"What...? Where am I?"
A cold sensation brushed against my cheek.
Is this the floor? It feels smooth, like stone. maybe marble? There's no roughness to it.
I blinked slowly, trying to clear my vision. As my heavy eyelids finally lifted, light seeped in, dazzling me for a moment before the scene came into focus. What I saw was a white marble floor, gleaming under the soft light.
My body felt heavy, weighed down with fatigue and sluggishness akin to waking up after a long, deep sleep. Struggling to lift myself up, I gasped at the sight before me.
The entire room was bathed in pure white, and with a ceiling so high, it seemed impossible. Sturdy pillars, standing tall at equal intervals, only heightened the sense that this place was unlike any I had ever known. A deep crimson carpet, rich and luxurious, stretched from where I had been lying to the far end of the room, where a grand chair stood with quiet dignity. It resembled a throne, something out of a storybook. Massive windows lined the walls, revealing a world beyond that was bathed in white light and blue skies.
Looking up, I saw three grand chandeliers hanging from the impossibly high ceiling, their opulence almost overwhelming.
"You're awake, I see."
A voice calm, soothing-drew my gaze to the throne. Though I was sure it had been empty a moment ago, now a woman of breathtaking beauty sat there.
She wore a gown of pure white, her golden hair flowing like silk down to her waist. Her skin was translucent, almost ethereal, and she regarded me with a soft, knowing smile as she rested her cheek on her hand.
"U-um..."
"Don't worry, it's natural to be confused. Take your time," she said gently, her voice like a calming breeze.
"Where... where am I? And why am I here?"
The woman beckoned me closer, and though my steps were unsteady, I found myself moving toward her.
"Do you remember anything before you arrived here?"
I shook my head.
"As I thought. Most people forget the moments leading up to their deaths. I have to ask, but it's tedious when the answer is always the same." The woman's tone was light, almost playful, but her words made my heart skip a beat.
"Who are you? And you mentioned something about memories of... dying?"
Still resting her chin on her hand, the woman looked at me with her piercing, beautiful eyes and answered, her tone direct but not unkind.
"This is the Palace of Ulna, where lost souls come after death, and I am Saraila, the one who guides these souls. That means, my dear, you've already died. Do you understand?"
Death... so I'm dead.
The words didn't shock me as much as I thought they would. Maybe, somewhere deep down, I had already accepted it. There was no clear memory, no moment of certainty, but still, I felt strangely at peace.
"You're taking this rather calmly," she observed. "Most people would be more unsettled by this news."
"Maybe... I somehow knew."
"Knew?"
"I don't remember anything about dying. I was just... living my life and working as usual. But for some reason, it feels like... I can accept this. Like, I'm ready."
"Interesting... You're a peculiar one."
Before I realized it, Saraila was no longer on the throne but standing right in front of me. Her movement had been so swift and fluid that I hadn't even seen her approach. Startled, I took a step back, but she moved forward, her eyes locking onto mine with a gaze that left me breathless.
Her delicate, pale arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close until her ample chest pressed against mine. The softness of her embrace made my heart race a sensation so intense it left me dizzy.
Then, with a graceful tilt of my chin, she leaned in and kissed me-deep, intense, and utterly consuming. Her tongue moved with a deliberate, almost hypnotic rhythm, making me feel like I was melting under the pressure of her lips. I tried to pull away, but her grip was firm, holding me in place as the kiss continued, overwhelming me with a mix of fear and pleasure.
How long did it last? I couldn't say. By the time she finally released me, I was trembling, my mind hazy, and my body tingling.
"Mmm, you taste divine. It's been so long since I've enjoyed something so exquisite," she murmured, her voice filled with a satisfied pleasure.
"A-ah... uh..."
I struggled to find my voice, feeling like I was drunk, my thoughts spinning out of control.
"Forgive me," she chuckled softly. "I just can't resist tasting a sweet, innocent girl like you. But don't worry; receiving my kiss isn't so bad. In fact, it means that when you're reborn in the next world, you'll carry my blessing with you."
Her blessing? Wait... reborn?
