Zenovis Izel or aka, Izeno’s POV:

 

“…”

 

Hmm…? It’s dark…? Oi... What is the meaning of this? I can’t seem to open my eyes!! Wait… I don’t feel like…

 

Ah~ ^_^

 

I see… am I experiencing sleep paralysis again…? Did I perhaps fall asleep while browsing my phone on the bed? Ugh… my memories are so hazy, and my thoughts are not in order.

 

“…”

 

I rarely experience this kind of thing, and yes, this feeling is very familiar. My muscles are unable to move at all. Hah… Compared to back then, this time, the difference is that it feels like my body is missing, and there are no signs of regaining back my muscle control anytime soon!

 

Additionally, I should be able to catch sight of a bloody girl in a swimsuit staring at me in my own room... but there's nothing but darkness. It seems like my consciousness is the only one that is still active...

 

But isn't this even creepier? I mean, I only see the total darkness. In contrast to seeing mysterious things and being watched by them, I would have preferred seeing a ghost.

 

“…”

 

Twenty-five minutes have passed…

 

OI!! JUST WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF THIS?? THIS IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL OF SLEEP PARALYSIS, YOU KNOW!? T-THIS IS GETTING CREEPY!! WHY IS THERE NOTHING BUT DARKNESS??

 

It feels like I fell victim to a scary entity just like the ones from the movies… Is something going to appear in front of me and hear a high pitch-scream? What should I be expecting to happen here!?

 

“…”

 

(Silence)

 

No… perhaps, what I am experiencing right now is not sleep paralysis? Am I even sleeping in the first place? I have no idea, seriously… But then, if this is not…

 

“…”

 

Silence envelopes my surroundings. There is nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing I can do. All nothingness.

 

The same thing happens when I close my eyes, pitch-black nothingness can be seen. My consciousness is the only one I can hold on to.

What else could this be? Ugh, putting effort into my thinking is being overwhelmed by my confusion.

 

Am I... A-Am I dead…? Did I just die…? But... how…? Ugh, just why are my memories so hazy of all times? Is this one of the processes after you die? Slowly forgetting everything…?

 

Come on, I need to think of anything… I only know a few people. Among them, no one bears a grudge against me. Also, I have no connections with whom whatsoever. And I am a careful person about accidents. Unless the company I am working in decided to get rid of me... but no way.

Man, forget it. Even if I died, what about it? Not like I can do anything about it now. I have to see what I can do in this situation.

 

Anyways... is this what will happen when someone dies? For sure, this is not sleep paralysis anymore unless it is something of an extreme level.

 

But… I consider one more possibility… this is probably because of my longing desires. Yep, it is unlikely, but not impossible at all.

 

Oh boy, just thinking of that diminutive possibility suddenly changed my mood. 

Did I change back to what I was like back then in high school? I can feel my consciousness trembling out of the excitement.

 

You know, the feeling of your dreams finally being fulfilled unexpectedly. This is the exact moment that I am waiting for, so I hope at least that this is really it. Even if the chance is like heaven and the Earth. Today, I want to make it happen.

 

I want to voice out my last hope.

"..."

Is this… IS THIS IT, RIGHT!? I WILL FINALLY REINCARNATE INTO ANOTHER WORLD!?? I CAN FINALLY BECOME THE MOB THAT TURNS OUT TO BE THE MASTERMIND, CAN I!??

 

“…”

 

WHERE IS THE GOD THAT WILL GIVE ME POWERS? ANYONE?? WHERE IS THE GUIDE THAT WILL REINCARNATE ME INTO ANOTHER WORLD??

 

“…”

 

Silence. No one answers my call. Yup, time to take back what I said. Forget it.

 

Hah~ ^_^

 

What was I expecting? Of course, it will not happen. How long has it been since I last thought about this fantasy of mine?

 

I guess… In the end, fantasy is just a fantasy. No matter how much I want or dream about it, it will remain an idea of fulfillment.

 

I kept my hopes up for something that I just happened to read. No ounce of a chance that it will even exist in the first place. 

Why did I even think of this as some reincarnation fantasy? I just happened to read a manga, then why am I still clinging to that past?

Oh boy, is my dream really that hardcore? I became too hopeless… I want to slap myself back to reality. I thought I wanted to move on from thinking about it.

 

After all that happened, in the end, escape is not an option.

Remembering that again, when I was 16 years old, I kept pursuing a specific desire. The desire to obtain a power that not an ally or an enemy can oppose. I thought it was a grandeur way of thinking. Sounds very stupid, no?

