"—Dark, rainy and lonely…." I whispered to myself as I tried to see through the foggy glass.

No! I need to stop feeling this guilt. I thought as I shook my head from side to side in an attempt to push away bad memories. I need to calm down...

Settling into my seat, I took a deep breath before my gaze once again got lost in the gray ceiling of the bus I was riding.

Ah! That’s right, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Christopher Bristol and… well, I’m here to tell you a long story that goes on even to this day. I remember back then I was 27 years old. I guess you’ll say I have some weird thoughts, but the truth is I’m usually not like this.

If I’m not mistaken, the beginning of my story starts when I left work at night. I was standing at the bus stop, ready to head straight home, but the threatening rain was looming.

"I hope the bus doesn't take long." I said to myself, before yawning from exhaustion. After waiting for several minutes, one finally arrived, just before the rain started pouring down.

Thank goodness. I thought, quickly stepping on. The bus waited a few minutes for more passengers, but since no one else got on—aside from a few teenagers who boarded after me—it departed, disappearing into the darkness of the lonely road.

"Are those kids from my old school?" I said quietly as I watched them from the back seats. "Yes, they are. They're wearing the same uniform I used to wear back then."

There were three students in front of me: a boy teasing a girl his age and a younger girl who was with them.

Haha, judging by how those two act, they’re probably classmates, friends, or maybe even something more. I thought with a slight grin on my face. But… who’s the girl next to them?

My mind wandered through different possibilities until, unexpectedly, the young girl hit the boy hard so he’d stop bothering the other girl.

Ahh… now I get it, she’s his sist—. As I thought about that possibility, several bad memories rushed through my head. "Sister..."

The bitter feeling in my chest lingered until I thought I saw the younger girl glance at me for a couple of seconds, making me immediately avert my eyes. What? Did she hear me?

A bit startled, I looked out the bus window, pretending to be focused on something outside. They won’t say anything if I’m just looking. Right?

As my gaze stayed on the outside, the bitter memories returned, bringing me more sorrow. "All of this… it's just like that night. Dark, rainy and lonely…."

No! I need to let go of this guilt. I told myself as I realized I was still blaming myself for past mistakes.

I need to calm down... I thought, until the bright light of a car approaching in the distance brought me back to reality.

"Ahh..." With a sigh, I settled into my seat and looked up at the ceiling of the bus, letting my gaze drift off once again.

It’s so stupid of me to keep thinking about all this. I muttered wearily, realizing that nothing had changed after all this time.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind leaving everything behind and starting over. I said, letting my feelings carry me away.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!" A loud scream came from in front of me, completely stealing my attention.

Confused, I quickly turned my head to see where the scream came from, but before my eyes could focus properly, I felt a violent impact on the side of the bus.

What? The same car I had seen just moments ago had crashed hard into us from the side.

What’s going on? As if my mind knew what was coming, I started to feel time slow down more and more—except for my thoughts.

Sh*t! I cursed as I felt my body grow lighter and lighter. This can’t be happening.

The impact was so strong that it knocked us off the road, making the bus plunge wildly down a steep cliff.

No, nononono NO! I cried out inside, desperately gripping the seats. Okey, I need to stay calm so I can think, because the bus will probably start rolling soon. What can I do? How could I survive this?

Trying to remain calm, I searched for a way out, but the screams from the front wouldn’t let me concentrate. "AAAAHHHH!!!"

Shut the hell up!! I can’t think like this! I yelled angrily. Damn brats!

As I kept analyzing the situation, I saw through one of the windows the massive drop awaiting us, and all hope of survival vanished.

This is the end… it’s impossible to survive a fall like this. I thought, resigned. I can’t believe this is how it all ends...

Clenching my fists tightly in frustration and anger, my attention was drawn to the student who, in the midst of it all, tried to shield the girls beside him with a hug.

What!? Are you serious!? A hero!? I shouted indignantly inside at the pathetic scene before me. Jajaja, does he really think he can protect them from a drop of over 100 meters just with his body!? What an idiot… I mocked in my thoughts.

The bus, after hitting part of the mountain, began to roll out of control, causing chaos inside.

As for me, I held on as tightly as I could to my seat, just to keep watching the grand show of the uniformed hero. Come on!! Protect them from this!

As if he could hear my thoughts, my new idol started grabbing the two seats beside him tightly, trying to shield the girls from some of the loose seats crashing around.

Damn it! Now I actually want to survive just to ask for his autograph after all this, but I have no strength left. I thought bitterly as my grip completely gave out.

Once I let go, my body was thrown wildly against the walls of the bus and several seats.

