Jake opened his eyes, lying on his back. He was inside the damp cave. Tucked inside a bedroll. The embers from the fire were still orange and hot. And a self-made monster fat lamp was still burning at the stone-barred entrance.

  What the actual fuck? W-what am I doing here… Wait, this place… You have to be shitting me!

  He felt cold sweat cover his forehead as he tried to brush it off. He touched his face, brushed his hair, and looked down on his arms, then examined his entire body. Frozen in shock of disbelief, he stayed there for a few minutes.

  Think, Jake, think! This is not supposed to happen. What was that? He tried to recall. The memory was avoiding him, but he managed to puzzle a few pieces. It was their usual conversation with Drake before he went to sleep.

  But what the hell happened? Descended deep into the corners of his consciousness long before that, just like I always did. What should I? Why I don’t feel the boy’s presence.Fuck! It's only me. I’m fully in control.

  “Drake, Drake! Where the hell are you?” The man shouted out loud as he jerked to his feet. No answer followed.

  Trying to link up does not work. Like there is a wall, a barrier that stops me. Or… Like, shit, it does not seem he’s here at all. What the hell am I supposed to do? This never happened before. This was bound to become more troublesome at some point. Damn you, old man…

  Suddenly Jake’s head felt dizzy. It felt like he was tired and drained. The man felt the pressure, a push. Like this entire body was pushing him out, rejecting him as an intruder, seeing him as an alien threat.

  It felt like he was going to puke or faint at any moment. The man in Drake’s body slumped back, unable to make a move. His legs wobbled as he fell back down. Lying, he tried to calm down. His heart was racing, ready to burst. He felt that his chest was about to explode. The world was spun around as if he was intoxicated to the point of near death.

  Closing his eyes, the man tried to calm down, the body shaking, convulsing, and shuddering. Like he was having a stroke.

  Jake clenched his fists and gripped against the stones. Slowly he steadied his breathing and cooled his head. It seemed that it helped to stop the uncontrollable shaking. But the headache was still unbearable.

  The man decided to tap into his memories instead. He brought the pictures from his past to drown all other sensations. And there, as he was watching the best moments of his life repeating in his head like moving pictures, he did not even notice how the deep slumber took a steady grip over him.

  The young boy’s body finally relaxed.

  Everything unfolded like a vivid dream, rendered with exceptional clarity. Initially, there was nothing but a shroud of all-encompassing darkness. No sound, no sight, no smell, no touch. Fully devoid of any sensations. It was nothing but the void.

  Suddenly, from within this abyss, a solitary point of light emerged. Gradually inching closer and expanding in its grand brilliance. Soon enough, he felt warm as the yellow glow enveloped him entirely, offering a sense of comfort previously unknown.

  What a reassuring comfort. Never before known, but to who?! A thought and a question were born from the light.

  The darkness began to dissipate, unveiling a world filled with an overwhelming hum that resonated through piercing the emptiness around, crackling with vibrations. He felt the body. It buzzed with an electrifying energy, as though a thousand tiny needles pricked at his skin, elevating his senses. In a moment of disorientation, he soared, only to plummet back down with a resonant thud, as the invisible force pulled him down.

  The environment he found himself in was utterly bizarre. All around him lay the same oppressive darkness, punctuated by sporadic glimmers of light, both near and so far that it looked like a grain of sand, a distant star.

  Beneath him stretched a bridge crafted from beaming yellow light, transparent yet strikingly robust. This luminescent pathway meandered forward, intersecting with other walkways of a similar nature. All twisting and extending into the blackness around where light seemed to flicker at an unmeasurable distance. This web of pathways stretched without any end.

  He gazed around with awe and curiosity. By the end of each bridge led into a doorway. A passage somewhere? What the hell is this place? He tried to look even closer. Some of those led toward impenetrable blackness that seemed to be even darker than the space around, while others were pure, radiant white abysses of light.

  This does not make any sense. He felt his mind swirl with an onslaught of questions, struggling to comprehend the enigma before him. How had he come to be in this peculiar realm? Is there a purpose for him being here? Had he, perhaps? When and how had that occurred? And in the midst of this confusion, a more urgent and pressing question arose. W-who? Who am I?!

