‘Huh…?’

  My body felt strange.

  Light. Too light.

  I slowly opened my eyes.

  “Huh… didn’t I just drown?” I muttered. “Then how am I still alive?”

  “You’re not.”

  The voice was cheerful. Way too cheerful.

  I froze.

  “…What?”

  “That’s easy,” the woman said brightly. “You’re not alive, Akira.”

  “Lumi,” another voice sighed, tired and irritated. “You’re supposed to explain things slowly.”

  “WHAT?!”

  I shot upright, my heart hammering—except… I couldn’t feel it beating at all.

  “See?” the second voice said. “Now you’ve scared the poor boy.”

  “I did?” the first woman replied. “…Oops.”

  I looked around.

  I was floating in an endless white space. No floor. No sky. No walls. Just pure white stretching on forever.

  In front of me stood three figures, completely relaxed, like this was just another normal Tuesday.

  “O-okay,” I said carefully. “What the hell is going on?”

  “You died,” a third voice said flatly.

  I turned toward her.

  She looked bored—hands in her pockets, posture lazy. Her purple eyes felt sharp, like they were staring straight through me.

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  “And this ditz decided to bring you here instead of doing her job.”

  “Hey!” the cheerful woman protested.

  “She’s an airhead,” the man corrected. “Not an ditz.”

  “Same thing,” the girl replied.

  “Viola,” the man warned.

  “Oregin, I’m stating facts.”

  Oregin rubbed his temples. “You got me there…”

  I stared at the three of them.

  “…Am I hallucinating?”

  “Nope!” Lumi said proudly. “I’m the Goddess of Life!”

  The tired man sighed. “God of Creation.”

  Viola waved lazily. “Magic.”

  “…Of course,” I muttered.

  Oregin turned toward Lumi. “Now explain why you brought him here. You’re supposed to cleanse the soul, erase the memories, and send it onward. Not summon teenagers.”

  “But he’s had a really bad life,” Lumi said, pouting. “I wanted to do it.”

  “…Do what?” I asked slowly. “Your phrasing makes me feel like I should mention I’m still in high school.”

  Oregin groaned. “She doesn’t mean that.”

  “She wants to reincarnate you without erasing your memories,” Viola said. “Which also means—”

  “I wanna know what you want in your next life!” Lumi finished with a bright smile.

  All three of them looked at me.

  And just like that, the weight of it finally hit.

  I was dead.

  “…So,” I said after a moment. “This is real.”

  “Very,” Oregin replied.

  I let out a slow breath.

  “Then… I guess I’d like to stay my age,” I said carefully. “Keep the way I look. And if you can…” I hesitated. “A world with magic.”

  Viola’s eyes lit up slightly.

  “You’re interested in magic?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Who wouldn’t be?”

  She smirked and glanced at Oregin. “I say we let Lumi do it.”

  Oregin studied me for a long moment before turning to Viola.

  “As someone who can see possible futures,” he said, “you’re confident this won’t be a mistake?”

  “Yes.”

  He sighed. “…Very well.”

  “Yay!” Lumi clapped her hands. “Okay, Akira! Come here!”

  “…Sure thing,” I said, stepping forward.

  Viola raised a hand. “Hold still.”

  “…Okay.”

  Her eyes glowed faintly.

  “I’m giving you an inferior version of my Magic Eye.”

  “…That sounds dangerous.”

  “It is,” she said bluntly. “But you’ll live.”

  “Probably.”

  “Probably?!” I yelled.

  She smirked.

  “Welcome to your next life, Akira Nanase.”