Reborn: My Two Systems at War

Moonlight entered through a barred window into a small, plain room. There was only a single bed, and the walls were white and devoid of any decoration.

A girl, looking to even younger than she really was with her perfectly smooth skin, sat on top of the bed, hugging her knees while shivering from the cold. Her simple, white pajamas felt thin and inadequate. She had long light ashen blond hair cascading down her shoulders. Her lilac, lifeless eyes looked into nothingness as she glared at the white walls of her cell.

"Ahh..." A soft sigh escaped from her lips as she reminisced about her past life—a small smile on her slightly pale face as the images of her loving parents and her mansion passed before her eyes.

'It is all gone, now is it only me.'

The victorious smirk of her betrayer materialized before her, stoking a seething rage that threatened to consume her. Hatred festered within her, fueled by the injustice of it all, by the treachery that shattered the bonds of family.

Since then, her existence had been reduced to an endless cycle of monotony and emptiness, the days blending together in a haze of despair.

Suddenly, the intrusion of vibrant, colorful lights through the window pierced the darkness, accompanied by the distant symphony of fireworks. She turned her gaze toward the ephemeral spectacle, a melancholic ache tightening its grip on her purple eyes.

'Haha, so another year passed since I was locked here. Am I nineteen now?'

"Wake up, wake up!" a soft whisper entered her ears. She covered her ears, refusing to listen to the voice that had terrorized her for years.

"Wake up, wake up!" Yet she could still hear it entering her ears with the same intensity.

"Shut up, what do you want!?" her shout resounded through the empty room as she threw her pillow. The pillow hit the plain white wall before falling to the ground without any change.

"Wake up, wake up!"

"From what ?!" she asked the same question she always had through the years.

There was only silence.

"From what ?!! From what? From what..." she shouted again and again, her voice slowly turning quieter as she ran out of breath.

As if responding to her question, all of the shadows darkened and prolonged towards her as if trying to devour her.

She didn't move away, nor she panicked. Instead, her heart pounded with joy as she got a response for the first time.

The world around her erupted into a cacophony of swirling colors and disorienting shapes, a distorted reflection of her shattered soul.

Then, in a blinding flash, all went white.

She stood in the middle of a large stone hall of a circular shape. The walls and floors around her were made of shiny polished black marble, reflecting her own image.

She looked the same with her long light ashen blond hair and young face. The only difference was the black, close-fitting robe that she wore.

Everything around her was hazy and blurry as if she was looking at it through a thick glass.

The light entered inside through massive stained windows, turning into colorful rays passing between tall pillars chiseled of white marble towering above her, supporting an enormous dome of black and white.

She tried to move, but there was no response. She could feel and even think, but she couldn't move or even lift her pinky.

Memories resurfaced in her mind, flooding her like an unstoppable tide. A pain stabbed through her mind, her vision darkening, she wanted to clench her fist or grunt her teeth, but she couldn't, her muscles not responding to her command.

The pain quickly subsided, her clarity returning to her, 'This is my day, the day when I was supposed to gain what was mine. It is the day when I was supposed to ascend.'

Sounds of steps came from behind her, tapping on the polished stone floor. Her vision shifted, her body moving without her input.

Another woman stood behind her, her face obscured by a haze. She just stood there in her black robe.

"Uhhh, have you come to congratulate me?" a voice escaped from between her lips. It sounded exactly like her.

"Yes, turn around. I have a surprise for you." a soft yet slightly distorted voice spoke at her gently.

Her memories suddenly erupted, shouting at her not to do that. She knew what was going to happen. She had already lived through it once, 'No, it is a trap!'

Her body slowly turned, ignoring her pleading and shouts. It was relaxed, expecting a warm hug.

However, she already knew what would happen, her mind hurting just remembering that pain, but her body refused to listen to her orders.

The expected pain erupted in her chest, and her head turned downwards.

A blade covered in glowing runic letters stuck out of her chest, blood gushing out of the injury. The terrible pain spread through her body, a hot and cold feeling breaking havoc across her muscles. Each of her muscles spasmed as she fell to the ground.

Blood pooled under her, her teeth cracking as she closed her jaw in pain, her vision turning red.

"Sorry, you have run out of your usefulness. We don't need a new member of our council. There is not enough power for all of us."

A second wave of pain passed through her mind, but this one wasn't physical. This one was mental.

She worked hard. She was rising and soaring through the ranks. She always fought for her sisters. Yet, now she was disposed of as if she was just an expendable pawn by her lover.

