The sterile hospital room was unusually quiet, disturbed only by the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Pale morning light filtered through the half-drawn blinds, casting long shadows across the white sheets where he lay unconscious.
Just beyond the slightly opened door, a doctor stood with a clipboard in hand while a nurse reviewed several documents on a tablet, both keeping their voices low out of respect for the sleeping patient.
The doctor let out a weary sigh as he flipped through the medical records.
“His condition is stable for now,” he murmured, “but he’ll need to remain under observation for at least another few weeks. The problem is…” He paused, his eyes lingering on the financial statement clipped beneath the chart.
“…his insurance coverage is almost exhausted.”
The nurse’s expression softened as she read the figures.
“He doesn’t have any immediate family listed to assist with the payments,” she said quietly.
“According to the billing department, his savings have already covered the surgeries and intensive care.
At the current rate…” She hesitated before finishing, “…he can probably afford another week.
Two, if we reduce certain treatments, but that would only delay the inevitable.”
Silence settled between them like a heavy fog.
The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, the weight of countless similar conversations evident in his tired eyes.
As physicians, they fought to preserve lives, yet far too often they found themselves forced to confront a battle they could not heal with medicine alone.
“It’s always the same,” he muttered bitterly.
“We know what the patient needs, but treatment doesn’t come without a price.”
The nurse glanced through the small window in the door, watching the young man reading a small book peacefully, completely unaware that another countdown had begun—not for his life, but for the money keeping him alive within these hospital walls.
“He’s still so young,” she whispered.
“It feels cruel that someone has to worry about finances before they’ve even had the chance to recover.”
The doctor nodded solemnly before closing the patient’s file with a quiet snap.
“Let’s hope something changes before that deadline arrives,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Because once the insurance runs out and his savings are gone…” He left the sentence unfinished.
He didn’t have to say the rest.
They both knew exactly what would happen next.
Luke, the patient at the center of their conversation, had long since come to terms with the cruel reality of his life.
There had been no dramatic denial, no desperate pleas for a miracle only quiet acceptance born from years of enduring hardship.
He had been an orphan for as long as he could remember.
His parents had died in a tragic accident when he was still young to fully understand the permanence of death, leaving him with nothing but a modest sum from their insurance payout and the large savings they had managed to leave behind.
It wasn’t enough to provide him with a comfortable future, but it was enough to keep him afloat for a long while.
As the years passed, Luke learned far too early what it meant to survive.
While other children spent their days laughing with friends, worrying about homework, or dreaming about what they wanted to become, he was already working part-time jobs just to pay rent, keep food on the table, and make sure he had enough to get through another month.
Life was unforgiving, yet he never complained.
He carried every burden with quiet determination, believing that as long as he kept moving forward, tomorrow would eventually become kinder than yesterday.
Then fate dealt him another merciless blow.
The diagnosis came without warning.
Cancer.
The word alone shattered whatever fragile hope he had painstakingly built over the years.
Even so, Luke refused to surrender.
He continued working despite the exhaustion that seeped into his bones, endured painful treatments, and forced himself to smile whenever anyone asked if he was doing alright.
Every day became a battle between his fading body and his unyielding will.
He clung stubbornly to life, convinced that if he fought hard enough, he might someday escape the endless string of tragedies that had followed him since childhood.
But reality was far crueler than determination.
The cancer spread with terrifying speed, slipping through his body like an unstoppable shadow.
Treatments that once offered hope gradually lost their effect, and his strength dwindled month after month.
The young man who had once worked tirelessly just to survive could no longer stand without assistance.
Eventually, even walking became impossible.
Confined to a hospital bed, Luke had spent nearly two years watching the world continue without him.
Seasons changed beyond the window, people came and went, and life carried on as if he had already become a forgotten spectator.
His once-healthy frame had withered into little more than skin stretched over fragile bones, his face pale and gaunt, yet his eyes still retained a quiet calm.
They held neither resentment nor fear, only the weary acceptance of someone who had spent an entire lifetime fighting battles he was never meant to win.
A gentle knock echoed through the quiet hospital room, breaking the silence that had settled after the nurse’s departure.
Luke slowly lifted his eyes from the book resting in his hands.
After marking his page with practiced ease, he closed the worn cover and placed it neatly on the bedside table.
His calm expression remained unchanged as he turned toward the door.
“Come in,” he said.
The door opened, revealing the same doctor and nurse who had visited him earlier.
Both wore warm, professional smiles as they stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind them.
The doctor offered a courteous nod while the nurse greeted him with a cheerful smile, asking how he had been feeling since their last conversation.
Luke answered politely, exchanging a few words about his recovery and the medication.
