The Voice in the Void

A laugh echoed through the void, reverberating as if it came from everywhere and nowhere at once. There was no way to pinpoint its source. It was laughter—but not from a person. It was the laughter of something… different.

"Child, do you think you had a good life?"

The voice was deep, mocking, and seemed to fill the infinite space surrounding Daiki. There was no body, no sound, only darkness… and him. Or was it him? He couldn't see or feel himself anymore.

An extreme cold swept through him, though he had no body. He had nothing. Just his consciousness floating in an endless void.

What… what's happening? he thought, frantic. Questions bombarded his mind, but nothing made sense.

"Yes, you did. Of course—who wouldn't?"

The voice spoke again, and Daiki felt irritation claw at him. What the hell is going on? Where am I? What happened to my body?

"Don't you notice?"

The voice shifted tone, a venomous whisper echoing in his mind.

"You have no body, no form. You're dead, child. So young, and yet you thought your life was good. Don't you see the irony?"

Dead.

The word struck his mind like lightning. The air—if it even existed in this void—left his lungs, though he couldn't breathe. Yet his entire being felt crushed, as if his consciousness were a bubble about to pop.

No… it can't be…

"Do you know the worst part?" the voice continued, now almost playful, as if it enjoyed watching Daiki unravel. "The worst part is that you chose this fate. You, with your stupid decisions, with your life… yes. Your absurd isolation. Your actions led you here. Do you remember now? Did being a hikikomori make you happy?"

"What…?"

The voice boomed in his mind, but his lips didn't move. The weight of those words was tearing him apart.

I chose this?

"No! It wasn't like that!" he tried to retort, but his thoughts came out jumbled, drowning in their own confusion.

"Oh, but you did. Your life was one long escape. You hid behind excuses, behind anything, just to avoid facing the consequences of your actions. You didn't even try to fix your problems. What were you playing at?"

"You don't know what I suffered!"

"Suffered? Really? Don't make me laugh." The raspy laughter of that presence rumbled through the infinite space.

Daiki felt something inside him shatter. Something he'd tried to ignore—as if a part of his very being was finally being exposed.

"No… you know nothing about me…"

"Oh, don't I?" The presence let out a hissing chuckle. "Did you really think you could live in constant escape and everything would be fine? Did you really believe you could avoid facing your problems?!"

Daiki tried to scream, but no sound came out. He was trapped, powerless.

He remembered all the times he'd turned his back on everything, run away instead of confronting it. Every time he'd hidden in his room, let fear and insecurity control him. Every time he'd chosen the easy way out—until there was no way out left.

"I know everything about you. I know you're pathetic."

The voice softened slightly, but its cruelty never faded.

"You know, I thought you'd at least learn something from the problems you kept avoiding… But no. And now here you are, trapped in your own misery. This is nothing more than what you earned."

Daiki felt his nonexistent chest tighten.

The fragile bubble he'd built over his life—the one that let him live in his own little world—was slowly deflating.

And somewhere in his mind, he began to wonder if he could've done things differently.

"You're starting to understand, aren't you?" The presence's tone grew graver. "All you ever did was run from reality. And when you couldn't anymore… You waited for someone else to fix it for you, didn't you?"

He couldn't deny it. He'd hoped things would resolve themselves, or that someone would save him.

"People even tried to help you, but you refused. You expected others to solve your problems for you."

"You had your chance, child."

"But you didn't deserve it."

The young man fell silent. The presence's words had drilled into his skull. There was something undeniably true in them—something he couldn't ignore. But there was also a part of him that refused to yield, that still clung to the hope of change. Even now.

But the presence wouldn't be so kind.

"What's done is done. All that's left is to accept that you have no one to blame but yourself."

The echo of the presence's laughter faded, leaving Daiki in darkness, surrounded only by his own thoughts and the words that lashed him with cruel truth.

"There's nothing left for you to do."

"Daiki—that's your name, isn't it? This is your punishment."

"Punishment? What are you talking about?" Daiki asked, bewildered.

