The void was endless.
Joshua floated weightlessly, his form indistinct, as though his body was a mere suggestion of what it once was. There was no up or down, no light, no sound—just the oppressive nothingness that pressed against him, invading his thoughts and emotions.
His breathing, or what felt like breathing, was erratic. He couldn't see his chest rise or fall, yet he could feel the desperate rhythm in his mind. His hands—if they even existed—clenched and unclenched, searching for something solid, something to remind him he was real.
"Is this it?" he muttered, his voice barely more than a thought. "Is this how it ends?"
The void didn't answer. It merely stretched around him, vast and unyielding. His mind raced, filled with fragmented memories—his childhood, his triumphs, his regrets. He saw faces he loved, heard laughter he cherished, felt the sting of pain he had endured.
Joshua's brow furrowed, his expression one of frustration and fear. His lips twisted into a grimace. "No," he whispered hoarsely, defiance flickering within him. "I can't—this can't be it."
As if in response, the void shifted. It wasn't a sound or movement, but a feeling—a presence. The nothingness grew heavier, thicker, and cold. Joshua stilled, his body—or the echo of it—tense and alert.
"Who's there?" he called out, his voice sharp and edged with desperation.
A ripple passed through the void, and suddenly, it wasn't empty anymore. Something emerged from the darkness—a figure, vast and incomprehensible, its form shifting like smoke caught in a windless storm. Its presence was both terrifying and captivating, drawing Joshua's gaze even as his instincts screamed at him to look away.
The entity didn't have a face, but Joshua felt its gaze upon him, heavy and piercing. His breathing hitched, and his fists clenched tighter, his body trembling despite himself.
"What...are you?" he demanded, his voice cracking but resolute.
The entity didn't reply immediately. When it spoke, the voice was not a sound but a vibration, reverberating through the void and into Joshua's very being. "What am I? What are you?"
Joshua flinched, his head jerking back as if struck. His lips parted, but no words came. The question felt like a blade, cutting through his fragile sense of self.
"I'm...I'm Joshua," he stammered. "I was...I was alive. I—" He faltered, the memories suddenly feeling distant, disconnected.
The entity shifted closer, its formless edges coiling like smoke around him. "Was? Do you even know what you were? Or what you could become?"
Joshua's jaw tightened, a flicker of anger breaking through his fear. "What do you want from me?"
A low, resonant hum filled the void, the entity's version of a laugh. "What do you want, Joshua? You cling to this existence, yet you cannot face the truth. You are neither here nor there—trapped in the in-between. What will you do?"
Joshua's eyes narrowed, his fear giving way to frustration. He straightened—or the impression of it—as though defying the oppressive presence. "If you're here to gloat or torment me, get on with it. I've already lost everything. What more is there?"
The entity stilled, its form darkening, solidifying slightly. Its voice softened, though it remained chillingly impersonal. "You are not lost. Not yet. You are...an anomaly, Joshua. You are both bound and unbound, destined and unmade."
Joshua frowned, confusion breaking through his defiance. "What does that even mean?"
The entity lingered, its presence shifting like the tide, immense and suffocating. Joshua felt its cold pressure against him, a reminder of how insignificant he was in its shadow. He clenched his jaw, refusing to be overwhelmed.
The entity's next words vibrated through the void, its tone like the hum of an ancient, cosmic truth. "It means you have a choice. Remain here, in the void, forgotten and unmade. Or... I will grant you three wishes. Choose wisely. With them, you may shape your existence anew. You will also decide the world in which you will begin again. After that, your path will be yours to carve."
Joshua blinked, his confusion giving way to suspicion. His eyes darted, though there was nothing to see except the swirling shadows of the entity. His voice was low, tinged with disbelief. "Three wishes? What's the catch?"
The entity didn't move, but its presence seemed to ripple with amusement. "The catch, as you put it, is simple: the rest will be up to you. I will not guide you, nor will I intervene. Once your wishes are granted and your destination chosen, you will be on your own."
Joshua exhaled shakily, his hands curling into fists. The weight of what was being offered hung in the air. He stared into the entity's formless visage, his brow furrowing as thoughts raced through his mind. "Why me? Why give me this chance?"
The entity's form pulsed, faint tendrils of light flickering through its dark smoke-like presence. "Why not you? You stand on the threshold of annihilation and potential. You are...interesting."
Joshua's lips pressed into a thin line, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He paced—or at least, he felt the motion of pacing, though the void didn't allow for true movement. His shoulders tensed, and his gaze bore into the entity. "Interesting? That's it? You're giving me a cosmic reset because I'm interesting?"
The entity didn't respond immediately, its silence as oppressive as its presence. When it spoke again, its voice was softer, almost indulgent. "You may waste time questioning the why, or you may seize the opportunity before you. The choice is yours."
Joshua stopped pacing, his chest heaving as if he'd been running a marathon. He ran a hand through his hair, or at least the sensation of it. His expression shifted—a mix of exhaustion, determination, and the faintest flicker of hope.
"Fine," he said finally, his voice steady. "I'll take the deal. But I need to think about my wishes."
The entity inclined forward slightly, an almost imperceptible motion that conveyed attention. "Time is irrelevant here. Speak your wishes when you are ready."
Joshua closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as he concentrated. Memories of his previous life flickered through his mind, a slideshow of triumphs, failures, and dreams left unfulfilled. He thought of what he had lost, of what he could gain, and what he would need to survive in a new world.
After what felt like an eternity, his eyes snapped open. "First wish."