Awake

Here we are.

Not dead not alive.

Stuck in limbo for all eternity. Is this a punishment or a reward.

Grunts and the sound of people speaking can be heard in an alleyway but no civilian would be near, for there was a gate that opened and that gate is now being cleaned by a cleanup crew.

"Okay everyone this is the last gate for today, after this we can all go home and rest."

The crew's leader spoke up. It has been a long day for them, they we're tired and cranky.

In this day and age, portals, called gates, from another world often pop up all over the world and with them came other worldly beings. It was tough at first, many people died and fighting those monsters were impossible.

However the monsters weren't the only thing that came with the Gates, The first superpowered people came. All around the world these extraordinary people known as Seekers seek the truth behind the gates and monsters.

The others that are not chosen help in different ways, such as gate cleaning just like our crew here today.

There was some tension in the air when the leader said that. One of the crew members Raphaela was not having it today.

"GOD DAMMIT TARA" She screamed at her team leader.

"We can't keep taking extra assignments if we don't get fucking paid for it"

Tara looked at her this a sorrowful expression, They didn't mean to do it but when the big boss ask they have to follow orders, even if that means they work on an extra gate for no money.

"This shit fucking sucks Tara"

All day Raphaela had a rough day. She woke up grumpy, stepped in a puddle on her way to work, her coworkers called her fat and told her to lose weight, It was just the worst she was was bitchy all day today and this news made her even more agitated If she was having a bad day then ever.

Looking at her teammates they all step into the portal and Raphaela dose the same. Inside the gate was a chapel like room that has various depictions of an elf goddess.

Blood is splattered across the isles and small worm like monsters all over the seats, in front where the podium is where a huge monstrous creature lays. They start cleaning and Tara takes this moment to talk to everyone.

"Everyone I'm sorry I know you all are tired. You all need money whether it's for people you are about or just for yourself, and with money comes with time, time you all don't have and I took that away"

Tara stops cleaning and looks at everyone but looks in Raphaela's direction and apologizes one more time.

"I'm sorry"

the other two apologizes first, Dan and Johnny, Nothing about them is special like Tara said they both have there reasons to become a cleaner even johnny who is a seeker. Raphaela quarrels with herself in her head.

'Why am I acting like this today its not their fault I couldn't sleep last night I'm really doing to much maybe I should apologize to them'

All she wants is to in life is to comfortable, comfortable with life, money, and happiness. She however could not obtain that but the world always has other plans and we never know what it is. she may have to do this exact thing over and over again. That is probably the reason for her mean personality.

The small creatures are the easiest to get rid of just chop them into small pieces and put them in to an acidic solution, but not all small gate creatures are the same before they cut them they have to scan for strange anomalies, but with the old and rusty scanners they have now its sometimes hard to get a read.

As the group finishes with the last of the worms they make their way to the big one on top of the podium. Raphaela takes this moment to speak with everyone.

'This is my chance to apologize don't sound pissed'

"U-um guys"

"yeah?"

They all turned to face her which made Raphaela even more nervous, but she berried the feeling deep down.

"I um want to apologize for the way I was acting all day I-I was just tired and I know that's not an excuse to be rude to you when were all feeling the same way I'm really so-"

Just then the unexpected happened the dead beast that was supposed to be dead lunged at Raphaela and ate her. Panic ensued and screaming came, but Raphaela could not hear any of this or anything at all, her life flashed by her eyes.

All the the good things and all the bad things in Raphaela's life she saw it all, she saw herself in stupid situations, sad ones, ugly ones, and very few happy ones.

She saw herself hurting others and making them feel bad, She regretted them, all her actions ever did was hurt others even to the ones that only tried to help her she hurt them. what was even the point of it all? jealousy, hatred, greed, why didn't she do better? why was she like this?

Darkness. Darkness is all she saw and that darkness scared her. She tried to callout to the void but there was no answer but she continued to do so only hearing her own voice.

'what is this where am I?!"

'...'

She continued to call out.

'HELOOO!?'

'...'

She starts to cry but she felt no tears, she couldn't even feel anything.

'Someone please....PLEASE HELLOOO!?!?'

She was was there alone for a while, it was dark so there was to knowing the time. She was there for even longer from time to time calling out. One day, one week, one month, one year, ten years, one-hundred years, one-thousand years, time is fuzzy when your in the dark.

'....'

'Hello?'

'Huh?'

'Oh! hello there, who might you be?'

'....'

'Oh do you not like to talk?'

'N-no I can talk'

'OH! well that's wonderful'

'You say oh a lot'

'Ha ha yeah I do, how'd you get stuck in the void?'

'I um....got eaten.'

'Oh that sucks, are you ok?'

'...I-I think I'm dead, I've thought for a while now.'

'Well yes this is limbo.'

'yeah I know that now'

'HA! I thought you'd be scared'

'I was at first then after a while it gets all uh..um....'

'Hm it seems you've been here a while'

'....'

