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Sebastian's breath caught as he looked down. His legs were there, solid beneath him. No tremor, no chair, no pain. He moved a foot and felt it press against something like marble, cool and real. His hands flexed without shaking.
For a long moment he forgot the light, the space, everything. He just stared at his own body, blinking fast.
Only then did he notice her.
She stood at the heart of the radiance, a figure of impossible beauty, not the shallow kind of magazine beauty, but something deeper, archetypal. Her hair moved as though caught in a wind he couldn't feel, her eyes held galaxies.
"You seem more fascinated by your own legs than by me," she said lightly, her voice pleasant to hear.
Sebastian's head jerked up. "What… what is going on?" His voice wavered in awe and confusion.
The woman's smile deepened. "Welcome, Sebastian. You stand in a place called the realm between realms." Her tone was regal and gentle, like someone explaining something to a child without condescension. "Your body has died. There is no returning to it. But you have not yet passed on to what waits beyond."
He swallowed hard, looking around again at the endless radiance, then back at her.
"You've had a tragic life," she continued softly, the faintest sadness passing over her face. "And yet, you never stopped hoping. Even when you were left alone, even when your body betrayed you. I admired that...your stubborn little spark."
Sebastian shifted his weight, staring down at the marble beneath his feet. He didn't know how to hold her gaze; it was too much. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For your words.. I guess."
A beat passed before he added, almost shyly, "So… am I going to heaven or something?"
The woman laughed a low, rich laugh that echoed off the white expanse. "That can be arranged."
He blinked at her. Something about the way she said it wasn't a joke.
Then her eyes glowed brighter. The radiance deepened, pooling around her hands.
"Or," she said, voice dropping to something more resonant, "I can make something else happen. Something you desire."
Sebastian stared at her, the light glinting in his wide eyes. He still wasn't sure if this was real, but for the first time in years, his heartbeat fast not because of weakness. This time it was beating because of excitement at the possibilities. His voice cracked slightly when he spoke, though he tried to steady it.
"…Is it truly... truly anything I desire?"
The goddess's smile deepened, her head tilting as though she enjoyed the gravity in his tone. "Anything. Speak your wish, and it will be fulfilled."
Sebastian stood in silence for a moment, letting it all sink in. Anything. For a heartbeat, he almost laughed, the boy who had once begged just to move his legs, now being told he could ask for anything in existence.
He drew in a breath, shoulders rising, and looked straight into her eyes. "I wish to live."
The goddess blinked, faintly surprised not by the choice but by the seriousness behind it.
Sebastian's voice steadied. "To experience a lifetime of adventure. To have a place I can call home. To fight for what matters to me. And…" He hesitated, his throat tightening slightly, before finishing softer. "…to love. Truly love, not in pages and stories, but with all the mess and beauty that comes with it."
The goddess regarded him in silence, her lips curling into the kind of smile that she doesn't usually show to anyone. "Are you certain about this choice?" she asked at last, her tone more solemn. "You could have asked for eternal rest... a heaven crafted just for you. You could have demanded far greater than what you speak of now."
Sebastian didn't even hesitate. His gaze held hers, steady and unwavering. "I'm certain. That's all I ever wanted. Just… to live. Really live."
Her smile softened into something almost maternal, though the power in her eyes never dimmed. "I knew," she said gently. "I knew what you would choose before you opened your mouth. I knew the shape of your heart." She closed her eyes then.
When they opened again, something appeared into being behind her. A vast wheel a roulette... spun silently in the radiant air, its surface marked by countless sigils and colors Sebastian couldn't begin to understand.
The goddess turned her head toward it, then back to him. "For this was foretold," she murmured. Then, with a playful gleam, she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as though sharing something forbidden. "And because you've stirred something in me... a fondness I rarely grant, I will tell you a secret."
Sebastian swallowed, his pulse quickening, though he kept his silence.
She raised one delicate hand and pointed directly at him. "Everything you endured… was part of this. You are not the only one. Others have stood here, granted the same choice. Some chose as you did, only to falter once the cost became clear. Others, when shown this wheel, begged for something easier before their path began. But there is no turning back."
Sebastian's eyes widened. "What?"
Her expression grew more solemn, "There is a catch. To return, to live again… it always comes at a cost. Under the laws that bind all things, once a being dies, returning is forbidden. This is an exception. You may go back to the mortal world, but…" She gestured to the roulette, its slow, graceful spin was a bit intimidating now after her words. "…it may not be your world. Chance decides."
The light of the wheel reflected in Sebastian's widened eyes. His chest rose and fell faster, uncertainty flickering across his face. For the first time since speaking his wish, he hesitated.
She watched him calmly, unblinking. "So I will ask once more," she said, her voice almost formal. "Do you truly wish to go back?"
Sebastian's hands curled at his sides. His gaze dropped to the floor, then back up, narrowing as if he were betting the entirety of his existence on the scales. His lips parted once, closed again, then he let out a long breath.
A smile touched his face, and he met her gaze. "I've never been sure about much in my life," he said, his tone calm and steady. "But this… this I've never been more certain about. It doesn't matter what world I end up in. As long as I can walk in it, I'll gladly accept it."
The goddess's eyes widened just slightly in genuine admiration. And then she gave him a smile that felt unrestrained, untouched by divinity. A human smile.
"Impressive," she whispered.
The roulette behind her began to glow brighter, its sigils burning like constellations as it spun. Slow at first, then faster, faster still, until the symbols blurred into a wheel of pure light. The hum of it filled the radiant space, vibrating in Sebastian's chest like a drumbeat.
He clenched his fists unconsciously, eyes locked on the wheel. His heart thudded harder with every turn. This was it, the choice made real, the new world on its way.
The wheel slowed. The radiance dimmed in beats, each flicker landing on a different mark until finally with a sharp, sound it stopped.
The goddess's gaze flicked toward the mark it landed on. For the first time, her smile faltered. A shadow passed over her perfect features, her lips curving into a frown.
"…The Continent," she said at last.
Sebastian blinked in surprise.
Her eyes lingered on the mark, almost as if reconsidering. Then she looked back at him. "A world of monsters, both beast and man. Of kings drunk on power, of greed and betrayal lurking in every corner. It is far from a pleasant place to start over."
Her words were a warning, as though she expected him to collapse under their weight, to recoil, to despair at the cruelty of chance.
But Sebastian didn't falter. His lips slowly curved, then broke into a wide grin, eyes shining in the goddess's light. His chest swelled, laughter bubbling up unbidden, full and disbelieving.
"Yes!" His voice cracked with raw joy. "Yes, that's perfect!"
The goddess's eyes widened, the radiant calm on her face breaking into genuine surprise. She tilted her head slightly, almost questioning whether she'd misheard.
Sebastian's grin only grew, his voice rushing out like he couldn't hold it in. "To live in a world that doesn't hand you anything, it's not that much different from where I was, besides the continent is an interesting place." He let out a breathless laugh, running a hand through his hair. "I'll gladly take it."
The goddess studied him for a long moment, the frown easing from her lips. Her gaze softened, though her astonishment lingered.
"You…" she said quietly, almost to herself.
Sebastian only smiled back at her, his eyes alight with a fire he'd never known in his old life.
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Shadow Monarch in Dc / Shadow Monarch in One Piece!
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access Up to 7 More Chapters if you want !