Unbelievable! I can’t feel any pain. I guess it’s the adrenaline. I thought with a smile as I watched the inside and outside of the bus slowly fall apart.

Ahh…. I sighed tiredly before reflecting in what I knew were my final moments.

Honestly, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to think that everything I worked for in life will be lost in just a few seconds. I thought with disappointment. But oh well… I guess that’s what life is really like.

Right after my foolish remark, the impact finally came—and with it, my death.

In less than a second, everything stopped making sense. I could no longer form words in my mind, and the only thing I could do was watch as everything slowly faded into darkness, until it eventually consumed me completely.

°°°

Eh? What happened? I thought clumsily as I tried to open my eyes. Wh-why does my head hurt so much!?

My mind was incredibly foggy, like someone after weeks of wild partying. Wait!! Am I… still alive!?

Shocked and worried at the same time, my hairs started to stand on end as I looked around. Why does everything look like this? Where am I?

When I opened my eyes, I saw a wide path surrounded by darkness, causing more doubts and confusion in my mind. What? What the hell is going on!? Why am I walking alongside all these people?

Besides me, I saw thousands of people walking in the same direction, and when I tried to turn my head to look around, I couldn’t. For some unknown reason, I couldn’t control my body. THIS IS BULLSH—

Unable to hold it in anymore, I snapped, and the next hour was filled with curses, complaints, and existential questions running through my mind.

After accepting it, I calmed down, allowing my logical side to return.

°°°

I-I wonder how much time has passed. I thought a bit anxiously. I think... I think it’s been more than two days.

Ahh! I’m so done with this! If something’s gonna happen to me, let it be now!!

After the first day, my spirit started to drift away from the rest, down one of the paths that frequently appeared to redirect souls.

THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!

Crock

As if the darkness around me had grown tired of my complaints, the ground several meters ahead began to crack. But what the hel—

Crock Cruck Crock

It kept cracking, abruptly cutting off all my thoughts. It continued until it finally broke open, forming a giant hole the size of a car in my path.

Wh-what is that? I thought, terrified and amazed. Just like the passengers of the Titanic, I was frozen solid, unable to do anything except scream or curse inside my head.

AHHH!! STOP STOP STOP! DAMN IT! STOP WALKING YOU USELESS BODY!!!

Unable to stop myself, I kept moving until I finally fell into the bottomless hole that looked like the void itself.

°°°

"Ah... ah... ah..." I gasped after going through a storm of bitter emotions. "I-I'm still alive? What? Wait! I can move now!"

Joy began to rise from deep within me as I realized I could move again. "Hell yeah! Not being able to move was so damn uncomfortable!" I shouted in celebration.

After celebrating for a few more seconds, reality hit me again.

By the way… where am I? I thought as I began to analyze the place I was in. What? This is… space?

Not far from me, I saw with my own eyes several planets standing out in the darkness of space, and I also saw billions of stars decorating the black void like tiny diamonds.

Wow... Surprised, I looked at everything the universe had to offer, until one specific thing left me speechless.

A small wormhole could be seen not far from me, making it one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. It’s… beautiful, like someone took a photo of a piece of the universe and turned it into a sphere.

But wait. Did I…. I swallowed hard before finishing my theory. "Did I come out of that?" I said, staring at it.

The wormhole started to glow faintly, then began shining so brightly I couldn’t look at it directly.

Now what’s happening? I thought as I tried to shield myself from the intense light it produced.

Confused, I tried to grasp what was going on, but it didn’t help that my body was suddenly pulled by a massive gravitational force.

Unable to stop it, I turned to see where I was heading—and saw a planet far in the distance.

AHH! I screamed until the light behind me went out abruptly, bringing even more questions to my head.

Once I got closer, I was surprised to see that the planet looked very similar to Earth, but with one small difference. Wow, if its continents weren’t different, I could easily mistake it for Earth.

As I approached the planet, the wormhole I had supposedly come out of blinked twice more, but unlike the first time, its glow was much weaker.

I kept watching until I finally entered the planet’s atmosphere, a little annoyed by the lack of light where I was heading. Damn. I can’t see anything! Why do I have to go to such a dark place?

Realizing that my speed was slowing down, I paused mentally to prepare myself for what was coming.

It looks like whatever is pulling me is located in this part of the planet. I said to myself about the strange events I was experiencing. Yeah, that must be it.

When my body suddenly stopped, I analyzed my surroundings, trying to gather as much information as possible.

Alright, so I’m in a desert, but aside from that, I can’t make out anything because of this darkness. I thought as I turned to see more around me.

