================================================================
Hello my dear reader, how are you doing? I hope you are fine! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ
After reading the chapter, if you want, please visit my P.a.t.r.e.o.n page.
https://www.p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/donvalentino11
(remove the hyphens from "p-a-t-r-e-o-n" to correct the link and access it properly)
You can fund my story and help me make it better!
\( ˙▿˙ )/\( ˙▿˙ )/
Have a nice reading! (*￣▽￣)b
================================================================
And that was what happened.
James told me that I could stay in the room as much as I wanted so that I could think about all this reincarnation stuff. He looked a little annoyed while saying that.
I was still lying on the ground looking at the sky, but surprisingly, my mind was clearer than before.
Earth wasn't appealing for me anymore since I didn't have any parents or friends, and my previous job was definitely gone. So, since I didn't have any attachment to Earth, getting reincarnated in another world was the best course of action.
I got up and started to roam around the place, thinking deeply about all of this. After a few seconds, I stopped moving around the room and starred at the sky.
I never expected that god, supernatural beings, other races, and other worlds existed, much less that reincarnation was true.
"Haha."
I laughed weakly as I thought how funny my situation was.
'I am dead, in a place with nothing but a sky, with no chances to go back from where I came from, and waiting to be reincarnated…'
It was then.
I could feel my hands getting colder as I started to think about something important. Something that I made sure to bury deep inside my mind and soul, so it wouldn't torment me. Something that, considering the moment and situation I was in, was a question of life and death.
'No… It can't be…'
I placed one of my hands on my head and started to think.
'Is all of this happening… Just for me to repent?'
It was then that a sinister thought passed through my head. I could see the great "sin" that I committed, years ago, in the orphanage vividly in my mind.
'Thinking about it, he seemed to be angry and unsatisfied with me a lot. Is he feigning ignorance just to trick me?'
I removed the hand from my head and place it on my chin.
I recovered rapidly from my panicked state and became serious again. I have lived in a world with terrible people, including myself, so I could not help thinking something like that.
As I was thinking about that, I heard a voice calling my name.
"I'm back Siegfried. Have you, finally, organized your thoughts and prepared yourself? I want to send you to the other world as fast as I can."
The calm yet stern voice belonged to James Deus. The man I was having trouble discerning what his true intentions were.
He asked me a question, demonstrating the little patience he had for me, but I decided to stare at him for a few more seconds.
― Sigh
I sighed as I didn't know how to proceed with the current situation and decided to question him.
"… Sir, I would like to ask a question. Is all of this reincarnation stuff, just a ploy to make me repent for my sins?"
After finishing my question, I started to examine his face. I could see that he was surprised by what I said. He stayed silent for a few more seconds as if he were thinking carefully about what to say next.
It was then.
Like the gears of a watch, my head started to think about a very plausible theory.
'Now that I'm thinking about it, only I was caught up in this mess. It feels like I was hand-picked.'
I narrowed my eyes towards James Deus.
'Did he… Do it on purpose?'
As I was starting to have complex thoughts, a serious answer came from him.
"What is the point of 'regretting' your actions this late?"
I could feel his coldness just like a harsh winter's night. Somehow, he seemed to be angry as well.
"Because of what you did… He had to struggle and suffer alone until he died. The current Earth will face more dangerous situations because he died. After I told him what you did, he laughed it off and even forgave you… But you died without even suffering or regretting your actions…"
I could feel his massive anger towards me. There was so much concealed inside him that the air pressure changed slightly.
Everything made sense at that moment. I tried to answer him back, but I couldn't find the words to say. Without being able to retort, I only lowered my head and stared at the ground.
"Hmpf! If you at least know the meaning of respect, just stay quiet and wait for me to fill your form."
Again, I couldn't say a thing. My mouth felt heavy and my lips were dried. I felt embarrassed, but I couldn't do a thing about it since I knew that the fault belonged exclusively to me.