  When he tried to remember, he found no trace, not a single fragment to recall or hold onto. All he could feel right now was his hunger, primordial hunger. A yearning beyond imagination and common sense. As he delved even deeper within himself, he found no remnants of identity, no echoing answers or comforting calls from his inner being. How did I get in here? What am I doing here?! What is this place? Answers: I need answers! As soon as possible. Now! I MUST GET ANSWERS!.

  It felt as if this hunger twisted him from within, like a vile beast gnawing, like the deadly venom that poisoned the very sense of existence. All the while this inexplicable longing tugged at him, a sense of connection that was somewhere close, yet unreachable. Where is it?! That direction… I can feel it… I need to go…

  It felt as if holding onto a fragile thread. The one he yearned to unravel in pursuit of the answers. But no matter how he strained to seize it, its essence felt constantly slipping through his hands like water. Every attempt left him feeling like a fisherman with a broken net lost at sea, reeling against turbulent waves searching for an elusive catch.

  After a few more tries, he decided on the futility of his introspection. As he resolved to seek solace in his surroundings, hoping for clues that might reveal the nature of this strange place. Sadly, there were no immediate answers to be found. As he dangled along the bridges inside this bizarre and odd place, he could not sense the passing of time. There was no natural flow, no starting or ending point. Stillness…

  Everything felt alien. But there was a viable option left: to reach for one of the doors and try to see what lay beyond.

  As he strolled through the surreal landscape, he couldn't help but marvel at how mesmerizing and enchanting the place still was. No sounds or winds, pure silence, with the lights and barely traceable buzz. While it felt as though something profound had been hidden within this void, a testament reflecting some kind of meaning or essence. A resonance.

  The whispered emptiness yearned for understanding. He was moved forward, but to what lies at the end of this destination? Questions continued to swirl like a storm. Endless inquiries seeking answers had no end.

  But he felt something. Like there was a memory. Or rather a feeling that he had forgotten something immensely significant, a purpose that eluded him. As if something vital was left missing. This gnawing sense of loss was painful, and that ache deepened with every step he took. The initial longing only intensified, pulling at him like an invisible force, tearing at the very fabric of himself as he desperately searched.

  Finally, he managed to reach a door. It was the one radiating a pure, ethereal white light. He brushed his fingers against its surface, and, only at that moment, a realization settled in: he, too, was ethereal.

  Though his form had firmness, he shared the same luminous essence as the bridge beneath him. Albeit, a touch more translucent and less radiant. For a fleeting moment, fear gripped him, trying to clutch him with its poisonous vice. But to his surprise, the overall weirdness of the situation overshadowed his fears nearly immediately.

  As he pressed his hands against the light of the door, a resonant humming surged through him, filling the space with the raw intensity of howling winds. Without a single warning, the doorway folded upon itself, vanishing into the void. Only a drop of light left in its place. Slowly transmuting into a delicate white shard that drifted slowly into his stretched-out palm. Captivating him.

  When the shard finally made contact with his luminous form, pure elation filled him, a sense of joy he could never imagine. As it interconnected with his palm, breaking into thousands of small ribbons of light.

  The light itself was stuck to his form, slowly getting its way inside. With tiny threads of greater light flowing like blood inside translucent tubes. A sudden sharp pain pierced his mind.

  Countless images and memories surged forth from where there was nothing before. Filling his mind full with joys, regrets, pains, and struggles. The sense of self started to emerge, yet still fragmented. The longing was still there but not as strong. Making him think that the hunger drove him here, and he should follow it further.

  He moved forward as revelations filled his thoughts. Oh, now I see… My name is Jake. I'm Jake, yes, Jake! It appeared like he rejoiced at the notion.

  Um, well, what happened, then… I did die. That bastard Felon, two-headed snake, I should strangle him to death. He did it simply for money? That does not make any sense. That fucker… No, if he was really in need, he knew he could have just asked me for some. There was definitely something else, something I missed… What he told me is nothing but a load of horse dung!

  Jake felt a sense of failure, and anger boiled within him. I will make him pay! His thoughts raced as they clashed with his memories. Hah, but how on earth do I plan to do that when I’m the dead one? Ahahaha! That’s funny! But I had to be more cautious. I was too trusting; I lost my vigilance. And that’s why I ended up with a bullet in my head. At the very least, it was a fitting end.

  A feeling of bitterness swarmed over him. Still, I put up an unexpectedly good fight. Yeah, I nearly got them all. My guns were blazing.

