Welp, I died!

Tristan. That's my name, a pretty run-of-the-mill name for a guy like me. Growing up, I was just your regular 16 year old kid, well, except for one thing. I was into anime, big time. It wasn't just a hobby; it was my sanctuary, my escape from the harsh realities of life.

See life hadn't been all that kind to me especially in the friends department. At school, I was that quiet guy, the one who always seemed lost in thought. It wasn't that I didn't want friends, I did. I just didn't know how to make them. No one also made the effort to approach me as well. Maybe it was the way I dressed, or maybe it was the rumors that had a way of sticking to me. 

People talked. They whispered about my odd taste in music and the fact that I'd rather read manga during lunch breaks than chat about the latest trend or sports game. It was as if I existed in a parallel universe. When I discovered the isekai genre, boy, was I hooked. A fantasy world one where epic battles, fantasy race, and magic mattered more than who scored the winning goal.

As I walked alongside my beloved grandma, the weight of grocery bags in my hand and the late afternoon sun casting long shadows, I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of gratitude. We had been through so much together, my grandma and I. After my parents passed away when I was just nine, she became my anchor.

Our small talk filled the air as we made our way home, a quaint house that held a lifetime of memories. My backpack, heavy with textbooks and unfinished homework, felt like a constant reminder of the life I tried to navigate as a high school sophomore in a world that didn't always understand me.

"Darling," my grandma's voice was soft, filled with warmth and curiosity, "how's school been treating you? Have you made any new friends?"

Her question hung in the air, and I hesitated for a moment. I didn't want her to worry, and I certainly didn't want to disappoint her. But the truth was, I hadn't brought many friends home over the years. My reputation at school was far from stellar.

I sighed, my gaze fixed on the pavement as I tried to find the right words. "Well, Grandma," I began slowly, "you know how it is. School's... school. Making friends hasn't been easy."

Her hand gently touched my shoulder, a silent reassurance that she understood more than I might think. It was in these quiet moments that I appreciated her even more. She knew the struggles I faced, the loneliness that sometimes gnawed at me, and yet, she never judged. 

We continued our walk, the bags of groceries swinging gently at our sides. And as we approached a bustling intersection. My grandma suddenly halted as an apple tumbled from the bag of groceries she carried, and a truck came hurtling toward us, its wheels screeching. In that fleeting moment, I realized I had to protect her, just as she had protected and supported me throughout the years. 

"Watch out!" I yelled.

  Without a second thought, I pushed her to safety as the truck bore down on me. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, and I caught a glimpse of my grandma's shocked expression as she clung to the groceries, while my heart raced in my chest. It was a choice driven by love and an unspoken bond.

As I lay on the cold asphalt, my heartbeat reverberated in my ears, each thud a stark reminder of the choice I had made mere moments ago. The screeching of tires, the blinding headlights, and the abrupt jolt of impact had all faded into the background. Distant voices screamed in worry, but my grandma's calls were replaced by an overwhelming sense of tranquility.

'I'm dying,' I thought, my mind racing as I felt my body betray me, refusing to respond. It was as if time had slowed to a crawl, and I found myself trapped in a state of disarray between consciousness and the impending darkness.

'What will happen to my grandma... I was the only thing she had left,' I thought, a profound sense of worry gnawing at my consciousness. my thoughts became consumed by the fate that awaited the person who had been my pillar of strength throughout my life. 

'I hope she can live through this,' I whispered in my thoughts, my heart heavy with concern. Imagining her alone, grappling with the sudden void I would leave behind, was almost too much to bear. She had been the steady anchor in my life, the one who had guided me through every storm and celebrated every triumph. Now, in this harrowing situation, I couldn't help but worry about her future.

Now, as I lie here, my vision blurred and my body broken, I am acutely aware of the surreal scene unfolding around me. Colors are shifting, blending into one another, and a strange, powerful force tugs at my very being. No one seems to notice it as it pulls me in. As I get closer and closer to this inexplicable phenomenon, I steal a glance downward to see if anyone has noticed my ethereal ascent. To my astonishment, I see my lifeless body lying on the cold asphalt.

'It's pulling my soul,' I thought, a mix of awe and fear gripping my fading consciousness. The mysterious force continues to draw me closer, and as I inch nearer to it, an unsettling event transpires. It's as if the fabric of reality itself is unraveling before my eyes, revealing a pitch-black void that beckons me closer, its dark emptiness both alluring and terrifying.

'Is this what happens after death? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?' I thought, my mind filled with a swirl of questions and emotions as I continued to be drawn into the mysterious force. The sensation of being untethered from my physical form was both unsettling and oddly liberating.

I had heard countless stories and theories about what might occur after one's passing—tales of bright lights, tunnels, and encounters with loved ones who had gone before. But here, in this surreal experience, none of those familiar narratives seemed to apply. Instead, I found myself suspended in a realm that defied all my preconceived notions of the afterlife.

The absence of a guiding light, the one often described as a beacon leading souls to their final destination, left me disoriented and searching for meaning in the abyss. Had I taken a wrong turn in the journey to whatever came next? Or was this, perhaps, a unique path that few had traversed? 

And then, with a sudden and inexorable force, I was swallowed.