The world exploded.
Heat. Blinding, searing heat that turned everything white. The windshield shattered inward. Fire engulfed the interior. Pain erupted across every inch of his skin—burning, tearing, consuming.
He tried to scream but his lungs filled with smoke.
The last thing he saw was Death Fury's silhouette walking away through the flames.
Then—darkness.
And the bitter, crushing knowledge that he hadn't died because he couldn't drive.
He'd died because he was too broken to even try.
The darkness was absolute.
No light. No sound. No sensation.
Just... nothing.
Is this death?
The thought drifted through the void like a leaf on still water.
Is this all there is?
Time didn't exist here. He could have been floating for seconds or centuries. There was no way to tell.
And then—warmth.
It started small, like a candle flame in the distance. But it grew. Spread. Filled the emptiness with something that felt almost like... comfort.
Then—a voice.
Warm. Ancient. Impossible.
"Hello, Yali Lakish."
The words didn't come through ears. They vibrated through something deeper. Through whatever was left of him in this void.
"Or should I call you Racer01?"
His mind lurched. That name. That username. The one he'd buried along with his dreams.
"You have found favor in my sight."
Favor? From who? From what?
"I am the God of Speed. And I have decided to grant you a second chance."
A second chance.
The words should have brought relief. Hope. Something. But all Yali felt was a cold knot tightening in his chest.
"Embrace your new fate. I think I can use someone with your talent."
Talent? What talent? The talent to fail? To freeze behind the wheel? To die because I couldn't do the one thing I'd loved most?
"Finish first in the Elite Professional Championship. First in the underground world. Unlock unlimited potential across the multiverse."
The voice paused. Yali could feel it smiling.
"Good luck."
Then—silence.
"Wait!"
His own voice—or thought, or whatever this was—echoed into nothing.