacks of cash, ok?”

“I-what? Like prostitution? Uh-why?” Although, looking at her, I guess you could say she did look like a hooker…

“I won’t answer that question until you answer mine first. Why are you out here?” She quickly said.

“Look, I’m not going to answer anything. Just leave me be!” I raised my voice at her. “…cops won’t be here in time for what I’m about to do.”

“Hmph…Fine. Guess none of us will budge…” she got along the railing I was on. “I mean…even for a quick buck, I kind of don’t want to do this stuff…” she didn’t seem like she cared for the older man with her.

“I don’t think anyone wants to do what you're doing.”

“Eh, when you're homeless and have nowhere to go, it was the only option I thought of.”

“You're homeless? Shit, so am I…”

“Really?” Are we going to connect with this? The fact we both don’t have homes?…maybe I should pry with how she-

“So how did you get kicked out of your house?” She asked.

“Oh, dad kicked me out for-.” I stopped mid sentence to realize that she pulled a trick on me. I looked at her as she gave a smug look at me. “I see what you're doing.”

“Oh, how I almost made you confess.” She took a glance at the older man. “That older man paid to have sex with me, but…I don’t really intend on that happening. I’m going to steal from him.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Why are you telling me this?” She’s being so open about this. I took a glance at the older man, noticing his attire. He looked like one of those typical old geezer dudes. Green gym clothes and one shiny ass head.

“I’m telling you this so that I can’t delay your jump. And also…because I don’t really wanna leave with that guy.”

There was an awkward pause between us two as we looked over the water. Then it slowly started to rain.

"Look, I don't know how to converse with strangers. Nor do I really know how to deal with depressed people." She continued. "What I do know is that you aren't the only one having it the worst, look at m-"

"I don't need to know what you've been through. Looking at you and that old man tells me a lot already." I retorted

"Hmph!" she backed off, now standing in the road.

"Look, If being caught is a problem, go ahead and just walk off like it's nothing. You have nothing to lose if you do."

"God, you're so pessimistic!"

"I've been told and lectured about that"

“…” she didn’t respond to that.

There was just the sound of the rain and my breathing that seemed to be making noise. So I decided to look at her. Only to find out that she wasn’t beside the rail, but on the road.

That got me off the rail, what the hell was she doing?

“Uh…why are you on the road?” I asked cautiously.

“I figured you’d wouldn’t want someone else to die besides yourself, and I was right. And now that I got you off that rail, I’ll b-.”

Honk Honk

A sudden beam of light flashes us both, I ended up getting blinded by this Truck that was driving way too close to the sidewalk I was on. This car was about to hit me.

I couldn’t move. Nor did I really want to. If this is the way I’m going out, it’s fine.

A truck hitting me off into the depth below?

Least I didn’t force it.

Next thing I knew, I felt a push against me. A hard push.

This woman just pushed me!

Wait…no, she was jumping to save me from the car!

Well shit.

She held on to me as we both plummeted down, I can see the older man racing to the rail and looking down as we fell.

“Oh shit, oh fuc- wait wait wait. We’re falling!”

She held on tighter. I could see the tears going up as we descended.

Look, I don’t even know this woman. There’s no reason for me to protect her from a possible death.

Still, for whatever reason. I twisted both our bodies in the air so that it landed first. At least there’s a slight chance she’ll live.

I don’t think any of us wanted this, I mean wanted this.

But not having both of us die.

I held on to her for her dear life as I suddenly felt cold water hit my back.

It’s force was so hard, I gasped as we descended into the dark abyss. I felt my grip on this woman slip and saw her drift away from me.

There’s no movement from her. Actually I can’t move too. I can see a dark redness spread around me.

I guess my efforts weren’t enough, she’s out and I’m slowly bleeding out now.

I closed my eyes and listened to the water.

Sounds of humming. The ocean is calling to me.

Actually…it sounds strangely eerily. It’s like hearing the gates of heaven awaiting me, though I’m certain I wouldn't be welcomed in any case.

Still, the humming grew louder and louder. A warmth envelopes

“…”

Hmm. I didn’t really think drowning and bleeding to death would be so calming, let alone warming.

It’s still humming. That’s strange..

I opened my eyes and found myself in a completely different place.

No water, no bridge. A white void surrounds me.

Is this heaven? No. Where’s the gate? Where is the beautiful angel that’ll soon send me down to hell?

Ah. There’s the angel floating down.

A very…voluptuous angel.

Here we have a woman floating from above, all she has is a white cloak that surrounds her body, though it doesn’t hide her figure at all.

This is a stacked lady.

But the more I look at her, I notice something.

There’s no face on her.

A blur it seems, like mosaic censoring that covers the neck and up.

She landed in front of me, her hands held below her waist, looking at me.

“My, my. I’ve been expecting you.” Her voice, gentle, motherly.

“It seems that your time in that world has expired. Such a shame that it had been up to you to end it like that.”

“…that world?”

“Yes, here in this void, you are being held in between this world and another. Your spirit has wandered into this place.”

“What do you mean other world? Are you telling me I’m not going to heaven?”

“No. There is no heaven or hell for you, yet. Think of it like this. A second chance, a redemption for yourself and a way to fix your past life in a new one.”

A second chance? A new life? Hmm.

