'Where am I?' Leo thought as he looked around.
'Oh, I'm still here.'
~sigh~
After dying, Leo arrived in this place and has been here ever since.
He didn't know how to describe where he was, except that it was extremely dark, or maybe it wasn't; he really couldn't tell anymore. Time and space behaved differently here.
He felt like hours passed in a second, and a second passed in years. He felt like he was moving, but at the same time, he wasn't. He couldn't even tell if he was up or down.
'How long was I out? A day or maybe a year.'Leo thought, scratching his head.
He had been losing consciousness from time to time, and it had gotten severe lately.
'Is this how death is? I really thought I would be reincarnated or something, maybe go to heaven, though hell would suit me most. I think the dark humor I watched was too much,' Leo thought with a chuckle, though no sound came out.
Suddenly, Leo felt his consciousness slipping again.
'It seems this is the true end.'
Leo had a feeling that this time he wouldn't come back; he didn't know why or how, but he just felt it.
However, as his consciousness slipped farther and farther, he saw a bright light in the otherwise dark place.
'What is that?'
Leo had seen a lot of things, but this was the first time he felt like he was looking at something he shouldn't see.
Suddenly, space seemed to stretch as Leo was pulled towards the light.
Before Leo could process what was happening, the light swallowed him up.
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"
'Fuck, who's making all that noise at this hour?' Leo thought with a groan, but his eyes remained closed.
"I'm gonna cut it off if you don't wake up."
Suddenly, Leo's eyes shot open as he hurriedly stood up.
"I'm up! I'm up!"Leo shouted subconsciously as he tried to balance himself.
'Wait, who am I talking to?'Leo thought as he looked around.
He only saw trees around him.
As his drowsiness subsided, his mind became clearer, and he started recalling everything. The light, the mysterious dark place, and his death.
'Okay, so I died, went to a mysterious place I thought was the afterlife, and now I'm here in a forest, if I'm not wrong.'He thought, looking around.
All he could see were a lot of trees. They were tall, taller than any tree he'd ever seen. The forest itself was dark with little light passing through the trees' canopy, but rather than being gloomy, it had a certain beauty to it, a novelty Leo couldn't describe fully.
[Are you done sightseeing?]
Leo practically jumped a meter away, his heart pounding. He looked around but didn't see anyone.
'Am I hallucinating. Nah, it can't be l'm sure I heard someone speak.'
[Yeah, you heard right.]
Suddenly, a floating screen popped up in front of him.
'haa l'm seeing things now.'
[Look man, I have a lot of deliveries and can't sit here waiting for you to have an existential crisis, so let's hurry this up.]
'Wait, it's real, is this like a system from those novels I read?'
[Okay, first of all, it's offensive how you're describing me like an item, and second l'm just delivering]
'You can hear my thoughts.'
[Of course, keep up. Now, do you want to accept your delivery, or should I go to the next stops before coming back in about a million and three years?]
'Calm down, man l'm listening, and yes l accept the delivery, and also sorry about the item thing.'Leo thought hurriedly.
[It's good you know not to waste time, now, here's the delivery from anonymous being 25]
Another window popped up on it there was a letter addressed to him.
[Okay l'm done with my delivery. After you're done, the window will close.]
The voice sounded nervous and in a hurry.
'Wait, who is this anonymous 25, and is it safe to open this?'Leo asked, looking at the letter.
[Of course it's safe, and as for the sender, I don't know]
The voice sounded even more nervous.
Leo narrowed his eyes. Everything sounded suspicious.
[Okay, I'm going now]
Before Leo could ask anything else, the window dissapered living only one containing the letter.
'Well, that was SUS, but now what about this letter? Should I open it?'Leo thought, staring at the letter.
'What am I even thinking about? Of course l should open it. What's the worst that could happen?'
Leo tried to tap the window, but it just passed through.
'That guy didn't even tell me how to open it, but from all the novels I read, it should be something about willing it or something.'
