1 Prologue: Re-awakening

The usual bustling of the streets of my city, buzz in my ears as I drove along the busy traffic. I see students coming home from school, employees on their way home from a late work night and then there's me.

I'm a single 30 year old woman driving late from work, sore ankles from the heels and aching neck from the long hours facing a computer inside a cliche law firm and talking to clients all day ranting about divorce, theft, fraud and more.

When I was younger, I always thought, when I become a successful lawyer in the future, I'll be more than happy to be that person who fights for the people who are facing injustices because of their innocence and naivety--or just being too nice. I wanted to be able to stand proud and confident in a court where women are oppressed and looked down upon.

After years and years in the world of manipulation and power struggles, your morals slowly deteriorates and your principles fade, replaced by the longing to earn more, to prove yourself competent--in the end I found myself at the other end of the blade with my hands holding the hilt of the sword whilst pointing the tip at the people I swore to protect.

What has become of me is something I despise more than the manipulative and crooked rich old men of this industry--because I'm no longer different from them...I'm despicable and awful. If I'll be given a chance to restart my life, to be someone worth living in this world, I won't even hesitate to die now.

I was broke out of my reverie when the car behind me honked its horn. I realized I was still driving in traffic and the lights turned green, so I drove off whilst my thoughts still floated in the air. My thoughts came back to me when I saw a small girl suddenly cross the road which made me skid into a halt! I lost my control on the steering wheel and hit the post by the side of the road.

My air bag immediately inflated upon impact so my head hit that instead of the steering wheel, I breathed a long sigh thinking it was over when I saw a huge truck sped towards me--hitting my side of the car...

Everything went black.

* * * *

"Awaken my beautiful phoenix..." I heard a voice of a woman, It was soft and angelic like the touch of a feather to your nose. Wait, a voice?! Why would I be hearing a voice. Aren't I dead?

"Yes, you're time has ended but open your eyes my love so that I may bless you a new one." All I could see was darkness, there was like a phantom feeling of numbness spread throughout my body then light. The brightest light but instead of a white and pure glow, it was red. I felt my eyes open and blinded by the sudden adjustment to my vision. Am I in heaven?

"No, this is much better than that." I scanned around and noticed that the business suit previously wore was replaced by a white satin robe. I glanced around to see where I was and awestruck by the scene that unfolded in front of me, it was like the skies and galaxies converged into one.

I stood in a temple like structure. I walked towards the edge to see that the place I currently stood at was in the very center of that convergence of heavenly bodies.

"Where am I?" I was surprised to hear my own voice. I could talk but I'm dead!

"In a place between life and death my darling. Welcome to Limbo." I turned around to see who spoke when I saw the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my whole 30 years of living. She was like the epitome and embodiment of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty.

"I am Avalon, the Sky. I am the border between Elysium and Abbadon, the Judge of Life." my eyes widened. I never paid much attention in high school but I studied enough to know that Elysium is heaven and Abaddon is hell...meaning...

"I'm dead aren't I? And you're going to judge me whether I belong to heaven or hell?" Looking back to everything I've done in my life, I grew up properly, my parents raised me well but I did reach an incredibly awful rebellious stage in life, but other than that I never did anything to deserve going to hell but I remembered all the innocent people I sent to prison for the sake of winning over an unjust case and earning money...

"I know what you must be thinking, but what I saw was a glimpse of hope at your last moment of life. You see my dear, everything in your life has an equal consequence and weight here." in the middle of the temple was a large scale held by a marble statue of what appears to be Avalon herself.

Each scale she held contained what looked like a swirl or smoke. The right scale had a pure white orb of smoke, and the left scale was like a storm with swirls of red, black and gray.

"The right scale represents all the good that you have done and the left scale represents all the un-rightful and unjust acts that you have committed. It's either a majority of one over the other, and you my dear are in between." the scale was neither tipping towards the left nor right, it was what you'd call a balance.

"And with that balance my dear I am here to bless you with a new life, to outweigh the good over the bad." she approached me slowly and as she grew closer, it was illogical and yet she grew taller like the laws of physics does not apply to where I currently stand.

"Wait, so does that mean I'll be able to live again? But, I already died and no amount of miracle could've saved me from that accident." I retorted, there's nothing for me to go back to on earth.

"Who said I'll be sending you back my child? You see, currently this is what is happening below." it was like the floor suddenly opened a huge window and I recognized the scene unfolding below me.

I saw my car completely wrecked from the crash, thank goodness the driver of the truck was fine and the child I almost hit was alright too. I breathed a sigh of relief. The people around the vicinity was watching as the ambulance and firemen helped get whatever is left of me out of the car.

I felt bad for the driver of the truck...he'll be sentenced to a lawsuit since he did technically killed me but I felt no anger because I knew it was partly my fault.

"I don't understand, why are you showing this to me?" I asked as I looked at my body down below being put on a body bag and stretcher. I kind of felt bad, like there was so much I could do but there was no regret. Looking back to my current life there really isn't anything worth living.

"The child you just saved will be a doctor in a few more years and she will save 104 lives in the hospital but a pandemic will hit your country. She is among the many doctors that will help find a cure for the pandemic and she will save millions more. That driver is currently cheating on his wife of four children, he just got what he deserves."

I looked at Avalon in shock, so meaning that I died to save a child who will someday save millions more...

"Listening to that makes me feel a lot better. I'm glad I died then." I smiled at myself just thinking about it. If I were to choose between being able to evade what just happened and dying then I'd choose to die again and again if that's what it'll take.

"So you see child, that small act you have done has caused a domino effect below, and that small sacrifice has earned you a chance to be reborn. In another world, believe it or not your earth is not the only one. There are multiple realities and dimensions around you and because of your act I am giving you a chance for a new life in a different world. I was listening to your thoughts the whole time during your last moments, you said if you were to be given a choice to be reborn you would live it differently thus I am giving you that chance. Right now." she grabbed my hand and it glowed.

"I have imbued you with something that will serve you a great purpose in your next life." she let go of my palm and I still felt her warmth.

"Know this, that everything you are and was will be wiped away clean and you will re-awaken as a different being. Use this life wisely, I give you my blessing." she moved her head forward and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I felt a slight warmth pulsating on my forehead where her lips touched it.

I was about to ask what it was for when all went black once more.