A young blue-haired boy lay weakly on a bed with the steady beeps of the machines at the corner of the room echoing across. Just one glance one would be able to tell it was a hospital room.
My name is Kael Ravenwood, and yeah, I was the one lying on the bed with a pale and sickly expression.
Beside the bed, a young lady around her early-twenties sat, her cheeks wet from crying. She was my one and only sister, Kayla Ravenwood.
"It's ok, Kayla. Everything will be alright." I always comforted her whenever I saw her this way. Though the strain from talking was a problem I got to deal with each time.
"I can't help but feel bad seeing you like this. Why do you have to be the one to suffer? You are so young and.. innocent."
"It's... alright," I comforted her again, robbing my dry pale hands over hers.
"Well, I had been diagnosed with a terminal disease at the age of ten. I was expected to live for just three more years, but it was pretty surprising to still be alive after the fourth year. Layla was my only family and the one struggling to make sure we got to live a good life. She never cared for herself but always ensured I was happy.
All I ever did was nag and make things hard for her, but now I feel bad. Maybe I could have been a better brother and supported her. It's quite surprising how she was able to keep up with the hospital bills and other expenses at the same time.
The researchers had made a groundbreaking discovery and had suggested to carry out their innovative operation on me. The chance of success was extremely low, they said, but I didn't want that. I declined to be their test subject, unwilling to risk my fate on a procedure that was shrouded in uncertainty.
Also I didn't want to see her in pain anymore. Living with an illness that was slowly eating my cells away was quite tough. Deep within, I wanted to take the easy way out but never had the courage or maybe it was the guilt.
I spent my life building a fantasy world just to forget about my condition. Reading tons of manga and watching a lot of anime. My favourites were mostly the mythical gods and creatures of the old. I always wondered if they ever existed at some point in time.
As the years went by, my condition worsened, and it got to a stage where I was unable to move any part of my body. The books that had kept me company I was unable to read, leaving me to wallow in self-pity.
Kayla was always there to support me though. Her few hours from work she spent with me ensuring I was never sad while she was around. The truth was that I was already fed up. Yeah, I was fed up with life and sometimes pondered what it would be like never to be born... to exist.
Life truly sucks. That was what I thought then.
My memories weren't sweet ones. I had lived quite a lame and boring life, which hurt me whenever I thought about it. The neighbouring kids didn't want to have anything to do with me, and some would even make fun of my condition, but that didn't bother me. The only deep pain was if I could turn back the clock and spend more time with Kayla. But it seemed there was nothing I could do. I guess this was my fate.
The day finally came, the day when my life went through a great change. Ironically, it was my birthday, the day I was brought into this cursed life. It was truly a classic way to leave the world... to the realms of the dead.
"Happy birthday ~sob~, brother." ~Sob~. "You'll always be in my heart," Kayla couldn't take it anymore as she poured out her heart. Her eyes clouded in pain.
"Th- anks, I mustered with all my strength," my vision slowly blurring. "You'll always be in my heart." That was my last thought as the world descended into darkness. I had taken my last breath in this world, but it didn't end there.
I never imagined life was going to take a huge turn from here. At first, I suddenly found myself in a large space with blinding lights. Revolving orbs of light just floated about the vast expanse with a large being emitting a variety of colours, carefully sending the little orbs to different points with large light. I would later come to know it has the reincarnation cycle. I was finally taken by the being who delicately handled my soul like a fragile egg.
___
"Such a sad life you had, boy. Let's see if I can find a better world for you to live in."
Kael's soul felt a soothing feeling as the being spoke. "But things would be different from your old world. Here, let me grant you a gift to aid you on your new journey." A soft glow encompassed the swirling orb (Kael's soul), and then he felt himself floating downwards. Towards one of the many distant large rotating lights.
He was supposed to appear in a world closely related to his previous world, but he never got there. Along the way, a dark tear occurred in space, pulling him in. The region was strangely... dark. He could hardly see a thing. The place was covered in dark swirling mist.
His soul wandered around the vast land for a long time. At times, he felt he had been on the journey for months or even years. But finally, he could see a light, shining so bright with a suction force pulling him at a fast speed towards it.
Passing through the tunnel of light, he felt his view darkened. He didn't get to see the end of his long journey. The strain on his soul was too much for him to handle.
The orb of soul merged into the being of a floating figure filling it with life. A radiant light enveloped the body. His soul, once a fleeting mist, now coalesced into a shimmering aura that surrounded the body. The air vibrated with an otherworldly energy as the two aspects began to merge.
The body, once a lifeless husk, started to glow with a soft, ethereal light. The warm energy flowed through the veins, coursing through the limbs like liquid starlight. The body's heart, once still, now stirred, beating in rhythm with the pulsing energy.
As the merge progressed, his body began to shift, muscles flexing and skin smoothing. The light reached a crescendo, and in a burst of radiance, the merge was complete. His eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in the view of his new surroundings.
----
"This was how my journey began... a path that would forge me into the greatest being! I, the Supreme Lord, fated to rule the five realms!"