 

I certainly remember what shaped me into that kind of person. Well, it was a manga. It was about a mystery isekai protagonist who fools everyone and turns out to be the true mastermind. I admired that character so much. I want to be one of them. I want to be in the same world as them.

 

Though, that spirit of mine back then when I was still a high school boy did not last long. Yes. Reality check. Even I knew that it was just me being hopeless and pathetic being.

 

But, deep in my heart, a room is reserved for that little hope that someday it will happen.

 

I even prepared a master plan. And yep, it is about everything I will do in case the impossible happens. You know, like how I will spend my life if I ever get reincarnated into another world. I spent about three years fantasizing about my dream life and wrote it down in a notebook.

 

Those are the specifics of what I will do first after reincarnating. Such as, what kind of powers will I have? What should I name myself? Am I going to be a boy or a girl? Yes, just like a hardcore chuunibyou. 

Sigh… I want to forget those shameful old days already.

 

Despite being a chuunibyou, I kept acting normal around everyone. No one knows about my desires and personality. I was making a straight poker face for the whole day, then releasing my face back to normal at home.

 

And you know what? My body is something that I am so proud of! It is perfectly built like what a mob should be! Along with black hair and black eyes!

I barely give a damn about anyone back in the day. I lived a peaceful life admiring and fantasizing about myself reincarnating in another world.

 

And yep, time passed. I finished high school without any of those events happening to me. I went to college and graduated. And now I am a working adult. And finally, I am an adult that contributes to society.

 

Plain and simple right? It hits me hard whenever I remember the old me.

 

But I am here right now, complaining to myself in the darkness. MYSELF, ALONE! In a pitch-black space from who knows where! 

Is there even something I can do here asides from thinking? When I convinced myself that I was finally reincarnating in a fancy way...

No good.

 

For now, I will recognize myself as dead until something happens.

Hypothetically speaking… if this happens to the people who die... they will become isolated and stuck in a lonely dark place...? 

...Because that would make sense. This place is probably hell.

Truth be told, I may have sinned too much. My standards of good and bad deeds might be slightly different, I guess.

 

Ah~ ^_^

 

Nothing good ever happened to me. I left too many unfinished business and regrets. Is this how I will spend the rest of my time forever…?

 

“…”

 

After some time passed...

What am I supposed to do now…? Should I try chanting weird phrases? I have been talking to myself for some time now. Even if I try pouring my maximum brain power into this situation... nothing good will come.

Now that I think of it, I should probably sort out what put me into this situation since my memories are steadily becoming fine now.

 

Hmm... let me see… right, what was the last thing I did…? 

Working… Saturday groceries… oh, right!! I was on my way home from the grocery at that time…

 

☆☆☆☆☆

 

Finally, I finished my grocery shopping. I walked towards my car while pushing a cart with my grocery bags in it. The sun is still up, and I have more time left to clean my apartment room.

 

“Hmm… I think I will just rest for today.”

 

To be honest, I feel like not doing anything today. I've been working hard a lot lately. I deserve some rest, right? 

I want to read some more manga... I guess I will do that.

 

I entered my car and drove to the apartment building I am staying in. It is a seven-story and 267-unit apartment building surrounded by an exterior corridor. 

I used the stairs outside and started walking through the fancy corridor that leaves a noble-like feeling, similar to the gothic buildings back in the middle ages.

 

"—el-kun... Izel-kun! Please slow down!"

 

As I was about to go to my apartment room, a beautiful voice reached out to my ears. 

I wish she did not casually scream my name like a crazy woman chasing after her husband. 

A woman can be seen holding on to the handrail while looking seemingly out of breath. 

Yep, I knew it. That woman is looking charming as ever.

 

A woman with long, smooth, silky silver hair, fair skin, and a pair of dead red crimson eyes, they are indeed a sight to behold. If anyone ever witnesses this, they might say she is a goddess in disguise.

 

"What is it Mireille-san? You don't have to scream my name so loudly... More importantly, are you okay? You should've at least sent me a message if you want to meet with me you know?"

 

She is Vyon Mireille, a co-worker of mine in the same company. Unfortunately, we live in the same apartment building due to compelling circumstances. Generally, she lives in her grandiose monster villa owned by her father, and yep, she is an ‘Ojou-sama’. She refused to live in it because she wanted to be independent.

 

I consider her my close friend. And we help each other out, though people often mistake us for a married couple.

