Shin's Pov
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Kuruna left my room with a determined aura about her. It was still a shock that she wanted to come with me. A tinge of regret lingered within me as I finished my preparations. I was uneasy at the thought of leaving Kuruna alone with our parents. After all, they aren't at the best point in their lives right now.
'Speaking of which should I say goodbye to them? I have no love for my stepfather, the problem lies with my mom...'
Since my birth father's passing, I rarely communicated with my mother. She only spiraled downwards, becoming consumed from grief and sorrow. With drugs and alcohol becoming her only salvation, as a simple kid, there was nothing I could do besides trying to comfort her. But that wasn't enough. A few years had passed since then. My memories of my old life with my father and mother began to blur as I aged, I couldn't recall if I wanted to discard those memories, or if I had simply forgotten.
'I suppose It should be alright, I've lost sight of who my mother was a while ago, there's nothing left for me here anyway. This is starting to feel more and more like a blessing in disguise.' I thought as I finished rounding up my belongings.
"Ok let's see here. Extra clothes, check. First aid kit, check. Hunting knife, check. Canned food, check. And most importantly, a lifetime supply of toothpaste!" I said out loud as if boasting of my intelligence.
'There is nothing more disgusting than grimy teeth. Dental care is important! Even in another world.' Feeling satisfied with my preparations I crammed the items in a large duffel bag half the size of my body.
"Argh, I need to have a growth spurt immediately. At this rate, Kuruna will pass me when she's older." I muttered cursing my short figure. I wasn't old to begin with, but It was still annoying. I set the bag to the side of my bed while I lay down. I wasn't sure how or when I was getting to the other world tomorrow, but I felt a sense of security in knowing I was prepared. Thanks to Hermaya's detailed explanation, I had no idea what to expect.
'What was this world going to be like? Is it going to be dangerous? Will the food there taste different?' These crucial thoughts clouded my mind. It was the reason why I was bringing so many things, I had no clue what I was getting myself into.
'"Argh, I've had it! Why couldn't that stupid goddess just give me a little detail? This is so frustrating!" I shouted into my pillow while simultaneously flailing my arms and legs wildly.
"Sigh, well I guess I should sleep huh." Frustrated as I was, I still needed to get some sleep for tomorrow. Calming myself down I slowly drifted off into a quiet and peaceful slumber.
My body was heavy, so much so that it felt like my entire body began to suffocate. I gasped for air but to no avail, I couldn't breathe. Usually, a lack of oxygen would prove fatal, but nothing was happening. Surrounding me was a sea of darkness, I felt nothing, I saw nothing, I was nothing.
'Am-am I dreaming?' I thought to myself as I floated aimlessly in this sea of black. I had no idea how long I had been here or how I got here. I was scared.
Just then a small white flame appeared before me. Despite its size and the space around me, it showed brightly. It sent small strokes of heat towards me filling me with life. I reached out to the flame, hoping it would comfort me in the void I was in. As if it knew what I was doing the flame exploded into an array of light that enveloped me. The light spread across the darkness filling it with life. The light showed so brightly at this point I couldn't bear to look at it. And so I closed my eyes hoping for the best.
I awoke to see the light above me, but this time much smaller in a circular form. I could breathe, and I could feel the ground beneath me. It was vastly different from the bed I thought I fell asleep on. The ground was rough but soft to the touch. Thin strands of softness ran through my fingers as I brought myself up from the ground.
"A-ah, What just happened to me?" I said to myself as I slowly came to my senses. My previously blurry vision came into focus as I took in my surroundings. It was apparent I was no longer in my room as I was surrounded by tall thin trees. The tree bark was white with splotches of brown all around it. The thin trees reached far into the sky, although I couldn't see where they ended because of the leaves. The thin strands of softness I previously felt were tree leaves. The red leaves fell in thin strands to the floor, covering the surface in a sea of red.
"Oh brother, what a great place to start. In the middle of a weird forest with things, I've never seen before. I'm quaking in joy." I mumbled sarcastically pulling myself from the ground. I soon realized the circular light above me was the sun, giving me a small sense of joy knowing I at least knew one thing I saw. The sun shone through the small gaps of the crimson leaves above me and sent small rays of light onto the ground. Despite my uneasiness, I couldn't deny the scene was beautiful.
My duffle bag sat a few feet to my right already covered in red.
"Good looks like everything I brought is still in here."A sigh of relief came over me as I checked the contents of the bag.
"That was a rather extreme way of sending me off. I thought I was dying for real! I swear imma give that old a*s goddess a piece of my mind next time I see her."
Drawing my knife from the bag I wrapped the hilt along my waist and began walking through the unfamiliar world.