"You stupid girl...why?" Everything faded to black
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The first thing he heard and felt when he woke up was the incessant chirping of birds and the softness of the grass beneath him. The sound lingered in the air, steady and alive, while the earth below his back felt cool and tender. He opened his eyes with a low groan, his abdomen aching sharply as though the memory of pain had followed him beyond death. For a moment he remained still, breathing through it, then he forced himself upright because lying there would not answer anything.
"Where am I?" he muttered as he pushed himself to his feet. His joints twitched and cracked from stiffness, and he rolled his shoulders to loosen them. When he finally looked around, his breath caught. Everything was different. Everything was beautiful. It stood in stark contrast to the world he had known. There were no broken structures, no smoke, no tension in the wind. Only color and stillness. He had seen a place like this only in history books, in faded pages that spoke of a world untouched by ruin. The sky above him shone too brightly, yet there was no sun anywhere in sight. Something drifted down from above, slow and gentle. For a second he thought it was snow. He stretched out his hand and caught one. It was a white petal from a flower he did not recognize. He stared at it as it rested against his palm. "It has been long since I saw these," he said weakly. Then understanding settled heavily within him. He was not in his world anymore. After all, he remembered his death perfectly.
A sharp metallic clang rang out behind him, and he turned at once toward the sound. A woman stood several paces away. She was tall and blonde, her frame slender yet upright with quiet authority. Though she appeared almost delicate at first glance, something about the way she held herself made the air feel guarded. His eyes examined her in one swift movement. She wore a kimono that shifted lightly with the breeze, and in her hand she held a sword with casual familiarity.
"Who are you?" he asked audibly. She did not answer. Instead she watched him. When he moved an inch closer, she swung her sword. The strike came faster than anything he had ever encountered, faster than bullets, faster than blades he had trained against while alive. The speed shocked him, yet instinct carried him through. He twisted his body sideways and felt the strong wind of the blade pass dangerously close to his chest. He leaped backward at once, creating distance between them as his feet slid through the soft grass.
She looked at him and smiled. from where he stood, he could see the sharp glint of her blue eyes. Then she vanished. He blinked once and she was gone. The petals continued falling around him, the ground remained soft beneath his feet, and the garden still radiated calm beauty despite the danger rising within it. Suddenly a crushing pressure surged behind him. She was there again. He sensed the blade descending toward his back before he fully saw it. Could he dodge? There was no time. He raised his hands and caught the blade between his palms at the last possible second. The metal trembled violently in his grip and cut into his skin, yet he held it. She looked at him with a blank expression and then, without warning, drove her fist into his abdomen. The impact forced the air from his lungs. He coughed out blood as his body lifted from the ground and flipped backward. When he landed, the blade was still in his hands.
"You are tough," she said at last, her voice soft and distinctly feminine. For a brief moment he saw more than a fighter before him. He saw a woman. However, his anxiety crushed any fleeting admiration.
"Why do you want to kill me?" he asked, confusion mixing with urgency. A faint flicker crossed her face and disappeared.
"I do not," she replied calmly. He scoffed, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I do not believe that." She shook her head and stepped closer.
"If I had wanted you dead, you would not have been able to stop me. Even with all your strength, that blade would have cut through your hands and through you." He stared at her, both terrified and amazed. Women like her had not existed where he came from. Still, he now understood that his survival had depended entirely on his speed.
"So, big question," he said carefully, still gripping her sword,
"where are we?" She smiled faintly, though he did not know why.
"This is the Afterlife," she said as she extended her hand. The sword shifted within his grasp as if drawn by an invisible pull. He released it, and it flew back into her hand immediately. He tensed, preparing for another strike, yet she simply returned it to the sheath at her waist.
"The Afterlife?" he repeated.
"Yes. We are both dead, are we not?" she answered. He nodded slowly, and his thoughts turned inward. He remembered what had killed him. The woman he loved had sold him out. He had been unguarded. The gunshot had come without warning. Even now he could picture her expression and feel the sting of betrayal.
"So this is paradise?" he asked quietly. She glanced around the vast expanse of flowers and green slopes.
"It seems like it." He followed her gaze. The flowers were perfectly formed and richly colored. The hills rose gently from the earth, and the sky above remained crystal clear. It felt untouched and complete. He looked back at her and wondered what had killed her, yet he restrained himself from asking.
"My name is Ash," he said firmly. She chuckled softly.
"You may call me Kimiko." She studied his appearance.
"Where is that outfit from?" He looked down at his white top, sweatpants, and bare feet. He wore exactly what he had on when he died. "Clothes. Do you not know them?" he asked lightly. She gave him a puzzled look and shrugged.
"I do...but that outfit ...Not where I am from," she replied. He chose not to pursue it further.
Suddenly A loud cackling sound erupted in the distance, and both of them stood alert. A low vibration spread through the atmosphere, pressing against their skin. They looked around cautiously. Then a tearing sound cut through the air above them. When they looked up, they saw a straight line forming across the sky, as if reality itself were being split open. The air shimmered violently around it. Something was stepping out. Ash considered whether they should attempt to stop it, yet when he saw Kimiko staring upward with something close to anticipation, he decided to remain beside her. They were both strong. Whatever emerged, they would face it.
Before the tear widened fully, a voice spoke behind them.
"There is no need to look so tense." They froze. Neither of them had sensed anyone approaching. Slowly they turned. A woman with long red hair stood behind them, her presence calm yet overwhelming. Her hair fell freely down her back, vivid and striking. She was tall, even taller than Kimiko, and her posture carried unmistakable authority. Her features were refined and sharp, and her gaze was steady with quiet power. From Ash's perspective she was terrifyingly beautiful. From Kimiko's perspective she was a threat of the highest order. One look made it clear that she belonged to royalty or something greater. The fact that neither of them had sensed her arrival unsettled them deeply. "I am not here for a fight," she said evenly.
The sky finally tore open completely. What descended from it was an a being. It hovered above them with immense presence, its body radiant and overwhelming. Multiple wings unfurled from its back in layered formation, and within each wing were countless eyes that blinked and shifted independently. Those eyes observed everything at once. Its face shone with unbearable brilliance, neither fully masculine nor feminine, and its voice carried through the air with commanding clarity.
"Welcome to the Garden of Eden," it declared. The sound reverberated through the fields and across the hills.
"You who have died have been granted form once more. Amongst others Within this garden you shall compete, conquer, and assert dominion. Only those who endure and rise above the others shall remain."
The red haired woman stepped slightly forward.
"And what was the primary objective of bringing us here?" she asked calmly. The Angel's many eyes turned toward her. "Conquest and anybody who survives would have a chance at reincarnation.... getting to the water of life high above in the mountains" it replied. She smiled faintly.
"In hindsight, it seems the Creator desired entertainment." The Angel did not respond to her remark. Instead it began to withdraw toward the closing tear in the sky.
"Have fun," it said simply. Then the sky sealed shut, and the vibration faded. The petals continued to fall around them, and the garden remained as beautiful as before.