It was nothing more than ordinary small talk, yet beneath the friendly atmosphere, he could sense that they hadn’t returned merely to check on his condition.
The doctor’s smile gradually softened into something more solemn.
Drawing a slow breath, he clasped his hands together before speaking.
“Mr. Luke,” he began gently, “I’m afraid there’s something important we need to discuss.”
Luke remained silent, giving the doctor his full attention.
“The hospital has done its best to accommodate your current situation,” the doctor continued.
“However, the expenses for your treatment, room, medication, and continued care are steadily accumulating. Based on our latest assessment, the remaining funds under your account will only be enough to cover your stay for a limited period. If your balance isn’t replenished soon, we’ll need to discuss alternative arrangements regarding your treatment and hospitalization.”
The words hung heavily in the room.
Luke listened without interrupting, his expression composed from beginning to end.
There was no visible panic, no frustration, nor any attempt to argue.
Instead, he quietly absorbed every word, as though he had already anticipated this conversation long before it happened.
After a brief moment of silence, he gave a small, understanding nod.
“I understand, Doctor,” Luke replied calmly.
“Thank you for informing me. I’ll think everything through and give you my answer as soon as possible.”
Relief flickered across the doctor’s face.
He had expected denial, perhaps even desperation, but Luke’s calm acceptance made the difficult conversation much easier.
“Of course,” the doctor said with a reassuring smile.
“There’s no need to rush your decision today. Just let us know once you’ve made up your mind.”
The nurse offered Luke an encouraging smile as well.
“Please don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything.”
Luke returned the gesture with a faint smile.
“I will. Thank you… both of you.”
The doctor nodded one last time before turning toward the door.
Together with the nurse, they quietly left the room, their footsteps gradually fading into the distant corridor.
As the door clicked shut, silence once again reclaimed the room, leaving Luke alone with nothing but the quiet hum of the hospital and the weight of the decision that now rested squarely on his shoulders.
Alone in the quiet confines of his room, Luke sat motionless on the edge of his bed, the silence pressing against him with an almost suffocating weight.
A strange weakness suddenly washed over his body without warning, draining every ounce of strength from his limbs.
His muscles felt heavy, his eyelids unbearably so, and even lifting a finger seemed to demand more effort than he could muster.
Whatever was happening to him, he knew he wasn’t in any condition to think clearly.
With a weary sigh, he decided to leave the mystery for tomorrow.
There was no point forcing himself to find answers when his mind was as exhausted as his body.
Slowly, he lowered himself onto the bed, the soft mattress embracing his aching frame.
The ceiling above blurred as his vision grew hazy, and he let his eyes drift shut.
The darkness behind his eyelids should have offered comfort, yet instead it invited memories he had long buried beneath years of hardship.
Faces, voices, and fragments of the past surfaced one after another, like distant echoes carried by the wind.
He searched through them almost instinctively, trying to grasp a moment that still carried warmth.
But the harder he searched, the more unsettling the realization became.
When was the last time he had truly been happy?
Not the fleeting satisfaction of surviving another day.
Not the hollow smile he wore to reassure others.
Genuine happiness, carefree laughter, a heart untouched by worry, a moment where tomorrow wasn’t something to fear.
He traced the fading memories over and over, only to find that each one was swallowed by pain, loss, or regret.
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
It had been so long…
so incredibly long that he could no longer remember what true happiness had felt like.
The memories that remained were faded and colorless, like old photographs left too long beneath the sun.
Even the faces of those who had once made him smile seemed distant now, blurred by the relentless passage of time.
The thought settled heavily in his chest, leaving behind an emptiness that was somehow more exhausting than the mysterious weakness consuming his body.
Before he could dwell on it any longer, sleep quietly claimed him, pulling him into darkness while that lonely question lingered in the depths of his mind.
When had he stopped living…
and merely begun surviving?
When Luke opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the silence.
It was not the ordinary silence of a hospital room, the kind filled with the faint beeping of machines, the distant footsteps of nurses walking through the halls, or the muffled voices of doctors discussing patients behind closed doors.
This silence was different.
It was absolute.
Almost unnatural.
His eyes slowly adjusted to the strange environment around him.
A vast, endless room stretched in every direction, completely covered in white.
The walls, the ceiling, even the floor seemed to blend together, making it impossible to tell where one ended and another began.
There were no windows, no doors, no decorations nothing that could explain where he was.
Luke blinked several times, confusion slowly replacing his groggy state.
“Where… am I?”
He tried to move, only to realize he was lying on something soft beneath him.
Looking down, he saw that he was resting on a simple white bed.
It was strangely comfortable, almost too comfortable, as if it had been made specifically for him.
