From the second grade to the seventh, there was a girl, observing him, but not too much. Apparently though, for both not enough. Because for some reason he was always able to feel her gaze. Yet, he pretended to be oblivious of her and only looked at her, when she was not looking at him. Unbeknownst to him though, she did the same.

Despite being younger she was tall, even taller than him. She had long blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes that seemed to emit a silver hue resembling the soothing light of the moon.

This went on for years, both clearly felt a kind of love for each other. This was something known throughout the worlds as unconditional love of soulmates. It would grow slowly, guarded by time, waiting to bloom at its brightest moment. Yet fate...

Overall those years - apart from one instance - they had yet even so much as to exchange a word with each other. Then at the end of the seventh grade, tragedy befell that girl. A fierce mix of pain, rage and utter helplessness overcame him. If it wasn't for the powerless situation he found himself in, then the mouthful of blood he threw up brought his body functions into disarray.

Because he was unable to protect his love, he felt too ashamed to face her. Yet he also could not avoid looking after her. When he eventually did, his face sank, his heart pumped wildly and his blood rushed through his body like fire.

Her impeccable face, beaten black and blue. Her beautiful hair...cut and colored like she was a doll, and most excruciating to him, her eyes. The light that once shone like that of the moon, was almost gone.

Leaving behind only a faint glimmer.

When he saw this, it was like someone had stuck a knife in his heart and turned it. Blood gushed out of his mouth once more. At this moment, his body simply broke down, and he fainted where he stood.

As he awoke from this nightmare a day later, he got news that the girl had actually committed suicide.

From that day on, the boy changed. His once bright aura became darker. His interaction with his surroundings, tyrannical to say the least. For the rest of his school life, he was nothing more than a vicious beast and after that, not more than thrash to society.

Thus began the fall of a supposed king.

He never again felt loved nor did he ever again love in return. What kept him alive all this time, was his parents and vast amounts of hatred burning him inside out. Eventually, his last two anchors also perished. Which only left him with the bitter taste of regret that slowly ate away at his soul.

Even now, as he was close to reaching his twenty-ninth year on this world. More than ten years after he became a ghost. The people of his past, would still uphold a tainted reputation of a troubled teen on a grown man. Unbeknownst to the irony, that unlike his, the families of those he tormented were tainted by sin.

By now he had completed his personal mission and was done with this world. To him, there was nothing but cold, dark, emptiness. So he decided to join her once again in death.

Or so he thought.

~~~

As he awoke from his slumber, he sat on an invisible floor. Yet he was too confused to realized that for now. He was unsure whether he was still alive or dead as he intended to.

Then, shock was written all over his face. As he looked around, he realized he wasn't sure where he was. On the surface, it was a vast space without walls or ceiling, apparently limitless. Covered in the darkness of night and enlightened by a variety of colors emanated by the stars.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was not alone. After recollecting his thoughts for a while, he realized that he was indeed not. All around him were ethereal figures resembling humans among other things. Wandering around aimlessly.

Suddenly, a chuckle came from behind him which was followed by a voice bordering between a teasing and mocking tone. "28 years huh? Longer than usual...".

The recently departed man instinctively turned around and jumped back into a defensive stance.

As he looked at the figure standing at most three meters away from him, he saw a human. Different from the others, he was not ethereal nor translucent. It looked like he had a complete living body.

Seeing the reaction and the way this dead mortal was sizing him up made the figure laugh heartily.

"There is nothing to fear in death little one." He said.

"Wh-Who are you and where am I?" He asked with doubt in his eyes.

"This is the underworld and I'm the lord of this realm. A dedicated servant of the creator."

"Creator?" The supposed king asked.

The servant simply ignored his question and kept on talking. "For now, we are the same, in a sense that is. I serve the first of the three, he is considered as the creator. Humans gave him many names across the myriad worlds and the passing of eons. In your world and your time, the most accurate name now would be Men. Although you don't seem to realize the meaning behind your own words. You truly are his children!" He explained with a solemn look that would have left onlookers in awe.

"So you are the servant of God?" He asked.

"Yes and no. Strictly speaking, I am also a god, yet, I will forever serve my maker."

He said with the hint of a smile dancing on the corner of his lips.

"You carry the egg of our light, but since you were on Earth no light could reach you to fill up your vessel, thus your soul is a blank sheet. Luckily this is precisely why you can be reborn. In your new life, you will fulfill your fate and become who you were supposed to be!"

The Lord of the underworld said as he looked at him, but not truly, with some kind of hope in his eyes.

"W-What!!" The man was overwhelmed and completely befuddled. Yet also sneered as he thought: "Blank sheet? This tainted old thing?! Haha!"

The Lord of the underworld rolled his eyes, but continued talking, "In your new life, you shall rise like the morning sun and become complete."

This time the man sneered out loud and lifted his middle finger. "Screw you and your new life! I'm not interested in it. All I seek is to recollect what I lost in life!"

The servant did not seem to have anticipated that reaction but his face remained calm. He even showed some signs of understanding in his eyes.

"Don't fret, there is no need to struggle. We all seek to recollect something of the past, this life of yours though, is insignificant. I have prepared a world and a fetus for you to be reincarnated in. There might be leftover conscious of you within the first few hours after being reborn but then you will fade and become someone else. Upon turning sixteen this person will inherit the most useful of memories of his predecessors. And more as time goes by."

He immediately burst into a rage.

"What did you say? Are you fucking serious you piece of shit? Don't even..."

"Anyway, enough of this - for now - it is time for your soul to be on its way. Follow the light..." The servant said as the soul of the man was pulled away by a force unseen.

"NO!...fuck off...never...remember...one day I will make you pay!" He screamed out of his lungs creating some sort of ripple in space, changing his trajectory ever so slightly as he was pulled further away into the endless. Not even able to see the man that stood right in front of him one second ago.

As out of nowhere, seemingly all-encompassing, the Lord's voice arose.

"For Balance and...hm?"

~~~