I was just an ordinary forty-year-old man slogging through the slow decay of a life that no longer felt like my own.
My days were spent in a cramped flat, where every crack in the walls seemed to mirror the fractures in my spirit.
I was good at my job-meticulously crunching numbers-but good didn't mean appreciated. My mangers, with their effortless wealth and their smug confidence, barely noticed me.
I envied them-their cars, their clothes, their freedom, and I hated that I envied them.
My wife had left me years ago, tired of watching me stagnate. She said I was a dreamer who never acted, someone who talked big but always fell short.
I guess she was right. After she was gone, I spent years trying to prove to myself that I was more than the man she walked out on.
But the harder I tried, the more the world seemed to push back.
And then, the illness came.
The dull ache in my chest was easy to ignore at first. I told myself it was stress or exhaustion. But it grew worse-sharp pains, shortness of breath that hollowed me out from the inside.
I didn't have money for proper treatment, and the truth was, I didn't care enough to fight it. I spent my final days in that flat, watching the city lights outside my window, clinging to the fading warmth of memories I couldn't change.
When the end came, it was quiet. I remember collapsing, the sound of my teacup shattering on the floor. For a brief moment, I felt relief. The weight of failure was finally gone.
Darkness enveloped me, and I surrounded to it knowing there was nothing left for me.
Or so I thought.
A light pierced the void- soft at first, growing brighter and warmer with every passing moment. It was like a distant star, drawing me toward it.
I wanted to ignore it, to sink deeper into nothingness, but the light refused to let me go.
Slowly, the darkness around me began to shift, transforming into a shimmering expanse of gold and silver.
Standing at its centre was a figure, impossibly small and radiant, with hair that glowed like molten sunlight and eyes that sparkled with mischief.
"Nyah Aha~! Finally! the figure chirped, her voice high-pitched and singsong. "I was starting to think you were going to sulk forever in that dark little pit of yours. But nope! You're here now, and you're all mine."
I blinked, still disoriented.
"What....what is this? Where am I?" My voice sounded distant hollow as if it wasn't entirely my own.
The figure twirled her oversized staff, her golden girls bouncing with each movement.
"This?" she said, gesturing to the glowing expanse. "This is the In-between! Where lost souls like you go when they don't know what to do with themselves And me? I'm Lumina! Keeper of second chances, sparkly destinies, and all-around great ideas! Pretty lucky for you, huh?"
I stared at her, struggling to process her words.
"I don't understand. Why am I here? I thought I was..."
"Dead?" she interrupted, tilting her head with a cheeky grin. "You are. Or you were. But I found you just in time! And let me tell, your little pity party down there was seriously boring. Good thing I'm here to spice things up!"
I frowned, her playful tone grating against the despair still clinging to me.
"So, what? You're saying I get to come back to life?"
"Not exactly," Lumina said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "See, your old life? Total snooze-fest! No offense! But I've got something better for you- a whole new world where chaos and ambition rule. Think of it as a... let's call it an 'upgrade'"."
Her words hung in the air, tempting and terrifying all at once.
"Why me?" I asked quietly. "What makes you think I deserve this?"
She puffed out her cheeks clearly annoyed.
"Hmpth! You humans are all the same- so quick to doubt yourselves. But fine, I'll spell it out for you. Even when your world was falling apart, you never stopped dreaming. You wanted more, even if you didn't know how to get it. That spark of ambition? That's what makes you special. And that's why I'm giving you a second chance. Pretty generous, huh?"
I hesitated, her words stirring something deep within me. Memories of my failures and regrets flashed through my mind, mingling with the faint ember of hope I'd thought had long been extinguished.
"And if I fail? "I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Lumina giggled, twirling her staff again.
"Oh, you probably will. At least a few times. But that's part of the fun, isn't it? Falling down, getting back up, proving everyone-including yourself wrong. Nya hahaha~!"
Despite her teasing tone, there was a flicker of sincerity in her eyes. For the first time in years, I felt a glimmer of something I hadn't dared to feel: possibility.
"All right," I said finally, standing a little straighter. "If you're offering me a second chance, I'll take it. I don't care much risk there is. I'm ready."
Lumina beamed, her entire form glowing with golden light. "That's the spirit! Okay, hold still. This might tickle a little~!"
Before I could respond, the light engulfed me completely. The shimmering expanse, the playful Goddess, and even my doubts all vanished, leaving me suspended in blinding brilliance.
Somewhere deep inside, I felt a shift- a transformation-beginning to take hold.
*******************************************
I woke to the soft glow of morning light, filtering through a leaded-glass window framed by worn wooden beams.
