Chapter 1
"I'm ending our relationship, Matthews. I can't continue to be with someone who can't even take care of themselves. I'm exhausted from dealing with this."
He stood there in silence, his eyes fixed upon Jane's retreating figure as the door slammed shut with resounding finality. He did not move to halt her departure, resigned to let her go without resistance.
After all, she was right.
Why would she live with a man who had thrown his life away?
Yet, in the depths of his heart, as the moments turned to hours, a nagging sensation began to fester, gradually intensifying into a searing ache that spread through his chest like a raging inferno.
' It hurts. It hurts so much dammit!'
The throbbing anguish that consumed his heart was not the result of her departure but rather stemmed from her failure to comprehend the reasons behind his transformation.
Encompassed by a clutter of empty bottles and cans of beer, he slumped upon his filthy couch, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. He squeezed his eyes shut, his features contorted in anguish as he lamented the folly of having fallen for a woman who had shown no concern for him in his time of vulnerability. A torrent of tears cascaded down his cheeks, a testament to the heartbreak that consumed him.
' I wasn't like this.'
' I wasn't…'
He seized a nearby bottle and downed its contents in one gulp, then hurled it with great force toward the corner of the room.
' Ughh! I want to sleep…'
He squeezed himself into the cramped crevice amidst the sea of bottles and cans, shutting his eyes and drawing in a deep breath.
His mind drifted back to the moment of his rebirth when he had been granted a second chance at life. In his former existence, he had been a veritable failure, a waste of potential. He was a kind man by nature but that just led to him being taken advantage of by the people around him. His grandfather was the only person who did not, only he was the one who loved him unconditionally. But with this new lease on life, he was determined to accomplish all that he had failed to achieve before.
He had been reborn in the world of Marvel, a strange amalgamation of every comic book and movie and the world he had left behind. Some of the people from his former life were present like actors and other influential people, with their roles in this new realm unchanged.
But alongside these recognizable figures were countless others unrecognizable, equally or even more influential, such as Tony Stark and Captain America. Of course, since the actors who had portrayed these iconic characters in his former world existed here as well, it was only to be expected that they themselves would be different in some way.
One might have assumed that he would leverage his knowledge to gain strength and lead the world toward a brighter future. But alas, that was not the case. He cared little for the notion of heroism, he had been selfless enough in his previous life. And the risks inherent in such a pursuit were far too great, he had no desire to squander his life battling crime, superpowered beings, extraterrestrial entities, and even gods.
With the wisdom of his previous life and the added advantage of not being bound by the naivete of his peers, and with the help of his grandfather, he sailed through school and university with ease. Upon graduation, numerous finance companies vied for his talents. While he was getting paid a huge salary, he also secured massive loans to invest in various companies with the aid of his knowledge. The investments paid off handsomely, yielding him great wealth. And to top it off, he even managed to win over his previous life's crush. Though, it was now clear that her feelings were not for him, but for the idealized version of himself that he had crafted since his rebirth.
And how did he even get to this point?
Everything came tumbling down when 'that' event occurred.
That fateful day, when his actions led to the death of an expecting mother.
He was making his way home after a long day at work. The rain was pouring heavily. Though he had spent a long day at work he was not tired. However, for some weird reason, the constant sound of raindrops and the sweet smell of the wet earth made him crave his bed and some sleep. As he drove, he struggled to keep his eyes open. Weirdly enough, the tiredness increased as he made his way to the road that went through the Rogers Hills, a few hills named after Steve Rogers for his heroics by the owner.
As he drove down the road, his tired eyes caught sight of a woman in white in the distance. She was waving her arms frantically, signaling for him to stop.
' I didn't stop.'
' My excuse? I was tired. My body...just didn't listen.'
At the time, he had noticed that the woman was pregnant, but this was a road that many vehicles went by, so he thought, ' Someone else was bound to help her.'
Someone else would...
He clung to that excuse and drove past her.
That day no vehicles came after him. A kilometer behind him, the road was blocked due to a landslide caused by the heavy rain, and the woman tragically lost her life.
' She died, because of me.'
