When I was young, my mind was free. I saw planes, stars, and infinity. My thoughts were unbound, like the mind of god, wandering a vast, unknowable world.
But as I grew older, I lost that treasure. It slipped through my fingers, and I fell—down into the mud, chaos. There, I found the mind of the world, and with it, I became a slave.
When I die, I'll have the mind of the dead—silent, empty, devoid of dreams, desires, or meaning. I always knew I would die miserable, my corpse decaying and fading into the sands of time. Yet, I clung to a single hope: that I might experience, just once more, the mind of god.
But now, at the brink of death, I know I cannot. I am unwilling. I am unresigned to this fate. I cannot die like this.
The blade pierced my chest. Cold, sharp, merciless. Breathing grew harder as my thoughts dimmed. Blood pooled beneath me—a dark crimson, almost black.
Funny thing about blood, though. It looks harmless in small cuts, just a little red stain. But in large amounts, it turns into something darker, deeper—something that promises death. A pool of it, like this, is like a warning sign: You're done.
My body screamed to shut down, but my mind refused to give in.
Suddenly, a voice broke through the haze. A girl's voice, soft yet unnervingly cold:
"So, this is all you amount to."
I squinted up at her, catching the faint glint of her silver-white hair under the dim light. Her pale lips curled into a faint smirk. She crouched down, her blade still lodged in my chest and tilted her head like she was admiring a painting.
"You're laughing?" she asked, her voice soft but cutting. "How amusing. I wonder if you'll still laugh when your heart stops beating."
I forced a strained, bloody grin. "I mean… this is all a bit dramatic, don't you think? Let me guess, you're one of those 'I kill for art' types? Or is this some kind of cult initiation? Should I be flattered?"
Her smirk deepened, her eyes narrowing. "Pathetic. You think you can talk your way out of this?"
I coughed, blood bubbling at my lips. "Hey, don't knock it till you try it. Therapy's expensive. Venting to your victims is probably cheaper. I'm guessing Daddy didn't hug you enough?"
The blade twisted sharply. I groaned but bit back the scream.
"Enough," she hissed, her smirk vanishing. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," I wheezed, still clinging to my act.
For a moment, she hesitated. Her expression shifted—mocking, almost pitying. "Soon, your soul will be mine."
I froze. "What the hell are you talking about? What soul? Who are you? You're not making any sense."
Her eyes shimmered, a faint storm swirling beneath their surface. "You wouldn't understand," she repeated softly. "But you'll see soon enough. You don't need to remember my name, but it's Star, if you must know. And when I take your soul, you'll wish you'd died long before meeting me."
The name sparked something faint in me—something I couldn't quite place. Was she serious? Or just completely delusional?
"Star, huh?" I muttered, still forcing a grin. "Cool name. Very dramatic. Bet you get that a lot."
Her lips curled into a humorless smile. "Keep joking. It won't save you."
As she raised the blade again, aiming for my throat this time, the air seemed to ripple. A strange man's voice, hoarse and oddly sing-song, cut through the tension:
"Ah, blood… blood's funny, isn't it?"
Both Star and I froze.
The voice chuckled, low and broken, as if it was barely holding itself together. "It spills so easily… but it remembers. Always remembers. Don't you think that's hilarious? No? Just me?"
Star scanned the shadows, her confident mask faltering. "Who's there?"
The voice ignored her. It continued speaking, but its tone shifted—melancholy, almost nostalgic:
"She was always so desperate. Alice?' she asked, over and over. Crawling through the dark, clawing at the walls… clawing at her bones. She thought blood would give her the answer. But it didn't. It never does not since Clyde, not since Bonnie."
I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry. Star gripped her blade tighter, her eyes darting around. "Show yourself!"
The voice laughed again, quieter this time. "What a pity. None of you ever listen."
And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the voice was gone.
"What the hell was that?" I rasped, my heart pounding.
Star's composure had cracked. Her gaze shifted uneasily, and for a moment, she looked almost human—uncertain and afraid.
But before I could dwell on it, a new voice echoed in my head—deep, mocking, and far too familiar:
"Wow, you are clueless, aren't you?"
"What the—who's talking?" I barked, spinning as much as my fading body allowed.
Star froze mid-strike, her head tilting slightly. "Talking to yourself already? The madness is setting in faster than I expected."
"Shut up!" I snapped at her, though the words were meant for the voice in my head.
The mocking voice chuckled. "Oh, this is going to be fun. Don't worry, I'll explain everything later. If you survive."
"Survive what?!", the air around me distorting like glass under pressure.
Star stepped back, her expression shifting to one of curiosity and… fear. For the first time, she looked uncertain.
And then, the world shattered.
"Yo. Welcome to the Fourth Dimension, idiot."
What the—?
"Yeah, yeah, I'm in your head. Don't freak out. I'm out of time, so listen up: I'm restarting your life. This time, you're getting both your wills awakened. Got it?"
"What—"
"Shush. No time for questions. Just remember: Five wills. Seven roots. The Grand Sovereigns of the past figured it out, and you're going to follow their lead. Don't screw this up. Oh, and that cheat ability I gave you Yeah, losing it to a duck was hilarious. Like, really. I lost my 7 generations for it, But you're getting a replacement—because I'm nice. Fair warning though if you don't recover it you're getting raped by monkies"
" replacement for what?" I growled, still reeling.
"Let's just say it's better than what you'll be getting now. Don't die again, and maybe you'll figure it out. Oh, and don't forget: recover my will. Threesomes are always better than twos. Though I'm not expecting much, my reincarnations have always had disappointing cycles ."
Before I could respond, the voice vanished, leaving only chaos behind.
And then, darkness.
Before I faded completely I could make out a few words.
" To cultivate in a world like this is truly a heaven-defying act but still I never took the path of dreams or lived as a demon. Maybe you can show an old bastard like me a few tricks or maybe we will both die to the influence of that foreign will."