My name is Octavia, and growing up, I felt like the biggest target. I was labeled the laughingstock, the outcast—the orphan no one cared about. Every day was a battle against isolation and relentless teasing. My classmates mocked me for being different, for not having parents. I spent most of my time in solitude, writing stories that let me escape my painful reality. Through those stories, I discovered strength within myself, a quiet resilience that transformed my pain into silence. I had accepted my place in the world, or so I thought—until that day.
It started like any other day. The classroom buzzed with the hum of idle chatter. I sat in the back, my head resting on my desk, trying to block out the noise, hoping for a few moments of peace before the teacher arrived. My pencil rolled off the desk, but I didn't bother picking it up. The other students laughed and whispered to each other, no doubt at my expense. I kept my head down, pretending not to hear them.
Then it happened. A sudden, blinding flash of white light filled the room, washing over everything and everyone. The chatter turned to screams as the air seemed to hum with energy. I clutched the edges of my desk, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic overtook the students, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause. I blinked in confusion as the light engulfed us, and before I knew it, everything went dark.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself in an entirely different place—an eerie, desolate cave. The air was damp and heavy, carrying an earthy scent mixed with something faintly metallic. Soft, phosphorescent moss clung to the walls, casting flickering shadows that danced like ghostly specters. My breaths came quick and shallow as I tried to understand what had just happened. My fingers—no, not fingers—brushed against the cold stone floor. I froze, staring at what should have been my hands. They weren't there.
Instead, my arms had morphed into something entirely alien—tentacles, black as the void and speckled with tiny, glowing flecks of light, like distant stars scattered across the night sky. I let out a startled gasp, or at least I thought I did. The sound that emerged was something entirely different, a strange, wet clicking noise. My chest tightened as a wave of confusion and panic surged through me. What was happening?
I instinctively tried to stand, only to collapse again. My body felt foreign, the movements awkward and uncoordinated. My legs—or what used to be my legs—were now a mass of slithering appendages. I was no longer human.
I was an octopus.
The realization sent a chill through me. My heart—or whatever was beating inside me now—raced as I struggled to make sense of my new form. How was this possible? Was this a dream? A nightmare? I tried to scream again, but only that wet clicking noise came out.
Breathe, Octavia, I told myself, trying to calm the storm in my mind. Think.
The cave around me seemed to pulse with an eerie rhythm, as if it were alive. The moss on the walls glowed faintly, illuminating the rough stone surfaces. Water dripped from stalactites, the sound echoing in the stillness. Despite my fear, I felt a strange pull to explore. I couldn't stay here forever, wherever "here" was.
As I awkwardly slithered forward, another thought crossed my mind—a thought born of years spent immersed in anime and manga. If I was no longer in my world, maybe I could try something from those stories. Maybe, just maybe, this was one of those "isekai" situations I had read about, where someone is transported to another world.
I hesitated, then whispered to myself, "Status."
To my amazement, a translucent blue screen materialized before me, hovering in the air. The glow from the screen was brighter than the moss, casting a soft light over the cave. My eyes—if I still had eyes—widened as I read the text displayed:
Welcome to Asmodeus.
You have been reincarnated after your previous life ended. A mad wizard accidentally opened a portal between your world and ours, destroying your body. In an effort to preserve your soul, I've brought you here to Asmodeus, a land where magic and war shape destinies.
You may choose your path—become a hero, a villain, or remain a passive observer.
In 20 years, a tournament will be held to determine the strongest among you, and the victor will be granted a gift, after which they will be reincarnated once more. Fail, and I'll reset everything.
Give me a good show.
I stared at the screen, my mind reeling. Reincarnated? Tournament? Reset? The words blurred together as my thoughts raced. A mad wizard had destroyed my body? Was that the flash of light in the classroom? My hands—or tentacles—trembled as I tried to process the enormity of what I was reading.
"Asmodeus…" I whispered, tasting the name of this world. It felt heavy, ancient, and filled with promise.
A faint glow emanated from my tentacles, casting shimmering patterns on the cave walls. I moved them experimentally, and the light seemed to dance in response, bending and refracting in impossible ways. I felt a surge of excitement. This was real.
But the elation didn't last long. A distant sound echoed through the cave—deep, guttural, and unmistakably alive. My tentacles tensed as I realized I wasn't alone. Something else was here, and it was getting closer.
I didn't know what lay ahead, but one thing was certain: my journey in this strange new world had only just begun.