My eyes blinked open, but nothing could be seen. I tried to move, but I felt nothing. My limbs, the subtle shifts in atmosphere, the very act of breathing—all imperceptible. It was as if I was suspended in an immovable realm of absolute darkness.
"Where am I?" I tried to ask.
But no words came out, not even a sound. This place was silent, so silent it was almost terrifying.
How long have I been here? It felt like an eternity. Perhaps a little sleep would help, I thought, as my mind slowly drifted, pulling me into slumber.
Anazozis's POV
"There are so many deaths," I muttered, gazing at the endless stream of souls.
As the God of Reincarnation, appointed by the OG God himself, I carry many responsibilities. One of them is determining where each departed soul will ultimately reside. As I continued my duties, another god burst into the chamber, her face etched with fear.
"Anazozis, I made a mistake!" she cried, rushing toward me.
I sighed. This was Diastasi, the Goddess of Time and Dimension. She was notoriously childish and prone to errors, and it usually fell to me, the older and more capable god, to rectify her blunders.
"What is it this time?" I asked gruffly.
She shifted nervously. "Well, I might have accidentally sent a soul into the Void."
My eyes widened. "The—the Void?" I whispered, almost quietly.
She nodded furiously.
I gritted my teeth. "How could you mess up so badly? That place is dangerous even for us gods!" I shouted.
She winced. "It was an accident," she mumbled.
"An accident? An accident! How could it be an accident? You shouldn't even be creating connections to that place! What were you thinking?" I roared.
She winced again and looked down, tears welling in her eyes.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. "How long has the soul been there? Maybe we still have time."
She shifted nervously and gulped. "It—it's been close to a million years," she muttered.
My eyes widened once more, my anger threatening to explode. "What do you mean 'close to a million years'? Why did you only tell me now?!"
"When I noticed, I tried to search for him," she answered. "I only came now because I couldn't find him."
"You...!"
Some time later, I found myself approaching another divine being.
"Psyche, I'm sorry for bothering you," I said dejectedly.
"It's fine," she replied. "I've sensed a soul in the Void for a long time now. As the God of Souls, it falls within my dominion. It's partially my fault, actually. I had assumed the soul was banished there for some unspeakable crime, something so evil even Hell would be a gift. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was due to a certain god's mistake." Her eyes flickered to Diastasi, who visibly shrank in guilt.
I sighed. "Let's go," I said, following Psyche.
A while later, we stopped. There it was: the soul. On closer inspection, my eyes widened even further. Somehow, the soul was undamaged. This was almost impossible; the only way a soul could survive there for so long was through karma protection. There was no way someone could accumulate enough karma to last this long. Psyche stepped forward and gently retrieved the soul before we all retreated back to the God Realm.
Together, we inspected the soul, watching as good karma continuously surged through it.
"How is this possible?" I asked.
"He must have done something that changed the history of humankind forever," Psyche answered.
Diastasi nodded. As the God of Reincarnation, I can access all knowledge a soul possesses. I touched his soul with my finger, and information flooded into me. My eyes slowly widened in astonishment.
"Th-this soul," I spoke, "has done something that, though minor, caused a great chain reaction."
"And what would that be?" Psyche asked.
"He saved a child who would have died young," I explained. "That child eventually became an important person who changed the world with radical views. But those radical views stopped violence to an astronomical degree, continuously granting him good karma, as the things and actions she initiated are still followed to this day."
"But that doesn't seem like enough for a soul to survive in the Void for so long," she said.
I smiled. "You're right. After his death, his siblings learned the truth. They became war heroes, and in their efforts to create a better place for children, they eventually became top-ranking officials who even overthrew the corrupt government. With their brother in mind, they created safe havens for children all over the world, saving countless lives. Though he wasn't directly involved, he was the inspiration. And because those places are still being used, he continues to receive a portion of that karma."
Their eyes widened. "But with continuous karma, he would eventually become a god," Diastasi said.
"You're right," I acknowledged. "But since he's fallen into such a deep slumber, by the time he awakens, he won't have enough time to control his increasing strength and would probably explode."
"What should we do then?" Diastasi asked.
I paused before speaking. "Reincarnation," I stated.
"Reincarnation?" they echoed, confused.
"Yes, reincarnation. We will create a body for him and send him to the mortal realms. This body will slowly gain power as he grows older. One of us should go down with him and monitor him to ensure he doesn't lose control of his power."
