***
A surreal sensation overtook him as if he were floating in a lucid dream.
Slowly his memories began to unfurl before him once again.
This time revealing more glimpses of a past life he had forgotten.
Emir saw his parents, their faces beaming with love as they looked upon him.
He remembered the warmth of their embrace, the sense of safety and security that enveloped him whenever they were near.
But the memories did not stop there.
As if a floodgate had been opened, new images surged into his consciousness, flooding his mind with forgotten experiences.
He saw his siblings, all of them older than him, doting on their youngest brother with a fierce protectiveness that belied their age differences.
And yet, despite the love that surrounded him, there was a sense of monotony that pervaded his existence.
A restlessness stirred within him, a longing for something more, though he knew not what it was.
He also felt a sense of detachment from his family as if an invisible wall separated them.
It seemed as if he was unable to reciprocate the love that they showered upon him with the same intensity, no matter how much he tried.
This feeling of detachment was unlike anything he had ever experienced, leaving him questioning his sanity.
Was there something wrong with him—something that made it impossible for him to connect with his own family?
Or was it something more, something supernatural that he could not explain?
These thoughts plagued him endlessly, and he found himself withdrawing further into himself, retreating into a world of his thoughts and musings.
It was as if he was trying to unravel the mystery of his existence, searching for answers to questions that had plagued him for as long as he could remember.
Emir tried to push aside the confusing and overwhelming thoughts and found himself being reminded of something that had always brought him joy in his past life:
Reading novels.
There was something about losing himself in the pages of a book that was unlike anything else he had ever experienced.
While he enjoyed spending time with family and friends, reading was different.
Perhaps it was because he found himself lost in the stories, using them as a means of escaping his mundane existence.
Emir had a particular fondness for fantasy novels.
The slow burner types.
Proper, interesting world-building was a must for him.
Not just a different variation of demons invading the mortal world.
An academy arc was a plus.
Also, the protagonist had to be created in a certain way for him to even begin reading.
He didn't enjoy a heroic goody-two-shoes type of character.
Neither did he enjoy loud mouths, or exaggerated personalities.
But it appeared that his fellow readers didn't think the same.
Most of the novels that he enjoyed ended up in the bin, collecting dust.
Meanwhile, some of those he saw as lesser were rising high in the sky.
Emir didn't think of his taste as faulty, so instead he blamed this on the people themselves.
Casual fuckers, he called them.
They, who only enjoyed filth, face-slapping, and blink-and-you'll-miss-it-paced novels.
He believed their attention span to be that of a hamster, or at least lower than that of a goldfish.
Their ability to think wasn't needed in the first place, as they were hand-fed everything like babies.
So they quite enjoyed the 'Turn Your Brain Off and Read' type of novel or the many others that they read with only one hand.
This was all due to the ever-increasing degree of wish fulfillment, a plague in Emir's eyes.
Like most things, a controlled amount was fine, but if the story is just that...
Then it became something he hated.
Thankfully, however, it hadn't taken over the entire market yet... before his death at least.
As on the other end of the spectrum, and only occasionally, certain novels blessed him with a beautiful story, upsetting the natural order of things.
This even changed the way he saw entire genres.
But sometimes a few came around that did the same for absolute degeneracy, lowering the bar more than ever before.
And apparently, many readers loved those novels as well.
Masterpieces of trash.
Those of a higher plane of depravity.
Enigmas that transcended their limits, becoming a series of perfect plane crashes filled with garbage.
Pieces of 'art' that turned the whole ocean into a full-on landfill.
An acquired taste they called it...
But Emir was not one to lie.
He too indulged in some garbage from time to time.
He too was a trash connoisseur.
Because at the end of it, he had to agree with them on something.
Watching a shitshow unfold was always fun.
It only made him appreciate good stories even more.
Or so was the excuse he told himself.
Emir just enjoyed reading a lot.
