[A/N: The contents in italics are William talking to himself or rather William's conscious mind warning him.]
"I didn't know which was more painful: the pain of death or the pain of being betrayed, of getting stabbed in the back. Ha ha! He literally stabbed me from behind with a knife and pushed me into the cold pool. Heartless bastard! He could have chosen some subtler way of murder. Well, I don't care anymore. Anger, sadness, shock, helplessness—various myriad of emotions flooded my mind, but out of all of them, the most overwhelming and repulsive was incredulity. My heart couldn't fathom the truth, refusing to believe what had transpired. In a small corner of my heart, still a dwindling hope persisted, desperately clinging to the possibility that all of this might just be a dreadful nightmare. Ha! It was truly nauseating, deeply revolting.
I gasped for breath as water filled my throat, the icy touch causing my consciousness to slip away. It was a struggle underwater, a fight for survival that seemed endless. In that moment, the bitter chill of the winter water mixed with the loss of my own life force, leaving my body devoid of warmth. A cold night awaited me, not only in the physical sense but also in the depths of my soul. The echoes of Jake's laughter lingered in my mind as he mockingly assured me that he would be there for Jenna, taunting me with the label of "loser." That word, "LOSER," kept echoing in my brain for a long time.
And then what? Eventually, I released my final breath and closed my eyes, knowing that I would never witness the long-awaited sunlight that would bring my dreams to fruition.
Ironically, my sleep was disturbed by a glaring light source that seemed as bright as the sun. My instincts urged me to walk toward it, like fireflies drawn to fire. Soon, I found myself standing in front of a tall door made of an unknown sturdy material. It welcomed me into a white space that extended infinitely. My brain raced, telling me to explore the place without fear, for I knew I was dead. Everywhere I walked, all I could see was white. There were no walls, no doors—everything disappeared, confirming my hypothesis that I had entered the afterlife. I couldn't even feel my own body, and I had no idea how long I wandered in that space. What choice did I have? Anyway, there was a bit of curiosity about what the afterlife looked like. Seems like I would find out today.
"Mr. William, this way," a voice startled me from behind. I turned around and saw a gorgeous young lady in business attire wearing glasses. She began walking to her left, toward another door that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Without a second thought, I hurried to catch up with her. I didn't want to get lost again. Following a beauty is still nice though. We arrived at a beautiful landscape adorned with trees bearing golden fruits and white blossoms everywhere. In the midst of it all, there was an exquisite white table laid out with an elegantly carved tea set. A serene young man with long golden hair tied into a ponytail sat gracefully, surrounded by floating islands and mountains. He looked like an angel descended from the heavens. He motioned for me to sit, and I obliged. I knew he must be some big shot here. After all, his intro was so dramatic.
"Mr. William Harris Walker, born on July 16th, 1998, according to Earth's modern calendar. You lost both parents at the age of 10, and your elder brother disappeared at 16. You excelled in academics and sports, winning numerous championships both nationally and internationally. You were a top performer in school, university, and the National Bio Research Institute. You even founded 'Gene-X,' a stimulant that tapped into DNA, granting superhuman abilities. However, your life was cut short at the age of 25 due to betrayal. You were poisoned and drowned by your own trusted allies and partners." I anticipated that the young man might know about me, but I was surprised to hear my entire biography being recited in front of me.
After a moment of silence, I gathered the courage to ask some questions. "Sir, may I know where I am? Is this the place in the afterlife where my sins and righteous deeds are calculated? And who are you...?"
The young man slowly poured himself a cup of hot liquid from the heavenly-scented tea set, as if he expected and was accustomed to such questions. "You can call me whatever you want—Creator, God, Messenger, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Shiva, or any other name. This is the world's edge. While there are departments here that calculate sins and reward karma, the one I oversee is a little different."
Thinking something, I asked, "So, umm... Mr. God, umm... Creator, sir, what department are you in charge of?" I asked hesitantly. It's none of my business, but still, why is he here if he's not going to send me to hell or heaven? I wished we could wrap this up quickly. I'm feeling oddly uncomfortable with this guy.
"Rather than that, William, are you happy with your death?" the deity inquired, skillfully diverting my attention to the worst feelings I experienced during my death.
"Happy with my death? What the heck is this question?" I started shouting, not able to control myself. "[Wait...! Why am I shouting? I'm not a person to lose temper easily.]
"Why would anyone be happy to die? Of course, some crazy people out there, but me, a successful prodigy of the era who was showered with money, fame, looks, and education? How can I be? They betrayed me. ..[Wait, don't throw your words, William. This is human nature. Let it slide.]....." If they had asked, I could have given them all I had. Jenna, my trusted childhood friend, Jake...[Oh! William, why are you getting agitated so much? It's not like you. Just think logically. Don't let your emotions take you over..] ..."How could they do this to me? I feel like such a loser, a fool."
