It's dark, very dark.
My eyes are closed.
I open my eyes, expecting the sterile glare of hospital lights. But God said 'no'.
I'm in a house that screams, "Welcome To Fantasy Land!"
The roof is made of rustic wood. I have a hard time controlling my body, hell it even feels like I'm more than half my size. The last thing I remember was pain. Fire. Darkness, all the bad stuff.
I realise I'm in a crib, "What the hell..?" I try to utter, but it comes out like a squirrel confessing to its crush while on its fifteenth fermented apple.
A laugh from the far end of the room startled me, a woman who looked in her early twenties, who I didn't even realise was in the room, got up from her armchair and walked up to me.
"Seriously, what the hell is going on." My mind is full of questions, yet I can't say anything. The woman picks me up from the crib, and I take a closer look at her.
She is absolutely stunning, she has perfect green eyes, similar blond hair as mine, and holy Jesus she's so chesty she could have her own event horizon!
"You look so cute, Komachi!" The woman looks like she is proud of her baby. Also, what does she mean by cute? I'm tiny as hell!
Okay, calm down. Observe your surrounding. An armchair, a crib, lamps, two paintings of two purple and pink stone demons, and a wooden door. Where are we?
Who is this person?
"Komachi, dear, are you hungry?"
I think she's supposed to be my mother.
"Komachi?"
So... I have shrunk, this woman is supposed to be my mother, and I'm somehow alive...
"Wait… Am I a baby?!!" My hands immediately raise up. The woman then suddenly giggles as she picks me up.
"Put me down lady!!!" I gurgled, unable to say any real words.
Just fantastic. I have been reborn as a baby, and I have no idea where I am, with some stranger who is apparently supposed to be my mother.
I'm taken into a room with more demonic paintings, a round table and two chairs, and a fireplace. Seriously what's up with the demonic paintings?
"You stay right there, Komachi, while mommy will make something to eat!"
Well, that confirms she's my mother. So, where's my father? Did he go leave us or something?
I can't control my legs very well, so I have to crawl around now.
***
Two years have passed, and I'm bored, I waddle over to my mother and ask her if I could leave the house. Only to be hit with a simple 'no'.
But her answer didn't really matter as I just snuck out anyways
My mom is really nice, but my father still hasn't returned yet. I actually live in a massive village, so it makes sense that my mom doesn't want me to leave the house.
The villagers wear the same clothes, a brown, rugged T-shirt, leather leggings with intricate designs on them, and leather boots.
I would watch them pass through with bows, books, swords, or giant monster heads.
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, my new life began to take on a rhythm of its own.
Mom would feed me, and as I lay in her arms, looking up at her radiant face, the warmth of her love felt comforting.
She would often read me stories from worn-out books, their pages filled with stories of heroes and mythical creatures.
***
Fast forward two more years and the kitchen becomes a warzone of flour dust and sugar crystals.
"More to the left, Komachi."
Mom instructed, pointing at the pie crust I was attempting to shape.
With a furrowed brow, I followed her directions, my tiny fingers patting the doughy mass.
A cloud of flour burst from my enthusiastic patting, covering us in a white layer.
The laughter that filled the kitchen was warm and infectious, and as I looked up at Mom, her face alight with mirth, I knew these were the moments I'd remember forever.
So far I have snuck out of the house twenty-seven times, I have also explored most of the village.
What I have gathered is that this village is huge as hell. There are markets, blacksmiths, like a hundred or more houses, a population of about seven hundred, could be more though, and the village is practically a perfect circle.
It's also surrounded by rocky walls, leafage, trees, and caves. So basically no getting out, unless there is a way out that I dont know about.
It smells fresh in here, so it's definitely rural. But the creatures I've seen wandering around. I dont think I'm on earth…
This must be the work of… Reincarnation!
So basically I'm in another world, I know nothing about. Well, I have my new mother. She's all I need.
But Shizuka and Minako… I wonder how they're faring without me…
Suddenly there's a knock on the front door, is it Dad?
I quickly waddle like a penguin over to the front door. It's the blacksmith that I saw while wandering around the village.
