I still vividly remember what happened at that place.
I thought it was heaven, because we were on top of the clouds.
---
It should have been midnight, but this place was bright. I couldn't see the sun, and the clouds were endless. Although nothing grand was here, such a sight made me think it's the entrance of heaven.
But heaven does not accept killers, does it?
Before I died, I killed someone. It might have been self defense, but he could've survived if I stabbed him in the leg. Due to the adrenaline and instinct, I stabbed him at the stomach part and he died.
Ugh, I'm sorry I did such a thing. Still, there's no point dwelling in that anymore. I guess she was able to run, right? At least I didn't die in vain.
Wait, what about the pizza I just bought though...I should've taken a bite while walking!
Ah! What about Pammy?! I hope mom would visit tomorrow and take her in the family house. Rosa too, I hope her final exams next week wouldn't be affected too much.
...
But,
I didn't want to die yet.
I wanted to reach 65kg this year,
I wanted to work at a company that pioneers the creation of FIVRs,
I wanted to buy my own house, preferably with a garage too,
and I...wanted to get married, have a family, and live in that very house together.
I had many things I still wanted to do.
I had a short life.
...
"Oh well, at least I'm in heaven!"
I should find Dad here, right? He was quite the short-tempered, but he was actually a good guy that took care of his family until the end.
"Dad! Dad, where are you?!" Isn't our loved ones suppose to greet us in the entrance?
"Where the hell are you, dad! Did you not love me at all?!" Ah, my bad habits are getting to me. This is heaven, manners, please.
Then I saw a figure. Slowly, it's getting bigger. Ah, seems like it's a person that's walking closer towards me. It should be dad, right?
"Dad! You're actually here in heave-no I mean, you're finally here, dad! I've been waiting for you!"
However, at the point were I could see his face, it wasn't him at all. In fact, it's a woman.
"You're...not my father! Are you perhaps my grandmother?!" I shouted and waved at her. She looked to be in her 20s. Well, I recall that my father said that his mother died while giving birth to him, so it must really be her.
So I walked closer to her. Not surprisingly, she walked closer to me too.
As we were then only meters away from each other where there's no need to shout at all, she started to talk, "First things first, before I ask you some questions, I am not your grandmother at all. Are you blind? I look much younger than you." she pointed a finger at me, grumpy.
Wait, I'm confused. Doesn't heaven preserve one's appearance before they died? So isn't she lying? But lying should be banned in heaven.
"Grandma, I mean, haha, miss, if you're not my grandma, then who are you? Why did you greet me in the entrance?"
She stared at me straight in the eyes, and after some seconds scratched her head, "What do you mean, entrance? The entrance of Ashura? Are you stupid? There should be a large gate, and we should have been walking ten thousand steps in the mountain before we could reach Ashura, the land of the souls."
"Ah, right. I get it now." I nodded back and forth.
"Oh, so you get what I mean?" She sighed. "Of course you will, you're not a kid anymore."
I do understand, and it must have been hard for her. I mean, it's okay to have a different religion, right? At first, I didn't really believe in any, but I was somehow convinced by my mother.
Respect, respect.
She said, looking around the view. "But this place...where could this b-"
The woman suddenly vanished in the blink of my eye.
"Huh?"
When I blinked once more, she was standing in front of me again.
This time, there were a lot of people around us.
"Where is this?! This shouldn't be how Ashura looks like!" That same woman shouted.
"What nonsense are you spouting, woman?! This is definitely our awakening to the Martial Realm!" shouted the bald man wearing something similar to what people use in karate or something.
"The AR robots must have generated this artificial prison. It's the end of us!" Another one shouted, now a scientist that doesn't sleep at all. I don't really know, but that's how I see him. He looks like one.
"We died, idiots!" And another...oh, a literal one.
What the hell are they even saying? I get the different religion and the literal "we died", but Martial Realm? AR robots? This isn't fiction anymore, right? This is real! Heaven is real!
{Do not fear, dear Vessels}
I suddenly heard a voice, and it was as if it went directly to my mind. Is this, telepathy? So telepathy also exists in heaven, huh? That's nice.
"Are... you a Celestial, o great being?!" Some random shouted.
This isn't the EemceeU, you know.
{Do not ask what is not to be explained. There are only three things you will know, my dear Vessels}
{First, all of you have died at the exact same time}
A screen suddenly appeared in front of me. Is this a system?! So much surprises, heaven!
[ Vessel XXIX, in your context, you have died at exactly November 29, 11:59:59 ]
{Second, all of you are to be given a second life}
A...second life? What, no way. Shouldn't we supposed to stay here in heaven?
{Third, live that life as it should be, and...}
And?
{a wish will be granted}
A wish?
So that's it? Live that life as it should be, and a wish will be granted?
"Is...that true? Really? Really, a wish?! A wish, I want to reach the Martial God Realm!"
"I need to go back!"
"I...I want to see my wife again!"
"Me too, me too, I have a wish!"
"!!!" Many became ecstatic hearing that, others, with a look of determination in their eyes, and some may have even found things strange, as if the situation they are in might not be that simple at all.
But for me? I don't care, I don't have a wish anymore. In fact, it's been granted already.
I don't have a wish. I have goals.
I want to reach 65kg in this life,
I want to marry and have a family,
I want to buy my own house and live there together with my family,
and many more! I want to do many more things!
Thank you for the opportunity!
This life, I'll gladly take it!