Chapter 1: Prologue

"Freeze!" I immediately throw my hands up in the air. My heartrate skyrockets, and my breathing hastens.

"I don't want any trouble." I keep my voice emotionless, though inside, I'm freaking out.

I hear the cocking of a hammer, and I take in a sharp breath.

Crap… a gun.

"Yah? Well, give me all your money!" The voice is shaky and hoarse. I can smell the stench of alcohol wafting from his mouth.

I maneuver my eyes towards the car next to me. Looking at the reflection, I have a good look at the man holding me up. He is unkempt, his hair oily and bedraggled. He has an unkept beard, graying at the roots. The hands holding the gun shake uncontrollably. His finger is already on the trigger.

I announce my every move. "I'm going to have to reach into my pocket."

"Just fugging give me your money!" He points his gun at my back threateningly.

I slowly lower my right hand, and slip it into my pocket. Shuffling a bit, I take hold my wallet and pull it out. I continue deliberately moving my arm, and raise it back up. The man snatches my wallet away from me with a grunt and counts the bills I keep inside.

He snarls and a nasty grin spreads across his face.

"Well, now that ya've been so helpful, I s'pose I won't leave any witnesses." He slurs his speech a little. My eyes widen.

Shit! Is he really gonna-

I take a deep breath. Keeping a close eye on the man, I immediately twist myself around push the barrel of his gun out of the way to dodge his clumsy shot. I'm lucky that this guy's a drunk, and his delayed reaction allows for an opportunity for me to try to disarm him. The loud bang causes a loud ringing in my ear, and I wince in pain. I wrestle his gun, and try to point it away from myself.

Urgh! Almost there! I-

*BANG*

I stagger back.

What… what just happ-

I cough up a glob of blood as I instinctively reach my hand up to my mouth. Looking up, the look of satisfaction on the man's face slowly turns to one of horror. He looks back and forth to me and his gun. He drops it to the floor, and starts running away, staggering in the street, knocking a trash can over.

The pain immediately rushes into my chest, and I fall over gurgling, still in shock.

Ah…! Can't… breathe… Hurts… so… bad…!

Feeling my chest, there's a hole in my shirt, and tons of blood is pouring out.

Punctured… lung… This… is… agh…!

I take shorter and shorter breaths, each hurting worse every time. My eyelids have trouble staying open. I fall to the floor and lay on my back.

It feels like hours until I hear rapid footsteps approaching me. Opening my eyes, I see a young woman kneeling down next to me. I can't hear her, only making out a few words.

"…Sir!... shot… ambulance… don't worry…"

I try to speak, but only the gurgle of blood answers me. With ragged breaths, I reach out with my hand towards the woman, but the closer I get, the farther away she seems.

She frantically puts pressure on my wound, to no avail. I'm drowning in my own blood.

I take my final breath.

…

…

…

I open my eyes, raising myself in a sitting position with a large breath. Gasping, I place my hand on my chest, feeling it rise and fall with every breath, and my heart pumping a mile a minute.

Slowing my breathing, I take a quick glance at my surroundings, and I am surprised to see pitch black. "Where am I?" I mutter to myself.

"HELLO?... IS ANYBODY THERE?" I call out, at least a little hopeful for a response. An echo answers me.

…

Nothing…

I flex my fingers and move my limbs. With a double take, I look at my body. I can clearly see myself, even though my immediate area is cast in pitch black darkness.

I'm... alive? I think. Argh, damn, my brain... What the hell happened? I rack my grey matter for answers.

My heartbeat quickens and my head becomes light as the memories rush back without warning That's... that's right. I was shot. Grabbing my chest in phantom pain, I shiver unconsciously before trying to think of something else. I rock back and forth on the nonexistent floor.

So, where the hell am I? Hell? The darkness doesn't answer me.

"Well if this is hell, it isn't so bad." Right as I mutter that, a feminine voice fills my ears.

"Welcome, to the great beyond."

