'It's a joke...'
The voice in his mind was small and empty.
The scene then cuts to the next, showcasing Jason and his wife exiting the building and entering their luxurious red sports car. Jason, being a gentleman, opened the door for her and hopped inside the car as well.
While fastening his seatbelt, his wife asked him a question that shocked Damien to his very core.
"They won't know it was us who sent Sharon, right?" Her voice filled with worry.
Jason snorted, "As if they would. The police are so corrupt they let any sort of crime go through nowadays. Especially when you're offering to give them a large amount of funds."
He then gripped the stick of his car and pushed against it.
"Everyone will just know that Damien died due to stealing something. Painting him in an even worse light."
After saying that, the scene then soon faded into absolute darkness. Damien was left with an empty and broken feeling inside his heart.
'Is that what he really thinks of me? That's... A bit disappointing...'
He chuckled to himself, the feeling of loneliness growing the longer he sank. The itchiness seemed to have subsided a bit before returning.
And with it, a new scene appeared in his mind—it was another one of his closest friends. She had long, flowing blonde hair and was currently in the middle of being harassed by a news reporter.
"Damien? I'm sure you've been told he's a great guy."
"Yes, yes, but we would like to know what you really think of him! Just recently, Jason Devire stated that Damien Hood was unfit for the role and would've been disastrous if he had actually become leader."
Her eyes twitched before sighing.
"Jason wasn't exactly wrong... But it would've been nice if he had put it in a nicer way. That's all you're getting out of me."
'Huh...?'
The scene then cuts to another one of his friends giving out his opinions to the very same news reporter. Where they would then also agree with Jason's remark about him.
And the cycle continued; every single last one of his friends, who numbered the hundreds, all talked as if he was the biggest pushover and would always flaunt his money.
Damien fell deeper into despair; how could he have been so blind towards the people around him? These were his friends? How could one have enemies when you were surrounded by fakes like these?
'At least... My family doesn't think that bad of me, right...?'
Just after he said that, the screen displayed his family of three: his wife, Ana, and his son, Miller, who was barely even a few months old.
Behind her were her old folks, who seemed to have moved into their house with her. The home was a penthouse Damien had built far in the countryside because the area had a lovely view.
Everyone was being interviewed... By the very same news reporter.
"My husband was an absolute pleasure to be around. His joking personality would leave all of us lying down while cradling our stomachs, just from how hard we laughed at his jokes. Not only that, but he is extremely hard-working. He would get everything done on his own and would be zooming everywhere. Sometimes, he wouldn't even be able to come home because he was so busy."
Her parents nodded along with her words.
"Uuegh..."
Ana, who cradled Miller in her arms, watched as he flailed his own arms about. His eyes drifted across the room curiously, and he stared at the camera, adorably tilting his head at it.
Ana playfully began to poke at his cheek and tummy before saying:
"But thanks to him, me, and my family, I would have plenty of money to live off of for our entire lives. He was, after all, the breadwinner of the family."
The scene then darkened. The short delay between the next seemed longer. It seemed like this was the last one.
Damien couldn't help but sigh before bursting out into mad laughter. Of course, this was all in his head. But if he was afraid to, though, he wouldn't doubt that he would lose his voice because of how hard he was laughing.
This was, after all...
'The cruellest joke ever... Crueller than any dark humour I have ever come across...'
When he had thought the seemingly never-ending scenes of negativity towards him had finally ended, it appeared once again. This time, it was his parents and siblings.
Something snapped inside of him. Just as they were about to open their mouths, Damien shouted:
'No more...! Stop this! Please, I'll do anything!'
He pleaded, and fortunately, it was answered.
["Anything?"]
It was a very feminine voice, but it held traces of masculinity in there as well. Was there perhaps more than two voices inside his head? He wasn't sure, but the fact that he could possibly escape from this hell of betrayal was enough for him to be ignorant of that.
'Name it...'
The voice seemed to have disappeared, causing Damien's despair to return before shortly disappearing. The voice had come back after deep pondering and asked him quite a... Existential question.
[... Answer this question, then... What do you think the meaning of life is?"]
The voice left no room for Damien to answer, for it continued to speak.
