1 Reincarnation

A gamer is one who visits multiple worlds through a monitor. Fantasy worlds with dragons and fairies, worlds at war with spaceships and lightsabers and even worlds that are being oppressed by gods and it is the gamer's role to save them.

Arthur was once one of those players. But over the years, with the responsibilities of adult life and relationships, he's long since abandoned his beloved games.

He had traded those worlds for a relatively successful life as an accountant, a fiancee he loved with all his heart and friends.

At the end of a Friday workday, Arthur, in a hurry, threw his things into his briefcase anyway, said goodbye to his colleagues who had been working overtime, and ran to the parking lot.

Today was his anniversary with his fiancée Luana and he had made a reservation at her favorite restaurant to celebrate.

Arriving in the car, Arthur was panting and as he opened the door he felt a twinge in his chest that made his vision momentarily darken.

"W-what was that?" Arthur wondered with his hand on his chest and holding on to the car.

"Arthur? Is everything alright?" A concerned young voice asked from behind Arthur.

Arthur composed himself and turned to see the newest accountant in the office. Helena was a competent, beautiful, polite and kind girl who had joined the company just over two months ago and she had taken a special liking to Arthur who did not treat her like an intern.

"Y-yes. I think I'm fine."

"I saw you suddenly almost pass out. Is everything really okay?"

"Yes, yes. I'll be fine." Arthur said to calm Helena down. "Tomorrow I'm going to the doctor to see if something's wrong. So good night Helena. I have to go now."

Helena saw Arthur get into the car and drive away as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't. Arthur was driving along a busy road and because of the schedule, he was stuck in a traffic jam.

Still feeling uncomfortable in his chest, Arthur turned on the car's mp3 to be able to relax, but nothing changed. The pressure in his chest felt like someone was sitting on him, he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt and felt somehow more relieved.

That's when it happened, Arthur felt as if he could feel his heartbeat throughout his body. He was sweating a lot and his ears buzzed like he had millions of bees inside his head and then he heard a voice.

{Go back... Need... World...}

"W-what?"

{You are... Now... Fight...}

People in neighboring cars, watching Arthur struggle and talk to himself while covering his ears, started filming and laughing without knowing what was going on. In fairness to them, not even Arthur knew.

When the voice stopped speaking, the pressure in his chest was gone, along with everything else. Arthur felt as if he had run a marathon and opened the windows for fresh air, receiving only smoke and noise.

Three hours later, Arthur arrived home exhausted, all he wanted was to take a hot shower, hug his fiancee and sleep, but something wasn't right.

The house was all dark and there was another car in the garage that he recognized as being Rodrigo's, his best friend.

"What is he doing here? No! Please, anything but that." Arthur begged, but already knowing what was going on inside the house.

Arthur once again felt his heart beating strangely and the pressure in his chest increased as he tried to park the car.

With difficulty he slipped through the front door and turned on the lights in the entrance hall and his desperately beating heart filled with hatred.

The black dress that Arthur gave Luana as a birthday present and that she loved when she received it, was lying on the floor and in front of a trail of clothes that he had seen as a friend of his.

The clothes guided him to the living room, and the last piece of clothing he found was his fiancée's panties, she was completely naked over Rodrigo on the couch.

Arthur, feeling his whole body ache, his chest pressed and his ears ringing, clenched his teeth together feeling that he was going to cry.

He had sacrificed so much for her and she pays him that way. He had turned down a job offer in Germany for her, he had walked away from his mother because of her, he had given her ten years of his life...

"Luana..." Arthur muttered, swallowing the sob that tried to come out. "Luana!" Arthur said and the traitors only moved a little. Arthur, unable to take it any longer, let his anger out. "LUANA! WHAT THE FUCKING IS THIS?"

Hearing Arthur's scream, Luana jumped off Rodrigo, falling to the ground with her ass in the air. Arthur could see everything and everything was even harder to swallow.

Rodrigo, who had also woken up, pulled the rug, covering his face. "A-Arthur, that's not what you're thinking."

"Ha..." Arthur chuckled as he heard a snap in his mind. "Haha..."

"Arthur, I can explain!" Luana said, crawling towards her fiancé. "Th-this only happened once, I swear!"

"Hahaha... HahaHAHAHAHAHA!"

The pain that throbbed through Arthur's body had intensified, the pressure in his chest was stronger, preventing him from breathing properly, and the hums were louder, not allowing him to hear anything they were talking about, and then the inevitable happened.

Arthur fell with his eyes open but no longer saw, heard or felt anything but hate and sadness. Arthur was in an infinite, dark space, he couldn't even move.

"Aaah... Died? Really? Because of that garbage?" Arthur, who was now just a soul, could not believe it. "At least I think I was a good person and I'm not going to hell..."

Time passed, but Arthur didn't know how much, but it had been years, maybe decades, floating in that darkness before he heard a familiar voice.

{Do you want to go back to the world you once abandoned?} The voice asked, clearer and more powerful.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked upon hearing the female voice.

{I am #$%@& and you fought for me once.}

"Who?"

{Remember.... There is still someone waiting for your return.}

"Where? All I know is this hate burns me and this sadness that drowns me."

For some reason Arthur accepted being called Athena, he even felt comfortable.

{I will ask again. Do you want to go back?}

"...Yea."

{Welcome back, A....}

***

The morning was cool in a shack in the middle of the gray forest. Birdsong invaded the bedroom window where three people slept in the same bed.

A woman with long almost white blond hair, with large breasts and two girls, one with reddish-black hair and the other with greenish-blond hair.

Suddenly, as if waking up from a nightmare, the woman stood up. She looked around with sweat running down her collarbone and her emerald green eyes wide as a shock.

"Is this real?"