Pain. Blinding, unbearable pain. My head feels like it's been split in two, every throb a reminder of my miserable choices. Why did I pick that method? What are my coworkers going to think? Am I going to be hospital ridden for the rest of my life? I can't afford care like that.
I'm sorry, Sam. I couldn't even do this right.
Wait… I can move.
My fingers press into something soft—grass? Cool, dewy blades brush against my skin, and there's dirt in my mouth. Gross. I groan and force my aching head up, only to be hit by blinding light. Too bright. My eyes squeeze shut, then slowly blink open.
The sun?
It was the middle of the night when I made my decision.
"Ha ho!"
A cheerful voice jolts me upright—or at least, that's what I would've done if I wasn't immediately flipped onto my back like a sack of potatoes.
"Oh my, a whole 100 years!" The voice belongs to a woman. Her tone is bright, almost teasing. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
Still dazed, I notice… a timer floating at the corner of my vision? It's clearer than the blurriness around me, ticking down (I would assume) in real time: 4B4J:3BH:13. Then 12.
"W-what?" My throat is dry, my voice hoarse.
"You poor thing," she says, kneeling beside me. "Did your guild leave you behind?"
Finally, my vision sharpens. I'm met with the sight of her—jet-black hair that shimmers like silk, violet eyes so bright they almost glow, and... pointy ears?
She's an elf?
"You're staring," she says with a smirk, tilting her head. "What guild are you with, boy?"
"Huh?" I croak, my brain still catching up.
"Do you know where you are?" she asks, her tone suddenly softer. Before I can respond, she lifts my head off the ground and slides her thighs under it like a makeshift pillow.
I did in fact die and this is indeed heaven.
I'm too dumbfounded to answer, so she tries again. "What's your name, boy?"
"S-Solice. Solice Caligo," I manage to rasp out.
Her smile widens. "A pleasure, Mr. Solice. I'm Alondra Vento. Now, you've got a nasty wound on your forehead. I know a little healing magic and I can heal it for you, but it'll cost an hour and a half of your time. The half-hour is a tip for my excellent service." She sticks out her tongue playfully.
"Healing magic? Wait, magic?" My voice rises as realization starts to hit me. "This is… this is…"
"Another world?!" I blurt out, sitting up too fast and nearly smacking her in the face.
Alondra jumps back, startled. "Goodness, calm down! You'll make the wound worse." She leans closer, inspecting me. "Hmm, you hit your head pretty hard, huh? My offer still stands, though. Want me to take care of it?"
Still reeling, I nod. "You said an hour and a half?"
"Correct. But payment comes first, of course."
"Payment? I… I don't have any money," I stammer. I doubt this place accepts credit cards, anyway.
She tilts her head and points at my chest. "You're not exactly hiding it. That weird shirt you're wearing shows your lifespan, clear as day."
I glance down. Just above the neckline of my tank top, glowing faintly, is the same timer from my vision. But now it reads: 4B4J:3BD:2H.
"This is my lifespan?" I mutter, touching the numbers instinctively.
"You really don't know anything, do you?" she says, her playful tone fading into mild concern. "Where are you from, exactly?"
"I… I'm not even sure. I don't know how I got here, where 'here' is, or what this lifespan thing is."
Alondra's eyes widened, her expression shifting from mild concern to unbridled fascination. "You don't know? Oh, this is... interesting. It's like… you were just born! Every intelligent being is born with a baseline lifespan of 100 years. Well, except the dwarves—they start with 120 because they age slower. And, oh! Elves like me? We're blessed to start with 200, but we burn through it faster if we use our advanced spells. It's a trade-off really. But you…" She leaned in closer, her violet eyes gleaming.
"Your lifespan is so close to 100. It's almost untouched. You couldn't have just been…"
She gasped, clapping her hands together. "Wait, what if you have amnesia? Or what if you're a lost deity? No, no, that can't be right—your ears aren't pointy. But then again, you could be hiding them. Or maybe… maybe you ate a dragon's heart!" She sat back, her voice rising with excitement. "The legends say dragon hearts can reset lifespans. But that's just a children's tale, right? And dragons are extinct now anyway, unless you believe the rumors about—
"Alondra." My weak voice broke through her spiral of thoughts.
She blinked, her cheeks flushing faintly. "Oh, right. Sorry, I ramble when I'm excited. Bad habit." She cleared her throat and straightened up, pointing at my chest. "The important thing is your lifespan is almost untouched, which means either you were born mere minutes ago"—she paused, leaning in conspiratorially and cupping her hand as if sharing a secret—"which is basically impossible. Or, more likely, something really weird happened."
She pulled back, her tone shifting to one of brisk determination. "But we can figure that out later. Right now, let's focus on getting you patched up before some skallards show up. Deal?"
"Uh, okay. What do I do?"
"Just place your fingertips against mine." She extends her hand toward me, her slender fingers outstretched. I hesitantly follow suit.
"Now, think about giving me exactly an hour and a half of your time," she says, closing her eyes.
I focus, though I have no idea what I'm doing. An hour and a half... an hour and a half...
"Wait, how do I know how much that is? This timer is in… gibberish." I look at her, confused. "What does '4B4J' even mean?"
Her eyes open slightly, clearly surprised. "You don't know how to count? How odd. Most people just know it instinctively… but no matter. The first part is in days, then minutes, then seconds.
"That doesn't make it any less confusing," I mutter.
She chuckles, waving her free hand dismissively. "Don't worry about the numbers. Just think about the intent—giving me an hour and a half of your time. If your soul is sincere, it'll work."
Her tone grows more serious. "Oh, and before you ask: no, I can't just steal your lifespan. Lifespan transfers only work when both souls align their intents. Now come on. Focus."
I feel a faint headache coming on but decide not to argue. Instead, I close my eyes and concentrate.
Our fingers begin to glow, a bluish-white light spreading from our touch. Warmth floods my hand, spreading through my arm and chest. It's not painful, but there's a strange hollowness, like something essential is slipping away.
After a few seconds, the light fades. I glance at my lifespan: 4B4J:38A:22.
"What was that?"
Alondra smiles, slowly pulling her hand back. "You just died a little bit."