Mark looked down upon the bustling city street of New York from the Empire State Building, and he sighed.
The young man, 25 based on appearance but in reality 16, is wearing a neat black suit with a dark blue tie, his eyes, dull and empty, are brown.
Maybe they were once bright, but that they are no more.
His hair is also an ashy brown, though he tried to comb it, it is still very messy and dirty.
The reason a young bright man who just got life insurance is here, on top of the wonder of skyscraping engineering itself, is to die.
His attempt at becoming a teacher and getting a psychology degree has failed him, and his family will live on the street.
All because he dared, he dared to have a dream.
To teach the children and teenagers of the world, to show them how bright life can be, to make them excited to learn, to do what so many other teachers dont even try to do...
...To make them happy.
He sighed, he didn't want to die fully, he never did because he is not suicidal, but he did not feel anything as he looked down over the street below him.
"Apathy, a sign of depression..." a crackly and sour voice spoke up. It belonged to him of course, nobody else was up here at this hour. It's around three AM already.
His plan is simple, as a young man with a "bright future" potentially ahead of him, he used a few psychological tricks to make the insurance company trust him.
Now, he would die, and they would pay his family enough money to keep them afloat, he also managed to find a few loopholes in the law, he would leave as much of his debt to the bullies at school, though they never touched him.
He took a step forward, it all seemed so loud now, his movements were resisted by the strong winds and his jaw cluttered slightly due to the cold, it seemed as if the world was telling him to turn back, to hug his mom, his little sister who looked up to him...
...But he couldn't do that, not now.
He leaned over the railing as police sirens blared in the distance, no doubt his mom found the letter by now...
He bit his lip as cowardice plagued his mind. If he did this, he would never see his sister again, he would never taste his mother's cooking again, and his friends, especially the suicidal one he helped out, would no doubt be saddened...
Maybe he should turn back, perhaps he should-
The wind blew against his face as he began falling down the massive icon of New York, a monument to human ego and greed, yet also a commemoration of humankind's perseverance and determination.
His heart raced with adrenaline as he felt truly alive, each cell in his body vibrated with energy, a last hurrah of life before the inevitable death.
"You're fucking pathetic" he heard in his mind.
"No! He did his best." Another one sounded.
"Dat ass dough..." He cracked up as he heard the last one.
Mark felt surprised to be hearing things again, it's been a while since these assholes spoke up-
"Fuck you too!" ╰（‵□′）╯
"Poor baby's hurt..." (っ °Д °;)っ
"Can I fuck 'em?" （⊙ｏ⊙）
He giggled, it's been a bit since he had someone in his mind, but hey, it doesn't matter now does it?
As if responding to that thought, his mind went silent, a rather disturbing cut-off to be sure.
Ah, he'll be reaching the floor soon-
...
Mark found himself in a dark void, or was it dark? He couldn't tell, he didn't have eyes with which to do so.
He had always felt a strange tingle in his mind, like a part of him was not inside him, like his brain was a mere vessel for something greater, the voices strengthened this idea universally, but he eventually outgrew such nonsensical ideas.
"To think it was true..." Mark spoke.
"tO ThInK iT wAs TrUe!" a voice- ah, how did he name this one again?
"I think it was 'asshole' sweetie." Ah yes, that was it, thank you Momma.
"I would love an asshole right now..." Pervert jumped in.
"Ew!" x3
Mark began looking around, or rather, he tried to do anything that did not involve listening to Pervert and his, well, perverted "jokes."
Sadly, when you are just a being made out of... Whatever consciousness is made up of, you don't have arms or legs.
"Okay! That's it!" Suddenly, a rift opened in the space and Mark felt himself be pulled into it.
"What the fuck Asshole!" He shouted in his mind as he felt his spirit waver in the realm.
"Thank me later dick wipe!"
Mark struggled for a few... units of time until he finally just gave up and accepted his new fate.
He got knocked out, only to wake up in a small bed, his body was covered in sweat as he looked around in a daze as if he was still only half awake.
