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Opening my eyes, I saw a twenty year old looking male, sitting on a wooden chair opposite to me.

Blinking, I rised a hand to touch my neck.

‘The wound~?’

‘Still alive?!’

‘No, it’s impossible for me to survive after bleeding that much!’

Rising another hand to touch my neck. Touching my neck with my two hands. I shivered…

Then I looked at the male, again.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

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Reading an open book that sat on his lap. The man sitting on the chair looked at me. Then he spoke.

“Take a seat.”

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Suddenly a chair similar to the one the unknown man had appeared from thin air, right behind me.

It made a small sound when it meet ground, but it didn’t break. For it was 5 cm above ground level to actually break.

‘Tuck’

Hearing the sound. Looking at the chair with widened eyes. I decided to sit.

Afterwards, I heard his voice again.

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“Immortal Romeo.”

“A fascinating story written by Sid Courtinger, an English fantasy writer that barely has any fans.”

“The plot is simple. The characters have a deep background. And the protagonist is a boy with a pure heart that attracts the affection of many.”

“Nevertheless.”

“For the eternity I have been given at disposal. I simply can’t find anything too great about this novel.”

“To me, it’s just a harem story where the protagonist suffers too much, and doesn’t get anything great as a reward.”

“The romance between him and different girls also makes no sense. People can’t fall in love just because they were saved from a predicament.”

“Honestly, the novel is trash. The protagonist doesn’t even get to have sex at all, despite so many fan services.”

“This is shit.”

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Hearing him, I held my head down. Then I spoke.

“Yes. It’s as you said.”

“There is nothing special. Everyone and everything is shit.”

“However…”

“I feel it.”

“I feel there is meaning in friendship, love, and suffering.”

“How can there be a human that doesn’t suffer, in that planet? Romeo has to suffer in order to attain love and justice.”

“Without suffering, life is meaningless. You can barely feel your anything without pain.”

“As such! I believe there is meaning in one’s efforts. Even if there is no goal achieved or reward at the end of the road, that someone walks. There is always warmth to give and receive!”

“People search for warmth. A heartwarming tale to enjoy. They don’t want to see madness or cruelty, they want to see a world where the characters are free and can decide for themselves what to do!”

“The road that the characters took. Even if it’s an ending given by the writer, there is no way it’s fruitless. It’s not meaningless.”

“I believe that the story is amazing. Even if I am the only Earthling to think so.”

I responded. Then held my face high. For there is no occurrence that should be denied, and given more logic then there should be to it.

Why must everything be logical? Can’t we just decide on something just because we want to? Even if it kills us at the end?

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“Hm…”

“I don’t really understand what’s so heartwarming about a tale were girls blush all the time. Call the protagonist a perverse beast, and hit him in the head so hard he bleeds to death.”

“Fucking masochists. Simping is not my thing.”

“There is so much to be done in this world. Advancing science, ensuring the species wellbeing and reproduction. Alternative ways to dispose of trash. Finding new and cleaner sources of energy.”

“Honestly. I couldn’t care a bit about fantasy, dreams, girls, and friendship.”

“Man is born alone. Alone he dies.”

“No one will care about others suffering, pain and heart.”

“Those girls inside the book are just sucking up to a free meal. They go as far as to allow polygamy in their relationship, just because the main character has a rare power that could result in their next generation’s prosperity.”

“You have no idea how dark the world gets when a rare bug like the protagonist is born. It becomes so dark, that those girls will do everything to attain his blood. Alive or dead.”

The man smiled while continuing his debate on the story. He really didn’t care about the morals, that the story teaches to mankind. All he cared about was for the logic it held.

He was trying to say: “Where is logic in romance and warmth, when there are deeper intentions hidden behind all the characters of the story?”

.

“Enough!!”

“It’s a book about bitches, superpowers, villains, and sense of justice.”

“The story is as it is. No one is allowed to make change in performance, conclusions, and characters.”

“It’s just a book. The author can’t make a book become better… he himself isn’t perfect, as such the book will never be perfect.”

“Also… why are we talking about this?! Shouldn’t we be talking about me?!”

I shouted everything I had in me, with all my strength. 

The book that I loved was seen as trash. But I couldn’t blame him. He didn’t have the same tastes as I do.

Even if I asked him, why was he reading it, when he didn’t like it. I was sure that he would say: “Cutz I was bored.”

After all. Books are read in order to get rid of the boredom acquired from our daily routines.

Novels are nothing more but worlds we dive in, so that we can experience something we can’t in real life.

Every man on Earth, reads novels become they have some free time to do so.

Even if the books and novels are shit, people will still read it, because that is all we have in order to pass the time we have been given on earth.

Sure. We can make more effective use of our time. We can use it to train our bodies and do chores but…

Curiosity…

Curiosity killed the cat.

There is no man or woman who isn’t curious to know about stories, rumors, or history.

It’s how humans are built.

Humanity cannot stop being curious. As such, everyone wants to know things they don’t like to be aware of…

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“Oh. Interesting.”

“Verify interesting.”

“You asked why we are discussing about this?”

“That’s because, you my friend are going to enter the world of [ Immortal Romeo ].”

“It decided by destiny. The universe itself, if I have to explain it with simple words.”

“Our meeting. It’s fate itself at work.”

.

“Huh?”

‘Going inside that world? He must be joking. Tales are tales. Reality is reality.’

What is called fantasy is an illusion. Fantasy can never become real. The world itself, reality in other words, cannot support illusions. As such, what is a dream, stays as a dream.