Both Psyche and I turned our gaze to Diastasi. She looked confused for a moment, then came to a stark realization.
"What? No, I don't want to!" she protested.
I ignored her, already beginning to create his new body. Once it was formed, I placed his soul within it, along with several seals. I nodded, then my eyes glowed as I searched for a suitable world for him to grow in. My gaze settled on the world of Disney.
"Not bad," I muttered. This was perfect. The only times he truly felt joy in his previous life were when he read fairy tales to his siblings.
My hand glowed, and the body shimmered, transforming into an embryo that shot into the mortal realm. I nodded, then turned to Diastasi, glaring at her. She slumped in defeat before following the embryo.
As she disappeared into the distance, I turned and knelt.
"No need to kneel," said a voice.
I nodded and stood up. "Is this the right choice?" I asked.
The OG God stood there for a moment before speaking. "This is a test. For Diastasi, and for the new god."
I nodded, my head turned, my eyes lingering on the distant horizon.
Kevin's Rude Awakening
A low hum, then a sharp buzz. My eyelids felt glued shut. My body was sluggish, disconnected. Where am I? Why can't I open my eyes?
Thump. A jolt. Another. And another. Soft, rhythmic impacts.
"WTF! Who hit me?!" My voice felt rough.
A clear, melodic "Ding!" chimed. What was that?
"Host, I am your System." The voice was smooth, in my mind.
"System? What's that?" Frustration edged my voice.
"I am what you call a System. When a person dies, they go to the afterlife with karma. Enough karma, and you choose reincarnation."
"Oh, really?" A strange curiosity stirred.
"Yes."
"Then where am I?"
"You're in a different world. A combination of worlds. Don't worry, I'm here to help. With me, you'll become stronger."
"Wait, how much karma do I have?" I needed to know.
"I am not permitted to say." The calm tone was infuriating.
"What do you mean you're not permitted to say?!" My voice cracked.
"The reason you didn't choose your afterlife was mainly because of me…"
A chilling silence.
"What?! What do you mean? What did you do?!" I roared.
"I am not permitted to say."
"Answer me, goddammit!" I screamed.
"And who the fuck keeps hitting me?!" I shouted, rage building.
"Ah, Host, the one currently hitting you is your twin," the System replied.
I froze. "What? What do you mean my twin?" I asked, utterly bewildered.
"Cough... well, you were reincarnated, and it just so happened that you have a twin in this life," it explained.
"What do you mean, and where am I?" I pressed, feeling a growing sense of dread.
"Well, Host, you are in a womb, and currently, you are a few months away from being born."
My mind reeled. A womb? I was a baby again? Conflicting emotions swirled. I remembered everyone at the orphanage, my brothers.
"What happened to the kids and my brothers?" I asked quietly, a sudden wave of concern washing over me.
The System paused, then answered, "You don't have to worry about them. They all lived long and fulfilling lives."
A genuine smile touched my lips. "At least they lived a good life."
The Birth
Months later.
I awoke to movement and muffled noises. It had been months since I'd arrived in this watery prison. My senses were still underdeveloped, everything blurry and indistinct, but the constant kicking from my twin was unmistakable. She really had a lot of energy. The System had informed me one day, quite casually, that "it's a she."
But why was there so much commotion now?
"Host, did you forget that today is the day you will be born?" the System's voice echoed in my mind.
I tensed. "Holy shit, you're right!" I gasped.
I braced myself. I absolutely refused to be the younger sibling. And so, I waited. An hour. Two. Then three.
"Dammit, how long is this gonna take?!" I muttered, impatience seething.
Before I could stew any longer, a crushing pressure enveloped my head.
"Holy shit!" I screamed internally.
The pain was immense. It felt like my skull was being squeezed, flattened, stretched, until eventually, the same agony spread to my arms and legs.
"Shit, you should have given me my memories later so I wouldn't have to feel this!" I mentally raged at the System.
This brutal, prolonged sensation lasted for what felt like an eternity—an hour, perhaps—until finally, I was out. My infant body, raw and exposed, immediately burst into frantic wails of relief. I felt a sudden, rough cleaning, then I was lifted into the immense, almost overwhelming grasp of a huge, warm hand. All I could hear were muffled noises, the world a cacophony of indistinct sounds. Then I was transferred to smaller, gentler hands before being returned to the first pair. I felt a swaying motion, moving through the air.
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