The floor feels cold. I hear people talking and yelling. Is this the afterlife? Carmen could hear his own thoughts. The feeling of falling to his death doesn't come to him anymore. Did he really die?
Carmen opens his eyes very subtly. A bright, vibrant light shines close to him. A blinding sensation. This must be Heaven, but then again he didn't think he deserved it. "Where am I..?". . .
As the light begins to fade and Carmen could open his eyes again once more, there was a sight that couldn't have many any more sense. There were other people with him. He could hear each and every one of their confusion and yelling.
"Where are we?" "Is this some kind of prank?" "Where the hell am I?" "This must be your fault!"
Carmen tried to gather the strength to stand up, however felt a subtle bit of nausea. It must've been from falling from an extreme height. He looked around again, taking a good look at what was around him. Children, students in their school uniform, working adults in their suits and the elderly. Is this really Heaven?
Carmen blinked a few times, still trying to grasp the reality of his situation. The voices around him continued to escalate, people panicking, arguing, and shouting questions. It was chaos, but beneath the confusion, there was an odd sense of unity among them... they were all as lost as he was.
He staggered to his feet, the nausea still lingering, and instinctively reached for the nearest object to steady himself. His hand brushed against the smooth surface of what appeared to be a marble pillar. The coolness of it brought him back to the present moment, grounding him. Looking around, Carmen tried to make sense of the scene. They were in what looked like an expansive, open space. There existed nothing but a huge white expansion with white pillars.
Carmen took a deep breath and began to walk, slowly at first, his head spinning with the need for answers. As he moved through the room, he noticed something else — there were no doors, no exits, only walls. The room felt warm like daylight, but how could he know for sure? He hadn't seen the sky or knew if there even was one.
"Hello?" Carmen finally called out, his voice shaky at first, but it was drowned out by the voices of others.
His heart raced. He was unsure what kind of response he was expecting. It was almost as if they had to wait for something. . . or someone.
He turned to one of the older men nearby, who was pacing anxiously, muttering to himself. "Excuse me," Carmen said, his voice steadier this time. "Do you know what's happening? Where are we?"
The man stopped mid-step and looked at Carmen, his expression hard to read. "I don't know. I was just at work," he replied, his voice low but urgent. "One moment, I was on my way to a meeting, and the next… here." He waved his hand around, gesturing to the strange surroundings. Carmen felt a wave of frustration building. It was like no one knew anything. No one had answers. But deep down, he knew there had to be a reason they were here — if this really was Heaven, then there must be a purpose. But what was it? Before he could voice another question, a figure began walking forward from the white walls appearing out of nowhere, tall and imposing, their silhouette framed by the light streaming in through the windows. It stopped in the middle of the room where most of the people had been gathered. Carmen squinted trying to make out any details, but the figure remained shrouded in mystery — like a clear veil of energy that distorted its physical features. The soft murmur of voices faded as all eyes turned toward this new arrival.
Could this be the one who held the answers?
The figure raised their hand, silencing the crowd. Their voice, when it came, was calm, yet filled with an undeniable authority. "Welcome," it said simply, their tone carrying through the room. "You are not dead. You are not in Heaven. This place is the realm between worlds. . . and you have been chosen."
There was a loud shout coming from the crowd. "Chosen? This is just some dumb prank, isn't it? Send me back right now!" A large, burly man made his voice known to the entity. He was very much obviously distraught from this sudden mystery.
"You all have been chosen as candidates for the Rebirth System." It said in a condescending tone. "Be grateful that our god gave you the power to fight back in what's coming to your world, you lowly insects."
The figure's voice boomed over the growing chaos, its demeanor amplifying the underlying threat. "Be grateful that our god has chosen you, for you will receive power unlike anything you've ever known!" The figure paused, as if to let the weight of its words sink in. "The Rebirth System will transform you, enhance you, and give you extraordinary abilities to fight against creatures that you have never met before. You are not just ordinary humans anymore, you are candidates for something far greater."
The burly man who had shouted earlier, his face red with both rage and confusion, stepped forward, his fists clenched. "This is insane!" he shouted. "I don't care about your system, I don't care about any of this! Send me back!" His voice trembled slightly despite his attempts to sound forceful.
Despite not being able to fully see the entity, there was a slight feeling in everyone's minds that it was smiling. "Fear not, dear insect. If you wish to go back, then I will let you. Come over here to me and I will assist you." It said in a calm tone. The man walked over towards the entity, the sheer size of it was colossal. "Good..."
*Splat*
The giant crushed the man in an instant. It appeared to be holding a large weapon now, more or less a giant hammer. Underneath the head of the hammer lays the man, a mangled mess of blood and guts. A second later there was a scream of a woman. Her cries could've been heard from even miles away. There was now a sudden panic and immense fear clouding the room. They were definitely going to die.