268 Reflection
“I… what… am I doing here….?” A voice echoed in the darkness.
It was that of a lone boy, shrouded in what could only be described as a pitch-black surrounding. It was completely void—nothing except for the young man who agonized on his existence could be noticed in this realm of nothingness.
Upon closer inspection o this young man’s being, he had no face. He was just a drifting soul, a form of energy within the vast steam of nonexistence.
“I…” His voice echoed in the dark even though he didn’t have any lips to even render words.
“I… remember…”
Suddenly, memory flashes of what transpired before finding himself in the void played in his mind.
The soil remembered his name—Daniel—and the life he had lived. Just as if he watched a movie, the lone existence witnessed his entire life play out in front of him.
It was not to be desired!
“I… was a bully…?”
The countless moments of torture he rendered upon weaker students manifested. The soul, having no proper sense of right or wrong reflected on these actions, conflicted on what stance to take. This was his life, after all.
The scenes gradually progressed, and he watched himself grow up. Daniel watched how Daniel bullied many students, but was particularly obsessed with a particular student called Jeremy Lewis.
Why? Why was his living self so determined to break the seemingly powerless boy that always seemed to cower in fear.
He couldn’t find the answer to that inquisition no matter how long he thought of it.
Still, Daniel watched how he treated the Jeremy brat. It was truly torture. There was no particular reason for his obsessive bullying of the weakling.
It just seemed fun.
Daniel watched how the world ended. How he appeared before a being who professed to be God and was granted powers beyond his understanding.
The young man watched as he was initially elated, glad to even possess more power in addition to his already-superior physique compared to his age mates.
Everything changed as soon as he returned to Earth, though.
Monsters crawled around every corner and he lost everyone he cared about. This sense of weakness, helplessness… vulnerability… made him emphatic and realize just how he had badly damaged others.
Daniel watched how the trauma reformed his mind and he became a crusader for justice. He completely changed his ways and performed righteous deeds. If the floating soul in the void had to pick between which of his personalities he liked better, the being already knew which one would be his first pick.
The new and improved version of the penitent bully grew strong in the strange world he now found himself in. He found his lover and saved others in need.
He was happy!
Regret lurked in his heart concerning those he had hurt in the past, but the chance to redeem himself appeared once he met Jeremy Lewis once again. Compared to him, Jeremy was weak—just as he had always been.
Even if it cost him everything, Daniel was resolute in ensuring Jeremy also transformed into a better version of himself.
They went for the Subjugation quest together, and while he was very much against the idea, he found this as an opportunity to bond with the big better and even trigger a transformation in him.
To be frank, Daniel was impressed with Jeremy’s bravery during the Quests, even when he stood up for him despite his poor leadership qualities. Daniel realized that the boy was truly changing for the better, and his heart was gladdened.
That is, until the ghastly incident occurred that cost the Camp members Jeremy’s life! It was so heart-wrenching that he thought he would die!
A masked man saved them, but Daniel—even from the other end of the screen as he watched—felt a strange sense of loss within him.
They completed the Subjugation thanks to the help of the Masked Hero, and Daniel began to even develop strong feelings of admiration toward their savior. If he could one day achieve the stranger’s strength, could he too help people the same way the masked hero had?
He asked himself this question as the got to the Camp. They defeated the invaders and settled in and Daniel decided he had no need for rest, especially since there was much work to be done.
Having the image of the very reliable masked hero in his head, Daniel did all he could in every area of the Camp. Whether reconstruction, guard duty, harvesting, etc. He worked until he was very tired.
Still, the boy was happy… he was being of help.
But, everything changed suddenly!
He opened his eyes and the world had been altered yet again!
Jeremy was now alive, and the whole Camp was under siege by the Horde that was meant to have been vanquished. This Jeremy, obviously not the one he knew, raped his lover in front of him as he died a miserable death.
His lover, even as she watched him die, never even attempted to rescue him as he did for her.
No, Melissa would never have done that!
Jeremy would never have acted that way!
There was no way the Camp he saved alongside the others would fall to the very group of monsters everyone risked their lives to defeat!
In his state of denial, Daniel reached one focal conclusion… he was in another world entirely!
Somehow, he had gotten transported into an alternate reality where the world got flipped over and he was now suffering for his sins.
Perhaps this was how it was meant to end… a price he had to pay for the evil he wrought while he was still alive.
“But… I paid that price already… didn’t I?” His thoughts rang aloud in the dark void.
Daniel had saved more people than those he had hurt in his lifetime.
He did his best to atone for his mistakes. He became a better, more decent, person! He certainly didn’t deserve that!
“This… this is unfair! I don’t… deserve this…”
As he dwelled on those thoughts, a bright golden light shone within the void and offered him illumination.
A voice came from the light that offered warmth and a feeling of pleasure.
~[Do you wish… to restore everything to how it was? Do you wish to return to your world?]~
Of course, he would! He didn’t belong in the new hellhole he found himself in, and neither was he content with drifting aimlessly in a void. He wanted his old life back!
A life of penitence, where he saved people like the Masked Hero!
~[Very well then… you shall be given a new life. But, before that can take place, you will need to do one thing… kill the nemesis of this aberration. By doing so, the error will be corrected. Do you wish to proceed?]~
If it meant he could return to how things were—a loving girlfriend, a loyal team, trustworthy allies, a warm community—then yes, he was willing to do anything!
“Yes!”
~[Very well. Your target is the Singularity known as Jeremy Lewis. Eliminate him… and you shall return!]~
Daniel knew fully well that the voice in the golden light could not mean the weak and fragile Jeremy that he knew back in his old world. The Jeremy Lewis it referred to was the disgustingly evil personality that took everything from him before he died.
~[Exterminate Jeremy Lewis. Correct the Error. Return To Your World. Deal?]~
Daniel wanted to accept, but he knew he was no match for the great evil’s powers.
~[You shall be given the power necessary to eliminate the Singularity. Deal?]~
With this guaranteed, there was no longer any issue. With a nonexistent smile playing on Daniel’s pure energy face, he nodded in delight.
“Yes. Deal!”
And so, the golden light enveloped him as he readied himself for battle. He was certainly going to succeed… and return home.
Everyone was waiting for him… he could not fail!