'Maybe this world would be better off without Aster Wright.' That was the thought circling Aster's brain as he wandered the hospital's sterile white halls.
It was an extreme thought, one that surprised even himself, yet that did not mean he did not believe it to some extent.
To his family, he would be an unmanageable liability. Jobless and unable to work, weakened and ill… Emotional and foul. And then there would be the medical bill; just that alone would likely put his family back onto the streets.
Images of his kid siblings flashed through his mind. More followed, covered in dirt, begging for change.
Aster shook his head, trying to dispel the demons that plagued him, yet they were persistent.
As he walked, Aster glimpsed something unconventional stationed in the room he had just passed, iconic enough to make him pause.
An alabaster wood chair, adorned with vices for the wrists, legs, and neck. It was an electric chair, or at least a modern rendition of one. It was a sight morbid enough to spark an idea in Aster's faltering mind.
'They wouldn't charge my family for an accident…'
Hope, a glimmer of dark, twisted hope took root in Aster.
He made sure to lock the door behind him.
The wood felt cold through his patient robes. The room was still dark, save for a single monitor illuminated with a swiftly descending timer.
Aster smiled. Despite everything that had happened today, he believed he had found the answer to his family's problems.
He exhaled with exhaustion, content to simply let his thoughts drift away. It was a nice way to go out.
Flick.
As the timer hit the 10-second mark, every light in the room flickered on at once, revealing walls entombed in unintelligible technology. Lights and drives flickered with ominous hums. In the hallway, steps thundered towards the locked door; a second later, fists began their banging.
Aster sat frozen, his relaxing end obliterated by the thundering machines.
The timer reached five seconds.
Despite the change in scenery, Aster did his best to remain relaxed, trying to recoup the semblance of peace he had just moments prior.
'Execution is execution, this doesn't change anything.'
The timer reached three seconds.
Aster closed his eyes.
He mumbled out a final sentence, audible to not even the gods.
For a moment, a fraction of a moment, his world was white-hot, heaven-defying pain that seemed to rend his body piece by piece. It was as if his very soul was being stretched, squashed to its very limits.
Then, nothing.
Hm… This one was not included in the original plan.
Does it truly matter, ███████?
…
If nothing else, couldn't this be considered an unexpected bonus?
I suppose so, a soul is a soul.
Well then, soul, don't you suppose it's time to wake up?
Hello Aster Wright, welcome to your Ascension!