Nnghh, this light… too bright. The ground— there’s no ground!

  Where… the hell… am I?!

  My vision adjusted slowly as I glanced down at my pale white fingers, which were dotted with bruises.

  As I involuntarily furrowed my eyebrows, I took a look around.

  The problem was...

  This place was just a— well, the only feature was

  Except, how do I put this?

  I seem to have lost most of my memories.

  But, I remember someone telling me... that I must always look for the upside of things.

  It must have been drilled into my mind, since I can still vaguely remember it— but not the person who imparted that knowledge upon me. Hmm…

  I tried to breathe, but there was no air. So I didn’t.

  It felt strange, but how do I put this… it didn’t feel

  The first conclusion that I came to was that I had somehow died. It wasn’t exactly the most pleasant thought, and just coming up with that idea made me sick to my stomach, but I guess this place, wherever it was, isn’t that bad.

  Gradually, the void dissipated and morphed, replaced by a pink fog that stretched across the heavens, creating a grid of laced clouds that shone like cotton candy. If I could say so myself, I would consider it very pretty.

  But it wasn’t time to look up at the sky. Instead, I thought to ground myself.

  So I swiveled my head downwards again— it felt uncomfortable in this body, but not terrible. My bare feet were submerged in a sort of thick, viscous substance that was similar to water. It was transparent and gooey, with a bit of a magical shine to it.

  Except for that, there wasn’t much.

  Was this all there was?

  I sighed, disappointed.

  Fiddling with my fingers like always, I was pleased to realize that some habits really did transcend death. Usually though, I would bite and gnaw at my nails… wait, thinking about that, maybe that’s why not a lot of people liked me?

  Hah… it doesn’t exactly matter now.

  Lying back against the liquid, my eyes began to close.

  What if this was just a station?

  Like an intermission, in passing to the actual afterlife? If so, why weren’t there other dead people around me? I could have at least had someone to talk to while wallowing in my eternal regret.

  A yawn escaped my lips without warning.

  “... Who are you?” A voice rang out, layered and echoing.

  Instantly, my mouth snapped shut and I jerked upwards, jumping to my feet without thinking. Narrowing my eyes, my body seemed to be ready to fight— and I didn’t question it.

  The pressure being forced upon me right now was nothing short of killing intent.

  Hmm… on second thought, I could have been wrong.

  Behind me, there was a small child.

  His head probably couldn’t even reach my waist!

  Even if this child was dangerous, I wasn’t keen on fighting a kid. It wasn’t like I was one… right?

  My body didn't feel like my own, so I could have been...

  Well, no use in overthinking.

  “Are you going to speak?”

  Looks like he beat me to it.

  “Um… the thing is, I opened my eyes, and this is where I showed up. I’m suspecting that I died, but I’m not sure how. If you know anything, wouldn’t you please tell me?” I tried not to sound eager, but it was very difficult to suppress my emotions in front of another person.

  Well, fuck.

  That child looked at me like I was a damn bug!

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  I guess being a tad bit handsome gets to all the kids these days, doesn’t it! Damn blue-eyed, blonde haired kid. It isn’t my fault that I was born with such average features!

  Although as I looked into his eyes, there seemed to be...

  Peering into his steadfast gaze, I felt something.

  It was like…

  Loss.

  “This is body.” He said carefully, sounding out his words with care like he thought I wasn’t literate. Well, I wouldn’t say I was an expert, but I didn't think I deserved such insults...

  His body?

  This place isn’t a body!

  Actually, I guess it could be. After this, anything was possible.

  Suddenly, a thought came to mind.

  What’s a little prank in death? I should be a little provocative...

  “Huh? The fuck you mean it’s your body? was here since the beginning!” I shouted, pumping arrogance and volume into my rather deep voice. I shouldn’t curse in front of a child, but this kid doesn’t deserve such saintlike behavior.

  The child cringed slightly.

  Flabbergasted, I opened my mouth.

  He didn’t fall for it?

  Everybody fell for my provocations!

  “Your body… that makes things difficult. I guess I’ll just have to force you out of it…” He seemed deep in thought, but his voice still projected over to me. This place had great acoustics, at least. But I didn’t like the way his thoughts were trailing. It seemed very… dangerous.

  Very carefully, he raised a small white hand.

  It was the color of snow…

  Shit, I’ve fallen into a trance!

  My body moved automatically; I ducked instantly to the left, rolling while gasping. The space around me heated until sweat was dripping off my skin, and then I heard

  No, this wasn’t natural.

  I heard sizzling.

  A premonition of…

  Fuck, not again!

