Prologue
Everything felt so numb.
Everything she tried to see was all a haze. Like somehow there is a fog settling in, even though the weather is supposed to be clear and nice today.
She felt like she cannot feel or move to navigate her situation.
Surely, it wasn’t always like this was it?
“Somebody call 911! There’s been an accident!!”
“Oh, that poor woman!!”
‘....An accident...? Who got hurt...?’
She tried to move to see the scene of the accident. But when she tried to, there was a sudden wave of pain that erupted all over her body. Even the slightest movement of her arm or a slight shift of her waist sets it off.
It was surely painful, and her natural reaction was to cry out because of how unbearable it feels. But she found herself unable to move her jaw to unleash the sound. The very sound that somehow became trapped in her throat.
‘Why... can’t I move...?’
There was a warmth and wetness that is pooling around her head. She cannot bear to try to touch what it is to identify it. Surely, judging by the texture just by feeling it with her head, it cannot be water.
It felt too... thick.
The scent of iron hits her, and then she realized what it is.
’Is that blood? Wait... is that...my blood? Am I... the victim of an accident...?′
And then, it all comes back to her.
She was just minding her own business, going about her day since today in particular is her day-off from work. She’s pretty content with her work, as she works at a café as the waitress. The environment there is pretty up to standard and surrounded by good coworkers there, aside with dealing with annoying customers. She decided to go to a pastry shop to buy something to snack on later, and was crossing the street upon seeing the signal for her and other pedestrians to safely cross.
But then at that exact moment, she barely heard the sound of wheels screeching across the pavement and the startled shouts of people. Before she could react within whatever seconds she had to make a move, it was already too late.
A speeding car, very much likely a drunk person behind the wheels or just some reckless person going too fast for comfort, slammed itself into her and she went flying across the street. There was a chilling crack that filled the air, no doubt her skull being busted by something she hit upon impact.
The car drove off swiftly, obviously to not get caught by what the person within had just done.
‘Oh... that’s...’
She didn’t know what to think.
She never thought this sort of thing would happen to her, nor even entertained the thought of what it would be like. After hearing reports of people who are unfortunate to end up like this, she can already imagine how painful it must be. Laying around while waiting for help to arrive and the road to the hospital.
It’s way worse than she thought.
She tried to look around without moving her head, but her vision is blurry. She can see cars parked from a good distance, and people gathered around as they are left not knowing what to do. Some folks are phoning police and ambulance alike to not only help her, but also to make a report of the person who did this to her.
Getting help is in vain, she can feel it. She is beginning to feel cold all around, and that her heart is beginning to slow down its beating. With the amount of blood she is losing from head trauma, her time of passing on is approaching.
The fact that she is gonna die before help arrives made her weakly smile, and tears start trickling down from her dimmed eyes.
‘No fair... I don’t... want to die yet...’
She remembers her mother and sister, as well as her very close friends. Just thinking about the good times she has with them makes her even more emotional. Her body wrecked from the faint sobs, pain flaring up each time. But at this point, it was beginning to be numb for her.
‘Please... don’t for.... get.... me....’
Darkness then shrouded her vision, feeling herself going into a deep slumber and then expect to wake up barely saved in the hospital room. But of course, she knew better that it’s unlikely as the remains of her conscious fades away.
The winds caressing her and the sound of fabric rippling had her wake up. She expects to hear the standard sound of the heart monitor beeping, and the smell of alcohol in the air. She definitely sees white all around, but there is also some gold-like accents which made her instantly frown and sat up.
She sees herself laying in a white casket filled with white lilies. The woman found herself staring with wide eyes, seeing that she is not in the hospital based on the appearance of her surroundings. It looks as though she is in a temple of sort, high above ground and through the pillars she can see the clear blue skies and barely any clouds in sight.
“Where...?” she mumbles, getting herself moving to leave the casket. That’s when she noticed that she is no longer wearing her clothes, but something else instead. A white dress that looks like something a Greek goddess would wear. Just without the golden braces and such, plus she is left bare-foot.
She moves her leg over, and she flinches in surprise at feeling her toes touch something cold and wet. This made her look over, and sees the shallow waters on the ground. She hesitates for a moment, and decided to accept it and steps out of the casket.
She trembles a bit, adjusting to the water’s temperature and sees she can view her own reflection.
