First day

'It's cold...'

'Why is it so cold?'

Darkness enveloped him, and all he could feel was a chilly breeze with no visual cues besides a void made of swirling shadows. Their dance captivated him and alleviated the constant thoughts of freezing that his body kept signaling.

Suddenly, the shadows that he had been observing for who knows how long started moving towards him and entered his body. This process made him faint as the shadow's coldness was not something he could endure.

Before his consciousness slipped away, he abruptly remembered the life he used to have on Earth.

A lone child with a doting mother who tried her best to raise him after his dad left them when he was only ten years old. She worked double shifts five days a week, and every weekend she helped him with his studies. They lived in a two-bedroom apartment that had a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a small pantry, but that did not take away from the homey feeling he always used to get when he opened the front door every time he came back from school.

Unfortunately, his mother fell sick after his 17th birthday as the stress from working two jobs was too much for her. Yet she still granted his every wish and made sure he always had what he wanted, even if that meant clocking overtime hours at work to get some extra dollars on her monthly paychecks.

'I was spoiled, and even when our situation was not the best, she always pushed through and met my every demand.'

Sigh

'I still remember the time she got me a new gaming computer... or that new uPhone even though the phone I had back then still worked just fine...'

'Well, people said I was a piece of shit for not cherishing her and showing her more love, but how was it my fault that I could not feel anything for her besides the faint familial feelings I got even after she satisfied every material need I had?'

'I was a quiet and reclusive kid that finished his studies, and after her death, I also ended it at 20 years old, so it's not like I did anything bad in between...'

Out of nowhere, he started laughing hard while a tear streamed down his face and silently dropped from his chin into the pool of darkness that was about to take over his whole being.

His last thought before he blacked out was:

'Introspecting when I'm about to have my existence snuffed out... haha, that's so fucked and so me.'

After that, his eyes were forcefully shut, and he finally succumbed to the indefinite purgatory of death.

While his body started aimlessly floating in the void surrounded by the swirling mass of shadows, a pair of dark violet eyes opened and gazed directly at him, unobstructed by the unsettling cocoon of shadows that was now encasing him.

The pair of eyes observed for some time, then abruptly disappeared, leaving behind a message only the void could hear.

"This kid's life was so peaceful that it was tragic; for his soul was made to cherish and bask in chaos and misery every reincarnation until the cycle was broken by him..." The voice paused for a bit then resumed in a hushed whisper, "And now he has to go back to his old ways or the balance will be broken."

―――

Time passed, and he kept floating in the void accompanied by the mass of darkness.

Until one fateful day when the whole void started to tremble slightly.

The cocoon around him started breaking apart and integrating with his skin until he was only a blank silhouette covered in a mass of black goo.

After an unknown period, the void started trembling even harder while the black substance that enveloped him began reshaping and forming into something else... something that was about to reveal a creature both unsettling and beautiful at the same time.

The duality of the entity that was about to be created was the reason the whole void trembled; as if expecting its rebirth while also dreading it.

When the substance finally settled down and hardened, the silhouette of a panther was the only thing remaining in the now screaming void that churned and twisted, giving the impression that the hardened statue left floating was its worst nightmare.

Abruptly, a dazzling white light permeated through the void and made the mysterious silhouette disappear, alleviating the void and making it return to its deathly stillness as if nothing had happened.

―――

A flock of Redfang sparrows was quietly traversing one of the many tropical jungles that were part of the Yamaga Continent. The trees' crowns reached hundreds of meters in height and progressed until they reached the thousand-meter mark in the deeper areas. The whole jungle was covered by a subtle mist that lingered over the vibrant ensemble of greens, thus hiding the humid and lush grounds of the forest. The only plants that were an exception and pushed through this misty barrier were the patches of wild bamboo that protruded all around the forest. If one viewed the jungle from above, a white sea with green islands was the only way to describe it as only the mist and the topmost part of the bamboo stems could be seen. As a result, the jungle earned the name of "WhisperSea" jungle.