["The meaning of Life... It is such a question that leaves even the greatest of minds stumped. What is the meaning of their existence? Is there any purpose in them being alive? Is it just the world being sadistic in letting mortals feel grief and loss? If the world is so perfect, as they say, why does death exist? Is it to limit the population of an entire species? Or to weed out the weak for a grand and vague purpose in what we call... Life...? What do you think?"]
Damien's mind rushed to find an answer. The meaning of life. "If the world is so perfect, why does death exist?" This quote resonated with him a little. If he hadn't died, he wouldn't have had to learn about those thoughts people had of him—he could've stayed ignorant of those opinions from others...
'What a joke...'
He knew he was going to find out sooner or later. It being revealed now when he died was a lot more convenient for him.
'Is it to get revenge against those who wronged us?'
["Perhaps... But I am not very fond of your answer. It is too one dimensional in my opinion."]
'Hahaha... It does seem like that, but are you really judging my own opinion?'
The voice fell silent at his retort before snorting, their tone surprisingly expressing amusement at the human's cheekiness.
["Well, aren't you cheeky... Say... How do you feel about a Redo?"]
'A redo...?'
["Yes, yes! A redo in this game we call life! C'mon! It'll be fun, I promise it!"]
'Are you telling me that I am going to be reincarnated?'
The water around him seemed to freeze and bubble at his words like it was having a strong reaction to the word "reincarnated."
["Yeah... No... I would have to A. retrieve help from my siblings or B. somehow revive the only man capable of such a feat."]
The voice had a tinge of regret behind his words as if he had committed a very heinous crime.
["I don't wish to do the former, and I am incapable of doing the latter. Your soul would merely fuse with another to form another entity. It'll be painless, I promise you. Your consciousness won't disappear either, so don't worry. You could even consider this new entity as your little brother in a way. You would still experience this new life... Of course, if you wish to play this game once again."]
Damien was baffled at this opportunity to live once again, although it was going to be a bit different. The feeling of death was still fresh in his mind.
He then asked a question that was on his mind the entire time.
'I accept... But may I ask... Why me? What do you gain from this?'
He didn't care if his entity was going to be fused with another; all he wanted to know was if there was some kind of catch with this. Why would this mysterious being do this?
["Hm? Why? Because I sense potential entertainment from you! That is the benefit I am getting out of this deal!"]
'... And what should I be doing in this new life of mine?'
["All I wish for you to do is think about my question. Find an answer that can satisfy me. Find me an answer that could explain everything life has to offer. Find me... The True Meaning of Life!"]
With a sudden burst from the voice, the water around Damien began to glow and heat up at a rapid rate. Small explosions appeared within the water all around him, soon arriving and engulfing him in its destructive elements.
He did not care about this because...
He was too caught up with this thought in his mind.
'... The good guys are always the ones being torn apart... For what purpose? Regardless of how hard you strive to impress others, at least one of them is eager to stab you in the back for their own selfish benefits.'
Memories of his "Best friend's" words rang inside his mind like an echo in a cave. He gritted his jaw, his skeletal fingers clutching into fists. He was in control of his body once again.
A warm feeling spread across his body before swirling around where his heart would be.
He then remembered another line from Jason's speech: "Especially ones that don't joke around as much as him."
This line caused all the hesitation for his new life to disappear. After all, what sort of jokester would he be if he was always worrying about everything?
'I've already succeeded somewhat as a man in my last life! I might as well enjoy this new one to the fullest!'
He held his right fist just above his face; his sight had miraculously returned. How ironic... He had to remove his eyes, which didn't seem to work, to finally see...
He looked around, and seeing that the explosions coming for him were near, he decided to give one last passing word to his Little Brother, who would be born soon.
'Engrave this into your soul, little brother. Don't let others disrespect you, listen well, learn, understand those around you, keep to yourself, sleep and eat plenty. And if anyone tries to go against you...'
Damien thought deeply about how to word his next words. Then, the memory of him stealing and eating that brownie came to mind. He chuckled slightly.
'Devour them like a predator eating its prey. Slaughter them like a butcher in a slaughterhouse. I doubt the new world would be the same as my one, so please tread carefully. I don't want to die again...'
He laughed before feeling the explosion make contact with him, smashing against him and turning his bones into power. The next second, the dust from his bones swirled around before forming what seemed to be...