Looking closer, I saw a small source of light a few kilometers away. Huh?

Focusing my vision, I saw that the light came from a few tents set up out there. But why are there tents in the middle of a desert?

Curious, I wanted to move closer to investigate, but I couldn’t—I didn’t know how to fly with this new body.

Come on! Frustrated, my attention was suddenly stolen again by the wormhole now above me, because it began to shine again, turning the night into a sunset in an instant.

"It’s glowing again, but... why the hell is it still glowing? I’m already in this desolate desert." I said, looking up at the sky.

Resigned and without answers, I lowered my head in defeat—only to see what the darkness had been hiding from me until now.

"What the he..." I said, surprised, before lowering my voice. "—What the hell happened here?"

Now, thanks to the light from the rift illuminating the entire desert, I saw how the ground beneath me had been completely warped. This is...

In many places, the sand was dyed black, and in others, it had risen into the sky like roots, as if lightning had struck the sandy ground. No… I can’t believe this.

There was much more to describe, but I’ll skip that, because what truly shook me to my core were the hundreds of corpses—dismembered, pierced, and burned—all over the desert.

"Gluob..." My stomach churned, and I felt dizzy as I kept looking at the horrifying scene.

Wh-What is this...? Unable to endure it anymore, I quickly looked away, before breaking down in tears like a small child.

"This whole... this whole scene… this whole scene is absurd!" I said, clenching my fists.

After a few minutes trying to calm down, I opened my eyes again, only to realize that the light from the tents was beginning to shine brighter and brighter, matching the light from the rift.

AAAHH!!! In that moment of weakness, I decided to shut my mind, to stop questioning anything else I knew was about to come.

The source of light from the tents turned into a massive golden pillar of light, which began to glow and spin faster and faster.

"..."

Several seconds passed in silence as I simply watched everything unfold. The light kept growing until something came out of it. Wh-What is that…? No… The right question is… Who is he?

I saw a small black figure shaped like a person emerge from the pillar of light, and immediately I started to feel watched.

"Sha’tsha." Said that person, despite being several kilometers away from me.

"Noukan." In the blink of an eye, the entire world around us lost its color and sound, confusing me again.

"..."

I looked around and noticed the wind, the sand hitting the rocks, and the sparkles of light in the sky had all stopped. In fact, everything had stopped—except for the two of us. But… how is that possible?

"K’orushto noshjra." Upon hearing his voice again, my body instinctively turned, only to see that the man who had been several kilometers away was now just one meter in front of me.

WHAT!? HOW!? I only looked away for a few seconds. There’s no way he could’ve moved that fast! I shouted inside my head, trying to regain my composure.

Now that he was close, I saw the man was over 60 years old, with silver-white hair and a short beard. His skin was pale but slightly wrinkled from age. He also had two golden eyes with feline-like pupils, and a blue liquid around part of his iris—something I had never seen before.

Wow, this just confirms again that this world is nothing like Earth. I thought, uneasy and a bit scared.

The strange man wore several white cloths covering his body, but when he slowly raised his right hand, I noticed several black tattoos running along his arm.

His hand moved closer to my head, making a deep fear ignite inside me like dry wood catching fire.

Damn it, he’s terrifying just by standing in front of me. I said, trying to keep my trembling body still.

As his hand got closer and closer, my instincts screamed at me to run, to get away from him as fast as possible—because if I stayed, I’d meet one of the most terrifying fates I could imagine.

But, ignoring my instincts, I kept watching what the strange man was doing.

The imposing man gently placed his hand on my head, then moved his thumb to touch my forehead. Huh?

Instantly, a small light appeared at the tip of his thumb, stunning me on the spot. Wha—

Before I could even form a single word in my mind, a flood of information overwhelmed me, like a massive wave crashing over me.

Seeing that I was still conscious, the man smiled and stepped back a little.

"You should be able to understand me now." He said in the language he had spoken at the beginning. "Huh? I-I mean, yes! I understand you!" I replied in the same language, once I realized what had just happened.

Before I finished answering, the man had already turned his gaze upward, more precisely, toward the wormhole that looked like a bright little star from here.

"Did you come from there?" He finally asked, pointing at the crack with his finger.

"What? But I thought you were the one who brought m—" "Answer." He said, cutting me off. Damn it. This isn’t helping at all.

"... Yeah, I came from there." I said, disappointed as countless possibilities raced through my head.

I have no other choice but to trust him, because after all, he’s the only one who can give me answers right now. Besides, if he taught me a completely new language in just seconds, I believe he can help me somehow. I just have to be careful with what I say.

