Chapter 2: Gift
I stared at this goddess lady, trying to wrap my head around what she just told me.
"So reincarnation is actually real?" I asked. "Like, people actually get reborn and stuff?"
She nodded, still looking guilty as hell. "Oh yes, it’s very real. We have a whole system for it. Souls move from one world to another based on their karma, their unfulfilled desires, that sort of thing."
’Holy shit,’ I thought. ’All those anime and manga I watched about people getting reincarnated... they were actually onto something.’
"That’s insane," I said out loud. "I always figured when you died, that was it. Game over."
"Not at all," she said, warming up a bit now that we weren’t talking about her massive screw-up. "Death is really just a transition. Most souls don’t even remember their previous lives when they’re reborn, but the experiences shape who they become."
We kept talking for what felt like hours. She explained how different worlds worked, how some souls got special abilities when they reincarnated, how the whole system was designed to help people grow and learn. It was like getting a crash course in the afterlife from someone who actually ran the place.
’This is so much cooler than I ever imagined,’ I thought. ’I mean, dying sucks and all, but at least I’m getting to learn about all this crazy stuff.’
"So what world am I going to?" I finally asked. "Please tell me it’s one of those fantasy ones with magic and dragons and stuff."
Her smile disappeared instantly. She looked like someone had just told her that her dog died.
"About that..." she said, fidgeting with her hands. "There’s another problem."