1 New Hope?

Unluckiest.

The only word I can thought of to describe my life the best.

Why?

I was just 40 years old, but I was already all alone.

I had lost all my loved ones, my parents, best friends, even my wife along with my kids inside her belly just.

All these lost in 35 years I had lived through since I was born to this world finally peaked with the addition of another 5 years of my lifespan that also bore me another fruit of failure and chaos.

THIS is my END.

I hope reincarnation is real and I will live better life than this.

I go to a highest building on my hometown and stand on the edge of its top, thinking to jump to the next cycle of life.

I reminisced my past life with my eyes closed. As all of my memories done reminisced in my head, I open my closed eyes slowly and found a pair of pitch black eyes with a beautiful tanned colored skin with a bright silver hair bang. My heart skipped a beat from being startled by sudden appearance of another face in front of me while standing still returning the black eyes glare with my own glare while widening my eyes wider than usual to show my commitment to continue to the next life as well as suck a deep breath to return my heart calm beat.

The deep breath I took my nose just now is accompanied with a unique smell of opposite gender I smelled from my wife. The smell calmed me even further as more memories run through my consciousness as the black eyes somehow reflected my reflection and showed my old self that was happy. Memories of me with my parents and my wife, suddenly a child figure familiar to me came into my mind.

This figure is really familiar as her once short black hair became a long hair long enough to cover her whole back as well as a smile that she only show to me. This girlish figure that fulfilled my taste is my elder sister. Yes, my only sibling that my mom given birth six years before me. She was said to be death on a certain day as if she just vanished becoming one with the thin air when I was eleven where I technically have no memory of, even though I am proud of my memory that remember nearly all what happened to me since I was a child, even the worst case the memories I have I stated I forgotten is a memory where the details are hazy which also infuriate the ones asking me about forgotten memory.

They were infuriated since even I said I forgotten about it and while they teased me by saying "See. Even our famous holy record not flawless and missed some of record." while poking my arm using elbow which I stopped by shrug the elbow off while retorting the said flaw "I know… I know… my old pride had shattered long before this and after I noticed I couldn't remember the details of those events while I was so prideful of my remembering skill." Their teasing immediately halted and changed into disbelief attitude making the once playful atmosphere stiff and awkward. Luckily, my assistant broke the ice, even though was asking with another awkward question of "Manager, you can't be serious right? You said you forgotten details and not about it?" This very question lead the other 5 around us, focused their glance toward me giving me quite the glares, but nonetheless it was a lifeline thrown by my cute little assistant for me to be clarify the misunderstanding from before.

I sighed while giving them an answer "I said my pride was once shattered before this right?" "Yeah, you did…." getting the acknowledgement I continued "One time, my mother asked me about something and I found out I cannot recall the details she was asking and leading to both of us feeling awkward since the things she asked was about the ones I could not recall even though I retold her about the chronology of the events and all what she and I done. Thus, when she reconfirm the things she wanted to know. It was the first time I felt even I can forget things. Then while seeing me feeling down after that accident, she started telling me the story of my childhood where I was good at remembering things starting when I was four years which somehow I could not even recall a single thing about. She even say I was really helpful until now which when I was thirteen years old." I paused my story while their eyes were showing eyes of adults seeing a child that had been lying for his whole life telling another lie to them. I was taken aback a little bit by their reaction, even though I was eager to continue my story which in the end I continue on my head 'That accident made me trying to recall memories from when I was four as my mom said that time until I was thirteen. The result broke my pride thoroughly, leaving not even dust behind. That night is my first all-nighter experience as I kept on trying and trying to recall even the slightest hint of my seven years worth memory.

