Prologue I: Cursing the World

My name is Ray Scott, and I've always believed that life can be incredibly unfair to some while favouring others. I was born into a humble family in the impoverished slums of New York, far from the affluent side of the city. Despite the disparities, I found solace in knowing that I had loving parents, although I didn't fully appreciate it at the time. Growing up as an only child, I often heard the word 'no' when I asked for things.

I was instilled with a strong sense of discipline to excel academically in my run-down school and to become a top performer in my part-time job. I was constantly driven to be the best because I understood that falling short of excellence meant missing out on opportunities.

My parents always reminded me, "Ray, hard work is more valuable than talent. A person with immense talent who doesn't work hard will never achieve anything in life." These words served as my motivation. My parents weren't simply preaching; they were also dedicated to toiling for the system, ensuring I wasn't being held to a standard they weren't willing to meet themselves.

The value of hard work was deeply ingrained in our family. However, as time passed, I came to realize that my father's words, though true, were incomplete. My awakening came when my first high school crush chose a wealthy classmate over me. It became evident that success wasn't solely about hard work; it was also about one's social standing.

I found myself in my first altercation with his group, defending myself against bullying attempts. I had faced adversity in life, and I wouldn't let these individuals trample over me. Although I didn't lose that fight, I lost in the larger scheme of things. The school suspended me instead of him, despite clear evidence of his wrongdoing and witnesses. That's when I fully grasped the significance of social status.

"Ray, hard work is more important than talent, but having strong support and money is even more crucial than both combined," I added to my father's words. In our world, the most mediocre individuals often rose to power, lacking both talent and a strong work ethic, yet they held influence like an indelible stain on clean clothing.

I began to realize many things. I possessed a talent for business—I could sell anything, and I worked diligently. I became a hustler, but I lacked the crucial support that could elevate me to new heights in life.

"I'll have to settle for a car, a house, and a wife," I resigned myself, finding humour in the irony that such modest aspirations felt like unattainable miracles.

It was during high school that I crossed paths with Lana. She was a blonde, chubby girl who worked part-time at the same corner shop where I was employed as a cashier before even starting high school. My height yet youthful appearance allowed me to work there. I also maintained a small catalogue of products next to the cash register, a privilege the manager granted me upon request.

Any sales from my catalogue were entirely mine. It featured items like purses, watches, pen drives, and other goods, often obtained cheaply from sources like smugglers. To avoid complications, I only included low-profile items in the catalogue.

"What are these? Can I take a look?" Lana inquired after cleaning the fridges during our first conversation. She was around my age, and that marked the beginning of our friendship. I told her a half-truth, claiming I bought these products secondhand online. Lana became interested in my business, expressing a desire to earn extra cash.

Lana Miller. From that moment on, we conversed incessantly, and to my surprise, we ended up in the same high school class when I started. While I believed I had friends, the truth was that I often found myself alone when trouble arose. That was not the case with Lana.

Whenever I faced adversity, Lana stood by my side, and vice versa. The other girls at school attempted to bully her, but I stepped in to protect her, often landing in trouble myself. Strangely, I never considered her a burden. It was only later, as I got to know her better, that I realized just how unjust the world could be, but it was even harsher for some.

Unlike me, Lana didn't have a loving family. Her father was an alcoholic, her mother used drugs, and they engaged in constant arguments whenever they crossed paths. To compound her troubles, Lana had a younger sister named Abby, whom she shielded from the chaos of their parents' disputes.

When I observed her life and compared it to mine, I underwent a transformation of perspective. I realized that everyone faces their unique challenges, making it ludicrous to declare life as inherently unfair. There is always someone in this world enduring even greater hardships.

With this newfound perspective, Lana and I resolved to change our circumstances together. When I confessed my feelings for her, she was taken aback, as if she couldn't fathom that someone like me could be interested in her. Her self-esteem had been so low that an average person like me appeared as a prince in her eyes. Little did she know that the average her was also a princess to me.

We loved each other and worked side by side. Fortunately, my parents embraced Lana, and she and Abby spent more time at our place, away from their troubled home. We worked part-time jobs, sold products together, studied together, excelled academically together, and eventually, we graduated together.

I devoted myself to ensuring that Abby wouldn't grow up with self-esteem issues. The truth was, both Lana and Abby were incredibly beautiful, but a person's beauty needs nurturing to flourish.

By the time we graduated from high school, Lana had transformed into a remarkable person—stunning, slim, and confident. Having such an extraordinary girlfriend boosted my own confidence, propelling me to take on greater challenges in business and accumulate more wealth.

