Reincarnation
A boy lay in the grass under the sunshade, basking in the warm sunlight. Suddenly, he jolted up with a cry, looking around in confusion before sighing with relief.
"Thank goodness... It was just a dream," he muttered to himself, recalling the vivid sensation of flying and the subsequent pain. "Being hit by a bus of all things..."
Surveying his surroundings, he realized he didn't recognize the place. "Where am I? Did I doze off and forget about it because of the dream?"
The sun shone brightly, casting a radiant glow on everything. The clouds were fluffy, resembling cotton candy, and the leaves above him were a vibrant green.
"I don't remember the last time I saw the world so colorful," he remarked, reaching down to pluck a blade of grass. As he did, he noticed his hand seemed smaller than he remembered.
"What happened to my hand? Why is it smaller?" he wondered aloud, checking his pockets for his phone, which he couldn't find.
"Where's my phone? My manager will chew me out if I'm late for my meeting with the client," he fretted, searching every pocket in vain.
As he sat there, lost in thought about his work, memories of his past floated to the surface. Amon had grown up in a simple family, with loving parents and a younger sibling. Despite being active when necessary, he tended to slip into laziness when not under pressure.
Education had been a mixed bag for Amon. While he was creative in primary school, he lost interest in high school when it became more about memorization than application. After graduation, he found himself in a middling company, surrounded by people he couldn't connect with.
Back in the field, Amon observed a group of children painting nearby. "Looks like an art class," he mused, noticing the teacher wearing a stereotypical beret. "Why stick to stereotypes in this day and age?" he chuckled.
"Amon, you're finally awake! Here, have some glucose water," a girl's voice broke his reverie. He turned to see a girl in a blue sweatshirt approaching him, holding out a bottle.
"Thanks," he said, attempting to catch it but fumbling. The girl teased him about his clumsiness as she handed him the bottle.
"Still as slow as ever, I see," she quipped, concern flickering in her eyes as he winced in pain, clutching his head.
The pain intensified, and Amon fell unconscious, the girl's worried voice fading as darkness enveloped him.
---
I found myself suspended in a vast, white expanse, surrounded by mirrors that reflected the fragments of my life from childhood to the fateful moment when I was struck by a truck. The images flickered like distant memories, some sharp and vivid, others blurred and hazy.
In the first set of reflections, I saw the tender embrace of my mother, her blurry face filled with love and concern as she pulled me close. Memories of my father playing with me flooded back, his laughter echoing in the corners of my mind. Friends and family passed before me like ghosts, each leaving an indelible mark on my soul.
I witnessed moments of joy and sorrow, triumphs and failures, all woven into the fabric of my existence. Teachers who had inspired me, mentors who had guided me, and adversaries who had challenged me—they all played their part in shaping the person I had become.
But as the images shifted and rearranged themselves, a new set of memories emerged, clearer and more detailed than before. I saw a woman with blond hair cradling me in her arms, her face etched with worry and love. Beside her stood a lanky man with glasses, his gentle smile a beacon of reassurance in the darkness.
Who were these people? I wondered, their faces unfamiliar yet strangely comforting. As the scenes unfolded, I saw myself falling unconscious on multiple occasions, lying in hospital beds surrounded by beeping machines and concerned faces. I glimpsed a door left ajar, through which I could see the woman crying silently while the man with glasses offered her solace.
It was then that realization struck me like a bolt of lightning—I had been reborn into a new body, in a new place, perhaps even in a different world or timeline. The girl I had seen earlier was one of my new family members, her presence a source of both comfort and confusion.
As I grappled with this revelation, I couldn't help but notice the frailty of my new body, the occasional collapses and moments of weakness that hinted at a life cut short. Death had come knocking at my door, claiming my soul and replacing it with the current one.
But why? I wondered, my mind swirling with questions. Was it fate, destiny, or the machinations of some higher power? The answers eluded me, shrouded in the mysteries of the universe.
"It seems I've reincarnated into a 14-year-old body," I murmured, the concept of reincarnation still foreign and bewildering to me.
Drawing from my knowledge of novels, manga, and anime, I pondered the potential consequences of my newfound existence—would I bring prosperity or destruction wherever I went?And then there was the matter of the cheat. Like the protagonists of my favorite stories, would I be granted extraordinary abilities or powers to aid me on my journey?
The question lingered in the air, unanswered yet tantalizing in its possibilities.As the vision came to an end, a smartphone materialized before me, its familiar ringtone piercing the silence of the void.
With a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, I reached out to answer the call, only to be greeted by a cacophony of chaotic gibberish on the other end.
"#$&+¥€%§∆∆√π,"
the voice exclaimed before abruptly ending the call, leaving me bewildered and disoriented.
But before I could make sense of what had just happened, a soft ding echoed through the space, signaling the activation of the Tourist System."A tourist system?" I mused aloud, intrigued by its sudden appearance.
As the system explained its functions and offered insights into fate points, destiny, and karma, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation building within me.
With the system bound to me and my world designated as a home base, I pondered my next move. Should I opt for a nuclear bomb as insurance, if i embark on random travels to explore new worlds and dimensions?The possibilities seemed endless, each one more enticing than the last."System! Let's roll for the strongest weapon in this world," I declared, my voice tinged with excitement and anticipation.
As the system sprang into action, applying security and anti-theft protocols with remarkable efficiency, I couldn't help but marvel at its sophistication and ingenuity. What wonders awaited me on this new journey?"... What secrets do you hold?" I whispered, my heart racing with anticipation as the weapon acquisition process began.