'Am I not already dead?' I thought and felt that it was strange that my consciousness left me a second ago and returned the next moment.
Am I even supposed to remember my life before death?
Is this what death feels like?
To talk to oneself before one is judged by some celestial or higher being?
As my thoughts started to wander, I suddenly felt the sensation of my body.
'That's weird', I thought, remembering that I was just numb to my body a while ago.
However, even though I could feel my body slowly, I could not move.
I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids refused to separate. They did not even move.
I tried to open my mouth to speak but it felt like I didn't even try to do so.
My hands and my entire body also refused to listen to me like I was no longer in command of it.
I could still feel my body though and that was weird.
Hmmm.
Death was totally not what I expected it to be.
Am I not supposed to face judgement from a God or a Devil?
Or be in front of the gate of Heaven or Hell?
Never did I think I would just be still after death.
I also died by a truck now that I think of it.
Damn, those Webnovels did not lie.
To think I'll die in such a protagonistic way, but unfortunately, I was no protagonist.
I was just some ordinary smartass history teacher that had almost nothing to live for.
Lived life like any ordinary guy before finding out my love for history and art.
I also loved reading. I read a lot of things, from science-related theories to novels.
Whether I understood what was in those science articles or not was another story.
I simply found them interesting and read them.
Sigh.
To die in such a cliché way feels incredibly strange.
"It's surprising how many people meet their end through trucks each year. Frankly, I've become numb to it. Can't death come up with a more inventive method?" a voice suddenly interjected.
'Did I just hear someone speaking?' I questioned, unsure if I was mistaken or if my boredom had led to imaginary voices in my head.
"Well, it's definitely not the latter," the voice retorted.
The sound of the voice for the second time prompted an instant reaction as I abruptly lifted my upper body.
Huh?
'I can move now?' I thought, unable to react for a while.
I was still unable to even move an inch a second ago, after all.
'But what is this place?' I wondered, observing the strange surroundings I was in.
As I looked around, I realised that the ground beneath me was not solid earth, but instead a vast expanse of shimmering water.
It stretched out as far as the eye could see, reflecting the endless sky above. It was as if the very fabric of reality had been transformed, defying the laws of nature that I had known in my previous life.
The water beneath me was calm, its surface gentle and serene. It seemed to carry an ethereal quality, emitting a soft glow that illuminated the surroundings.
I could see vibrant hues of blues and greens dancing beneath the surface, creating a mesmerising spectacle.
It felt strangely comforting, as if I were being cradled in the embrace of an ancient force.
Above me, the sky was a breathtaking sight. It stretched infinitely, with no trace of clouds or stars.
It was a vivid canvas of ever-changing colours, shifting from shades of golden yellow to soft pink and deep purple. It was a celestial masterpiece, captivating and awe-inspiring.
Everything just felt so unreal.
"You're surprisingly calm," a voice suddenly said from behind me, which reminded me that someone had spoken before.
In my sitting position, I quickly turned to look behind me. What I saw made me stunned.
Rather than saying what, who I saw stunned me.
It was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. Even those anime goddesses could not compare.
The woman in front of me looked like she was specially structured by God himself.
"Haha. That's quite a way to describe an actual goddess," the woman suddenly said but instead of focusing on what she had said, her voice drew me in instead.
It sounded enchanting to say the least. It was divine.
The woman had long, flowing hair that cascaded down her back in waves of radiant gold.
Each strand seemed to shimmer with a hint of sunlight, giving her an ethereal glow.
Her eyes were a mesmerising shade of deep sapphire blue, sparkling with intelligence and wisdom. They held a certain warmth and kindness that drew me in, as if I could see the depths of her soul through them.
Her features were flawlessly sculpted, with delicate eyebrows that arched gracefully over her eyes.
Her nose was straight and elegant, complementing her soft, full lips that curved into a gentle smile.
Her skin was smooth and porcelain-like, with a subtle rosy blush adorning her cheeks.
She had a slender yet curvaceous figure, accentuated by the flowing gown she wore.
The fabric seemed to be made of pure light, shimmering and swirling around her as if it had a life of its own.
The gown clung to her body in all the right places, emphasising her grace and beauty.
Her presence exuded a sense of tranquillity and grace, as if she were a being from a higher realm.
There was an aura of wisdom and power that surrounded her, yet it was balanced by an air of gentle kindness and compassion.
As I gazed at her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder.
It was as if the universe had created her as the embodiment of beauty itself, a living masterpiece that surpassed anything I had ever seen or imagined.
It was then that the words of the beauty flashed back in my head, and I found myself muttering aloud in a daze.
"Actual goddess?"
"You're surely a weird one for sure," the lady responded, her voice filled with amusement. "Not even screaming or panicking about being in such a weird location. Rather, you're even taking the time to appreciate all that is around you. Don't you feel fear?"
Fear, huh? I do feel fear, but years of fearing the inevitable motion of dying have made me a little numb towards it. Besides, am I not already dead? So why fear?
I agreed that this place does look weird, but even though I wasn't that much of a religious person, I still had some beliefs. I couldn't help but think that this might be the afterlife, and this lady in front of me could be the one to judge me.
"It's amazing how you can guess all that correctly," the woman suddenly said with a sigh.
What does she mean, though? And in fact, who was she?
"About time you asked," she remarked.
Huh?
"I'm Samsara, the goddess of reincarnation," the woman declared with a hint of pride in her tone. But... Samsara? And did she just refer to herself as a goddess?
What is this place, and who exactly is she?