'Where is this?' I thought as I looked around, surrounded by an endless void of darkness. I couldn't make out anything in this eerie emptiness.'Did I die again?' I wondered but quickly dismissed the thought.
It wasn't the same as before when I died. Back then, I felt nothing, but now I could sense my own body, and time seemed to exist, though I couldn't speak.
As I took a step forward, I heard the sound of splashing water. It was as if I was standing on the surface of a lake, yet I couldn't feel any water.
I continued to walk, and with each step, the sound of water grew louder. But still, there was nothing to see. The darkness seemed to go on forever.
I tried to use my energy to get a sense of how big this place was, but my measurements just kept going and going.
But I noticed something in that instance when I used my energy. The light of the thunder that I produced reflected something in the water below, that was for a fraction of a second but I knew the answer was below me.
'
With each crack of thunder that pierced through the black expanse of sky, the stunning display of light that reflected upon the water left me utterly speechless.
In every crevice, every nook, and every corner of the water's depths, fragments of my past memories were on display. Some of these memories were ones I yearned to hold onto, while others were memories I wished to bury and forget.
From the day of my birth to the day of my death, every virtuous act I had ever committed, every sin I had ever transgressed, every person I had ever loved, every person I had ever despised, my grudges, my anger, my treachery, my fervour, every moment of ecstasy, and every moment of despair that had ever coursed through me was reflected on the water's surface beneath my feet.
'Is this some kind of joke?', My anger boiled within me, a raging fire that threatened to consume everything in its path.
I wanted to scream, to demand answers from whoever had summoned me here. But something held me back, a voice within me urging me to remain calm.
The sound of thunder filled the void with the claps that collided with the surface beneath me, shaking the very foundations of this dark, featureless realm.
As I stood there, the water began to churn and boil, and the memories that had haunted me began to fade, swallowed up by the all-encompassing power of the storm.
The cracks that had started to appear in the sky widened, and the darkness shattered like glass, leaving me staring up at the ceiling of my room.
My heart racing, I sat up in bed, sweat pouring down my face and soaking the sheets beneath me. I wiped the sweat away and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
"That was the strangest dream I've ever had," I muttered to myself. With unease still lingering in my mind, I got up and headed for the shower.
After freshening up, I donned attire of a similar style but in a different hue: a rustic brown coat and cap, and my hair tied in a long ponytail.
I stuck to my classic fashion sense, never bothering to wear a tie and leaving the top three buttons of my shirt undone. As always, two strands of hair stubbornly escaped from the cap's front corners.
"There's no point in going to the salon, they'll grow back in an instant", I muttered looking myself in the mirror.
As I picked up my phone from the side table, I was greeted by a flurry of messages from an anonymous number. It was Cedric, updating me on the tasks I had assigned him, as well as the latest information on the life of River Hart.
I learned that River's house had been renovated, his vehicles were ready for use, and the overall surveillance around the area had been increased. It seemed that everything was falling into place, just as I had planned.
But there was a party that River's mother was hosting for birthday of her child aka River's younger brother. Apparently the hag never announced a party for River's birthday due to her current husband's hate towards him. And I knew that she had no idea of what her son's worth really was. It was a delicate situation and one that I would have to handle with care.
As I read on, I learned that the fire that had occurred in the company headquarters had been taken care of, but the death of one of my best employees, my assistant, was a tragedy that would never be forgotten.
And now, in just three short hours, the police would show up at River's residence to acquire and inform about the incident.
"…", On the central coffee table of the living room sat Olivia, indulging in her pizza. She wore a pair of casual shorts and a long shirt, her eyes circled with dark shadows that suggested she had devoured the food as soon as she woke up. Her hair was tousled and dishevelled as if she had just tumbled out of bed.
"Morning," she mumbled, her mouth stuffed with pizza slices.
"Good morning. You should get ready. Or not, it's entirely up to you. We're relocating to a different place," I replied.
"Suddenly?" she inquired, her eyebrows furrowed.
'I realized Cedric had not informed her about the move', I thought.
"Yes, there's a lot I need to explain to you about my current situation," I said, taking a seat on the couch beside her.
"Why do you seem so down?" she asked, looking concerned.
"Down? What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.
"I mean, you're not throwing tantrums at me the moment you see me. You're acting different," she explained.
"Well, don't I deserve some peace?" I asked.
"You do, I never said that-…ugh, forget it," she said, her attention returning to her phone and pizza.
I slid open the drawer of the table, took out the box of cigars, cut the lid and lit one with my energy.
"Smoking is injurious to health," she said, with monotone.
"Thanks for the information, but I don't need your help to save my life," I replied, blowing out a puff of smoke.
In response, she showed me her middle finger and focused back on devouring her pizza.
Despite the momentary distraction, a sense of unease gnawed at me.
The pain in my chest was a maelstrom of emotions - regret, resentment, and fury - all directed inward at myself. Something didn't feel right, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in over my head.