'Uggghhh, where am I? What happened to me?'
Suddenly, before Henrik's eyes, a shining bright light appeared before him. The light it emitted was immense, perhaps even greater than the sun itself. As the light seemed to get closer to Henrik, he was overcome by an intense feeling of both love and fear, almost as if this light was something he shouldn't be looking at.
'Wow, it feeling. Why can't I look away? It's clear I shouldn't be able to look at it. It's almost like this light is some divine being that humans shouldn't witness. Yet, despite me trying so hard, I just can't stop looking at it.
Wait, what's happening?' Henrik thought as the radiant light started to change its shape.
What was once just a small, yet immense light, had now began to grow to an enormous size. As Henrik began squinting his eyes so he doesn't go blind, the light started to dim slightly, almost as if it knew being so large and bright was causing him discomfort.
After dimming itself, the light appeared to extend but in a different way than before. Four small yet fierce looking claws appeared on it, similar to the arms and legs of a lizard, yet these claws were much larger. Next, a large tail appeared on its back. The tail was as long as a skyscraper and scales started to form as a strong shield along its now majestic form.
Finally, from the top of the light, a large, reptile like head appeared. It was long and regal, with deep blue eyes that shouted majesty. From its long mouth, Henrik could tell that its teeth were as sharp as the scales forming all over its new body, strong enough to bite through bone if desired.
Since all of this happened in only a few seconds, Henrik hadn't realised that this creature had the appearance of a dragon. A mythical beast spoken only in legends and children's stories, yet, here one was. Standing mightily and proud before him.
Despite all the thoughts running through his mind, telling him to be scared, when looking at this great beast, all he felt was compassion and kindness radiating from it. This sensation, despite his logical mind, left him unable to feel fear.
'What are you?' Henrik thought to himself, however, the creature somehow heard his thought and with a deep, proud voice began speaking to Henrik.
"Hello young man. My name is Veldanava, although in your world I'm known as God. The creator of all things."
'No way, Veldanava, that's the name of a character from my favourite anime. Actually, not just any character. The guy is basically all powerful, even stronger than Rimuru. I must be dreaming. That's how it knows what I'm thinking.'
After hearing this in Henrik's mind, Veldanava made a screen appear that showed Henrik the truth.
He'd been hanging out with some friends when one of them had some type of mental breakdown. His friend was blaming Henrik for him losing his job, his wife leaving him, his kid committing suicide. Suddenly everything was Henrik's fault, that's when it happened.
Henrik's friend pulled out a gun and shot him without hesitation.
'Damn Jake. I knew I shouldn't have gone out tonight. So it's true. I'm dead.
Okay then, if I'm dead, what the hell is going on right now?'
After this, Veldanava took a step back and sat down, his long tail stretching around his body as he began to speak.
"Well Henrik. The truth is that it's not your friends fault for your death. In fact, it's mine. Where we are now is before the beginning of everything. Before even the 7 angels of origin and primordial demons.
Before the True Dragon Veldanava is born. Technically, I'm not him yet, once we're done here I'm going to make the whole of existence.
Before that though, there's one mistake I must amend. My loyal follower Feldway, one day he'll fight a battle with the black primordial in Hell and there'll be an clash so powerful it will reverberate between worlds. It will be so powerful, on the day your friend Jake is born, it'll hit him and distort his vision of reality and imagination.
Then one day, after a tragic life, he'll break and blame everything on his closest friend, taking that mans life.
As creator of both Feldway and Noire, I feel it my responsibility to fix what happened. And so, I have brought you here to grant you a chance at reincarnation. I'll be sending you to the central world and you can choose any life you want.
However, I must warn you, if one of my younger siblings or Guy Crimson find you, they will be able to tell we've met before. As will the 7 angels of origin. So now boy, tell me of the life you wish to lead."
Hearing all this, despite just learning his friend offed him, Henrik was thrilled with the offer that literal GOD just gave him. After only a moment of thinking, Henrik knew exactly what he wanted to do. He knew what he wanted his life to look like.
"I WANT TO REPLACE RIMURU," Henrik shouted to Veldanava.
"WHATTTT...." Veldanava shouted back.