Outside of what was known as the sea of infinite universes, there exists a flow. It is a flow of numerous untold stories, existences that drifted away and ended up at the border before the nothingness.
For those few in the know, they called it a stream of collective consciousness. The river of strayed spirits.
When someone's life ends, there are different ways in which their soul will continue.
If a god arranged it, there might be an afterlife or they will enter the cycle of reincarnation. In some cases, the soul will simply return to the god that created it.
However, there are also special cases, where a soul that has nowhere to go, drifts somewhere far from where it originated.
This can happen usually in the latter case, whereas when a god that created the soul didn't exist anymore, the soul would have nowhere to go. Or there can also be 'bugs' that will occur and drift the soul away.
While its origin is unknown, the concept of the river of strayed spirits was often theorized with that idea in mind.
"It's kind of boring... Well, it's over a billion years since something interesting happened."
A girl muttered. She has wavy long purple hair and a heterochromatic pair of eyes, one that is also purple and one that is gold. She has a figure that looks exactly like a human being. But she is most definitely not. On her back are three wings, with one seeming to be missing at the lower left.
Unlike a normal feathered wing, those wings looked mechanical, as if they were made of steel. Other than that, she also has a metallic ring on her head that resembles a halo.
That girl was looking below while standing on a platform with rails that looked out of place, floating in the void, an endless yet empty expanse of space. On her gaze, however, was something that only she or some others could see.
It was the river of strayed spirits, a wave of myriad colors containing spirits of different kinds. From the unique physical bodies that they originally had, they were reduced to mere colored waves upon death.
One couldn't possibly say whether those spirits are lucky to still even exist or unlucky because they wouldn't be able to do anything anymore.
Suddenly, a different wave passed by. It shone brighter than the others and as if it was really conscious, it separated itself from the others and flowed in a way that seemed to be looking for a way out.
Because the waves of strayed spirits are merely flowing subconsciously, such an occurrence can only be referred to as 'interesting'. Especially for the girl who was watching.
Unsurprisingly, the girl quickly took notice of the wave, both surprise and interest can be seen from her face. Unfortunately, no one else was there to see her.
Then, as if to follow that wave, the girl ran. As she did, the platforms were also continuing to be created as she took another step, while the ones she passed through disappeared after a while.
After a while, the wave stopped moving, an action that was far more than the previous occurrence. What was strange was that that wave seemed to be pointing in a certain direction where a 'peculiar' universe is located.
"That universe is where the battle against the outer gods is very active... It's also the realm of transcendent heroes... Do you wish to go there?"
When the girl surmised the universe that the wave was pointing at, she asked. She didn't get an answer but an idea appeared on her head.
"I see, this must be what 'she' called fate... Very well! I've already obtained the necessary information about that universe. With my powers, it should be possible to bring you there with your original physical body."
The girl continued speaking, unconcerned about whether anyone could hear her or not.
"But if we're going with this, then I have to make sure you'll go there the official way... Ah! I can just transfer you there as a 'reincarnator'! A hero like the others. That way, those folks shouldn't complain or I guess, it would be better if just they don't take notice."
As she said that, a holographic-like display appeared in front of her and she began typing some things.
"I should also give you a special ability, that way you'll surely be on a cut above the rest. Fufu, after all, you are the one I chose."
As she said that, she seemed to have finished typing and the display began to fade before disappearing completely.
"That place is a very rowdy one so I'm not sure if you'll have an easy life but I'm positive that you'll do your best! From here, I will also be watching over you!"
Slowly, the wave began to be completely separated from the others, being swallowed by a portal-like sphere that should have been created by the girl.
"I don't know how much fate will favor you but if you can reach the top and become as strong as those people, then come pay me a visit. I will be waiting, my hero."
The girl smiled as she said that, the wave disappearing from the river.
At the same time, a young man opened his eyes, to a world, no, a universe he knows nothing about.