3 A Glimpse Beyond the Veil

[Neil's POV]

As the chill of impending death crept over me, I couldn't help but realize that my time had finally arrived. Despite the relentless struggles and all I had endured to survive in this cursed world, it seemed that I would depart without any cherished memories of the world I once knew.

My mind continued to go through the numerous memories that had weaved the quilt of my existence even as my body stopped functioning. Images of loved ones, heartbreaking moments of witnessing their deaths, and treasured moments spent with my family all flashed before my eyes in great detail. However, as my consciousness faded, so did those recollections, drifting away like fleeting shadows in the oncoming darkness.

My consciousness returned after an unknown period of time, and my first instinct was to study my surroundings. My own death was the last thing on my mind. As I studied my surroundings, I was met with an all-encompassing darkness—a nothingness devoid of any apparent features.

I strained my senses in this total darkness, attempting to break through the opaque cocoon that encompassed me. Nonetheless, my efforts were unsuccessful, leaving me unsure if I was moving or frozen in this unclear gulf.

After finding nothing around me, I looked at myself, and I was surprised by my form. I was in the form of pure white, and my entire body was illuminated with a pure white light, the only shining thing in this eternal darkness.

'Is this my soul?'

I couldn't help but wonder as I looked at myself. The only thing I could think of that is close to my current form is that I am in my soul form.

Looking carefully, I noticed cuts and bruises all over my body. Some scars were too much to not go unnoticed; they were like the proof of all the hardship I had gone through in my life.

Remarkably, my eyes preserved their former color—shades of sliver in my bule eyes.

I lay down, although it was an awkward effort due to the impression of being encased within a translucent cocoon. Despite my desire to sleep, I quickly realized that slumber would be meaningless in this ethereal state.

'Fuck'.

I dove into my recollections, or rather, my prior life as Neil Sullivan—the not-so-average university student whose world had devolved into chaos—because I had nothing better to do.

As a natural wanderer, I found solace in exploring forests, abandoned monuments, and places avoided by the ordinary.

My attention was drawn to video games, but my attention span frequently outpaced their attractiveness.

However, one game completely ensnared me, with its intriguing heroines imprinting themselves on my memory.

In my previous life, I cherished my above-average height of 6'3". My muscles had been sharpened by the struggle for survival following the apocalypse's brutal advent.

When the meteorite struck when I was 20 years old, I entered a dark chapter of my life.

In the post-apocalyptic world, eight years passed, bringing my age to around 28.

To survive in the unforgiving world, I mastered weaponry—spears, swords, arrows, and knives. I could use everything that honed my skills as a deadly fighter.

During those eight years, I witnessed the complete range of human experience: the terrible loss of my family, the apocalyptic destruction of our world, and the heartbreaking betrayals by individuals I had trusted. It was a stark reminder of humanity's true nature, a sobering awareness that more people died at the hands of their own kind than at the hands of the hideous monsters that threatened our existence. The memories weren't nice, to say the least.

Among the mayhem, one individual stood out as a ray of hope: Nealah. Her thoughts now engulf me in sadness. She had been my moral compass, a beacon of humanity to which I adhered despite the unending anguish it brought.

She was only a child who had lived a life more horrible than death until she met me.

A gleam flashed in my peripheral vision as I reminisced.

With my gaze focused, I noticed a pinpoint of light, distant yet undeniable.

As time passed, more radiant points appeared, multiplying in all directions.

As I journeyed on, time flowed, and then it struck me like a meteor: I wasn't merely moving through darkness; I was actually traversing the limitless expanse of space!

With each tick of the clock, the cosmic tapestry around me became increasingly intricate, adorned with a growing number of radiant points that defied the void.

I stood in awe of this breathtaking spectacle, pondering the essence of these radiant orbs that interrupted the darkness.

As time continued its relentless march, my certainty became unshakable—I was unquestionably traveling through space.

The signs around me were too numerous to ignore.

As I passed these dazzling beacons, which I assumed were stars, I felt the fabric of space and time flex toward their gravitational pull.

I could see numerous types of star systems as I meandered through several galaxies; they were stunning, to say the least, each with its own distinct grandeur.

As I became aware of my little presence amid the vast distance, time gradually resumed its movement. I'd been traveling for what seemed like a lifetime, and my sense of time had become completely distorted.

I couldn't tell you how much time had passed; perhaps years had passed, but I remained poised in space, wandering into the enigmatic unknown.

Throughout this long journey, I felt an unexplained bond forming with the space around me, although I couldn't pinpoint its nature or origin.

After a long journey, I came to a halt in front of a colossal black hole greater than any galaxies I had seen in my intergalactic journeys. As I was fascinated by the magnificence of the black hole, it gently but steadily drew me into, deep into the heart of its being, and I couldn't resist because I couldn't. As my consciousness began to fade, I folded my eyes, trying to recall any nice memories I could locate so that I may die blissfully.