2 Chapter 2: Waking

In the boundless expanse of the void, Renko Ivanov drifted as a mere glimmer of light in an infinite darkness, taking on the form of a specter of her former self. Time became an elusive companion, slipping through her grasp like grains of sand in an hourglass. The echoes of her war-torn past lingered in the recesses of her consciousness, and sensations like sitting, standing, walking, and running gradually became distant memories.

For what felt like hours, or perhaps days—no, decades—she clung to the faint hope of finally falling asleep, but now, resignation settled in as she faced the prospect of an eternity of nothingness. Yet, before she could surrender to this fate, a subtle shift occurred in her surroundings. A powerful force gently tugged at her essence, guiding her through the void.

Suddenly, the darkness gave way to a surreal scene of swirling colors and ethereal lights. Renko found herself suspended in an astral tapestry, a painting of a soul adrift in a dark canvas dotted with white stars.

However, she wasn't alone. Countless other paintings adorned the trees in a garden filled with flowering trees and blooming flowers. The air seemed thick with the scent of flowers, or perhaps someone was spraying around pink paint. Moments later, a woman appeared, carrying a Japanese Koto and a pink spray can.

Renko blinked in disbelief, trying to make sense of the new reality that emerged after the void.

"Where am I?"

she whispered to the empty air, her voice trapped within the bounds of her lips. She was, after all, just a painting.

Unsurprisingly, no answers came. Only the rustling of leaves and the distant flow of water from a small stream accompanied the silence. Renko hesitated before tentatively touching the inner surface of the painting world. Nothing happened. Just as she was about to punch the surface in frustration, an ethereal and graceful woman appeared before her.

"A flawed painting,"

the woman chuckled, reaching out towards Renko, who braced herself for a potential attack.

"What is your name, hmm? Ah, I see. It's that one, huh."

The woman muttered to herself, then straightened up.

"Very well, Renko Ivanov,"

the woman spoke with a voice as gentle as a breeze but with a commanding authority.

"Welcome to the space between worlds."

Before Renko could respond, the woman extended her hand, revealing an old guidebook that seemed to have been read countless times.

"Let's see... hmm... Alright then,"

she continued, looking up at Renko.

"According to the World Hopper's Guide, you died from an anti-personnel mine, and the underworld's 'Soul Management' department is rather burnt out. They missed you, who was supposed to die five hours later."

As the woman spoke, Renko sensed a hint of danger, and the woman's fist clenched tightly on the book.

"You are the fifty-sixth case this year. What am I gonna do if they keep on messing up their jobs like that?!"

The woman's frustration was palpable.

"Your journey is not yet over,"

the woman sighed.

"You need to use up all that luck you have stored up. I suppose you were to use it all up to escape for five more hours but somehow ended up getting blown to bits."

As the woman spoke, Renko felt a surge of energy within her body, resonating in the fibers of her being. Even the handbook was glowing brightly. The celestial being rummaged through her pockets, producing a compass.

"This is the Compass of Echoes,"

she explained.

"It will decide where you will be born next."

"Re-born?"

Renko questioned, bewildered.

Before she could protest further, the celestial being flicked the Compass of Echoes. It spun in the air, its needle pointing in various directions before settling on a specific constellation within the astral tapestry.

"Ah, pity. You, Renko Ivanov, are bound for the world of cursed spirits. Meh, I don't think you will survive for long there."

The celestial being muttered something under her breath.

But before Renko could voice her skepticism, the celestial being waved her hand, and the painting-like world shifted once again. The vibrant garden faded, replaced by a world that seemed both familiar and strange.

Renko found herself standing on the outskirts of a city, surrounded by towering buildings and the distant hum of urban life.

"Yep, you're in a world similar to your own, specifically, in Japan roughly 200 years before the time you were stationed there,"

the celestial being explained indifferently.

"Good luck, Renko Ivanov. You'll need it."

With those words, the celestial being faded into the astral background, leaving Renko standing in a park, in a school uniform that was in fashion decades before her time, along with a school bag.

Instead of the usual green camo uniform, she wore a short-sleeved white shirt, a red bow around her neck, a dark pleated skirt, black knee socks, and shoes. She looked down at her hands and noticed they were much too smooth to be hers, and the surprising lack of strength she felt.

*SIGH!!!*

Renko exclaimed.

"Where the heck am I?"

And then it hit her, quite literally. A baseball bat flew out from a nearby park, hitting her square between the eyes. Renko staggered back, clutching her forehead where the baseball bat had made contact, surprisingly enough, her head was still intact.

A group of energetic high school students, first years from the looks of it, engrossed in their game, stared at her in surprise.

"Oi, are you okay?"

One of the players called out.

Ignoring the slight throbbing in her head, Renko straightened up and scanned her surroundings once again. Instead of its previously empty state, the park was now filled with students enjoying snacks, cherry blossoms gently falling from the trees, and the distant chatter and laughter of girls sitting nearby, enjoying ice cream.

This scene was, odd, at least odd when compared to the war-torn landscapes she had known and was used to.

"Where am I?"

Renko muttered to herself and suddenly, the celestial being's words echoed in her mind – a world similar to her own, but in a different time.

The students continued their game, seemingly unfazed by the incident of the bat hitting Renko's forehead.

Feeling a bit disoriented, she decided to explore her surroundings and figure out what the hell was going on right now.

As Renko walked along the park's border, she noticed a large building nearby that bore the name "Katagiri Senior High School." The realization hit her – she was in the midst of a high school community. Like the ones they had in her past.

Slightly curious now, Renko approached the school building with cautious steps, only letting up once she realized that she was wearing the same uniform that the girls of that high school were wearing. 

This scene was familiar and yet completely strange to her, she had been a teacher, if only for half a week, before the war started. 

"*Sigh*"

She couldn't help but sigh at the distant sound of a school bell as it reached her ear, although she was grateful for the fact that she had already gone past the school gate.

While moving through the school grounds, Renko's body suddenly tensed as she became aware that more and more curious gazes were being directed in her direction. In terms of appearance, she sported the typical black hair but with a tinge of purple in it, and her eyes were the color of lavender. However, even these factors were overshadowed by the fact that at the age of 18, she was nearly 5'10.

Her appearance and the fact that she was a new student drew attention, not to mention the fact that she was quite pretty. Other students whispered among themselves, speculating about the new girl. Just as she was about to ignore it all and continue, 

"Hey, are you a transfer student?"

a friendly voice called out.

Renko turned to see a beautiful girl with long, wavy chestnut brown hair and big golden-brown eyes. Not to mention the girl stood above average in height. Also, she wore the same school uniform as Renko but seemed more at ease in this period.

"Yes"

The sudden questioning had taken Renko by surprise and she replied with a single word, in a rather indifferent tone as well.

"I'm Hori,"

the girl introduced herself.

"Welcome to Katagiri Senior High! If you need help finding your way around, just let me know."

"Thanks. I appreciate it,"

Renko said, in a hesitant tone that came off as indifferent or maybe even icy. 

Moments later, she found herself standing in front of the staff room, and as the teacher ran her name through their system, she wondered. 

'What the hell am I doing here?'