The sound of sirens echoed all around me. People were shouting. There were flashing lights, and the loud noise of an ambulance racing down the road.
That was the last thing I heard before everything started to fade away.
My eyes slowly closed… and then, nothing.
Just darkness.
Quiet, cold, and empty darkness.
This day was supposed to be the best day of my life.
I had just gotten promoted at work. After working so hard for so long—staying up late, doing overtime, helping out even when no one asked—I had finally made it. I felt proud of myself. I even called my girlfriend to share the good news.
Then it all ended.
Just like that.
One second I was smiling… the next, everything was gone as I crossed the street.
Why me?
Why now?
Those questions kept spinning in my mind, like I was trapped inside a dream I couldn't escape. I couldn't feel my body anymore. I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't see anything.
Was this… what it felt like to be dead?
Then—BANG!
A loud sound crashed into my ears, like a judge slamming a gavel on a desk.
I gasped and opened my eyes.
I wasn't on the street anymore.
Now, I was standing in a strange and mysterious place—somewhere that didn't feel like Earth at all. I looked around slowly, trying to make sense of it all. I wasn't in a hospital… or anything close to Earth.
I was inside some kind of strange courtroom.
But this place didn't look like any courtroom I'd ever seen in real life or in the movies. The walls glowed softly, shifting between blue, gold, silver, and purple. The floor looked like glass, but it sparkled like stars in the night sky. Everything was huge and silent—too quiet.
Then I looked up.
High above me, sitting on a glowing throne, was a figure I couldn't fully see. Its body flickered between light and shadow.
Like a judge.
And then I noticed something else—
I wasn't alone.
Three other people were standing. I didn't recognize any of them. They looked just as confused and nervous as I was.
Before I could say anything, a powerful voice boomed through the room.
"You are all here to be judged. Your fate will be decided—whether you ascend to the Heavenly Realms, fall into the Abyss, or begin anew through Reincarnation."
"You mean... we're dead?" a voice asked—shaky and confused.
I turned my head.
It was a young woman, maybe around my age, with long blonde hair and wide, frightened eyes.
"No, no… this can't be real! I was just shopping a few minutes ago!" she cried. "Oh my gosh, I didn't even get the chance to try on my new clothes and designer bags!"
She looked around the glowing courtroom in disbelief, like she was hoping this was all just a dream she could wake up from.
I couldn't blame her.
I was just as shocked.
And now… here I am.
Being judged by a mysterious figure made of light and shadow, deciding whether I would go to the Heavenly Realms, fall into the Abyss, or start over through reincarnation.
It didn't feel real. And yet... it was.
I could see the same confusion and fear on everyone's faces.
And the figure hadn't even given us any answers yet.
"I am the Watcher of the Universe," the mysterious entity declared, its voice echoing like thunder across the vast chamber. "It is I who decides where the souls of the dead shall go."
"Once you enter the Court of Judgment, there is no turning back. Now… let your fate be decided—will you ascend to the Heavenly Realms, fall into the Abyss, or be granted a second chance at life?"
The strange being—lifted its hand, and suddenly, a large book appeared in front of it.
It wasn't just any book. This one glowed with a soft golden light. Ancient symbols shimmered on the cover, and as it opened, pages began to flip on their own.
It looked like it was searching for something… maybe our names, our stories, or the truth of our lives.
Nobody spoke.
We were too scared.
Too confused.
The other three people looked just as lost as I felt. The blonde young woman standing with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes darting left and right. Another young woman paced nervously, muttering something to herself. The fourth person, a guy wearing glasses and a business suit similar to mine, with neatly combed brown hair, stand perfectly still, staring up at the Judge with a blank expression.
Minutes passed.
We were all just waiting—for something important, something that would change everything.
"You all died in the same car accident," the Watcher of the Universe finally spoke, its voice calm but powerful. "Some people in the crash were injured and survived… but the four of you did not make it."
Those words hit me like a storm. Even though I had started to believe it, hearing the truth out loud made it all feel real.
"Because your deaths were sudden and unfair, I am offering you all a second chance—through reincarnation." the Watcher said.
"No! No, no, no!" the blonde young woman cried out again, her voice shaking with frustration.
She stepped forward.
"I don't want to be reincarnated! My life in that universe was perfect! I lived in a mansion, I had everything I ever wanted. I had a rich family who gave me anything I asked for. Why would I want to start over from nothing?"
She looked up at the Watcher, almost like she was begging it to change its mind.
A moment later, the guy with glasses spoke too. He stood up straight, adjusting his tie nervously before clearing his throat.
"Excuse me… sir? Or whatever you are. I agree with her," he said, nodding toward the blonde girl. "My life was going great too. I had a high-paying job. I had goals, plans… people I cared about. I don't want to throw all of that away."
