2. Arrival

'Guess I'll just have to wait for this to finish.'

Caster sighed in his mind taking in the avalanche of information and changes that had happened in what felt like seconds.

'I was on my way out the door and now here I am in this void of shadows. I don't think this is a dream. It feels too real to me. The sensations and voices felt like they were actually happening.'

Taking stock of what he had learned, Caster began to feel panic settle in.

'From what I know, I'm just supposed to believe that I'm on a different world? Sure, in movies this could happen, but not here, not to me. I've thought about things like reincarnation before, but I never thought it was real. What about everyone at home? Are they ok? That General Manager said I could never go back, but I never even got to say goodbye. No one will even know I'm gone for at least a few days. It will look like I went missing. No, based on the name Soul Transplantation Corporation it's safe to assume the only thing that they moved was my soul...which means to everyone on Earth...I'm...dead.'

Caster was caving into panic and worry. His chest felt like vines of thorns were constricting around him. He tried to take deep breaths, but it didn't help. The emotional weight and concern terrified him. The thought of never seeing his family again continued to reignite his panic, but what stopped it was the cold depression that sunk deep into him. Caster's thoughts emptied and only waves of sadness were left. Caster let his mind sway like the tides, and he attempted nothing. He acted as a corpse rotting in the ground, letting the maggots of depression eat their fill.

'Why fight it.' He rhetorically thought.

Everything he learned, loved, or cared for certainty was lost on Echon. His motivation to try had left him. Caster accepted his circumstance and all was left was sadness.

He drifted in this sea of pain for what felt like hours. He continued to fall deeper and deeper into despair.

After falling deeper and deeper for hours, something began to push him upwards. Not acceptance, or hope. Rage. Pure, bright, and consuming rage. He hated those that had done this. He loathed his situation. He denied that the words of the General Manager. He hated, no needed to release this voracious fury on those that had done this.

'It's because of them I'm here. It's because of them I was cut off. It's them that I must find.' Caster viciously concluded. With that singular thought he had found a new purpose in life, revenge.

As he began to theorize how he could find the people responsible for severing his connection to Earth something overtook his vision. Light. All around him a warm embracing fluid and light encompassed around him. The black void around him sharply contracted and he was pushed into the light.

The light burned in his eye's forcing him to wince. As the pain subsided his vision slowly returned. Finally able to see after being in the dark for so long Caster took everything in. It was a simple room with minimal furnishings. There was one window into the room and on the walls, there was a single painting of a distinguished looking man. The most surprising thing to Caster was how large the room felt. Looking to his left he realized he was being moved involuntarily to the left by a giant human woman. It was a short distance before he was surrounded by warmth and a new woman came into view.

The rage within him faltered as Caster was in awe of the woman looking down upon him. She was covered in sweat and blushed, but even still she was stunning to look at. Her eyes shown in a light green color and strands of lose blonde hair dangled over his head casting shadows over her face that only added to her alure. She had a sharp jawline, high cheek bones, full lips and freckles that lightly littered her face. She showed concern as her eyes darted up and down his small form, seemingly looking for something. Caster didn't care though; this was a welcome sight compared to the relative nothingness he had been in for the past hours. From Caster's right he started to be able to make out noises. They started to become more and more clear, but he was still struggling to figure out what exactly the noise was. As he strained to hear what was happening a sharp beep assaulted his ears. Followed immediately by the same autonomous voice from before.

"Installation of skills complete. Beginning install."

A sense of euphoria spread out soothingly from his chest. His mind and body felt refreshed, like drinking a cool glass of water after a long run. Caster closed his eyes and embraced the feeling. He could feel parts of his body warming up and changing slightly. The pleasure and ecstasy eased the pain that he had felt in his chest during his panic in that dark place. Opening his eyes once the feeling started to subside, Caster immediately noted the concerned look on the woman's face had disappeared.

"Finally, a boy! And look, he has been blessed as well! Tyrus will be very happy!" The blonde woman exclaimed.

"Yes mam. I'm concerned he hasn't cried yet, but he appears to be healthy, and all the bits and pieces are there." The woman who had moved him earlier spoke politely.

The blonde woman turned back towards Caster with love in her eyes, "My sweet baby boy. Welcome home Castus."