"Hmm… So Father sent you." The man said with a slight smile.

"What? What did you say?" I asked, shocked by his last statement.

"Listen, human, I have only a few seconds left, so I’ll be brief. Understood?" Human…? OK, I think I get where this is going...

"Fine." I said, gripping firmly as I looked into his eyes.

"Young human, I want to ask you to find someone."

What…? Find someone? What the hell is he talk— I thought, confused, as my determination from just moments ago crumbled under his new words.

"In return, I’ll give you a new body so you can live again to fulfill what I’m asking of you." WHAT!?

My head hurt just trying to process and absorb everything that was happening, and even with all the questions and concerns inside me, a ray of hope emerged, because I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I probably wouldn’t get another like it.

What do I do…? I want to say yes without thinking much, but something about all this feels off. I thought, a bit uneasy.

"Just tell me one thing." I said, coughing before continuing to clear my tone. "You said you didn’t have much time, so I ask you this. Will I ever talk to you again to get answers to the dozens of questions I have?"

"Looks like Father made a good choice with you…" The man said in a low voice while smiling.

If I’m going to accept his proposal, I at least need the guarantee that he’ll answer my questions someday. I thought, analyzing the consequences I’d face if I agreed.

"That will be impossible. We’ll never meet again." He said, leaving me with no options. Damn it. "But… if you want answers to your doubts, you’ll get them if you accept."

"Huh? What did you say? If that’s the case… then I gladly accept!" I said, surprised that he saw through the intent behind my questions.

--CROCK--

Right after giving my answer, I heard something cracking in the distance, making me turn quickly, just in time to see several cracks forming all around us.

"Alright, little human, you’re very wise and foolish at the same time." The man said in a joyful tone.

What? What happened to him? I thought as I turned and saw how the peculiar white-haired man was now semi-transparent.

"My time here is up." He said, closing his eyes.

So this is what he meant when he said he had little time left. I reflected as I watched him slowly vanish.

"Before you go, could you at least tell me your name?" I asked, a little afraid.

The man opened his eyes again and looked at me intensely. "My name is Bernal, kid. The Dragon God Bern—"

Shocked by his answer, I wanted to ask what exactly I had to find, but by the time I opened my mouth, Bernal had already disappeared completely, leaving the questions stuck at the tip of my tongue. I-I didn’t expect him to say something like that.

Snapping back to reality, I realized that the only thing left of Bernal was something like a small golden orb.

The orb began to shine so brightly it looked like a tiny sun, making it impossible to look at directly.

"So your name was Bernal…" I whispered to myself, shielding my eyes from the intense light with my hands.

The orb’s intense glow started to flicker until it shut off completely, allowing me to see it again.

Right after that, the cracks that had appeared throughout the environment widened until we finally heard something break.

The whole space shattered, returning everything to normal—the color of things, the light above me, and the sound of the wind. I started thinking for a moment until the light above me turned off again, bringing me back to reality.

I wonder if what Bernal did to stop time is something I’ll be able to do in the future. I thought, intrigued, before turning my attention back to the orb in front of me.

After all that, the small orb slowly approached my chest. Huh?

"Is this what Bernal promised me?" I asked myself, still surprised by our strange conversation. "I guess the best thing to do is find out."

I tried to stretch my ethereal hand to grab it, but the orb passed right through it without any resistance.

What? How’s that even possible? Shocked, I tried to grab it again, but failed.

How am I supposed to use this if I can’t even hold it!? I thought, frustrated.

The gem kept moving until it passed through my chest, right above my heart. Then, almost instantly, I felt a warmth start to spread through every part of my spirit.

"Co-could it be…." I said, feeling so strange that my Spiritual body started panting uncontrollably. "Could this feeling be…."

After a second, several markings like tattoos appeared all over my body, and among all of them, one caught my full attention. Curiously, it was where the gem had entered.

I-Is that a dragon? I thought, seeing a dragon-shaped tattoo spreading its wings across my chest. This strange dragon was surrounded by a circular line connected to what looked like ten long spines.

The heat increased drastically, turning the strange feeling into a slightly painful one.

Then, several thoughts, feelings, and images flooded my mind. On top of that, Bernal’s voice echoed in my head. I tried to focus on at least one of them, but the ever-growing pain wouldn’t let me.

"Ah, Ah, Ahh, AHH" I inevitably began to pant from the pain.

Helpless, the pain kept increasing until it became completely unbearable.

"AAAAGHH—" My agony was so intense that I twisted and turned, screaming with all my might.

