Chapter 01: Life, Death, and Other Unusual Magics
Chapter 01: Life, Death, And Other Unusual Magics
I wailed in a gut-wrenching scream, snatching another chance at life from the clutches of Death.
Pain ripped through my core as my eyes snapped open. A bright, glaring light blinded me, followed by an overflow of tears. I had to squint to keep my eyes from wavering, but even that proved to be hopeless.
The light receded and dimmed, and in its place, a huge, radiant head loomed closer, staring at me unblinkingly.
Startled, I cried, exerting every ounce of my will to break free from the giant’s grip. But my efforts were futile. I couldn’t muster up the barest minimum of strength. All my energy was wasted on wailing. No matter how much effort I put into speaking, all I managed was incoherent wailing.
The giant held me close, as though afraid to let go. Then through blurry eyes, I noticed the bright auburn locks cascading over her shoulders, her exterior pale and feminine. She was staring at me kindly, tears in her eyes, a deluge of raw emotions playing across her luminescent face.
Finally, I grasped the ultimate conundrum of my predicament. The woman wasn’t a giant. She was likely as normal as a human could be. It was I who had shrunk, nestled in the protective custody of her arms as if I were a baby to be pampered.
In fact, I was a baby—a newborn, at that.
The woman cradled me and passed her other palm over my chest. She whispered soothing words into my ears—words I was hopeless to comprehend—yet they calmed my restless heart. A dim, golden string of light spilled from her palm and disappeared into my skin as she rubbed my chest.
Something inside me resonated with the light. My chest grew warm as the combined effort of the light and her soothing voice drove the pain away.
Relieved, I tried to contemplate the sheer absurdity of my situation. This could have been a feverish dream for all I knew, a figment of my imagination. Not for a second did I believe that events such as reincarnation or rebirth were normal… At least, not with my memories intact…
Wait, who was I?