Every passing second filled him with more doubt. His mind was a whirlwind, and with every word the presence spoke, the storm grew worse.

"You like running away, don't you? Don't worry—you'll get to keep doing that."

The dark void around him shifted into a blinding white light, which soon gave way to a bright azure sky. Fluffy clouds, like soft cotton, drifted peacefully overhead, completing the surreal scene.

He woke with a jolt, as if emerging from a nightmare.

"What the…? What's happening?" he muttered, dazed.

He scrambled to his feet, eyes scanning the area in disbelief.

He stood in a forest clearing, surrounded by thickets and strange flowers. Birds he'd never heard before flitted between the branches.

Everything looked like it was ripped from a fantasy tale—except for the trees, which, though familiar, felt off in some way.

The crisp air filled his lungs, purer than anything he'd ever breathed. Each inhale soothed his body—but not his mind.

"Okay… This is weird. Way too weird!" he exclaimed, turning in place.

His body still felt numb. His legs ached as if he'd run a marathon, and his arms were stiff, almost lifeless.

He pressed a hand to his chest, searching for the wound that should've been there… but there was nothing. Just torn fabric and dried blood staining his white shirt.

"No way… Was it a dream? No, no, impossible," he whispered, frantically touching the ripped cloth. "This is real. What happened was real… but why am I here?"

Frustrated, Daiki scratched his head. The emptiness in his mind was overwhelming. None of the puzzle pieces fit.

I died. That much is clear.

But then… was this the afterlife? It made no sense. No textbook described anything like this. Unless—

"It's another world!" he blurted out, a grin spreading across his face. "This is just like those fantasy worlds! I know how this works—die, wake up somewhere strange, get a chat with a divine being… I've seen it a thousand times!"

But his excitement quickly fizzled. He glanced down at his body with a mix of resignation and disdain.

"Though… my physical condition is just as pathetic as ever."

He sighed, letting his arms drop to his sides.

"They didn't even give me a starter kit… This sucks."

He paced the clearing, scanning for anything useful. Nothing. Just trees, bushes, and more trees.

"Not even animals… This isn't what I expected. Normally, I'd spawn in a city, with a cute summoner waiting for me with a smile."

"But there's nothing here. No city, no girl! This is stupid!" he yelled, kicking a nearby rock. "Damn that god!"

Finally, he let out a long sigh, forcing himself to calm down. First things first, he thought. I need to get out of here.

He approached the edge of the clearing, staring into the dense natural maze ahead.

His heart pounded, and a cold sweat formed on his brow. He took a step forward—but his body locked up instantly.

A flood of horrific images flashed through his mind: beasts lurking in the trees, starving wolves, something stalking him from the shadows. A thousand ways he could end up torn apart.

"It's just a forest… Why am I so scared?" he complained aloud.

Gritting his teeth, he took another step—but the feeling only worsened. His breath turned ragged, his chest rising and falling rapidly as panic took hold.

"Dammit!" he shouted, clawing at his head, trying to erase the images.

He stepped back, retreating from the forest, and slumped against a nearby rock.

With his back against the rough surface, he hugged his knees and buried his face in his arms. His eyes, barely visible, were fixed on the ground.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

The thought hit him like a distant echo.

I have nothing. No direction. No idea if there are towns or cities here. This forest could be full of wolves… or worse. I can't do anything.

"When you couldn't take it anymore… what did you do? You waited for someone else to fix it for you, didn't you?"

The being's words slammed into his mind with brutal force. He clenched his fists, teeth grinding in frustration.

"Tsk…"

"No. I won't wait for anyone. I can handle this myself," he muttered, as if trying to convince himself.

"Come on, Daiki. This isn't any different from leaving your room to grab food. Just one step. Then another. It's not that hard."

With renewed determination, he stood up. He walked back to the clearing's edge—once again, his heart raced.

He took one step. Then another. He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to think about the danger.

"Did I do it?" he asked, peeking one eye open. He glanced back—the clearing was still visible. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Yeah… That wasn't so hard."