“You are kidding with me.”

“Bla bla bla. Etc.”

“Please don’t play pranks on me. I just slit my own throat a few minutes ago. I am not in good condition right now.”

Honestly, I am tired. Mentally tired.

Life was not fine a few moments ago. Now some nobody appears and starts talking about going inside a novel’s world. 

I must be dreaming…

There is no way everything here is real.

I am a dead man.

Dead men don’t…

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Continuing to look at me. The unknown male’s face become serious. Like, really serious.

“I am not kidding.”

“Originally I was planning to send you in that world without any sort of conversation, like we are doing now.”

“But I changed my mind. I simply had to prepare you before I sent you in there.”

“Also. I wanted to meet you. I was curious and wanted to see, how cute you were with my own eyes.”

“You are so adorable 🥰.”

His seriousness faded and was replaced by happiness.

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Hearing him talk so much. I just looked up at the sky, ignoring him for a few minutes, in order to process information.

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The sky wasn’t blue. 

The sky was black with stars illuminating our surroundings brightly.

Becoming aware of this, I looked at the ground.

The ground was white. Too white to make anything of it.

“What the hell is going on here?!” I asked.

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Noticing my confusion. The man looked at the floor and the sky, afterwards he said.

“This is my work office.”

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Huh?!

What?!

“Wait! What?!”

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“You are going to be reincarnated in the world of [ Immortal Romeo ]. And I have chosen to aid you on your journey. That’s why we are in my office. And…”

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“Holy Father Of Jesus!”

“What are you doing with me?!”

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“….”

He stopped speaking and looked at me weirdly. As if I was insane for not listening to him.

Aware of this, I was quite shocked now.

This fucking talkative guy wasn’t an illusion and this place isn’t a dream!

Is… is this heaven…???

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“…”

“Maybe I should read your mind after all. It’s an invasion of privacy, but I should have done that sooner.”

.

“Wait!” I held my two palms at him. He stopped speaking again.

“Are you an Angel?!”

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“Yes.”

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“Am I in heaven?”

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“No, you idiot. I told you. This is my office.”

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“Reincarnation?”

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“Yes. It’s because you had an unfair life, also… mostly because you are a pure soul.”

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“In that novel?” I pointed at the book in his lap with my right index finger.

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“Yes.”

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Goddammit. What did I get into this time?

And why do I have to follow this guy’s orders.

No! Why is fate itself reincarnating me?!

.

“Can’t I reject my fate. You know reincarnation?”

“I don’t want to live again. Living is painful.”

“I want to choose my own road. I am free from that body now! I don’t have to feel pain anymore. I just want to live better now!”

“Don’t reincarnate me! Please!”

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The Angel looked at me weirdly. He rised his hand and touched his forehead for a moment. Then he looked at me.

“Andrew. We can’t keep you in heaven.”

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God no!

“Why?! I didn’t do anything wrong. I was disabled my whole life.”

“I had to live in a sterilized room, far away from microbes and viruses. I almost went insane.”

“Can’t I continue to be like I am now?”

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“Andrew…” The face of the Angel showed sadness, he was going to say something I didn’t want to listen to. Something I didn’t like.

“You have nowhere to go. You are unable to find peace.”

“This reincarnation is the only choice you have to find a better future.”

“In heaven. You will be probably be forced to serve ‘him’. And I don’t like that.”

“Pure souls like your’s should live freely. You shouldn’t be tied to people just because they took pity on you, when you had nowhere to go.”

“I am not saying that you cannot be here. I just want you to live a better life. A life without having to be overshadowed by my boss.”

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Unable to contain my tears, I cried.

I cried because I wanted to be free from mortal life.

I didn’t want to be limited anymore.

I wanted to belong somewhere warm. Somewhere were people didn’t judge, badmouth or have a difficult life.

My soul wanted peace from the madness called ‘Humanity’.

This reincarnation. It’s just another life without a girlfriend, children, or ability to travel the beautiful world which I barely know of.

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“Fine! But since you are doing this to me!! I want to be overpowered!!!”

“I want to be able to travel around the world~!!!”

“No limits this time!”

“No more limits! I am tired.”

“I am too tired…” I confessed.

Staying alone in a room without any sort of company. Receiving unconditional love from a loving family, and being unable to return it.

I can’t stand it.

Please let me live better. I want to live better.

“I want to be happy…” 

Saying as much as I could, I covered my face with my hands. The tears, couldn’t stop. They were coming out, almost as if they were endless. I couldn’t control them.

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“…”

“Very well.”

“Under the name of Alba, my name. I will make sure to give you a happy life.”

“I swear to give you an appropriate gift that will make you live a life without limits.” He said.

Afterwards, he stood up and looked at me. His blue eyes becoming golden, as he rised his hands….

“…”

.

“…”

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He clapped 👏.

“It’s time.”

“Go forth and forge a path in which your freedom will be preserved.”

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Hearing the sound of his hands. The world around me began to fracture.

Taking my hands from my eyes.

Getting up as fast as I could from my seat.

I tried to grasp the Angel.

‘I don’t want that kind of life again.’ I whispered.

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[ ◾️ ]: “No more, will you suffer child.”

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The world fractured at that moment.

Instantly after, I closed my eyes, feeling tired and overworked.

Accepting the gentle embrace of nothingness, as my mind switched off.

Only to find itself in a world quite different from what I remembered.

>>>

To be continued…