Chapter 3: The Divine Revelation
A suffocating darkness swallowed everything. It was endless, absolute. No sound, no sensation—only a crushing silence that wrapped itself around Kai like a cold void. Was this death? Had the world ended? He tried to move, to breathe, to think, but even thought seemed weighed down in this timeless abyss.
Then, slowly, a warmth stirred. A pulse. A spark.
Light bloomed.
It started as a gentle glow, then burst into brilliance. A blinding white light pierced the darkness, expanding until it consumed the void. Kai blinked, shielding his eyes from the overwhelming radiance. When he opened them, he was no longer alone.
Around him, hundreds—no, thousands—of others stood suspended in a vast, endless white space. It was like floating in a dream, the horizon stretching into infinity. The brightness was pure, not harsh, but comforting and strangely serene.
Students in casual clothes, teachers with puzzled expressions, even janitorial staff—everyone who had been present at the university now stood together in that place.
Some panicked.
"Where are we?!"
"What the hell happened?!"
"I was just in the lecture hall—"
"Am I... dead?"
Others dropped to their knees in fear, while a few scanned the area silently, taking in the impossible scene. Kai stood frozen, not far from his friend Riku, who had also appeared, his expression solemn and confused.
On the opposite side of the crowd, Zayne Carter stood calmly, observing, brows furrowed in quiet calculation. The two didn't see each other, separated by the sheer scale of the gathering.
Conversations began to erupt all over.
Student 1: "Dude, this isn't real. Is this a coma dream or something?"
Student 2: "No way. I felt something—something massive right before I blacked out."
Teacher 1: "This must be a dream... or some kind of shared hallucination. Right?"
Teacher 2 (muttering): "This energy... this light—it doesn't feel like any illusion I've known."
A sudden silence swept over them, not forced, but natural, like the hush before a storm—or the moment before revelation. Above them, a second light appeared—more brilliant than the surrounding whiteness.
A radiant sun.
But unlike the burning heat of their own star, this radiance brought no pain. Its light was soft yet powerful, enveloping them in warmth, in peace. It was as if every anxiety, every doubt, every fear was gently lifted from their souls.
Then, a voice.
It echoed from nowhere and everywhere, resonating deep within their hearts rather than through their ears. It was calm, wise, ancient, and impossibly kind.
"Children of the shattered space... be at peace."
The sphere of light pulsed gently.
"You are safe. For now."
Kai felt a shiver run down his spine. This was not a dream. This was something far beyond his understanding.
"I am what your kind might call a Supreme God—a guardian of balance in the multiverse. What brought you here is a tragedy born of divine arrogance and war. Two Higher Gods, in their greed for power, clashed in a battle that spanned the fabrics of creation. Their conflict reached into realms not meant to witness such force... and your university was caught in its wake."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"To be clear: only your university was destroyed. Your world—the one you called Earth—remains safe. However, the souls of all those present at that moment were severed from it. Your physical forms were obliterated by the divine clash. You cannot return, and your existence there has been completely erased—every record, every memory of you, removed. It was necessary. Without such intervention, chaos would unfold in your world."
Shock, grief, and awe settled on the listeners.
"But I chose to save you all. Approximately 2,000 students, teachers, and staff are gathered here. Though your bodies are gone, your souls are intact. You now face a choice."
The warm light pulsed again, shifting subtly as if preparing them for something greater.
"This is the multiverse—a vast array of worlds beyond your imagination. Some mirror your Earth. Others are realms of magic, cultivation, advanced science, or ancient eras. You have two options."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"One: Reincarnation. You may choose the category of world you wish to be reborn into—fantasy, cultivation, science fiction, or otherwise. Your soul will be reborn into a native body, with your memories intact. Your new family will reflect your karma, strength, and wisdom from your previous life. You may live as nobles, royals, or commoners, depending on what your soul has earned."
A moment of silence.
"Two: Transmigration. You will be dropped into your chosen world type at a random location. You will retain your memories and gain the ability to read and speak the local language. You will receive a system—one that provides you with basic status information and allows you to identify the things around you. You will also receive a single skill—suited to your soul. However, you will not receive this skill here. Only after transmigration, in the new world, will it manifest."
Murmurs began anew. The students, staff, and teachers turned to one another, questions flying.
Student 3: "Wait, wait... did he say we can pick a fantasy world?"
Student 4: "I'm definitely going cultivation. I've read enough to know that's the move."
Student 5: "No way! Fantasy's more flexible. Magic, guilds, kingdoms—so much adventure!"
Teacher 3: "This is absurd. But I suppose... this is happening, isn't it?"
Some debated furiously. Some wept. Some sat in quiet contemplation. Kai remained still, taking it all in, while Riku stood beside him, arms crossed, deep in thought.
Far across the space, Zayne Carter kept his gaze on the light. He said nothing, but his eyes burned with the quiet intensity of someone already making his decision.
One by one, souls began to glow faintly, then vanished like stars blinking out of the sky.
Some laughed as they disappeared, excited for their new journeys. Others vanished silently, eyes closed in acceptance. Some screamed. Others prayed.
The light dimmed slightly with each departure, as though releasing them with care.
Finally, only a few remained. Kai looked at Riku, who gave him a nod.
"I hope we meet again," he said.
Kai smiled faintly. "Me too."
Riku vanished.
Only Kai and Zayne remained. Neither knew the other was still there.
The Supreme God, still radiating warmth, watched silently as the final two souls made their choices. Though he had not influenced anyone's decision, he found it strange—fascinating, even—that two souls, so different yet bound by some hidden thread, would both make the same request.
"Fate moves in mysterious ways," the voice whispered, as both Kai Mercer and Zayne Carter vanished into the unknown.
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