A void surrounded him.
It was fairly warm, Jin admitted. He didn't fear the darkness; in fact, he might've welcomed it. He didn't feel like he had a body; he felt oddly spiritual in movement, so he assumed he was a soul.
'So... this is death? It's not so bad. I don't think I can feel bored here. Most likely in a bit, my consciousness will fade, and it will be like before I was born, like I was never there.'
He just relaxes and concludes that time doesn't exist here in this void realm. He didn't reflect on it too much. That is, until his soul was grabbed by a glorious spiritual hand and pulled to a white endlessness.
Jin just wafted there, and before him stood... nothing. He was utterly confused, before a voice spoke to him.
"...Forgive me. It seems I didn't recognize you," The voice said. The voice was neither male nor female, and held human characteristics, but felt far beyond that.
Jin was confused and asked, "Who... who are you? Where am I?"
"Who am I...? You will find out one day. But this here is the [Willful] realm. A place just below the true heavens. Don't try to comprehend it, your soul might dissipate."
The being continued, "As I said. I apologize, as I didn't recognize you. Your pain on earth, I take responsibility. As I look through your genetic code... I see that your true fate was not to be put on earth. Due to that, the heavens must have deemed you a fate escapist and cast upon you a ruthless punishment that lasted for life."
All of this was coming as too much of a surprise. If Jin could have a heart-attack from shock right about now, he's sure he would have.
"This... This is all a joke, right? I mean, what are you even talking about? Heavens...? Fate? I...I'm so confused."
"I understand that you are. In simple terms, your fate was mixed up with another's, and the heavens misunderstood you for a fate escapist and punished you. In other words, you were never meant to be born on earth."
"Then...Then, where was I meant to be born? You mean there is another planet?" Jin asked earnestly.
The being sighed gently, "Not quite. Just another version of Earth. Where you come from, it's called Earth, but 'there' it's called Terra."
"And this Terra.... you're saying, that was supposed to be my original birth right?"
"Yes."
Jin was lost in thought, he was beyond surprised and perplexed, he was lost for words by now.
"What is it like?" Jin asked.
Jin could hear the smirk in the being's voice, "You'll see."
"Wait... do you mean...?"
"Yes, reincarnation. The heavens have blessed you with a second chance. The heavens are biased, but it always leaves strings of hope."
"...I....I'm just.." Jin tried to form a sentence with all of his concurrent thoughts, but nothing came out.
"I know, I know. Due to your troubles, I shall give you this gift. It's one of the highest forms of Universal Comprehension."
Jin could feel a presence at his form, before his "head" was tapped by nothing and something at the same time.
Just then, his eyes went blank, and his mind showed a view.
--
Before him was a cluster of stars and space. Planets spun in orbit, and space dust clashed against the void backdrop of the vacuum called space. Jin found himself stuck in place, body covered in a mist from his eyes down to his feet. All he could see was a dragon moving in. If he could die from fear, he would've.
This was not a normal dragon, but its size was incomprehensible. A single scale across its coiling body dwarfed a massive planet, its pupil dwarfed the clusters of stars, and yet it stopped in its movement between the spaces to stare deathly at Jin. Him being called an ant compared to the dragon was an understatement; their size difference couldn't be compared.
Just then, he snapped out of it. And he found himself back in that white endlessness.
"What you just saw was the [Void Comprehension]. As you are now, you can't dare even to move a finger, not even to take a breath, or to blink. Master this, train it, utilize it, and you will surely rise above. This is our apology gift to you."
His "head" was touched again, and his soul flew across a void beyond any speed measurable.
--
Jin opened his eyes to find himself being looked down at by a pretty woman who seemed to be in her early to mid 30's. Her silky black hair stuck to her damp forehead in inky strands, as her chest heaved in concurrent breaths, her eyes full of nothing but admiration, and her body warm against his smaller frame.
'I see... reincarnation.' Jin thought.
His surroundings were unusual, but a breath of fresh air. Gone were the white walls of his hospital room and the smell of medicine. It smelled of incense sticks and flowing water instead. Around him seemed to be a traditional Minka-looking place. It wasn't high-end or anything, just normal. Just then, a man walked in. His eyes lit up, his dark hair short at the ends as he picked Jin up, putting him to his own skin.
Jin wasn't disgusted; he wasn't repulsed. In all honesty, he felt a flicker of warmth, of light, of love. For the first time, since the beginning of his old miserable life, he had never once been held like this, never once been touched like this; how could he possibly be indifferent?
He didn't know these people, but he was ready to learn who they were. He knew they were the parents of his life, and he was ready to try to know them. His father was a built man, not bulky, but chiseled. He had a long mouth scar and showcased another on his open chest.
The man took off his robes and put them around Jin, and handed him back to his mother. They spoke in a language he couldn't understand, but he tried to tune in and pick up on things that sounded similar to the language he spoke.
"Li, what should we name him?**" The woman asked.
"I was thinking... Jin. It suits his face and strength!**"
Jin was dozing off until he heard his name spoken. He hadn't understood a word they said until Jin rolled off his father's tongue.
'So... I'm gonna have the same name as in my old life, hm?' He thought.
His new life has only just begun.