It was dark, darker than anything I'd ever seen. There was nothing—no light, no sound, no sense of time. Just…nothing. An endless emptiness, so vast it felt like the universe had erased itself, leaving only cold, silent void around me.
'It's so quiet here... peaceful. No pain, no fear... just stillness'
I remember waking up in this place after taking my last breath. I don't know how much time had passed since then—hours, days, maybe longer.
But I wasn't afraid at first. There was this calm that hung in the air, filling the space around me. It was strangely peaceful, like everything I'd worried about in life had just melted away.
While I floated in that peace, memories from my life played out in front of me, one after the other. But there weren't many.
I'd always been an introvert, keeping to myself. School, home—well, the orphanage, really—that was my routine.
I didn't have many friends, and the ones I did have were more like acquaintances. I guess I never really let anyone in.
Most of my memories were in the orphanage, with the children and the nanny who took care of us. I was the eldest among the kids, and every day, after coming back from school, I'd play with them.
Their innocence, their laughter, that was what I cherished the most.
It's something I'll never forget—those children, the joy they brought.
There will always be a place in my heart for them.
'How long have I been here? Hours? Days?'
After what felt like an eternity, anxiety began to set in. As time dragged on, the calm started to feel... off. At first, it was subtle, like a faint whisper at the back of my mind. But then unease crept in.
How long had I been here? Hours? Days? Weeks? I couldn't tell. The peace that had once been comforting began to feel like a prison, slowly tightening around me.
I started getting scared.
Will I be trapped here forever?
What if this is permanent?
Is this what the afterlife feels like?
What if none of this is real to begin with?
All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind. The silence, the nothingness—it was starting to drive me mad. I was spiraling, going insane with each passing second.
I wanted nothing more than to escape this place, this endless void.
Anger began to build inside me, anger at whomever or whatever had placed me here. But more than that, I was angry at my own helplessness.
I tried to shout into the void, but no sound came.
It was as if my voice had been swallowed by the darkness. No echo. No response.
"Is anyone there?" I called out again, my voice hoarse and strained.
But it was as though the darkness consumed every word before they could even leave my lips.
The silence weighed on me, like a pressure building inside my chest.
"Why am I here?" I growled, clenching my fists, though I couldn't even see them.
"Why did you put me here?" My voice was low, more a growl than a question, frustration brimming at the edges.
But I wasn't ready to give up. I shouted again, my words tumbling out in a rush of fury. "What do you want from me?"
My voice cracked, raw with desperation and anger. I could hear the echo only in my own head, which only seemed to fuel the fire of my rage. "Is this some kind of punishment? Are you enjoying this? I'll make you pa—"
Before I could finish, the world around me shifted.
The ground beneath my feet dissolved into a swirling mist of light and shadow.
My words died in my throat as I felt the pull of something greater, something vast, something beyond my understanding.
It yanked me forward with such force that I barely had time to react.
I was suspended between light and darkness, weightless, as if caught in the eye of a storm.
I could feel the sheer enormity of this power, this force dragging me from the void.
The stillness was gone, replaced by a chaotic whirlwind of sensations I couldn't explain. Light exploded in all directions, flickering like stars being born and dying in an instant.
Shadows curled around me, twisting and bending like they had a life of their own.
In the midst of this chaos, I felt something—something familiar.
A presence, perhaps? I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it was as if I was being watched, examined by something far beyond comprehension. Whatever it was, it wasn't human.
It was ancient, timeless, and I was but a speck in its vastness.
For the first time since I arrived in this place, I felt real fear—not the kind born from anxiety or unease, but a primal, deep-rooted fear of the unknown.
Was this the afterlife?
Was this the beginning of something, or the end of everything?
Before I could even attempt to make sense of it all, the swirling mist around me seemed to solidify, and I was thrust into something new. Not a place, not a time—something else entirely. Everything around me shifted once again, but this time, there was no void, no nothingness.
***
Huff… Huff…
My breath was labored, and the last thing I remembered was that strange mist that had enveloped me before I lost consciousness.
"Where… where am I?" I mumbled as I slowly opened my eyes.
It took a few moments for them to adjust to the light, probably due to how much time I had spent in the void.
When I could finally see clearly, the first thing that greeted me was an unfamiliar ceiling.
It was high, ornate, and exuded an air of luxury.
I blinked a few times and glanced around the room. It was lavish—far too extravagant for a single person.
The size alone was overwhelming, the walls draped in fine fabric, and expensive-looking furniture scattered throughout the space.
Once again, I thought to myself, where the hell am I? My mind raced through possibilities. Is this heaven? Or is it some kind of illusion?
To make sure this wasn't just a dream, I pinched my arm. Ouch. The pain was sharp and real.
This wasn't a dream.
I quickly rose from the soft bed I had been lying on and looked down at my hands.
They were small, pale, and delicate—completely different from my original body.
"What the—this isn't my body!" I exclaimed, my voice trembling with confusion.
I scanned the room and noticed a large mirror across from me.
Without hesitation, I sprinted towards it, my heart pounding in my chest.
I stood before the mirror, dreading what I might see.
"What the hell? This... is me?"
The reflection staring back at me was someone completely unfamiliar.
