PROLOGUE: Part One

Prologue: Part One

The story starts in a small apartment near the Manhattan, New York business district. A young man wakes up from sleep, tossing and turning, until he eventually sits up. Groggily, he rubs his eyes and slowly gets out of bed.

He goes to his bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, shower quickly, and get dressed for classes at Manhattan College. He is taking programming, computer engineering, and computer science courses, hoping to become an electrical engineer who works in computer hardware.

When he gets to the garage and gets inside his car, he drives up and heads towards the street, turning on the radio to listen to the news and weather report. The report warns of harsh thunderstorms and a high chance of heavy rain, urging all drivers to drive safely.

He turns off the radio and drives to his college, quickly getting out and rushing to his class just before it starts. Once the lesson is done, he packs his notebook and pencils and heads to his part-time job as a pizza delivery driver.

As he steps outside, he notices that it is already raining heavily. Not wanting to be late, he quickly rushes to his car to start it up and pulls out into the street. In his rush to get to work, he decides to risk a few stoplights near some intersections.

Halfway to his job, a large truck suddenly turns onto the main street out of nowhere. Because of the heavy rain and his speeding, neither driver notices in time, and the young man's vehicle collides with the truck. The cars spin out of control and barrel near a light pole. The young man dies on impact.

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" Uhrgh, my head. Where am I? What happened?" The man had just regained consciousness after crashing into a truck and hitting a light pole. Now, he found himself in a dark void, unable to move or see anything. When he looked down to see what was blocking his movement, he was shocked that he didn't have a body. Instead, he looked like a swirling orb of faint blue luminescent energy.

"Another one. Your passing was unfortunate," a voice said.

"Who's there? Where are you? Can you help me?" The man fired off questions rapidly.

"Calm down, little one. I am right here," the voice said. Suddenly, a giant glowing being appeared, made of white light and shaped like a human silhouette.

"Greetings, little one. Humans call me the Almighty. I am here to give you a second chance at life since yours was taken away suddenly," the Almighty said.

"Why me? Surely there are others more deserving," the man asked.

"It is not a reward. All who pass into the afterlife must go through the veil of the great beyond and be reincarnated into another life. This keeps the multiverse's balance and maintains the universe's greater narrative," the Almighty explained.

"Are there any gifts or things I should know in my next life?" the man asked.

"All the gifts you receive in your next life depend on karma from your former life. You seem to have gathered enough to live a decent life in your next one," the Almighty answered.

The man would have liked to receive a boon before traveling to his next life, but the Almighty said it wasn't necessary.

"It is time for you to step through the veil," the Almighty said and snapped his fingers. A large archway made of white marble and stone appeared, and on the other side, a faint ray of light flowed like water.

"Before you go, would you like to remove your memories of your former life? We feel it helps with the passing," the Almighty asked.

The man declined. "I want to keep my education and memories of good times."

"Of course. Have a safe journey, my boy," the Almighty said, waving his hands. A golden glow covered the man before it dissipated. Then, he stepped through the veil, and there was a white light. The young man knew no more.