When Arthur opened his eyes, he expected pain. Instead, he felt nothing—no weight, no ache, and no lingering sensation from the impact that should have ended his life. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had simply fainted and woken up somewhere else, perhaps in a hospital. But that thought disappeared the instant his vision cleared.
He was not in a hospital.
He was standing inside a palace.
The structure around him was vast beyond comprehension, far larger than anything he had ever seen in his life. Everything was made of milky white marble that seemed to glow softly from within, giving the entire place an almost surreal atmosphere. The floor beneath his feet reflected light like a calm, unmoving lake, while massive pillars stretched endlessly upward. The ceiling was so high that it faded into a pale mist, making it impossible to determine where the structure actually ended.
Arthur blinked once, then again, trying to process what he was seeing.
"…What the hell…?"
His voice echoed faintly into the endless space, swallowed by the sheer scale of the palace. Compared to everything around him, Arthur felt insignificant—like a tiny speck in an immeasurable world. He quickly looked down at himself and noticed that he was wearing a plain white shirt and white pants. There were no injuries on his body, no blood, and no pain.
That realization should have frightened him.
Instead, something unexpected surfaced in his mind.
"…Wait a second…"
His eyes widened slightly as a familiar thought took shape.
"No way… Is this… some kind of limbo?"
The word slipped out with disbelief, but also a strange sense of excitement. His mind immediately connected it to the countless stories he had consumed in secret—those scenes where characters found themselves in endless white spaces between life and death. A place where souls lingered before returning to reality.
Arthur slowly turned around, observing the surroundings once more.
"This looks exactly like those scenes…"
A nervous laugh escaped him.
"So I'm not dead… right? This is just temporary…"
Even as he said it, doubt began creeping into his thoughts. Everything felt too real, too quiet, and too absolute to be dismissed as a simple illusion. Still, his heart refused to accept the truth so easily.
If this really was some kind of in-between state… then maybe—
"…Dad…"
The word came out unconsciously.
"And… Mom…"
A feeling he had long buried began to rise within him—hope. His father had always told him stories about what might come after death, not as strict beliefs but as comforting possibilities. Arthur had never truly believed them, but standing here now, he wanted to. More than anything, he wanted those stories to be real.
"If this is real… then maybe I can see them," he whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
His chest tightened as countless emotions surged forward. He had so many questions left unanswered, so many things he wanted to say, and so many regrets he had never voiced.
"I just need a few minutes… just a few…"
Then his expression slowly hardened, determination replacing the fragile hope.
"…Then I'll go back."
He clenched his fists, his eyes sharpening.
"I'm not done yet."
Memories flooded his mind—his failures, his struggles, the injustice he suffered, and the pain of losing his father. Everything that had broken him now felt like fuel.
"I still have things to fix," he muttered.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I'll make a comeback… like a damn superhero."
The words sounded strange, almost childish, but they felt right. For the first time in a long while, Arthur felt something close to motivation.
So he waited.
Time passed in silence. Whether it was seconds or minutes, he couldn't tell. The stillness of the place made time feel meaningless.
Then suddenly—
Footsteps.
Arthur's head snapped toward the massive entrance at the far end of the hall. Someone was approaching. His heart began to race as a flicker of hope ignited within him.
"Dad…?"
He took a step forward instinctively, his eyes fixed on the figure in the distance. But as the person came closer, that hope slowly faded.
It wasn't his father.
It wasn't his mother.
It was a man.
The man was dressed in a perfectly tailored white suit and carried a sleek briefcase in one hand. His posture was calm and confident, and his face was strikingly handsome, with a gentle smile that seemed almost unnatural. There was an aura around him—not something threatening, but something undeniably beyond human.
Arthur felt it immediately.
This person was not ordinary.
Within a minute, the man stood before him. The distance between them seemed to close unnaturally fast, as if space itself bent to accommodate his steps. Up close, his presence was even more overwhelming—not in a suffocating way, but in a way that demanded attention.
The man extended his hand.
"Hello. My name is Gabriel. I am a messenger assigned to guide souls."
Arthur hesitated for a moment before instinctively shaking his hand.
"…Arthur."
Gabriel's smile widened slightly.
"Yes, Arthur Jonas Maxine."
Arthur froze, his expression stiffening.
"…You know my full name?"
"Of course," Gabriel replied calmly. "It would be difficult to perform my duty otherwise."
Arthur's thoughts began to spiral again. Messenger. Souls. Guide. All the pieces started falling into place, forming a conclusion he could no longer avoid.
He took a slow, deep breath.
"…So I'm dead."
It wasn't a question.
Gabriel simply nodded.
"Yes."
The answer was direct and unembellished.
Arthur closed his eyes briefly, processing the reality.
"…I see."
Surprisingly, he didn't panic. Perhaps he was too tired, or perhaps he had already accepted it deep within himself. After everything he had gone through, this felt less like a shock and more like an inevitable end.
After a moment, he opened his eyes again.
"…Alright. So what happens now?"
Gabriel adjusted his briefcase slightly before responding.
"Normally, we review a soul's life and determine its next destination. Some move on to a state of rest, while others are assigned new lives."
Arthur frowned slightly.
"…New lives?"
"You may call it reincarnation," Gabriel replied.
Arthur let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
"…That's insane."
Gabriel smiled faintly.
"From your perspective, perhaps."
Arthur ran a hand through his hair, trying to process everything. Then suddenly, a thought struck him.
"…Why are you telling me all this?"
Gabriel's expression shifted slightly.
"Because your case is different."
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"…Different how?"
Gabriel opened his briefcase, revealing a faint glow inside.
"Your final action in your previous life significantly altered the future of your world."
Arthur blinked.
"…What?"
"You saved a child," Gabriel continued calmly.
"…Yeah. So?"
"That child will grow into someone who prevents a global environmental collapse."
Arthur went completely silent.
"…You're joking."
"I am not."
Arthur stared at him in disbelief.
"…So by saving one kid… I saved millions?"
"Yes."
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything before.
Arthur's mind went blank.
"…What the hell…"
He stepped back slightly, struggling to process it.
"I didn't even think… I just moved…"
"And yet," Gabriel said gently, "it mattered."
Arthur looked down at his hands.
"…So my life wasn't useless after all…"
"No life is truly useless," Gabriel replied.
Arthur stood there quietly before a small smile slowly appeared on his face.
"…Heh…"
It wasn't pride—but it was close enough.
For the first time, he felt like he had done something right.
Arthur lifted his head again.
"…So what happens to me now?"
Gabriel closed the briefcase.
"You are eligible for something beyond the standard process."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"…Beyond?"
"Yes," Gabriel said calmly. "You have been granted a choice."
Arthur's eyes sharpened.
"…A choice?"
"Yes. You may proceed normally… or choose a different path."
Arthur's heartbeat quickened.
"…What kind of path?"
Gabriel's smile deepened slightly.
"One that aligns with your desires."
Arthur's mind raced instantly—stories, heroes, second chances, power, redemption.
A slow grin formed on his face.
"…So…"
He stepped forward slightly.
"…am I qualified for something better?"
Gabriel looked at him steadily.
"That depends on what you choose next."
Arthur's eyes gleamed with a new light.
For the first time since his death—
Ambition awakened within him.