My eyes widen and I stand up, ready to run. "What the fuck!?" I twist my body back and forth to find the source of the voice.

"Who- where are you!?"

"No where."

"And everywhere."

...Oh for fuck's sake not one of these people.

"Show yourself!" I desperately yell out at the void. The voice lets out a small 'hmph.'

"As you wish." A person walks towards me, my ears sensing the direction their coming from.

The darkness obscures their figure until they come with a few meters. She's a woman.

She has bright white blonde hair, tied into a ponytail that rests on one of her shoulders. Her eyes are a blue color, dulled for some reason. Her face is aged, but she still has a youthful appearance to her. A slight European accent is present when she speaks, a light cadence soothes your eardrums when you listen, though a hint of danger is ever prevalent.

I tilt my head at her. "Soooo... what religion is this?"

She stares into my eyes before laughing. It's a warm laughter, without malice. Though there is something to it that...

"You believe me to be a deity. How quaint." She smiles disarmingly, and I somehow feel at home and comfortable around this person I just met. I shake my head, dropping a small smile I don't even know I have. Stop that.

"No, I am nothing of the sorts." She continues, turning around to face away from me. Stopping, she turns her head, a light smile on her face. "I am quite flattered you think so."

I rest my weight on a leg, looking around the empty space. "So... can you tell me what's happened to me? Aren't I supposed to be... dead?" I take a shaky breath, quite aware of my mortality.

The woman crosses her hands over her lap, pacing around me. I follow her movements with my eyes, turning my head when she leaves my peripheral vision.

"...Do you believe in the afterlife?"

I run my tongue over my teeth. "I'm an atheist." I begin. "Though more of an agnostic... in looser terms. If you show me proof, I'd believe you."

The woman lowers her head in a slow nod. "Of course." The surroundings suddenly explode into a bright light, causing me to hiss. Covering my eyes, my pupils contract, letting less light in, and allowing me to see. All around us, are... stars. Lots and lots of stars.

"Woah..." I breathe out dumbly.

Planet systems. Galaxies. Clusters. Superclusters. The... entire universe.

...I have to be dreaming. I'm still alive, back on Earth. And the neurons in my brain are randomly firing in an attempt to form coherent thoughts. This is a dying dream. It has to be.

"This... is the universe as you know it." The woman interrupts my thoughts.

"But. Have you ever wondered... what is... beyond this veil?" The woman gently places two fingers, pinching, and causing the universe to shrink. Placing a finger at the edge of the observable universe, she passes it, moving past the pitch black darkness... before reaching a line separating the universe from... something.

"There's... there's no way..." My eyes widen and my jaw trembles as I back away from the woman.

"...Multiple universes." She pokes at the line, and everything explodes.

My ears start ringing, and my brain pounds against the inside of my skull, the sharp debilitating pain forcing me to my knees. I grit my teeth, not wanting to scream my throat hoarse. Gripping my hair, a few strands come loose from my scalp. Repeatedly slamming a fist on the nonexistent floor, I try to block out the throbbing pain with another stimulus, to no avail.

"What the-" I stare upwards at the woman, a bit of hate in my eyes. "What the hell did you do to me...!?"

She looks down at me, her blue eyes piercing into mine. Calming my breathing, I stand up with a bit of effort, clenching my hands into fists.

"We traveled. Across universes." The woman says casually. Shaking my head in disbelief I lift a shaky finger and point at her accusingly.

"You're lying. You have to be."

"What use do I have to lie to you? You are already dead." Her nonchalant reminder of my... not aliveness, is a punch in the gut. I lower my head, my bangs covering my eyes in a shadow.

"...Tell me where we are." I spit out.

"You believe me now?" The woman smiles softly.

"Do I even have a choice?" I glare at the floor, burning holes into the darkness. The woman lets a rush of air out of her nose.

Of course not. I think bitterly.