The room was simple and modest, filled with the gentle scent of freshly baked bread mingling with woodsmoke.
My head felt heavy, as though it were being weighed down by the lingering haze of a deep and dreamless sleep.
Slowly, I sat up, the rough quilt sliding off my shoulders as I moved. My legs swung over the edge of the bed, my bare feet meeting the stone floor, Each sensation felt sharper, more vivid, then I remembered- as though my body were newly turned to the world
.
A mirror hanging crookedly on the wall caught my eye, and I walked toward it hesitantly.
What I saw stopped me cold.
The face staring back me was not the one I had known in my former life. The features were mine, but they had changed-sharpened and refined in ways that felt alien.
My eyes glimmered faintly, their glow tinged with an unnatural hue, and small horns that curved subtly back from my forehead. Even my skin had taken on a faint sheen, a stark contrast to the pallor I once carried.
I raised a hand-now clawed-and traced the lines of my face, struggling to reconcile the image with the man I had been.
********
A knock interrupted my thoughts. The door creaked open, and two figures stepped forward-each commanding the space with an effortless presence.
The woman moved first, her soft features framed by loose silver strands escaping the neat braid that draped over her shoulder. Her warm, brown eyes crinkled slightly as she offered me a kind smile, her face radiating a quiet strength and comfort.
She wore a simple linen dress, patched in places but clean, and a flour-speckled apron tied tightly around her waist suggested the morning's work.
The man beside her was tall and broad-shouldered, his frame sturdy and weathered from years of labour. His piercing blue eyes steadily met mine, his expression calm but scrutinizing. The neat trim of his grey-streaked beard framed a face hardened by life's challenges yet softened by the firm assurance of someone capable and practical.
His rolled-up sleeves revealed forearms etched with scars from hunting and a longsword was attached to his belt.
"Ah, you're awake," the woman said gently, stepping closer. "We were starting to wonder how long you'd sleep."
The man let out a low chuckle, his tone grounded and measured. "First time for everything," he said, nodding firmly. "Though you're not exactly what we're used to finding on our doorstep."
I blinked at them, still struggling to process their words and the unfamiliarity of my altered form. "Your....doorstep?" I echoed, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears. "I don't even know where I am."
The woman offered a reassuring smile, her brown eyes softening. "You're safe now," she said, her voice smooth and kind. "We found you one morning, out in the cold. You looked lost, like you needed help."
The man stepped closer, folding his muscular arms across his chest as he regarded me. "Do you remember anything?" He asked, his tone low and practical. "Your name, maybe?"
The woman's smile widened slightly, though it carried a note of quiet understanding. That's alright," she said, her voice light with reassurance. "For now, we'll call you Balthazar. It suits you, I think."
"Balthazar," I murmured, testing the name as though it were a foreign word handed to me from nowhere. It felt strange yet oddly fitting.
The man nodded firmly "Balthazar, then. Listen-you might not remember much, but here everyone pulls their weight. We're a working village. Demomling or not, you'll expected to earn your keep.
Of course, I was used to working endlessly in my own life. But I hadn't expected to find myself doing it here. What was it Loli Goddess said. 'Something better'
How was this any better?
I flinched slightly at the word but didn't refute it. I knew it was the truth- the horns, glowing eyes, and claws were impossible to ignore. "Earn my keep..." I repeated softly. "What do you mean?"
I hoped it wasn't something like farming or gardening.
The man gestured briefly to the hilt of his sword, his tone staying steady. "Means you'll do your part same as anyone else. We've got animals to tend, fences to fix, fields to Plow- you name it. You may look different, but you're strong, and strength can be useful here. We'll start slow, show you the ropes. The rest is up to you."
The woman placed a gentle hand on my arm, her touch grounding me further. "Don't mind him, dear," said softly, offering me the warmth of her presence. "No one expects you to figure it all out right away."
The man crossed his arms once more, his steady gaze fixed on me. "Balthazar, there's a lot you need to learn. We'll help you, but you have to meet us halfway. Let's start with breakfast, and then I'll show you the next steps."
I hesitated, uncertain if I could meet their expectations. But as I glanced between the woman's encouraging smile and the man's steadfast gaze, a spark of determination began to grow within me. "Alright," I said softly yet resolutely. "I'll try."
The woman gestured toward the door with an encouraging smile. "That's all we ask, dear. Let's get you fed."
As I stepped into the cobbled village streets for the first time, the golden light of morning bathed the world in hues of amber and gold.
I resolved to take my first steps in this new world, a world that would one day be mine to claim.