'I've been here for even longer I'm pretty sure I was born to be here for all of eternity'

'All of eternity huh, that sound absolutely terrible.'

'There is a way to get out but that might take a very long time. If your patient then this opportunity will arise.'

'R-really'

'Yes really and as we wait lets talk so you don't go crazy like I have, what's your name'

'It's Raphaela'

'Raphaela, that's a lovely name. My name is Judeline it's a pleasure to meet you.'

One-thousand, ten-thousand, one hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, and eight hundred thousand years. That's how long it took for that opportunity to arise.

During that time they conversed, conversed about anything and everything they both knew. About there world about their life, how they could fix their mistakes and on and on. Until they just started to repeat themselves over and over again. Even telling each other their most jarring secretes.

Now that that opportunity has arrived, a strange light suddenly appeared in front of them, it was a white light with a blue outline. They knew what this meant, it was a way out.

'Go Raphaela'

'But what about you'

'Only one of us can go and that person should be you'

'But yo-'

'You said you wanted to change, that if you ever go back you would make things right. I'm here because of my mistakes and my world is already gone, but yours is still there. Go.'

The light was getting smaller Raphaela went towards it getting closer, but not before hearing Judeline's voice one last time.

'When you make it back show the world how you've changed and show them how kind you can be'

The light consumed her, it was blinding and she could hear a faint beeping sound coming from somewhere.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

" Ugh"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

'My head ugh, what's that sound?' She thought.

When Raphaela opened her eyes she was met with a white ceiling, a constant beeping noise is muffled in the back ground, slowly and surly her eyes began to focus.

'Where am I'

Raphaela lifts herself up and looked at her surroundings.

'A hospital?'

So that annoying beeping sound she was hearing was coming from that monitor over there. when thinking back to what happen in the void she wondered what happened to Judeline, where they safe, did they make it out ok? she thought back to the words they spoke.

"When you make it back show the world how you've changed and show them how kind you can be"

Raphaela would always remember those words and the person who said them.

"I'll show them I can be kind, and I'll show them all what I can do."

she spoke softly to herself and at that moment a blue statues window appeared Infront of her.

[ YES? WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW YOUR STATUS?]

"Huh?"

[ YES? WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW YOUR STATUS?]

'I-Is that a statues window?'

There standing in front of her where floating words asking a question. Of course she had been told about this before by watching videos of chosen seekers but she never thought she would see them.

"YES!" She had blurted out her answer in disbelief.

The door flew open, and a nurse rushed in, probably from Raphaela's scream. A look of concern was shown on the nurses face.

"Hello ma'am how are you feeling?"

"Uh, I'm feeling alright."

"Good, do you feel any pain or discomfort?"

"No, I do not."

"Good good, now the doctor is gonna come in a little bit to ask you some question ok?"

"Yes ok."

The nurse takes her leave and shuts the door behind her. While the nurse was gone, Raphaela focused on the status window in front of her.

[Raphaela Baptiste] Rank: D

Job: Supporter

Title: Kindness supporter

{Strength: 30/100} {Intelligence: 38/100}

{Stamina: 56/100} {Skills: 1} MP: 500

Looking at the status window she didn't see anything special about it but even so she felt honored to be chosen to help her planet, not a lot of strength or stamina and only one skill, she was carious on what it was.

"S-skill!"

[SKILLS] : 1/1

Skill: Kindness support

Meaning: you are able to give any of your abilities to your partner or opponent, if used by the given you will receive their own Skill, but you may only keep these abilities through training to help increasing your own ability, after 1-3 days the skills may disappear but you may keep the skill you want.

'Wow, what's up with this skill, and why does it say one out of one dose that mean I only get one skill?"

While Raphaela was busy looking at the status window, she didn't hear the doctor come in slowly approaching her.

"Hello Miss Baptiste I'm Dr. Johns how are you feeling this even?"

"I-I-I'm feeling alright!"

"Ha sorry for the scare there miss, are you feeling lightheaded or dizzy at the moment?"

"No sir"

"Any sight or hearing difficulties and or any strange sensation in your legs?"

"No sir"

"Good, now do you know what the date or the year?"

"U-um.....it's um"

"Hmm you seem to be a little confused, we might need to do a little more test to make sure everything ok"

"Alright"

"You where very lucky you were chosen the moment you were eaten Ms. Baptiste, when they pulled you out there were no ignores inflicted on you."

The doctor asked a few more questions and did some more tests. After all that they kept her for a few more days.

During her alone time Raphaela was checking her status window and made some discoveries, when she would ask a question about her ability or attributes whether if it was out loud or in her mind the system would answer.

when she didn't know what an item from the hospital was the system would explain to her what the item is and different ways to use it other than its intended purpose.

'I think I know what this is, it's called appraisal right? where the system tells you what stuff you don't know is. That'll be useful.'

While on her way home from the hospital, Raphaela saw a familiar light in the middle of the side walk. Slowly walking toward the light she sees what it was.

"A Gate! This early in the morning?"