RAFAYEL LIOR DOWAN
I lay in the hospital bed, a mere shell of the person I once was. The rhythmic beeping of machines surrounded me, a dissonant lullaby that dictated my existence. Each sound felt like a cruel reminder of my reality—a reality where I had been trapped for as long as I could remember. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air, a constant reminder of my confinement, and the walls felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating my spirit.
At twenty-three, I should have been out in the world, living life to the fullest—laughing with friends, chasing dreams, and exploring everything life had to offer. Instead, I was stuck here, immobilized by a body that betrayed me at every turn. My days had become a monotonous cycle of hospital gowns and fluorescent lights, a bleak existence where the only view I had was through the glass window overlooking the bustling city below.
Every day, I watched people move about their lives, vibrant and alive. I saw couples holding hands, children laughing as they played, and friends sharing moments of joy. I longed to be among them, to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, to hear the echoes of laughter surrounding me. And here I was, a spectator in my own life, a prisoner of my own frailty.
"Lior, how are you holding up today?" Sarah, one of the nurses, entered the room with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She had been my lifeline, a flicker of warmth in this cold, clinical setting. But even her kind words felt like a bandage on a gaping wound.
"Just peachy," I replied, forcing a smile that felt heavy on my lips. "Living the dream, as you can see."
"Every day is a gift, you know," she said, adjusting the IV drip that kept me tethered to life. "You just have to find the right perspective."
"Perspective?" I scoffed, the bitterness rising in my throat. "What perspective is there in being a prisoner of my own body? Do you think I want to be here? Every day is a reminder of everything I can't have, everything I can't do."
Her smile faltered, and I could see the discomfort in her eyes. "I understand, but you have to keep fighting. There's always hope."
Hope? The word felt like a sharp knife, cutting deeper into my already wounded soul. "Hope? What has hope ever done for me? I'm tired of fighting, tired of being strong. I just want to live!"
I turned my gaze back to the window, the city sprawled out like a vibrant tapestry before me. The colors blurred as tears welled in my eyes, a mixture of frustration and longing. "Curse you, gods!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "You've taken everything from me! What did I ever do to deserve this? Why must I suffer while others thrive?"
As if the universe itself was responding to my anger, the lights flickered ominously. A sudden power outage swept through the hospital, plunging the room into an eerie silence. My heart raced as I felt the life support systems around me sputtering, alarms ringing out in a cacophony of despair.
"No! Not like this!" I screamed, panic clawing at my throat. I could see Sarah's face transform from concern to sheer terror as she rushed to the machines, her hands flying over buttons in a desperate attempt to restore power. "Stay with me, Lior!" she urged, her voice filled with urgency. "Don't you dare leave me!"
But as the last vestiges of life support began to fail, I felt my body succumbing to the darkness. The cold grip of despair wrapped around me, squeezing the breath from my lungs. I could hear Sarah's frantic cries fading into the distance, her voice becoming a mere whisper against the backdrop of my impending doom. "You think you can just take me? I won't go quietly!" I screamed, my voice echoing into the void.
With a final breath, I succumbed to the encroaching shadows, my consciousness slipping away. I felt the last flickers of life extinguishing, and just before everything faded to black, I shouted one last curse into the void—a defiance against a universe that had wronged me.
When I opened my eyes again, I was enveloped in a blinding white light, and before me stood a hollow silhouette of a woman, radiating an otherworldly power. I blinked, confusion washing over me. "What is this? Who are you?"
"I am the goddess of fate," she said, her voice echoing with an authority that sent chills down my spine. "You have crossed over into the realm beyond."
"Great," I muttered, still disoriented. "Another celestial being here to lecture me? I'm not impressed. I just died, and I'm supposed to be grateful?"
The goddess's expression shifted, a flicker of amusement crossing her ethereal features. "You are filled with anger, Lior. It clouds your judgment. You must learn to control it."
"Control?" I spat, bitterness seeping into my words. "Control what? The pain? The suffering? Do you really think I'm just going to roll over and accept my fate without a fight?"
The goddess regarded me with an inscrutable gaze. "Your suffering has been noted, but your insolence has consequences. Perhaps you should learn humility before demanding answers."
"Humility?" I laughed bitterly. "What do you know about humility? You sit up here in your heavenly realm while I rotted away in that hospital. This is supposed to be heaven? It feels more like a cruel joke."
The goddess's eyes narrowed, and I could feel the weight of her displeasure. "You are a pitiful soul. Yet, I admire your spirit. Perhaps you deserve a second chance—a chance to reshape your existence."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my anger.
"You will lose all memories of your past life," she stated, her voice unwavering. "But in return, I grant you the power of Omnipotence. You will have the ability to reshape reality itself. The punishment of forgetting will be the price you pay for your disobedience."
A surge of emotions washed over me—confusion, anger, and a flicker of hope that made my heart pound. "What's the catch? There's always a catch."
"You will forget who you are, Lior. You will forget your pain, your anger, and your past. But you will gain the power to reshape the world as you see fit."
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could utter a word, a surge of energy enveloped me. "Wait! Don't—"
With a flick of her wrist, the goddess cast me aside, and I felt myself plummeting through the void. The radiant light faded, replaced by a dark abyss, and my screams echoed into the nothingness. I was falling, falling, falling into despair, and just as I thought it would never end, I hit the ground—not with a crash, but with a soft thud.
I stood up unscathed, at the edge of a towering mountain. The world around me was breathtaking—a sprawling landscape of valleys, forests, and rivers beneath a sky painted in hues of orange and purple. Confusion washed over me as I took in my surroundings.
Where am I? What am I doing here?
I reached up to touch my face, feeling the contours of my features, but there was a void where my memories should have been. I could remember nothing—not my life, not the goddess, not the anger that had fueled me. It was as if a part of me had been erased.
"Who am I?" I whispered to the winds, seeking answers in the rustling leaves. But the world offered no response, only the vast expanse of nature stretching infinitely before me.
Yet beneath the confusion lay a flicker of something else—an ember of rage that smoldered within me. I had been wronged, and while I may have lost my memories, I had not lost my desire for vengeance. The goddess had cast me down, and though I could not remember the specifics of my suffering, the weight of it lingered, a heavy cloak draped across my shoulders.
"I will rise again," I vowed, determination igniting within me. "I will find out who I am and take revenge on the one who made me suffer."
With that resolve burning in my heart, I took my first step forward into the wilderness, ready to forge my new destiny from the ashes of my past. I was no longer the bedridden guy always stuck in a hospital bed; I was something more, and I would uncover the truth of my existence, no matter the cost.
The mountain air was crisp and invigorating, filling my lungs with a sense of power I had never known. Each step I took felt like an awakening, a declaration that I would no longer be a passive observer of my life. I could feel the energy coursing through me, a strange but exhilarating sensation that promised untold possibilities.
As I stood on the edge of the cliff, the world sprawled beneath me, a vast canvas ready to be painted with my desires. "This is just the beginning," I whispered to the wind, feeling the enormity of my situation settle in. "I will harness this power—I will become more than a mere mortal."
With renewed determination, I stepped away from the precipice, ready to explore this new world, eager to uncover the secrets it held and the potential that lay within me. I may have lost my past, but in its place, I would forge a future of my own making—one where I would no longer be a victim, but a force to be reckoned with.