It was as if he was some Shonen protagonist wanting to become the best reader there ever was.
And at that moment, he realized that his reading wasn't just a hobby or a pastime; it was an integral part of who he was.
A part of his identity that had been with him for as long as he could remember.
And now, even though he was living a completely different life, that love for reading novels still burned within him.
A constant reminder of who he truly was, but he...
He knew it was something that he had to let go of.
Emir then pondered further on his reincarnation as he swam through the flood that was his memories.
He recalled that he had succumbed to lung cancer due to his smoking addiction.
His parents had warned him countless times to quit, but he ignored their pleas.
'I wonder if my previous self would be proud of me now.'
'I mean, I'm basically starting over from scratch, but at least I have a second chance to do things right with family.'
It was too late for regrets now, he mused to himself.
What mattered was that he had a new life to live and hopefully make the most of.
Even though he would miss his old family, they had their own lives to live, and so did he.
He supposed it was time for him to move on as well.
And speaking of family, his new mother certainly was beautiful.
She had a fair complexion, almost like delicate jade, with a slight pinkish.
Her features were finely chiseled, with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips.
Her hair was long and silky, a rich shade of chestnut brown that cascaded in soft waves down her back.
But it was her eyes that really caught his attention.
They were a mesmerizing shade of hazel, with flecks of gold and green that seemed to dance in the light.
Ah, and then there was his big sister Lily—such an adorable little thing.
She had those chubby cheeks that made her look like a cute little hamster.
Unlike those he dissed before.
Her curly brown hair bounced with each of her movements, framing her round face perfectly, and her big brown eyes sparkled with mischief.
Emir also didn't see his dad around, so he was left wondering what happened to him.
And most importantly, the world he found himself reincarnated in appeared to be a futuristic one, with advanced technology and surroundings that he never saw back on Earth.
'Well, this sure is a strange turn of events.'
Emir thought, concluding all this new information with a simple word:
Strange.
'I always thought reincarnation was just some cliché novel trope, but I guess I was wrong.'
'At least I got a second chance, though starting all over again as a crying, pooping baby isn't exactly what I had in mind.'
'Maybe I should start practicing my baby talk so I can communicate with my new mom.'
'And I hope she's a good cook. I don't want to be stuck with bland food for the rest of my life.'
'And well, this is certainly a weird place to experience childhood....'
'Do I still have to go to school, and is that even a thing around here?'
'Also, I wonder if I can convince my mother to let me stay up late, since technically, I'm a grown-up in a child's body.'
'Probably not though, but a man can dream.'
'It's time to embrace my new life as a baby and see where this takes me! So let me out of this dream god dammit!'
His curiosity to explore and learn more about this place was growing, but he seemed to be trapped in a lucid dream that refused to let him wake up.
'If I close my eyes and clear my mind, I may be able to find a way out of this dream.'
…
But nothing changed…
'Am I stuck?'
"No, you'll get out soon enough…"
After a moment of shock, Emir immediately spun his body around, facing where the calm voice originated—a voice that was neither male nor female, but somewhere in between, almost unrecognizable.
And what met him was a humanoid figure….
Obscured behind a fog.
'Who are you, no… what are you?!'
He attempted to speak, yet he could not do so.
"You died."
The figure answered, seemingly able to listen to Emir's thoughts.
"Or so you think."
"But that doesn't matter."
'What the fuck are you talking about, you foghead?!'
Whoosh!
Emir no longer felt his arms.
Whoosh!
A moment passed, and the same happened with his legs... Or rather everything below his neck in general.
"Keep quiet, child of the sand."
And soon came the voice of the figure, this time sounding quite irritated.
'Uhhh…. You know that we're in MY dream, right? Are you seriously trying to scare me with this?'
"Yes, I can, and I will. If you must know... you're currently facing a god."
'Heh… What god? Fuck you!'
"You dare speak ill of me, child? Are you not afraid?"