To be honest, I like her as a woman, but it seems like she already has a partner. Her league is something I will not be able to reach after all. And so, I kept my distance to not get too close to her.

 

The other residents of this apartment might file a complaint about the disturbing noises this woman makes right now. It's too loud.

 

Anyways... looking at her ragged expression, something must have happened. 

Now that I got a better look at her appearance, she is wearing an elegant black round-neck dress that matches her image as an ‘Ojou-sama’. I can guess that she just recently went to a funeral.

 

I have no idea about her circumstances. That is just my guess based on her appearance. We only meet occasionally, during work, and on our days off, so we are not getting in much contact, so there is no chance for us to talk about our private life.

 

But except for phone emails and chats. Yep, I barely know anything about the woman named Mireille-san.

 

"Izel-kun, please come with me! I will explain everything later, so just for now, please come with me!"

...Isn’t she too desperate? And she is even holding down my hand tightly! This is bad for my heart, you know!?

 

Just what happened? I hope this is not something so troublesome… Hah~, I guess my plan to laze off for the rest of the day is cancelled, huh?

 

"Hey, can you calm down for a bit, will you? I’m not going anywhere."

 

"Un. S-Sorry... but we do not have much time left."

 

OI!! What’s with that face? What are you being bashful for!? If isn’t for my poker face, I might be having a beet-red look right now, you know!?

 

Anyway, it seems that it is some urgent matter then. But why does it have something to do with me? If it is about work, then it can’t be helped.

 

"I got it, I got it alright? So, will you explain to me while we’re walking? Oh wait, let me put this bag in my room."

 

I put down my items inside my room and took my outdoor jacket. Then I started to walk ahead, and Mireille-san began to talk. 

 

"This afternoo—"

 

Mireille-san’s words stopped registering in my head. I completely ignored her for a bit because something caught my attention. I completely switched my focus from Mireille-san to the mysterious light that suddenly emerged behind her.

 

While walking through the apartment building’s exterior corridor towards the downstairs, a small faint glowing blueish light appeared behind her left side from a distance.

 

Is someone playing with laser lights this day? Or probably is someone testing lighting equipment? But isn’t it weird? It’s like the light is aimed at us. I could only gaze at it out of curiosity.

 

As my eyes kept staring at the blue light, I noticed some strange minor movements it made. Huh? The source of the light is… why is it moving towards us!? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No... it’s something else!!

 

The blue light gradually becomes big as it goes toward Mireille-san’s back. The next moment, I quickly moved my body and acted based on instinct.

 

"Mireille-san!!"

 

I miserably pulled Mireille-san to my other side forcefully. She then sat down on the spot at a distance away from me. And before I can even have the chance to move, the light hit and swallowed me.

 

☆☆☆☆☆

 

THAT’S IT!! I REALLY DIED AFTER ALL!?

 

Ugh, that was an unpleasant feeling after getting hit by that light. It feels like I got torn into pieces. 

Just what was that? Did someone fire explosives at my house? Or perhaps… someone is experimenting with nuclear weapons? I would have accepted it if I died in a better way...

 

Hmm. I just hope nothing happened to Mireille-san or the apartment building. Ah... my computer...

 

Well, whatever, I don’t care anymore. It’s not like I can do anything about it now, anyway. That is because I am dead, after all!

 

“…”

After some time passed…

 

How long has it been since I kept staring at the bottomless darkness? I lost my sense of time, or to be exact, I don’t feel like time is passing at all. You know, the feeling like a year ago is just a second ago…

 

I don’t particularly feel anything right now. It's been a while since my memories started to stabilize, and I get a weird sensation like I’m being aware of something that I’m not before...

Am I finally becoming a ghost or something? Or is the reaper telling me I’m about to be roasted in the depths of flames? This just sounds like a fantasy now.

"..." 

After some time passed...

"..."

I've been here staring into the darkness for a while now. Until this sudden information made its way to me. It is something that I shouldn't be able to know...

Why did these memories suddenly resurface? The faces of the random people I passed by back when I was a child...? 

Wait… no, why do I perfectly recognize their existence? What I mean is the details of their very existence! Their name, family tree, body details like genetic characteristics, and precise origin appeared in my head out of the blue! 

What the hell is happening...? 

This is exactly like how the protagonists in fantasy manga begin their awakening event, right...? They obtain powers out of nowhere and will be guided to another world. This sudden development... could it be...?

