Victorious: Make It Shine...Or Something Like That

The moment Sean opened his eyes, he instantly knew he was dead.

The last thing he remembered was running into busy traffic in order to save a little girl who had chased her ball onto the road while her mother was occupied elsewhere. Sean had been on his way to work when he noticed her, and without a second thought, he jumped right onto the busy road to push the little girl aside from an oncoming truck.

Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky and the truck had slammed into him, knocking him unconscious a few feet away. By the time paramedics had arrived, he was already no longer breathing.

The first thought that came to his mind when he opened his eyes was;

'...So I actually died, huh?'

The second thought was;

'Where on earth am I?'

He found himself floating in an open space. It was white all around him despite there being now actual walls or ceilings. It was the afterlife, possibly. Though, he couldn't be sure. It certainly wasn't hell so he counted that as a win.

He looked around feeling a mixture of both nervousness and anticipation. Although he was sad about his sudden death, the longer he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't actually have much to live for anyway.

His parents had perished in a fatal car accident when he was only five years old, leaving him an orphan. After being passed around from one foster care home to another, his life had been filled with nothing but an empty void. The world was cruel to those it deemed weak and unlucky. He struggled through school despite having a good head on his shoulders because no one liked a smelly, poor orphan nobody. Teachers and students alike discriminated against him without remorse.

His inability to perform well at school meant he couldn't go to university and had to settle for finding work as soon as he turned 18.

Sean applied to many places but no one was willing to take in a homeless 18-year-old with a mere high school diploma. The only job that accepted his miserable-looking resume was a shady construction company. They were a company that didn't care much about background and hired anyone and everyone that could work. Hence, Sean's work environment was filled with people who held criminal records and others who came from backgrounds similar to his.

Despite not really getting along with any of them, they were probably the closest to actual friends he'd ever had.

The work was tough but at least it paid the bills.

Still though, if Sean had a dream, it would be to one day become a famous musician and tour the world.

He loved music with his entire being. His parents were both musicians and the love for music ran in his blood. His mom was part of a notable orchestra while his dad was part of a rock band that performed at small concerts and gatherings. Although he didn't remember much of his parents, he remembered the music they played and how their home was always filled with it.

In an alternate world, he would've followed their path to become a musician and would've toured the world, spreading his love for music to each and every person.

If he had another chance...

If only he was given one more shot...

But alas, fate seemed to have other plans for him. Now all he could do was await the rest of his fate, floating around in this empty, lonely space.

"Now now, isn't it a little too early for you to give up?"

Sean whipped his body around in shock at the sudden voice that spoke up.

He instantly winced and shut his eyes as the only thing he saw was a bright ball of light hovering in front of him. It seemed that the voice was coming from the ball of light.

With his eyes still closed, he asked, "What - no - who are you?"

"I go by many names in your world. Perhaps the one you'd be most familiar with starts with the letter G."

"Go-"

"Indeed," Sean was cut off before he could finish. The divine ball of light floated closer and said, "Sean, my boy, you have suffered greatly in your life. As have many of my children but unlike their predestined fate, yours was not at all how it should've been."

"What do you mean by that?"

The divine being replied, "It seems that a worker of mine, one that has succumbed to evil, rewrote your fate and a few others, entirely. By the time his wicked deeds were discovered, it was too late as everything had been set in stone."

Sean felt his chest tighten, "So you mean-"

"Yes. Almost every unfortunate thing that happened in your life was the result of my former worker's malicious ploy - to mess with fate itself."

Sean couldn't believe it. His life, every struggle, every heartache, and every tear he had shed was the result of some asshole who didn't want to do his proper job. He wanted to curse, maybe not at the ball of light because that wouldn't be a good idea, but at everything else.

With a defeated look, he asked, "Then what does that mean? I mean, I'm technically dead now, aren't I?"

"You are," the deity replied. "However, there is a silver lining in all of this."

Immediately, Sean perked up, "Oh?"

"The moment you died, your string of fate was severed and ceases to exist. And therefore, it is possible to create a new string, one that'll hold what was initially intended for you."

Following along, Sean had a feeling of anticipation. If he understood correctly, this would mean that-

"How would you like to be reborn in another world?"

Sean almost couldn't believe his ears. 

"You mean, like that thing they do in those webnovels? Where the main character is reincarnated into another world with cheats and everything?"

"Correct," said the deity. The ball of light shimmered in amusement, "How does that sound? Would you be interested in living a life you missed?"

Without hesitation, Sean replied with an obvious "Of course!"

In his situation, who would dare turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity such as this? In his eagerness, Sean asked, "Wait, does that mean I'll get a golden finger? A cheat?"

The diety paused for a second before answering, "I suppose so. Consider it compensation for the injustice you've faced up till now."

Sean clenched his fists in excitement. 

"What will it be?"

But then he suddenly had a thought. Before the deity could reply to him, he said, "Hold on. Before that, what world will I be sent to? I just realized, you haven't actually told me where I'll be reincarnated."

Understanding the youth's anxiousness, the ball of light answered in a calm tone.

"Fret not, young one. The universe, the world you are going to enter, was chosen specifically based on your desires and needs. A world that is similar to your own and familiar to you."

'Similar and familiar...I wonder what it could be...' though Sean was feeling rather bemused. 

"As for your so-called 'cheat', I've decided to grant you the title of 'Ultimate Musician'. Whatever instrument you touch, you will be able to learn it in a heartbeat. Whatever song you attempt to sing, you'll be able to sing to perfection without practice."

Sean felt a strange wave of power wash over him before he noticed his surroundings beginning to fade out. 

He heard the being's parting words before the empty white void disappeared from his vision.

"Live your life, young one. Live, and leave no regrets..."

With that, everything went black