The room around him was small, but not too small, a small shelf and a large cupboard could be seen opposite the bed while a small night table was on his right, on which glasses and a letter lay.
A small window allowed one to look outside, but it was covered completely by black curtains that prevented any light from coming inside, which he found strangely comfortable. He could see as if it was bright as well, he could smell very well too, and he could hear people conversing outside...
He got up slowly, unaware of where he was or what state his body was in.
Mark gently lifted the small reading glasses laid on the small table and put them on, only for them to make his vision worse.
...Why were they even here then? How confusing.
He walked up to the cupboard, which is made out of oak wood, like the walls of the room he is now in.
Notably, there was only one door, which presumably led outside. Judging by the noise, he is in a city, most likely... the first floor...? He couldn't be sure.
"Go outside dumbass!" Asshole shouted, short-fused as always.
"Let me get changed first! Jesus Christ..." Mark shouted back.
"Hey, Momma! Say: He ain't gonna save you now you naughty~ naughty~ boy~" Pervert interjected again.
"Pervert, honey, I love you." Mark felt a shiver go up his spine as Momma's tone turned cold, "But I will make you regret ever being born if you say that one more time."
"..." x3
As this was going on, Mark managed to find some clothes, they looked rather noble and expensive, definitely not something an ordinary person would wear.
(Insert picture here)
Mark held up the medals on the right breast, each one of them felt very important, and while he couldn't tell if they were made out of real gold, they sure looked important as hell.
The left breast area had a large red ruby embedded into it, and that one even he could tell was no ordinary rock.
He also managed to find an undershirt, which too, had various golden parts to it, including a golden necklace embedded into the shoulder part.
"We're fuckin' rich!" Asshole shouted.
"My oh my..."
"HOLD ON! Isn't that for women??"
Mark looked again, this time closer, and Pervert was right, this had space for breasts and was designed for women.
"Huh, nice eye, Pervert." Asshole complimented, a truly shocking moment for everyone else. Before anyone could comment on it, Pervert spoke again:
"BUT THAT IS NOT ALL MY FRIENDS! Mark, look down..."
Mark did so, and what met his gaze were a pair of breasts, obviously not small enough to belong to a man, but not too large to be bothersome either.
In other words, the medium premium boobs.
"..." x4
"Now-" Pervert started but was immediately cut off by Mark:
"If you tell me to masturbate or touch myself because I have a female body now, I will strangle you."
"Same" x2
Mark tried to examine his body as well as he could, which he probably should have done sooner, but luckily, he found no wounds or concerns.
Considering the fact he committed suicide and then appeared in some higher dimension with only his mind, it is unlikely he is on Earth anymore. He has to act with that fact in mind, who knows what customs, unspoken rules, or other nuanced things have changed. Not to mention the idea of the people here being abominable creatures of some sort.
That concern seems unlikely though, the body he seems to have possessed is humanoid in appearance, so it should be fine.
After undressing and putting on the fancier clothes, which came along with nice white pants, the belt of which had plenty of golden decorations, as is mandatory it seems.
The room had no mirrors, so Mark decided to check out his reflection in the window reflection.
He pulled open the black curtains, only to be blasted by a ray of direct sunlight.
His skin boiled, his heart ached, his teeth clattered, and as he fell to the floor, he reached out his hand toward the curtains in a desperate attempt to close them again, and they did, without him directly touching them.
He would have screamed his lungs out, but luckily, his body went into shock, allowing him to keep his composure enough to not cry out, he did still cry like a baby though.
"...Well, good thing you didn't go outside huh?" Asshole spoke up, not shouting for once.
"Shhh honey... It'll be okay..." Momma comforted Mark as best as she could. But the poor guy needed some time to mentally recover.
Pervert simply remained silent.
After a few minutes of crying, Mark got up, still shaking violently, he then laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a good thirty minutes, taking in deep breaths.
After this, he felt ready to exist again, somewhat.