"Daddy?"
I instinctively called out, like the idiot I am. My Mom gets shocked and the blacksmith just chuckles. I know he's not my dad.
But, why is the blacksmith here?
"Komachi, go play with your toys." My mom said.
Like hell, I was gonna play with my toys.
So I just hid behind the wall and listened. It was something about a festival or tradition in two years, exactly when I turn six.
That'll be an awesome birthday present.
Every year, I watch the cherry blossom trees near our house bloom and shed their flowers, a breathtaking spectacle that marked the passage of years.
Two days later, I decided to sneak out again and visit the blacksmith.
But fate didn't like that. Suddenly, there was a loud scream in the distance.
I ran to find the source and my god. A massive beast-looking tiger looms over me and four other villagers.
(Illustration: https://i.ibb.co/PxC3d57/IMAG2BAW.png)
Honestly, I couldn't think of anything other than, "Soo cool!"
I didn't feel threatened, or scared, I was just in awe.
There were village fighters, who are trying to kill the beast using some sort of black lightning and some blue fire.
"What the!"
"Its not taking any damage, what do we do!?"
Nothing is affecting it though. It's like it's immune to magic.
Everyone was retreating, but here I was, frozen, staring at the beast. I tried waving at it, which nearly got me ripped to shreds—silly four-year-old me.
But the blacksmith came and blinded it with two swings of his sword. He wasn't done though, four more swings and the monster's limbs were found lying on the ground.
I was astonished, he looked so cool doing that.
"Kid, what are you doing here?" The blacksmith turned around to look at me, sword in hand.
"Well, I was looking for you and I wanted to say hi!"
"Well you shouldn't sneak out of the house," He retorts back, "Your mother over there doesn't look quite happy."
Well crap, busted.
"Komachi! What are you doing here, you could have been killed!" Mom looks furious, well that makes sense, I almost got myself killed.
I didn't know what to say so I just stared at her.
Mom sighs, "We are going back home, Komachi!"
Mom grabs my hands and I'm taken back to our house. She then goes on a 20-minute rant about why sneaking out of the house isn't a good thing.
I didn't really pay attention for half of the rant.
I was more focused on why I don't have any magical ability.
I had thought about it more, but I'm the only one here who doesn't have a magical ability. Hell, even the other kids have them.
"Do I really not have a magical ability, or has it just not awakened yet. Please let the second option be true!"
I prayed to fate, as it seems like it has just been messing with me so far.
Mom asks me what I'm doing, and I just respond by saying that I'm praying.
"To the Avatars?" My mom replies.
Avatars? As in, Avatars of Sin? The book I was reading on the day that I died? No way, what am I even thinking?
Also, that wasn't a pleasant memory.
"Avatars?" I ask, my curiosity piqued.
"They're seven demons, each one possessing a deadly sin." Hold on a second, this sounds too familiar… This is a joke, right? Don't tell me I have been reborn in my favourite novel. This can't be real, Right?
Does that mean the heroes my mom was telling stories about were Evaris and Seraphim?
I never got to finish the book, so this could be my chance to find out.
"Mom, what were their names again? The heroes you told me stories about." I try to keep my excitement contained. "Evaris and Seraphim." she replies, eyeing me curiously.
Bingo! It's official—I've been reborn in my favourite novel. Destiny has brought me here, and I have a feeling that I'm going to need a good friend on this adventure.
Fate, you're my new best friend.
***
I celebrated my fifth birthday, with the classic traditions of cake and playtime.
Running around, I couldn't believe that I had been reborn inside the world of 'Avatars of Sin'. It was like a dream come true.
As the months passed, I gradually accepted my new reality. During the day, my mom and I would embark on little adventures around the house.
I'd hide, and she'd seek. Her face would light up with a triumphant smile every time she found me, and I couldn't help but giggle in delight.
We'd often sit by the window together, watching the world go by. She'd point out the birds in the sky and the villagers going about their day and would tell me fascinating stories about them.
I was particularly excited about the upcoming festival, as I hoped to finally gain a magical ability. Fate has been kind to me so far, and I can't wait to see what was in store next.