The figure in the mirror was thin—almost skeletal—with a sickly pale complexion.
Dark circles hung under sunken black eyes, making him appear exhausted and frail.
His long, jet-black hair fell in disheveled strands, and his features were ordinary—forgettable, even.
No, this wasn't me. This body was weak and pitiful, a far cry from my original self.
I sat back down on the bed, massaging my forehead as frustration and disbelief washed over me. "First that creepy void, and now this," I muttered to myself.
My mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation, but there was too much I didn't understand. None of this added up.
Wait… this feels oddly familiar, I thought. Have I transmigrated? Like in those anime I used to watch?
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed plausible.
Maybe I was in a new world now. If so, did I have a system too, like the protagonists in those stories?
As if on cue, a purple window panel suddenly materialized in front of my eyes.
[System rebooting…]
[External force detected in host's body]
[System processing… Please wait]
Hmm, looks like I was right, I mused, watching the panel. I really do have a system.
This is starting to feel like one of those reincarnation stories.
After a few moments of waiting, the system's message changed.
[System reboot successful!]
[Host may view his status by thinking "Status"]
Finally, I could get some answers about this new body—and maybe even learn why I ended up here in the first place.
"Statu—"
Before I could even finish the word, another window materialized before my eyes, interrupting me.
[Ding!]
[User is advised to undergo Astral Fusion!]
[Do you want to undergo Astral Fusion?]
[Yes / No]
"Astral Fusion? What does that even mean? Is this some kind of ritual?" I wondered out loud.
Then, a thought struck me. Wait… maybe this will give me the answers I'm searching for—maybe I'll learn why I'm here and how this happened.
With a sense of determination, I pressed 'Yes,' hoping this would lead me to the truth. The system responded immediately.
[Starting Astral Fusion in a few moments…]
Suddenly, I felt a stinging sensation all over my body. It was uncomfortable but bearable—for now.
[Astral Fusion: 10%]
However, what started as a mild sting quickly grew into something far worse.
With every passing second, the pain intensified, creeping deeper into my body like a poison spreading through my veins.
[Astral Fusion: 15%]
I could feel the pain coursing through me. It wasn't just physical; it was as if something was drilling into my very soul.
Each pulse of pain reverberated through my bones, muscles, and mind, growing more unbearable by the second.
[Astral Fusion: 25%]
The pain was no longer tolerable. It was excruciating.
I doubled over, gasping for air as it felt like my skin was being torn apart from the inside. My muscles tensed, locking my body in a grip of pure agony.
Then, out of nowhere, memories started flooding my mind—memories that weren't mine.
These must be the memories of this body…
[Astral Fusion: 55%]
I fell to the floor, writhing in agony.
My body convulsed as if thousands of needles were piercing every inch of my skin.
My mind screamed, but I couldn't make a sound. I clutched at my head, trying to fight off the growing intensity of both the pain and the foreign memories forcing their way into my consciousness.
[Astral Fusion: 70%]
The pain spiked again, and I could feel my resolve wavering.
Sweat dripped from every pore, drenching my clothes.
My body burned like it was on fire, yet there was nothing I could do to cool it.
My throat tightened, my lungs gasped for air, but I couldn't even muster the strength to scream.
All I could do was bite down on my lips until they bled, hoping the sharp taste of blood would distract me from the overwhelming agony.
[Astral Fusion: 85%]
I bit into my arm this time, desperate to stop myself from screaming as the pressure in my head built to an unbearable level.
My vision blurred, and more memories flooded in, blurring the line between what I knew and what this body had experienced.
[Astral Fusion: 90%]
Then the pain reached its peak, blood seeping from my eyes like crimson tears as my mind threatened to shatter under the weight of it all.
I was drenched in sweat, curled on the floor like a helpless worm, my body trembling uncontrollably. It felt like my very soul was being torn apart and stitched back together, over and over again.
Every fiber of my being screamed for it to stop, but I refused to give up. I can't lose myself now.
The flames of torment engulfed me. It was as if I were burning alive from the inside out, every nerve in my body alight with searing pain. My limbs jerked involuntarily, and I felt my consciousness slipping. But I held on—barely.
[Astral Fusion: 100%]
And then, after what felt like an eternity, the pain vanished. Just like that.
I lay there on the cold floor, gasping for breath, my chest heaving with exhaustion.
My vision slowly cleared, and I blinked away the blood that had stained my eyes.
I could feel my pulse slowing, the adrenaline fading, but the aftermath of the agony still lingered, like echoes of a nightmare.
[Congratulations! Soul synchronization has been completed successfully!]
I didn't even bother to look at the system's message. I was too drained, too shattered to care at that moment.
My entire body ached, and my mind was still reeling from the flood of memories I'd absorbed.
It was overwhelming.
The sheer weight of those memories threatened to crush me, but I pushed them aside for now.
All I wanted was sleep. Rest. Anything to escape the storm that raged in my mind.
My eyelids fluttered, too tired to stay open. My mind, though swirling with thoughts and confusion, begged for respite.
For a brief moment, I let go of all the questions—the why, the how—and surrendered to the overwhelming exhaustion that consumed me.
I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, forgetting about everything for the time being.