"Okay... So I'm a vampire it seems?" Mark asked the voices.
"Yeah, which is fucked!" Asshole shouted.
"Haaah..." Mark sighed, as Momma moved in to comfort him, he noticed the letter on the desk.
He picked it up, noted the fancy insignia on the stamp which depicted a large fantasy-esque academy, and opened it, only to not understand the text.
"...GOD DAMN IT!" Mark shouted as he threw the letter to the floor.
"Well hold on beautiful" Pervert spoke up, and before Mark could scream his ears off, he quickly continued, "Maybe those glasses are magical or something? Why else would they be here next to a book we can't read?"
"...Plenty of reasons actually, but it might be worth a shot, could you please dear?" Momma asked, and Mark obliged.
He bent down and picked up the book, not getting a whistle from Pervert this time, he then put on the glasses and read the letter.
"Dear Ms. Markaleria von Girtunont.
We are pleased to announce your application to join the Gregonian Eternum Wizarding Academy has been accepted! We have dispatched an escort to ensure your safe travel to our prestigious institution, they shall arrive within a week of us sending this letter.
It is an honor to have you join us and our colleagues in the academy, we'll await you with great excitement!
sent on the 21st of Sol in the year 356
-- With kind regards, Headmaster Harmen Von Rothenburg."
"..." x4
"What fucking day is it?" Mark asked as he stood up.
"No fucking clue kid- What the fuck are you doing?"
Mark was gently opening the door that led to his room, the sunlight was present in the hallway but he seemed fine as long as he wasn't directly exposed to it, such as when he was staring directly at it through the window.
He slowly walked out, the establishment seemed fairly mediocre, someone as wealthy as whoever he possessed wouldn't stay in this kind of place unless they were that kind of person. Which is why he even left his room despite the risks.
He has to figure out who he is supposed to be before that escort arrives so he can come with them.
"Come with them!? Are you fucking mad?!" Asshole shouted, but Mark didn't care.
"It's my dream to be a teacher, if I die I die, that's that, it's already obvious that my consciousness isn't in this body but elsewhere, dont worry, I'll run if it gets dangerous," Mark spoke within his mind.
"Fucking whatever!" Asshole shouted and then went quiet, to Mark's confusion.
He lightly shook his head and walked down a flight of stairs, which creaked as he walked down, some obvious dirt could be seen on the railings, so he didn't touch them.
Down the stairs, a small bar could be seen with three chairs in front of it for customers to sit on. The room itself is not too large, with three tables scattered about, all next to a window that had sunlight shining through.
Mark moved ahead and sat down on one of the stools in front of the bar, where an older, kind-looking lady could be seen cleaning some big wooden mugs.
"Oh! Hey Marka! Are you feeling better? You know the escort to that fancy academy could arrive any day now! You need to be in tip-top shape!" Her tone was energetic and somewhat motherly.
She is dressed in a brown dress with a white apron, she is a bit chubby, but that only adds to her friendly energy. Her hair is short and brown and her eyes are light green, the way she stands leaning on one of her legs more than the other suggests a leg injury, possibly a limp.
"Yeah, I feel a bit better," Mark answered quickly.
"Good! Let me get you some juice, or do you want to drink some alcohol to drown the nerves?"
"Just juice is fine, thanks"
"Alright! Be right back." She then walked away limping.
"So far so good, seems like I'm acting right," Mark spoke up in his mind.
"We don't even know her fucking name yet, dont celebrate early."
"Don't be so pessimistic! That should be easy enough once we infiltrate successfully."
"...Did you guys see her fucking tits? GOD! What. a. MILF!"
"...Honestly fair, but I suspect she might be like an adoptive mother to this body or equal, it would be weird," Mark responded.
"Before you get a waterfall between your legs, we should ask some questions, preferably about who the hell we are." Asshole 'suggested' the idea.
"Sure, I think I have a plan" Mark responded as the old lady came back with a small cup that seemed to be made out of bronze, she put it down on the table.
...Mark noticed that it is empty.