Ding!

//

You have failed your mission: Become An Arch Witch.

//

In a blinding flash, the world around her disintegrated, leaving her gasping for breath in the safety of her bed. Sweat soaked her pajamas, clinging to her trembling form as though she had emerged from the depths of a tempest.

She panted heavily, her mind still lost in the labyrinth of despair, the remnants of her shattered existence. The weight of her failure pressed upon her, squeezing the air from her lungs.

"I have been reborn," she whispered, a fragile glimmer of determination sparking within her fractured heart.

Ding!

//

Congratulations, the witchcraft system successfully reloaded.

Your progress was lost.

Please open your status!

Congratulations, the witchcraft system was upgraded to the End-bringer witch system

//

Ding!

//

Congratulations, you have accomplished a hidden condition

Congratulations, the witchcraft system was upgraded to the Death Witch system

//

'Nah, it doesn't matter. I can start anew now. I can fix all of my mistakes. I already know which abilities to take.'

Yet, a sudden stillness seized her as footsteps approached from beyond the confines of her prison. The sound of their approach reverberated through the cold, unyielding concrete floor, drawing closer until they halted just outside her cell.

"A nurse, perhaps? Have I been so loud?" she pondered, a flicker of apprehension twisting within her.

Electrical beeps resonated within her chamber, and the green control lights on her door lock illuminated, one by one, with an ominous glow.

Finally, the last light blinked to life, and the doors slid open noiselessly, revealing a shadowy figure that slipped into the room. No words were spoken, only the looming presence of a tall silhouette and a single, piercing blue dot of light.

"Who... who are you? You are not a nurse," Tia's voice quivered, her senses tingling with a foreboding unease. Darkness obscured her visitor's face, obscuring their intentions within its enigmatic embrace.

A muffled voice, tinged with regret, whispered, "I'm sorry, girl. I don't relish this task, but it is my duty..." The voice trailed off, fading into the distance. "Don't worry. It won't be painful. It will be swift."

Tia's body tensed, her every nerve on edge as she sensed the impending danger. In a desperate frenzy, she fumbled for something familiar—a gesture ingrained in her very being. A surge of warm energy coursed through her, flowing from her heart to her trembling hand.

Within the darkness, the solitary blue light intensified.

She hastened, feeling the mana weave together, each magical rune flickering with a crimson hue, forming a tapestry of power in her trembling hand.

"I can't... I can't die now!" she pleaded silently, her forehead slick with sweat, the world around her slowing to a crawl as adrenaline and mana coursed through her veins.

Her mana slipped through her fingers, the intricate patterns shattering like fragile glass, leaving her gasping for breath. Desperation gripped her as her mental capacity waned, her reliance on a wand to harness the energy now a cruel reminder of her limitations. Still, hope flickered in her heart, the only flicker in her fading flame.

But with a shattering explosion, her fragile circuitry collapsed into a myriad of iridescent shards. Agonizing pain tore through her mind, her vision hazed and distorted, a relentless assault on her senses.

In a blaze of brilliant blue light, her surroundings dissolved, leaving her engulfed in darkness once more.

"This time... at least it was swift," Tia thought, her consciousness adrift in the abyss.

Suddenly, two luminous lights pierced the darkness, one a vivid blue, the other a searing red. They swirled and clashed, colliding with explosive force, their resounding impact a deafening cacophony.

The lights surged towards her, their fiery dance intensifying with each passing moment, until they converged upon her vision, searing through her mind with blinding pain. She longed to cry out, but her voice was silenced. Her mouth, her tongue, her lips—nothing responded to her will.

Her eyes flew wide open. She was back in her bed. Everything was bright, with the daylight entering through the bars on the window. Her breath was ragged, and her heartbeat was fast with her gasping for air.

Beep!

<<<>>>

Welcome to the Esper system!

Proceed by opening your status!

<<<>>>

Ding!

//

Ugly toxic parasitic intruder detected…

Annihilation of the intruder in progress…

//

Beep!

<<<>>>

<Error> Malicious presence in the soul detected…

Activating antivirus procedures…

<<<>>>

Ding!

//

Failure, the intruder can't be deleted…

A higher host level is required.

Please level up by practicing and improving your craft.

//

Beep!

<<<>>>

<Fatal Error> Antivirus procedures ineffective…

A higher user level is required.

Level up by using and training your esper powers.

<<<>>>

A bright, colorful light suddenly entered her room, the fireworks exploding once more in the same pattern as before.