Chapter 1- The end that gives way to a beginning

...

[Present]

I have died?

[Past]

I had always lived the humble life of a farmer, in my town I usually helped harvest apples, wheat, and potatoes with my parents and sister. I am the youngest child in a family of 4, my sister has always been kind to me and with the others, I have never had problems with her or with any of my parents so I am not complaining.

I live in a humble village in the northeast of the Bemit continent near the kingdom of Sharia. We are a people of the Sharia nation although they do not treat us very well. There are not many inhabitants since it is not a very large town but we could manage to survive.

Yesterday I was helping Father during the late spring wheat harvest during what seemed like an ordinary day.

- Lethan, please plow the land on that side, I will go to the river for some water. [Father]

- Okay, Dad. [Lethan Squela]

While plowing the land my roast hit something small, hard, and metallic...

- What is that? [Lethan]

Like a quality sword that they sell in large towns, I have only seen some adventurers carrying those in the forest where the density of monsters is greater but they are not very common here since there are not many monsters around this town and watchers take care of those who lurk outside the forest... It smells like smoke?

Anyway, I dug up the object only to find a silver coin.

- Lucky! [Lethan Squela]

Distracted in my own thoughts, I did not notice the fire that was breaking out inside my home where my sister was still sleeping. Several villagers were scared, running and screaming. I didn't realize that the fire was spreading throughout the town. What the hell happened?!

- My sister is still inside, right?! [Lethan]

When I realized it, I ran into the house to save her, passing through the smoke while the roof fell apart. I found my sister very badly injured. I ran to her side to inspect her. She had burns all over her body and was unconscious. She was probably on the verge of death. Death, I couldn't bear to see it that way, it had to be a nightmare... This is all a bad dream...

wake up, wake up, wake up!!

As I sank into my pessimistic thoughts, the silver coin slipped from my trembling manl and fell into the fire, red smoke coming out of it as it changed to black. I could worry about that but... My sister is much more important than that, I carried my sister outside the house drowning in the smoke of the fire when at the edge of the door I heard a whisper in my ear while red smoke surrounded us.

-She will die [Whisper]

Frightened, I carefully turned my head back only to find nothing, but the whispering continued everywhere, was I starting to go crazy? "She will die" I only understood. That thing was talking about my sister, right? I felt overwhelmed with the idea but the whisper offered me a deal, I thought I had lost my mind but It really spoke to me.

- The fate of your soul in exchange for me curing her, accept this pious deal and everything will end very soon... [Whispers]

The voice whispered almost to my neck, I could feel his breathing but I didn't see anything behind me, I could hear small incomprehensible whispers everywhere. This situation was a nightmare, but I could only think about saving my sister, so without thinking too much I accepted his deal, a Big mistake.

The whispers turned into laughter everywhere, a really heavy situation and in an explosion of smoke my sister was cured, all the burns had disappeared but she was still unconscious. I wanted to cry with joy.

- Thank God you're fine.... [Luther]

I moved her hair out of her face while she seemed to be sleeping... I sighed in relief.

I wanted to take a breath. Although there was not enough time, I heard the cry of a little girl, I left my sister away from the fire on the grass and approached the other burning houses where the girl was in front of one of the houses.

-M-my younger brother is still inside, he is a baby [The girl]

- Don't worry, I'll go in to rescue him. I'll be back soon.[Lethan]

I went into the house while I said goodbye to the girl with a smile. I felt quite determined for some reason, maybe it was the adrenaline of the moment or the happiness of having saved my sister but I felt like a hero and as a hero I had to save the baby in In a hurry, I entered the burning home through the thick smoke and the dream and burning walls. I arrived at the child's crib. I felt relieved to see that he was oka-

-What the-?! (Vomits) [Lethan]

I threw up... I was wrong... the baby is not well, he is not well at all... oh god this poor child is completely unwell... It smells so bad...

I looked away from the baby and got lost in thought for a moment, what the hell was I thinking? I was late...What will I tell to the young girl? I tried to take a step out of the child's room before the roof fell on me and I was buried in the burning rubble of the house...

I screamed in pain, the wood was on fire and my back was burning, I screamed for help, I cried and I was starting to run out of air and the heat wasn't helping... Everything looks so blurry and dark...

- It hurts, It hurts, It hurts, it hurts!!! [Lethan]

The smoke fills my lungs and I start to cough while I try to cling to life, my whole body hurts... I will get out of here... I will make it... Just a little more...

- It hurts, It hurts, It hurts, it hurts!!! [Lethan]

The heat was unbearable, searing through my flesh, making every breath feel like inhaling shards of glass

- Come on! It hurts!! Come on... It hur- [Lethan]

I tried to wriggle out of the rubble but it was useless. While I was hurting everything ended and the pain stopped...

...

...

I was in water sinking deeper and deeper until when I reached the bottom I fell even further down into a dark void.

I vomit the water that's stuck in my lungs and get up from the ground still soaked.

...

- I-I remember. [Lethan]

I can still remember the feeling of my back being burned, drowning in my despair.

- So, I died? [Lethan]

I found myself in a dark void in front of a huge door that radiated light, probably six times taller than me and 3 times wider. I looked it up and down and a deep, heavenly voice invited me in.

- Lethan Squela, for your good deeds in life we invite you to heaven. [Heavenly voice]

I tried to take a step towards the door that would slowly open while revealing a large white light but rusty chains came out of the ground and trapped my feet and began to drag me into the darkness.

- AHHHH!!! [Lethan]

I screamed desperately, I felt anxiety, vertigo, fear, panic, horror when I heard the sounds of the chain dragging me, I couldn't hold on to anything and everything became dark as the chains dragged me deeper ...

When there was finally light I was sitting on a wooden chair in front of a table with a silver coin on it.

Suddenly I began to hear small inaudible whispers everywhere, it was a horrible feeling, I could hardly hear my thoughts while a breath whispered on the back of my neck.

- It's time for you to pay your debt, it was sooner rather than later. [whisper]

The whisper clicked his tongue.

Before I could say anything I found myself in front of a tunnel with a light at the end. I crawled towards it and tried to get my eyes accustomed to the light. I found myself in a dirty place, I didn't recognize anything I saw, it was so bright, I was in the hands of a woman who was carrying me as if I weighed nothing, in my confusion I tried to move my arms towards her to push her away but my arms were short and I didn't have much control over them, I tried to talk but it was useless, I could only babble incoherently... It didn't take me long to realize that I was a baby.