What was the hardest question to answer in the world? For me, it was the meaning of life. What did we live for anyway? To survive? To fulfill our purposes? To be drowned in decadence and opulence? To be loved? Was there a meaning to what we do daily? Or did we all live just to see another sunrise? The Earth would turn regardless of human intervention. The world did not revolve around us. We were but momentary, insignificant specks within the vast universe.

Those were some of the thoughts that ran across my mind from time to time. They calmed my heart and helped me stay down to earth. I often came across as a gloomy, emo person, but I was not. It was just that I lacked motivation in life. Nothing could excite or inspire me to expect more from my meaningless, mundane life. How could you blame me for being like this after getting disappointed countless times since young? When none of your childhood dreams came true, you would realize that ideals and reality never crossed paths one day. That was the time you would grow up and stop believing in Santa and happily ever after. This must be the process of stepping into adulthood, or at least that was what I would like to believe.

As the only child born in the Chapman family, I never had an elder sister to play with or a younger brother to bully. When I was a kid, I admired the other children with siblings. I often looked out the window and watched them play at the park. Their parents were all smiles as boisterous laughter filled the atmosphere. Was I truly jealous of the kids with siblings? No! I mean, why would I? There was no one to fight over your favorite TV shows, invade your privacy, steal your stuff, share the bathroom or compete for attention. I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted and was happy about it. But I yearned for the attention of my parents. I spent most of my time alone at home after school every day. I didn't have much chance to bond with my father and mother my entire childhood. We didn't really talk, even when they were at home. Due to their job nature, they would often go on business trips. During those times, our neighbor, Aunt Helen, would take care of my meals. Although she was a kind lady, her son would always put on a grumpy face. He would usually be forced to fake a smile at me, but what I got were occasional superficial greetings or cold shoulders. I wouldn't blame him if I were being honest. If I were in his shoes, I would probably do the same. Which kid in their right mind would enjoy watching their parents treat someone's child better than themselves when the latter always looked gloomy?

Perhaps, he felt awkward or didn't enjoy my presence, or whatever reason it was. One day, when I went to their house for a meal, I noticed him reading a comic book. As always, he decided to ignore me. Not that I care, but what caught my attention was the smile on his face as his eyes were glued to the book. The sight of his delightful expression and glittering eyes burned into my memory. It left an impression so great that I couldn't fall asleep that night.

I was not unfamiliar with anime, comic books, games, and novels. After all, I often saw my schoolmates read comics and novels or play mobile games in a group. I just didn't bother to look into them. But the look on the boy's face sparked my interest so much so that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the book immediately. I needed to know what made a grumpy boy look that way!

My curiosity got the better of me eventually. I bought myself a copy of the same issue of comic book the boy read first thing the next morning. Wasting no time, I hurried back home immediately after getting that 'artifact'. Upon entering my house, I plonked myself on the sofa and plastic wrapping that covered the book. With that, I took a deep whiff of the book's fragrance. Ah! Wonderful! This was the moment that would change my life forever.

After turning to the first page, I took in the contents printed on the paper. God knew how long time had passed. Before I knew it, I was already on the last page. It was like I was in a state of trace the entire time I was reading the comic book. But I was so fired up on the inside. I could feel a burning passion engulfing my whole existence. It was at the moment that I felt alive for the first time in my life. I didn't know until a much later time, but I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time I was reading the comic.

From that day onward, I started buying comic books and novels and watching anime. One day, an epiphany hit me: I didn't need my parents' company anymore. They were almost non-existent in my life anyway. Reading a new series of comics or novels was like going on a new adventure; each story was different. A new fiction, a new world. None of them were alike. They painted colors to my monochrome life. That was how I became an avid comic and novel reader. As time passed, the empty space in my room would be filled with more and more of those books.

If one were to ask me what was my motivation and goal in life currently, I would gladly answer them without hesitation: anime, comics, games, and novels. Would I consider myself a nerd, you ask? No. I consumed those contents regarding them as a form of entertainment. Would you consider yourself a nerd for your love of cooking and gardening? No. You just preferred a different form of entertainment than I did. That's right. I didn't see a problem here.

Time flew by, and I was already in my college year before I knew it. Being a college student was kinda weird. You were no longer a teenager, but you weren't exactly a full-fledged adult, either. You were stuck in the middle of nowhere. You finally reached legal age but didn't know what to do with your life. Such is life, I guess? Full of endless questions no one had the answers to. But who cares? I swear I would live exactly the way I like.

