"I am dying."
Dim street lights flickered in the distance, their glow distorted by the soft haze of mist rolling off the river below. A man sat under a large bridge, a half-empty wine bottle dangling precariously from his hand.
"My father fought the disease," he whispered, staring into the murky river. "He lost, leaving us to fend for ourselves. My mother starved to keep us alive, and my sister..." His voice faltered as he raised the bottle for a bitter swig. "She never stood a chance."
"What is the point?" he asked the void. "You fight, dream, and build, only to lose it all in the end."
"I thought I escaped. Found success. Built a life. But this disease... it took everything—my money, my dreams, my wife."
From the corner of the bridge, he peered at the bustling street filled with lights. Hawkers called out, and children played in the streets. His gaze drifted past the vibrant lights and laughter, as if watching a distant dream unfold. This was the eyes of a broken man:
"In the damp night, under the bridge,
My voice echoes through the windy air.
Each sip of sorrow leaves a bitter taste,
As memories linger, too precious to waste."
He looked down at the worn, trembling hands that had once been capable of so much more, then closed his eyes. The air around him seemed to grow heavier with each breath he took:
"I chased the dawn endlessly with hope and courage,
But time plays a cruel joke, setting and destroying me.
For every joy, there is a price to pay;
In the end, I falter as my light fades."
"Father, Mother, Sister, I'm coming to you," he muttered as his reality slowly blurred. There were no tears in his eyes, it had already wrung dry.
The faint sound of paws padding against the stone brought him back. From the mist emerged a white dog, its fur glowing softly in the moonlight. Shiro. Her tail wagged gently as she approached.
"My only regret..." his voice faltered as he reached out, his trembling fingers trying to brush the dog's fur, falling short to do so, "is not keeping you safe."
The world around him faded like the final notes of a mournful song, leaving only silence.
Shiro paused as if knowing her master took his last breath and tilted her head towards the sky at the bloody moon, howling in a broken sound mixed with anger, sorrow, and pain.
Alone in the corner, hidden from the world, without a grave, his soul drifted away:
"Howl, dear Shiro, let the heaven and earth hear
My love, my regret, my darkest fear.
For as I depart, know this is true:
In every heartbeat, I'll be with you."
As the man's breath ceased and silence enveloped the space beneath the bridge, two faint lights emerged from his lifeless body, shimmering like fragile fireflies in the darkness.
The white flicker glowed warmly, pulsating gently, while the black flicker crackled erratically, its dense brilliance sharp and restless. Drawn together by an invisible force, they collided in a burst of energy that rippled through the void.
In an instant, they split apart—the white flicker ascended into the horizon like a rising star, while the black flicker plunged downward, vanishing into the depths below.
Thus began the story of the black flicker of light.
….
The black flicker of light floated aimlessly through an endless void, a realm of dark, consuming silence where time and space seemed to dissolve.
For a brief moment, it hesitated, sensing a shift in the emptiness.
The void around it began to contract, drawing the flicker into a new world. Without resistance, it plunged forward, merging seamlessly into the body of a woman and vanishing into the depths of her being.
…
Auriel 1410!
In a dimly lit room, cries of a baby resounded throughout, drowning out all other voices. The room was a simple, open space with hardwood flooring, featuring sliding windows made of paper sheets and doors made of animal skin.
Inside, high wooden tables were arranged, and a large bed sat at the centre of the room with a mattress made of feathers. Natural light filtered through the thin paper windows.
Low pants of a woman echoed throughout the bustling room as the woman had just given birth.
Murmurs of midwives filled the room as they shuffled around, tending to the woman and the baby as carefully as possible.
As the baby was cleaned, the cries finally ceased. Then, the infant strained to open his eyes, the world before him blurry, adjusting to the light.
'Eh!? Where am I…!?'
His brows tightened into a small scowl, his pupils darting with puzzlement across his tender face. He blinked slowly, trying to make sense of the strange surroundings.
'What happened?' he thought. 'Wasn't I just… dying?'
Images of his past life flickered in his mind—the bridge, the cold wind, the beer slipping from his hand. He remembered the feeling of his breath fading and the darkness closing in. But now… now he is here.
'Did I… reincarnate?'
His heart was strangely calm.
He was, after all, an avid reader of novels and anime, having seen and read countless stories of reincarnation.
"I'm really here," he whispered. "But what about Shiro? Will she find peace without me?"
Bitterness tightened his chest. "She deserves a life of comfort and joy—so much more than I could ever give her."
The unfamiliar surroundings stirred memories of Shiro, sharpening his ache. But, with each breath in this new body, a fragile hope began to bloom.
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside.
As he looked around the room, he felt that it resembled the mediaeval era.
'Hmm, is this a parallel world considering they are humans, or did I go to the past?'
While he was thinking, he suddenly felt himself being lifted by the midwives and handed to the woman who was lying on the bed.
He observed his mother's facial features with curious eyes.
The woman before him had long white hair and a pair of piercing red eyes. Despite the wrinkles in some parts of her aged face, she was a beauty, with soft red lips and round cheeks.
For him, he could only praise her in one word: 'Beauty. Beauty beyond words, despite her age.'
As he looked at the woman, she gently let him nuzzle against her and keep him in her embrace. Her crimson pupils were filled with maternal love.
At that moment, the animal skin door suddenly flung open, and a bulky man appeared.
"Where is my son?"
The midwives hurriedly stepped aside as he approached him and his mother. The man then knelt on the floor, his head bowed. His mother, with a gentle smile, handed him over.
'What happened to this guy?' He thought nervously gazing at the bulky man.
Tears streamed down the man's rugged face as he raised his head, the trembling hands that cradled him so tenderly despite their size.
"My baby." The man's voice was hoarse while his entire body shook violently.
The baby looked at the bulky man and thought to himself, 'He is my father.'
Although he couldn't understand the language, as they say, the body speaks in ten thousand words!
Thinking of this, his heart completely calmed down, becoming warm. But just as calm settled over him, a sharp pain pierced his head.
A flicker of black light flashed across his vision, searing through his consciousness and he fainted on the spot with a cry of pain.
***
Name: Unnamed
True Name: …
State: None
Chakra Core: None
Nature: [Tyrant Emperor (Sealed)]
Transformation Image: Null
Skill: Trash(None)
Main Rune: [Earth Rune(locked)]
Flaw for the First Trial: Locked
Time Remaining: 12 years, 0 months, 0 days.
***