'How long have I been floating in this dark place?' Adrian wondered as he opened his eyes, or at least tried to. It was so dark that he couldn't even be sure his eyes were open. He reached up, touching his face to confirm they were indeed open, only to find the darkness was absolute. Panic began to set in. He tried to call out, to scream for help, but no sound came. His voice was gone, swallowed by the void.
Fear gripped him. He couldn't remember how he got here. His thoughts raced, piecing together fragments of memory. Then, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. 'I was shot. That bastard shot me in the head.' The vivid memory of his death flooded back—his last moments, the shock, the pain, and then... nothing.
But here he was, still conscious, still... existing. It was a strange sensation; he could think, feel, and move, yet he was trapped in this oppressive darkness. As Adrian grappled with his situation, the darkness around him suddenly exploded into blinding light. Instinctively, he shut his eyes and yelled, "FUCK!!!" The sound of his own voice startled him. His voice was back.
Blinking against the intense brightness, Adrian slowly adapted to his surroundings. He found himself in a vast, featureless white space, floating without any sense of direction. He looked around, trying to make sense of the situation, when a voice broke the silence.
"Ohoo, you adapted rather quickly. Good job."
Adrian spun around to face the source of the voice. Before him stood a figure with long white hair and a matching beard, dressed in a white robe that seemed to radiate a divine aura. Adrian squinted, still adjusting to the brightness. "What the fuck is with all the white? I'm gonna go blind here," he grumbled, shielding his eyes.
The being merely stared at him, expressionless, as Adrian continued his rambling. Finally, the being spoke, cutting through Adrian's babble with a simple statement. "You're dead."
Adrian fell silent, a sad smile spreading across his face. "I kind of hoped that wasn't the case..." he murmured, a hint of resignation in his voice.
The being continued, "You know, you were hard to kill. You survived multiple attempts on your life. Quite the headache."
Adrian's mind reeled. This being—whatever it was—was responsible for his death. His emotions churned, anger and confusion mixing into a volatile brew. "Why?" he asked, his voice trembling with rage.
The being smiled, a mysterious twinkle in its eyes. "It was your destiny."
Adrian's response was a bitter laugh, which quickly turned into a full-throated, maniacal outburst. The white space echoed with his laughter, his frustration and helplessness pouring out. "Destiny? Was it fucking destiny that wanted me shot in the head? Was it destiny that my lover and brother betrayed me? Or that I lived a shitty life, unable to even find a job? Did destiny want all that?" He spat the words out, his voice cracking with emotion.
The being nodded, unflinching. "Yes, destiny wanted all of that."
"Then fuck destiny, fuck life, and FUCK you, old man!" Adrian shouted, his voice raw with fury.
For the first time, the being laughed, a sound that felt both amused and pitying. Then, the being's expression turned serious. "You're lucky you survived as long as you did. You were marked for worse fates than being shot."
Adrian's anger simmered down, replaced by a chilling curiosity. What could be worse than what he'd already endured? The being continued, "But there's some good news. Well, I don't know if it's exactly good, but you'll live again."
Adrian's eyes widened in shock. "I'll live again? Really? Then I can get my revenge on that bitch and my sorry excuse of a brother?"
The being shook its head. "Not exactly. You won't be returning to your old world. You'll live on a parallel planet—a world you might be familiar with."
Disappointment washed over Adrian. Before he could ask more, the being cut him off. "Our time is up. It's time for you to go."
Adrian started to shout, "Wait, wai—" but his words were cut off as his body began to disintegrate, dissolving into nothingness. The being watched him fade away, a small smile playing on its lips.
"Oh, and I've prepared a special gift for you, even though you were being rude earlier," the being called out. As Adrian vanished completely, the being's voice lingered in the white space, "After all, you'll need all the help you can get in the new world you're going to."