He felt like he was floating in outer space.

He didn't bother moving for what felt like hours. His limbs were stretched out to take as much space as possible. He took a deep breath. He felt at peace. Somehow, he felt as if it was something he hadn't experienced much before.

Slowly small bits of memory started to come back to him. He was born on Earth. His name was Matthew. He was a son to a mother and father, but their names and faces escaped him. He had someone special to him. A significant other. But just like his parents, he failed to remember their name or face. The thought brought worry to his heart. Anxiety. He was no longer in peace. He began to open his eyes.

He really was floating in outer space. The stars blinked into existence light years away. The pitch blackness of space itself surrounded him. He looked around to see a planet the size of Jupiter pass by him, its ring of asteroids and space rocks pulled to its gravitational pull.

Matthew looked down at himself. He was wearing a gray hoodie with a white undershirt and jeans, though there was something off about his shirt. It was stained. Horribly so. The color was a dark and unsettling red. He realized the stain grew with every passing minute. Matthew may have lost his memories, but he knew this stain was blood. His anxiety turned into fear. Fear of death. Fear of the unknown. He wanted to go home.

Where is home? He thought. Did he have one? Probably not. Judging by his current state of floating in space.

"You had a home, child." A voice echoed around him. The voice held power within it. It shook the universe to its very core. "But alas, you are far from it." Matthew then felt a huge gust of wind blow against him, before revealing an omnipotent being. Matthew stared in awe at the creature before him. It was a combination of the star constellations. All joined together to form a huge raven who flapped its wings to maintain its position, right in front of him.

"Who are you?" Matthew asked with a hoarse voice. He hadn't realized he had a voice. It sounded deeper than he anticipated.

"I am called by many names, child. But you may call me, Grandmother Raven." The being explained. Mathew tried to stand, but found it almost impossible to do so. There was no ground for him to stand on. He continued to sway in space, as if he were a jellyfish in the ocean.

"Why, why am I here?" He asked as he struggled to keep himself still. The raven made a sound that resembled a chuckle before flapping her wing in front of him. Suddenly Matthew felt solid ground in outer space. Nothing stood underneath him, but his feet stood firmly, able to stand.

"I brought you here." Grandmother Raven said. "Your life on earth ended sooner than it was meant to. Destiny and fate, wouldnot allow you to slip into death's grasp."

"I…died?" Matthew asked slowly, processing those words.

Grandmother Raven nodded her head somberly. "Yes, you did. Yet here you are. Alive and well. Reincarnated by my will. But because of that, you have been stripped of your memories from earth."

"My memories…" Matthew said slowly. "...C-can't you give them back?" He asked before taking a deep breath. "I don't remember my parents. My family. My…" He wasn't sure what to call that significant other, or special person in his life that he had. It was strange, he didn't remember their gender. "I want to remember them. And also, how I died."

"I'm afraid I can not do that, child." The omnipotent being replied. "There are rules in the universe that even I must follow. Fate deems it arbitrary for a mortal to have the memories of two different lifes." Matthew felt disappointed grow in his throat. He wanted to voice it. But he bit his tongue. What power did he really have here? To demand something from someone so powerful. "But there is something else I can do for you." The raven said in a way that made him think she read his mind. "I can give you a second chance. To live. To undergo the wonderful experience that is life, once more." She paused, as if giving him time to ponder the idea. Matthew did. He racked his brain and thought about the offer.

"You want something in return, don't you?" He finally asked.

The Raven gave no notion of surprise or annoyance at his question. "The price of reincarnation, would be responsibility." She explained simply. "The responsibility of keeping balance within the spiral. To ensure no evil overtakes it."

"The spiral?" Matthew asked.

Grandmother Raven nodded. "It is what you humans call, The Milky Way." She answered. "One of the many galaxies out in the vast space of the cosmos. You will eventually be in charge of ensuring its safety."

"How am I supposed to ensure the safety of an entire galaxy?" Matthew asked. "As far as I can tell, I couldn't keep myself safe." He said, motioning to the red stain on his shirt.

"That question will be answered when you accept the gift Fate has given you."

"...And if I refuse?" Matthew asked. He watched from the corner of his eye as a meteor streaked through space. A ball of fire and gas that left a trail of debris behind it, before disappearing from his peripheral vision.

"Then death would be allowed to grasp at your soul, and take you prematurely to your afterlife." Grandmother Raven explained. "I will not force your hand. This is your decision alone to make. But if Destiny and Fate granted you a second chance at life, I would strongly suggest you take it."

"Wait," Matthew exclaimed, "if I decide to refuse and go to the afterlife, will I remember my memories on earth?"

Grandmother Raven for once, looked bemused by his question. "You will." She answered. "You will be granted your memories, as you would have only lived one life." She then paused, continuing to flap her wings. "As I said, this is your decision to make."

Matthew felt a dilemma in his head. He wanted to remember his memories. The people he must've cared for. The life he had lived before. But, that would only ensure that his life with them would truly be over. That he'd have to be content with whatever he remembered, and spend eternity in the afterlife. He was tempted to accept the offer before he remembered the condition. He felt his palms become sweaty at the thought of keeping an entire galaxy safe. It would be a huge responsibility, one that he couldn't afford to falter in.

But on the other hand, he felt a jolt of adrenaline coursing through his veins at the idea. Whoever he was in his past life clearly didn't have the means to protect himself. Maybe now, he'd not only be able to keep himself safe, but the galaxy and those around him safe.

"Grandmother Raven," Matthew announced. "I accept your offer to be reincarnated."

The omnipotent being smiled and nodded.

"Very well." She said, flapping her wings harder. The gusts of wind she produced made Matthew cover his face at the sheer strength of it. Quickly he felt his feet slipping from whatever he stood on. He felt himself panic.

"W-what're you doing?!" He yelled as he felt his feet slip. He was launched into outer space, flying past the planet that resembled Jupiter.

"I'm taking you where you need to be!" The raven replied. "Do not worry, you will be in good hands! And when you awake, you will see the blessing I bestowed upon you! I know how fond you humans are of video games!"

"What do you-!" He felt his voice cut out as he entered open space. He felt the air leave his lungs as he struggled to breathe. He slowly felt his consciousness leave him. He turned to look one last look at Grandmother Raven, but she was no longer there. Only the planet they conversed next to. Matthew started to believe he had hallucinated the entire conversation. That his dying consciousness was playing games with him. To distract him from the pain he would've undoubtedly felt from his wound. But he held hope that it wasn't a dream. That he would be reincarnated. And maybe one day, he'd return back to earth. Return to see his family.

He felt himself become even more light headed the more he tried to inhale oxygen, only to fail. His lungs became empty. He could no longer keep his eyes open. Eventually he stopped trying, and fell into blissful sleep.

He had lost consciousness.

A/N:

I hope anyone that is reading enjoyed the prologue. I have chapters planned and written, but I think I'll leave it with just the prologue for now so I can review and polish upcoming chapters. I'm thinking of making this a long series with side stories and an overarching plot/conflict to keep my character busy.