In the world of darkness, there is nothing. I am nothing. I am one with nothing. I guess I really am dead.

From the eternal void came another voice. It’s Artemis.

“It has come full circle, hero.” She smiles at me. “You have done well.”

She walks towards me, and gives me a warm hug.

“I’ve longed for you for a millennia and now we are together again at last.”

She gestures for me to walk with her, in this abyss, she is the only source of light, the one illuminating my path.

“Your job is not yet done though and our true reunion can only happen once everything is over.”

She stops and in front of us lies a large, closed door. She touches the wooden finish and turns to me.

“You have earned this respite but there is a job to be done. What is your decision? Enter this door and finish it or stay here, with me, for all of eternity?”

She gives me a knowing smile.

I take a step forward and fling open the door to my destiny. It’s bright! The brightness overwhelms the abyss and the scene is transformed into one of an eternal calm. I take a good look at Artemis, nay, Rafflesia and I take in her image, her curves, her aura. This must be as hard for her as it is hard for me. I take a few short steps towards her and take her into my arms.

“You’ve grown quite bold. Won’t Yui get mad?” She says with her flushed, perfect face.

“I have enough troubles to deal with, adding one more shouldn’t be too bad.” I smile at her.

I gaze into her eyes and pull her close to me and our lips meet. I can feel her breathe, her every being transferred to the very recesses of my soul. I can feel her warmth which is pleasant to the touch. Parting with her is another sin that I must bear but enjoying her is a punishment that my soul will have to answer for one day.

I grasp her round breasts and I fondle them, shaping them to fit my hand which is quite the daunting task considering their size and their softness. It’s as if it belonged to a fairy that could be crushed at the slightest of touches. I part my lips with hers and she is left breathless as she tries to remain prim and calm. Our breaths are heavy and our body needs each other’s warmth. Before I could get carried away, I started walking towards the light.

“Is this another one of your so-called punishments, Alphonse?”

“It’s Keith, and no, this one’s for love”

“How can you fucking say that with a straight face you chuuni virgin!”

BOOM. Critical hit. I decided to laugh it off and I kept walking towards the light. I take one last look at her and I plunge myself into the unknown world that awaited me.

I wake up with a start; I’m sweaty and I can feel my heart pounding through my shirt. It’s ‘that’ dream again. I’ve been having that dream for a quite some time now and while I’m not particularly religious or superstitious, it has been said that dreams are an oracle from a higher power.

Coincidentally, I’m not just a regular human being save for my abnormal bad luck and my penchant for the dangerous and the bizarre. My name is Alphonse. I’m a simple man who likes simple things, namely napping and cooking – though I say that, the only people who have ever tasted my cooking can be counted on two fingers, my instructor and my childhood friend.

Wait, something’s wrong here. Aren’t I supposed to be dead? I feel like I’ve seen this happen already.

Anyway, I take off my shirt, wipe off my sweat and quickly wear my sports attire and walk towards the door connecting my room to the common area of the barracks. I’m a Prentice Knight serving under the Republic of Pantheon and I live with two idiots and apparently, their boss.

Wait, something really seems wrong here.

Ignoring the sense of nostalgia and general Déjà vu, I wave to my fellow Prentices as I head towards the gymnasium on the ground floor of this complex. ‘A healthy body is a healthy mind’ or something like that, right? For someone as lazy as me, maintaining a routine as demanding as this can be troublesome if I’m being nice or pointless if I’m being honest but it is something that I have chosen to do, not for myself but for the women that I swore to protect.

I notice the lack of chattering and I wonder why everyone is being quiet, even the rowdier bunch who gather around the newer recruits to pester them for their money. Cliché, I know. There are two reasons for this abnormal occurrence. It’s either the Princess is here and the Officers are taking an extra measure in being a pain in our asses or my esteemed instructor is here, awaiting the idiots who demanded to be her prodigies and then it hits me.

Everything that has happened, the name that I called myself, my ‘rebirth’ and my ‘death’ and meeting Artemis in that void. The cycle has restarted with all of my memories intact.

A familiar voice calls out to the two struggling prentices. It really has restarted.

“Worthless peons, know your place!”

“Gghhhhhhuuu”

“Ughhhh!”

I guess I’m going to have to continue this turbulent life but this time, I have the tools and knowledge necessary to avoid a bloodshed, or start one myself. I guess I can spare the Trouble this time around. Life is going to be a little more interesting.

Author's Notes

Hey everyone! We're finally done with volume 1! The cycle has restarted! What will Keith do now that he has the knowledge and the skills to deal with his Trouble!some life? The answers await us in Volume 2! I thank everyone who has supported me from the get-go and to my new readers. I know I may not be the best writer but I hope that you enjoyed my story so far. Thanks for sticking with me!

Alright! Survey time! Could you please tell me what think of the story so far? Maybe write a review for me too? Alright? Cool! I appreciate it. Thank you and see you in Volume 02!