He just faced his…. Another death?

Third Person's POV

"Thud"

"Hmm? Is he even alive?" The brown-haired middle-aged man frowned, observing as Aether's clenched hand made contact with his body.

Though it was a light hit, the middle-aged man couldn't help but be intrigued by Aether's resilience even after death.

"Farewell, kid" He stood up, preparing to move the stretcher, when suddenly, a sharp, ominous sound filled the air.

"SSSZZZZZZZNNNHHHHH"

The ambulance jolted, skidding to an abrupt stop before hitting something.

"WHAT THE…!!!"

"B-BOSS!! RUN!!!"

"You idiot! Did you hit anyone?" The middle-aged man grumbled as he opened a small window.

"…" But there was no one in the driver's seat.

Frowning, he peered at the front view and realized a car had collided with the ambulance, and people now rushing towards him in panic.

"Fuck!" The middle-aged man cursed, hastily covering Aether's body with a white sheet and flinging open the ambulance door.

People were rushing toward him, their expressions a strange mix of confusion and shock.

Beads of sweat formed on the middle-aged man's forehead, his mind racing to comprehend the unfolding chaos.

Everyone running towards him like he did something worse than hitting a vehicle...

Fear enveloped him, then, his gaze caught the blinking '+' symbol near the side.

"They could help me!" he muttered, a brief but hopeful smile breaking through the tension. This was the designated spot where he was ordered to deliver the parts.

The other party was rich and powerful, so there wouldn't be any problem even if the people caught him...

Swiftly, he pulled the sturdy stretcher, its wheels gliding effortlessly on the pavement as he strategically positioned it for a seamless transition towards the hospital's entrance.

However, the initial sense of relief that enveloped him swiftly transformed into perplexity.

The approaching people didn't even spare a glance in his direction; instead, an air of panic seized them, urging them only to run in.... fear?

Run they did, as if pursued by an unseen force, leaving the man standing there with a furrowed brow and a growing sense of unease.

"RUN!!"

"RUN!!" echoed through the crowd, a desperate cry that resonated with a palpable fear that seemed to grip everyone in its clutches.

The man strained to comprehend the situation, his gaze scanning beyond the fleeing crowd in search of answers, but.... nothing immediately caught his attention.

Frowning, his eyes slowly ascended towards the sky,

"What the---------" He began, his unfinished sentence hanging in the sky.

Earth, 202…..

____________________________

[….]

[…..Searching….]

[….]

[…..Searching….]

[….]

!~Ding~!

[Found the Suitable Replacement No.28!]

!~Ding~!

[Request: A strong will to live?]

!~Ding~!

[Affirmative: Soul has a strong will to live!]

!~Ding~!

[Request: Compatibility?]

!~Ding~!

[Affirmative: 82%]

!~Ding~!

[Request: Wait for the response!!… The reports sent to the #####]

[….]

!~Ding~!

[Accepted]

!~Ding~!

[Request: Please Prepare for Transmigration of Soul]

!~Ding~!

[Affirmative]

!~Ding~!

__________________________

UNKNOWN PLACE

"Hmm… What's this peculiar feeling?" Aether pondered, a sensation enveloping his entire body as if it were suspended in mid-air.

"Could this be the afterlife?" he mumbled to himself, cautiously attempting to open his eyes and explore what he believed might be heaven. After all, he reasoned, he hadn't committed any grave offences... except for that one incident of shoplifting.

'I mean, surely, the gods won't be this petty, right?' he thought, grappling with the uncertainty of the situation.

He had heard 'From Source' that in heaven, there were ethereal beauties like Freyja, Aphrodite, Virgin Mary, Amaterasu, Parvati, and Wang Yuyan….

"Maybe not the last one, I suppose?" Aether mumbled with a hint of self-deprecating humour, attempting to inject a touch of fun into the tumultuous thoughts swirling within him.

Despite the sincere wish to open his eyes and embrace the heavenly scenery, the weight of his eyelids seemed unusually burdensome.

'So, am I prohibited from glimpsing into the realms of paradise? Just because I stole expired food?' Aether questioned in his introspection.

And then, unexpectedly,

!~Ding~!

An alarming sound jolted him awake.

"Arrrhhh" he groaned in discomfort.

As he forced his eyes open, the sight before him was unlike anything he had ever witnessed…..