And so, it was the release date of the new volume of one of my favorite novels that day. I was so stoked that I woke up extra early like a kid who was hyped for their field trip. I could no longer wait to get my hands on a copy of that book already. To save time, I booked an Uber to the bookstore as soon as possible. The journey from home to the bookstore had always been the longest waiting time in my life. It felt like time passed unusually slower than ever. You might ask why didn't I get myself a digital copy instead. Oh, yes. I did, alright. Or you might ask, why wouldn't I order the book online and get it delivered to me? Well, I'd say it was more like a ritual to me to grab the physical print from the bookstore.

The Uber ride didn't take a long time, as the traffic was pretty smooth that day. Once I arrived, I immediately rushed toward the rack where the latest volume was displayed. Grabbing a copy, I scuttled in the direction of the payment counter. I always enjoyed seeing the cashier putting my new book inside the paper bag. It was always a satisfying sight to behold.

With the paper bag in my hand, I left the bookstore with a silly grin on my face. Oops! Gotta wipe the dripping drool off! Ahem! Can't be ruining my public image, can't I? Now that I finally got what I wanted, there was no way I'd wait until I was home to start reading. I didn't lose my sleep the night before to have to wait for another extra minute. Thus, I instantly tore off the plastic wrapping that was blocking my slender fingers from the book. Without further hesitation, I quickly flipped through the pages and started reading while I was strolling on the sidewalk.

I was a happy girl with her favorite book in her hands. There was nothing that would feel better than moments like this. I didn't realize what had happened until it was too late. You'd guessed it right. I got hit by Truck-kun! Tee-hee! But heck, that was no joke! The second a long bang was heard, I could feel an excruciating pain spread across my whole body. My head felt like it was split into pieces. Blood was oozing out from my body like a flood. As the blood continued leaving my body, I could feel a shivering chill sweep through every inch of my skin. It hurt so much that I lost the ability to think straight. Am I gonna die? If I knew death was gonna hurt so much, I would've been more mindful of the traffic and not lost myself in the world of books. But life was not a game; you didn't get to choose replay.

Argh...! It hurts... It hurts so much! I wanted the pain to go away immediately. All of a sudden, flashes of memories played in my mind like a video. It was at that moment I realized I had been squandering my life away. If I were given a second chance, I would want to live a wonderful, colorful, and eventful life. But I knew it was all too late. There was no retry. Soon, I felt my consciousness leave me.

...

"Alice."

...

"Alice." I could hear someone calling my name.

"Knock, knock. Earth to Alice," a disembodied voice said casually. I tried to focus on the voice as I struggled to open my eyes which felt like they were glued.

"Who are you? Where am I? I'm dead, right? Am I in the afterlife? Are you a god or something? Oh, I'm not going to hell for not paying attention to the traffic, right? Please tell me I'm not going to hell!" I could barely make out the silhouette of the voice's owner. It appeared to be a dazzling humanoid figure, which pretty much meant it was not a human.

"Whoa, there. Calm down. You're not going to hell. So, don't worry. I am a celestial being. I'm not a god but an agent of God—the servant of the Holy One. My name is Kaiel. This place is a pseudo-dimensional plane. You may understand it as a temporal hub that all newly deceased souls will pass through. It exists in the same universe but is on a different plane of existence. Do you have any questions?"

"Err... Okay. That's interesting. So, do heaven and hell actually exist? What should I do next? Where am I going to?"

"Yes, heaven and hell exist. But there aren't in this universe. Don't worry about them for now. You have a more important mission. Your spirit will be sent into another world. You are to learn about the ways of that world and stop a great catastrophe that will befall in the future." Oh, ho. That sure sounds interesting. I wonder if that world has swords and magic. "Yes, the world you'll be reborn into has swords and magic. And you'll be blessed with all the things you lacked in your previous life. To help you fulfill your mission, you'll be blessed with unlimited growth and potential. You'll be able to learn and do anything as long as you give your all. Fear not, for the eyes of the Almighty are upon you."

I gazed at the being as they explained the situation to me. To be frank, I had never seen someone so beautiful in my life before. The beauty of this being was so out of this world that it stirred up fear in me. The voice of Kaiel was so pleasant to the ear that it was like the best eargasm you could ever experience.

Whoa! Wait a minute! Did Kaiel just read my thoughts earlier? That was so scary and cool at the same time!

"By the way, does everyone go through this also? Do I get to keep the memories from my previous world? Is there anything else that I need to know?"

Flashing a gentle smile on their countenance, Kaiel replied, "No. You are a special exception. This is a mission unique to you. Yes, you'll remember everything. I've already told you everything you need to know for now. Your mission will be revealed when the time comes."

Just then, Kaiel raised their hand and declared, "Live your life to the fullest, Alice Chapman. Until we meet again. Peace be with you."

Upon hearing that, the scenery before my eyes turned white. The next thing I knew, I was in an unfamiliar place with people I had never seen before, who were speaking in a language that I couldn't understand. Okay. I guess Truck-kun did send me into another world as it did those many high schoolers from the east.