Amidst the weight of the guilt that beset him after snuffing out the life of an innocent woman and her unborn child, his very existence began to careen off a precipice.
Amidst the turmoil of his guilt, he found it impossible to concentrate on his work and blundered from one mistake to the next until he was ultimately dismissed. Meanwhile, the stock market plummeted, causing great unrest amongst the banks and other entities from which he had borrowed. Forced to sell his properties to repay his debts, he soon found himself broke.
And now, his girlfriend broke up with him.
"Haaaah!"
A groan escaped him as he roused from slumber. Sleep was his sole desire, but instead, he was plagued by memories of his past.
He sighed heavily. "My life... has been nothing but a disappointment. Be it in my former life or this one, I was a waste then and now I am nothing but scum."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "At the very least, I did not bring about someone's death in my previous existence."
The room was silent, except for the cockroaches that crawled around in the sea of bottles and cans that surrounded him, a sad reflection of his life. He shook his head, wondering what was the point of it all.
" I have nothing left to lose, nothing to gain. No hope for redemption, no way to escape the sorrow that has taken hold of me."
" What is even left for me in this world? A path with no purpose, a life drowned in depression. There is no chance that I will find a calling in this life. I know I am heading towards a downward spiral, and the more I think about it, drugs look to be the only escape. But who knows whose death I might end up being responsible for yet again if I use drugs? I won't be able to bear causing any more pain and suffering to those around me."
With trembling fingers, he sifted through the debris, searching for the one thing that would bring him some semblance of relief from the stifling night. And then he found them, glinting like diamonds in the midst of the filth - his keys.
He spared a moment to glance down at his nearly-naked form, the sweat-slicked white shorts clinging to his hips like a second skin. He knew he looked ridiculous, like some half-crazed animal clawing its way through the garbage.
"I have decided," he said quietly. "I will go and drive into the ocean and drown to my death." He looked at a table in a corner, it had a photo of his grandfather.
" I'm sorry, old man..."
This was the only thing that could bring him relief now. Perhaps, his grandfather would have helped him become normal but he had passed away a year ago from cancer.
He truly was all alone in this world.
He pulled up the maps on his computer and searched for a cliff nearby that was just by the ocean. There were two ways to get to the cliff. One was through the highway, which required him to pass through the sky bridge. The traffic was incredibly high in that place at this time. The other way was the same road by the Roger Hills that had made him this way.
"If I can, I don't want to see that road again," he muttered to himself.
...
..
.
As he turned the key in the ignition, the engine roared to life. He shifted into drive, ready to make his escape from his house never to return.
As he pulled away from the curb, the first drops of rain began to fall, splattering against the windshield as if tears shed for his inevitable demise. He flicked on the wipers, their rhythmic swishing a counterpoint to the pounding of his heart.
The sky overhead was a dark, roiling mass of clouds, hiding the moon and stars from view. The night felt heavy and oppressive, like a shroud draped over the world.
With a bitter laugh, he muttered to himself, "Even the planet is welcoming my death."
It seemed like the perfect night to put an end to a life filled with disappointment and regret.
The wind whipped through the open windows of the car like icy knives. Raindrops pelted the windshield with a steady rhythm.
Despite the biting cold, he felt a sense of exhilaration coursing through his veins. It was his last day on this earth, and he was determined to make the most of it. The world seemed more alive to him now than it ever had before, every sensation heightened by the knowledge that it would soon be gone forever.
The wind howled through the car, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. But he kept his foot on the gas, pushing the car faster and faster through the darkness.
As he made his way to the sky bridge, his heart sank at the sight of the long line of cars snaking out of sight. It was as if the universe had conspired against him, placing this obstacle in his path just when he needed to get across the bridge the most.
With a frustrated curse, he leaned back in his seat and turned on the radio. But his momentary distraction was shattered by the announcer's voice, which cut through the static like a knife.
"Moving on to the murders happening around Roger Hills-"
He couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine at the mention of that cursed place. Ever since that day, the area had been plagued by a string of brutal killings. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over the town, casting everything into shadow.
