NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Life, Death, and Rebirth. The big three that spin the wheel of fate for everyone in the universe. It's the same routine- over and over. Humans, they're just passengers on a short ride, clocking in around 90 to 100 years, give or take. But me? I've had the VIP ticket. Seven lives, and for six of them, I've carried the memories of each one like a scrapbook nobody asked for.
Once, I was a criminal, running the streets like they owed me something. Then I flipped the script by dying and in my next life story I became a businessman, making deals instead of breaking bones but oh to be rich, I died after my family poisoned me. After that, a doctor, saving lives to balance the karma- or so I thought. Then, I turned out as a thief in my new chapter. A gangster in one life and still got betrayed to death, and finally, I didn't even make it out of the womb. Talk about a bad roll of the dice.
But no matter the life, one thing never changed: the world. Born on Earth every time. Different eras, different faces, same corruption- politics, royalty, humanity's darkness. It's all baked into the system.
And now, here I am. The Gate of Judgment. Yeah, it's as ominous as it sounds. Picture it: a line of souls waiting to find out where they're headed next- Heaven or Hell. The final verdict.
Ahead of me, chaos everywhere.
"Argh! No! I'm a prince! I deserve Heaven!" One guy yells, practically foaming at the mouth.
"Me too! I'm his wife! A royal!" shrieks a woman right behind him.
A little devil with an attitude flicks a clipboard in her hand and smirks. "Yeah, no. You both have 79% bad deeds. Take the express to Hell, stop creating dramas" She kicks them into an elevator that opens to fire and screams. Classic, ain't it?
Meanwhile, a guy and his girl get ushered into the Heaven elevator, arms wrapped around each other like a fairytale ending.
"Life's fair after death, huh?" I mutter, my hands in my pockets as I step closer to the Gate.
"Next," an angel calls out.
I stroll in like it's my neighborhood courtroom. Nothing fancy- wooden panels, long benches, and a giant glowing scale behind the judge's podium. Bars separate me from the angel jury. Just another Tuesday.
"Show his deeds meter," a booming voice commands.
A machine on the wall beeps, clinks, then sputters.
[Error! Error!! Error!!]
The room shakes as the good and bad counters spiral to a perfect 50-50.
"What the…?" the angels murmur, their golden faces twisted in confusion.
[Can't make a judgment-!!]
The machine announces before sparking like it's about to blow.
A figure steps from the shadows, calm and commanding. Veiled in white, only their mouth visible, they grin.
"Well, well," they say. "50-50? That's a new one. Mortal, what've you been up to?"
I lean back in the chair, one ankle on my knee. "You tell me, boss. You must be The God huh"
"You're… unusually relaxed," God chuckles, taking a seat on a golden throne.
"What can I say? Stress gives you wrinkles. So? Am I going to Hell or Heaven"
God smiles as he sat down on the throne on the right, "You are a good guy but... You are bad too... How about going to Hell-"
Suddenly another figure stomps out from the darkness. Long black veil, blood-red horns, and an air of irritation.
"And that's gotta be the Devil," I say, giving him a casual nod.
"You think this is funny?" the Devil growls, glaring at me like I owe him money. "You're not coming to Hell. Not a chance! Have you ever read his chat history?! God, you take him!"
"Why are you snooping around my chat history-" I asked as the Devil glared at me. I just laughed at raised my hands as if I gave up in a sarcastic way.
"The problem is, he can't stay in Heaven either," God says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
The Devil points a clawed finger at me. "That! Mortal isn't my problem either!! Who created this guy? Look at him- he's too carefree! Hey, stop picking your nose!"
I shrug. "Force of habit."
The Devil groans and rubs his temples. God laughs softly.
"How about I take over both Heaven and Hell?" I suggest, smirking.
"No!" they both shout in unison, loud enough to shake the room.
(Damn, I'm that unlikeable?)
I thought to myself before groaning out.
"It's not that," God says, reading my mind.
"Hey! Stop snooping in my head-!"
They sigh and whisper back and forth for what feels like forever. Finally, God turns to me.
.
.
.
"After much discussion, we've reached a decision," he says, his voice steady.
"We're sending you to another universe," the Devil cuts in, arms crossed.
"A new world, far from Earth," God adds. "Magic and science coexist there..."
I raise an eyebrow. "Sounds fancy. What's the catch?"
"If your deeds meter stays 50-50 after this life…" God pauses.
The Devil smirks. "Your soul gets wiped. Completely destroyed... Oh and of course we will give you a certain amount of wishes to be used for that life~"
I whistle. "High stakes. How many wishes do I get?"
" ***** " they say in unison.
"Alright, let's roll the dice," I say, standing up. "Let's see what this new world's got for me"
God waves a hand, and the floor opens beneath me.
"Good luck, mortal," The God says with a smile.
"Don't screw it up," the Devil growls.
Before I can reply, I'm falling. A boat materializes beneath me, drifting on a glowing river. The Boat of Rebirth.
"Here we go again," I mutter, arms folded, as the current pulls me toward my next life.
_To Be Continue_