  Yet the main queion was different. But where am I? Such a weird place. Can I be trapped inside my mind? Maybe I'm lying in a coma? Why were my memories gone and much still missing? I can recall just like the last few years.

  He scanned the surrounding space once again. Is this really the afterlife? Why does it look like some artificial construct? Well, it can be anything and nothing at the same time. This does not make sense anyway. I can’t even tell if I’m breathing. For now, I should follow more bridges and reach other doors.

  Jake looked upward. Another bridge loomed right above him. The door was hanging there too. Hmm, interesting, will this work?! Without second thoughts, he jumped toward it. Instantly, he soared through the darkness like he weighed nothing, right toward his target.

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  Abruptly, as he was roughly halfway through, it felt as if the entire realm shifted. His head felt confused and dazzled. What was once the top became the bottom, and so he found himself slowly descending toward the newly positioned floor. The bridge he had jumped from was now right above his head.

  Hah, so just as I expected. Seems like some kind of tesseract or a four-dimensional construct? Such a peculiar and weird place. At least my basic knowledge in physics helped.

  This door in front of him radiated a softer white glow, but the color was bright, but seemed somehow different. Are there even different shades of white?

  Without wasting more time, he touched it, brushing over its surface. It folded inward just the same. The only difference was that instead of morphing into the shard, the glow shifted into a chalice that slowly descended into his hand.

  Jake took it firmly in his grip. Strangely enough, there was liquid inside. The purest blue water he had ever seen, which shimmered with a soothing coolness. Almost whispering as bubbles formed upon its surface. A change of color was a welcome sight.

  While looking at it, mesmerized, he felt the thirst. The one so strong that he felt like dying from just the thoughts of it. All of his senses screamed that he needed to drink, so much that his hand moved on its own, closer to his face.

  “Damn, I’ve never felt such a thirst. But, technically, can one die after death?! I guess, there’s nothing to lose.” He said out loud, though his words only seemed to vanish into the darkness without a sound, and he felt those echoing inward, into his form instead.

  As he drank from the chalice, he felt the thirst receding with every gulp. A cool calmness spread inside, filling him from within. It felt as if a cool breath was enveloping his ethereal body.

  He lowered his head. Glancing down at his transparent chest, he felt a beat. At first slowly. Thump after thump, it intensified. And from within his yellow, glowing, translucent figure, he saw a blue beating heart appear. From it the tubes of blue light, like ribbons, expanded, filling his body with what felt like strength and vigor.

  The sensation was unlike anything he could compare it to. It was both painful and exhilarating. As if the very essence of his soul was torn apart, rekindled, and resewn. As the coolness like ice radiated outwards, Jake could feel pieces of his ethereal body slowly re-emerging, fusing with the energy of the shimmering beating heart.

  Wow, what is this? What's happening? Am I becoming less ethereal?! Will I be able to return to my physical form at some point? He thought as he clenched his fists in pain.

  A blend of amusement and determination emerged. The chalice's effects had invigorated him, rekindling his determination. Somehow he felt that he couldn't linger in this palace for too long. The other doors already beckoned him with urgency. Like a providence of fate, whispering of parts of him yet to be reclaimed. The path was opened.

  His plan is simple. He had to investigate every door he could reach. As he set out to unravel this mystery. All the time he had to navigate through the tangled bridges made of glowing matter.

  A new door stood before him. This one was much more different. A rich, deep crimson, draped with shadows that seemed to pulse with life. Jake could feel its magnetic, almost hypnotic pull, urging him to lean closer even more.

  Well, here goes nothing. Were his thoughts while approaching the door with cautious optimism. As his fingers brushed against the surface, unexpectedly the opening appeared, revealing a blinding red light that engulfed him.

  Within a blink, he was grabbed and sucked inside. The pull was so strong it felt like the gravity that held an entire planet in place.

  Jake found himself standing in a vast, empty expanse that flickered like an old movie. Scenes from his past materialized, playing out around him. Like a live montage of his entire life shown on the massive cinema screen.

  There he saw it all. The young and full of vigor young schoolboy. A special forces operator, strong and resolute while comrades fell around him. The flickering of his financial success, the thrill of trade, numbers, and graphs flashing on the screen. Like pulsating stars across the night sky. And at the edge of it, muddy and dusty, were the flashes of his secret life as a vigilante. The adrenaline surged through his veins as he fought against the injustice.

