End of Everything (Intro) - Chapter 3

I'm alone—

In nothing but a world of white—

I can't tell where I came from—

I can't tell where I am—

I can't tell where this world ends—

What should I do?

What can I do?

What even is this place?

Ah, I've finally remembered. I was assassinated. Perhaps it's better to say I've been killed. Assassinated sounds way too cool for what happened to me.

So, is this heaven?

I thought heaven would occupy angels, but I'm alone here.

So, is this hell?

Most people picture hell as some fiery place where your soul is tortured for all of eternity. Like the Nether.

But that's not what hell is like. Not exactly. Hell isn't a place filled with flames. It's a place disconnected from God for all of eternity. So in a sense, hell is a place where your soul is tortured for all of eternity.

 But, this doesn't feel like torture.

This feels nice. This feels comforting like this is where I belong.

I don't ever recall having a place like this. A place that I can call home.

As nonchalant and mysterious as I come across (please keep reading), I haven't always been a complete loner.

I've had a friend before.

Her name was… What was her name again?

I'm beginning to forget quite a bit after spending some time here. How long has it even been? How much time has passed? Hmm, I can't remember certain things now, but I have a vague memory of me and my ex-friend.

We were at the observatory at night. We lay on the ground as the stars in the sky served as a baby's mobile to us. Could we recognize any of the constellations? I can't even remember what words were exchanged between us.

What I do remember, however, is the feeling of comfort I felt just by knowing that she was there right next to me.

For that particular moment, we were together. 

I remember hearing something like if an alien 65 million light years away sees Earth through a powerful telescope, they can see "dinosaurs".

I somewhat understand what this means, but it's hard for me to explain.

Are the stars that she and I looked upon that night light from a star as they were thousands of years ago?

Are there any stars gazing upon her and me at that moment right now? No, before I was assa––I mean killed.

Did that day even occur?

Did that moment even happen?

Have I ever even existed?

What if all this time I was here, in this white room, or perhaps I should say world? White World. Have I been in this White World all this time and merely dreamt that my life happened?

Would it be best if this was the truth? That means all of my feelings of loneliness never occurred. All of my pain and sadness never happened.

But also, those brief moments of happiness would never have occurred.

 My time with my old ex-friend.

The single conversation I shared with Olympia and even Kagami.

And the future interactions I could have had with other people.

I probably should have thought longer about my wish.

Wait, is this a result of my wish?

Yes, it is! It makes sense now. How could I have forgotten my wish? I only wished for it not so long ago.

Right?

How long has it been since I've died?

Wait—

Wait a second—

A minute—

An hour—

A day—

A week—

A month—

A year—

Eternity—

This isn't the first time I've rambled on to myself. I've done this before. This isn't even my second, third, or fourth time either. I can't say how many times I've had this conversation with myself, but I know for certain I've done this multiple times.

How much time must have passed for me to forget?

If this was a novel, this must be a zetta boring chapter to sit through.

Look at me, pretending to break the fourth wall in an attempt to cope with the cruelty of eternity.

Would reading this be like watching the Endless Eight arc? Not to hate on the series, but that was a drag to watch. I watched five of those episodes in 2x speed. That movie was super good though—

What was I talking about before this ramble?

If I've forgotten about it, it probably doesn't matter.

As comforting as this White World is, I'm starting to feel like it's missing something.

Oh right! It's missing people. It's been so long I've forgotten about everyone else. Hmm, but where is everyone? If I forge ahead, will I be able to find anyone? Well, it's worth a shot.

And thus, Kiyomi forges ahead.

In this White World, where there is nothing in sight in all directions, I take a step forward. In hopes of finding someone. Hopefully, it's not Kagami. She'll probably find some way to sexually harass me. Hopefully, it's not Olympia. She'll probably find some way to make me feel worse about being a coward. Hopefully, it's—Wait, how do I remember these people? It's been so long, I should have forgotten about them by now.

But I haven't. Although they were in my life for only a fraction of the time, they've left an imprint on my heart. Did I leave some sort of imprint on their hearts, too?

Maybe if the last part of my wish were to come true, I'd have a chance of leaving a mark on them, no matter how small my footprint is.

Olympia, if I can come back, I promise I won't be a coward anymore. I'll face reality head-on, experience all sorts of emotions, the good and the bad, and be human.

Kagami, I'll entertain you until I physically and mentally can't. I'll play along with your antics and make you smile and laugh more. Even though your chest is flat—I mean even though you're rather creepy.

And for the ex-friend I can't fully remember now, I'll, for the second time in my pathetic life, live.

Even though it took me so long to realize what I should do, if I get another chance, I'll make the most of it.

It's time to get out of bed, stretch, and go on about with my day.

Finally, after an eternity, after a mere moment, I woke up.