He slowly sat up, rubbing his head as fragments of memories returned.
The hospital.
The cold room.
The endless nights spent staring at the ceiling while listening to the sound of machines keeping him alive.
His weak body.
The doctors’ concerned expressions.
The growing pile of medical bills.
Luke frowned as he looked around the empty space.
“Last thing I remember…” he muttered to himself, his voice echoing faintly in the endless room, “I was in the hospital.”
He looked down at his hands, examining them.
They looked normal.
No IV lines.
No scars.
No signs that he had spent months lying in a hospital bed.
“Did they transfer me?”
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
“Maybe they moved me somewhere cheaper because I couldn’t afford the treatment anymore.”
He shook his head slightly.
“Figures. Even when I’m sick, money is still the first thing that matters.”
For a moment, Luke sat there in silence, trying to make sense of everything.
Then..
“No.”
A voice suddenly echoed throughout the room.
Luke froze.
The voice did not come from anywhere specific.
It was everywhere at once, surrounding him from every direction.
His eyes widened.
“Who said that?”
The room remained empty.
Luke slowly stood up from the bed, his eyes scanning every corner.
“Hello?”
No response.
He narrowed his eyes.
“Is this some kind of hospital prank?”
He looked upward, searching for cameras.
“Seriously? Is this some hidden camera show? Because if it is, it’s not funny.”
He crossed his arms, irritation beginning to replace his confusion.
“Come on, I just woke up. At least give me a few minutes before messing with me.”
A brief silence followed.
Then the voice spoke again.
“No prank. No hospital. No transfer.”
Luke’s expression hardened.
“Then what is this?”
The answer came calmly.
“You are dead.”
The words hit him harder than any physical blow.
For several seconds, Luke simply stared into the empty space.
“…What?”
“You heard me.”
His breathing became heavier.
“No. That’s impossible.”
Luke shook his head quickly.
“Last thing I remember, I was in the hospital. I was alive.”
He looked down at his body again, almost desperately searching for proof.
“My heart was still beating. The doctors were treating me. I was—”
He stopped.
A strange feeling crept into his chest.
The memories became clearer.
The pain.
The exhaustion.
The doctor’s worried face.
The sound of the heart monitor.
And then…
Nothing.
Luke’s eyes widened slightly.
“…No.”
Before he could say anything else, the empty space in front of him began to distort.
The white surroundings rippled like the surface of water.
A figure slowly emerged.
Luke immediately stepped backward.
The being standing before him looked like a person, but something about it was deeply unsettling.
It had the shape of a human.
Two arms.
Two legs.
A head.
But there were no eyes.
No facial features at all.
Its entire body was nothing more than a dark silhouette, like a shadow given form.
The only thing visible on its face was a mouth.
A simple mouth that moved as it spoke.
Luke stared at the strange existence in front of him.
“…Okay.”
He pointed at the figure.
“That is definitely not normal.”
The figure tilted its head slightly.
“What do you mean?”
Luke let out a nervous laugh.
“Well, I wake up in some weird white room, a mysterious voice tells me I’m dead, and then some faceless shadow person appears in front of me.”
He rubbed his temples.
“Honestly, this is either the strangest dream I’ve ever had or I’ve finally lost my mind.”
The figure remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“You are not dreaming, Luke.”
Hearing his name made him freeze.
“…How do you know my name?”
“I know everything about you.”
The figure stepped closer.
“Your life. Your struggles. Your regrets. Your hopes. Your fears.”
Luke’s expression became more serious.
“Who are you?”
The figure looked at him.
“I am a guide.”
“A guide?”
“An existence that helps souls understand what comes after death.”
Luke stared at it.
“After death…”
He repeated those words quietly.
The reality of the situation slowly began sinking in.
“So… this really is the afterlife?”
“Yes.”
Luke looked around the endless white space.
There was no pain.
No hospital bed.
No sickness.
No machines.
Just silence.
For some reason, that frightened him more than anything.
“So I really died…”
The figure nodded.
“Your physical body reached the end of its journey.”
Luke lowered his head.
A strange mixture of emotions filled his chest.
Sadness.
Confusion.
Acceptance.
He thought about his life, the things he never accomplished, the dreams he abandoned, the words he never said.
“So that’s it?”
His voice became quiet.
“I just die… and end up here?”
The figure remained silent for a moment.
Then it spoke.
“No.”
Luke looked up.
“This is not the end.”
The mysterious being extended its hand toward him.
“Your story has ended in one world.”
A pause.
“But another story is waiting to begin.”
Luke stared at the offered hand.
“…Another story?”
The figure’s mouth curved slightly into what almost looked like a smile.