A beautiful young woman owning long copper-blonde hair and flawless porcelain skin. Her crimson eyes that were dimmed are now lively, eyebrows refined and her nose slender which gave her a look of regality. Thick lashes, and her lips black painted that looked very kissable. Her body shape slender yet curvaceous, the ideal body many woman dreamed to own and many man to lust for. It looked as though she has never died from that horrid accident, knowing that she looked terrible.
The thought of the accident made her pause, and the fact she has acknowledged that she’s passed on.
“Wait... am I in the afterlife...?” she mutters.
Many people envisioned the afterlife being nothing but a golden gate before them and thick clouds they can wander on and about. Or something like being in a paradise of nature. It varies though, so this is nothing like she herself expected.
The woman wanders down the area, looking around lost in thought and spotting the lotus flowers that floats in the water. Their petals seemingly made of gold, almost shimmering within the rays of the sun. This made her stop and stare at them, unknowingly that she stopped just a couple feet away from where an altar is.
And that someone is there with her.
“Good morning, child.”
“Ack!” the woman yelps in surprise and scare, looking over with her hands up to defend herself in necessary.
Seeing the steps, she raises her head up a little, and spots a man in majestic white robes and the fact he has on white hair and beard. His entire frame has this faint glow, which instantly had her think about the gods from Disney’s Hercules.
“I pray that nothing is amiss with you, young lady?” the man asked, making the woman look at him rather suspiciously.
“No?”
“Ah, that is good to hear.”
“I don’t wanna be rude but... who are you? Am I really in the afterlife?” the woman asked, placing both hands on her waist. He appeared surprised by her questions, like he was not expecting that. But he was quick to recover, letting out an amused chuckle.
“I suppose it’s no normal occurrence to physically speak with God.” he remarks, making her look at him with a raised eyebrow. The words seemed to overflown her head for a second there, and then there’s a thoughtful look before replaced with genuine shock and surprise.
“G-God?! So then you’re Jesus Christ?!” she stammers a little.
“I have many names depending on religion and country, but yes that is one of my names. But I prefer the generic.” God chuckles, making the woman even more flabbergasted.
She is actually talking to God!
“O-Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for my ignorance!!” the woman went onto her knees, bowing with her arms slightly bent.
“It is alright, dear.” Then his voice became somber, “But to be blunt, I feel that I should be the one who must apologize.”
“Huh?” the woman looks up at him, looking very confused at his words. “What makes you say so, my lord?”
God stands up from sitting in his throne, as he looks down at her with that somber look. He places a hand over his chest, like his heart is aching from the overwhelming guilt. The divine being bows his head a little to show his genuine condolences.
“My child, you have departed from the world far too early. You are still young, and that your future is set. You weren’t able to venture around freely to your heart’s content. You have not yet made your dreams and goals into reality. You shouldn’t have passed on so soon, and for that I have failed you. I have failed to rewoven your fate.”
“N-No! You shouldn’t feel terrible at yourself, my lord! It just happens, and that there are things that neither of us can control!” the woman said frantically, waving her hands a little. She’s uncomfortable that God is being very sorrowful for not being able to protect her. She felt that it’s not for him to think this way.
Then again, this made her think about others who passed on. Some deserve it, but for the rest? Has he felt this way before she arrives her? Does he see the innocence as his children, while those who are vile are sent to Hell aren’t?
A faint smile forms on his face, “Perhaps you’re right. Even though I oversee and place judgement onto many souls, it seems even I can be powerless to rewrite the fate of others.”
He then gazes at her a little more, and motions her to stand back up on her feet. The woman did just that, as a sigh escapes from him.
“However, I still feel inclined that I must make-up for your unfortunate end.”
“Like... what?” she blinks her red eyes at him.
“Tell me, my child, do you want to have a second life?” he questions her, his expression being serious. So serious, that she knew right away that he is not fooling around. And that left her staring at him with wide eyes and mouth open a little.
Having a second chance to live again.
Many people always believed in that sort of thing, especially with the whole reincarnation stuff. Being very much into anime, this is giving her the deja vu stuff as this felt like she is in the same spotlight as the protags out there in the Isekai anime. Fanfictions even, she quickly added mentally.
Wait, does that mean...
“Is there a limit to that, if I were to accept?” she questions him. Almost as though he read her mind, he simply smiles.
“I believe the world you reside in is better off being put in the past, for the sake of living in a new life. There is no limit; you can have any world of your choosing to be reborn in. Be it the anime or video games or such.” God responds to her.