You may wonder why it was named "WhisperSea" instead of "WhiteSea" or maybe even "GreenIsland" jungle. Well, it was because every time the wind blows in these parts, depending on its intensity, the sound of a deep flute―or in most cases―of whispers, starts resonating all over the forest. People theorized that this phenomenon happens because of the bamboo 'islands' that are pushing through the mist, but no one could prove it.

As the multitude of animals who inhabited this wild and treacherous habitat went on with their daily lives, an unexpected sonic boom resounded over the eastern part of the jungle, spooking every living thing in that part and making them flee as fast as they could.

A few seconds after the boom disrupted the calm surroundings, a black statue pushed through the sea of mist and made its way through the cramped foliage of the jungle, reaching the ground with a resounding "thud" after having its speed reduced massively by the cramped vines and thick branches.

A few hours after the incident, the forest resumed its natural state of calm, but that was not going to last for long as the black statue suddenly started cracking, revealing a three-meter-long panther. Its short fur reminded one of the deepest and darkest abyss while also displaying a very subtle but noticeable luster. Its long, fur-coated ears were straight and pointy, unlike the normal round and small ears every regular panther possesses, but that detail only added to its natural predator aura. Its large paws looked like the softest thing in the world, but only an idiot would try to touch them without permission as the massive, black stygian steel-like claws hidden inside like an assassin's blade were its best weapons and deterrent. A long fur-coated tail swung behind it in a mesmerizing and hypnotic dance while a pair of milky white fangs slightly showcased themselves through its thin, black lips.

A couple of minutes passed and the beast slowly opened its drowsy eyes for the first time while lying down on its side, revealing a pair of vertical serrated pupils that stood out like two black crystals in the middle of a reddish-pink sclera.

Confused and unfocused, the beast tried to remember who and what it was but to no avail. Its mind was too cloudy and its thoughts seemed to be in disarray, as if someone had put its brain in a blender then mixed everything it knew together.

Instincts told it not to panic, so it decided to heed those feelings and lay back to sleep. After shaking its head a few times and taking in a couple of steady breaths, tiredness finally crept in and sleep took over its confused mind and tired body.

―――

GRRRRAAAW

After waking up, I stretched for a few seconds then looked around only to find myself in a small clearing surrounded by thick tropical foliage and lush trees.

Looking up, I realized that something had fallen from above and created the small clearing I was currently in, as all the trees and vines in a vertical manner were torn and broken with a clear view to a foggy sky that only let a few sunrays push through.

Turning my head, I started observing everything around me and further solidified my theory of something falling from the sky as the ground was full of cracks and all the dirt, leaves, and roots that used to be littered over the floor now stood five meters away from me in a circle of around ten diameters which I was now in the middle of.

'Hmm... why do I feel like I got shorter?' I mentally asked myself.

I turned my head back down and tried to lift my hands only to discover two very dark paws.

'Huh??' I had no time to think things through, as I suddenly fell face first into the humid ground full of putrid and damp leaves.

I let out a swear as I pulled myself back up but my mouth only let out a soft and discouraging "GRRW".

'What is this? Why am I like this? And how did I fall into this place?' I asked myself, trying to put back together the last memories I had before finding myself here in this forest.

'I clearly remember being stuck in that void after my heart stopped beating, so what went wrong?'

'Oh, then I felt cold like I was in the middle of the South Pole and suddenly my vision went dark then just found myself here.'

'Crap, don't tell me this is one of those transmigration stories where I'm the hidden puppet of some powerful deity who is supposed to save the world, 'cause I ain't going through that shit.' I tried lamenting out loud, but of course... the only "words" that came out were a bunch of low grunts, squeals, and purrs.

After cursing my pitiful fate and the entity that brought me here, I tried getting up while also creating a mental note to not speak out loud unless I wanted to cut off my own tongue out of frustration.

