When Elias regained awareness, he didn't know what to expect. His first thought was that he had simply passed out, but when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a vast, infinite darkness. The absence of sound, of any sensation, was unsettling. He felt weightless, as though he were floating, yet he couldn't move. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above. It was as if the universe itself had disappeared.
A voice echoed in the emptiness, calm and otherworldly. "You're dead, Elias."
Elias blinked, trying to comprehend the words. His heart pounded in his chest—or at least, it felt like it did, but there was no real sensation of a body anymore. He had no breath, no pulse, nothing that indicated he was alive.
"What?" Elias croaked, his voice weak and disbelieving. "Dead? I... I can't be dead. This isn't real."
"Yes, it is, little one," the voice replied. "You were taken from your world prematurely. But don't worry, death is not the end. You've simply moved on."
Elias looked around, searching for any sign of where the voice had come from. In the distance, he saw a faint light, growing brighter as if beckoning him. He slowly floated toward it, and as he neared, the light coalesced into an orb, glowing with an intense, but soft radiance.
"I'm dead..." Elias whispered to himself, still struggling to accept it.
The orb of light pulsed, as if understanding his confusion. "Yes, little one. But death is merely a doorway, not a finality. You've been given a second chance. A choice, if you will."
Elias felt a chill run through him. A second chance? He swallowed hard, trying to steady his thoughts. "A choice...?"
The orb's light shifted slightly, and the voice spoke again, this time with a hint of amusement. "Yes. A chance to begin anew. I offer you the opportunity to choose your next life. You can be reborn into any world of your choosing, with three wishes to help you on yo
ur journey."
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