Jace Elinham had always imagined dying in a way that looked glorious. He envisioned himself throwing punches in a bar brawl or maybe in a more audacious situation, such as attempting a desperate leap from a collapsing building—anything but this.
His life had been irregular and unpredictable, alternating between freedom and defiance.
He wasn't exactly a model citizen, but he wasn't a criminal either.
Jace never paid much attention to rules or expectations and simply did things on his own terms.
It wasn't that he intended to stir trouble—he just found the conventional routes outlined for him to be unbearably confining. He, however, liked the idea of free will a little too much.
Still, he hadn't expected his story to end like this.
Today started off like any other. Jace was walking home down the busy city sidewalk, music blaring from his earbuds. In a light mood, he enjoyed the cool evening breeze against his face.
As he got closer to the crosswalk, streetlights flickered to life, casting long shadows across the pavement. When the pedestrian signal changed to green, Jace stepped off the curb without hesitation.
The sound—a blaring horn and screeching tires—came out of nowhere.
When Jace's head snapped up, he saw a truck speeding toward the crosswalk—way too fast for a vehicle close to a residential zone.
"My god!" His instincts took over, and he flung himself aside, barely avoiding the approaching truck by inches as it sped past him.
Adrenaline surged through his veins as his heart thumped in his chest. He picked himself up off the asphalt and mumbled, "That was close." He then took a deep breath and shook off the near miss, feeling a brief wave of relief.
He let out another breath and turned to cross the street again.
That's when he heard it—a second blaring horn, much closer than the first.
Peeeeeeeeeemmm!!
The world exploded around Jace in a flurry of sound and a flash of movement before he could react.
Bang!!
White light engulfed everything as something slammed into him, the forceful impact sending his body flying like a rag doll. The last thing he felt was the hard pavement against his skin, before… nothing.
«»«»«»
Jace didn't know how long he had floated in the dark. It felt like he had been drifting in emptiness, a voice devoid of any sound or substance.
Although he had never been a believer in the afterlife, he assumed that if there was one, this had to be it. It had no meaning or purpose and was empty, quiet and lonely. It strangely embodied his ideal vision of the afterworld.
His thoughts strayed back to his life. He had been rebellious and defiant since he was a young boy, living every day as if it were his last. Now, however, while being suspended in this empty darkness, he wondered whether he had wasted that freedom.
Perhaps if he had been more serious... Maybe—
No, it wasn't like that. Jace refused to change the fact that he had always lived according to his own terms. He enjoyed it that way. Still, a part of him wished there had been more. More time. More meaning to the experience. More… something to his story to go on.
He muttered, or believed he did, "I wasn't ready." In the darkness, the words felt like they had vanished. "I wasn't finished yet. Damn those trucks!"
Then, the darkness around him began to shift, and the feeling of floating gave way to firm ground.
An endless expanse of polished marble stretched beneath him, reflecting a sky alive with swirling colors—blues, golds, and purples dancing above him like a dream.
In that boundless space stood a radiant and unearthly figure: a woman, ethereal and glowing. Her silver hair flowed to her waist, and her eyes gleamed with the light of distant stars.
Her skin shimmered like moonlight on water, and her flowing gown, which was just thick enough to conceal her body, seemed to ripple with the hues of the sky above.
"Welcome, Jace Elinham, the one loved by trucks," she said, her voice soft but authoritative. "Or maybe I should say… welcome to what lies beyond."
Jace stepped back cautiously, his mind lagging behind his environment, struggling to catch up. "Where am I? "Who are you?"
The woman smiled softly—a smile that was both amusing and compassionate at the same time. She then declared, "I am the Goddess of Life and Rebirth. The being who guards all that lives… and those who wish to live again. The one who rights wrongs and the one who will make your dreams come true."
She paused for a moment before continuing. "And this place—well, it's not the world you were familiar with, nor the afterlife you might have imagined. I can only communicate with you here, in this space between worlds."
Jace's brow furrowed. He repeated her words, trying to understand what she had just said, "A goddess? Well… am I dead?"
"Yes," she said plainly. "But that doesn't mean your story has to end here."
Jace instinctively grasped the statement that hovered in the air like a strand of potential. He certainly wasn't ready to die—not yet.
He stepped forward and asked, "What do you mean? Why am I here if I'm dead? I should be moving on, right?"
The goddess met his gaze. Her eyes shimmered with something ancient and powerful. "You could, in fact, move on if that's what you wish to. However, Jace, I can offer you something else: a chance to start over in an entirely different world, one that is way different from the one you were accustomed to."
She held up a hand, and a glimmering ball of light, warm and golden, materialized between them. "This world needs someone who can accomplish what others cannot. I ask that you undertake a task for me in return for a second chance at life."
With suspicion beginning to creep into his mind, Jace eyed the orb cautiously. "A mission?" he asked again. "What sort of mission are we talking about?"
The orb expanded, revealing a vivid vision of a vast, unfamiliar land, with cities fortified by steel and stone walls, forests brimming with strange life, and mountain ranges that reached into the clouds.
Then he saw them—hideous figures slithering through the mist, giant, twisted, monstrous creatures that defied any natural form. But amid this beauty, seven stood out, shrouded in oppressive darkness.
The goddess clarified, her voice dropping to a more solemn tone, "These are the seven Great Evil Beasts. These powerful beasts seek to consume and corrupt all life within the new world you just saw. I have sent champions before, but none of them were able to defeat all seven. With every failed attempt, the beasts grow stronger. And the powers my champions wielded were not enough."
As Jace listened, doubt crept into his mind. "And you think I can succeed in doing something that many others have failed?" He looked at her doubtfully, his arms crossed. "I am not a hero."
"No," she agreed. "You're not. You are not like the others, and that's exactly why I chose you. You have never allowed rules or expectations to limit you; instead, you have always followed your own path."
She paused before continuing. "That, in my opinion, is precisely what is required—someone who is unconstrained by custom and who will not think twice before employing unconventional tactics to win."
Jace reflected on what the woman had said. It was true—he had always considered himself a man who operated independently, somewhat unrestrained even.
But there was something appealing about being picked for doing something because he wasn't a typical hero. However, even if a goddess had asked him, he wasn't sure he wanted to be someone's pawn.
"And what if I say no?" His tone was one of defiance as he asked.
The goddess offered a faint, barely noticeable shrug. "After that, your soul will just proceed to the next stage of life, whatever it may be. Your story will end, and you will cease to exist as you are now."
Jace took a moment to process what she had said.
Then she went on, her words gentle. "However, if you accept, you will have the chance to start over and live again. A life full of danger, yes—but also magical and wonderful. You will be free to shape your own future without being constrained by your previous errors."
A surge of adrenaline stirred in Jace's chest, laced with a hint of fear and excitement. It was more than he could have ever dreamed: the possibility of being revived, to have a fresh start in a world where magic was real and monsters existed.
This was an opportunity to do things differently, to be more than just a directionless, rebellious young man.
As he weighed his options, he breathed in slowly, then exhaled. The goddess observed him patiently in silence, her expression serene and understanding.
Jace swiftly made his decision.
Finally, with a slight smirk curling the corner of his lips, he said, "Alright. I'll accept your offer. But I'm doing this my way—no restrictions or requirements."
The goddess's smile deepened, her eyes glowing with approval as though she'd anticipated his response. "Of course," she said. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Jace Elinham."
"Now, prepare yourself… for a new world awaits its new hero."