Chapter 1: The End is a New Beginning
John A. Snow walked down the bustling streets of New York City, his mind looping through every mistake he'd made during his job interview.
He was the definition of "average"—not particularly tall, not remarkably short, and possessing a face that blended easily into a crowd. Earlier that afternoon, he had interviewed at the Galaxy Company, a prestigious firm looking for scientists to pioneer lunar travel. As a descendant of the once-renowned Snow family of scientists, he felt the weight of a legacy he couldn't quite carry.
John was the last of his line. His mother had passed away giving birth to him, and his father had been murdered by an unknown assailant years ago. Forced to grow up fast, John carried a maturity beyond his years, though it often felt more like a heavy shroud of loneliness.
As he walked, lost in his thoughts, a sharp scream shattered the city's white noise.
"Help! Thief! Young man, please help me!" a woman cried out, pointing toward a man sprinting in John's direction, clutching a stolen bag and a glinting knife.
John's first instinct was to step aside and let the danger pass. But as he moved, a memory flickered in his mind like a dying ember.
Flashback
"John," his father's voice echoed, warm and steady. "Whenever someone is in danger, there is always hope if there is help. And if there is no one else... then there is you, son. Always remember..."
The memory cut short. As the thief closed the distance—barely a meter away—John pivoted. He threw a desperate roundhouse kick, but the thief was faster. The man ducked the strike and lunged forward.
A cold, sharp sensation pierced John's abdomen. The thief didn't hesitate; he twisted the blade and kept running, disappearing into the crowd with the bag.
John collapsed onto the cold pavement, watching his own blood pool on the concrete. What a shitty life, he thought, his vision blurring. I just wanted a family. I wanted to find justice for my dad. If there's a God out there... please, let me be happy in the next one.
The sirens were the last thing he heard before the world went black.
The VoidTime lost all meaning. Seconds bled into months; months felt like years. John existed in a dark, suffocating space. He couldn't see his hands or feel his feet, but he knew he was alive. He was breathing, even if the air felt heavy and strange.
John's POV:
Am I in a coma? Did I actually make it to the hospital? Suddenly, the walls of his dark prison began to contract. Pressure pushed him from all sides toward a distant, blinding light. It was a shred of hope.
I'm waking up! John thought, a flash of anxiety hitting him. Wait, how am I going to pay the medical bills for a stay this long?
The light grew blinding. Suddenly, two giant, fleshy hands reached toward him.
Oh, God! What is that?! A giant?
A New LifeOutside the delivery room, a man paced the hallway. His face was a mask of exhaustion and terror for his wife. When the door finally swung open, a doctor in a white coat stepped out, smiling.
"Congratulations, Mr. Snow," the doctor said. "Your wife has given birth to healthy fraternal twins. She needs to rest, but she's doing fine. You can see them now."
"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you!"
The man, Jules, rushed into the room. He went straight to the bedside, gently brushing the damp hair from his wife's forehead. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Where are our babies?" Mary whispered, her voice weak but filled with longing.
"Don't worry, Mary. They're perfect," Jules replied, squeezing her hand. "Do you want to see them?"
Jules stood and carefully gathered two small bundles, bringing them over so Mary could see. "Look at them. Aren't they beautiful? The boy has my eyes... and this little girl? She definitely got her mother's sweet lips."
John's POV:
John looked up at the man holding him and felt his tiny heart hammer against his ribs. He looked at the infant squirming beside him. He wasn't in a hospital—he had been reborn.
I'm a baby? And I still remember everything? Talk about a fresh start... and hey, I have a sister. The sheer mental exhaustion of processing his reincarnation was too much for a newborn brain. His eyes grew heavy. Being a baby is a lot of work, he thought as he drifted into a deep sleep.
Mary smiled at her children, her paleness forgotten for a moment. "They're adorable. What should we name them?"
Jules puffed out his chest, looking quite proud of himself. "I've been thinking about it. The boy will be John, and the girl will be Caitlyn. What do you think?"
"John and Caitlyn," Mary repeated softly, looking at the two infants embraced by the man she loved. "I think they're going to do great things."
Jules carefully placed the twins back in their cribs. When he turned back, Mary had already fallen asleep with a peaceful smile—the happiest she had ever been.