“December 31st, 2024, at 11:55 PM.”

  A melodious voice filled the empty space.

  A figure of ethereal beauty stood before me, gazing at the radiant mass of blue light that took on a vaguely human form—me.

  “You perished at that precise moment,” she said gently. “The doctors tried to save you, but their efforts were in vain.

  "As for your parents… they departed five minutes before you regained consciousness.”

  "I see…" My voice was subdued, my translucent form standing a few paces away from her in this vast, luminous white void.

  I didn’t know who she was, but with her chlorine-blue hair, her azure eyes, and a pair of blue wings extending gracefully from her back, she resembled a goddess. Dressed in a flowing white gown that reached her feet, she radiated an almost divine presence.

  Yet, I felt nothing.

  No awe. No reverence.

  Just… emptiness.

  She tilted her head slightly, studying me.

  “Hmm…? Your reaction seems dull.”

  A simple remark. A meaningless observation.

  Yet, something inside me snapped.

  A bitter chuckle escaped my lips, low and hollow, but my hands had already begun to tremble.

  Dull?

  She thought my reaction was dull?

  After everything I had been through, after all the suffering, betrayal, and loss, she thought my reaction was simply… lacking?

  She stood there, her face unreadable, as if she were merely observing a mildly interesting phenomenon rather than standing before someone whose entire life had been a waking nightmare.

  Something twisted in my chest.

  A deep, ugly storm of emotions I had long buried—resentment, helplessness, fury—began to rise.

  For decades, I had held it all in.

  When my aunt raised a knife against my mother—I held it in.

  When my so-called friends laughed at my suffering—I held it in.

  When the people I loved turned their backs on me, one after another— I held it in.

  When fate crushed every hope I ever had, forcing me to keep going even when I had nothing left—I held it in.

  When I watched my parents die before my eyes, knowing I would be next—I held it in.

  And now—now—this so-called goddess stood before me, looking down at me with calm curiosity, as if my pain meant nothing.

  As if everything I had suffered was just some footnote in the endless history of the worlds she governed.

  I clenched my fists, my whole body trembling.

  My chest heaved, my breath coming in ragged, uneven gasps.

  The pressure—the unbearable, suffocating pressure—that I had carried for so long erupted.

  I raised my head and glared at her, my vision blurred by fury.

  "Dull?" I spat, my voice dripping with venom.

  She blinked, unfazed. “Yes. You don’t seem particularly—”

  “SO WHAT DO YOU EXPECT!?” My voice exploded in the empty void.

  The air itself shuddered; the very fabric of this strange space trembled under the sheer force of my rage. My vision flashed red. My pulse pounded in my ears.

  Did she want me to cry? To beg for mercy?

  Did she want me to scream and curse at the unfairness of my life, to throw myself at her feet and ask for answers I knew would never come?

  Did she want me to break again? To relive every agonizing moment of my existence just for her own amusement!?

  "Do you want me to cry in front of you!?" I snarled, teeth clenched so tightly they hurt, "Do you want me to rage at you for toying with my entire life!?"

  My nails dug into my palms, the trembling in my hands growing wilder.

  I wanted to hit something.

  I wanted to destroy something.

  I wanted to make her feel even an ounce of what I had felt my entire life.

  The emotions I had suffocated for years—hatred, grief, fury—came crashing down all at once, like a dam finally breaking under its own unbearable weight.

  "You ruined my parents' lives!" My voice cracked, but I didn’t care.

  "You manipulated their relationships! You let my sister be humiliated, let her throw herself at a man she thought could save us!"

  The more I spoke, the more rage consumed me.

  "You tormented me using my own classmates! You never let me have any friends—because the moment I got close to someone, you killed them!"

  I could barely breathe.

  My thoughts spun in chaos, memories rushing back in a violent storm—the faces of my friends, my family, the people who had betrayed me, the ones I had lost.

  The fake smiles. The lonely nights. The hope dangled before me, only to be snatched away at the last moment.

  "You shattered my heart with your poisonous honey called love—not once, but seven times!"

  "You let two girls confess to me, only to throw me aside for another man!"

  "You made me hate myself!"

  "You made me want to die!"

  I gasped for air, but it was not enough.

  None of it was enough.

  "AND EVEN WHEN I WANTED TO DIE, YOU WOULDN’T EVEN LET ME HAVE THAT!"

