Chapter :1

Awakening to the eerie abyss of nothingness is not quite how you'd expect to start your day. In the midst of the inky void, I found myself reminiscing on my past actions. "Did that child ever reach the surface safely?" I murmured, lost in the solitude of my thoughts. The monotonous void mirrored the mundane reality of the time I had spent there, which felt like an eternity, even though it was perhaps no more than an hour.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice pierced the vacuum.

"What, pray tell, brings you to this desolate place?" it asked.

"Oh, just soaking up some nonexistent sun. Got to maintain my tan for the ladies, you know?" I retorted with a hint of humor. "And what brings you here?"

The voice erupted into laughter, seemingly taken aback by my audacity. "You've got a spark, don't you? But honestly, how did you end up here? This void has been sealed since an era predating the reign of chaos in the universe."

Its statement piqued my interest. Was it referring to the Big Bang, or to Chaos, the Greek primordial deity? Little did I know, the truth lay far beyond both possibilities.

"Beats me, Mr. Voice," I replied nonchalantly. "The last thing I remember, I was rescuing a woman and her child from a car that had plunged off a bridge. After securing the kid, my foot got trapped. I'm pretty certain I drowned... Next thing I know, I'm chilling here."

Amused by my nickname for him, the voice made an unexpected proposition. "Since your arrival here, I've had a revelation. You're my ticket out of this place. Care to strike a deal?"

Considering my precarious situation, I figured I had nothing to lose. This entity could probably obliterate me without a second thought.

"Why not?" I asked. "What kind of deal are we talking?"

The voice elaborated, "As you might guess, I've been trapped here for eons. But I can bestow my power upon you, forcing you into a different universe. However, be warned, staying here longer might induce insanity. The fact that you've managed to retain your sanity suggests that your soul is as resilient as mine. So, what's your answer?"

Pondering his offer, I couldn't help but draw parallels to the Greek myth of Atlas shouldering the world. Nevertheless, being stuck here forever seemed inevitable, just like him. So, why not?

"Sure, why not."

He immediately corrected me. "It has to be a 'Yes' or 'No'."

Well then... "YES!" I proclaimed.

His response was chilling, "Good choice. But remember, don't end up like me. If it comes to it, take your own life."

Then came a monumental BOOM.

Agonizing pain coursed through me, as if my body was being torn apart, pulverized with a roller, put through a meat grinder, and then reconstructed. The agony was unbearable. And guess what?