It took me a few minutes to get used to my new body, but I eventually got the gist of things and finally found my center of balance while also using my new tail for support. Then I just looked straight and started slowly making my way through the tropical environment.

While traveling, I took in every bit of my surroundings and I had to say I was impressed. The place was massive, and I could not see any further than a few meters in front of me―the reason being the massive tropical orchids, lianas, and humongous ficus trunks that sprouted all over the place. Small colorful bugs and dragonflies clad in a myriad of exotic and mesmerizing patterns made their way from one flower to another while iguanas, spiders, and all sorts of other carnivorous insects preyed on the less hostile ones. From far above me, the winged inhabitants of this tropical environment blessed me with their masterful symphony while the small, colorfully dotted frogs perched on low and high foliage let out occasional croaks from their resting places, adding to the already magical and surreal experience of my stroll.

Minutes, then hours passed, and I made my way through the trees and plants unobstructed. At some point, I got used to walking on my four legs, so casually traversing the lush and root-filled terrain no longer posed any challenge, unlike the first hour when I used to trip and fall every five minutes.

After jumping through a bush and climbing on top of a low branch covered in moss and vines, I realized that everything was quiet.

The stillness of the jungle immediately raised a red flag in my mind, prompting my senses to start working in overdrive while my attention was wholly focused on my hearing; picking up any visual cues was impossible as I was obstructed by thick foliage in all directions, so I settled with the second-best sensory option.

I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but it was not for naught as my ears suddenly twitched and picked up a sound awfully similar to a bunch of hooves trampling the dirt beneath them at fast speeds.

'Shit, shit, shit' I realized that the herd of unknown animals was currently running towards me, so without stalling for even a second, I jumped from the sturdy branch I was on and landed on another one that was a few meters away and higher than the last one.

My thought process was simple: Find high ground or stay grounded and die.

I was not particularly confident in my running ability as I just got used to jumping and walking, and to be honest, not even those two actions had my full confidence of pulling off. So instead of trying to be a smartass and get overconfident just because everything appeared peaceful and sunny, I decided to take the safer and smarter approach.

I repeated the process of jumping from one branch to another a few times until I was a full 30 meters above ground.

Wanting to take no chances, I tried to persist with my climbing but then a sudden lightheaded sensation crept in and assaulted my senses, forcing me to lay down on my stomach with my furry limbs under me.

'This height should do... I refuse to believe that whatever is running in this direction has the ability to bulldoze its way through all those huge tree trunks.'

Five minutes later, the branch I was on started shaking but I decided not to panic as that would only aggravate my current circumstance by impeding me from thinking rationally.

Luckily, my decision proved to be the correct one as a herd of orange bisons with green stripes on their upper bodies passed under me at high speed.

While the tree I was resting on started shaking even more aggressively, as if a high magnitude earthquake was happening, my mind traveled back to the earlier questions I posed to myself.

'I still have no idea what this place is or why I am currently possessing the body of a panther, but one thing I'm sure of―this place is not Earth.'

If I had to be honest, not everything seemed to be lost.

Yeah, I had the body of an animal―a powerful and dangerous animal at that, at least by Earth standards, but overall I was pretty content with the fact that no one spoke to me or demanded anything.

The thought of having to do the biddings of a god-like entity while receiving rewards for completing "missions" or "services in the name of good" made me get goosebumps.

The fact that I was left alone was also kind of terrifying, but I would always choose this alternative instead of being forced to accept some golden finger or stupid system interface like the ones mentioned in almost every fantasy novel on Earth.

'I had no big aspirations or dreams back on Earth and I sure as hell I ain't gonna' start having them now―fantasy world or not.'

The herd had already passed by and left the area for some time while I was in my thoughts, so I closed my eyes and rested my head on my paws that were halfway under my chest.

Yes... yes, I was loafing. I dare you to say something!

And just like that, I fell asleep in this new world.

―――

I will use ' ' for mental conversations and " " for verbal dialogue.