Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!
A soft, distinct light washed over him, and before he had a moment to process what happened, a sudden darkness seized him and dragged him into its depths, almost as if it were a hand plucking ripe fruit from a branch.
His thoughts, memories, and everything else seemed to slip right through his grasp like sand.
And before he knew it, everything went black.
* * *
The world around him stood still, encompassed by a darkness that seemed to stretch out infinitely in all directions. It was a strange type of darkness that seemed to consume everything within its reach, even light (if there was light in the first place) couldn't escape it's reach.
Time seemed to have stopped, and within that darkness, his consciousness floated around, untethered, in an endless imaginary sea of endless black. He felt like a lone leaf on a still, vast pond, gently carried away by the slightest ripples of an invisible, imaginary current.
Nothing else existed.
Just him.
And in that strange, quiet place, it was peaceful—too peaceful.
In that darkness, his thoughts slowly came together, piecing themselves together like fragments of a broken dream on a large-scale board.
What happened to me? Where am I?
He couldn't seem to remember; his memories were scattered, faint at best. Flashes of memories surged up only for them to evaporate before they could take full form. He knew something was missing. Faces, names, moments—they were all there, just beyond the reach of recognition, teasing him with their importance before dissipating into nothing.
He tried to look through his memories and recall something. Something important. But what could it be? He struggled until he finally found it—it was his own name. Ray. Yes, that sounded right. That was his name. But who was he? He was a human but that was all he knew.
Even with his memory scattered, he could tell that something was wrong; his body, which he thought to be extremely good-looking, seemed to lack the familiar/basic shape that made up the human body. He lacked limbs, a torso, and even organs, to name a few.
To confirm his suspicions, Ray tried curling his fingers and toes. He tried flaring his nostrils, opening his mouth in any attempt to take in large amounts of "air." When that didn't work, he even tried yelling out into the abyss, perhaps hoping that someone or something might hear him.
Nothing.
Alas, even with his efforts, there was no reaction, no feeling from both the abyss and his body. His body—if he even had one at this point—was incapable of responding. No matter how many times he tried to naively move any part of himself, he still arrived at the same result.
In this place, there was no sound, no sensation of weight, no sensation of the breath in his lungs, no feeling of his fingers and toes—just an unshakable sensation of nothingness.
That was all that he felt.
* * *
As time passed, Ray grew increasingly impatient.
Is there nothing else to do here?! Where the hell even am I? Hello? He shouted mentally in an attempt to reach someone—anyone—in this vast unknown.
Silence answered him.
You know this is kidnapping, right? That is a crime, you know. Look, just let me go, and I'll do what you want.
Even with his repeated attempts, Ray still received no response. His attempts were no different than that of a crazed man speaking to himself in broad daylight.
Time remained still, or maybe it passed; he was not sure. He couldn't tell how long he had been in the darkness, floating about in the endless void.
Had it been hours? Or only a few minutes? Or maybe time hadn't passed at all and he was simply going crazy? He had no idea. He didn't even know where he was.
Suddenly, he had a voice that seemed to pierce through the darkness. The voice washed over him; it carried such an aura of reverence that it nearly made him want to crouch and bow.
Unfortunately for him, without a physical body, Ray was incapable of following through with that urge.
[Welcome Ray.]
In response to the strange voice, Ray attempted to turn around, or at least he thought he did, as he tried to locate the source of the sound that reached him.
'Ah…hello?' he called out in his mind. He wasn't sure if it could hear him, given he had no mouth and all, but he was determined to get some answers about his current situation.
[You have died.]
Those words slammed into him like a hammer, leaving him to involuntarily curse. Crap.
Ray's mind raced with questions as the full weight of the statement settled over him. What? Died? What did the strange voice mean by that? That couldn't be right. He was just… what? What had he been doing before? There had been something, yet he couldn't remember.
Come to think of it, how could it be speaking to him when there weren't any signs of life within this space in the first place? And how on earth was he hearing it without any ears? Was he truly dead? Was this some sort of afterlife?
Ray paused as he tried to think in an attempt to unlock the treasure trove that was his memories.
Surely, this couldn't be heaven—it didn't fit the description of what others on earth thought heaven was like. Then again, it wasn't like a dead person had ever come down from heaven to report its appearance to the masses.
