Prologue
He stared at the digital clock on the bedside table without moving, watching the number changed from 23.59 to 00.00.
Then, he looked at the calendar beside the clock, he saw the day and month which made he frowned deeply. His eyesbrows knitted tightly, then he could only let out a sigh.
The month had reverted back to January, where all of this shit began from.
Two years from the daily reset of this world.
He clicked his tongue when he remembered all those unpleasant things and let his body fell into his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceilings.
It had been like this from the moment his first death.
It should be around 20 years ago or so.
After he was beaten up to death by his arch nemesis, he woke up to found himself alive and that the calendar and his phone showed year XXXX, two years before his death.
He felt puzzled. Believed that it was a second chance for him, he followed his intuition and tried to changed everything, then... He met his death, again.
After that, he decided to just remained low-key and didn't make any moves, living his life like he always did everyday and watched as the reset started and everything reverted back to the original state.
It had been like this for the last twenty years in his life.
But, the question... Is why only he could remembers the past?
It was only him that could remember everything cpearly. Others acted the same like before the first reset, doing the same thing over and over continuously. It made him sick.
He closed his eyes out of helplessness. He didn't want to acted in this story without an ending, again. He felt like he was a marionette controlled by strings, his puppeteer moved him as they like.
He just wanted to lived as an ordinary man and led an ordinary life.
... Then, what about cutting the root of the problem?
He began to thinking it over carefully. His eyes flashing a dangerous glint. Oh, it seemed like a good idea.
No.
No...
No!
Why?
He watched as the world crumbled, watched as everything turned into ash and blowed by the winds, watched as everyone vanished, leaving only him in this world; feeling the coldness and staring at the dark sky of nothingness, grief and regret on his face.
A tears rolled down his cheek and making wet trails, as he questioned the world out loud with his shaking voice. Why?
But, no one could answered him now. Because now, no one existed in this world, except him.
Only he and the ruins of the world.
He let himself fell into his knees, staring down at the ground full of ash. He blinked, dark eyes full of sadness and disbelief. His tears fell, as so his shattered heart.
Now... What?
He bit his lower lip, feeling the hollowness of his heart. He lost everything. He didn't have anything now; lost, because of his stupid action.
If only he didn't do it.
Tears continuing to rolling down his cheeks, bitterness on his glassy eyes.
But, there's no ‘what if’ in this world.
There was now only regret and anger for his own self left in his heart. Nothing he could do now, beside regretting and crying for the lost of everything in his life.
“You look so sad and lonely,” a voice said, sounded gentle and soft like feather touchs. For unknown reasons, he felt it was really familiar, but he couldn't remember whose voice was that.
He looked up, wiping his tears slowly. “Who are you?” He asked warily, voice hoarse. Slowly, he stood up to his feet, staring at the young girl before him.
She looked no older than eighteen, face delicate and still retaining some innocence, reflecting her age. But, she felt more mature than her appearance, with aura of calmness and elegance of mature women. Her face was serene. The calm golden orbs gazed at him, as she stood before the vast dark sky and the coldness of the void world.
“You may call me Divina.” She smiled, eyes curved into crescent moon. She offered a hand, eyes fixed on his figure. “Do you want to restart everything, again?” She asked softly. The gentle eyes which appeared like a full moon, showed hints of sincerity.
He looked at her hand, and reach it out without a second thought. He said without hesitation, “Yes.” His voice full of determination and desperation.
For everything, he was willing to sacrifice his soul. To obtain back what he had lost. He was so determined to got all of that back.
She looked mildly surprised, but she then quickly regained her composure. She gazed at him, and then said, “Then, we shall become partners from now. Nice to meet you.”
He didn't answer, only nodded to indicated he felt the same thing as she did. He looked at the girl with wariness; he couldn't let his guard down, even if she appeared harmless like a white rabbit. She only smiled, and didn't bother to said anything about his action.
“Welcome to the Universe, dear Host.”
“Ah...” She looked at her whitered flower with sadness. Her finger touching the wilted plant, tracing the black coloured stem. “It wilts again...” She murmured quietly with disappointment.
“You do know, that there's a cycle of life and death, right?” The young man looked at her in boredom, tapping his fingers on the table. “Everything will die at the end. Nothing can stop Death, after all.” He sighed, indifference showed in his eyes.
She pursed her lips, gazing at the young man. “I know it very well, you don't need to remind me again.” She watched as the flower burned by black fire, and only leaving ash on the dry soil. “Have you hear about World 9879?” She asked without turned to the young man.
“The one that collapsed without a reason? I have heard it, everyone was talking about this thing since the news came out.” He hummed, slightly interested.
“What about some systems that went missing from last week?” She asked, pouring her tea onto the dry soil and watching the liquid absorbed by the soil. “This time, it includes 2 high ranking systems of the two former Administrators. Along with an unidentified system,” she informed, her face didn't look good.
The young man grunted, feeling annoyed. “Again?” He cursed. “And, what's wrong with an unidentified system gone? It hold no importance in the Realm.” He frowned when he saw she didn't relax, her expression still serious. He wondered what was the problem.
She looked at him. Her expression was deadly serious as she said, “It isn't when it's a weak unknown system. But, what do you think, if a dangerous powerful system with unidentified rank, went missing?”
“......” He narrowed his eyes, knowing what her hidden meaning was. “Someone is planning a rebellion again?”
She didn't answer it, letting the silence fills the room.
For a while, he thought that she silently agreed with his deduction. But, when she opened her mouth again, he didn't know how to reacted.
“Not when our opponent is someone important in The World. This is not a rebellion, but a game to whoever this person is.”
