"I am Alive"
The first thing I became aware of was the stillness and silence in the room. My eyelids fluttered, trying to push against the weight of an unfamiliar scene in front of me. A study desk that I never had, piles of books that I barely bought and most importantly, the room was clean not the one I had, which resembled an aftermath of a battlefield.
I was lying in bed with my body tingling with the remnants of a strange, numbing exhaustion, like I had just woken from a long, relentless sleep, which I did actually. My fingers brushed against smooth fabric, taking in the floral scent of lavender and the fresh feeling of being alive once again and no fried brain by the relentless study hours.
I pushed myself up, groaning softly. The room was dimly lit as I turned my head slowly, noticing the mirror across the room, and instinctively, I stood to check if I wasn't in some other nation or crib that I never been to before.
When I approached it, I almost stumbled. The face staring back had a sharper feature, more… youthful? I traced my fingers over the unfamiliar face. Both ears of mine were pierced, as my hairs were to the eye level, and my height was around 5'11. This boy isn't in some gang, is he?
I felt an unease as I was like a person in a body that I didn't know. But it wasn't just that, I had no idea who this boy was and why he was looking like a son of mafia boss. I took off my shirt to look for tattoos but it wasn't there thankfully and I was able to escape the role of protagonist of That time I reincarnated as a son of Mafia Boss.
Then, a familiar blue screen popped up in front of me as I read the details
( Memory Assimilation... Complete )
I stood there, staring at my reflection, my thoughts trying to catch up with the flood of new memories filling my mind. They weren't my own, but they were vivid, undeniable. I saw flashes of a life—this life. A boy, second year student at Kuoh Academy.
Rei Kurosaki.
It was much better than Bob Namikaze or Alexander Hatake, I knew very well how crazy names the transmigrators got and me being one, was not such an exception. But luckily my author wasn't as stupid I thought he would be.
The name Kuoh I knew very well, before the thought even formed in my mind. The place where the devils lived in the human school, where a pervert claiming to become harem king saved the world with the power of Boobs. Now if I end up doing something unachievable I ain't even gonna question it before I answer how someone can become powerful just by pressing boobs amidst a battle.
Issei.
The name floated to the surface of my thoughts. His fate, the fate of the world intertwined with his, was something I had no desire to meddle with. I wasn't here to save the world. I wasn't even sure what I was doing here.
I just got here.
But I am gonna avoid him and others as I have no business in playing a hero for the sake of being a hero. I had no intention of disrupting the story just because I knew the plot and it would be around till 2 or probably three years that this whole event will take place and I am just gonna stay low and get stronger to survive in this world. That was his role, his burden. It wasn't mine.
My gaze shifted to the window. The distant hum of life beyond it—birds, dogs, the low murmur of voices—began to filter into my awareness as I closed my eyes with focus. I let the noise fill my mind for a few moments. I felt the rush of ki moving through me, not in the frantic rush but in the quiet undercurrent within my body like branches spreading across the whole body forming a circuit.
I opened my eyes with a sigh as my gaze turned to a small case on the nearby shelf. It was filled with delicate flowers, carefully preserved, the petals still in their growing phase. I felt the pull of my powers, an energy swirling in my fingertips, and I allowed it to gather, like an invisible sensation between my hands.
Focus.
I extended my hand toward the flowers. The ki hummed beneath my palm as I transferred the energy into them. The flowers quivered, their colors deepening for a brief moment, and then, just as quickly, they began to wither. Slowly, the petals curled, their life drained away. The energy I'd poured into them had consumed their essence, as the delicate balance had been disrupted. The thought lingered in my mind of my lack of control on my powers, but I pushed it aside as I couldn't succumb to a negative state of mind to maintain stability.
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to be calm and fully present in the moment.
I could feel the remnants of my old life, my final moments, slipping away, fading into the corners of my mind. The goddess—her warm smile, the cup of tea—her words echoed in my mind which resembled "You have a chance to live again. But remember, it's your choices that will shape your future so don't use it carelessly"
Time for me to get a hold of my powers and get a better understanding of it.
I left the room, stepping into the quiet corner of this town. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground. The trees swayed lazily in the wind, their branches following their rhythm. I walked, my feet crunching against the grass beneath me, the sensation grounding me further into this new life. The forest on the outskirts of town was quiet, untouched, perfect for testing my abilities in solitude.
I found a spot beneath a large tree and sat cross-legged on the cool earth. Closing my eyes I felt the subtle vibrations of life around me—the pulse of ki in the trees, the grass, the small insects that scurried beneath my feet. I drew it in, focusing, feeling the energy swirl around me, not drawing into my body as I learned from the flower earlier what happens when I end up putting too much ki in living things and I was no exception to that. All I had to do was be patient and see the extent and limitations of my current body.
I felt the faint and raw, untapped energy present within my surroundings. Not just within me, but within everything around me. I wasn't sure how I could explain it, but it felt good energy that you get after having that beer after long shifts in work. Peace amidst chaos.
As I opened my eyes, I raised my hand, bringing the energy into my fingertips, letting it swirl like smoke around my fingers. It crackled softly repeatedly before I gathered it finally with a tremendous focus and turned it into a tight linear force around my palm.
Without hesitation, I slashed my hand forward.
A streak of faint white energy shot out from my hand, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. The thick tree branch in front of me splintered, cleanly severed, falling to the ground with a soft thud.
I stared at my hand, surprised. I did that?
The sudden sound of movement made me turn just in time to see a figure fall from the now-damaged tree. She hit the ground with a soft grunt, groaning as she pushed herself up.
"Tree: 1 Bennia: 0" she muttered, rubbing her head as she looked at me with half sleepy eyes "Falling's a skill, you know? Just not a very refined one"
I froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond. I looked at the girl who had landed right in front of me. Bennia. I had a vague memory of her but I can't remember properly where she was in the story line.
She was a cute girl with long, dark purple hair and sleepy golden eyes. Her hair tied in a long braid by a bow with a purple skull, reaching all the way down to her hips. Her light blue dress and a black and white hood resembled a jester cap with an emerald gem at the tip.
There was something unsettling about her presence as I sensed a very dark painted ki which was contrary to every other ki I came across in the town.
I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead, realizing I'd just inadvertently dropped someone to the ground. First day and I already did a belly flop in a pool of troubles.