Just as he thought about the letter opening the window flashed, then showed the contents of the letter.
Leo looked at the window, and it was honestly unamusing with only one sentence.
-Sorry, but there was a handling error during your death, which made your soul get lost in the void, and since you can't go through the normal reincarnation cycle, you've been given a second chance. As for the compensation, check the attachment below-
'How cliché, though I always found it suspicious that some powerful beings could make such mistakes, 'Leo thought as he finished reading the letter.
'Ahh, whatever, overthinking won't help, and since I can't do anything about it l might as well enjoy it.'
He then turned his gaze towards the bottom of the letter.
There was the word GIFT written in bold and was glowing slightly.
Leo willed it to open.
The window dissapered living him a little dazed and confused.
'Was that ...'
Before he could finish his thoughts, pain assaulted his entire body. His skin felt like it was being pierced by needles.
Leo went down hard. He felt his bones break. His spine was first, then his legs, his arms, and every other bone followed.
Leo couldn't even scream as he saw his skin fall off.
Then he just blacked out.
But the process never stopped; every part of his body was being destroyed and regenerated fast.
_________
In a distant universe, a man arrived at a house floating in space. He seemed in a hurry.
"Has it already started? "He said as he walked into a room in a hurry.
The room was modest with a couch, a TV, and a snack vending machine.
On the couch sat a blond-haired man watching television. He was what one would describe as handsome, with a sharp jawline and the body of a Greek god.
"You almost missed it, Ron, "He said, still looking at the television.
"I had to connect the show for the old hag, and I'm telling you she's a pain to deal with, and the reincarnated guy was getting suspicious, too."Ron said as he sat down on the couch."Did I miss something?"
"No, it just started, "Blondi answered.
Ron focused on the TV. On it was Leo's unconscious body.
"How do you think his story will be?"Blondi asked Ron.
"I don't know Raphael, this is the first time someone survived that long in the void l can't even see his fate."Ron said as a bag of chips appeared in his hand."And that is what makes this entertaining. A story I've never seen before.Something to relieve our boredom."
Raphael just continued watching the screen, a smile appearing on his otherwise cold face.
"Wow, you can actually smile, what a shocker," Ron said with exaggerated shock as he stuffed his mouth with chips.
Raphael turned his head slightly towards Ron.
"Want some?" Ron asked as another bag of chips appeared in his hand.
Raphael stared at him for a moment and, without a word, took the chips and turned towards the TV.
" "
Ron just looked at him.
~sigh~
"What a tsundere."
Raphael didn't answer, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
Ron turned towards the TV.
Leo, on the screen, was starting to regain consciousness.
There was silence in the room, with only the sound from the TV playing. And two beings watching.
_______
Haa...Haa
Leo woke up with a gasp.
'What the fuck happened?' Leo thought as he sat up.
'Right l opened the gift then.."Leo's eyes suddenly widened as he hurriedly looked down.
'Everything seems intact. But damn, that was painful as hell.'
'Yeah fuck that delivery guy, safe my ass.'
As Leo stood up, he felt his body was lighter.
'Now that I think about it, everything seems clearer and more vibrant.'
Leo thought as he looked around. The forest, which had seemed dark, was clear as day.
He flexed his arm. His muscles seemed more defined with little of the fat he previously had.
As he was looking at his new changes, he felt a slight headache as pieces of information flooded his brain.
When it was over, Leo was left a little speechless.
'Okay, maybe it wasn't a scam.'Leo thought.
'Status.'
A screen suddenly popped up.
[Name: Leo Redwood]
[Age:25]
[Strength:15]
[Agility:15]
[Inteligence:15]
[Enduarance:15]
(Average human 10)
SKILLS:
[Immortality(Tier 1): You can't die from natural causes like death from old age or diseases, and all wounds heal over time, but only if a piece of you remains; if not, then death awaits you. ]
[Adaptability(Tier 1): You adapt to any condition as long as you are alive]