Lux felt a small breeze glaze on his cheek and cross his face, it was gentle, so much so that it felt like it wasn't there yet still present. He opened his eyes slowly, as though in fear of what he might see. He saw a pale blue sky littered with clouds. He wanted to look more yet suddenly, like lightning he was struck with a storm of pain throughout his body.
It affected him so much that he couldn't bare to keep his eyes open anymore as he winced at the pain, barely keeping them a squint. He clenched his jaw so tightly he felt that his teeth might crack. His muscles strained so much so that cramps formed all over his body. His head was filled with pain, pulsing like he had a heart in his head.
"That's funny," He thought to himself, holding his head in his hands, "I haven't gotten any complaints yet."
As his body is seized with pain, he tried his best to get a sight of his general location. He forced his eyes wide open as much as possible. He was worried something might happen to him, not just his own body betraying him.
He saw that he was wearing a shirt. His shirt that he was wearing was tattered and covered in blood stains. The remnants still hang on his body, the blood now dried feel rough on his skin. The fabric felt stiff and held its contorted shape.
When he saw the blood Lux immediately reached and felt his neck. His neck felt smooth and even, not a single bump. He rubbed is hand up and down on his neck multiple times, feeling for something that wasn't there. Soon his neck felt raw and painful to the touch, even the cool air didn't sooth him.
"I'm not dead," he mumbled, "I'm not dead." He repeated to himself as he forced his eyes open to look around, his body felt strained and foreign to himself as though it wasn't his own.
No, this place is too nice to be hell, or some form of afterlife meant for punishment. There's no fires that are burning him, nor icy coldness that would freeze him to the bone, or demons that would flay his flesh and grind his bones into a powder. Every single variation of an afterlife of punishment coursed through his head.
Many religions had different variations of an afterlife of punishments. Some base the punishments in the afterlife after what the individual has done in its life, while others had the same punishments regardless of what the individual has done. Although there were some religions that didn't believe in any sort of afterlife, the life you have is the one you must live to the fullest extent.
"If this is not hell then," he muttered to himself, his minded filled with panic. His breath turned rapid and fainter. Until sudden revelation has struck him. "This must be a new life," he said out loud
He let out a strained smile and a strained laugh, which sounded like he was gasping for air.
He thought to himself, "Does this qualify as reincarnation or as transmigration of the soul?" He wanted to ponder this question and find an answer but his head was filled with pain yet it was slowly was going away.
After a few moments he was slowly able to gain control over his new body. He flexed each of his fingers and felt no resistance. He moved his eyes up and down and left and right and felt no strain. His body felt stiff as though he hasn't moved any of his muscles for a long time.
He slowly got up, as though he was made of glass, fearful of any sudden movement would shatter him. He looked up into the sky, he took a deep breath and let the air fill in his lungs. Some how the air tasted sweeter than the most purest honey in this moment.
The weather was balmy, even with his skin exposed to the elements.
A small doll was on the ground where his body once laid, a small rip was on the stitching of the neck with some raw cotton stuffing popping out yet not falling off. He didn't know why he held it so tightly in his hand. However he felt that it would be wrong if he were to abandon the doll even if it were to be extra baggage.
He crouched down and picked up the doll. He tried his best to put the stuffing back into he doll, careful not to harm it anymore in its fragile condition. He felt an attachment to this doll, even though he has no personal memory of it.
He looked around the area, not leaving his general position. He saw that he clearing of a forest, the occasional tree stump scattered throughout the small area. He saw that there was a small clearing, a road, not that far from where he awakened. The road was overgrown with wild grass that was tall enough to cover his feet. There was still a faint outline of where people in the past has traveled the most.
He felt that if he followed the trail he would see that there was a town. He didn't know why he felt like this but it was better than doing nothing.
He set off on the road, the cold damp grass tickled his feet as he took every step. He knew somehow that while the road seem long it shouldn't take that long to find the town that he was looking for. He should make it by at least the end of the day.
He only had one question in his mind, "Where the hell am I?"
On a branch on a tree that was on the side of the road that Lux was taking, sat two little birds. One had bright pastel colors splattered all over its face, the other was stark black yet the feathers were reflected any sort of light caught in its trap.
"It seems his soul has integrated with its new body," The bird with pastel colors said with mild surprise in its voice. It's head moving in the direction in which Lux traveled.
The dark yet shiny bird flapped its wings yet didn't take off to fly, "He did it fairly fast, the most talented of souls spend hours trying to integrate with their body." It turned its head towards the colorful bird, "I must say Lithale it seems you got lucky with this soul, it might be a very interesting
"Yes," Lithale said in agreement, stretching out his wings, "One that we will remember."
Together they flew off and followed Lux.