'Nah, c'mon, come at me... I'LL TAKE IT!'
The figure tilted its head.
"I might kill you..."
'No, no you won't.'
"Oh, and why is that?"
'I just know.'
"Suurree.... Well, remember. You asked for it…."
'....Hmm. My neck stings a little. Is that it?'
"No. Wait for a moment."
'It just stings a little more…'
"I SAID WAIT!"
'I am waiting, why are you taking so long to hurt me, you fuck—ARRRRGGGGGGGGH!'
"There we go. So as I was saying—"
'ARRRRGGGGGGGGH!'
"Alright, enough of that."
'ARRRRGGGGGGGGH!'
"I stopped it, why are you still—"
'ARRRRGGGGGGGGH!'
"QUIET CHILD! I SAID QUIET!"
'…'
'Yeah…. Alright. I was just fucking with you.'
'Now I know that I'm not hallucinating so let's get serious, yeah?'
'What do you want?'
"AS I SAID, I'm a god, I do not want something, as there is nothing that I do not have."
'I get it; I get it; just move on, god.'
"You don't believe me, do you?"
'What does it matter? I've been reincarnated, so I know that the supernatural exists, that also means that a god or gods exists too, or at least god-like beings.'
"You're quick, I've never seen a subject like you before…'
'…Subject? Is that what I am now? Oh, and are you working with that voice? For some reason, it gives me bad vibes. My new family too, every time I see them, I feel like something is wrong.'
"You'll learn of that very soon, so stop asking... You'll forget this conversation anyway."
'Why?'
"It's because I'm a god, and I wish it to be so."
'...Fair enough.'
A sigh echoed through the space as the figure stretched out its hand towards Emir's floating head.
After cupping his head in its hand, the figure began reconstructing his body.
A single moment passed, and Emir's body was normal again—well, as normal as this situation allowed it to be.
"Now then, child... I have come here to give you knowledge of this world. As a belated gift to a friend of mine."
'Should I know this friend?'
"….His blood runs through your veins."
'My dad?'
"You have the opportunity to ask me two questions, I will answer one now, and the next you shall ask—"
'I asked you a question. Is. It. My. Dad?'
"At a later date. That date will be decided by me, of course, so you must live till then. Pick—"
'ANSWER ME!'
"Your question wisely, as you won't be able to remember it until you've become someone of importance on your planet."
'…'
"…"
'…'
"…"
After a quick stare off in the fog, Emir shrugged his shoulders and calmed himself down as his emotions were running at an all-time high.
Curiosity about his new circumstances combined with all those revelations made him highly confrontational, a reflection of his skepticism.
'….Whatever. So I can ask you two questions, huh?'
'But what to ask?'
'I know nothing of this world...'
"Correct. However, such a situation would be too good to be true, don't you think?"
'True, true… But the question remains: what... to... ask...'
Emir soon thought of many things.
He could, for example, ask the figure who claimed to be god about the truth of the universe to satiate his curiosity.
Another could be about the possible ways to become the most powerful man in this new world.
Or maybe ask the figure about the very conundrum that plagued his mind.
To have the figure itself tell him the best question so that when it eventually decided to visit him again, he would be prepared.
But no….
Emir had something he was very interested in.
Although it wasn't the smartest question he came up with, he knew he would regret this day forever if he didn't ask it.
'Sorry, future me, but my first question is...'
Tick!
Tock!
His body began to spasm, and he let out a guttural roar…
Which was silent, as this was only a dream and he could not speak.
"Heavy…. Your question was incredibly heavy. But I should've expected this from Sultan's blood."
'W-what happened?'
The figure sounded a chuckle, and it soon began increasing in volume until its every laugh resembled a chorus of deranged opera singers.
"…Although expected, seeing it happen in front of my very eyes makes me so incredibly happy."
'Tsk, ignoring me again.'
"You can go now, child... Good luck!"
'What?! DON'T LEAVE—'