An endless abyss, stretching beyond comprehension. It was silent—eerily so. No weight, no body, just thoughts drifting endlessly like whispers in the void.
Was this what death felt like?
He couldn't feel pain anymore. The suffocating stress, the constant exhaustion, the unbearable pressure—it was all gone.
Yet, his thoughts remained.
"…So, this is it, huh?"
A bitter chuckle echoed within his mind. He had always known this day would come.
He had done everything right, hadn't he? He was a good son, a good student—never caused trouble, always studied hard, always prepared for the future that everyone else had decided for him.
"Your future is bright!"
"You must work hard to achieve great things!"
"You carry the honor of this family!"
The voices of his parents, teachers, and relatives repeated like an endless mantra.
Expectations.
Responsibilities.
A life that was never truly his.
He had no time for friendships, no time for love, no time to enjoy life. Even when he wanted to escape into anime or manhua, there was always that gnawing feeling—guilt.
"What a joke. I never even had a chance to just... be happy."
And yet, even after all that struggle—he still died.
Not in some grand event. No tragic accident, no heroic sacrifice. Just exhaustion. Overworked, overstressed, and then... nothing.
If there was such a thing as karma, then maybe—just maybe—this was his chance.
He had always believed in rebirth. Even if no one could prove it, he wanted to believe that somewhere, somehow, there was another life waiting for him. A life where he could be free.
Not bound by responsibility.
Not shackled by society's expectations.
Not living for others.
A life where he could be himself, do whatever he wanted, chase whatever dream he desired.
"...If there's an afterlife, I won't waste it this time."
No more regrets. No more chains.
And as that thought settled in his mind, the void around him began to crack—blinding light consuming his consciousness.
A new beginning was about to unfold.