The screech of tires, a blinding flash of light, and then—nothing. One moment, I was a successful lawyer, my life finally finding a rhythm after years of struggle, my dreams of a family, a normal life, just within reach. The next, I was plummeting into an abyss, my last breath a silent curse against a fate that snatched happiness away just as it arrived.

“Host acquired, initializing the character creation.” A voice, deep and echoing from everywhere, pierced the void. Then, an incomprehensible pain, as if my very being was being torn apart and remolded. Hot and cold, numb and agitated, an almost unending cycle of torment. Was this hell? A divine punishment for a life filled with unspoken regrets and a few morally questionable choices? My consciousness flickered, desperate to resist, to hold on.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the agony ceased, replaced by a profound calm. Like an oasis after a desert trek. The voice returned, clearer now: “Notice, first step of the character creation, successfully completed! Initializing the second step.” Information flooded my mind, a torrent of knowledge about a doomed world, ancient civilizations, and a role I never asked for: Harold of the Abyss. It was all a game, a sprawling RPG I once played, and I was now Satiana Von Evanson, the villainess, reborn.