Did she just say I would be reborn into another world?
"Yes, reborn."
Once again, I had the strange sensation that she was reading my thoughts, or maybe I had unconsciously spoken out loud.
With a knowing smile, she stepped back, creating some distance between us.
"Now, let's get to the point. As I said, I am a guide for lost souls, but I don't decide your fate. The choice is yours. You have three options."
"Three options?"
"Yes. First, you can let your soul fade away here. Second, you can be reborn and start life anew. Third, you can continue to live as you are now, but in a different world. In other words, you can choose reincarnation, with or without your current form. Your death is certain, and I haven't transferred you to another world just before death, so you're truly at a crossroads. Of course, I'd prefer if you chose to be reincarnated as you are now, in your current form. But the choice is yours to make."
"To think I could start anew... Of course, if I could come back to life, I'd want to. But which option should I choose? Starting from scratch might be nice, but going through childhood again sounds tedious. In that case, I suppose it's best to follow Saraila's wishes.
"I'll take a reincarnation just as I am, please."
With a satisfied smile, the beautiful woman closed the gap between us and embraced me tightly, granting my request.
"You're simply wonderful. Alright then, I'll explain a few things about the new world you'll be living in and the useful abilities I'll be giving you."
She went on to carefully explain the world and the powers she would bestow on me. According to Saraila, the world I'm about to reincarnate into is one filled with magic, sorcery, monsters, demon lords, and even heroes.
It's a world straight out of a fairy tale.
Apparently, there isn't just one demon lord, but seven of them. In contrast, there's only a single hero. It seems like a terribly unbalanced world, but the hero is extraordinarily powerful, capable of defeating countless demon lords in the past all by themselves.
Just how strong could this hero be?
But I suppose justice always prevails in the end.
Saraila described it as a world in constant conflict between the hero, who strives to protect the world's peace, and the demon lords, who seek to ravage it.
As for the abilities she's giving me, one is called "Language Comprehension," so I won't have any trouble with communication, reading, or writing in the new world.
The other is "Alchemy."
This ability allows me to combine objects, skills, and abilities to create something entirely new. I asked for more details, as I couldn't quite grasp it from her explanation, but she told me that it would be easier to understand through practice. It seems I'll have to figure out how to use it on my own after I cross over to the other world.
These are the two abilities I've been given.
Apparently, abilities or "skills," as they're called can be learned through experience. According to Saraila, most skills are acquired by defeating monsters, but honestly, I'd rather not deal with any monsters.
"For now, that's all I can tell you. Even though you're a favored soul, if I spoil you too much, I'll get in trouble with the higher-ups, so there's a limit to what I can say."
So, there's still something she's not telling me.
But I feel like this much information is already more than enough.
"So, what exactly am I supposed to do once I'm reincarnated in this new world? Without a purpose, I think it would be hard to get through each day."
"That's easy. Just survive."
Saraila stated this so matter-of-factly.
"Survive?"
"Yes, the world over there is full of dangers. Monsters and even people will try to kill you. So, for now, just focus on staying alive. If you manage to survive for a while, I'll give you some more advice."
"I understand. I'll do my best to survive!"
"That's the spirit!"
I'm certain I'm pretty fortunate.
I've been given such a detailed explanation and even received some useful abilities. Perhaps she treats others like me in the same way, but for now, I'll count my blessings. Thinking this way makes the fact that I'm dead a little easier to accept.
"Since time is short, let me give you one last gift. A little something for my favorite...
With those words, the beautiful woman cupped my cheek and kissed me once more.
The sensation of her tongue, as if it were melting my brain, left me dazed.
In the brief moment after our lips parted, I felt a sudden push from behind, propelling me backward.
What!?
Before I could fully process what was happening, my vision darkened, and just as quickly, it expanded again, revealing a new reality.
I found myself lying alone in the middle of an overgrown field, under a cloudless blue sky. This strange, unfamiliar place didn't feel real to me at all.
Sitting up and looking around, all I could see was a vast, ordinary grassy plain.
Could this really be the other world?