'What in the world is this?' Aether pondered, captivated by the surreal and extraordinary landscape unfolding before his eyes.

The world unfolded before Aether's eyes, a panorama of stones and vibrant plants.…

It wasn't that he hadn't witnessed such wonders in his own world, but these plants seemed to possess an animated quality, dancing in the sky as if engaged in joyful communication with the universe.

The stones, unlike any he'd seen before, shimmered with an iridescent purity, untouched by the corrosive influences of the chemicals from his world…. Life pulsed through them like a live stone…

'WOW!!' Aether stood, utterly taken aback by the ethereal atmosphere that enveloped him. The air itself seemed to hum with a harmonious melody of existence.

'pprrrrr'

Suddenly, a bubbling sound interrupted the surreal symphony. Aether turned towards the source, his eyes widening once again at the breathtaking beauty that unfolded before him.

'SHIT!! This is truly Heaven!!!' Aether's exclamation echoed through the 'celestial' as he beheld a magnificent gradient, multicoloured Flying Horse…. a majestic creature resembling a Pegasus, standing regally in the distance.

'E-Everthing is true??' Aether felt as if his childhood fantasy had materialized into reality. The sheer wonder of it struck him profoundly.

'So, after dying, everyone will come into this Fantasy world... Heheh... If my friends were to know this, they would be the first to willingly die without even regretting... ahahah' Aether couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness as memories of his friends flooded his thoughts.

Shaking his head to dispel the melancholy, he realized he was in heaven… a fantastical realm where he could witness fucking everything!!

"rrhmm?"

He attempted to move towards the majestic Pegasus, but an unusual resistance enveloped his body as if he were submerged in thick air.

Frowning, he was about to ask for help from 'Heavenly Gods' (He believed) when, to his surprise, the Pegasus…. upon closer inspection, appeared to have no legs.

'Interesting, it seems having wings negates the need for legs… Fascinating!' Aether found this observation more intriguing than disheartening. He wasn't particularly sad about it…

'I mean it may look like a sea horse but stil—'

'Sea horse?' He squinted his eyes, and after a few seconds of analysis, a realization struck him.

'Bob, Bob, Bob…'

He finally looked at those bubbles coming from his mouth while his body slowly descended.

"..."

'Bob, Bob, Bob…'

"..."

'Bob, Bob, Bob…'

"FUCKKKKK!!!"

'I am drowning!!!' Panic surged through him, and he urgently attempted to move his body upward.

'ppprrrrrr'

'Shit!!' He attempted to swim as fast as he could because that Sea Horse was hastily flapping its wings, closing the distance between them.

Why would he be scared of a seemingly small cute sea horse?

Because it wasn't small at all; it was colossal, nearly double his size. Moreover, the way it looked at him sent shivers down his spine, as if he were nothing more than prey to satisfy the hunger of its thousands of offspring.

'Shit! Shit! Shit!....' He propelled himself forward as rapidly as possible.

He didn't even glance back; his sole focus was on escaping the water as swiftly as possible, the urgency propelled by the unknown and ominous sea horse behind him.

"PPRRR!"

Feeling the resounding sound of bubbling water, Aether channelled every ounce of energy into his hands and legs, determined to put as much distance as he could.

'Splutter'

"-Ha-"

As soon as his head emerged from the water, Aether inhaled deeply. Despite the exertion, his resolve remained steadfast. Spotting a near-shore, he set his sights on it, swimming with renewed vigour.

The sea horse almost reached him but Aether with his every ounce of energy, propelled towards shore...

And soon,

"Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!!"

He breathed heavily as he pulled his exhausted body onto the shore, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

"Ha-Ha----"

"PPPFFRR!!"

"SHIT!!" Aether exclaimed, catching a glimpse of the colossal sea horse almost reaching for his leg.

Instinctively, he used his hands to propel himself backwards, a surge of panic coursing through him.

Staring at the sea horse now, Aether was more terrified than shocked.

It bore no resemblance to the typical sea horses he knew….. The one before him had rainbow-coloured hard skin, big strong wings and black sclera, its gaze piercing through Aether.

Aether unconsciously gulped, fearing that those formidable wings might grant the 'Thing' the ability to fly.

If it could fly, then he was in serious totally fucked up!!!

Suddenly, the creature averted its gaze from Aether.

'Splutter'

Then, it disappeared from Aether's view. The fear hadn't subsided; he remained frozen.