A way to rectify past mistakes..start anew. I really thought I’d have no other way. The chaos of pressure and other kids staring at me, my parent’s angry faces as they threw me out the home. Friends giving hostile looks at me, avoiding me.

“…”

The question is “why” though? This woman is seemingly offering me a new life, and for what?

There must be a goal here.

So I asked just that.

I couldn’t really see it, but behind that blurred blob on her face, I could see a smile crack out of it. A gentle one.

She then flew in circles around me, observing me. I mean, I’m not too muscular, but I got some muscles all around. Why’s she checking me out?

Hm, could it possibly be that she would give me a new life to have her hand? No. I don’t think that’s right.

Then she stopped, falling back to the same place she was before, in front of me.

She ponders what to say, what’s she thinking?

Spit it out!

“…Just cause!”

Hm?

That’s it? What the fuck was the spinning around me part for then?!

“Look, you seem like a nice guy. Maybe you aren’t. I don’t care. What I do know is that your spirit is stranded here. Unable to go back to your world anymore.”

“What?”

“Yep. Seems like your spirit went through a one way door into here. Leaving just another one way door to a new world. Or you can just stay here with me!” She said, clapping her hands.

Hm. No way back, huh. That means I can have a second life in my world. Just a new one in whatever this lady is talking about.

Now that I think of it, I wasn’t the only one that had fallen. If my spirit had fallen here, then wouldn’t…

“Um… would you happen to know if another person's spirit has come through?” I asked.

“Hmm, Maybee. If you are referring to that other woman. I’ll just leave it at this. She has passed.”

Shit. She’s dead too. God damn it, so it really didn’t matter if I tried, she would’ve ended up dead.

“Huh, so that’s how it is. And I’m guessing since there’s no way out. I’m stuck here.”

“That would be correct, though I’d highly advise that you perhaps go along with the second chance.” That voice, it’s so enticing, so motherly!

I have no regrets in the past. Wait, no.

I didn’t say farewell to my family, not that I think they’d mind after what I did. My parents have already disowned me and outed me out the house, I’m pretty sure Mom will forever be pissed at it. And dad would either just never talk to me or never see me as his kid again. And still..

Man, I do have a lot of regrets.

Actually. Let me count some more. My nihilistic and somewhat pervy side usually gets me into trouble.

Fuck it, I’ll bite. I’ll take that second chance offer.

I wonder where I’ll be sent to? Is this going to be an isekai? A magical world would be nice.

“Alright. I’ll take up that second chance. Though,

I’m wondering where I’ll be sent to.”

The woman crosses her legs, Criss cross applesauce. Somehow a melody from elementary pops in as she does that. She still floats, rocking left to right.

“You’ll be sent to a world called zenith, much of it will remind you of your past world. But, know that it is completely different in some cases. There you’ll be reborn as a child and live through your entire life there!”

“Is there anything else I’d want to know?”

“Well, there is one thing.” She leaned in closer to me. The blurred face is still blurred as hell. But now I could make out that she has a mouth but no eyes.

“Let me guide you through your second life. The reason I said it would be different in some cases is because of the danger inside it. That world is filled with monsters and beasts that roam it. I’d be a shame to have you become a meal for someone at such an early age.”

Bingo. We got ourselves a magical world. Before I was disowned by everyone, I was very into that high fantasy stuff. All those anime where the characters are pulled into a new world. All of that coming though.

But it would be wise to follow this woman’s advice. I have no idea what’s in this new world, and frankly, I have no intentions of dying due to some foolery I get myself into again. This will be a new life.

And thus, I agreed to her deal. Her conditions on following her guides were…loose to say the least.

I’d still retain my memories of my past, but I shouldn’t tell anyone about them. I should also follow her guides as closely as possible,

And lastly, “Feel free to do what you will once the task I’ve given you is done!” She said sweetly.

“Now hold on, what kind of task?” I asked.

I couldn’t really trust this lady, I mean, her free life attitude was ticking me off.

“Oh, you’ll see. At some point when it comes. I’ll awaken you in your dreams to give you the task!”

“That still doesn’t explain anything.”

Her demeanor changed. Not that I could see her face, but her presence went from that happy go lucky to an uncomfortable feeling.

“Do you not want to be powerful? I know your whole story. You’ve been brought down by your own Allies and hit the bottom. I know that you feel insecure of others now. You can’t trust me, so be it. My advice is here to give you a better life. You can follow it or not, but..” she spoke so fast and suddenly fell off.

“You’ll just end up back where you are now, only worse.”

“…”

“I know you see me as one who is just using you, but know that I don’t mean any harm, but only to guide you. You can trust me” she leaned into me, now with that happy demeanor she came with.

I couldn’t really do anything about this at this point. At this point I’m just under her arms now. Staying dead is an option, but…the ways I can redeem myself..

“Any more questions?” She asked again.

There weren't really any questions I could think of anymore. There were mostly just worries. the fact that my memories would still be intact, all that knowledge from the past wouldn’t really matter if it couldn’t apply to whatever this new world is.

“Now, before I let you get reborn. I will tell you my name.” She held her hand up, ready to snap.

“From this day forward, you will be reborn anew in the land of zenith. You will be under my guidance, and lead a powerful life. You are under Arael, The goddess of death!” She smiled, a long grin stretched from ear to ear.

And with a snap, the world turned black.