Strength - 1
Magic - 0
Mana - 0
Resistances - 0
A peculiar sense of exhilaration stirred within Jake as he lay there, musing about his extraordinary circumstances. 'Maybe, just maybe, death isn't the final curtain, but a door to a realm of fantasy. A realm much akin to the MMO games that have long captured my imagination,' Jake ruminated. Almost as though he was being swallowed by a familiar dream, he swiftly began to acclimate to his new existence.
For a good hour, he lost himself in exploring the myriad of intriguing menu options before him. His digital dabble was abruptly cut short by the intrusive entrance of an elderly woman, her face etched with severity. "Enough dilly-dallying, children!" she barked, an unmistakable note of ruthlessness in her timbre. "There's some bread in the kitchen. After that, get to work! The next one caught shirking will go without supper!"
A herd of children lumbered to their feet, a few lifeless bodies left untouched. As the room started to empty, the woman shook her head with a sorrowful sigh. "The frailty of youth... One of the hardest winters is upon us, and they just keep dying like flies."
Jake blinked at the jarring revelation. 'So, it appears I've stepped into the shoes of a departed soul. That clears up one mystery, at least.'
With hesitant steps, he made his way over to Daniel, a frail boy with gaunt features that spelled alarming weakness. In a gentle undertone, Jake asked, "How does it feel, Daniel? This new life after death?"
Daniel's face scrunched up in visible distress. "Honestly, Jake, I can't see myself surviving long in this place. With reincarnation a possibility, I'm thinking I'll indulge a little by messing around with the adults here, then maybe... end it. Start anew," he said with a chilling determination.
Jake reeled back, dumbfounded. "Are you insane? You're going to leave me alone here? If we both die again, there's no guarantee we'll meet in the next life. That's too big a risk to take!" Jake tried to reason.
James interjected, a sneer tugging at his lips. "Daniel, come on, are you serious? You saw the same notifications and menus as I did, right? We're practically living inside a damn game! Let's level up, rule this place like kings! You guys should be singing me praises for this second shot at life!" His lack of remorse sparked an intense rage in Daniel.
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT, JAMES!" Daniel seethed, lunging at him with all the energy his frail body could muster. "I HAD A LIFE! A FAMILY THAT I LOVED! I LOVED MY LIFE! I HATE YOU!" His words were a raw, furious outcry against his untimely fate.
"Stop! For God's sake, Daniel, I was just messing around!" James' words were punctuated by desperate gasps as the two boys tussled on the grubby linoleum of the kitchen floor.
Jake watched from the sidelines, his thoughts a confusing flurry. 'I want to go home, but damn, living in a gaming reality sounds awesome. Beautiful mage girls, mysterious elixirs that promise otherworldly experiences, magic... if only the starting point wasn't so depressingly similar to an orphanage. Still, I sense potential here.'
"Enough! This is not a playground. No breakfast for either of you. Now get back to work!" An irate voice cut through the air as the matron strode in from the adjacent dormitory, her hands firm on the boys, pulling them apart.
Daniel, not missing a beat, retorted in a voice that belied his tender years, "Go fuck yourself!" His audacious retort hung in the air, the room silent except for the collective intake of breath from the other children and the matron herself, momentarily taken aback by his insolence.
Snapping back, the matron glared at Daniel, her voice steely as she said, "You've earned yourself a lesson. Come with me." She clamped her hand onto Daniel's wrist and began to pull him away, destination unknown.
"No!" James' plea filled the room as he reached out to latch onto the matron's arm, his small hands scrabbling desperately to halt her progress. His efforts were in vain, prompting her to taunt, "Oh, we've got another troublemaker, do we?" Her smirk was malicious as she extended her grip to include James, pulling them both towards an unknown fate.
Jake's mind whirred. 'Might as well put a target on my back too,' he decided. "Leave them alone!" he shouted, charging at the matron with all his might. His leap was effective; his small frame impacting her legs caused her to wobble precariously.
"What the devil's gotten into you boys?" She shrieked, irritation lining her words as she tried to dislodge Jake. "Lucius! I need your help to deal with these miscreants," she called out, her voice echoing ominously in the dreary setting.
The pandemonium spurred another kid into action. "She let my friends die! If we work together, we can take her down!" His anger fueled his attack on the matron, his small fists flying with unexpected ferocity.
"LUCIUS! I NEED YOU HERE NOW!" The matron's voice scraped the air like fingernails on a chalkboard, a sound so jarring it had the kids wincing.
Then another voice rang out, defiant and strong, "Take her out while we got the chance!" The revolt took hold; the kids threw themselves onto the matron with a frenzy that had her buckling under their barrage of hits, kicks, and bites. Her horrified shrieks filled the room.
As the kids surged forward, Daniel, James, and Jake stepped back, taking in the wild scene with wide eyes. Daniel, looking from the kids to the door, declared, "We gotta get the hell out of here! That Lucius guy sounds dangerous!"
James glanced at him, eyebrows raised, "Didn't think you had a survival instinct."
"Just shut up, alright? Let's just go. Anywhere's better than this hellhole," Daniel shot back, sprinting towards the front door. Jake and James followed suit, running after him.
Once outside, they found themselves in a sea of crops under a heavy, overcast sky that promised rain. The cool, fresh air was a stark contrast to the stifling chaos they'd left behind. The earthy scent of the impending rain filled their lungs as they darted through the field.
The chilling chorus of the children's screams, undoubtedly Lusius's doing, began to echo from the house just as they'd put some distance between themselves and the orphanage. With each step they took, these cries of terror grew fainter. However, an eerie, unsettling sensation refused to diminish, trailing them like a persistent phantom. "Did you guys... sense that? Like, I knew when the old hag bit the dust. And the kids too, even though we're out here. It's like... I just know it," Jake gasped, struggling to keep pace.
"I... I felt it too. Like, sensing life and... death. Could this be part of our powers or something?" James asked, the bewilderment clear in his voice.
"Dunno, man. We gotta find a safe spot to figure this shit out. This world's all kinds of messed up; life's worth nada here, especially for kids. We gotta play it smart, lay low while we get a handle on these powers," Jake said, his breath hitching with exhaustion.