Lina had always believed that if there was one thing she deserved after everything she had endured, it was the chance to live without regrets. Unfortunately, life had never been particularly generous to her, and judging by the way things had ended, death wasn't proving to be any kinder.
She couldn't remember exactly when she had died, nor could she recall the precise moment her life had slipped away. Her memories were fragmented, like pages torn from a book and scattered by the wind. She remembered the people who had wronged her, the choices she wished she had made differently, and the bitter realization that had settled in her heart when it was already too late to change anything. She had carried so many regrets throughout her life that even death hadn't been enough to free her from them.
Yet, strangely enough, she wasn't frightened anymore. Perhaps it was because she had already experienced the worst that life could offer, or perhaps the finality of death had finally made her understand that there was nothing left for her to lose. Whatever the reason, Lina found herself in an unusual state of calm as she drifted through a boundless expanse of pale, shimmering light. She had no body she could feel, no ground beneath her feet, and no sense of direction, yet she seemed to be moving forward all the same.
So, this is what happens after death?
She had imagined that dying would be more dramatic. Perhaps there would be a tunnel of light, a chorus of angels, or some solemn figure waiting to judge all the good and bad things she had done. Instead, there was only this strange, peaceful emptiness, which made her wonder whether she was on her way to heaven, hell, or whatever place people went when their time in the world finally came to an end.
Just as she began to resign herself to the uncertainty, a man appeared before her.
Lina stopped drifting and stared at him.
The man was dressed in a long, immaculate white robe that seemed to shimmer faintly beneath the surrounding light. His features were handsome in an almost unreal way, and his expression carried the sort of serene composure that made him look as though nothing in the universe could possibly surprise him. A pair of translucent wings might have made the picture more convincing, but he had none. Instead, he simply floated before her as though standing in the middle of nowhere were the most ordinary thing in existence.
For a moment, Lina wondered whether he was an angel.
Then she remembered that she was dead, and the possibility no longer seemed particularly strange.
"Are you here to take me to the afterlife?" she asked.
The man regarded her with a gentle smile. "In a manner of speaking. I am one of the guardians responsible for guiding souls to their next destination. You have reached the passage leading toward Nirvana, and ordinarily, I would simply guide you along your way."
"Ordinarily?" Lina repeated, catching the significance of that word. "What do you mean by that? Is there something wrong with me?"
"Nothing is wrong with you." The guardian paused, his expression becoming more solemn. "However, your life was marked by considerable injustice. You endured suffering that you should never have had to bear, and the choices available to you were repeatedly taken away. The gods have reviewed your circumstances, and they have decided that your fate deserves another chance."
Lina stared at him for several seconds.
Then she laughed.
Not because she found his words particularly amusing, but because the whole situation was so absurd that she couldn't think of any other appropriate response. She had spent her entire life wishing that someone would acknowledge what had happened to her, that someone would recognize how unfairly she had been treated, and that someone would finally admit she hadn't deserved the things she had suffered. Now that she was dead, the heavens had apparently decided to investigate her case.
It was almost touching.
It was also several years too late.
"That's very considerate of them," Lina replied dryly. "Did they happen to review my circumstances while I was still alive, or did my case only become important after I died?"
The guardian didn't appear offended by her sarcasm. If anything, his expression softened.
"The gods cannot undo every injustice that occurs in the mortal world, but they can sometimes intervene when a soul has suffered beyond what its fate should have demanded. Your life was one such case. They have therefore authorized me to offer you a choice, and whichever path you select will become your new destiny."
Lina fell silent.
A choice? Even after death, she was expected to make another decision?
She wasn't sure whether she should be grateful or suspicious. In her experience, whenever someone appeared with an offer that sounded too good to be true, there was usually a price hidden somewhere in the fine print. Still, she had nothing left to lose, so she decided to hear him out.
"What kind of choice?"
The guardian lifted one hand, and two points of light appeared between them. One glowed a gentle silver, while the other shone with a warm, golden radiance. They floated in the empty space, turning slowly as though each contained an entire world of possibilities.
"The first option is to return to your own past," he explained. "You would be given the opportunity to relive your life from an earlier point, carrying the memories and knowledge you possess now. You could correct your mistakes, make different decisions, and attempt to change the outcome of the life you have already lived. You would have another chance to write your own story, but you would also have to face the people and circumstances that once caused you pain."
Lina looked at the silver light.
Returning to her past with all her memories intact sounded tempting. She could avoid the people who had betrayed her, recognize the lies before believing them, and make choices that would protect her from the suffering she had once endured. Perhaps she could even change the fate of the people she had lost along the way.
But going back would also mean revisiting everything she had spent her final days wishing she could escape. The same people, the same world, the same complicated relationships, and the same opportunities to make mistakes. Even if she knew what was coming, there was no guarantee that she could change everything. Knowing the future didn't necessarily mean having the power to control it.
"And the second option?" she asked.
"You may leave your former world entirely and be reborn in another," the guardian answered. "It would be a different world, governed by its own history, customs, and laws. You would begin a new life there, free from the burdens of your former existence. However, the gods have decided to offer you something more than an ordinary rebirth."
Lina turned her attention to the golden light.
