***

Pain.

Pain was my sole companion in the flightless void surrounding me.

Agonizing cries erupted from my throat, echoing like the battle cries of a charging army. As I clawed at my neck, I could feel the warm, crimson blood trickling from my wounds, transforming me into a canvas of horror.

"Eh? I can't feel it anymore?"

In an instant, the pain vanished, swept away like a mighty tide, leaving me in a serene calm, rescuing me from drowning in my own blood.

'Had I crossed over to the other side? Is this what death is like? I thought it would be more... painful. Seems plausible, I guess.'

As I surveyed my surroundings, I found nothing but darkness. There was no light, sounds, or even a hint of movement - just an overwhelming sense of nothing.

The nothingness was depressing - anyone who was dead and had depression was reeling in agony right now.

'Do I even have a body?'

Looking down, I saw a faint echo of my body, with each movement of my body leaving after images. The blood that once covered me phased through my body, falling into the endless void.

I pressed my finger against my left cheek, curious if I could sense anything after being torn apart by an immortal creature. To my astonishment, I realized I couldn't feel my own body.

"What the?!?"

My finger slipped right through my cheek, reaching to my spine. Panicked, I yanked my finger back, causing me to lean forward and tumble. It felt like my body had no weight at all.

'This is so strange. Am I going to be stuck like this forever?'