Standing in place, I wait for the woman to do something. She places her fingers back into the air, pushing outward with her forefinger and thumb, zooming into the picture. I peer closer in curiosity, careful to not disturb the woman. She continues zooming in, until she reaches a system of planets, eerily similar to the Solar System, selecting the third planet from the star in the center.

"This... is the planet of Remnant."

My eyes widen in recognition. Remnant? No...

This time, her smile is less nicer than before. "How would you like for... a second chance?"

Now, I won't lie and say that the opportunity to jump into the world of one of my favorite universes is not an appealing idea, but this is insane.

"No. I... I won't. I don't want it."

"...Are you sure?" The woman begins pacing around me. The clacking of her heels burrows into my brain, and I close my eyes.

"Y-Yes. I'm... I'm sure..." I say hesitantly.

She stops in front of me. "You are not a very good liar."

A flash of anger crosses my face. "What the hell did you expect, lady!? You just gave a choice! A choice to come back to fucking life in a place I don't belong in! I have family back home! I have a life!"

The woman's face turns sympathetic. "It would be prudent for you change to past tense. You... are not alive back on Earth."

This straw broke the camel's back. My voice cracks as I yell furiously. "Stop fucking lying to me, you fucking bitch! SHUT UP!" I clumsily throw a punch at her, which she easily dodges by stepping out of the way. I continue throwing half-assed punches at her, venting my anger. She then catches my fist, and pushes me backwards onto my back.

"Shut... up..."

I cry.

I sob fat tears as I bawl my heart out. I gulp massive amounts of air as I cover my face, trying to save my tattered reputation. I cry until no more tears fall out. Hiccuping, I lie on the floor, refusing to speak to the woman. Just leave me alone to die here.

Rubbing my red puffy eyes, I sit up, glaring at the woman with all the hate I can muster. She responds with a pitiful look.

"...Are you ready?"

I take a deep breath, the tears long gone. "You're not giving me much of a choice... Yes."

"You will need... a new name."

"Right... as if dying wasn't enough..." I retort spitefully.

The woman stares at me, waiting.

"Noctis..." A name comes to mind immediately. I think of a last name to pair with it. "Fleuret."

"Noctis Fleuret... 'Flower of the night.'" She translates on the fly. Nodding quietly, she gives her approval. "Exotic. Very well then, Noctis."

"What's the catch, then?" I stare at the woman. She stares back, causing me to disengage.

"There is no catch. You will be... reincarnated. Remnant is just the location. Nothing more, nothing less."

"The problem is that I don't trust you for someone I just met."

"There is no need for trust." She answers vaguely.

A thought comes to mind. "Hey, wait a minute. If I can be reincarnated, why can't I just reincarnate back on Earth?"

She hums in thought. "Good question." My hopes are raised. "Though pointless." And it all comes crashing down...

"What do you mean 'pointless'?"

The woman turns away, placing her hands behind her back. "While I was able to save your soul, your mortal body is deceased. My reincarnation abilities are limited. You are dead in your world. There is no changing that."

"However... I can move you to a different universe, one where you do not exist, yet are not dead. You will be a new person. And alive."

I comb my hair with a hand and sigh forcefully. Debating with myself will do no good. "Fine, then. Let's just... get it over with."

She nods, the soft smile returning. "Of course."

Closing her eyes, the smile fading away, she concentrates. Weaving her hands with purpose, a light blue Aura appears over her palms. Slowly but surely, a small dot of blue forms in front of her, expanding further and further until a large blue portal forms, swirling clockwise from the center. Moving out of the way, she turns to me.

"Step into the portal, Noctis."

Lowering my head one more time, I look back up confidently. Stepping forward with purpose, I stand in front of the entrance. I take a glance at the woman, who nods at me to continue. Letting out a deep breath, I step forward, the portal engulfing my form and closing behind me.

I am met with darkness once more.

A/N: If you got an update, sorry about that. I just want to rewrite the prologue thing for this story.