"W-where are we?"
Within a dark, empty and isolated space, several voices murmured. From the tone of their voice to the pitch it was easy to ascertain they were all teenagers.
A group of five teenagers, three boys and two girls all dressed uniformly with the girls adorning a black high knee socks, a short black skirt with a white shirt tucked in. While the boys were clothed with black trousers, a white tucked in shirt and a black neck tie.
The five students namely Mei, Yui, Ren, Mizuko and finally Rentaro all attended the same high school as final year students. But an unanticipated event occurred, changing the lives of all five drastically.
"I see, we died... Didn't we?"
"That's right, you all died." A high-pitched voice demanding attention and authority proclaimed.
Without warning, a blinding light illuminated the whole space they floated in. With it's brilliance fading away, an angelic figure materialized in front of them.
"W-who are you!?" Yui shouted with a fearful tone, scared out of her senses.
Terror, fear, both concepts are defined by humans being unable to comprehend what is or what is to come, so her reaction was only natural.
Asides Yui and two others, the remaining teenagers were unfazed. It didn't mean they weren't afraid, it was just somewhat expected. After all what does the deceased have left to fear besides eternal torment?
The light illuminating the angelic figure dissipated totally, revealing a breathtaking beauty in it's place.
"I am Nezuna, the goddess of fate." She replied with a calm and gentle voice, exuding the brilliance of the title she attained.
"I-I don't understand, the goddess of fate? What the hell? Are you the one that brought us here!? Let us go!" Ren exclaimed with a frightened voice, demanding for their release.
A vein popped up in the forehead of the goddess, she felt a surge of annoyance flowing through her. She was not fond of humanity, but now she had to deal with the worse part of humanity in a group of five, teenagers.
"Don't you get it? We died, there's no going back. If she claims she is a goddess, then she is either here to escort us to the world of the dead or to offer us a second chance. That means we are currently in purgatory aren't we?"
Mizuko Haroshi.
A typical 17-year old student of average height, a muscular build and intelligence that made him outstanding among his peers. Furthermore his popularity with the girls at their school was at it's peak, there wasn't any girl who didn't crush on him due to his remarkable handsomeness.
He was one of the two individuals who analyzed their situation calmly and carefully, leading him to the inevitable conclusion.
"Oh?"
Nezuna stuttered with surprise, she considered humans as dumb and selfish creatures. To her the human race was the failed projects of the one above all, so it came as a shock to meet a human this levelheaded.
His assumption was spot on, they did die and had their souls on it's way to the world of the dead. But Nezuna intervened in the natural progression of their deaths and put their souls in purgatory.
The cause of their death? It wasn't truck kun or any other accidental deaths via transportation. It was simply the results of an error caused by their own hands.
Moments before their end, four teenagers were working on their project in the chemistry laboratory after school. Being paired together was regrettable as both girls were at war with each other for Mizuko, however Mizuko was the exception given his popularity among the girls and boys.
Mistaking a highly explosive chemical for their recommended chemicals due to improper tag identification, it resulted in an explosion that claimed the lives of the many individuals.
"So that's what happened, that means my initial thoughts were on point. Then only one assumption is plausible, the fact that you stopped us means you are offering us a second chance aren't you?"
Once again, Mizuko easily figured out the main reason for the goddess's intervention.
"You're quite astute aren't you?" She replied, her devious smile only increasing in length each passing second.
The only hint she had given was the title she held as a deity, but this human easily read her intentions.
"W-we died?" Unable to comprehend the truth of their reality, Mei slumped to her knees with teary eyes.
"No... Way." Yui chimed in.
Both girls had no intentions of dying, they weren't ready to leave behind their loved ones, their social lives. They all had a good thing going till the moment of their demise.
"Don't give me that crap! If we truly died then you're here to send us back aren't you? Aren't you!?" Visibly tormented by the aftermath of death, Ren shouted at the top of his voice. He especially had a good reason to stay alive, he had just gotten himself a girlfriend for the first time in his life.
"Damn it." He added, driven to the point of tears.
"I don't appreciate your tone, you despicable mortal." The once gentle and angelic voice Nezuna displayed converted into a dark and ominous voice swiftly.
The entire realm of purgatory was immediately affected by an immense pressure that pinned them all to their knees, driving their heads down on the the space they floated in.
"You are all pebbles beneath our feets, the abstract failure of the one above all. You possess no rights to question me or my decisions."
The true colors of Nezuna rose to the surface, her silted blue eyes which were once hypnotizing in the eyes of men were filled with malice, mortal kind truly was the benchmark of her displeasure.
"Don't get cocky, you inferior lifeforms."
The pressure overwhelming them dissipated surely after, her actions were merely a warning to them all. She wouldn't tolerate any form of impudence from now on.
They all stood to their feet visibly shaken up, some more than the others.
"Why have you brought us here?"
A masculine voice questioned, drawing the goddess's attention towards him.
"Oh?"
Staring into the eyes of the teenager who questioned her despite her warnings, she found nothing but an empty feeling inside him. No fear of death, happiness and no regrets. It became clear why he still opposed her.
He was part of the two individuals who analyzed their situation carefully and calmly.
"How interesting, another dubious individual amongst you. Your kind truly is full of surprises." Nezuna said, mumbling underneath her breath.
Rentaro Mizuno.
An average teenager of 17 years with an a height of barely 6"0, a muscular yet lean build and average looks and wits, blue eyes and white silky hair.
He wasn't a stranger of any sorts to his classmates, but due to the insanely low level of popularity amongst his peers, he was just an after thought.
His grades? Pretty average, social life? Average as well. He had some acquaintances he often related with but none he could call a true friend or even a best friend, Mizuko served as a good example.
His whole life embodied the essence of average, as cruel as fate was to him, it didn't stop there. His parents were killed by hijackers who not only stole their car, but all their remaining financial details.
Rentaro Mizuno, he was a transfer student as of three years ago. Seemingly, he ran away from his past, an orphan who could barely take care of himself but somehow found a way to.
An average life as a background character? That defined his very existence, an extra.
"I see." The angelic voice of the angel echoed through the empty space, announcing her very thoughts. Ever since, she had her eyes on Rentaro.
Investigating his past, she discovered the true reason for his lack of fear of death and the unknown. He was a victim of a cruel fate so to speak, ironically it sounded cliche given her title.
"Why have I brought you here you say? Listen up! Everyone!" Nezuna began, immediately capturing the attention of the five students.
"As you all know, you presumably died from the accident you caused by the carelessness of your teachers. Many lost their lives in that accident and so did you, however before your souls left for the world of the dead I summoned you here for one reason and one reason alone."