He slammed off the radio, unable to bear the weight of the memories that flooded his mind. But his relief was short-lived, as he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye.
Squinting through the windshield, he saw the sky bridge burning in the distance. Smoke billowed up into the night sky, a dark plume that seemed to symbolize all the horrors that had befallen this cursed place. The road ahead was blocked, and he knew that he would be trapped there for hours.
Shaking his head, he couldn't help but let out a rueful chuckle.
"It seems we are destined to be together, aren't we, lady?" he murmured to himself, the words carrying a hint of bitterness.
He drove on, the rain beating a relentless tattoo on the windshield as if trying to wash away the memories that haunted him. The road wound its way past Roger Hills, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine as he approached the spot where he had first seen her.
The lady, Agant. The one who had appeared out of nowhere, soaking wet and begging for help…to save her unborn.
As he passed the spot where she had stood, his heart burned with a mix of longing and fear. He knew that he would never forget her, that she would haunt him for the rest of his minutes and even his next life if, he was to be reborn again.
'Huh?'
The man's heart skipped a beat as he saw someone standing there in the distance, a woman in a white dress, seemingly out of place in the deserted woods. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things, but she was still there when he opened his eyes again.
She made no effort to stop him, but he couldn't just leave her there. He was on his way to death, but he had to make sure that another soul didn't suffer because of him. The rain was heavy, and he knew he had to help her.
With a screech, he stopped the car, but the slippery road caused the car to skid past her. He sighed and backed up to where she had been standing.'
' Where did she go?'
The man's heart raced with fear as he looked around the dark and eerie woods. Had he imagined the woman in the white dress?
Suddenly, he felt a cold breath on his neck, almost like a whisper, and his heart skipped a beat, yet again. He quickly turned back to look, but there was nothing there. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he felt a chill run down his spine.
He looked around, and he realized that the woods had become even more deserted, and the rain had grown heavier, making it almost impossible to see anything in the distance. He wondered if the woman had been a figment of his imagination, or if there was something more sinister at play. Was there someone or something lurking in the darkness, waiting to prey on unsuspecting travelers like him?
The man's heart thumped wildly as he turned his head back to where the lady had been standing only moments before. But something else caught his eye, something that made his blood run cold.
In the front mirror, he saw her - Agant - with a face so pale and lifeless that it could only be described as a corpse. Her hair was slick with rain, clinging to her face, and her eyes blazed with an intense, chilling hatred that could not be ignored.
It was the face he had been haunted by every single day since that fateful night. The face of the woman he had made suffer. His hands trembled, and his heart skipped a beat as he whispered, "A-Agant!"
But there was no response, only the sound of the rain pattering against the car's windows and the cold, lifeless stare of the woman in the mirror.
Dread flooded his senses as he realized the full horror of the situation. His body trembled with a primal fear as he grasped the reality that she was not just a memory, but a ghostly apparition right behind him.
He turned back in hurry.
The sudden movement made the car rattle, and the sound of the rain hitting the metal outside seemed to intensify. His eyes darted around the backseat, searching for any sign of the woman, but there was nothing there.
But even though she was nowhere to be seen, he could feel her presence. It was as if the air around him had turned thick and heavy with her malevolent aura. He turned his head ever so slightly, not wanting to acknowledge what he already knew to be true.
And there she was, sitting right beside him, her cold eyes boring into his face.
He knew deep down that he was in for a world of hurt.
His neck prickled with fear as her icy fingers brushed against his skin. Each bony finger felt like a serrated knife, threatening to cut into his flesh. The very air seemed to thicken with an ominous aura, suffocating him with the weight of the unknown. The fear of the unknown, the fear of death, and the fear of the supernatural, all intertwined in a tangled web of terror that left him frozen with fear. He was trapped, paralyzed by fear, unable to look at her face or turn away from her touch.
This was a different fear. Something he didn't expect to feel ever since he decided to kill himself.