  Like an old tape on rewind, it was going back and forth all over the place with events of his life unfolding in a cacophony of emotions.

  Jake watched, spellbound. Each moment echoed within him. Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through the space. Not just memories. Those are… pieces, pieces of myself! It’s me, it's who I am! He shouted inward.

  He now knew what each scene represented. The sense of purpose he had lost was woven within all those memories. He had to relive reclaim them all. So he reached out, like extending his hands into the darkness, towards the colors. The images glowed as they drifted back to him, blending into his form. Each one igniting an aspect of something hidden within him.

  The boy found joy, the soldier found purpose, and the trader found wisdom and intelligence. While the vigilante surged with fire and vengeance. The overwhelming rush created a spiral of light around him, slowly driving away the surrounding darkness. As he was cocooned within the bulb of light.

  And when the last echoes of his past settled inside, Jake's body thrummed with power. He felt as if each part of him was aligned. Just for a fleeting moment. Only to realize that something still felt incomplete. He had to find more, more doors to open, and more secrets to find.

  He found himself back. The door was no more. Jake gave himself a short respite when he bathed in those newfound sensations.

  But just as he prepared himself for another leap, a strange scene unfolded. Far in the distance, another bridge extended from the unknown, swirling in hues of silver and green that were entirely different from the usual golden ones.

  Jake watched in awe as this bridge rushed towards him. The hues built themselves and expanded. While it was getting ever closer, he could not wait anymore. As he jumped towards it, traversing the blackness in between.

  “This one is strange. I have to go there!” He murmured to himself when his legs were already on the newly formed surface. In just a few short moments, he was already striding confidently across this newly formed bridge.

  Anticipation surged within him as he approached the stage door. It was the one of warm yellow light, with hues of silver and green rotating around its edges. The archways were made of white marble stone, adorned with intricate carvings of beasts, men, and flowers. It looked as if it were made by men. Especially compared to everything else he saw in this realm of the ethereal unknown.

  Yet, for some reason, he felt a hint of hesitation as he stood right before the final step. Something that did not occur before. He wavered slightly, holding his hand at the distance.

  He thought whether it could reveal yet another facet of him, another fragment of his soul, another memory, or perhaps a fill the yearning of his heart?

  Thoughts swirled in his mind as he contemplated. It was as if he sensed that he needed the confidence to confront what lay ahead of him. Every memory regained, every door opened. Was it all a step toward his… justice? Or maybe it was a cruel joke to navigate the chaos of his afterlife, filling him with hope just to be reduced to nothingness at the end of the tunnel? The man could not tell. The hesitation gnawed upon him.

  But, eventually, he threw all his doubts away and steadied himself. “What’s there to be so anxious of? I don’t think I’m afraid of dying anymore, ha-ha!” Jake declared feeling a smirk on his face. Soon he placed his palm against the swirling light of the door.

  As the warm light embraced him, Jake felt a surge of power and excitement. He was ready to face whatever lay behind, even if it was evil or cruel.

  Slowly, he was pushed to the other side. It was nearly as if the door actually opened and he fell through a wormhole. He was sucked by the light entirely, descending into the quicksand.

  Yet, to his surprise, another surreal picture welcomed him on the other side as the warm, fresh breeze brushed over his face.

  Before him was a beautifully green field without end, stretching far to the horizon. With a white, gleaming sun bright in the blue sky. Three moons adorned it: the big one looming red, the medium one yellow, and the smallest one in hues of dark blue on its edges, with its center looking entirely black.

  Feeling strange on his legs, Jake surrendered to gravity, and as his body rushed down immediately, a sense of disorientation passed as he crawled over the green grass.

  He shifted his gaze to the side and saw a crystal-clear blue stream running wild, while a thick green forest stretched over at its start. In the middle of the field, a huge oak tree spread its crown.

  It was so tall and wide that its foliage appeared to cover half of the sky, and the trunk was as thick as the supporting column of a bridge. Everything about it screamed that it was quite ancient.

  While still struggling to stand up and straightening up, Jake felt winded. Suffocating, intoxicated, dizzy, and weak. He continued to wobble. His body was burning with fever. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was the approaching green of the ground, right into his face.