"...Another magical item maybe?" Momma spoke up.
Mark looked at the old lady and gave her a polite smile.
"Thanks," he then grabbed the cup with his left hand.
"Oh you're welcome dear, just ask for whatever you want, it's on me, same as always!"
Mark nodded, "Thank you...uh, damn, your name just slipped out of my mind! What was it..." He then pretended to struggle to remember.
"Ha! That's what you get for not getting enough sleep as I told you to! It's Alena dear, make sure to remember or you're paying next time!"
"Right, sorry, I'm just still a little sleepy I guess..." Mark then pretended to sneeze, intentionally getting low enough to whisper something to the cup.
"Water" he quickly whispered before sitting up straight again, as he looked down, he noticed the cup was filling itself with water, but the hand he was holding it with felt a bit numb, when the cup was full, his hand felt normal again, if a tiny bit sore for a few seconds.
"Magic again," Mark noted.
It seems magic is very common in day-to-day life, he will have to learn more about how it works quickly or he will be an outcast, or worse, burned at the stake for being a demon who possessed someone or something similar.
Who knows how vampires are treated as well.
"Do you know where I can get some books by the way? I didn't see any in my room."
"Oh right! Sorry, I moved them out cause the room was a mess because of them. I told you. 'you are going to overwork yourselves' but nooo!" She then chuckled, as did Mark.
"I'll get them up for you alright? Just give me a minute."
"That's okay! I'll carry them all up myself. I don't want to make you do it with your bad leg and all." Mark said, he then drank the cup of water in a couple of gulps.
The water tasted excellent, better than anything he could have expected. It didn't taste of chemicals like his water did on Earth, and though he could taste some metal, it was still a 10/10 experience.
"Hey, dickhead! The lady is thanking you, stop rating the water like Gordon Ramsey!" Asshole spoke up, and truly, Mark fated into his own little bubble for a bit.
He acted like he heard her and nodded with a smile, this time, not a polite one but a true one. Alena seemed lovely as far as he could tell, so why not make it easier for her?
"You're welcome, now, could you direct me to where they are?"
"Sure! Follow me for a second." And so Mark followed her into the back.
After going around a couple of corners and through a kitchen area, he found a big pile of books, all organized into neat piles.
"Thank you for organizing them, I know my room was a mess before." Of course, Mark knew that only because she said it, but hey, he'd use it anyway.
"Oh, you're welcome! It's not worth mentioning."
Mark nodded and walked into the room, luckily, he could avoid the sun by secretly taking slight detours, but he noticed his fast walking speed could be as fast as someone running.
He wondered how quickly he could sprint.
Either way, Alena excused herself to the bar again and Mark got to work, he noticed the books, despite being incredibly large and thick, carrying piles of them was as easy as lifting a light dumbbell.
Sure, he felt it, but it was still very easy.
There were three piles of books, each one with 5 books each, all of them remarkably thick. 300 pages minimum.
"Aint the only thick thing around 'ere..." Pervert piped up.
After rolling his eyes, Mark walked up with the 15 books balanced neatly in his arms and a couple on his head.
He could do this, his sense of balance and positioning was remarkable, not to mention he didn't bump into a single thing on the way out.
As he walked into the bar, Alena looked at him for a good three seconds before a "*WHEEZE*" resounded across the humble establishment.
Mark wanted to bury himself beneath the dirt never to return.
He didn't think about how stupid he must have looked walking around like this!
"Hahahaaaaa! Holy shit kiddo, you look like a fucking clown right now!" Asshole was, of course, laughing like an Asshole.
"I-I'm sorry honey but... Haha!" Momma was chuckling, but her attempts at hiding it only made Mark more ashamed.
"Well, you look like the cute kind of silly if nothing else!"
"...Was that supposed to cheer me up...?" Mark spoke quietly to himself before rushing upstairs, not realizing he was in his room within 5 seconds.
For a normal person, it would have taken 20 seconds for them to go up the stairs and into a room like Mark did.