  My voice cracked the space itself, sending invisible shockwaves rippling outward.

  "YOU FORCED ME TO LIVE JUST TO MAKE ME WATCH MY PARENTS DIE BEFORE YOU TOOK ME TOO!"

  I couldn’t stop.

  I didn’t want to stop.

  "WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHY ME!? WHY!?”

  I roared, my entire body burning with emotion.

  For so long, I had suffered in silence—unseen, unheard.

  But now, finally, someone was listening.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The words I had choked down for years clawed their way out—raw, ugly, unfiltered.

  For the first time, I let everything go.

  My breath came in ragged gasps. My translucent fists clenched so tightly that they trembled. My entire being shook with the force of my emotions—rage, despair, resentment, grief.

  And yet—she remained unshaken.

  “Yes, that's the kind of reaction I expected.”

  Her calmness only fueled my rage further.

  "Who the hell are you?" I spat.

  She took a step forward, her wings shifting slightly as she closed the distance between us.

  "I am Libertas, the Goddess of Freedom."

  Her voice was serene, yet carried immense weight.

  “I oversee thousands of worlds, including yours. I bestow freedom upon all living beings, including yourself. However—" she paused, gazing at me with something akin to pity—"my power is not as all-encompassing as you might believe.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What the hell does that mean?”

  She sighed. "While individuals are free to act, their choices create consequences—both good and bad. I do not control every detail of mortal lives."

  "Your world, in particular, is… unique. Unlike others filled with magic and divine influence, your world lacks mana—a crucial variable that connects gods to mortals."

  "In other worlds, I can provide oracles, blessings, or even descend in limited form. But in your world… I can do nothing."

  "The tragedies you faced were not my doing. They were the result of free will of those around you, a series of unfortunate coincidences."

  She gave me a look filled with quiet sorrow.

  I clenched my fists, “…Coincidences?”

  So, that was it?

  All of it—every nightmare, betrayal, and loss—was just… a coincidence?

  Something completely out of her control?

  “...” I remained silent.

  Somewhere inside me, I understood what she was saying. The logic made sense.

  But the anger inside me wouldn’t die so easily.

  She could sense my conflict.

  "I understand if you don't accept my explanation. You don’t have to.”

  She waved her hand.

  Suddenly, I felt weight in my limbs. My body was solid again.

  "I saw your life. You always wondered not knowing where to direct your hatred, correct?" she said softly.

  Then—she knelt.

  She prostrated herself before me.

  Her wings folded, her forehead touching the ground.

  My breath caught in my throat.

  "What are you—?"

  "I am deeply sorry." Her voice trembled slightly.

  “I watched you suffer, heard your nightly cries, and did nothing. I listened to your prayers, your longing for happiness, but I couldn’t grant it."

  "Feel free to unleash your anger upon me. You have the freedom to punish me in any way until you find peace.”

  I froze.

  The woman who called herself a goddess knelt before me, offering herself to my rage.

  My hands trembled.

  Then—I roared.

  "AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!"

  I swung my fist down with all my might.

  *BAM!*

  The sound echoed in the vast space.

  But—I hadn’t hit her.

  I had punched the ground in front of her.

  I gritted my teeth. My voice quivering.

  "Unfair…"

  The word slipped out.

  Then I repeated it. Louder.

  "Unfair… Unfair! UNFAIR!" I shouted.

  "How the hell can I hit you when you act like this!?"

  She raised her head, smiling, "You are very kind."

  Before I could react, she embraced me.

  I stiffened.

  "You've given your best," she whispered.

  Her voice trembled.

  "Despite the wounds in your heart, the ones no one else could see… You never gave up.”

  "Even when your mind told you to quit, even when you had nothing left—you still endured.”

  "Your suffering was not unseen. Your existence was not meaningless.”

  “Your grief, misery, and pain reached the heavens.”

  She tightened her embrace, her soft warmth enveloping me like a fragile sanctuary against the endless emptiness of this space.

  "Because of that—I called you here."

  Her words lingered in the silence.

  I felt my breath hitch.

  Something inside me wavered.

  But I clenched my teeth, trying to hold it together.

  No. I won’t cry.

  I don’t cry.

  For over two decades, I had taught myself to endure.

  I had buried my pain beneath layers of indifference, forced myself to smile when I wanted to scream, laughed when I wanted to break.

