「I remember it like it was just yesterday, the very moment that changed my life for the worse. The moment I met that damned goddess.」
"W-where am I?"
In a dark, empty and isolated space, a sharp voice pierced through the silence, like a blade slicing through the wind.
A boy, dressed in a plain black trousers, a tucked in white shirt and a red tie, floated in this dark space, his body seemingly defying the very laws of gravity.
The boy — Jake Carter, was a final year student in Bracford high, but before he could even take a moment to sink in his graduation from high school, an unanticipated event occured, an event which changed his life forever.
As he floated, memories of his final moments raced through his mind like a stream of water, recalling every single moment that led to his demise.
"I see... I died, didn't I?"
"That's right."
Without a moment's notice, a brilliant light illuminated the empty space he floated within, in it's wake, an angelic figure materialized above him, glancing down at the boy below.
She spoke firmly, her tone exuding itself as the literal definition of authority.
Jake's glance elevated as the illuminating light faded away, revealing a breathtaking beauty in it's place.
"I am Ariana, she who controls the flow of souls from the physical world to the spiritual world. You could say I'm the one who controls the fate of one's destiny, the goddess of fate."
Despite her angelic appearance and authority, Jake remained still, unfazed, as though he had been expecting her all this while.
A vein popped up in her forehead, a surge of annoyance flowed through her. Despite her introduction, he didn't seem to care who she was, neither did he display the appropriate behavior and courtesy to be portrayed in the presence of a deity.
"The goddess of fate? I see... So, I'm in purgatory?"
His eyes examined every corner of the empty space, and truly it was bottomless, enough to completely swallow the whole earth.
"Oh?"
She stuttered with surprise, initially she viewed humans as unintelligent creatures, completely engrossed in the material items of their world.
To her, the human race was a failed project, an unnecessary trial by the one above all.
A blue holographic interface materialized in her field of vision, she simply refused to believe that humans were that composed to analyze this kind of situation calmly.
"Jake Carter, a 17 year old geek, final year student of Bracford high, constantly bullied for how you looked, lean, hungry and beaten every once in a while, mother died in a car crash at the age of 9, constantly abused and insulted by your father who blamed you for your mother's death, death by car crash."
"Wow, normally I don't care what happens to you spiteful humans, but you're the exception. This is just too much."
She laughed, as pitiful as it was, she couldn't hold herself back.
His mouth widened, his thoughts scrambled. How did she know who he was? And how did she give such a detailed summary of his life?
The more she obtained information about his life on earth, the more she understood his reaction, why he wasn't moved by the thoughts of his death, why he wanted it.
His initial assumption was on point, he did die, and had his soul heading to the other side, the great white light at the end of the tunnel.
But Ariana intervened in the natural progression of his death, and brought his soul to purgatory.
The cause of his death? Death by car accident, coupled with the several casualties he had to face, fate decided to make things worse by sending him to the world of the dead the same way as his mother.
"So that's what happened." He chuckled.
He found it hilarious given the circumstances.
"So, you did have a good laugh?"
"Excuse me? What are you trying to imply?"
"Don't give me that crap, you said you were the one who controls fate, the goddess of fate, did you have a good laugh at my expense?"
He said at the top of his voice, given the facts, he could only assume that everything was her doing.
"I don't appreciate your tone, you detestable mortal."
Her once calm and angelic voice transformed into a dark and ominous voice. The whole of purgatory shook violently, the entire realm affected by an immense pressure that easily pinned him to his knees, bowing before the goddess.
"How dare you, a despicable mortal address me with such a tone. You mortal beings are nothing but a mere speck of dust beneath my feet, the absolute failure of the deities. You have no rights to question my authority.
Unable to bottle her disgust for the human race, her true colors rose to the surface, her once hypnotizing blue eyes were now filled with hate.
She stood straight to her feet, glancing menacingly at the human below her.
"Don't get cocky, you inferior creature."
It was then he felt it, primal fear, she wasn't a goddess for show, she was the real deal.
The overwhelming pressure disappeared shortly, she was agitated, her actions were merely a warning that no form of insolence would be tolerated further than this.
He struggled to get up to his feet, but as he finally did, he glanced up at her, shaken by her might.
For a while he remained silent, crafting his next choice of words carefully. "S-so why have you brought me here?"
She tilted her head slightly, unsure of how to answer.
Despite her job as the deity over fate she cared little about the fate of humanity. But given the circumstances at hand, she had only one motive.
"A few weeks back, an abnormality occured in the natural flow of the world. A war is brewing in another world, a war that will bring an end to humanity."
"Everyone's fate is decided, I can see it all, I know how it all ends and how it's supposed to end. Your death, Jake Carter, was a total error, a glitch in the natural progression of your fate if you will. Normally I wouldn't mind the death of a mere mortal, but there are protocols we must follow, your fate has been sealed, but not like this."
Her words stung sharp, hitting his chest like the weight of a container. His death was an error?
"A war in another world? What's that have to do with me?" He asked.
"Much like the abnormalities in the other world, your death was also a glitch. Naturally deities like myself are not allowed to tamper with affairs of the human race no matter the situation, so the only way to fix a glitch from the inside..."
"Is with another glitch.."
"Precisely." As painful as it was for her to request for a mortal's help, she had no other choice left.
"Stop this war and a second chance at life is what I offer to you, a chance to rectify and renew the pitiful life you have lived in your past life."
The offer was tempting, a chance to rectify the cruelty he suffered?
"I've seen a far share of death and human conflict, humans fight all the time, we kill for pointless agenda, what makes them different that I had to be summoned?"
"Because the progenitors of this war, is not something they can handle. It's not my place to disclose such information, but naturally people from your world possess a more refined Soul-Shard, that means your Soul-Essence is their only hope."
"Wait wait, Soul-Shard? Soul-Essence?"
"It is not my place to discuss, but this much I can tell you. When you arrive at the other side, you will go through a ceremony known as the Beast Awakening Ceremony. From there your mission begins, but keep this in mind, you cannot reveal the details of your mission to the humans of the other world."
"Why?"
"Chaos begets chaos, revealing someone's fate often tends to confuse what is with what will be. Telling them will only bring about more chaos."
"Now that everything has been explained, what do you plan to do, Jake Carter? Will you change your fate or leave it as it is?"
For a moment he was hesitant, unsure of what answer to pick. On one hand, he was already dead, heading to God knows where.
On the other hand, he had a chance to change his fate, rectify the cruelty the world had shown him.
With a moment's thought it became inevitable, in his previous life he suffered a fate far worse than most, the untimely death of his mother, the unforgivable abuse by his father.
School life wasn't any much easier, coming from an average family, he constantly became the target of bullies.
Not anymore, his life was over anyways, so why live it in regret?
"Okay, I'm in."
A smile stretched across Ariana's face, almost as mischievous as a vixen.
"Alright then, you have your mission. Remember, you cannot tell anyone of your objectives. I can't believe I'm saying this to a mere mortal but, Good luck, the fate of their world rests in your hands."
As she advised him, a bright light illuminated the empty space they both floated in.
And in the blink of an eye, he vanished in the blinding light.
「The more I think about her offer, the more I regret taking her up on it. That's when I realized... There are some things, that are just far beyond the control of fate itself.」