"—HHHHH!!!" It wasn’t just my head that hurt—every fiber of my being burned like fire itself. Honestly, I thought I was going to die right then and there.

That torture lasted for a few more minutes until it finally began to fade gradually.

"…"

I had closed my eyes from the pain, but now that I felt better, I opened them, only to see thousands of tiny orbs of many colors scattered across the desert. Some of the orbs were green, others yellow, red, blue, and many more.

"I hate you, Bernal..." I said quietly, now that I understood at least part of what had happened.

Huh? The marks are gone? I thought, realizing that the dragon and everything else were no longer on my bare skin. Looking forward again, I noticed that the most abundant orbs around the environment were purple and black. So, wanting to confirm the flood of information I had just received, I searched for the source of some of the orbs—or more specifically, of the mana particles.

I looked down and saw how many of the mana particles in the area were coming from the dead bodies on the sand.

I wanted to stay for a few seconds to rest and analyze the information I’d received, but I couldn’t, because deep down I knew I didn’t have time for that right now.

"Ahh, sh*t! I have to move fast." I said, a little desperate at the thought of not making it to my resurrection in time.

Before I began to move, I quickly looked at the dragon tattoo I had earlier.

"Yeah, the Fragment fused successfully." I said, noticing how one of the ten spines now emitted a strange golden glow.

"Alright! To the tents!" I said, looking in the direction of the tents I had seen earlier.

Okay, in theory I can move with this body if my will aligns with the environment, but nothing’s happening. Damn it!

Even though I had the theory on how to move in this state, it was really hard to put into practice. But thankfully, after several failed attempts, I managed to float slowly.

Damn it! I thought this would be easier…. When I was halfway there, the mana particles scattered across the desert started to glow faintly and vibrate. After a few seconds, they all rushed toward the tents—just like me.

"In theory, these mana particles are from different elements, so the red ones are from the fire ele— Dammit! Focus! Think about that later!" I shouted at myself for getting distracted.

I’ve got to hurry! I thought as the first colorful orbs caught up and passed me, and after a few minutes, they pierced the roof of one of the tents, staying inside.

I kept floating until I finally went through the tent roof and saw the situation with my own eyes.

"You’re such a bastard, Bernal… but oh well, you must’ve had your reasons..." That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw my new body dead on a cradle.

Why did it have to be a newborn baby? This is just in such bad taste for me…. I thought in disgust.

The tent I was in had a hexagonal shape, and aside from a few items inside, there was a young man and a boy about eight years old near my new body. Both wore a light brown cloak that completely covered them from shoulders to feet.

Since the child was the only one wearing a hood, I couldn’t see his face clearly, unlike the man who had features similar to Bernal, like the color of his hair, eye shape, and fair skin.

Wow, he’s like a younger version of Bernal. I thought, examining him more closely. That man looked to be about 25 years old, and his face was that of a very handsome person.

By the time the last colored orbs had finished entering the tent, I finally felt more at ease.

Phew, at least I made it in time. I thought, sighing in relief as I watched the man raise both hands.

The mana started vibrating more and more as the man who looked like Bernal brought his hands together.

When he finally did, all the mana particles went wild. The man closed his eyes, and right after that, an incredible pressure was clearly felt throughout the environment, including my body.

That man slowly separated the palms of his hands, and immediately, I was pulled along with all the mana into the space between them. Ahhh! Here we go!!

After a few seconds, I could feel the mana beginning to mix with my entire spirit. As time passed, I could feel it becoming a part of me.

The whole process felt very warm, and that made me calm down. I thought this would hurt, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined.

When it was over, I felt more energetic than ever. The young man separated his hands again and, with a motion of his right hand, moved me in front of the baby’s body.

I feel bad about taking this baby's body, but… it’s necessary to live again. When I grow up, I’ll apologize to his parents... I promised myself.

The man moved his lips, saying something I couldn’t quite hear. Without thinking much of it, I noticed how I was slowly sinking into the baby's body, making it shine slightly.

As the glow faded, I began to feel my heart twist and sink, and even though that pain was nothing compared to what Bernal made me feel, for some reason, tears wouldn't stop falling from my eyes, and cries from my mouth. I just couldn’t calm down, and I didn’t know why.

What!? What the hell is wrong with me? WHY CAN’T I CALM DOWN!? I scolded myself over my childish behavior.

Opening my eyes with difficulty because of the crying, I could barely see the ceiling of the tent and the man who looked like Bernal beside me. The man let out a tired sigh and said something that erased all the worries I had about being reborn.

“Phew... It worked.”

Chapter 1: The Great Choice

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