  Jake opened his eyes again. There were no dreams or visions of a dreamlike state. It felt like an instant. Strangely, he felt that body was brimming with power and vigor. Standing up, he examined himself and found the sudden change. The body he possessed was no longer ethereal. Now fully in flesh.

  To make sure it’s not an illusion, the man sprinted towards the stream. And so there were no doubts left. The reflection on the water was what he remembered. A man with an athletic build and striking features gazed back at him. The piercing brown eyes drilled on the water surface. His dark chestnut hair was waving in the light breeze, and his thick beard was well-groomed. Just like the day that I died, hah! Some kind of joke!

  He took note of his attire. As he now was adorned in a clean white tunica with a light leather strip serving as a belt. This reminded him of an ancient Roman garment.

  Before he could marvel further, a voice responded. “I welcome you to the main domain, soul from the Earth.” A thunderous crackling filled the air, descending on Jake with all its power. The man felt nearly crushed under the weight.

  He searched around and saw no one. “W-who are you? An illusion? Where am I? What am I doing here?!” Startled, Jake questioned. It felt as if the strength in his body was dwindling just from listening to the voice. His head buzzed as if trying to interpret the meaning of the words, making his brain circuits strain.

  “Fear not, I harbor no ill intentions. It’s merely an invitation I extended for you into my domain, the one you accepted. For now, there is something you must do. Come to the shadows of that tree. Sap the essence of this world with its juices.” Jake's head turned on its own towards the old oak tree.

  “That will release your worries so we can have a meaningful conversation.” The booming voice continued as it commanded with immense control.

  “Argh, my head hurts. I guess I don’t have much of a choice, anyway. Thanks for the invitation, whoever you are.” Feeling the heavy toll of the words descending on him, he rushed towards the old oak tree. The urge to heed the voice was irresistible.

  Jake reached the tree. It seemed quite usual before he brushed over the sturdy bark. It slowly cracked open with a loud crackling. Revealing a dark, polished drinking basin. With the water inside so pure, the eye could barely trace it, nearly merging with the air itself.

  He was not thirsty, but there was an urge to drink. Without hesitation he filled his palms with the liquid and made a few cautious gulps. As soon as it touched him inside, the man felt ten, or even twenty times stronger. Each fiber, each molecule of his body, screamed and vibrated with strength. He felt swift and nimble, while even breathing became a powerful sensation. Huh, what’s this effect? It’s like the gravity suddenly decreased tenfold.

  “So, how do you find the Etarwor Tree juice? Must be to your taste.” A familiar voice sounded from behind. But now, without any effort to comprehend the meaning. So much that it did not sound menacing nor heavy anymore.

  “Yes, I do like it. It tasted great. Wait, what?!” Startled, Jake replied and quickly turned around.

  A tall, muscular man in an intricate golden tunic with a wide silver belt was standing there. His completely white, long, wavy hair fell far beyond his shoulders. The white beard reached the middle of his chest, twisted in a thick tail. The man before him had pure, polished white skin, nearly glowing. His facial features were sharp and hawklike.

  Jake couldn't see the man's eyes, as there were none, only wells of pure light gleaming outward like crackling energy, with bushy white brows towering over like ribbons in the wind.

  “That makes me glad,” the man’s voice boomed over the entire meadow. “Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Grognos. And before you ask it, yes, I’m the master and creator of this domain.” The man showed a massive, wide smile.

  “I see. It’s my pleasure to meet you then. I'm Jake, Jake Bergman. I think I actually died. Is this the afterlife?” He mused out loud. “But since you mentioned you are the creator, I suppose you can provide me with some answers.” The eagerness and hope filled his tone.

  “What a peculiar reaction. You amuse me indeed.” The old man scratched his beard, pausing.

  Jake looked down. The man was barefoot, but he appeared to be floating over the ground without his feet ever touching the surface, ever so slightly. He looked down at himself. His sandals were perfectly grounded.

  “What happened is a rather curious matter. We’ll have a lot to discuss. Let’s change to someplace more comfortable.” Grognos threw the half-cape over his shoulder and released his hands.

  The man waved, and a portal opened in the thin air like a swirling circle. On the other side, a grand estate with a beautiful view of the vineyard and hills was visible. Jake even noticed people in white clothes working in the distance. Gathering grapes and cultivating the fields.

  Both men stepped through the opening.

  The final revision and update for RR of this chapter was done!

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