"Can you hear me?"
"Answer me, Chen."
"Yes, I can hear you."
"What took you so long to reply? My heart literally froze."
"Because... you see, I'm dying."
"What?"
Smoke filled the entire hall. There were no windows, so they started spreading fast, making it hard to breathe.
A black-haired man was lying on the ground, his stomach bleeding from a knife stabbed into it.
Despite the wound being severe, his eyes did not show any kind of pain but rather only filled with emptiness.
"What?" A woman's voice could be heard on the phone on the ground, right next to him. That was probably his sister.
"Are you at the apartment right now? Please answer Chen."
Chen's face showed a hint of sadness. If anything, he did not want his sister to see him in this state, giving up on his will to live.
"I'll be okay. Don't come here. I have already called the ambulance." He lied to reassure her.
"Please don't do this. You're the only person I have left."
A tear streamed down his face. Memories of him playing with his little sister came into view. He wished he could have given her a better life and acted like a responsible brother.
"I'm sorry, Mai." He replied on his phone.
"Maybe in another life, you would get a loving brother."
"BUT I DON'T NEED A LOVING BROTHER", Yu Len shouted into the phone, her voice echoing through the room.
"I only need you, Chen, please."
"I'm sorry." Chen Zhe disconnected the call, not willing to torture his sister anymore.
She was the only one he had. The one who had been with him throughout his life.
"If only I had the will to live...." he mumbled.
The smoke slowly started choking him inside the apartment. He coughed a few times, trying to walk to a room, stumbling on things on every side.
He went into his bedroom, then lay down on his bed, his breathing becoming incredibly difficult amidst the smoke.
There were no security alarms, and soon, other people from outside will start questioning the smell and temperature. Chen Zhe wanted to see his face.
The face he almost forgot. His gaze lingered on the right, where there was a stand with a photo framed in it.
In the photo, there were two guys, wearing the graduation robes with a little in the middle jumping, all of them smiling happily.
'I wish I spent more time with you.' He thought to himself, his fingers slowly touching the boy's face in the photo.
'Why aren't you emptying your noodles?'
'Because Yu Wen will come late today. I'm saving this for him.'
Memories started flooding his mind. The happy times when there was no money, yet three of them were smiling in the cramped room.
His body slowly started becoming cold.
Although his life was full of struggles in the beginning. Right after getting selected at the audition from a famous label, his life changed for the better.
But with a lavish life came difficult situations.
He started spending less time with his sister, and he broke up with his boyfriend in fear of losing his chance to be successful.
Now, he is more successful than ever, but not even a hint of happiness in his eyes.
'I'm sorry...' his voice drifted. Those words did not belong to a person. He said it for the situations he caused his loved ones.
There were no parents in his life, only them, and he couldn't even keep them happy.
'If I get another chance, I would choose you. It has always been you, Yu Wen'
He could not keep his eyes open anymore; the heat was burning through his nostrils as his consciousness faded away.
His soul exited from his body, standing beside the bed, looking down at his corpse.
Alone and lifeless. Maybe he did deserve to get stabbed for the awful things. There was a light behind the door he entered just now.
Thinking it might be the stairway to heaven or hell, he opened only to see a figure with no details standing in front of him.
"Uhm, are you god?" Chen asked, not knowing how to address or explain the being in front of him.
The figure turned to look at him; it resembled a human body, but it was not human. The brightness emitted behind it only makes the silhouette visible.
"One of them"
'One of? What kind of answer is that?'
"So can you send me to heaven, please? I have an appointment with someone."
He did not get a reply. Maybe gods don't like sarcasm, he thought.
"Are you sure you want to ascend. Souls with regret will forever live with that without attaining peace for eternity."
'Well, what can I do about that. My life is shitty anyway.'
"I will give you a chance."
Chen's eyes showed a shocked expression.
"Chance for what? Reincarnation? I already lived well enough in this life, thank you."
"No. To live the same life. To prevent the death of a loved one."
Chen stood still, his body froze hearing those words.
'Bring back?'
"Ho..how?"
"You would have to complete several tasks. In the body that belongs to others."
"What kind of tasks?"
"I cannot disclose the information. You will be provided with instructions only after agreeing."
'This seems rigged.' Chen thought. But the idea to live properly again lingered on his mind.
He did not have anything to lose.
"I agree."
"Very well. Your performance will be analysed by your system. Now."
Chen's soul started fading, his legs disappeared, then his arms, and finally, only his face was left.
"Try your best, Mr Chen Zhe"
His entire body faded into nothingness. Only consciousness was awake.
'Helloo? Anyone here?'
[WELCOME, HOST.]
[DON'T PANIC. YOU'RE NOT DEAD. AGAIN.]
[PREPARING FIRST TASK.]