― Scribble… Scribble…
The only sound that could be heard was from the pen moving and filling the form. While looking at his pen moving, I saw glimpses of the past and the moment I committed my sin. After some minutes of bitterness, the pen stopped and James Deus finally spoke to me.
"I am very angry against you… But I will allow you to make one request because of how good he was. Do you have anything you would like to take with you to the other world? Aside from your memories, of course. They are already included since it will be pointless if I let you forget that you brought all of this to yourself."
I didn't want to answer. I didn't know if that was a trick for him to discover the things I like and "pulverize" them or if he would really allow me to take something along. However, my mouth ended up moving.
"… My name."
I really liked my name. I remembered imagining myself being a hero in a fantasy world as I was reading a storybook when I was younger.
He looked at me for a few seconds and said.
"… At least you know how to value the name your parents carefully selected for you."
He wrote down my name in the form and clapped his hands.
― CLAP!
The form started to burn with a blue fire and he said to me.
"Your soul will be now transferred to the 'waiting room'. This room is where the souls that are waiting for reincarnation stay. The world will judge you, and if you pass the judgment, you will be reborn. However, if you fail your soul will be discarded."
I looked down at my body and saw a strange mist surrounding my legs. When the mist touched them, I could see that they started to disappear, but I felt nothing. It was a truly terrifying vision.
When I raised my head to look at James, he gave me a final cold glare and added.
"Goodbye."
My vision finally blackened, symbolizing that my transference to the "waiting room" was completed.
…
…
…
The moment the mist finished engulfing me, I stopped feeling everything. I couldn't see or hear, nor feel any part of my body. It was a strange feeling because I, somehow, knew that my members were intact and okay.
If I could feel anything, I would say peace. If it was possible to see and touch something, I would lay on the ground and stare at the sky, If any existed. Unfortunately, this controversial place wouldn't allow it. It was like this place was made to make sure that anything that arrived wouldn't be able to enjoy peace.
― CRACK!
'?!?!'
I felt something break in me. It hurt a lot, like a member being detached from my body. The pain was so strong that if I could use my mouth, I would start screaming until my vocal cords burned down. The excruciating pain continued and made me shout inside my mind.
'Aaaargh!!!! What is this?!'
Then, suddenly, the pain stopped. It stopped so fast that it looked like that it never existed in the first place. While feeling alleviated, something else happened.
― PLOCK!
Something split open. It felt like my existence was being "grabbed" by something. I didn't have the time to feel pain, despair, or fear, I just froze while feeling weaker and weaker.
I was losing my consciousness, and gradually closing my eyes. Without being able to resist, I fell asleep.
…
…
…
― FLASH!
It was then.
I opened my eyes and was greeted by a blinding light that overwhelmed me. It hurt a lot, but not like last time.
I didn't know how much time has passed since I fell asleep.
Strangely, I couldn't open my eyes properly and what I was hearing was incomprehensible muffled sounds. Still, I tried my best and managed to open my eyes.
'What is this? Where am I?'
The place around me consisted, mostly, of wood. I tried to turn my head to the right and saw a window with sunlight.
'Looks like I was born again…'
Thoughts about my reincarnation started to permeate my mind as I moved my head to the left part of the "room". I could feel someone holding me, but I didn't give much thought to it at first.
After moving my head to the right, I could see a simple drawer made of wood and a simple candle-holder. The candle-holder was very simple.
'What is this place? Some kind of hospital?'
After concluding that my thoughts about an unknown world would be useless, I decided to look at the one that was holding me. It was a pretty young woman, wearing a headpiece with something in the middle of it, looking like a crucifix.
"$%#%$%#"
'What? What are you saying?'
I couldn't understand what she was saying. However, somehow, I knew that she was trying to comfort me.
As soon as I finished thinking that, I put my concentration around my hearing and tried to understand what she was saying.
"#$%#%%... But what a curious baby~ Looking around the place over and over~."
Surprisingly, I managed to understand her words. Was it because I already knew another language? It was rather easy.