So was this hell then? No, it couldn't be. The idea of hell was more of a place of eternal punishment, pain, and suffering, and currently, he wasn't experiencing anything of the sort.
If this wasn't heaven or hell, then where was he?
I see… If I'm dead—then, where am I?
The voice paused for a moment before replying.
[It matters not where you are.]
[What matters is what you will become.]
What I'll become? Ray asked, puzzled.
[Indeed.]
[You have been chosen for a new fate.]
[Your time in your world may have come to an end, but your journey in another is just beginning.]
Oh, really? I've been chosen, huh? How lucky. And for what purpose have I been chosen for exactly? Ray's skepticism flared a hint of sarcasm present in his tone (thoughts).
He may have lost some memories, but that didn't mean that he would allow himself to get taken advantage of.
This whole situation was absurd, like something out of a fantasy novel. Something about it didn't sit well with him, and he would be a fool if he just wholeheartedly agreed to every single thing this voice claimed.
[You will be reborn in a different world, one where you are free to shape your existence.]
Uh-huh, doesn't this so-called purpose seem too good to be true? Do you expect me to just blindly follow along with what you say and hope for the best?
[I do.]
And if I refuse? What then? Are you going to force me to play along with whatever plan you've cooked up? Ray challenged.
[No.]
The voice paused before continuing.
[But compared to being reborn, do you truly wish to remain in this domain?]
[Endlessly drifting about, with no destination in sight, much like your previous life.]
…
Ray paused, unable to answer or even refute its statement. His thoughts wavered as he took in the voice's words, which cut deep as they stirred something within him.
Those words were cold. Brutal. But all the more true.
* * *
While in deep thought, the strange voice proceeded with its procedure, clearly ignoring—or rather dismissing—Ray's inner turmoil regarding its previous statement.
[The Guide will now be implanted within the user's consciousness.]
[Warning: This procedure is incredibly painful.]
Before Ray could fully comprehend that statement, he felt something sharp and excruciating penetrate his very core. The pain was out of this world. He screamed, hoping that the pain would stop, yet the pain didn't stop.
With the pain soon came a flurry of notifications.
[The Guide initialization is confirmed.]
[Searching for a compatible vessel for the user to inhabit…]
[Match found. Species selection complete.]
[Assimilating inherent traits of the user's chosen form…]
[Inherent trait: Fangs… acquired.]
[Inherent trait: Claws… acquired.]
[Inherent trait: Scales… acquired.]
[Inherent trait: Eyes… acquired.]
[Inherent trait: Tongue… acquired.]
[Inherent trait: Legs… acquired.]
[Inherent trait: Tail… acquired.]
[All selected species inherent traits have been successfully integrated.]
[Initiating core attribute acquisition…]
[Core Attribute: Play Bite… acquired.]
[Core Attribute: Claw Strike… acquired.]
[All Core Attributes have been acquired.]
[Blessing: Sight of Self… acquired.]
[All Blessings have been acquired.]
[Vitalis has been acquired.]
[The Guide booting… prepare for synchronization.]
It was only after the endless notifications ended that the pain finally ended. Soon Ray's mind was filled with strange information, a mixture of numbers and words as the strange voice continued.
[You will be reborn with the following abilities.] :
──────────౨ৎ──────────
Level: 1/5 (Rank 1) | Vitalis: 1
Status: Alive [Normal]
HP: 16/16
Strength: 6 | Constitution: 8
Agility: 14 | Mind: 16
──Inherent Traits──
[Fangs +0] ; [Claws +0] ; [Scales +0] ;
[Eyes +0] ; [Tongue +0] ; [Legs +0] ;
[Tail +0]
──Core Attributes──
[Play Bite] ; [Claw Swipe]
──Blessings──
[Sight of Self]
Species: Hatchling Lacerta Agilis
──────────౨ৎ──────────
Everything was happening all too fast for Ray to respond, let alone react.
[May luck and fate guide and protect you as you go forth.]
Luck? Fate? How the hell is that supposed to help me when I didn't even agree to this… Ray retorted, his mind, or rather consciousness, bubbling over with frustration.
But just as Ray was about to continue his train of thought, the world around him suddenly shifted.
Goddammit…
He soon felt his very essence, his soul being dragged deeper into the space before he gradually faded away.
Or so he thought.
* * *
[The users soul will now be transported into Otherworld.]
[Memories of the user's encounter with ██████ will now be sealed.]