Life no longer appeared as unfairly skewed as before. Lana and Abby moved in with me, a decision made easier by the fact that their family had already disintegrated by the third year of high school. While extracting financial support for Abby was legally challenging, I was determined to make it work.

Our lives were improving steadily. Lana and I applied for scholarships at moderately priced universities, not the most prestigious ones, just ones within our means. When we turned eighteen, I made a significant decision and took her out on a date.

The engagement rings weren't extravagant, but they symbolized the years of devotion we had shared and the challenges we had overcome together. We dressed up and dined at a respectable restaurant in New York, a luxury we couldn't have afforded years earlier. We had finally saved enough to indulge in a bit of fun.

The evening became unforgettable because we were both out of our element in such a setting. I followed my father's advice: when she went to the restroom, I ordered a glass of wine and concealed the ring inside.

If it works, don't fix it.

She was moved to tears, and I was at a loss for words, overwhelmed by her happiness. It felt like standing atop a hill, gazing at the world from a new perspective—a memory that would stay with me forever.

What I would never forget, however, was how Lana reached into the pocket of my shirt and presented a ring of her own. When did she put that there?!

"Will you marry me, Ray?" she asked, leaving me momentarily stunned. The entire venue watched in astonishment. It seemed unimaginable that Lana, who now resembled a princess from a fairy tale, would be the one proposing.

Eventually, tears welled up in my eyes, and I nodded vigorously. I pulled her into a heartfelt embrace, eliciting applause from those around us. Life was full of surprises.

We concluded our meal, and the restaurant even gave us a twenty per cent discount due to the proposal. For us hustlers that was like the icing on the cake. I was ecstatic and eager to take Lana to a hotel and make our evening truly special.

However, life had other plans.

"Life is incredibly unfair," I uttered with blood dripping down my mouth, standing at death's door.

"RAYYY!!! LET ME GO!! I SAID LET ME GOO!!"

...

In the depths of the night, within a dimly lit alleyway, Lana clung to me, her tears flowed like a torrential storm, and I could hear her sobs resonating with anguish. Her once-gorgeous dress and delicate arms were stained with blood, but it wasn't hers; it was mine.

As we made our way to the hotel, a treacherous path led us into the shadowy embrace of an alley, where a gang of miscreants accosted us, driven by sinister intentions and a lust for our possessions. I surrendered everything they demanded, but their avarice extended further – they coveted my most precious possession, Lana. Instinctively, as I had done countless times before and as I had vowed to do until death intervened, I stepped forward to shield her.

Ironically, death did indeed come between us that night. The police arrived before they could go any further with my dearest, but it was too late for me. With a heavy heart, I implored them to take Lana away from the gruesome scene. I couldn't bear the thought of her witnessing my demise in this squalid corner of New York after all we had endured together.

Rain poured down upon me, each breath growing fainter, weaker. They struggled to stanch my wounds, to call for an ambulance, but I knew my fate was sealed; those ruthless thugs had thrust their blades into me ten times over, though I felt only the initial two blows.

In my final moments, I resisted the urge to curse the world for its unforgiving cruelty, for I couldn't – those last few years with Lana had been the epitome of happiness in my life.

"Go ahead~."

Before me, two colossal crimson eyes materialized, not merely in front of me but within the very fabric of the heavens themselves, as if the sky had split open, revealing these two immense whirlpools that blinked and regarded me.

The world stood still, frozen, even the paramedics appeared suspended in a reality that progressively saturated with an unsettling red hue, like flowing blood.

"Curse this world, Ray."

The twin eyes continued to fixate on me, the sole moving entities in a frozen tableau.

"Who are you?" I inquired, unable to move... but the pain was also gone. 

"I am Oblivion, the one who has chosen you. Curse this world, Ray. You will never return to it, never fulfil the fate you might have achieved, the happy ending that once beckoned. All is forever lost, cast back into the void."

"... If you possess godlike power, can't you send me back in time or alter this fate?"

"I am the void itself, why would I go against my own rules? and time is but a nuisance you humans defined. Once a moment has transpired, it cannot be undone. This timeline is forever beyond your grasp."

I clenched my lips in sorrow, realizing I would never see Lana again. And even if I did encounter her once more, would it truly be the same Lana? My Lana?

I had no desire for such a replica.

"Curse this world, Ray... and I shall offer you the opportunity to attain power beyond your wildest dreams."

"-it."

"LOUDER!"

"To hell with it! TO HELL WITH THIS UNJUST WORLD!"

"Excellent~."