Cade wandered in the darkness for what felt like an eternity. He had no way to measure time, no sense of direction, no sense of self beyond the thoughts that lingered in his mind. The last thing he remembered was the searing pain in his stomach, the warm sensation of his own blood pouring out, and the look of horror on Luna's face as he collapsed. Then, nothing.
When he regained consciousness—or at least some semblance of awareness—he found himself adrift in an endless void. The darkness stretched infinitely in all directions, but it was not an empty, oppressive blackness. Specks of light dotted the space around him, twinkling faintly like distant stars.
At first, he thought he was dreaming. Perhaps this was some strange, prolonged hallucination brought on by blood loss. But no, this felt too real. He could think, he could remember, and most frustratingly, he could feel the complete and utter absence of sensation. He had no body—no weight, no warmth, no breath. There was nothing except his mind, floating endlessly in a sea of nothingness.
Cade didn't know how long he had been in this state. Hours? Days? Years? Without anything to mark the passage of time, his sense of reality started to erode. He tried screaming at first, but no sound came out. He tried moving, but there was nothing to move. He was a consciousness trapped in an empty void.
Slowly, despair crept in.
"Is this it? Is this death? What happened to heaven, hell was it all a lie ?"
His thoughts became his only anchor, his memories the only thing preventing him from succumbing to insanity. He replayed the moments of his life over and over again, as if holding onto them would somehow keep him grounded. He thought of Luna, of the shelters where he had spent countless nights helping those in need. He thought of the courtroom, of the cases he had fought, of the moments where he had stood up for those who couldn't stand for themselves.
But as time dragged on, his memories started to feel distant, like echoes of a past life he no longer belonged to.
Just as he teetered on the edge of losing himself entirely, a voice shattered the silence.
It was the first thing he had heard in what felt like eternity. Deep, aged, and filled with a quiet pride, the voice resonated through the void like a divine decree.
"Child, you have lived a great life… and you died an interesting death."
Cade's nonexistent heart nearly stopped. His mind, dulled by endless isolation, sharpened instantly.
Someone was here.
Someone was speaking to him.
He turned—or rather, he willed his awareness to shift in the direction of the voice—and what he saw nearly stole whatever breath he might have once had.
A figure floated before him, bathed in a radiant golden light. He was an old man, bald, with a long, flowing brown beard that cascaded down to his stomach. His robe was regal, pure white with intricate gold details that shimmered like the stars around him. But what stood out most were his eyes—deep blue, vast and endless, like the ocean on a warm summer day. They held an unfathomable wisdom, the kind of gaze that had seen civilizations rise and fall.
And yet, despite his overwhelming presence, the man was smiling—a warm, inviting smile that carried neither malice nor deception.
Cade, still reeling, struggled to form words. His thoughts were a chaotic mess, a million questions fighting for dominance. But one question pushed its way to the forefront of his mind, a question that seemed almost childish considering the circumstances.
"...Are you God?"
The old man chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that carried through the void like a comforting wave.
"I am one of them," he said.
Cade blinked—or at least, he felt like he blinked, even though he still had no physical form.
"One of them?"
That implied multiple gods. Which meant… religions got it wrong? Or were they all partially right? The sheer implications of that statement made his head spin.
Sensing his confusion, the old man continued, his voice carrying the patience of a teacher explaining a simple truth to a student.
"There are many who have reached the immortal realm, although only a few of us remain right now, there are still quite a few of us. Some oversee entire universes, while others prefer to live quiet lives training disciples."
Cade took a moment to process this. "Disciples?" he repeated, his voice laced with curiosity and skepticism.
The old man nodded, his deep blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yes. There are those among us who choose to pass down our knowledge and power to worthy individuals. Mortals who show promise, who possess the will to transcend their limits, who refuse to let their fate be dictated by the universe. We guide them, train them, and in time, they may walk the path of immortality themselves. You are one such prospect; in fact, you have more talent than any mortal or immortal I have ever seen."
Cade frowned, absorbing the weight of the words. Mortals? Becoming immortal? The idea sounded like something out of a myth, a legend too grand to be real. And yet, here he was, speaking to a being that defied all logic.
"So, what are you saying?" Cade asked carefully. "That I'm worthy? That I could become one of you?"
The old man's expression softened, but his gaze remained sharp, piercing through Cade as if reading the very depths of his soul. "That depends on you, child," he said. "I saw the way you lived. The people you helped. You had the heart of a warrior, and the mind of a scholar. But whether or not you have what it takes to ascend beyond mortality? That remains to be seen."
Cade narrowed his eyes—or at least, he imagined he did. He still had no physical body, but his frustration, his disbelief, his desire to understand all felt real enough. "If I can become like you… why offer me this choice? Why not just let me move on to whatever comes after death?"
The old man chuckled. "Because I do not waste my time on the unworthy. I only extend my hand to you because I deemed you capable of something greater, capable of receiving the teachings of the great Void Sword Immortal !"
Cade had fought his entire life for justice, for the weak, for those who had no voice. He had never once backed down from a challenge, never allowed himself to be shackled by fear or uncertainty.
But he had lost.
His life had been stolen from him before he could accomplish everything he had set out to do. His story had ended in a pool of blood, he never even managed to go on a date with a woman, never experiencing the warmth of one.
But now, he had a choice.
To leave it all behind and fade into the unknown.
Or to use this chance to help more people and maybe even to find the love he never had in his old life.
Cade clenched his nonexistent fists. He knew his answer.
"What do I have to do?"
The old man's smile widened. "Good." He raised a hand, and suddenly, the void around them began to shift. The darkness rippled, giving way to light, colors, and substance.
Cade gasped as the emptiness was replaced by a vast, breathtaking expanse. Rolling golden plains stretched endlessly beneath a sky of swirling purples and blues, dotted with twin suns that bathed the land in a soft, ethereal glow. In the distance, great mountains pierced the heavens, their peaks wreathed in mist. Rivers of shimmering silver carved through the land, their waters moving unnaturally, as if alive.
"This is my personal world," the old man said, gesturing around them. "A place I created which only I and those I allow may enter."
Cade found himself speechless. The beauty of the world before him was beyond anything he had ever seen, beyond anything he had ever imagined.
And then he felt it.
A sudden weight.
He gasped, staggering forward as sensation flooded back into him all at once. He felt the cool breeze against his skin, the solid ground beneath his feet, the warmth of the twin suns above. He reached up instinctively—and found flesh.
His body was back.
He stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers in disbelief. He touched his chest, half-expecting to feel the wound that had ended his life, but there was nothing—only smooth, unbroken skin.
"I… I'm alive?" he breathed.
Cade looked up, determination burning in his eyes. "How?"
"You have been given another chance," the old man said. "Now show me that you deserve it." the man waved his hand teleporting them to the peak of one of the mountains in the distance, there Cade saw a massive white palace that seemed to reflect the sunlight around it. " you can rest for now, we'll start your training tomorrow." spoke the old man.