If I am being honest, I always thought my death would be more… meaningful.
You know, something dramatic. Maybe I would save someone at the last second, or there would be some kind of slow-motion moment where I reflect on my life and realize what really mattered. That is how it usually goes in stories.
Instead, I got hit by a truck while thinking about food.
Not even good food, either. I was literally debating whether I should get takeout or cook something simple at home. That was it. That was my final thought before everything went black.
No pain. No warning. No dramatic last words.
Just… gone.
At first, I assumed I had lost consciousness. That seemed like the most reasonable explanation. Maybe I would wake up in a hospital bed with a headache and a story I could exaggerate later. It would not even be that bad.
But then I tried to move.
And nothing happened.
I could not feel my arms. I could not feel my legs. I could not even feel myself breathing. It took a few seconds for the realization to sink in, but when it did, it hit me all at once.
I did not have a body.
"…Alright," I said slowly, or at least I tried to. My voice existed, but it did not feel like it came from anywhere. It did not echo or carry. It simply… was. "That's definitely not normal."
There was nothing around me. No ground, no sky, no sense of direction at all. Just endless darkness stretching in every direction. It was not even cold or uncomfortable. It was just empty.
I stayed there for a while, trying to make sense of the situation, but there was nothing to work with. No sound. No movement. No change.
"…So I'm dead," I concluded eventually.
Saying it out loud made it feel more real, but nothing responded. There was no guiding voice, no explanation, no system popping up to tell me what to do next. Just silence.
Honestly, it was kind of disappointing.
After everything I had read and watched, I expected something more. A second chance, a mysterious guide, maybe even some kind of special ability. Instead, I was stuck in what felt like the world's most boring void.
"I didn't even get a tutorial," I muttered. "This is a scam."
I do not know how much time passed after that. It could have been seconds or hours. Without anything to measure it, time lost all meaning.
At some point, I started thinking that maybe this was it. No afterlife, no reincarnation, just endless nothing.
Then the light appeared.
It started as a faint glow in the distance, barely noticeable at first, but it grew steadily brighter. The darkness around me seemed to retreat as the light expanded, filling the empty space with a soft, warm glow.
And strangely enough, it felt… comforting.
Not physically, since I still did not have a body, but in a way that was hard to describe. Like something inside me relaxed without permission.
"…Okay, now this is new," I said.
The light continued to grow until it surrounded me completely. The darkness was gone, replaced by something that felt almost peaceful.
Then it began to take shape.
At first, it was just a vague outline, but it quickly became clearer. A figure formed within the light, gradually gaining detail until it became unmistakable.
A person.
More specifically… a girl.
And yeah, I stared.
Because there was no way I would not.
She was beautiful in a way that did not feel normal. Her long silver hair seemed to flow without being affected by anything around her, catching the light in a way that made it almost glow. Her eyes were a soft shade of violet, calm and steady, but somehow impossible to look away from.
Her features were perfect. Not "pretty" in a simple way, but precise, like every detail had been carefully designed. Even the way she stood felt different, like she was not bound by the same rules as everything else.
"…Alright," I said quietly. "Either I'm dreaming… or I ended up somewhere I really don't understand."
She smiled.
That did not help.
If anything, it made things worse, because her smile had the same problem as everything else about her. It was too perfect. Too natural and unnatural at the same time.
"My husband."
I blinked.
"…I'm sorry, what?"
Out of everything I expected after dying, that was definitely not one of them.
She tilted her head slightly, as if my reaction confused her.
"You took longer than I thought," she said softly. "But it is alright. You are here now."
Her voice was gentle, almost soothing, but there was something underneath it that made me uneasy. It was not obvious, but it was there.
"Okay, hold on," I said quickly. "I think you've got the wrong person. I'm not anyone's—"
Before I could finish, she moved.
There was no visible motion. One moment she was standing a few steps away, and the next, she was right in front of me.
"…That's not fair," I muttered.
"You do not remember?" she asked, her gaze focused on me in a way that felt… intense.
I shook my head. "No. I literally just died. That's all I know."
She stared at me for a few seconds, as if searching for something.
Then she smiled again.
"Oh… I see."
I did not like the way she said that.
"Then we will simply begin again," she continued.
"…Begin what?"
She did not answer.
Instead, I felt something wrap around me. It was not physical, but it was impossible to ignore. It felt like invisible threads tightening around my entire existence, locking me in place.
"…Yeah, I don't like this," I said, trying to move.
Nothing happened.
She raised her hand and gently placed it against my chest—or at least where my chest should have been.
"Do not worry," she said softly. "It will not hurt."
That was not reassuring.
Then I heard it.
A sharp, clear sound.
[Ding.]
I froze.
"…No way."
That sound was way too familiar.
"A system?" I asked, a bit too hopeful.
But nothing appeared. No screen, no text, no explanation.
Instead, she spoke again.
"From this moment on," she said quietly, "you belong to me."
Something changed.
I could not see it, but I felt it clearly, like something fundamental had just been rewritten. It was subtle, but undeniable.
"You are mine," she continued, her voice still calm, but heavier now. "My husband. My one and only."
I tried to respond. I really did.
But the words did not come out.
Not because I could not speak.
But because… I hesitated.
She smiled again, softer this time, almost affectionate.
"Welcome back," she whispered.
The light shattered.
Everything around me collapsed, and I felt myself falling, faster and faster, like something was pulling me into another world entirely.
"Hey—wait—what's going on?!" I shouted.
There was no response.
Only her voice, distant but clear.
"Do not worry."
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"I will always be watching."
That did not sound comforting.
Not even a little.
Everything went dark again.
But this time… it did not feel empty.
It felt like something was still there.
Watching.
"…Yeah," I muttered as everything faded. "This is going to be a problem."