My room's clock's wooden bird jumping out of the tiny door of the clock for ten times telling had been cuckooing the whole time after our house family room unique clock that rang like a bell every nine o'clock in the night telling me that I should go to sleep for better metabolism. Yet the cuckoo sound that often accompanying me in my dreams was accompanying my first experience. Strangely I felt no headache nor drowsiness I felt when I did the same for the second, third or any time I pull an all-nighter. The next day, I did the same trying to do the same thing, recalling those seven years of memory, again. Yet, what happened was me losing consciousness for a whole week, that time it was Saturday and when I woke up it was still Saturday but the date and month had changed since I was hit by heavy fever and was in comatose for the whole week that just passed that time. Me, feeling my body like it wasn't mine, feeling heavy here and there, leaving me only familiar with my head especially my lips that were said normally should be dry and my bleed since the lips are too dry and stick as one along the throat hurting as hell as well after a long comatose. When I was awake I was still on my room with the addition of a metal pole with an IV drop pack hanged on it while the other end connected to me. The only light was the moonlight that shone brightly through my window. Not long after I was awake from the comatose, my door was opened by my mother and she switched the room light on which led me to turn my head away while closing my eyes quickly from the sudden brightness change. My mom who seemed to notice me awaken from the week long comatose run toward my bed right side where I turned my head toward to while asking me "Vain, are you awake?" hearing my mother voice in front of me, I opened my eyes instantly only to blind my eyes yet again and forced to closed them again. Before I started to open my eyes again but slowly, I was hugged by my mother who was crying and gratefully saying in her crying voice "you are awake." repeatedly while tightening her hug more and more as she said the words. I, starting to feel suffocated, struggling to open my mouth and sent out a voice "M… Mom….?" my young voice which seemed to have awaken her up from her agony. After she let me go, she still cried for little while more before I bombarded her with innocent questions of mine which let me know what had happened and how long I was in coma state worrying my parents and school. My mother called a doctor to my room to check my conditions which confused the doctor as my voice wasn't hoarse as it should be and my mother was asked what my voice usually be and found out my voice sounded like normal except the words a bit stuttered. The doctor also find it weird that my neck also had little pain which should be like the other parts of my body where it should be feeling paralyzed.'

I was lost in thought while recalling that and my assistant high-pitched voice started ringing on my ears.

"….. R" "M…ER" "MANAGER!" "MANAGER VAIN!!!"

She who had been sitting next to me finally shook me awake from my short recalling session.

"You really were gone for a full five minutes now. DON'T SCARE US LIKE THAT!"

"Sorry"

"If you were to die back then, how should we explain it to your pregnant wife, Mrs. Silvia?"

"….."

"I will take her up as my wife and raise your child as if he or she is mine." Jackson who had been gloomy from the beginning raised his voice and made fun of me.

"You, son of a gun. You dared to curse your best friend and manager to death right in front him while swearing will take the same man's pregnant wife that you cursed to be a widow as your wife. So daring." I knew Jackson, my childhood best friend, was joking and I played along with him, replying to his daring joke.

We all laughed hard on that before a waitress stopped on our table and asked "I am sorry to intruding our customers conversation. But, do Mr. Manager here mind to continue the topic? As apology as well as gratitude I am willing to pay this table's bill no matter how high it will be."

Silence befell our table but my best friend took the initiative to break the silence this time "Ms. Waitress, you should know that our manager here is a married man."

"Of course I know about his near due pregnant wife. *give a warm smile* Mrs. Silvia, right?"

Her first part of last speech brought her in as if she was one of us from the beginning. They discussed my wife happily while me feeling something amiss.

My best friend change the topic by asking the waitress "So Ms. What did you want to know that make you want to forfeit quite the fortune for it?"

The waitress answered after a giggle "So sharp! Mr., you wont be getting a wife soon by being too sharp, you know! But I like sharp man. Pity Mr.'s appearance is not to my taste. Tee-hee. I was interested on Mr. Manager's story of having a sharp memory from childhood. Mind to share it with me?"

I was intrigued by her words and made curious of her reason. My messy breath only brought her to interest me even more.

"Mr.? I was just interested since my only crush got the same good memory like Mr. Vain. Maybe with Mr. sharing it with me, I might be able to live a new life and find a new crush, since I don't want to be the third wheel."

Another sweet smile came from her which hyped our table sitters. The quiet woman next to me now fired up and started teasing me with her hand covering her chin and lower lips while saying "Ah…. Manager Vain so popular… Maybe I should join in and become manager's mistress?"

Seeing my little assistant too hyped, I gave her a karate chop on her head.

"Mind your words. Ms. Um…."

"Just address me as Ms. Waitress. So none of us have intimate possibility."

"I see. Ms. Waitress really is wise and full of foresight. Then I will answer only the answers."

"Mr. Manager is too serious."

"Life is the grand teacher of all. Student decide to learn or not."

"O... What a wisdom." Said the waitress with right hand covering her smile which was different from before

"As far as I remember I was good on this from I was eleven."

A slight change shown on the woman in waitress uniform which unable to escape my eyes.

"I see." said the waitress as other waitress came to drop some dishes and drinks before leaving without confirmation.

