Traveler's Journey

This is a story about you.

You have lived a pathetic life; you spent your life searching for worldly pleasures, but it recently ended with a heart attack. Not many people came to your funeral. Even those who did were close family members who didn't care much about you they only came because of what others might say if they didn't. Strangely enough, you don't care much about this fact, or maybe you were aware of it all your life. You planned to live comfortably, knowing it would eventually catch up to you.

But now, you find yourself in a strange mansion with paintings in front of you.

They are titled Strength, Luck, Determination, Wealth, etc., but one in particular catches your eye.

The painting that catches your eye is titled Resurrection, and it has a beautiful white soul painted on it.

You try touching the painting, and your hand just goes through it as if nothing was even there. It seems to be the case with the rest of the paintings too.

You're visibly scared, but you compose yourself and start thinking about it.

[I don't know what that was, but it seems I can enter these paintings... and who knows what may be in there.]

You decide to enter the painting titled Resurrection because it caught your attention the moment you first saw it.

You slowly reach out, placing your hand inside the painting, but it suddenly begins to pull you in. Panic surges through you as you try to pull back, but the force is too strong. Before you know it, your entire body is sucked into the painting.

You wake up in a strange, white room. Immediately, you notice a pure white figure standing in front of you.

It’s faceless, with long hair that flows down its back. Its body resembles a human’s, but it is clearly something else. Even though it has no mouth, it speaks, "Wow, it's been a while since we've had our last visitor."

[Visitor?]

"What do you mean by 'visitor'? Have other people been here before? And what even is this place?" you ask.

"The paintings you saw in the mansion represent people's desires or traits... or at least the traits they wish they possessed..."

[Wish they possessed...?]

"Most people who come here have had messed-up lives just like you. Usually, they just enter a painting with a trait they wish they possessed, thinking they will obtain it and get another shot at living, which is somewhat true... though you're the first one to pick this painting."

[If he only knew I picked it because I actually liked the painting...]

"What do you mean by 'somewhat true'?" you ask.

"I don't give people gifts for free. If someone wants strength, then I give them the opportunities to grow strong. But the people who come here just want it all without putting in the work."

"Oh, I see. So what is my test to get resurrected?"

"Good question. Honestly, no one has even picked this painting before, so I never really thought about that. How about you just tell me why I should let you live again after you've wasted your precious life?"

[I thought I didn't care about my life and my death, but him saying it like this fills me with regret...]

"I don't know. It's true that I wasted my first life on worldly pleasures without even thinking about it, and it feels unfair for a piece of trash like me to be resurrected instead of other people. But now that I've lost this life, I truly realize what I lost. I tried putting on a tough-guy act earlier, but I feel regret for losing a chance to live like that. I don't even know if you could call that existence living, but if there is a chance for me to try again and learn more about life and experience it, then I'd like to take it."

"So you think it's unfair that you get to resurrect but other people don't. That's a fair point. How about this: you can give up your resurrection, and another random person will get resurrected."

[I know this is the right thing to do, but can I let this chance pass like this...? I'm the one who never got a chance to live.]

"I'm sorry but I'm taking this chance for myself, it's selfish but I have to experience life and learn more about it" You said feeling guilt.

"I don't think you're selfish, all it takes is actual will to live and will to do something with your life and now I see that you've got both. Good luck and know that I'll be watching you, you're an intriguing one." said the white figure proudly.

The white figure snapped his fingers and you find yourself on a green mountain overlooking a country, you see a bag with food and some coins next to you.

[This must be from that guy... and he said he doesn't give out gifts.]

There is enough food for about 2 meals in there, you decide to get to that country you saw and find shelter there.