2 The beginning after the end

Chapter 1

"Watch out young man!" a gruff voice yelled at a young boy who was walking down the street of LA.

The boy in question was listening to music that was blasting through his headphones, while he was moving through the bustling streets of LA. When a loud gruff voice yelled from behind him, he snapped in the direction of the voice, finding a middle-aged man yelling, and pointing at him to move away. As he desperately tried to comprehend why the man was yelling at him to move, he heard the loudest tire squeal of his life.

*screechhhhhhhh!*

As he snapped in the direction of the noise, he saw a truck heading straight towards him at full speed. Behind the truck, he could see a few police cars chasing it with their lights flickering. He heard the distinct sound of the blaring police sirens.

He snapped out of his trance state and his survival instincts kicked in, a surge of adrenaline washing over him as he felt his muscles twitching into overdrive.

'If I don't move, I'm dead for sure.'

Despite the situation, he was surprisingly calm.

That, however, was just his delusion it seemed.

As when he tried to move, his body didn't allow him, his feet glued to the ground. Fear kicked in as his eyes started to widen, his mind working full throttle, desperately trying to think of a way out. The world around him came to a halt, or maybe it was just his imagination, he wouldn't know.

The fear of losing his life had wrenched his whole being, after all.

He was paralyzed.

As he watched the truck closing in on him, he closed his eyes instinctively, waiting for his death. After what seemed like an eternity, something collided with his body, sending him reeling backwards into a mush of his own blood and body parts. He didn't feel any pain, or maybe it was just the suddenness of his impending death?

He didn't know.

While having his last breath, he couldn't help but wish he could've enjoyed his life more, he wished he could have gotten himself a girlfriend, he wished he could have led a normal life, he wished he could be someone to somebody, and not be lonely.

In the last moments, his life flashed before him and with that came the memories of his tough childhood flooding back in; his mother, father, and his loving sister.

As the suffocating feeling around his heart engulfed him, a tear left his eye, trailing down his battered head and plopping down on his own blood.

He regretted not enjoying his life to the fullest.

As he took his last breath, a blue transparent screen popped up in front of his vision.

[Notice: The host found!]

[Ding!]

[Host has been awarded a wish from the Supreme Ruler! Would you be kind enough to speak your wish?]

Confused as he was about this blue screen that appeared eerily similar to that of an RPG game, he couldn't help but wonder about its purpose.

He didn't have much time, he could feel his consciousness slipping away, his mind was getting hazy. Though this was all too strange to be true, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

With blood gushing out of his broken mouth, he tried his hardest and managed to utter a name.

"S-Shadow… Mo-n-a-r-c-h…"

[Affirmative!]

[Searching…]

[Ding!]

[The Host has selected the power of the Shadow Monarch, Ashborn, from a fictional novel called "Solo Leveling"!]

[Processing…]

[Error!]

[Error!]

[Scanning…]

[Error!]

[Error!]

[Processing…]

[Notice: Host has successfully been granted the power of the Shadow Monarch!]

[Transferring Host to the World #128091820936]]

[Searching…]

[Processing…!]

[World Found!]

[Connection established!]

[Commencing transfer! In 3…]

[2…]

[1…]

[Safe travels Host!]

***

Darkness.

All Damien could see was darkness.

He couldn't hear, feel, smell or taste as he floated through endless darkness.

While he was in a state of silence his mind continued to wander since that was all he could do in this state of… being.

'Wasn't I dead? Where am I? What is this place?'

Many questions popped up in his head but all of them were sadly left unanswered.

He stared at the endless abyss trying to seek the answers, while he was staring he saw purple eyes staring back at him.

Those eyes contained unfathomable power behind them; so much so he felt as if he were in danger.

He felt fear as those eyes stared at him.

His whole being was shaking.

Falling apart, even.

There is a famous saying "if you stare into the abyss, it will stare back at you."

This was that, wasn't it?

Questions. Again. Unanswered.

As he was mesmerised by those eyes a powerful voice resounded throughout the void that said:

"Go back, You aren't worth it yet."

***

*Gasp*

With an audible gasp, he woke from his slumber.

As he woke up pain assaulted his head, a myriad of memories flooding his brain nonstop.

While he was comprehending what was going on. He started to see memories; not his own but of someone else's.

They felt… foreign.

As he saw all the memories and was processing them, the door snapped open and a beautiful lady with long black hair, fair skin and a cute oval face walked in, panic in her eyes as she looked around for her Damien.

Finally, when her eyes met his, she neared him slowly but noticing how he withdrew she stopped in her tracks.

She looked at him hesitantly and asked: "My baby, you're awake. Thank god! I found you unconscious in the backyard; I was so worried! Are you okay?" Her voice was laced with concern for her son.

A distressed look was on her face, her eyes dripping in concern.

The boy in question was confused and trying to make sense of the situation he had just found himself in.

'Who is she, and why is she calling me her baby?! I've never seen her in my lifetime!'

As he was monologuing, he remembered he saw her in the memories of the boy he took over.

He was awkward about how to approach her as he felt foreign towards her.

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

The lady's pained gasp upon hearing that tore through him for some reason, as she started backing up to the wall.

"I-It can't be! Damien! Try to remember! It's me, your mother!"

She started crying, her voice starting to break.

As Damien looked at her, he felt a sting in his heart for reasons unknown to him.

'My heart's in pain after seeing this woman like this…'

Unknowingly, he got up from his bed and hugged her body tightly.

"It's alright mother."

The older woman calmed down and fell asleep.

Damien looked at her face and laid her on the bed.

He had a lot of shit to catch up to.

Where is he?

Why is he still alive?

Didn't the truck smash him to mush?

And most importantly, who is Damien?

As he was busy questioning a blue transparent sheet popped up in front of him.

[Processing...]

[Processing...]

[Successful!]

[Notice: Host has successfully transported to the new world with the power granted by the supreme ruler £>*$+^%+^%]

[Notice: Analysing hosts.]

[Processing...]

[Ding!]

[Notice: Host's emotions are in turmoil.]

[The system suggests that the Host calms down.]

'System? Oh yea, I remember seeing the same window when I was near my deathbed. So that was real, huh, I wasn't hallucinating or trippin.'

He looked at the system screen and said "Okay, system, can you tell me…" he took a deep breath and as his nostrils flared, he growled loudly. "What the FUCK is going on?!"

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