What Is Your Price

Going to sleep and waking up are different concepts.

At least... that is in a general sense of understanding.

But... What if it's not what you think it is?

What if you close your eyes and never wake up?

That might be the very last time you close your eyes to sleep.

But what comes after that?

It is assumed to be 'everlasting eternal rest' in a dark void embrace.

Or with loved ones from all around in the clouds above your head. As well as in a Golden Kingdom where none feel pain and are loved.

Or in the fiery pits of hell to burn or be tortured for your misdeed for 'all of eternity'.

Is what everyone believes the options will be.

But what if fate has something different in store for you?

Rebirth!

The concept is also known far and wide. Majority strongly think it's illogical and is never a possibility.

While some others believe in it and even worship the 'Almighty'. A being who created and controls everything.

Many intelligent people and scientists have come together and studied the 'Rebirth' phenomena. They had many different opinions but no one could say for certain.

How does the cycle of reincarnation work?

Do you pay a specific price of your experience (Memories or Emotions) as the price for another life?

If that is true...

Then what do you pay to keep your memories and humanity intact ?.?

Would you want to keep your memories if it meant staying human?

What if you became a different species all together but thought you were a human with your memories intact? How would one react to such an extreme change in biology?

"Are there any answers?" A short man similar to a mining dwarf asked as he stood Infront of the projection of a powerpoint, like a lecture on the giant wall behind him for everyone in the five story high, semi-circle stadium of an auditorium to see clearly.

Many hands went up but he didn't call on anyone in particular as he paced to the edge of the stage to stand above a cover square.

"Here I have a Specimen of Horror!" He said in his loud voice, "Something that could kill us all in a blink of an eye!" He reaches forward and pulls the cover off to show us a sleeping beast that looked like an entire mix of all K-9 animalistic characteristics all in one.

With the dark Aura of Death mist exiting in small barely noticeable wisps from its mouth as it breathed.

Around the stadium were teenagers of different races. Both male and female arranged from Dwarven, Human, Fairies, Beastkin with a few royal Tigroid, Elven, and all possible mixes from in-between all sat randomly mixed with no prejudice towards each other as the professor went on with his speech.

"As you all are aware of the monsters outside of the Shield Cities, this Breed in front of us, is the weakest variety! Today you are going to study its caged behavior and tomorrow will practice re-capturing it in the Arena!"

Groans could be heard all around as the thought of hard labor after night training was exhausting. Except a few from each species who couldn't wait to show their skill and some couldn't wait to pass to graduate.

But only one had her snow pale elven hands folded as she bowed her black hooded head and prayed to her Goddess, as soon as the professor had announced the recapture of the beast. She had seen the beast beneath her feet as she sat high in the rafters where others who were scattered all around the stadium could see her with ease. They became deathly still and took another look at the beast below as well as putting some of their fingers to fondle a specific Tear shaped gem that rested in the outstretched wings of a bird in flight, that was somewhere on their clothing with a singular similar tear shape earring.

What would make their Priestess 'Pray' in the middle of an assembly?

:Agnes! Goddess of Deathly Shadows! Ye who dwells beneath, and governs all! I, your loyal subject and your vessel, please to thee! Have you forsaken me?:

:*Giggles* Oh Child of Darkness and Light! I have not Forsaken you! Silly Child! I will bring you to your next task to stop a Tyrant from going Rampant! I am testing the ones around you though... (giggles) It will be very entertaining... To watch so stay very still!: A feminine voice echoed around her as dark tendrils floated around her softly.

Promptly making those around her put their hands on their weapons that were on their hips and look around for an enemy.

:Why would you put a mere mortal, like me, against a God with no means of help? And Why Kill All of Your Followers? You'll Lose Your Grip in This World if You Do!: The elf asked the dancing shadows in her mind with emotional distress.

:True... Let's make a Deal!: The voice perked up and became enticing, :For Every Single Person Who Stays Still... No Matter What Happens... I Won't Kill Them and You Will Get a Single Free Power Of Your Own Choosing For Each Person Still Alive!!: She said in a cheerful tone as the shadows faded around the elf and she stirred awake and placed her hands on her black skirt and raised her head.

The teardrop earrings on her elven ears started to glow as the wind knocked back her black hood exposing her golden blond hair atop her pale skin dressed in a black hooded sleeveless top with a short combat skirt to match. Looking like a beacon in the masses of variety distractions, whispers echoed from the earring as the others started to chit chat about what could have started the prayer.

"Quiet!" She spoke as quietly as a whisper and they all listened as the professor continued on about the dos and don'ts on how to properly dodge and was doing demonstrations. "I have gotten Chosen... to face a Tyrant Rouge God!"

"So what's the catch?" Someone had asked in a husky male voice quietly.

"A Test!" It was visible across the stadium that the test was something that brought her to furrowed her brows, "There will be a massacre soon... The good news... is some will survive... if they stay absolutely still ... no matter what happens..."

"So 'How' will you face God?" A female voice sounded scared and everyone nodded in content with worry on their face.

"I will be granted a single power at its max potential, for each single person, who survives... what's about to happen."

Silence filled the entirety of the stadium as every other person curled up into a ball startling the people next to them and making the Professor, stop his actions and look around as his eyes landed on the snow pale elf in black, as she was the only one sitting upright with a worried look towards the cage beneath his stage. Gulping down his saliva and fear he mustered the courage he started to move forward slowly to take a look.

"DON'T MOVE!" The Entire stadium shouted at once as they saw the true state of the Beast in the cage.

Startled, the Dwarf paused and looked up at the one, the students call Priestess, and saw she was in the same position as she was in when he had started the dodging example fifteen minutes ago... It's odd for a teenager to stay still for that long... Looking around quickly he noticed that more than just a few were huddled down and trying to stay still. Taking the silence as a hint, he dropped quickly into the ground and made a reversed dome that covered the entire stadium in layers of hardened purple stone. Just before the Obsidian quickly covered Her section she saw a scoreboard appear in the middle of her vision, even as darkness encased her, the scoreboard had two sides in different colors, on one side had the Bird with wings extended without the teardrop above it. The emblem atop a T like bar and under it was nothing...

On the other side was the teardrop of the emblem on the other side of the T, and under it was a tally of: Two million, fifty-six hundred thousand, seven hundred and thirty-two tally marks on it with a timer above it that showed 23:58:56 and it started to count down. As the Obsidian Dome reached past her, but still had a few more levels to go before it reached the roof, a female voice was heard from all around the Shield City and was loud enough to catch the attention of all of the monsters within a fifty mile radius.

LET THE GAME BEGIN!!!!!!!