With lightning speed, she seized his face in her icy grip, forcing him to meet her piercing gaze. Her eyes blazed with primal fury, and as she opened her mouth to scream, he felt an otherworldly terror grip his heart. The sound that issued forth from her twisted lips was like nothing he had ever heard before, a cacophony of rage and pain that filled his ears and rattled his very soul. He tried to resist, tried to pull away from her grasp, but it was no use. Her hold was unbreakable, and as he opened his mouth to scream back, he realized that his voice had abandoned him. All that came out was a choked, pitiful sound, a pathetic whimper in the face of her wrath.
The door swung open, and before he had time to react, he was hurtled across the road like a rag doll. The force of the impact knocked the breath out of his lungs, and he lay there, gasping for air, his body trembling with fear.
' I remember the news…many have people died around this place in the past few days. Agant…she killed them all, didn't she?'
The realization hit him like a freight train, a crushing weight of guilt settling heavy on his chest. He couldn't believe what he had done, the lives lost because of his actions. Trembling hands were all he had left to show for his recklessness.
But then, something shifted. A wave of anger surged through him, consuming the fear in an instant.
" WHY? WHY DID YOU KILL THEM?"
Even though she had vanished from the car, he looked at it. Another scream ripped from his throat.
" IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT! YOU SHOULD HAVE COME FOR ME!"
As if appearing from thin air, she launched herself at him, her arms flailing like a beast from hell. Her clawed hands connected with his face, leaving three deep gashes that pulsed with a searing pain. Blood gushed from the wounds like a crimson fountain, splattering across his body and shorts, staining them a sickly shade of red.
" Kughk!"
An unseen power seized hold of his neck and hurled him mercilessly into a nearby tree. The impact was like a thunderbolt, leaving his head reeling and his vision blurred. The bones in his neck crunched and creaked, sending waves of agonizing pain coursing through his body.
" Please…them…don't kill..them…kill me…"
His voice, barely a whisper, so soft that even he could barely hear it. But he pressed on, determined to make himself heard.
" Take my life as a price…for yours…"
Agant materialized in front of him, her spectral form flickering and unstable. With a voice that sounded like a thousand whispers, she screamed, "NO PRICE ON THIS EARTH COULD EVER FULFILL THE VALUE OF A LIFE!"
The words echoed through the air, carrying with them a weight that seemed to press down on his chest.
' I know. I know Agant, I do.'
His neck had betrayed him, rendering him speechless and helpless. He could only plead to her with his desperate eyes to end this insanity. Death no longer held any terror for him, for he was already on a path to self-destruction. He had no desire to live, but he didn't want to die like this, while the ghost of his creation still slaughtered everyone else.
The unseen hands acted once again. They pulled him closer and closer to the tree until he was staring directly into Agant's piercing gaze. With a slow and deliberate movement, she brought her hand behind her, gathering strength to strike him down and exact her revenge. This was about more than just her own vengeance, it was for her child too.
' Maybe after my death, she will get her peace and stop the killings of other innocents?'
He shut his eyes, fully prepared to welcome the sweet release of death.
' I can only hope now…'
A warm and otherworldly glow suddenly bathed his eyes, pulling him into confusion. He opened his eyes to behold a sight straight out of a fairy tale: though blurry, an orange spark, suspended in mid-air, gradually expanding to form a colossal ring.
He tried to peer into it. But, his vision was blocked by something, a blue screen.
[ Congratulations! You have become the gamer!]
Darkness engulfed his vision before he comprehend what it mean.
______
PurfectoCat chronicles:
Our protagonist stood, bracing for the worst,
Accepting his fate, his actions accurst,
But in a sudden twist, a ring appeared,
A blue screen flickered, as his vision cleared.
"Congratulations! You have become the Gamer!"
The words seemed surreal, like a digital tamer,
A glitch in reality, disrupting his doom,
He wondered if this meant a second chance to resume.
The orange ring and blue screen, a strange sight,
Had fate played a trick, or granted him respite?
As darkness consumed him, he pondered his future,
A gamer's life, what could be grander, or stranger?
With newfound power, and levels to gain,
Our protagonist embarks on a gaming reign,
A second chance, to make things right,
In this virtual world, with all his might.
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
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