  Crying was useless—it wouldn’t change the past, it wouldn’t fix my broken life, it wouldn’t bring back the things I had lost.

  So why?

  Why did her words make my chest ache so much?

  Why did my body tremble in her arms?

  She was just a goddess.

  She had nothing to do with my suffering.

  She was merely an observer, incapable of intervening, incapable of changing anything.

  So why…?

  Why did it feel like—

  Like for the first time in my life—

  Someone had acknowledged everything I had endured?

  That realization sent a shockwave through my heart.

  Everything I had suppressed—every wound, every heartbreak, every moment of isolation—began to crack open.

  The injustice.

  The loneliness.

  The silent, desperate prayers that no one ever answered.

  The nights spent staring at the ceiling, wondering why I even existed.

  The days forcing myself to keep going, because there was no other choice.

  The betrayals.

  The exhaustion of pretending to be okay.

  All of it—everything—rushed back at once.

  The emotions I had spent years suffocating within myself suddenly had nowhere to go.

  I tried to fight it.

  I tried to swallow it down.

  But—

  It was too much.

  A choked sound escaped my throat.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, my breathing ragged, my entire body shaking.

  No… don’t do this…

  Don’t—

  But...

  I couldn’t stop it.

  "Hwaaaaaa…."

  The dam broke.

  I sobbed—loud, messy, uncontrollable.

  Like a child, like the weak, shattered person I had always been but never allowed myself to show.

  My arms clung to her, my fingers digging into the fabric of her gown as I buried my face in her shoulder.

  I wept.

  For everything I had lost.

  For everything that had been stolen from me.

  For all the years of pretending I was fine.

  For the person I used to be.

  For the person I could have been.

  She didn’t say anything.

  She didn’t try to stop me.

  She just held me.

  Like she had all the time in the world.

  Like she wasn’t a goddess, but… just someone who understood.

  She held me as I let everything go.

  The anger. The resentment. The pain.

  I knew it wouldn’t last forever. But at that moment, and for the first time in my existence—

  I allowed myself to feel.

  After what felt like an eternity, she gently pulled away.

  "Have you calmed down?" she asked.

  She chuckled, "The person who never cried for over 20 years cried in my arms. Does that make me special?”

  "Wha—!?” I caught off guard because she suddenly started joking.

  Then she smirked, "Also… you did nothing to me, even though you were given a chance to punish me in any way.” She hugged herself and continued, “I thought you were going to rape me.”

  “Whaa!?!?” Her last words surprised me again.

  Indeed, she did say I could punish her with anything, so why was I fixated on hitting her with my fist!? Argh, I missed my chance to have fun with a Goddess!

  She laughed as I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

  Then, her expression turned serious.

  "I truly am sorry."

  Her voice was barely above a whisper, filled with genuine sorrow.

  "I have watched you suffer your entire life, yet I could do nothing. I heard your silent prayers, saw you endure pain no one else noticed… and I remained powerless.”

  She lifted her gaze, her blue eyes shining with regret.

  “I know my words won’t erase what you’ve been through. I cannot change your past, nor can I bring back the happiness you lost.

  "But—if you desire it—I can offer you a new beginning.”

  "Your wounds will not vanish. The traumas you bear will not be erased. But this time—" she placed a hand on my chest, over where my heart would be if I still had a body, "you will have the freedom to live on your terms.”

  “I will not alter who you are. You will not wake up as a prince or a hero of legend. Your new life will begin as a commoner, with all the struggles and freedom that come with it.”

  "But I will not send you alone. You will have a helper—someone who will guide you and support you in this new world.”

  A helper?

  “Like a servant?” I asked, my voice skeptical.

  She chuckled softly. "No, nothing like that. More like… a companion. Someone you can rely on. Someone who will stay by your side, no matter what happens.”

  A companion…

  The word felt strange to me.

  For as long as I could remember, I had always been alone.

  No one had ever stayed by my side. No one had ever truly supported me.

  Would this person… be different?

  She continued,

  “You will retain your memories. You will also have a small blessing, though I will not tell you what it is—you must discover it on your own.”

  I narrowed my eyes. "Why won’t you tell me?"

  She tilted her head playfully, "Because it wouldn’t be fun otherwise.”

  I sighed. Even after everything, she still treated this like a game.

  But…

  A new life.

  Would it be different this time?

  Would I find something worth living for?

  Or would this world betray me just like the last one?

  "The choice is yours," she said.