This sold her.
“I accept!” she beams, and the divine being chuckles.
He then steps down, and from there she now realized how tall he actually is compared to herself. He extends his arm out, a body language to gesture her to follow him.
And she did, walking alongside him.
“Though this is indeed an afterlife, and many down on earth believed once you have passed on, your journey in life is brought to a close like a storybook. However, they fail to understand that the afterlife have opportunities at hand, with me being the judge. Only I should decide whether they deserve another life or not, and that they themselves should decide when I propose it to them.” God explains to her as they wander through the glorious halls of the temple. As he speaks, the woman chose this opportunity to have a look around as they pass by. She sees they were the only ones to occupy it.
“The afterlife is connected to many worlds and dimension. It is the one and the same, which means, verily, that what you believed is fictional are actually real. It is only that they exist in a different plane of dimensions.” he continues, as the woman stares at him in silent bewilderment.
So this whole multiverse theory thing is actually real?!
Oof, now she feels mighty bad for people who had it worst in their lives that are now not fictional.
That’s when they stepped into a room, and she finds herself staring at this vast space. It lacks many furniture, that she sees right away. The walls and floors made of white marble, and she can clearly see her own reflection if she were to look down. But the large set of golden doors in front catches her eye.
“Here we are. This is the Room of Rebirth, where those who chooses to live in a new second life go to venture through the door you see before you, the Dimensional Door.” God tells her, wandering ahead as she just stands there looking on in awe. She then snaps out of trance, hearing him snap his fingers and something which looks like a very thick book materialized in front of him.
When the woman approaches him, God turns to her and hands out the very book to her. She looks at it, completely confused by why he’s handing it out to her.
“This book here is the key to opening the Dimensional Door. It must first hear your wish and desire, in order to place an anchor of where you want to be reborn in. So please, choose wisely. Once you have made your wish and desire known, there is no turning back.” God explains to her, as she grabs the book in hand. She nods in understanding, and looks at it while thinking about how to get is working.
Or does it work if she-
The glow from the gemstone in the center made her flinch, and it dies down only a little but still glowing. It opens itself up in her hands, pages being flipped through before her and then stops upon the blank pages. Like it awaits to write a new chapter section, describing her new adventures.
She looks at it for a moment, and then nods to herself once she has finalized her choice. She had it in her mind for a very long time since God gave her the proposal to have a second life. As though knowing what to do, she hovers over her right hand atop of the blank pages.
“My wish and desire... is to be reborn within the Seven Deadly Sins.”
The gemstone glows bright despite the book being open while the pages even glowed like it has luminescence in them. She sees God nodding to this with a smile. It seems like he knew what she was going to say.
Then suddenly, there was a feel of a zap from the book and a tingle traveling through her body, making her nearly drop the book out of shock and surprise.
“No worries. The Grimoire of Dimension has granted you a new form and powers, which you will see yourself the moment you step through the door. Now, to seal your desire, respond your name and age.” he tells her.
She looks at the grimoire, giving it a look. She knew it’s too late to turn back and make another choice. But she has no lingering second thoughts; she is perfectly content with her current decision.
“My name... is Yelena Carmella van Zieks. I am 21 years old.”
After her response, she sees her own name and age being inscribed into the pages along with her destination of her new life. The grimoire shuts itself before suddenly disappeared in a flash of light from Yelena’s hands.
Not long after, there is a sound of something being unlocked which is hardly something to miss easily. She and God looks over, and sees the golden doors beginning to open itself slowly before swinging wide open.
There is nothing but blinding light shining through.
“Your wish and desire is granted. Step through the door, and you may begin your new life.” God tells her, and Yelena turns to him and nods. She approaches to the doors that will send her to her favorite anime that will be her new life, her heart pounding so much with nervousness and excitement.
She was in front of it, and slowly puts her right foot over. No solidness beneath, which means she’ll be taking a swan dive down. Yelena looks at God over the shoulder, the expression of nervousness being very apparent.
“Ah yes. You’re gonna have a rough landing once you go in, but do not worry. With your new identity, you’ll be fine.” God grins, and she feels skeptic about that. But she decides to put faith in his words.
Looking back into the nothingness of white, she takes a deep breath.... and lets herself fall forward with her arms spread wide, her conscious instantly gone like a flick of a switch.
She was gone before God, and the Dimensional Doors swing themselves to a close.