“Yes, Luke. You have been given another chance.”
And for the first time since waking up in that endless white room, Luke felt something other than confusion.
Luke feel hope.
The figure stood in silence for a moment, allowing the endless white void around them to settle into a peaceful stillness before finally speaking.
Its voice was calm and gentle neither masculine nor feminine, carrying an authority that seemed older than time itself.
“Ordinarily, when a soul leaves the mortal world, it follows the natural cycle. It is judged according to the life it has lived. Humans have given many names to this destination—Heaven, Hell, the Afterlife—but they all refer to the same process. However…” The figure’s ‘eyes’ rested on Luke.
“There are rare exceptions. Certain souls are deemed worthy of beginning anew. Yours is one of them.”
“…Wait a second.” His eyes slowly widened as realization dawned on him.
“Hold on… Are you telling me this is basically like those isekai novels I used to binge-read?”
The figure chuckled softly, a warm smile spreading across its face before giving a small nod.
“Yes. Quite similar, in fact.”
Luke stared blankly for a few seconds before pointing at the figure with a trembling finger.
“No way…”
A grin immediately spread across Luke’s face.
“So… truck-kun wasn’t lying after all.”
“I am afraid I am not who this ‘Truck-kun’ is. He works in different department.”
Luke quickly waved both hands.
“Forget it then. Internet culture.”
The figure simply smiled, deciding not to ask further.
“Since your soul has accumulated enough virtue through your previous life,” it continued, “you will also be granted a special blessing before your reincarnation.”
The smile on Luke’s face gradually faded, replaced by confusion.
“…Virtue?”
He lowered his gaze.
“I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
The words escaped almost instinctively.
“I wasn’t some hero. I never saved a country, never cured cancer, never sacrificed myself for millions of people.” He laughed bitterly.
“Honestly… I spent most of my life just trying to survive.”
The figure quietly observed him before speaking again.
“That is precisely why.”
Luke looked back up.
“You believe kindness only matters when it changes the world.”
“It… doesn’t?”
“It does,” the figure answered gently.
“Just not always on a grand stage.”
The endless white space seemed to brighten as the figure continued.
“You endured hardship for years. Pain, loneliness, disappointment… Yet you never allowed suffering to become an excuse to inflict suffering upon others.”
Luke remained silent.
“Most souls,” the figure explained, “begin with good intentions. But when life repeatedly crushes them, resentment slowly takes root. They curse the heavens. They curse fate. Some abandon compassion entirely because they believe kindness has no reward.”
The figure met Luke’s eyes.
“You never did. You questioned your circumstances. You cried. You struggled. But you never blamed God. And despite everything you endured, you still chose to help others whenever you could.”
Images began appearing around Luke like reflections upon glass.
Sharing the little food he had with someone hungrier than himself.
Helping an elderly neighbor carry groceries despite returning home exhausted.
Giving words of encouragement to someone who was silently falling apart, even when he himself had no one to lean on.
Countless tiny acts.
None of them legendary.
None of them recorded in history.
Yet every single one shone with a gentle light.
“The universe remembers every act of kindness,” the figure said softly.
“Even those forgotten by humanity.”
Luke stared at the countless memories surrounding him, feeling an unfamiliar warmth in his chest.
“…I never thought any of those mattered.”
“They mattered. They always did.”
Luke rubbed the corner of his eye before letting out an embarrassed laugh.
“I just… lived the way I thought I was supposed to.”
He smiled faintly.
“I guess… being kind really does pay off eventually.”
The figure’s smile grew warmer.
“It often does. Though not always in the lifetime one expects.”
Silence settled between them for several peaceful moments.
Finally, the figure raised one hand.
“As a reward, I shall grant you an additional gift before your new life begins.”
Luke’s eyes instantly sparkled.
“A gift?”
His excitement exploded almost immediately.
“Wait!”
He pointed dramatically at himself.
“Does this mean I get a Golden Finger?”
The figure tilted its head.
“…Golden Finger?”
“You know!” Luke exclaimed.
“The overpowered cheat ability! Infinite leveling! Instant god mode! Unlimited inventory! System! Broken skills! That kind of thing!”
The figure couldn’t help but laugh.
“It could resemble what your novels describe.”
Luke pumped his fist into the air.
“YES!”
“But,” the figure added calmly, “there are limits.”
Luke immediately froze.
The figure continued, “Every world possesses its own laws. I cannot grant a power that would shatter its balance or unravel the fabric of reality itself. Any blessing I bestow must remain within the world’s natural order.”
Luke slowly nodded.
“…Makes sense.”
Even so, his mind immediately exploded with ideas.
