The Beginning After the End (II)

As the ball was in shock, the gatekeeper started to enjoy more from it and laughed evilly from the ball's shock and fear.

But before the ball could say something, he pointed his finger at the ball, which was taking the form of like a human soul because of the energy released by the gatekeeper and released a vortex again. the light ball was sucked-in before it could express it's thank you (very politely). 

When the ball noticed the vortex, It was shouting all the curses it had collected to throw at his biggest enemy. But it was for nothing. This time it noticed the vortex was different and before it could voice it out, it was in an unknown state between a coma and sleeping. 

The gatekeeper was standing at the place from where he sent the light ball, couldn't stop laughing. "Hhahhahhahhah, young master, heaven, what happened to you. Sigh, the young man was funny, but he has to confront his past if he wants to meet the Origin."

The gatekeeper sighed. How could a person get power without proving his worth? "Let's meet again, young man, and see what the things will be that flow of time will take away from you, your cheerfulness, smile, or personality." The gatekeeper disappeared with a smile.

*****Inside the vortex*****

The young man was in his dream-like state experiencing his life again, sometimes happiness, sadness, pain, pleasure; all experiences could be seen from the young man. As he saw the happiness he brought to his parents when he was born, growing up with his older brother, not too smart nor too dumb, neither handsome nor ugly.

He grew from a mama's boy to a teenager who rebelled at the smallest of things, pranks pulled by the brothers on his relatives, grinding for study to get good marks, getting scolded by his teacher, seeing his crush and talking about her all day to his uninterested friend, school trips, then the transfer student who introduced anime to the group, starting a new chapter in his freshman year of high school.

Throughout high school, they competed to see who could watch anime the fastest, speedrunning One Piece, Naruto, racing each other in Naruto-style running, getting scolded by his teacher and parents, confessed to a girl, getting rejected, joining the single gang of friends, surviving high school, leaving home for college.

He became more interested in reading novel. Then corona came by which led depression due to his father's death, such was his life. He lived a normal life. He became isolated and his brother tried to pull him out of it, took care of the family, did the job so that he could provide for the family.

He also slowly got out of it with the help of his brother and friends. later He studied and joined as GOVT officer so that he can help his brother. Life was looking okay again, good amounts of web novels, job.

He was happy to live such a life because he enjoyed the thrill of reading a new novel and finding a bizarre but cool different world, some amazing novels, some good. But he and others enjoyed commenting, expressing views. He really did enjoy life a little.

Then tragedy happened when he was 25 years old. He came home for the holiday. His niece saw him and got excited. She reminded him of his previous promise of taking the family on a one-week vacation.

He laughed and agreed with her after getting permission from his brother. He fixed a date, and they went to a hill station; they enjoyed their stay. He spoiled his niece. After lunch, she demanded ice cream. He checked the freezer, but none was there.

He looked at his niece. As she caught his gaze, she ran from him saying " it's a holiday and I can eat all I wants". After some running, she was caught. He decided to go and get some ice cream, as it would be needed after dinner.

The weather was hotter compared to where they lived. His niece demanded that she would also go so that she could get her favorite flavor. He picked her up and went to the shop near him, which was on a slope. He asked her, and she chose chocolate.

He put her down, brought out cash from his pocket, was going to pay when he noticed that his niece has been running away from him towards the other side. He sighed as she was too much for him. He was thinking after whom she has took after, his brother or sister-in-law.

While he was having this thought, he noticed a truck was coming from the hill backward, maybe the driver had forgotten to apply the handbrake and had just parked the truck, and it started moving. The driver was running behind it, shouting to clear the route.

He immediately ran to take his niece out of the way. He shouted, but his niece only looked back, didn't hear it, as the road was not usually busy. None was there other than the shopkeeper, truck driver, himself, and his niece.

She was crossing the road just to show him that she was a big girl now.

As when she previously tried to run like this on an empty road, he scolded her, said, "You are too small, so let me pick you up or hold my hand, nothing funny." But she wanted to prove to him that she was a big girl and can cross the road.

As he shouted, she looked towards the side of the truck and was petrified. The MC ran without thinking anything.

After his father died, she was born a few months later. He was attached to her because he, like his brother, wanted to take care of someone. When she was born, he treated her like a princess. He can't lose her.

He jumped; he was physically fit due to his daily training.

When he jumped, he caught his niece, but his feet were touched by the truck, causing him to lose his balance. His niece's head would hit the road if it went like this.

So, he somehow protected her head and tried to rotate his body. But as he was not some martial arts expert, thus not yet at level where he can freely control his body, he was able to save his niece, instead his head hit the road.

His niece, after falling, started crying. He, while his blood was flowing from his head, tried to console her. "Hey, listen to me. You always said you were a big girl; now prove it to me. Be a strong girl and listen. After dad, if I love someone the most, then it was you. I was always dependent on my big brother, but I wanted to become a big brother to you, like I had..." No, one knew weather these words were for his niece or himself.

The blood was continuously flowing; he was losing his vision slowly. "Just promise me... that you will never think all this was your fault. It was mine. You have to become a strong, big girl. Independent and all, hahaha. Like big brother, not like me. Haha, ju.st p.ro..mis..e m...e."

"I promise I will become strong; we have to call dad. Hey, get up. I will not give you your part of the ice cream. Hey, if you didn't talk... I will also not talk to you," she stated, crying.

Just then, the MC's brother came, as he was alerted by the band on MC's hand, which he pressed when he was consoling her. His brother knew they went to buy Ice-cream. So, he came running to the location. He picked his daughter and comforted her while tears flowed from his cheeks. The tragic event left a somber and heart-wrenching atmosphere.

The MC, better known as Alex, felt his soul being pulled from his body, drawn toward the void as though it called out for him.

HE lost his consciousness and slowly drifting into the void, he remained there for a long, long time, navigating through various wormholes that strangely appeared, creating a path for the drifting soul.

The journey continued until the soul found itself in the dead center of the void. The human-like soul slowly started to merge with the void until it was size of a ball of light. 

[REST IS HISTORY]

{****** PIC OF CHARACTER ARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION*******}