"What would that be?"
The guardian's smile became slightly mysterious.
"You may choose to become an empress."
For several seconds, Lina said nothing.
Then she blinked.
"An empress?"
"Yes. You would be given the opportunity to begin your new life in a position of supreme authority. Your exact circumstances would depend on the world you enter, but your destiny would be tied to the imperial throne. You would have the chance to shape a kingdom, command the respect of its people, and establish a legacy that would endure long after your reign."
Lina stared at him.
She had expected many things from the afterlife, but being offered an imperial throne had never once crossed her mind. In fact, she was fairly certain that if she had been given a list of all the possible things a guardian angel might say to her after death, the suggestion that she become an empress would have ranked somewhere between discovering she had secretly been a princess and being told she had won the celestial lottery.
It was ridiculous.
Utterly ridiculous.
And yet, for the first time since she had died, Lina felt a genuine flicker of amusement.
"Let me get this straight," she said, struggling to keep a straight face. "I can either go back to my old life and try to fix everything I got wrong, or I can go to another world and become an empress?"
"That is correct."
"And I wouldn't have to deal with any of the people from my previous life?"
"Your former life would be behind you."
Lina considered this for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"Then why would I ever choose to go back?"
The guardian watched her patiently. "Some souls wish to return because they cannot let go of their regrets. Others believe that, given another opportunity, they can finally obtain the happiness that eluded them before. Neither choice is inherently better than the other. You must decide which future you want for yourself."
Lina lowered her gaze toward the two lights.
He made it sound as though she were standing at the crossroads of destiny, weighing the meaning of her existence before making a decision that would determine the course of her eternal soul. Perhaps, under different circumstances, she might have taken the matter seriously. If she were still alive, with a future ahead of her and everything she had lost fresh in her mind, she might have spent days agonizing over which option offered the best chance of happiness.
But she was dead.
As far as she knew, her life had ended, and whatever regrets she carried were simply the remnants of a story that could no longer be changed. She had already spent too much time being unhappy, too much time trying to meet expectations that had never brought her peace, and too much time wishing she could escape the consequences of decisions that were no longer hers to make.
Now, apparently, she had been granted a second chance by the gods themselves.
Why shouldn't she choose the most ridiculous option available?
"Well," Lina said, raising her head with an expression of exaggerated seriousness, "if I'm going to start over, I might as well do it properly."
The guardian inclined his head, waiting for her answer.
"I choose to become an empress!"
She delivered the declaration with such enthusiasm that she nearly convinced herself she meant it. In reality, she was treating the entire conversation as some strange dream conjured up by her dying mind. Perhaps she was experiencing the final fragments of consciousness before disappearing into nothingness. Perhaps this mysterious guardian was simply a figment of her imagination, created by a mind that couldn't quite accept its own death.
Either way, she might as well have some fun before it ended.
"Think about it," she continued, warming to her own idea. "If I'm going to be reborn, why should I settle for an ordinary life? I've already had one of those, and look how well it turned out. Let me be an empress instead! I'll have a palace, servants, beautiful clothes, and enough authority that nobody can casually ruin my life without facing the consequences. And if I don't like the way things are going, I can simply give the orders myself."
She paused, imagining herself seated upon a magnificent throne, dressed in an elaborate imperial gown while an entire court bowed before her.
The thought was so satisfying that she almost wished it were real.
"Yes, that's definitely the better option," she concluded. "I'll go to another world, become an empress, and start fresh. No old grudges, no painful memories, and absolutely no regrets. If the gods are apologizing for what happened to me, they might as well make the compensation worthwhile!"
For the first time, the guardian's serene expression changed. A faint smile touched his lips, and the light in his eyes grew brighter.
"Your choice has been recorded."
Lina was still smiling when he raised his hand.
"Wait, what?"
"The gods have acknowledged your decision. The contract is now established, and your new destiny has been set in motion."
Lina's smile slowly disappeared.
"Hold on. I was joking!"
But it was already too late.
The golden light between them suddenly expanded, spreading outward until it swallowed the silver glow and illuminated the entire expanse around them. Lina instinctively tried to retreat, only to discover that she had no feet to move and no body with which to run. The light surrounded her from every direction, warm and dazzling, while a strange sensation swept through her consciousness as though an invisible current had seized her soul.
"What is happening?" she demanded.
"You have chosen your new life," the guardian replied, his voice remaining calm despite the rapidly intensifying light. "The gods have granted your wish, Lina. You will be reborn in another world, where you will have the opportunity to become the empress you have chosen to be."
"That's not what I meant! I thought we were just talking!"
"The contract has been confirmed."
"Can you at least give me a moment to reconsider?"
"I'm afraid not."
Lina wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him that a person ought to be allowed to change her mind, especially when the decision involved being thrown into an entirely different world and expected to rule an empire. Unfortunately, she had barely begun to formulate her complaint when the light grew so intense that every thought vanished from her mind.
A strange sensation of weightlessness swept over her.
For one fleeting moment, she thought she heard the guardian speak again, his voice reaching her from somewhere far away.
"May this new life bring you the happiness and justice that were denied to you in your last."
Then everything disappeared and Lina's consciousness sank into darkness.