Cold.
Darkness.
Emptiness.
That was all that greeted me after death.
If this was Hell, then I would gladly take fire and brimstone over this hollow nothingness. At least flames felt like something. Here, there was no pain, no warmth—only an endless absence pressing against my soul.
I could not tell how much time had passed. Seconds? Years? Eternity?
Perhaps this was purgatory, a waiting room where my sins would be weighed and judged. Though I could not imagine what sins I had committed. I was not responsible for the ignorance of others. Especially not Alder and his fragile, bruised ego.
Hmph.
What was there to do anyway? There was nothing. No body to move, no breath to draw, no sound to break the silence.
Then-
" Alert! Unregistered Soul Detected "
What-? Who dares speak?!
" Annihilating Anomaly "
Annihilating? As in destroying? I have done nothing to deserve such a fate!
" Alert! Authority **** has declared Soul as natural. Annihilation Protocol Terminated "
Authority? What authority speaks so boldly now?
" Authority **** has registered Soul for Reincarnation. Reincarnation Protocol Activated "
" Data Collection Initiated "
What sorcery is this? Are you friend or foe? And what "data" do you presume to collect?
" Data Collection Complete "
Absurd. Utterly absurd. Will you answer me, or will you continue babbling like a broken spell?
" Soul Contains Both Life and Death Aspects "
Life and death? Explain yourself!
" Analyzing Aspects "
" Life Aspects: 『Magic』『Protection』『Purity』『Justice』『Craft』『Generosity』『Depraved』『Solitude』"
" Death Aspects: 『Fire』『Oath』『Pride』『Revenge』『Contrary』『Hope』『Curiosity』『Morbid』"
Nonsense. Pure nonsense. Do whatever you please. It is not as if I can stop you.
" Warning! Number of Aspects nearing Soul Limitation. Risk of Deconstruction High "
Deconstruction? And what, precisely, does that entail?
" Solution Identified! Compressing Aspects into Manageable Laws. Initiating Compression "
" Aspects『Oath』『Justice』『Revenge』respond to Aspect『Fire』—Law:『Flames of Morality』has emerged "
" Aspects『Magic』『Purity』『Protection』respond to Aspect『Pride』—Law:『Sublimation』has emerged "
" Aspects『Hope』『Generosity』『Craft』respond to Aspect『Contrary』—Law:『Divergence』has emerged "
" Aspects『Depraved』『Solitude』『Morbid』respond to Aspect『Curiosity』—Law:『Inquisition』has emerged "
Why are you still speaking? Kindly leave me be. I have an eternity of loneliness to return to.
" Law Allocation Complete "
Finished at last?
You certainly speak far too much for an enigmatic entity beyond existence. Though I suppose I have no prior experience to compare you to.
" Locating Suitable Host Body "
Ah. I see my mistake. Please, do continue, despite my sincere wish that you would not.
" Suitable Body Unobtainable "
" Host Soul Contains Angelic, Demonic, and Mortal Energies "
" Energies Incompatible with Existing Bodies "
" Creating New Body "
" New Body Created "
" Utilization of Angelic, Demonic, and Mortal Energies has resulted in New Race: Nephilim "
Nephilim…
Where had I heard that word before?
If memory served, Nephilim were said to be the offspring of angels and mortals—giants who devoured all in their path. Monsters of legend.
Curious.
This thing claimed Nephilim to be a new race. Perhaps those stories were nothing more than myths after all.
" Installing Natural Aspects into New Race:『Celestial Defiance』『Infernal Resistance』『Mortal Impossibilities』『Spiritual Alteration』"
" Process Complete. Reincarnating Soul "
The voice finally fell silent.
Then I felt it—a pull, sudden and overwhelming. A blinding light consumed me, dragging my very being toward an unknown destination.
I did not want this. Whatever was happening, I wanted no part in it.
My thoughts blurred, my consciousness sinking into a heavy slumber. In moments, I became nothing once more.
…
I am jolted awake by birdsong and sunlight peeking through my closed eyes.
What happened?
Could all of that have been a dream?
My mind simply playing a morbid trick on my consciousness?
No.
