In a large, luxurious room adorned with intricate golden chandeliers and marble floors, the air carried a faint scent of lavender. Richly textured curtains framed towering windows that offered a breathtaking view of a lush garden, while a grand bookshelf lined one of the walls, filled with leather-bound tomes.
A boy lay on a king-sized bed covered in soft silk sheets.
After a moment, his eyelids fluttered open, revealing hazy eyes that stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. Confusion clouded his expression as he slowly sat up.
"Where... am I?"
His voice was barely a whisper, tinged with unease. Memories from moments before flooded his mind, and despair washed over him like a cold tide.
"Why… why am I still alive?"
His voice cracked as he muttered the words. His hands clenched the sheets tightly, trembling.
"I should be dead after jumping from there," he murmured bitterly.
Looking around the room, he took in his surroundings—a place so opulent it felt unreal. It was a dreamlike contrast to the harsh reality he had endured. His gaze lingered on the gilded furniture, the shimmering chandelier, and the lavish decor.
"There's no way Jason's father would let me live, much less put me in a place like this," he said after a pause.
The thought spurred him to look down at his hands. His eyes widened in shock. Instead of his usual beige complexion, his skin was unnaturally pale, almost alabaster white.
"Did I… reincarnate here?"
The realization brought an unfamiliar glimmer of hope to his hollow eyes. The idea of starting over, free from the chains of his old life, kindled a faint spark of joy.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood, his bare feet touching the cool marble floor. Slowly, he walked into the adjoining bathroom.
Inside, the gleaming mirror caught his attention. He hesitated for a moment before stepping in front of it.
His reflection stared back at him—a pale, ghostly figure with hair as white as freshly fallen snow and piercing white eyes. His features were sharp and handsome, almost unnaturally so, yet eerily unfamiliar.
"It feels like I came in a pack of full white," he muttered dryly, trying to ease his own nerves.
After a moment of quiet observation, he turned and left the bathroom. But as he stepped back into the bedroom, something unexpected happened.
A glowing panel materialized in front of him, its sudden appearance making him flinch.
[Soul merging completion process: 0%]
Rio blinked, staring at the translucent text hovering in the air.
"Is this... my system?"
He waited for a response, but none came. The panel remained silent.
[Soul merging completion process: 1%]
"Guess I'll wait for it to finish," he muttered, sitting back down on the bed.
[Soul merging process: 10%]
A sharp, sudden pain shot through his chest.
"Ouch!" he yelped, clutching at the spot. It felt like a needle had pierced his heart, but when he checked, there was nothing.
[Soul merging process: 25%]
The stinging sensation intensifies, coming in rapid bursts, like phantom bites across his body.
[Soul merging process: 50%]
"Arghhhh!" Rio screamed, doubling over. It felt as though thousands of serpents were biting and constricting him, their venom searing his nerves. He fell to the floor, clawing at himself, though there was nothing visible causing the pain.
[Soul merging process: 75%]
The room spun around him as his body convulsed violently. It felt as if an unseen force was crushing him, coiling around his neck and cutting off his air. Gasping, he clawed at his throat, but his hands found only empty air.
[Soul merging process: 90%]
Now the pain was unbearable, like molten fire coursing through his veins. His face turned red from the effort of breathing, and his body thrashed uncontrollably.
"Damn it..." he croaked, barely able to form words.
"W-why... is this process... so fucking... slow?"
[Soul merging process: 99%]
His vision blurred as tears streamed down his face. Every nerve in his body screamed for release, and his strength began to falter. He felt like he was being drowned in agony.
[Soul merging process: 100%]
A wave of relief washed over him, but only for a fleeting moment. The pain intensified once more, reaching heights he hadn't thought possible.
"ARGHHHHHHH!"
His screams echoed through the grand room, raw and guttural.
"Why… won't… this shitty thing… STOP?!"
The pain overwhelmed him completely, his mind teetering on the brink.
"I… didn't think my second life would end like this," he thought bitterly.
And then, mercifully, darkness consumed him.
_______________
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a vast, endless expanse of pure white.
"Where am I now?" he asked, his voice unusually calm.
The tranquility in his tone startled even him. It was as though something was suppressing his emotions, leaving him detached and eerily composed.
"Is there anybody here?" he called out, but only silence answered.
The void around him felt both infinite and suffocating, its emptiness pressing down on him. With no sense of direction, he chose a random path and started walking.
Step after step, he trudged forward. The endless white stretched on, with no sign of change or life. He couldn't tell how long he had been walking. Minutes? Hours? Days? Time seemed irrelevant in this place.
And then, he saw it—a faint black speck disrupting the perfect white horizon.
His pace quickened, and as he drew closer, the speck grew into three hovering black orbs, each suspended in the air. They pulsed faintly, radiating an ominous energy.
The orbs varied in size: one was small, barely larger than a fist; the second was medium-sized, about the size of a basketball; and the third was enormous, almost as tall as he was.
As he stood before them, knowledge suddenly flooded his mind. The purpose of the orbs became clear—they represented choices, decisions that could shape his existence.
He hesitated for a moment, studying them. The smallest orb seemed approachable, almost inviting, while the other two exuded a menacing aura that sent shivers through his soul. He knew instinctively that touching them would end his second life before it truly began.
With measured steps, he approached the smallest orb and reached out. The moment his fingers made contact, the orb began to dissolve into a dark mist, which seeped into his soul form.
A strange sensation overtook him as the blackness spread, winding through him like tendrils of ink in water. It wasn't painful, but it was intense, as though his very essence was being rewritten.
When the process was complete, he glanced down at himself. His soul, previously a translucent white, was now 25% black. He felt different—stronger, yet heavier, as though the darkness carried a weight of its own.
The knowledge within him confirmed that he could only absorb one orb....for now.
He cast a wary glance at the two remaining orbs. Their power was palpable, tempting even, but the warning in his mind was clear—touching them would bring about his demise.
Before he could ponder further, a sudden force yanked at him. It felt like a giant hand had seized him, pulling him backward with terrifying speed. The white expanse blurred around him as he was dragged through the void.
When the motion stopped abruptly, his eyes snapped open, and he found himself back in the luxurious bedroom, sprawled on the large bed. His body was drenched in sweat, his breathing ragged.
For a moment, he lay there, trying to steady himself, his mind racing.
"What… was that place?"
But no answer came.
Instead his mind flooded with unknown memories which were not his.