As I took one final look at the world that never loved me, I felt peace knowing that it could never hurt me again.Â
"Why is it that I only feel this alive the moment before I die?"
As I took my final step off the bridge, I felt all my worries wash away. And then there was... nothing.
Or at least, that's what she thought.
Slowly, her vision recovered, but her mind felt sluggish. The sky was certainly bright. She could hear the rustling of leaves. A soft breeze gently brushed against her arm. Then it came to her. She was alive..?
"Where the fuck am I now. Is this what heaven really looks like? ....Or hell?"
She pushed herself up, taking in the scenery around her. It was nothing like Earth. Too perfect, too serene. A vast ocean stretched in the distance, oak trees towered over the verdant land, villages of stone nestled on the hills.
"Why the hell does everything look so good? Don't tell me... I was reincarnated?"
Her gaze shifted downwards. She flexed her fingers, examined her legs—definitely not the body she was used to.
"Why does my head feel heavier...?"
She hesitated before reaching up—only to freeze the moment she felt something twitch beneath her fingers. A jolt of panic shot through her. She yelled, scrambled to check again—Soft fur. Pointed tips. Twitching ears.
"Cat ears? Are you serious…?"
With a sigh, she decided to wander into the town nearby. She wasn't the best at history class, so she wasn't sure what time period this world was similar to. Maybe medieval or whatever was before that. She's grumbling to herself, frustrated by her situation, when—
"Huh?"
A shadow looms over her. She barely has time to glance up before—
CRASH.
The world goes dark. She wakes up gasping for breath, completely uninjured. She blinks. Looks around. Touches her head.
"…Did I just fucking die?"
Someone who saw the whole thing approached cautiously.
"Uh… you were just crushed by an anvil. How are you still alive?"
She groans, rubbing her temples.
"I wish I wasn't."
They do say cats have nine lives. Was this supposed to mean she had an extra nine chances at life? She grinded her teeth, pressing her fists into the ground.Â
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Call me... Inori."
It was the name from her past life. She couldn't think of anything better in the moment. He extended a hand to help her up.
"My name is Alan."
"Thank you, Alan, but I must go now." She said as she took his hand and lifted herself up.
"Take care."
She gave a slight nod, walking off.
"God, why did you give me nine lives?" she muttered under her breath. "I can only hope this world's better than the last. At least..."