[ Void, Unknown Time ]
The warrior destined to change worlds floated miserably in the void, her mind unable to move on from the past. Regrets consumed her as she remembered the wishes and promises she failed to fulfill.
Her wife had wanted the two of them to return home and live peacefully. Her children had wished for her presence and support in their lives. The people of her Kingdom had prayed for the Great War to end so they could live without fear.
For the most part, she was glad that the war had ended. A final sacrifice for the good of the world.
Yet its conclusion brought neither satisfaction nor rest to her wounded mind.
In time, the void grew hungry. The warrior could no longer hold on to her regrets and began to deteriorate, her essence would be ready to be used once again in a distant future.
"F-24,"
called a familiar voice from the dark, disrupting the deterioration process. Her consciousness returned with vigor as she felt the familiar process of reincarnation analyzing her essence.
"...I thought that was my last life."
The voice replied with amusement, "With your deeds, it would be a shame for such an asset to go to waste. The divine magic you accumulated could power the realms for a decade. Do you understand?"
She mulled over its words. Her regrets haunted her mind so deeply that she struggled to understand what it said.
"It seems you're too damaged by the previous world," it said, amusement fading into pity. Warping the space around her to prepare for teleportation, it continued, "It seems we must erase most of your memories from your third reincarnation so that—"
"Don't. It's important that I remember, so I don't repeat the same mistakes."
A light appeared at the end of the tunnel, devouring the darkness that surrounded her. It spun like a tornado, its force so strong that F-24 felt it tug at the very state of her essence.
"I'm torn between thinking you're an extremely dependent essence or just suicidal."
"I'll get you your divine energy," the warrior barked almost immediately, offended by the divine being's tone.
"You'd better. After all, it's the reason you're alive."
She was unsure if her words affected the being and what she meant by openly opposing a God. She was supposed to be an obedient puppet, the deterioration period was to make sure that the essence was fully ready.
The light consumed the darkness completely. When it faded, she found herself in a different place. The previous divine presence was gone, replaced by another.
Its ethereal glow made it difficult to look at directly, but F-24 had seen worse in her previous lives. She recognized this being as the one who usually assigned her missions. Though surprised to see it so early in her reincarnation process, she reasoned that if she truly produced that much divine energy, the Gods must want her back on the field immediately.
Seeing the being preoccupied with another soul, she wandered toward a nearby mirror.
This time, she had a spiritual body—one resembling her previous reincarnation. Dull black hair, muted green eyes. The scars that had once littered her skin were gone, revealing the strength she had built over years of hardship. She had never seen herself as a clean slate before. She had gotten used to her ruggedness, a testament to the multiple battles she'd won.
"Ah! If it isn't the star of the realms!" The divine being approached and inspected her essence. "My, you're still brimming with energy despite this being your fourth. How does it feel?"
Tearing her gaze from the mirror, she met its eyes. "I'm not here for chatter, my God."
The being sighed, visibly deflating. "You should lighten up, child. Not many souls are given the same opportunities as you."
"What is my mission?"
Being ignored, the being sighed again. If not for her rare ability to collect a large sum of divine energy, she would have been labeled as used and her essence reconstructed into a blank slate.
Despite that, the being continued, "If you keep this up, you might earn the chance to join us divine beings one day. Your records and feats are unlike anything seen in a sponsor-less essence for a long time. You bear great resemblance to the Almighty One."
The warrior said nothing, uninterested.
Seeing this, the being left her alone and began preparing the chamber of reincarnation. There was much to be done, especially with an essence as unique as F-24. Few worlds were compatible with her.
F-24 glanced at the mirror once more and, after a long silence, asked, "Will my children lead good lives?"
"You're attached," the being said. "Do you wish to erase some of your memories for a more comfortable reincarnation?"
She became a little annoyed at the same question she heard just moments ago. "Will my Kingdom recover from the Great War's devastation?"
The being paused, watching the essence who stared into her reflection. With a wave of its hand, the mirror vanished. "You're too attached."
"I apologize. I haven't quite shaken the thought that I'd finally get to live peacefully. From what I gathered, that was supposed to be my final mission."
The divine being resumed its work. "You understand that you can't have that life until you complete the purpose we've given you and see it through."
"Will the people left in that world have that peace instead?"
"That isn't my job," it replied softly. "Therefore, I do not know."
F-24 approached the being with a resigned expression. She had died, and that was it. In her previous lives, she had never felt such displacement. She had always been eager to fulfill the Gods' will across worlds. She was an essence created for service—settling down was never meant for her.
"What will be my mission, my God?"
The chamber glowed and hummed to life at her voice. The being smiled and led her inside. She watched as the divine being adjusted the machine's settings while she stood lost in thought.