Infinite mana.
Unlimited growth.
Time manipulation.
Reality rewriting.
Creation magic.
One absurd ability after another flashed through his imagination.
His expression shifted every few seconds as he mentally rejected one ridiculous wish after another.
The figure patiently waited without interrupting.
After several long minutes, Luke suddenly stopped thinking.
“…Actually…”
He looked up.
“I don’t think I want to start ridiculously overpowered.”
The figure remained silent, encouraging him to continue.
“I’ve read enough stories where the protagonist gets everything handed to them.” Luke smiled sheepishly.
“At first it sounds awesome…”
He looked down at his hands.
“But after a while…. there’s no journey. No struggle. No satisfaction.”
He clenched his fist.
“If I’m going to live again… I want every step forward to be something I earn.”
He took a deep breath before speaking with quiet conviction.
“So instead of giving me overwhelming strength from the beginning…”
“…give me a power that rewards hard work. A power that grows alongside me. If I put in effort, I become stronger.”
“If I’m lazy…” He shrugged.
“Then I deserve to stay weak.”
For the first time since their conversation began, genuine surprise crossed the figure’s face.
Moments later, it smiled.
“I believe… that request suits you perfectly.”
Luke scratched his cheek.
“I guess so.”
The figure raised a hand once more.
“Very well. The blessing shall reflect your wish.”
A warm golden light surrounded Luke for only a brief moment before disappearing into his soul.
“It is done.”
The figure then spoke again.
“Before your reincarnation begins… is there anything else you desire?”
Luke fell into thought.
He considered wealth.
Talent.
A noble family.
Extra wishes.
A handsome face.
Perfect luck.
One by one, each temptation drifted through his mind.
Eventually, he simply smiled.
He slowly shook his head.
“No.”
“No?”
“I’ve already been given more than I expected.”
He looked into the endless white sky.
“I just…” His voice became quieter.
“I want to be healthy this time. No constant pain. No endless hospital visits. No wondering if tomorrow will be my last.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“And… I want to be happy. I want people I can laugh with. I want a family. I want to make memories worth remembering. I want to live a life where… when it’s finally over… I won’t have any regrets.”
The figure watched him quietly.
There was no greed.
No desire to dominate.
No ambition to rule kingdoms Only the simple wish to truly live.
Countless souls had stood before it.
Many demanded limitless power.
Others sought revenge against the world that had wronged them.
Some asked for wealth beyond imagination.
Some desired immortality itself.
Luke asked for none of those things.
His wish was painfully ordinary.
And perhaps because of that…
…it was beautiful.
The figure’s expression softened.
A soul like this deserves a good beginning, it thought.
Though it could not interfere with destiny beyond what the laws permitted, there were still many small blessings it could quietly arrange—subtle fortunes, timely encounters, and opportunities that might ease the first steps of Luke’s new journey.
Not because Luke demanded them.
But because he had earned them.
The figure extended its hand once more.
“Then it is time.”
A magnificent gate of shimmering light slowly materialized before them.
Beyond it lay another world.
Another life.
Another chance.
“I sincerely hope,” the figure said with a gentle smile, “that this new life grants you everything you seek.”
It paused before adding one final sentence.
“And no matter what trials await… never lose the kindness that made you worthy of standing here.”
Luke smiled back.
“I’ll do my best.”
Just as the gate began opening, another thought suddenly struck him.
“Oh!”
The figure blinked.
“Yes?”
“My memories…”
Luke hesitated.
“Will I still remember my previous life?”
The figure nodded.
“If that is your wish.”
Luke fell silent once more.
He knew memories could become both a blessing and a burden.
They would remind him of pain.
Of loneliness.
Of every hardship he had endured.
But they would also remind him of every lesson he had learned.
Without them…
Would he still truly be himself?
After a long moment, he smiled.
“…Yes.”
“I want to keep them.”
The figure’s smile deepened.
“As you wish.”
With a gentle wave of its hand, the gate burst into radiant light.
Luke felt his body becoming weightless.
The world around him dissolved into countless glowing particles as an invisible force gently pulled him toward the brilliant horizon.
His vision slowly faded.
The last thing he saw was the figure watching over him with a peaceful smile.
“Go. And live the life you were always meant to have.”
The light swallowed everything.
Then…
Darkness.
And somewhere, in another world…
A new heartbeat echoed for the very first time
<Hey!
New Author here!
i just want to tell anyone who is reading this, thank you for taking a little time for reading my creation, this is just a little hobby for me.
hope you enjoy it and any comment, suggestion and opinion don’t be shy to tell me.
just be kind as much as possible that’s it thank you and i hope you have a nice day!>