A Second Chance

The world had come to an end on February 15, 2046. Wars and more wars, blood everywhere and many deaths. Rowan Woo had seen everything in the last twenty years, since The Selected were given powers by the mysterious "New", and another twenty-five since its appearance. And then, after countless dead friends, after countless murders committed and the death of his family... he died.

All he saw and felt was a dark and infinite immensity. There was nothing, no place, no object and no living thing.

"Did I die?"

He thought to himself, repeating the same question over and over again, trying to reach anyone nearby. No one seemed to answer.

His situation was absurd, but understandable. For someone who called himself an atheist, it wasn't quite what Rowan expected after he died.

He remembered when "New" first appeared, exactly twenty-five years ago. A static, bright entity, standing above the bluish sky. Different people, from different parts of the globe were given powers and became known as The Selected. It was the beginning of a new era.

Rowan started to cry. Violence and selfishness were the side effects of those in power. Countries, cities and governments have fallen. Those who called themselves The New Ones, said that they fought and killed in the name of "New". Their goal? The end of the world.

Their prayers were answered when he himself descended from the skies, shining brighter than ever, blinding the few who dared to look directly at him in all his glory. And then, darkness.

The 46-year-old man was saddened by each memory. His best friend Dredd, his teammates Han Ji-hyun and Lee Ji-chul, his family and… Grace Lawrence. The woman he loved. All also killed.

Rowan wondered if each of them was also experiencing the same situation as him. He told himself that his mind was strong. He had spent a lot of time alone, with no friends and not even a girlfriend. The man believed that he could do things for himself.

"So that's the end, isn't it? What a pity. I still had so much I wanted to do."

He was speaking out loud, waiting for someone to speak again. Nobody answered.

Rowan Woo closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly. How much time had passed? One day? One hour? Perhaps even millennia. But he would never know, this was his prison, his punishment. And he was going to spend the rest of the time that his soul, or whatever he was now, disappeared from the existence of the universe.

Or so he thought.

He floated through the darkness when a feminine, sweet and gentle voice echoed in his ears.

[But have you given up on living, Mr. Woo?]

A light even brighter than that emitted by "New", gave color to the dark immensity. Rowan for some reason was not blind.

"Who are you?"

Rowan's eyes did not close even with all that sparkle.

[Doesn't seem impressed to see me, Mr. Woo.]

Rowan finally managed to see the face of the entity in front of him. Wide yellow eyes, with a small nose and a thin lip. Her golden hair moved evenly.

"I've seen things more bizarre than an anemic Goddess."

The yellowish entity laughed briefly. Her expression returned to normal as two white wings emerged from her back.

[You are really funny, just like Grace told me.]

Rowan's face went pale and his hands started to shake. Did she know Grace?

"How do you know her?"

The goddess noticed the man's curiosity and soon answered it.

[I just spoke to her. And with your friends Han Ji-hyun and Lee Ji-chul. And also your best friend Dredd. And thousands more Selected as well.]

"Do you mean that each of the people killed in Calamity ended up in this shitty place?"

Rowan sighed and faced the goddess.

[Not exactly. All those who have not received the 'blessing' are definitely dead. However, those who received it, people like you, Mr. Woo, remain alive in a state of life after death.]

Rowan remained immobile and concentrated on the conversation. So it was her fault that he was stuck in that reality ...

"You mean I'm not necessarily dead? Am I still… alive in any way?"

[Yes, your conscience is still alive, but your physical body was destroyed in The Calamity. What you are seeing now is an astral projection of your body, before complete destruction.]

She stopped for a moment. It looked like she had remembered something.

[Speaking of which, Mr. Woo. Were you not an atheist? How do you feel knowing that gods really exist?]

The question casually came out of the goddess's mouth, but Rowan took it as an indirect.

"I don't believe in the God of Earth. God, God. The one that every religion portrays different from each other. It's this guy I don't believe in. On the other hand, you look very real to me."

[It is true, this God of Earth does not exist. It is a fiction created by you humans based on me and my brothers. And that's why I'm here.]

"What do you mean? You and your brothers?"

The questions quickly came out of Rowan's mouth, who was out of breath in an instant, as strange as it was for someone dead to be out of breath.

[My name is Adria. I have lived with my brothers Badur, Lamur and Padryma since the beginning of time. The latter being what you call "New", responsible for the destruction of your planet. I have cared and saved several planets and civilizations around the universe from my brothers' wrath and irony, but I have arrived too late in your galactic system. And that is why I am here, now. To offer you a second chance.]

The events mentioned for Rowan were very shocking. "New" now had a real name, Padryma. He was the one who killed his friends. His family. Grace… and Rowan would get his revenge.

[For Padryma, distributing different gifts to the inhabitants of a planet is fun. He is amused to see the chaos and destruction you cause to yourself due to the power at hand. When the fun becomes repetitive, he decides to put an end to the planet.]

"Your brother murdered billions, for the simple pleasure of having fun?!"

Rowan's voice came out louder and stronger than he had imagined and soon recovered.

"Has any other planet ever received this second chance?"

[No. You are the first. I couldn't... even if I tried but... what matters is that it is now possible to help each one of you.]

"Why are you telling me all this? Assuming that everyone already knows the information I know."

[No, you are the only one.]

"Why?"

[Only you, only you, can put an end to not only Padryma, but Badur and Lamur. The skill you received is similar to the one used by the three of them. Not even I own it. Not even I can recreate it. But you can.]

Rowan concentrated deeply, thinking about everything she had said. Could it be that he, and everyone else, could get a second chance? But… What about his family?

[Are you prepared to put an end to Padryma's reign?]

"What power would that be? The only skill I received was that of healing. I became the support of several famous groups of The Selected but that was just it. A healer could never defeat a God."

[You, more than anyone in the world, have honed your healing and enhancement capabilities. Your abilities can create variations of other blessings, even if not the blessing itself. You are a genius, Rowan. One in a billion... no, a trillion.]

Adria focused her eyes on Rowan's fearful features.

[When the time comes, you will know what this other ability is. I can't tell you, not now.]

"Then when?"

[...]

But she did not answer. Then Rowan returned to the previous question asked by Adria.

"Why don't you do it yourself? Kill them three. You're a goddess after all."

[Yes I am. And believe me when I say I already tried but… I'm not as powerful as my brothers or… you. Where I will send you, I will not be able to accompany you. My presence in the past would completely break space-time.]

Rowan stopped for an instant swallowing. Did she just say past?

"Are you talking about time travel? Are you going to send us all to the past?"

So... he would see them all again one more time. He was going to make it worth it.

[Yes. Your consciences will be transported to the minds of your bodies twenty-five years ago, when my brother appeared on your planet, five years before humans received the 'blessing'. That way I will not destroy the space-time continuum. So I hope… We don't have any more time, Rowan. They just found me. Save your planet, Rowan.]

"Hey, wait…"

Before Rowan could say anything, his mind went white. He couldn't think of his family, or how beautiful the incredibly green trees in the park near his home were. Everything was pure and simply white.

Ironically, he could only pray, hoping that he'd wake up in the past in his body twenty-five years ago.

And then, he finally woke up.

So the story of the Returner, Rowan Woo, begins!