I refused the crown prince's proposal because I'm gay!

Chapter 2

The darkness was unbearable.

My name Anri, and for most of my life I have been an orphan. Abandoned at an orphanage when I was just a few months old. Leaving me sad and lonely for life, well that's how it would've gone if I was a normal child. Contrary to popular belief being an orphan isn't really that traumatic.

I've never met my biological parents and since I have no attachment to them I've never resented them for leaving me on a stranger's doorstep. I also never thought of finding my biological parents, there was no point in doing such pointless things.

In the end, no one adapted me but other than that I would say my childhood to adulthood was pretty nice. I went to school, made friends, fell in love, married and I landed myself a decent job. But everything must come to an end.

As a novelist, of course, I've thought about death plenty of times. It was an unavoidable cycle everyone will eventually experience. There are countless stories written about death, such a topic can easily be thrown around in stories.

It can be a convenient plot point. In romances, it can be annoying to write about parents especially in a teen rom-com, most writers would prefer killing off the protagonist's parents as part of a convenient, tragic backstory or just simply angst. In mysteries, the death of a victim is just another cheap way to introduce a plot. In fantasy... well, dying then transferring into another world seems to be the common trope these days.

There are plenty of guesses about what happens when people die. Do the souls leave the mortal body to wander aimlessly without purpose? Do they go and finish their unfinished business? Is there such a thing as heaven and hell? Do the souls reincarnate or simply disappear? What is a soul in the first place?

Well from what I can see... or can't see, it's just a pitch-black void. And again I must say the darkness was unbearable. It wasn't necessarily painful but it wasn't exactly comfortable. The only good thing that came out of this is that I don't get those annoying dark spots dancing across my eyes.

My sense of time has completely been messed up after being landed in this pocket of space. Then again back when I was alive I've never been able to keep a healthy internal clock. My deadlines are much more important than sleep.

After what felt like years, I was finally given a chance to see light. It was blinding at first, the sharp contrast between the dark void to the now boundless sky was too much for my eyes to handle. It took an extremely long time for me to adjust.

The sky above was beautiful, changing according to the time. From the light of day to the starry night sky and in between a brief dash of colors and beneath me lies an illusion that mirrors the sky, which ripples as I walk across it. It was definitely a breath of fresh air.

"You've gotten quite comfortable in my domain, little one." Pleasant like gentle rain, a clear voice resonated throughout this strange yet peaceful area.

"Who? Where?" I have thousands of questions but where to begin?

"Behind you." A figure that vaguely resembles a small child suddenly materialized, playfully blowing soft words into my ear.

Hearing that same voice, now more clearer next to my ear, I shrieked, taking a step back only to stumble and landing on my back. How embarrassing tripping over my own two feet.

As if ten years had flashed by the "child" was no more, morphing into a more mature figure that looked roughly fifteen or sixteen. She was beautiful, wearing a dark purple silk dress accompanied by a pair of black arm guards. Her hair is in a half and half style, white on the right side and black on the right side. Those thick locks of hair flowed unrestrained, moving in accordance to the wind, making her look majestic as if she had descended from heaven.