NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Lying on my deathbed, a profound sense of peace enveloped me, like the gentle embrace of a long-lost friend. Yet beneath this tranquility, a small knot of regret tightened in my chest.
"I wish for just a few more minutes with my family, to savor their presence and reassure them one last time."
"I wish I could relive my childhood."
"I wish I could make up for all my mistakes in life."
"I wish the pain and suffering ravaging my body would disappear."
"I know it's a lot to wish for, but hey, a guy can dream, right?"
Memories flooded my mind—the laughter of my grandchildren, the warmth of family dinners. I could almost feel the soft kiss of my granddaughter's curls against my cheek, smell the comforting aroma of my sister's homemade pie.
Throughout my life, I've accomplished everything one could hope for. I built a career as a doctor, dedicating myself to healing others, to making a difference in the world. My professional achievements brought me pride, but it was my family that defined my happiness.
Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about such things. After all, an old man like me has to die one day or another. I accepted that reality long ago. Still, facing death, I can't help but marvel at the pull of these final emotions.
What comes after this, I wonder?
My breathing slowed. My thoughts drifted, as if a gentle wind had caught them. I felt so sleepy.
"Ah… is this the end?" With that final thought, I slowly closed my eyes.
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### In the Reincarnation Space
"Are you sure this is okay?" Samuel, a man clothed entirely in white with radiant wings, asked, his gaze steady yet weary as he looked down at the small devilish imp beside him.
The imp sneered up at him. "Why, are you afraid now? All you angels are hypocrites, always thinking of yourselves as superior and others as inferior."
Samuel didn't flinch. His gaze grew distant, a flicker of something almost like regret clouding his golden eyes. "Heaven's ruled long enough," he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself. "Angels have killed enough devils. It's time for a new god... and a new heaven."
The imp's sneer faltered, his eyes widening slightly in surprise before he covered it with his usual smug grin. "Now, don't tell me you're getting cold feet," he mocked.
Ignoring the imp's goading, Samuel lifted three fingers toward the heavens above, his expression unreadable but resolute. "I, Samuel the First of Light, will allow you to commit a taboo that should never be committed."
As Samuel spoke, a golden glow emerged from his chest, drifting toward the imp, who reached out and caught it with greedy hands.
"Heh… heh… heh…" The imp's face twisted into a wide grin as he laughed in manic glee. "Don't forget the agreement," Samuel warned coldly.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," the imp sneered, a smug expression playing on his face. "You angels are always so uptight."
Samuel watched him, his gaze hard as stone, showing no reaction to the imp's provocations.
The imp paused, turning to face Samuel. "I don't know which soul caught your attention enough to make you betray your precious god. But that soul's truly unlucky." The imp smirked, almost pitying. "This stone's power comes at a heavy price, Samuel. And it can only be used once. Don't come crying to me for a refund."
With a careless wave of his clawed hand, the imp tossed a small, dark stone into Samuel's hands. Samuel caught it, feeling the weight of its power radiating like a void. He knew full well the cost of using it.
As the imp vanished with a wicked grin, Samuel's gaze turned cold and calculating. His usual gentle demeanor, the softness of an angel, was replaced by something inhuman—a relentless focus devoid of any warmth.
"Now, who will be my bait for a new world?"
With those words, Samuel cast his gaze down to Earth. Countless scenes flashed before him, life after life, until he stopped, his eyes settling on a soul that had just slipped from its mortal body—a man's soul, floating in a state of peaceful animation. The soul radiated resilience, a fierce will hard-won from a difficult life.
"You'll do," Samuel muttered, holding the mysterious stone firmly in his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the stone hurtling through space, faster than the speed of light. Time itself seemed to warp and ripple, reversing around the stone as it shot across billions of light-years in an instant, arriving at Earth.
There, the stone struck the suspended soul, engulfing it like a black hole and drawing it out of reality entirely. In an instant, the soul vanished from the world it once knew.
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### Back in the Reincarnation Space
Samuel's body trembled as he staggered, blood the color of liquid gold spilling from his lips. But he paid no mind to his injuries, his focus locked solely on the soul he had just expelled from existence.
Suddenly, a deep rumble reverberated through the entire reincarnation space, as if something colossal was trying to break through an unseen barrier. An enraged voice echoed across the universe.
"Samuel! What have you done?"
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And so, a single soul was set upon a path that would forever alter the order of heaven, hell, and everything in between.
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Thank you so much for reading this first chapter of My Path to Immortality. Your presence and support mean everything to me as I share this story with you. Writing this novel has been a journey of passion, imagination, and reflection, and I'm truly grateful to have you here as part of it. Each of you, with your time and encouragement, inspires me to keep writing and creating. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have enjoyed crafting it. Here's to new worlds, new adventures, and endless possibilities. Thank you once again, dear readers!
once, Again thank you!