I didn't say anything, but deep down… I agreed with them.
I had worked so hard to get to where I was. My career was just taking off. I had dreams I was finally starting to reach. I had a family and a girlfriend who supported me through everything. Everything was finally falling into place.
And now, just like that… it was all gone?
Were we supposed to accept that and start over?
I didn't know what to think anymore. My head was full of emotions—shock, sadness, anger, confusion.
What was going to happen to us now?
"Alright then," the Watcher of the Universe said. "Since all of you have chosen not to be reincarnated and instead wish for resurrection..."
He looked at each of us carefully.
We all nodded in agreement, our faces serious. No one spoke, but the answer was clear in our eyes—we didn't want new lives. We wanted our old ones back.
The Watcher slowly closed the glowing book in front of him, its golden light fading gently.
"Very well, I will grant you resurrection." he said at last. "But on one condition—you must earn your request by surviving four quests that I will assign."
We all looked at one another, confused and slightly nervous.
What did he mean by four quests?
Suddenly, a giant circle of floating holograms appeared in the air around us. There were ten glowing images in total, each one like a moving window into another world.
They spun slowly in place, showing scenes that felt both amazing and terrifying.
Some of the images showed a city crawling with zombies, with people running for their lives. Another showed a dark planet full of strange aliens and battleships in the sky. One looked like a fantasy world, where armored adventurers fought giant monsters with swords and magic. Another showed haunted ruins, with shadowy creatures creeping in the dark.
Each world was different, and each one looked dangerous.
"You will choose four worlds from these," the Watcher explained. "All of you will enter these worlds and be given one mission or a quest—an important task that must be completed before you can leave."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in our minds.
"If you succeed in all four worlds, your wish will be granted. You will return to your old life. You will be resurrected."
A chill ran down my spine.
"But..." the Watcher added, his voice dropping to a low rumble, "if even one of you fails your quest or mission in any world… then your chance at resurrection will be lost forever."
This wasn't going to be easy. But we had no other choice.
"Let's make this a System-type challenge, shall we?" the Watcher of the Universe said. "From what I've observed, it seems to be quite popular in your world—especially in your games and stories."
The huge screen from earlier, once filled with animated scenes, now displayed bold letters—each one marking a different world category, just like a game's mission selection screen:
[ Alien Invasion ]
[ Fantasy Adventure ]
[ Murder Mystery ]
[ Beast Taming Land ]
[ Zombie Apocalypse ]
[ Haunted Ruins ]
[ Insect Empire ]
[ Stone Age Era ]
[ Game Survival Zone ]
[ Pirate Quest ]
We stared at the glowing names, wide-eyed. Each world sounded like something straight out of a video game or anime—wild, exciting, and maybe even dangerous.
"Now, you may all take a moment to brainstorm and decide which world you wish to enter first," the Watcher continued.
"Choose carefully. Each of these worlds comes with its own challenges. There will be missions, obstacles, and difficult decisions to make. And some of those choices won't be easy."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"Remember—these quests will test your courage, your teamwork, and your will to survive."
We gathered in a small circle, standing under the glowing holograms floating above us.
"I know we don't really know each other that well yet," I began, trying to keep my voice steady, "but I've watched a lot of anime and played tons of video games. If I had to choose… I think we should go with Zombie Apocalypse first."
The others looked at me, thinking it over.
"I agree with you," said the guy with glasses, adjusting his frames confidently. "I play survival games too. If we work together, the zombie world might actually be the easiest one to start with."
But not everyone looked convinced.
"Zombie Apocalypse is out," said the blonde young woman, shaking her head firmly. "I am not getting eaten on the first quest. No way."
The black-haired young woman next to her nodded quickly. "Yeah, same here," she said. "I don't care how many games you've played—zombies are creepy and dangerous. I'd rather try something with fewer… you know, flesh-eating monsters."
We all went quiet for a moment, thinking.
Maybe this decision wouldn't be so easy after all.
"We promise to take care of both of you," the guy with glasses said reassuringly.
The two exchanged a glance.
"Fine," the blonde one finally said, flipping her hair as she turned around. "But none of you better complain about me, okay?"
"We choose the Zombie Apocalypse world first!" I said loudly, so the Watcher could hear.
"Very well," he said. "Now, please tap the screen floating in front of you to confirm your choice."
A floating screen appeared right in front of each of us. It felt just like being inside a video game.
[ World Selection Confirmed ]
Selected World: Zombie Apocalypse
Are you sure you want to enter this world first?
[ YES ] [ NO ]
We glanced at each other one last time, eyes filled with both fear.
We nodded together.
Then, without hesitation, we each reached out…
And tapped YES on the glowing screen at the same time.
In that moment, our journey had officially begun.
[ Generating World... ]
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[ World Generation Complete ]