**Daniel's POV**
I froze, paralyzed by fear as the scene unfolded before me. This wasn't like the anime I loved, where a victim is saved by a gallant hero. Instead, a horrifying sight greeted me—the head of the woman who saved me rolled across the ground, severed by Rem's brutal attack.
Rem, the kind-hearted character I adored despite her extraordinary powers, would never commit such a heinous act without reason. But what I was witnessing defied everything I knew about her. My mind spiraled, teetering on the edge of madness as I grasped for any possible explanation.
"No... this isn't real. Please, tell me this is just a dream!" I whispered, fear clawing at my chest.
In that moment, I forced myself to move. I couldn't stay in this battlefield. Despite my weakness, I mustered the courage to stand and limp away, ignoring the searing pain of my wounds.
But before I could escape, Rem's spiked iron ball hurtled toward me. She swung her weapon with a ferocity that made me feel like the vilest of enemies, her screams filled with rage. The sharp spikes tore into my back, shattering bones and piercing flesh. The pain was indescribable.
My eyes shut instinctively as fragmented memories of my life flashed before me—disjointed moments I couldn't understand why I was recalling. Regret flooded my heart. I was about to die, and I had to accept it.
Strangely, despite how much I loathed my life, I was terrified of dying. Tears streamed down my face, yet a bitter smile curved my lips. Maybe it was because my long-held wish to end it all was finally coming true. But no—this wasn't joy. These were tears of self-pity and regret.
I laughed at myself. I was dying miserably, not because of how I'd die, but because of how worthless my life had been. No achievements, no dreams fulfilled, just a fleeting existence that would vanish without meaning. I was a failure.
They say everyone has a purpose in life. But what was mine? To live as a loser and die in this pitiful way? Is God truly loving to His children? Or maybe I wasn't one of His chosen—maybe I was one of the forsaken, abandoned because I forgot to praise Him every day.
I didn't know what I was saying anymore. Maybe it's normal for the dying to lash out at God, at the world, at everyone. But deep down, I knew the truth: I was to blame. My parents, my teachers, my siblings, the people around me—they didn't fail me. They didn't ruin my life. I did. All I could do now was point fingers, a pathetic last act.
As my body flew through the air from the force of Rem's attack, time seemed to freeze. The chains, the debris, the chaos around me—all became still, like statues frozen in place. I couldn't marvel at the sight; the pain in my body was too real.
Then, a voice echoed from the heavens, unfamiliar and booming like thunder. "Enough. This example should suffice," it said, addressing me.
I didn't understand what it meant. But in that moment, I felt a command to close my eyes. Confused and lost, I obeyed. As my eyes shut, the pain, the burning, the agony—it all vanished in an instant.
When I opened my eyes, I was back in front of my PC monitor, seated in my chair, exactly as I had been before. My breath came in gasps, my hand clutching my chest as the terror of what I'd witnessed lingered.
*"Was it just a dream?"* I wondered, thinking I might have dozed off. But before I could convince myself, the mysterious voice spoke again—this time from behind me.
I spun around and saw a woman with golden hair, dressed in a flowing white gothic dress, sitting on my bed. She was beautiful, like a doll, delicately sipping from a teacup. She smiled and asked, "How are you, Daniel Muntingbato? Or perhaps I should call you the Blessed One?"
My heart raced. "Who are you? What are you doing in my room?" I demanded, my voice trembling.
She sipped her tea calmly, urging me to relax so we could talk. Then she introduced herself as an angel of God, sent to fulfill the wishes of someone like me—a rare opportunity not granted to many.
"God heard your wishes," she said. "I'm here to make them come true. But first, I showed you a glimpse of what your future could hold."
She explained that my delusions—my desire to escape reality and enter a world of magic and adventure—weren't as simple as I thought. She had studied me and, though it wasn't part of her orders, she intervened to ensure I wouldn't waste this divine opportunity.
"What I showed you was you in another time, another dimension. If I grant your delusion of entering a magical world, you'll trade places with someone just like you."
"Trade places?" I asked, confused.
She elaborated: there was another person, identical to me in every way, living in a different dimension. Like me, they longed to escape their reality—a world of danger and suffering. "They're angry at God for being born into a world they never wanted. They blame Him for their miserable fate. I'm not sure someone lost in fantasies like you can understand."
"Adventures, magic, battles with monsters, saving the weak—that's their world, the one you dream of. But think, Daniel—a person like you, with no ambition, lazy, and dependent on others—do you really think you'd survive long in that world? Sending you there would be granting your wish for a swift, complicated death."
Her words stung, but I understood her point. I'd often ignored the details, only caring about escaping my boring reality as a failure. It was ironic: while I dreamed of that adventurous world, someone in that very world despised their fate and wanted to escape, just like me.
She gave me a choice: flee my reality or change my mundane life. She lectured me about the things I'd never achieve if I kept wasting time on distractions. She was right—I had no right to complain or make excuses. I'd blamed everyone else—my parents, my teachers, the world—but it was me who locked myself in this life, chained by my own laziness.
Being an anime fan wasn't wrong, but I'd let it consume me. I'd drowned in anime and games, pretending I was happy alone. But now, I realized it wasn't the world or others who failed me—it was me. I was the reason for my regrets.
I loved anime. It was my "will to live," my savior. But it shouldn't be what drags me down. I felt ashamed. As an otaku, I'd failed to live by the lessons of my heroes like Naruto or Meteora. What would they say if they saw me now?
The woman stood and approached me. "What's your decision, Daniel? Will you leave, or will you change your current life?" she asked.
I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. I didn't know if I could refuse the chance to have my dreams fulfilled, but I felt I didn't deserve it. Billions of people longed for an opportunity like this, and many were far more worthy than me.
"I was so wrong," I whispered, regret heavy in my voice.
I smiled, staring at the red book in my hands. The regret faded as I made my decision. With a deep breath, I looked at the angel and slowly handed her the book.
"Thank you for the opportunity," I said, a genuine smile breaking through as I extended the book to her.