Perhaps it was the short time she had spent curating the void that made her unable to shake off her previous life, or it was her unusual attachment as the divine being commented. The warrior simply wanted to get this process over with and be filled with a new purpose. Maybe she would eventually forget that life to focus on her new one.
A dark orb floated closer to F-24.
"This is a gift from the other Gods. They have high hopes that you'll complete your mission flawlessly. It contains the knowledge of creation. It may be too powerful for the world you're entering, but they insisted on rewarding you for your feats."
She reached out and held the orb suspended in the air, studying it intently. Conflicting emotions welled up within her. Few essences received recognition from the Gods—even fewer that received gifts. She should have felt joy, but she struggled to muster even a small smile.
After absorbing the orb, she thanked the divine being and asked that her gratitude be conveyed to the other Gods.
F-24 thought back to her past life: Her parents, her fleeting fame, meeting her wife, leading armies, building her Kingdom, the Great War, her children's birth, her wife's death, and finally, her own end.
"A lot of Gods will be watching over you in this new life," the divine being began as the chamber vibrated, its hum rising in volume. "You hold the power to change the world. You are an essence of our divinity. The one who bears the will of the Gods.
Divine energy has consumed this world's society. Your mission is to stabilize it. Do you understand this, Essence of the Gods?"
She braced herself for the familiar, unpleasant pull of reincarnation before replying, "I understand."
With a snap of the divine being's fingers, the warrior's essence vanished.
***
[ Central Hospital, 7:58 PM ]
"I need a doctor immediately! My friend is in labor!"
A woman's voice rang through the hospital's main entrance. She carried in her arms a very pregnant woman, pale and writhing in pain.
The woman herself was a mess. Her long dark hair was tangled into what looked like a bird's nest atop her head. Her black eyes gleamed with a mix of confidence and panic.
She was large-built and wore a wrinkled white dress shirt and slacks drenched in sweat, likely from running. Her suspenders hung loosely around her hips, dragging across the tiled floor with an unpleasant clink.
When the people around her only stared in concern, she grew frustrated.
"Where's the fucking doctor!? Nurses?! I need help, please!" Her shouts echoed through the hallways, startling passersby. Her bloodshot eyes and disheveled appearance were a sight to behold.
The pregnant woman in her arms groaned, her trembling hand gripping her friend's shoulder with strength that broke a bone. Her quirk was going haywire.
"Amano..."
"Don't worry, Mihara. I can hear the doctors coming. You'll be alright." Despite her words, Amano didn't even believe herself.
The pregnancy had been difficult for both of them. Mihara had been cast out by her family after they discovered she'd been impregnated by her abuser. They wanted nothing to do with a scandal that could taint their reputation.
As her only friend, Amano had done everything she could. She had helped Mihara with legal fees when the child's father threatened her, and she had stayed by her side through every bad stuff that life threw at the poor woman.
Amano was brave and stable—someone Mihara could cling to in such a crucial time—but it didn't lessen the fear that gripped her heart when Mihara went into labor early.
`Will Mihara be alright? Will it be a stillbirth? Will Mihara live? How the hell am I going to cover the fucking hospital bills?`
Those thoughts swirled in her mind.
At last, the doctor and his team of nurses arrived and helped Amano place Mihara onto a stretcher. Amano held her friend's hand tightly as they rushed through the halls. The chaos around her faded; all she cared about was that Mihara knew she was there.
"My name is Dr. Hakaru Seishū. We're going to take very good care of you. Breathe through your contractions, ma'am," said the doctor. He turned to Amano. "When did her contractions start?"
"Since 3 p.m. I had to carry her the rest of the way when we missed the bus," Amano replied quickly, recounting what she'd observed. "Her water's still intact, but she started bleeding a few minutes ago. From how she broke my shoulder, her pain level's around an eight. Give her something for the pain—if a C-section's needed, perform it. Just make sure she's alri—"
Mihara's scream cut her off as another contraction hit, crushing Amano's hand in her grip.
Moments later, Mihara's water broke, and she began to cry from the intensity of the pain.
"Mihara! You're going to be alright, okay? I've got you. No one's going to hurt you again, remember? Breathe through it. I'm here."
"Amano... I can't—"
"They'll give you something for the pain soon, okay? Just hang in there."
The nurses swung open the doors to the delivery room. As they pushed the stretcher inside, they blocked Amano's path.
"Please wait here, ma'am. Your friend is in good hands. Dr. Seishū is one of the best obstetricians in Japan."
"If anything happens, save her instead of the baby—please. I can't lose her."
The nurse nodded. "We will have another nurse come by and check your injuries. Please stand by, we will do the best we can for the mother and her baby." He said before following the others inside, leaving Amano alone.
She stumbled to a nearby bench and buried her head in her hands.
She thought they still had time to figure things out, to prepare for raising a child. Now, all she could do was pray that Mihara would survive... and that, if the world was kind, so would her niece.