"Well, where do I start? My world? My country? The state I live in? My family? Or the life I lead? I guess you'd like to know all of them." I sighed to myself, slipping into one of my usual monologues. "Ah! Why do I speak as if someone's reading my mind? Am I so obsessed with novels now that I take my life as a story someone's just begun?"

Here I am, sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, at the edge of the highest building in Manhattan. I peer down at the bustling city, at the people going about their lives, blissfully partaking in the night, unaware of how ugly the world truly is beneath its serene facade. Earth—what a beautiful name you have. A fitting mask for the shadows you hide.

The world is something else, isn't it?

Even with my wealth and my feared name as the youngest and most ruthless trader alive, I feel helpless. At 23, I've achieved everything, and yet it feels so meaningless—or at least, that's what one might think, looking at me now. The soft spring breeze kisses my face, carrying with it a hint of freshness, though slightly tainted by the city's pollution. It's oddly calming in my current state.

Through the skyline, as if the buildings were no more than translucent veils, my heterochromic eyes—one green, the other blue—fixate on the second-tallest structure: Alex Abode. But even that isn't enough to stop my gaze from slipping past its walls. My sight lands on the top floor. There, a man in his thirties lounges on a luxurious bed, a smile of self-satisfaction plastered across his face. Around him, several women—clad only in lingerie—caress him like he's a king.

At that moment, any anger I might have felt toward this handsome, yet lesser man fades. "Sigh. You're just a slightly smart loser," I mutter. "My wasted years."

Then it hits me.

"Wait! How can I see him?" I leap up from my position, eyes wide in shock.

My All-Seeing Sight—finally, it had manifested. I laughed out loud, the sound rippling through the air like madness set free. But it wasn't just some simple power. I could see more than just people through walls. The limits of vision no longer applied. I saw through the very fabric of reality, through matter and time itself.

I could peer into the energy that connected the universe, see the hidden threads that bound things together.

At that moment, the entire city stretched before me like an open book. I saw not only buildings and people, but the intricate, invisible layers beneath. Secrets that lay hidden for decades were now plain to me. People's thoughts flickered like echoes, leaving faint traces in the air. It wasn't just sight—it was an understanding.

I could comprehend things that were far beyond human capability.

But my exultation was cut short as the sharp, unmistakable pain in my chest pulled me back to reality. Wincing, I gasped for breath, my hand flying to my chest as I doubled over in pain. Blood poured through my shirt, pooling into my palm, dripping onto the rooftop.

My body... battered beyond belief.

I had forgotten, even in the rush of my new power, just how much damage it had taken.

The assassination attempt had been brutal. Whoever wanted me dead had made sure they didn't miss their target. But I didn't die. Not yet. My shirt clung to my body, soaked through with blood. Each bullet that had pierced me left a burning trail of pain, and there had been many—too many for anyone else to survive.

But that was me. PetneFx. I wasn't like anyone else. I had always been more.

Still, I knew who was behind this. Alex. The man whose wealth and ambition could never touch mine, but whose jealousy was deep enough to fill every gap. He had paid for this attempt.

That smug grin on his face in the penthouse below me, surrounded by those women... It all made sense. He thought he had won. Thought I would be dead by now. But his mistake was underestimating me.

"Am I going to die like this?" I gasped, fighting for air.

I wasn't ready to go. Not yet. I sat back down, this time far from the edge, my chest heaving with the weight of my injury. Blood loss threatened to claim me, but I had to try. I crossed my legs, closed my eyes, and felt my awareness slip away from Earth, away from time itself.

____

"Who are you?" a voice boomed, echoing across the void like a sound that had existed for millennia.

"I am the child of Reality," I answered, my voice steady despite the overwhelming presence I felt. This wasn't my first visit to this space, though each time the voice's power sent a shiver down my spine.

The voice felt older than time itself, a force that had existed since the birth of the universe. It resonated with a depth that could crush entire worlds, yet it spoke with the indifference of an ancient being, too far removed to care about the petty struggles of mortals. It was everywhere and nowhere, filling the space with its raw energy, a presence so overwhelming it felt like the universe itself leaned in when it spoke.

"Child of Reality, you've done well. You've bent the fabric of existence, broken the shackles that bind others—the Shackles of the Limit. Congratulations." The voice's tone never wavered, cold and detached.

A surge of euphoria washed over me. I had done it. I had shattered the Limit. With my All-Seeing Sight, I could peer into the very structure of the universe itself. Space? Time? Nothing could stand in my way. I was beyond mortal limits. I could see everything—beyond even death.

___

But the voice clicked its tongue in disappointment. "I had such high hopes for your journey, but it seems your mind has surpassed your body. Though you've transcended the Limit, your body cannot follow."

It was true. My body was failing me, deteriorating under the weight of the wounds Alex's hired gunmen had inflicted. I had survived longer than anyone should've, but even I couldn't outrun death forever.

Was this it? Was I truly going to die here, on this rooftop, bleeding out despite everything I had achieved?

___

'Why do I want to live again?' I thought to myself.

Money? Power? I had all of it. More than I could ever use. The world, in all its supposed glory, was nothing to me now. I had chosen trading because I wanted to avoid the burden of leadership, of control. To live comfortably, distant from the grind. Ruling the world? That would be nothing more than a weight on my shoulders.

Yet, the thought gnawed at me. My gift. The All-Seeing Sight. Was I going to let it slip away? Die like any other mundane human after breaking the very rules of reality itself?

No. I wasn't going to accept it. I wasn't like them.

"I won't accept death!" I shouted into the void.

Then, another thought surfaced.

"Death? What is death? And what comes after it?"

The teachings of the Earth's religions flooded into my consciousness. Theories, beliefs, philosophies. Life after death. Reincarnation.

"Bwahahaha!" I laughed, louder and more manic than ever before. "I've cracked the code! The code to reincarnation!"

____

"WHAT?!" The ancient voice that had been so calm and composed finally faltered, a hint of surprise breaking through its vast, impassive nature.

____

Yes, my body may be giving out, but I had discovered it. The path to transcendence. I had broken the Limit once; I would do it again.

*****

Read until ten chapters! And on the fifth chapter, leave a review! Your favourite author, @AlmightyP