Chapter 15: Chapter 6: A deal with the devil?
I stood at the edge of the iridescent meadow, a soft breeze swirling around me. The afterlife had a strange way of feeling both familiar and foreign at the same time. It looked like heaven—a vast expanse with colors that sparkled in ways I couldn't quite describe—but the weight of my past lingered.
As the days morphed into weeks, I found solace in chatting with Kacchan and Todoroki. We often gathered under the old cherry blossom tree, its petals drifting like whispers of our memories, each one a reminder of our unfinished paths. Life in the afterlife was surprisingly mundane, despite the celestial beauty.
But then, one week, everything changed.
It was a quiet day when the atmosphere shimmered in a different light. A golden figure approached, radiating an ethereal glow. She had magnificent, shimmering wings that caught the light in dazzling patterns, and her hair cascaded down her back like molten gold. Her golden eyes held a warmth I hadn't felt in ages.
"Hello," she greeted softly. "I'm Alice."
Deku's heart raced as he stepped forward, drawn in by her radiance. "I'm… I'm Izuku Midoriya," I stammered. The others introduced themselves, and soon we found ourselves enthralled by Alice's gentle aura.
After some casual chatter, I felt a strange pull to confide in her. "I'm… I still feel guilty," I admitted, clutching my hands together. "So many people mourn my death. They look up to us, and…" My voice trailed off, a lump forming in my throat.
Alice tilted her head, understanding flickering in her golden gaze. "You hold the burden of their hope, don't you?"
I nodded, wanting nothing more than to ease the sorrow I had left behind. "Do you know how it feels to have so much unfinished business? I—I never wanted to let anyone down."
Alice's expression softened. "There's a way for you to return. To become heroes again."
The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. "What do you mean?" I asked breathlessly, my heart racing with hope.
"My quirk is Desire. I can grant any wish, any desire," she explained. "If you want to return, I can send you back to Earth." There was a moment of silence as her words sank in.
After she spoke, I rushed back to my friends, excitement bubbling within me. "Guys! You won't believe what I just heard! Alice… she has this quirk called Desire! She can send us back! We could be heroes again!"
Bakugo's skeptical brow furrowed. "Are you kidding me, Deku? You trust some random angel with sparkly wings? This isn't a fairy tale!"
Shoto's calm demeanor contradicted Bakugo's fiery outburst. "Do you truly believe it's that simple?" His icy eyes scrutinized me, revealing the doubt that lingered behind his calm surface.
I held my ground. "But think about it! We can help people again! We can—"
Bakugo cut me off. "What if this doesn't work? What if there's a catch?"
"Alice seems genuine," I insisted, my voice rising with fervor. "She understands us, our pain, our struggle. We have to at least consider it."
"I won't get my hopes up just to be disappointed," Bakugo said, crossing his arms. "Why should we put our trust in a quirk? It sounds too good to be true."
"In this place, maybe it is," Shoto added. "We've learned that death changes things."
Their skepticism stung, but I refused to back down. "What if we stay here forever? Wandering without meaning? We have a chance—a real chance!"
Days turned into heated discussions. I poured my heart out, recalling our dreams of being heroes and the sense of purpose that came with every battle. Bakugo and Todoroki remained hesitant, unsure of Alice's true intentions.
Finally, after much deliberation, Bakugo sighed. "Fine. We'll consider it. But if it goes wrong, I'm holding you responsible, Deku."
Todoroki nodded slowly but agreed, "Maybe this is worth exploring."
That decision ignited a spark of hope within me. As I watched my friends wrestle with their own thoughts, I felt a flicker of gratitude toward Alice. She had reminded me of something important—that even in the afterlife, the desire to try again could be the first step toward healing.
Together, we would face whatever came next, embracing the possibility of becoming heroes again, not just for us but for everyone we left behind.