Lost

[Kelsier]

Her hand slips from his grasp. She falls, and he stumbles back...and that's the last thing he knows.

He wakes to a blackness so complete that it makes him doubt whether his eyes are truly open.

I'm dead, aren't I?

Good.

But then, there is light. A white...being, featureless but for a Cheshire Cat smile fills the space.

[Kelsier]

“My name is Omni. This is not the world you know. This is the Omniverse. You interest me, so I have made you part of it. The Omniverse is a place that reflects the wishes of those who are part of it. But! There are rules. I will explain them only once, so listen carefully.”

“This is Omnilium. It’s what ties the Omniverse together. Without it, you are nothing. With it, anything you desire can be yours. But you will need more than this. If you desire it enough, you will find it. You will find that using it comes naturally. Just think of what you desire most.

“You will not be alone in the Omniverse. There are others. Of course, they, too desire Omnilium. Do not fear death. For as long as you interest me, you will be reborn.

Then I'm not...no. No. I won't accept this! I can't live without her!

“That’s all you need to know right now. You’ll figure out the rest soon enough. I’ll be watching … and waiting.”

Damn you! You curse me with a life in hell and you smile! Damn you!

Then he falls again. And wakes up again. He looks around at this unfamiliar place, and remembers back to where he came from...and can't. His memory is a huge, dark void, with only the slimmest of bridges running across its surface. It is she who guards these bridges, and lights the way. The woman he loves, and let fall. He knows that much. That little. He realizes, then, that he can't remember her name.
Then he collapses. And he weeps for everything he has lost.
Especially for her.
He whispers, "My darling, I am so, so sorry."
"I failed."