It could not have been a simple dream. The pain I had felt as my flesh and bone were burned was unbearably real. Begrudgingly, I open my eyes to see a lush forest in front of me.
If I had perished, then what is this?
Heaven?
A slight chuckle escaped my throat at the idea.
Hardly.
It certainly did not seem to be. I expected pearly white gates to greet me if that were the case. I lift an arm to shield my eyes from the sun, and then I see it.
This is not my arm.
Not the arm I was used to seeing every day. It was different.
Sharp black nails contrasted against pale, almost luminous skin, and it felt smaller, younger than my true age.
I sat up, looking at my body. Everything had changed; I was the size of a child, one no older than ten years. My legs and feet were not those of any human I had ever seen.
They were those of a beast, as if a god took the legs of a human and forcibly made them stand on their toes—almost beastlike but still human.
The same black claws could be found on my toes, and underneath my feet were little pads, similar to those of a dog or cat.
I stood up, my inexperience in this body showing as I nearly fell back down. After a few moments, I was walking properly. I stretched, continuing my quest to see what this body was capable of.
I felt the top of my head and was surprised to feel two distinct protrusions atop my skull.
Are these horns?
They were. Although small, I could perfectly feel them atop my scalp. There was also something else above my head: a ring-like object levitating along with the movements of my head. I pulled it down and was stunned to see a halo.
The same halo said to be worn by angels as a sign of purity. That very same halo was atop my head. I let go of it, and it quickly levitated back into place.
As I was letting go of my halo, I felt a peculiar sensation behind me.
I turned my head and saw something resembling a tail. I grabbed it and pulled. There was not much pain, just a slight stinging sensation.
I'll have to be careful with this. It could cause problems if someone were to get their hands on it.
I looked at it closely and saw eye-like patterns in a straight line on top and underneath it.
The tail itself was flat and smooth, almost as if it were a piece of cloth. At the end of the long, rectangular tail there was a triangle; together they formed an arrow shape.
I moved my tail around and saw it was quite flexible, bending, twisting, and stretching in different directions. The last and least remarkable addition were the elongated fangs among my teeth. There were four in total, and they were extremely sharp; if I were not careful, I could impale my own tongue.
Aside from all of that, I was relatively human-looking. I was dressed in simple rags: a pair of brown, dusty pants with a hole for my tail and a plain shirt.
I wonder if…?
I checked beneath the rags to find nothing. I was neither male nor female, it seemed.
Having finally observed my new body, I began questioning.
What happened? This is not my body, yet I am in it. That strange voice was rambling on and on; the most important thing it said was "reincarnation."
Reincarnation was the belief that when we die, we are reborn as a different person entirely, losing all our previous memories in the process. I heard it was a staple belief in some religions.
If I did reincarnate, why did I remain with all my memories intact? I wonder…
Haa.
I sighed. There is still so much I do not know. Even with my magic, it is not as if I were omnipotent.
Ahhhh!
I screamed internally as I grasped at my head.
Why must life be so complicated? I wish there was something that would just give me everything I need!
Oh well.
It seems I'm on my own for this adventure. Not the first time. After all, I thrive on solitude.
I let out a breath releasing hand from my head.
I just need to find the nearest settlement.
I look to the sky, measuring the time.
If I'm correct, it should be high noon about now. I should get going.
As they say, when in doubt, head North. At least, I think that's what they say.
Seeing as I do not have a map, I begin heading North in the hopes that I find something. On the way, I notice everything around me is strange, to say the least.
I did not know what it was, but an odd feeling had simply crept its way into my chest. I have never felt this feeling before; it was as if everything around me was clearer in a peculiar fashion.
I ignored it and continued on my way.
I discovered something else about this new body: it is fast, extremely so. I had never moved this fast before. I had only ever experienced this rush of wind when on horseback.
My legs propelled me forward at unbelievable speeds; it felt as if the world is but a blur.
If I continued at this pace, I would reach a settlement in no time. Although, that depends on the settlement itself. Some are far apart, taking days to reach even on horseback.
Hopefully, that is not the case.
I would hate to be in the wilderness when darkness fell.