"Did he wake up, Sister Natalie?"
A different voice appeared inside the room, making Sister Natalie turn around with me in her arms. Then, I saw another pretty young woman with a nun's attire and the same headpiece.
"Oh! Amelia! Have you come to see him too?"
"How many times have I told you to refer to me as 'Sister Amelia' when we are inside the church?"
"Tehee! Sorry, I forgot!"
I could see the two nuns engaging in a strange conversation while the one called Natalie was still embracing me. It was a comfortable embrace as I could move my head without having any problems.
'Anyway… Why am I here? Why are these two with me? Wasn't I supposed to suffer and repent?'
When I was lost in my thought, the voice of one of the nuns was directed at me.
"He doesn't seem to cry like the others…"
After hearing that, I started to pay close attention to what they were saying.
"Right?! Isn't he cute?"
The one called Natalie was throwing compliments and looking at me warmly, but the other one seemed a little skeptical.
"… Do you think so? Aren't his eyes a little creepy?"
"What do you mean? It is a clear sign that his special! Just look at his hair!"
'My eyes are creepy? Look at my hair? What are you two talking about?'
Natalie was discussing with Amelia about me, but I was lost in my thoughts. I couldn't understand anything anymore. Why was I in a church? What was wrong with my eyes? What about my hair? These were questions that no one could answer for me.
Struggling with my thoughts, I started to move my baby arms and make baby noises.
"Buaa… bu! Baaaa."
"Ohh! Look, Amelia, he's speaking!"
"…Yes, he is."
I could say that Natalie already fell for me and that Amelia would fall for me soon. I could see that she blushed a little as I started to talk and move. It was a little funny.
"Do you want to see yourself in the mirror Sieg?"
Natalie spoke to me while moving towards the mirror. She called me with an abbreviation of my name, symbolizing that I managed to maintain my identity.
'Sieg, uh?…. The last time someone called me that was a long time ago.' I thought while feeling a little nostalgic and sad.
"TA-DA!! It is you, Siegfried Sarasti! Aren't you cute?"
She stood in front of the mirror with me and I finally understood what the two nuns were saying about me. In the mirror, there was the appearance of a baby that could be called creepy and special, at the same time.
My skin was white without any marks, except for my left arm and hand, which had a jet-black birthmark and crucifix, respectively. On top of my hand was a crucifix, and from the wrist to the shoulder was some kind of drawing that looked like dancing flames. My hair was completely white, just like snow, and my eyes had the coloration of bright honey. But, surprisingly, what caught even more attention were the pupils of my eyes, which were white and shaped like a crucifix.
'What is with my appearance? Are there other babies like me?'
I was mesmerized by my appearance in the mirror, but I came back to reality after hearing a comment made by one of the nuns.
"Do you think he was abandoned in front of the church because of his appearance?"
It felt like the world stopped moving. I could feel the pieces of a puzzle coming together after hearing that.
'Abandoned… So… this is how things are going to play…'
"I don't know Natalie… When we found him he was wrapped around a very low-quality cloth, inside a worn-down basket together with just a cooper plaque that had his name inscribed. Maybe his parents couldn't afford to raise him, so they didn't have a choice."
Sister Amelia answered Sister Natalie with a sad face and low voice while looking down at me.
'This is how I will start paying for my sins…'
It was then.
The moment I thought about my 'redemption', everything that was happening made sense. I started to remember how he was in the orphanage and how he was treated by others.
"?!"
"W-what happened?! He was fine just a second ago!"
The nuns started to panic around me because my face was getting distorted and tears were falling. I started to cry.
"Aaaaa… Buab…. Hueee…"
My cry was very silent for a baby, consisting mostly of hiccups. It wasn't my intention to cry, but I couldn't stop my tears.
'I see… So… this is the price I have to pay for "stealing" the life of another…'
Feeling extremely sad and disgusted at myself, I buried my face on the breasts of Sister Natalie. For the first time in my life, both the previous and the new one, I cried.