Chapter 1: Rebirth

As I found myself floating in the narrow darkness, disorientation overwhelmed me. It was clear I had arrived in an entirely different world. The unfamiliar surroundings and the purple void with drifting chunks of energy indicated this place was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Confusion swirled within me as I tried to make sense of it all.

Suddenly, the void appeared to vanish, leaving behind a blinding expanse of white space. In front of me, a scarlet-red ball of light materialized. Initially startled, I cautiously observed its movements, but it displayed no signs of hostility. Instead, it began scanning my soul.

After it finished scanning me, the red ball of light started glowing brightly. I tried to shield my eyes from the blinding light, but my arms were as translucent as the rest of my body. Finally, the ball of light transformed into a young child, perhaps around ten years old.

The child's eyes shone with curiosity. "Whoa, I can't believe a soul managed to absorb the energy of the infinite void."

I didn't reply, still bewildered by what was happening. The child looked at me, then snapped his fingers. "Is it a being of lower intelligence? Well, that just makes my job easier then. Thank you for the meal!"

Before I could react, the boy opened his mouth, creating a suction force that pulled me toward him. "Wait, wait! I'm alive. Don't kill me," I pleaded.

The boy closed his mouth, looking annoyed. "Oh, you're alive. That's annoying," he grumbled.

"Why did you want to eat me?" I asked, trying to comprehend the situation.

"Your soul has absorbed a lot of energy in the void," he explained. "That energy is very useful for me. If you were non-sentient, I would have just devoured all the energy."

"Please don't do that," I pleaded with the boy, hoping to appeal to his empathy.

The boy looked troubled, as if debating his choices. After a while, he spoke up. "Tell you what, why don't I offer you a deal?"

"Will it involve killing me?" I asked cautiously.

"Not really. If you give me 99% of the energy in your body, I will spend the remaining 1% creating a universe just for you. I believe your species has a concept of 'isekai,' right? That's what I'll be doing to you."I weighed my options carefully. Refusing seemed futile; the boy would likely swallow me whole without hesitation. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Can I choose what world to reincarnate into?"

The boy chuckled. "Hmm, nah. I know you want me to design an easy world for you, but I don't want to do that."

Deciding not to push my luck, I agreed to his terms. The boy closed his eyes, concentrating intently. Suddenly, he asked, "What do you think of dragons?"

"Dragons? They're pretty cool, I guess," I replied, intrigued by where this conversation was heading.

"Hmm, while scouring through the entertainment available on your planet, I saw some interesting things. I found something called Game of Thrones," said the boy.

I hesitated. "Wait, I don't know anything about it."

"From what I saw, it seems to be pretty popular in your world," he continued.

"It's popular, I just never had time to watch it," I explained. "I was always more of an anime kind of guy."

"Nevertheless, my decision remains the same," the boy replied, undeterred.

"All right then. Do I get anything special now?" I asked, eager to know what awaited me in this new universe.

"Sure, what do you want?" the boy asked.

Recalling Game of Thrones as a European fantasy setting where people fought for power, I felt it would be fitting to experience something similar.

"I want—" I began, but the boy interrupted.

"Just kidding," he said with a mischievous grin. "I'll just choose something good."

"Okay then, please give me enough strength to survive," I requested, hoping for the best.

"No problem," the boy replied casually.

Without further warning, he opened his mouth, and I felt my soul being sucked in. Despite my initial resistance, I soon found myself enveloped in darkness, hurtling toward an unknown destiny.