The waitress directly filled us in "These are some of my recommendations. As I offered before, these will be paid by me. So dig in."

She took a plate and took some portions of the orders that just came. We all start consuming the orders while even order some more and chatted for a while before "Mr. Manager, you did say you forgotten about something before and said only the details. What does that mean?

"The forgotten memory of mine is not a fully forgotten but instead it is just hazy."

"Manager, you still on it? You really remember that whole month event you organized last year?" the only woman on our seven people group who were half drunk stated her mind out without thinking anymore.

The new woman, that made our seven people group to an eight people one, gave a smile and tilt with her hand holding her face on it added "A whole month event!!!? Mr. Manager will tell us about it?

A waitress indeed. Experienced on flaming the spark made by drunk colleague. Yet, my pride and dignity refused to yield which of course led me telling the said event chronologically

"You guys should remember that we were hosting that even because ...… and which after all that incident I .... I even brought my wife with me to that ... and with everyone cooperation no ..... and since on its final day the company need to fork out some more since the flights were all cancelled due to the fog and rain."

My old habit acted up again and they listened to me rambling about the events I remembered for over an hour with their jaws starting to drops twenty three minutes to the story.

My colleagues, except Jackson who knew, protested in a mess saying

"That count as forgotten?" "As expected of the holy record!" "What is forgotten?"

I then continue being immersed on my habit and showed them I did forget details here and there which in the end took another half an hour since I repeated part of the story I just told them to show them the part which I deemed as missing or forgotten.

"Interesting"

A charming voice sounded near as if it was said right in front me. Which actually was said right in front me by the tanned girl before me who make me doing the same thing before my sister figure showed up on my head.

Having myself calmed, I noticed about this girl in front of me who should not be there since I have been standing on the edge of the highest building roof top facing out in order to jump to end my life as Vain Welts.

The tanned girl finally move away from me. An illogical sight befall my eyes. A tanned girl with short white hair and slender body as a normal child around ten years old should be is floating in front of me with no wire nor wings or anything alike to allow someone to float. The biggest changes I noticed are the pair of pure black eyes like a certain music video I saw before now got a small white circle in it as well as the shiny silver hair is now pure white.

The little girl smirked and voiced her pride to me, "Don't fret man who wishing to end his life. I am the one who has been taking owner the power of time and space. I always choose interesting ones who had a long lifetime left yet about to have it forcefully ended. Even as I am talking here, my shadows are doing the things needed to be done. I always visit the one I deemed is the most promising personally myself like this."

"Just think and all of them will be conveyed to me in instant. As I own the best telepathic skills along with many others that work wonder if paired. Words hardly able to convey the goal the person wanted to imply since it depend on certain sets of skill from the said individual as well as the receiving individual."

"I will be testing you. Touch the Crystal ball."

A clear crystal ball suddenly appeared between us, the ball wall so clear and clean as I can see her through the ball. Feeling I am technically forced to join in her farce, I stretch out my hand toward the crystal clear ball. The clear crystal ball changed into bright yellow color which I quite familiar.

Before I am really sure of myself, the girl spoke first.

"Think no more and be sure of yourself. It is gold as you thought of. The very same exact gold in your head."

More thought showed up in my head, but…

"This is the most efficient way and privacy is technically illusion of the weaks."

"You really are an interesting fellow. One in trillions."

"This is a contract I want you to sign with your blood."

A contract appear in front of me while she saying that.

"Worry not. I will brief you the points later."

"But first of all, I will brief the meaning of the test you just take. That is too test what cheats are you getting. Exactly like those in the novels you read. For the result…."

Her faced is a bit troubled for a while. Making me think 'does she not know about my result?'

Her troubled face cleared right away while I was pondering myself.

"Hey… That's rude. More of not knowing what is your result, I am more of troubled how to tell you about your results. Since you really are one in trillions. I had always been telling the one I visit personally myself their cheat with close no hesitations every time."

"I will only tell you briefly about your cheat. You must understand that it is a double edged cheat."

"Your cheat has the ability to rival my power which overseer the cheats pool and other pools. So I will only tell the name and a brief of its main skills since I found you are a smart and wise one. One in trillions might even count as understatement for you."

"Its name is [Fortune System] while its main skills are [Midas Touch] that able to change something to your wishing and [System Immunity] that made you immune to anything the system see fit."

"That will be all. So WILL you sign the contract now?"