Prologue: The Voice and The Past

It was the week following her graduation.

She had gone through years of collage, side gigs, and more; and had came out victorious. She had been on a high from success, and perhaps that's why she decided to go out alone that night.

Alice Knight, 21, on that chilly September evening

Was shot during a robbery.

By what could be called by some as a 'stroke of luck', the bullet had missed any vital parts of her brain; but had placed her in a permanent coma. Surgery was too expensive, her parents couldn't afford it, especially with the low chance it would work.

She would be left on life support for a while, then when her parents were bled dry, she'd be unplugged.

Despite what doctors believed, she could still hear most of the conversation happening around her for a while. Her parent's sobs, nurse's gossip, doctor's sighs.

The words she most often heard were "Its a shame, she had such a life ahead of her."

After around a month, the words became fuzzy. She could no longer hear what happened around her. She could only think.

'Why did this happen to me? I never did anything bad, at least not enough to deserve this...'

'Are my parents ok? I hope they aren't losing too much money on me... they needed the money to get my sister to college as well...'

'I wonder how my friends are doing, I haven't heard from them for so long...'

Slowly, she forgot even how her own voice sounded. But still, she had nothing better to do then reflect on life lost.

When she heard another voice, she was only partly surprised.

"How would you like a new life, Alice Knight?"

A man's voice echoed from within her mind.

'Of course, I'm imagining voices for myself now. I must be lonelier then I thought.'

"I assure you, this isn't your imagination. You have been randomly selected for a new chance at a new life."

'A new life? What about my old one? I have- I had a life here too. Can't you just give me my old life back?'

"Unfortunately, even for us that would be impossible. But if you'd rather stay here, like this, I won't bother you further."

'Of course, an imaginary voice can't help me...'

"So you refuse?"

'W-wait! That's not what I meant... I mean, there's no chance of me waking up, right? And if I do... I'd be missing most of my head... I don't think I have too much of a choice. Even if it's a dream, it should be better then this, right?'

"I'll take that answer as a yes. If you'd like, I can put in a request to erase your presence in this world."

'.. no, I don't think that would be morally good. It... would also be kind of scary, not being remembered at all.'

"Understood. You will now be transferred to your new life. Alice Knight, I do hope you have better luck this time."

A white flash burned the inside of her eyelids, and she could feel herself melting like wax.

——————————————————————

When the afterimage of white faded, Alice was greeted with the sight of a green field, grass as tall as her knees stretching into woods, dipping into the edge of a nearby lake. Her hands, once calloused from years of burns and chemical soaps, were now smooth and new.

"Ah... this, isn't my body...."

A voice rose from her throat; she couldn't be completely sure if it was hers, as she hadn't heard it in so long.

But outside of that, the feel of grass under her feet, the scent of pine and salt; a dream couldn't replicate something this detailed. Walking to the edge of the lake she had seen earlier, fish darted just under the clear surface. It was a kind of fish that she didn't recognize, but when the ripples settled, the face that reflected back shocked her into silence.

A vague memory of her previous face was kept in the shape in her nose and eyes, but other then that she was unrecognizable. Her brown hair now shone a almost pastel purple, now shortened to just below her jaw. Her hazel eyes were now a brown-red that turned scarlet in the sun. The clothes she wore weren't similar to any she owned, made of black metal lined with purple, that felt similar to fabric yet was hard as steel.

She used to have a scar above her eye, from a old injury as a kid; it looked strange without it there, even more so then the other features she now had.

"What... am I...?"

"You're still human, of course. But you had to be adjusted slightly to fit in more, brown is a uncommon color here." The same voice she heard in her head now spoke from behind her, and when she turned, a extremely handsome man with dark-blue hair and emerald-green eyes stood.

"Um... where is 'here' anyway, if I can ask...?" She managed to tear her eyes away from his and ask.

"Ah, right. I should explain this a bit more now that we can talk face to face. I've already told you how you've been randomly chosen to have another chance at life, but I didn't exactly say what you'd be doing here. You are the hero destined to save this world, a powerful knight that will slay the lord of demons."

"... what?" She had a shocked expression. What was this cliche crap he was spitting out...? Her, a knight...? Sure, her last name was Knight, but she never even imagined herself as one. And demons? She could barely watch horror movies, let alone live one out.

"I'm sure you're honored to have been-"

"Wait. You didn't say ANYTHING about this earlier? You know, some of the most IMPORTANT DETAILS?"

"Er, You see, I-" his pretty features twisted into confusion. He definitely didn't expect this reaction.

"You... your destiny has already been decided. You should be exited to go on such a journey, right?"

Is he serious? He had already told a 21 year old girl that she had to leave behind her entire life that she had built to get another chance, and that wasn't punishment enough? Now, she had to entertain 'destiny' and leave behind any hope she had for achieving her dreams? Who would accept that?

"... at the very least, this won't be a stupid cliche like 'oh, these are your inner demons, fight them to get over your past'?" Pinching the bridge of her nose, Alice was beginning to feel noxious from this exchange.

"Uh.... Well, that won't be... Um, if you want I can help you-" She could tell from his expression that she had hit the nail on the head. Was this really something she was going to have to waste her life on?

"....Fuck 'destiny' and that crap. If I was given a new life, why would I waste it following destiny?"

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