  Dropping to the floor, my eyes were as wide open as possible. My skin seared as a blinding ray of white-hot flames shot out just above me, licking my skin and charring it. Fuck, I was mad now.

  Who cared if this was a kid?

  My body still remembered how to fight.

  Even if I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin, I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

  The child stood unmoving, muttering something under his breath as I took my chance. Flipping upwards, I began to run towards him. Placing my foot on the ground, I burst off, dashing forwards with a cold gaze in my eyes.

  Hah… this felt great!

  In an instant, I was in front of the child, who did not notice my presence.

  Swinging my foot to the left, I planted my left leg on the ground while the other pierced the air like a windmill.

  Glancing upwards, the child raised his dark-colored eyebrow as he glanced calmly in my direction, smiling thinly.

  Trembling, my foot stopped in midair.

  I gasped for air, jumping backwards.

  W-what?

  What sort of terrifying creature was he?

  With the sound of a water droplet splashing to the ground, I was shocked to see the child already in front of me, feet pressing against my chest. The wind was knocked out of me as his face twisted into something grotesque and a blade of radiant light appeared in his hands.

  As he laced the light with threads of a shimmering substance, it looked like it was wreathed in starlight.

  A beautiful attack.

  What was I to do?

  Even the great I couldn’t do anything against this kid.

  Shivering on the ground like a bucket of ice water had just been poured down my shirt, I looked at my right hand— or what was left of it, at least.

  My actual hand lay on the ground, spasming and spurting dark crimson blood like a fountain.

  No… not like this.

  “I’m sorry about this, but it is necessary.”

  It was that damn kid’s voice again.

  He sounded too fucking comfortable.

  Languidly staring in my direction, the child snapped his fingers, and an insurmountable pressure was mounted upon me, like I was being crushed by a mountain. Without hesitation, he walked up to my body, and sat on the ground.

  Closing his eyes, he clasped his hands together.

  Like he was praying.

  Wasn’t he going to end me?

  I now sat not in the liquid substance of the ground but in a pool of my own blood, which was turning into somewhat of a sea now. Death after death… before I could even reminisce about my own face…

  I was scared, I’ll admit it.

  I’m scared.

  More than that, I was terrified… to die again.

  But what is that kid doing?

  Something built up in my throat, as words escaped my mouth against my will.

  “Pfff… w-what are you doing?” My voice sounded much more energetic now, and it was riddled with laughter. I guffawed as my laughs ramped up. Using my free hand, I pointed at the kid, routinely wiping tears from my eyes.

  He opened his eyes, confused. Hell, even I was confused. Why did I do that?

  “Why are you laughing?” He asked this in such a dumbfounded manner that it only riled me up further. I wasn’t sure exactly why I was feeling this way, but it was better than being a hollow husk, devoid of emotion.

  “Because!” I forced out while rolling over.

  Yes... I knew what to do now. I'm quite good at this.

  There… just a few more feet…

  I sat.

  Right in front of the child.

  I felt just now that my eyes were filled with a deep melancholy as my true self began to unveil itself to him. Slightly opening his mouth, the child looked at me with an expression that matched mine.

  There… I knew it.

  Whatever I did, I couldn’t hate this kid. Not for attacking me, not for looking down on me, not for trying to kill me, not for cutting off my arm. Because whoever he was, whatever he was, he wasn’t much different from me.

  “... Why do you want to live?” The child asked.

  His head was angled downwards, and he resembled the figure of someone in grief.

  Grief not from the loss of a loved one, but the fact that there were no loved ones to begin with.

  It resonated deeply with me.

  Warily, I took my free hand out, stretching it out towards his face that seemed much paler than a few seconds before.

  Placing it on his chin, I lifted his head up, so that he was facing me, and staring into my eyes.

  My lips curled upwards, and like a fruit ripening, I grinned.

  Taking my fingers, I guided his cheeks up, sculpting his face into a smile.

  Just now… he really did look like a child… and less like a god.

  “What kind of question is that? Who doesn’t want to live?” I asked him, confused. He looked at me, and then he stood, brushing my fingers off like he had decided something.

  Taking a single glance at my severed arm, he snapped his fingers, and the arm reattached itself to my body—

  I gave him a questioning glance.

  Gently, he took his fingers, placing them on his cheeks. Steadily, they dipped down to his lips, and he pulled them apart to form a smile, much larger than mine.

  “... I think… that I’m going to watch you.” His smile was comforting.

  His eyes bored through my skull, though somehow... it wasn't a bad feeling.

  “So make your story worth it.”