Ch 0: Previous Life

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I pick up my phone lying on the table beside me. Feeling the bags underneath my eyes, I quickly turn off the alarm and smash my phone on the table. I closed my eyes again.

Seconds later, adrenaline rushed through me as I realized what I had done. Eyes now wide open, I slowly peeked at my phone and checked every inch of it for any damage.

Cold sweat dripped down my forehead. Phew. No damage. My phone is my most precious belonging. What would I have done if it was broken? My life would be ruined! Well... It was honestly just an old used-up phone, but what else would an orphan like me have to treasure? I hugged my phone close to my face as a small tear got away.

After that heart-racing incident, I quickly got ready for school. Today is my graduation day. This means no more bullying and no more boring classes. I should be psyched. But it also meant I couldn't see Elizabeth anymore.

Elizabeth is the school princess. She is kind, smart, and athletic. Even to the infamous Annoying Alan, she was kind. That's me, by the way. Alan, the loser. Without any social skills, brains, and a lanky build with typical black hair and brown eyes. It was to be expected that I would be bullied.

To me, Elizabeth is a person I can never get close to. Our standing is too far apart.

I thought of this as I made my way out of my small room in the orphanage, walking past the small children (who weren't old enough to go to school yet) chasing each other in some sort of game they made. The floors creaked as each of my feet stepped on them. I left the orphanage without anyone noticing.

The graduation ceremony was never-ending! How much longer can schools make these types of events?

There was one thing I was looking forward to, though. Elizabeth's speech as the student council president.

"It has been a pleasure to be on this journey with...." I didn't realize I stopped listening soon after her speech started as I stared at her beautiful face. Soon enough, the ceremony ended with friends crying and hugging each other.

I gave out a sigh of relief and headed out of the school, not really having anyone to say goodbye to.

.................

"That'll be $4.99. Thank you, come again." I smiled at the businessman who had just bought a pack of cigarettes.

The smile immediately dropped off my face as the door closed.

I work as a cashier in a convenience store near the orphanage for minimum wage. It was the easiest job I could get. Not to mention, there were not a lot of people passing by through this part of the city which means not a lot of customers comes into the store.

This job is the most boring job there is, sad to say.

That is until a group of girls went in, and I noticed one of them happened to be Elizabeth. Elizabeth! In my store! Well, not my store, but whatever. She's here! The girls surrounding her were probably her friends.

Suddenly, I couldn't feel my feet. My mouth felt dry, and my eyes were just wild open. Blink! Blink and act like a normal human being Alan! My body froze, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. D*mn! Why am I such a loser?

If only I weren't an orphan. If only I were more handsome. If only....

BANG! The door flew open.

"Get your hands in the air!" A guy wearing a black ski mask strode through the doorway, holding a gun.

Everyone immediately screamed (including me) and raised our hands in the air. I look back towards Elizabeth, who was shaking, and her friends who tried to sneak to the corner of the store, leaving her behind.

"Empty the cash register! Now!" I hurry and opened the cash register to give the masked man all the money that was in the register.

"Is this it? Give me your money too!" I then took out my wallet and just gave him everything without even opening the wallet because I was too freaked out. He then turned towards the girls and asked them to hand over their wallets as well. I slowly sneaked out of the counter towards the phone on the wall that was there for emergency purposes. Which I'm pretty sure now was the perfect time for.

His gun then turned to Elizabeth as he eyed the expensive-looking necklace on her neck.

"Give that to me!"

"I-I can't. It's my mother's, it's the only thing she left me."

"Well, it's either that or your life! So choose!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she shook her head and still refused to give up her necklace. At this point, I had forgotten about the phone on the wall and was looking at the horrible scene in front of me.

"Your choice," the masked man said. Just as he was about to shoot her, I pounced on the man, making him drop his weapon, and both of us fell to the ground. Luckily I was behind him, and that was a surprise to him.

"You little-" I didn't know what to do but tried and reach for the gun that had slid on the floor in front of the both of us. At that moment, I felt something sharp pierce through my stomach. It did not occur to me that the robber had a knife as well.

I froze in shock, and that was when he threw me away from his body, grabbed the gun, and ran outside through the glass doors.

I could feel that I was bleeding out through my stomach, and I looked in the direction of the girls in the store with me. With my blurred vision, they looked like blobs. I couldn't tell which one was Elizabeth.

Thinking that I was about to die, I wanted to see her face one more time. Would she be worried for me since I saved her life? Would she admire me for being heroic and saving her?

Just as I took my last breath, my vision cleared up for a second as if somewhere out there, a more powerful being answered my prayers. And I saw...

Elizabeth's face was contorted, disgusted by what she was currently seeing. While the other girls were panicked and confused, taking out their phones to call the police, I assume, perhaps an ambulance. Elizabeth just stood there and turned her face away from me as if she couldn't be bothered to look at me anymore, her hand clutching the necklace on her neck.

With that, my vision went black.

...................................

I woke up in a white space. There was nothing around for miles away except for me and a shining orb of light which I almost missed because everything was so white already.

"Where am I?" That was my first question, and though I did not expect an answer, one came anyway.

"You're in my universe, boy." Voice seemed to come out of the white orb, echoing throughout the space.

I stood up and saw that the knife wound on my stomach was still there, but the bleeding had stopped.

"Before you ask any more questions, let me just say, this is not a dream, and yes, you are dead."

My mind went blank for a moment, but then it registered to me all that had happened. What a way to go, huh? Saving someone's life who you thought was very kind, but in the end, she turns out to be a heartless person. Just like everyone else was.

"Why the silence boy?" The light asked me.

I look at the orb of light and sighed. Choosing not to answer him, I asked, "So what now?"

As if he was observing me without any eyes, he paused for a moment and laughed. Loudly.

"HA HA HA. So you have accepted death? But fortunately for you, or should I say unfortunately, considering your attitude about death, it has not yet accepted you. Let's get to the point, shall we? Seeing your valiant act in saving a life, I have chosen to reward you. I will happily reincarnate you in a world of magic. Give you a second chance at life."

"..." Is this what all those mangas and novels were talking about? I can get reincarnated and live a happier life! Thanks to my selfless act, I can be rich and handsome? Get praised by all for my invincible powers?

"Will I be rich? Will I be strong in this life?" I asked. With eyes full of hope, I looked at the orb.

"No. Of course not. I have given you a second chance at life, and you still ask for more?" the orb said.

As those words were spoken, something seemed to shatter in my head. My dreams are always just that, never becoming true.

"We do not have much time. You cannot stay here for too long. But, before you go, I do wish you luck, Alan."

A pulling sensation started to go through my body. It was like my soul was being pulled into another dimension.