 

C-Calm down, myself… yes… this is nothing, it’s probably like me getting reminded of the moments of my life back when I was still alive. And to continue my journey since my physical body is dead, I am about to go to the afterlife…? Right? RIGHT???

 

“…”

 

HOLY SHIT!! THIS IS IT, RIGHT!?!? MY AWAKENING!?!? I AM FINALLY GOING TO REINCARNATE INTO ANOTHER WORLD, RIGHT!??? TELL ME! TELL ME!! I KNOW IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN! I KNOW SOMEONE IS WATCHING ME RIGHT NOW!! IS THIS MY POWER!?? O-KAMI-SAMA I CAN FEEL ITTTT!!!!!

 

“…”

(A minute of silence.) 

^_^

Pfft. As if, HAHAHA! There is no way that it will happen to me. Forget what I said just now.

Anyways, I have to keep this in mind… mind… Mind…?? Huh…? Since when did I study…? 

Oi, oi... I remember correctly that my grades in high school are lower than average. I never took high school seriously, you know? This means that there are knowledge and information that I am not supposed to know!

 

But… why… why did I suddenly know about these things? Organic Chemistry? Quantum Physics? Thermodynamics? 

"What are those? Is it something I can eat?” or so what I should be saying right now!! Because those are the demonic classes in college that I didn’t even bother paying heed to! 

I even took a trouble-free art course in college to be able to live an easy life!

I KNEW IT! SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY HAPPENING TO ME!

 

Right now, I feel like a torrent of information is being forcefully shoved into me… though I don’t feel any discomfort. In fact, I feel like I’m being enlightened! 

Additionally, I feel like I’m getting a better comprehension of my memories than ever before, and it doesn’t show any signs of fading at any rate!

Did I finally enter the realm of fantasy worlds?

 

But I don’t hear anything at all… There’s no sign of me reincarnating, being guided, or anything that leads to reincarnation.

 

“…”

 

That's fine, I guess. I will wait no matter how much time it takes. 

For now, I will do everything to understand what's happening to me until then. 

After some time passed...

I finally got the gist of things. 

In this pitch-black space, my knowledge is being expanded, which means new information is being derived from my stock knowledge and memories. 

I figured it out by tracing the core source of the latest information flowing in my head. 

All of my memories are fragments that connect to each other to make a piece of new information. Subsequently, that latest piece will fuse with the old ones to form another, and the cycle continues.

However, there is an abnormality. There is mysterious information which source I can't find. Such as the technology and systems of an unknown planet with civilizations similar to that of Earth... But I haven’t met any aliens in my life. So it did not come directly from my own memories.

There are no clues for me yet, so I can’t solve this mystery, but my intuition tells me that everything will be uncovered for me in just a matter of time. I’m sure of it.

 

After some time passed…

 

How long has it been? I can finally answer that question. The lost time that I once didn't manage to count finally popped up inside my head.

Fortunately, the system of how my memory works here is pretty convenient. My memories are being reinforced, and from the sounds of it, you can conclude that my memories are permanent. That's right, my memories here in this pitch-black space are P-E-R-M-A-N-E-N-T. 

That feeling of not being able to forget even a single detail of everything in your memories is dreadful when you think about it. 

And now that I can tell how long I've been staying here, it's about 87 billion years. I'm not really surprised anymore. But that 87 billion years in this space is just a day ago, based on what I feel. 

There are no progresses being made aside from acquiring new information. If I'm not just in this situation and have this absurd ability when I was still alive... I could've achieved my dream of being a mysterious protagonist...

This abnormal condition of mine is like an omnipotent ability. I mean, in a human sense. Yep, I am talking about the power of not being able to forget any information and its continuous expansion. 

Imagine a human possessing this ability and that human is making the best use of it. That human will, without a doubt, transcend its humanity. That human can also use that ability to help the human race progress, skipping several civilizations and generations, then explore the vast universe.

 

There are unlimited possibilities for someone if they possess this ability. It’s not an exaggeration to say this since I’m experiencing it firsthand. And I would, without batting an eye, use this ability to fulfil everything I wanted, that is, if I were still a human.

Though I can’t say anything for now. I might discover the possibility of being reincarnated as a humanoid lifeform later on… then I can use my ability by that time. 

 Yep, this situation of mine became a total fantasy.

 

Ah~ ^_^

And after that, I'm continuously acquiring new information every second…

 

---

 

Current Counting Status: 2.743632e+18 Earth’s seconds (Approx. 87 Billion Years later)