When I opened my eyes—
There was no ceiling.
No sky.
No ground I could recognize.
Only white.
Endless, empty white stretching in every direction.
"…Ah."
For a moment, I just stood there.
Then it clicked.
"Ah… I'm back here again."
The white room.
The place where everything started.
I slowly pushed myself up.
My body felt light.
Too light.
As if something was missing.
As I took a step forward, a strange discomfort crept into my mind.
…Did I forget something?
Something important.
Something I shouldn't forget.
But no matter how hard I tried to grasp it—
It slipped away.
Like trying to hold water in my hands.
"…What was it?"
I frowned slightly.
Then I noticed someone ahead.
A man sitting calmly behind a table.
A chair placed neatly across from him.
Black suit, black hair.
And—
No face.
Just a smooth, empty surface where his features should have been.
Yet somehow—
I could tell he was smiling.
"Kekeke…"
His voice echoed softly.
"Welcome back."
I walked toward him slowly.
Each step made that uneasy feeling grow stronger.
Like I was leaving something behind the closer I got.
"…So?"
He leaned slightly forward.
"How was it?"
I stopped in front of the table.
"What do you mean?"
"Kekeke… don't play dumb."
He tapped the table lightly.
"You just went through your first story."
"Did you like the world?"
The moment he said that—
Something hit me.
Hard.
"…Ugh—"
A flood of memories crashed into my mind.
Like a wave swallowing everything.
A village.
Warm sunlight, Familiar faces.
Fights and travelling.
The hero's party.
The Demon King.
Victory—
And then—
…a tree.
A quiet place.
My breath fading.
"…Ah…"
My vision blurred for a moment.
"I…"
I started to remember.
"That world…"
"I lived there…"
I clenched my hand.
"And… Dia-chan…"
For a moment, her image surfaced.
Soft smile.
Gentle voice.
Warmth.
Then—
It faded.
Like a dream slipping away after waking up.
"…Who are you?"
I looked up at the man.
And then—
I remembered.
The gate.
The thing that sent me there.
The man chuckled.
"Kekeke…"
His body shifted.
His form distorted—
And then changed.
Sharp teeth stretched into a grin.
Two large horns curled from his head.
His presence grew heavier.
"Kekeke… now you remember."
"Let's see… with your human understanding…"
"I suppose you can call me a demonic deity."
He leaned back casually.
"Hans is my name."
…A demonic deity?
So… like a demon god?
I stayed silent.
Hans tilted his head.
"Now then."
He tapped the table again.
"Let me ask you again."
"Did you enjoy your story?"
"Or should I say…"
His grin widened.
"The cliffhanger?"
"You died before seeing the ending, after all."
"Kekeke… ahahaha!!"
He burst into laughter like it was the most amusing thing in the world.
I stared at him quietly.
He was waiting.
Trying to provoke me.
Trying to see some kind of reaction.
Anger.
Regret.
Frustration.
But—
"…No."
I shook my head slightly.
"I liked it."
His laughter stopped.
"…Oh?"
"I got to live in that world."
"It wasn't perfect."
"But…"
A small smile formed on my face.
"I don't regret it."
Hans clicked his tongue.
"Tch… no fun."
He leaned his cheek against his hand, clearly disappointed.
…Though.
I paused.
There is one thing.
For a brief moment—
A feeling surfaced.
Regret.
…I broke a promise.
A faint image crossed my mind.
A girl.
Pink hair.
Then it disappeared again.
…But.
I exhaled softly.
She'll be fine.
She deserves her own ending.
And I…
I looked forward.
I still have more stories to live.
Hans stared at me for a few seconds.
Then—
A slow smile crept across his face.
"…I see."
"Interesting."
He tapped his fingers on the table.
"Then let's make things a bit more… balanced."
My brows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
He raised a finger.
"You having full knowledge of the world you enter…"
"Is too much of an advantage."
"So I've decided to change the rules."
A bad feeling crept in.
"…Change?"
"Kekeke."
"From now on…"
"Instead of remembering the whole plot of the story."
"Only a summary you will get."
"A synopsis of the story."
My eyes widened.
"What?!"
I slammed my hand onto the table.
"That's not fair."
"I don't agree to that."
"Take it back."
Hans didn't even flinch.
"No."
His voice turned cold.
"That is my decision."
He pointed behind me.
The gate.
It stood there, just like before.
Closed.
"If you don't accept it…"
"I won't open the gate."
Silence.
"…Tch."
I looked away.
"Fine."
Hans smiled again.
"Good choice."
"Think of it as a price…"
"To twist the fate further."
"…Fate?"
I frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"Kekeke…"
"You'll understand in your next story."
He waved his hand casually.
"Ah, right."
"Take this."
A small card appeared in his hand.
He handed it to me.
I looked down at it.
[Increased Countdown: 30 Minutes]
"…This looks more like a punishment than a reward to me."
Hans shrugged.
"Depends on how you use it."
"From now on…"
"Every time you finish a story…"
"I'll give you something like that."
"It might be a gift, or a curse.. Who knows?"
"Kekeke…"
He snapped his fingers.
The gate behind me slowly began to open.
A number appeared beside it.
002
"Time's up."
He rested his chin on his hand, smiling.
"Good luck."
"On your next life."
I stood there for a moment.
Thinking.
What did I really wish for?
…Right.
I wanted to experience stories.
Different worlds.
Different lives.
"…Then."
I took a step forward.
"My journey just started."
I walked toward the gate.
And stepped inside.
The light swallowed me whole.
The gate slowly closed behind me.
And thus—
This is his second life.
---
But—
"…W-Where is this?"
A trembling voice echoed through the white room.
Hans looked up.
A girl stood there.
Confused.
Lost.
His grin slowly widened.
"Kekeke…"
"Welcome."
"New customer~"