He could have also run faster if he wished to. Not bad at all.
As Mark entered the room, he immediately put the books down and jumped into bed.
"UuuUuugggGgghHhhhHh..." He bemoaned into the soft pillows.
Mark felt extremely ashamed, the thing is, this really shouldn't be such a big deal. He wouldn't have cared in his past life anyway, so why does he suddenly care so much about his appearance?
"Haha...Ahem. It's probably cause you have a female body now honey." Momma answered, not stopping her chuckling.
"Haha! Whoo! I mean yeah probably, you dont have those mighty nuts making Testosterone you know?"
"...Is no one gonna complain about the 'mighty nuts' comment...?" Pervert asked, flabergasted.
"No." x3
"Anyways. You should read those books if nothing else, you can have a gender crisis later when we aren't on a clock." Asshole said.
"Have you considered being nicer? This must all be very stressful for Mark right now." Momma defended.
"Fuck you all man!" Pervert finally spoke.
Mark turned his head to the small table beside his bed, he took off his glasses and put them down on the table.
"We know you would love to. Now go to your shitty corner!" Asshole shouted.
"Could you not shout?!" Momma, ironically, shouted back.
"You both suck ass! I just wanna have fun! You're like tyrants both of you!"
Their voices gradually faded into the background as Mark then stared at the table, analyzing each nook and cranny he could from his current position.
It is not of the best quality he noted, looks pretty old, but is handmade with care, probably costs a bit when new, and must have been here for years now. There are roughly 1, 2, 3... 45 236 pigments on the right side of the table, and a small spider web can be seen, approximately 1 mm long.
There is no spider in sight, probably eaten by something else.
The voices remained silent, it seemed they couldn't reach him in this corner of his mind.
"Honey-"
Good thing they were silent, they were filthy liars anyway.
"Kiddo-"
they only hurt him.
"Man-"
Not to mention borderline sexual harassment.
"..." x3
...
"You're sorry," Mark said.
"Yeah. We are." Asshole responded.
"...Like back then." Mark scoffed and stood up, he grabbed one of the books, this one titled "The Basics of Eternum" and began reading.
He didn't know how long he had spent distracting himself from existence and counting those pigments on the table, he had to get to work.
A sigh escaped his lips, the tone higher than he was used to.
...He'll have to get used to his new body soon. The periods will be insufferable, gender dysphoria will be intense for a while, might develop impostor syndrome, but he'll have to deal with it one way or another.
...Maybe he should start calling himself 'she' so he gets used to it? The thought sent a shiver up his spine, no, he wouldn't be happy that way at all.
He can tolerate the idea of people calling him Miss and referring to him as she. He is bisexual as well so he couldn't care less who his partner will be.
Judging from the wooden cup, this society is at a medieval level technology-wise, at least this area is. Hopefully, he won't have 'knights' demanding he undress so they can 'investigate' him. Lesbians are also a big unknown to him, if they are celebrated or even tolerated, that's great for him, but he has no problem with men when it comes down to it.
"..." x3
He read through the book, this one 289 pages long, spending the entire night doing so.
It seems he doesn't have any need to sleep, though he is beginning to feel a bit hungry. He also reads very quickly, but a lot of the stuff in the book is math upon math, which he won't understand even if he reads it, so he just skipped more than half of the book.
It is possible to use magic without math, it's just there to help imagine things. So he won't bother with it, for now, he'll learn it when he must teach it.
Either way, he learned quite a bit about Eternum, such as the fact that it responds to emotions, that there are various schools, that Gods and Deities exist, and that they can influence Eternum to a certain degree. There is also a thing called a "blind caster" which he suspects he is.
A blind caster is someone who can cast spells but can't feel the Eternum in the air, which makes it a lot more difficult for them. Usually, they cast spells instinctively when feeling a strong emotion, such as fear.
That would explain how he made the curtains back then move without touching them, he simply willed them to do so.
And so he read and read, all in the steady silence he got used to before his voices reappeared.