Soon, my anger turned to that of regret. "If I hadn't discovered Gene-X, [No, no, William. You had a happy life. No need to regret.] ... if I hadn't been a genius, [Man, this is not like you.. ..why don't you calm down for a sec]... I could have lived a humble life, gotten a regular job, gotten married, had children, grown old, and died after a fulfilling life..." [What nonsense are you talking, William? You never wished for an ordinary life... Why are you blabbering???]
One side of my mind tried its best to get me back into composure like always, but there was something that stirred my inner demons like never before. ...I didn't know what it was...
"Oh, William, calm down. Not everything is over yet." Said the deity, waking me from my mindless rambling.
[What nonsense was I talking?.. Are those my subconscious thoughts?]
"What do you mean, not everything is over? I'm dead, aren't I? What is the use of" I halted my speech abruptly, thinking something "…wait! Don't tell me you can make me live again? " [William, don't think anything crazy. It can't be... This doesn't feel right.]
"True, you are dead. But I can give you a chance." Said the deity with a gentle smile. A smile that almost sent me shivers. And with that, my logical mind totally stopped working. As if I was put in a trance.
"A chance?" I was taken aback by this unexpected twist. I hoped I could go back to my life if given the opportunity. It will be good, wouldn't it? [No, its unnecessary. we don't really care about dying. ...There is nothing you want to do, though. we have no one.] At least I want to grab those bastards by their collars and ask them the reason for ending my life. [True, but why? What's done is done... Just accept death and concentrate on the future.]
"Yes, a chance, Mr. William. A chance to go back two days in your world. You will temporarily inhabit a body to settle matters there. So, William, what will you do if I give you that chance?"
"'Of course, I will take revenge. I blurted out automatically. [Wait, William, don't talk nonsense. This is nothing like you.] I will make them pay. [Hey, no!] I will let them experience the same pain I suffered [What? .. Just let it go... Revenge was never your cup of tea. Why are you so angry?]," I blurted out, my anger consuming me despite my logical mind stopping me again and again. I looked down, worried that my desire for revenge would send me to hell. Well, a deity wouldn't like something like this, would he? I heard gods are compassionate beings.
But to my surprise, "Then do it," the god replied calmly.
"Really? I can go and kill them? [Idiot! Why are you so happy about it? I don't like where this is going.] But won't that be a sin?" I asked with confusion and shock clouding me. I've never thought of hurting others. Violence has always been a stranger to me. I was too brilliant for others to pick a fight with.
"Oh, sin," the young man's mouth curved into a subtle smile for the second time. "It's not a sin to take the life of sinners, is it?" He gestured in the air, and a contract-like paper appeared. "Sign this with your blood," he said, pointing to the bottom corner of the contract. "If you sign, you will have your chance."
[Sign? contract?. William, this doesn't look neat. Stop, don't do it] I couldn't understand the symbols on the paper. [Just ask what this contract is about.] I looked at the deity to inquire about the contract, but something stopped me, his eyes. His eyes gave me a serious urge to sign those papers, all I wanted was my revenge. Despite being taught on Earth not to sign shady contracts without reading them, I nervously bit my finger. [No, no, William, this is not right. Stop, stop, stop, please stop]... It was a compelling situation, after all, a most enticing contract. [Compelling my a**, you are not in your right mind. Stop it]... A drop of blood fell onto the designated area, and as soon as it touched the contract, the paper magically turned to ashes. Hey! It was not even a proper sign, you know. Why the haste? Something feels fishy. [Told you! sh*t ,you are gonna be in a lot of trouble] My logical mind cursed me out.
What to do, it felt like the most right thing to do at the moment... as if I was a different person... Why wasn't I able to fight my urge... I am not a person to do hasty things, after all... I was still in thought...
Without giving me time to regain my composure, "We're in a deal, Mr. William," the deity said enthusiastically. He called his secretary, the gorgeous businesswoman Emma, to send me back.
{you really did your best to resist me there.} I heard a whisper from the deity. But before I could think about it, I completely forgot...about...???
[wait ! what did he say again at the last??? well, who cares] I shrugged.
With a swirl, Emma took me back to the pool where I took my last breath. With a few words, she said, "Meet you in 48 hours, Mr. William," before vanishing. She is really a woman of few words.
"Now what?" I questioned myself, looking at my own white, pale hands that needed to be stained red. Uncertain of my next move, I chose the path that seemed most certain. And I didn't give a damn about that shitty contract.