People have always wondered: "What happens after death?" or, in the case of true believers in their gods, whether their faithful servants will end up in their own analogs of "heaven" and "hell"? I never could understand those questions. No, it was somewhat curious where the soul goes after the body's death and what path awaits it, but I seem to have been deceived. After all, I shouldn't be HERE. And I literally remember nothing between the moment of arriving here and... the moment of death.
"Hah... I really did die..."
I... failed. Though, wasn't that clear long ago?..
Hmm... And yet I've ended up in a truly remarkable "place." No, rather a "space" the size of a small "universe," born in flames, just like that child...
Even when I arrived here, my initial surprise wasn't because I was "alive," but because of the "place" itself. Out of habit that had long become my second, or even third nature, I immediately began analyzing EVERYTHING I could around me to figure out where the hell I was!
And I was surprised. No, more than that, I was stunned by what I "saw"...
An endless land, covered from horizon to horizon with sparse withered grass, stretched before my eyes. And all of it was nothing other than one person's Inner World! A child's!.. When I wanted to continue surveying the space I'd ended up in by chance, suddenly fire erupted everywhere, bursting from the ground like flaming geysers. It took me a few seconds to grasp my situation, and it didn't appeal to me at all.
I sprang into action the moment I realized the danger. The child whose soul I was now in would die soon if nothing was done to save him—and thus me, since without a physical body preserving my integrity would be extremely problematic. I had to urgently "shout" to the kid to get out of the flames as quickly as possible, all while trying to come up with a more effective way to get us out. Fortunately, I managed to hastily translate my speech into his language by rifling through the boy's memory and associations to find the right words.
However, my successes were extremely minor, if they existed at all...
The kid was literally losing his soul before my eyes. And all my attempts to stop the process were utterly useless. After all, the boy's soul considers me a foreign element, and if I use too much power, it'll just kill him. Only when little was left of him could I partially use my powers to keep the kid from dying, and my role reduced to mere moral support...
Fortunately, he was saved. We were saved.
The man conceptually infused the kid with some luxurious scabbard with a very strong Regrowth effect. No, more like rejuvenation or... Anyway, not important! What's truly important is that, seeing them in action, I quickly materialized the artifact in my hands and began fueling it with everything I had. The man in black was hastily carrying the boy out of the fire, while I worked on the artifact, trying to enhance its effect. But it wasn't even necessary. My powers only slightly boosted his recovery, as the artifact worked on its own, using remnants of another energy left in it. Most likely, it belonged to its previous owner, who definitely wasn't the man in black. Their "energetics" are too different. Like comparing high-quality aged liquor to moonshine.
Soon we were out of the "heart" of the curses that had taken the form of flames and nearly taken our lives. The man carried the child beyond the reach of the cursed flames, and I could finally gather my thoughts and consider my situation.
"And here I am..." The cursed flames that had penetrated here had completely died out in time, leaving no vegetation at all in the child's Inner World, turning it to ash and scattering it on the wind of this strange "world." I spent a lot more time ensuring the safety of my new shelter before finally intending to learn more about the surrounding world.
And then I decided to scan the child's memories for the information I needed, but...
The result was quite disheartening...
As it turned out, the boy had lost his main memories. All that remained were knowledge of the language, some skills, and the like that a child of this world should know. Only the most basic information survived, but even that proved quite useful.
The injured kid's name is Shiro... From his memories, I managed to learn the language of the country called Japan—fortunately, my Magic allowed me to implant all the knowledge into myself. And though it was incomplete, I coped. Fortunately, my abilities allow true miracles with myself.
However, it's worth noting that the process is still extremely unpleasant and causes terrible migraines due to our differing understandings of the language. Simply put, our associations are completely different. Like forcing a triangle through a square hole. But I'm used to working with such difficulties, and after some effort, all the knowledge settled in my head, allowing me to learn the so-called Japanese language.
"Out of the corner of my ear," I was still keeping track of what was happening around the kid. By the time I finished rummaging through his memories, he was already in... a hospital? Yes, definitely a hospital, judging by the child's associations. And they differ greatly from ours. No complex devices, Regenerators, or anything... Just a bed and an old "IV drip." This world seems very different from mine. At least technologically.
Well, all the better. Since I managed to escape that hell, so be it. And though I never believed in such "gifts," I didn't feel much anxiety either. I'd already come to terms with death, and my current situation couldn't scare me.
Though I must admit, I'm curious what will come of all this...
With nothing else to do, I continued surveying the kid's Inner World. No, Shiro's Inner World. As I said earlier—it was land surrounding me. Now dead from the disaster and covered in ash, it stretched from horizon to horizon. I stood on a small hill. The sky was covered in racing clouds and... Gears? Huge floating gears! How did I not notice them right away?..
Soon I frowned. A brief inspection was enough to realize they shouldn't be here. This isn't even a side effect of the scabbard, so I can't blame their appearance on the artifact's abilities. But in that case, what are they doing here—inside the soul of a child not even ten years old? Moreover, I definitely didn't see them when I first arrived. They appeared sometime during the process.
Hm-m... That's definitely the question I need to resolve. I don't like having such "neighbors" nearby. These gears hardly appeared here on their own.
With that thought, I finished my quick inspection and sat on the ground, crossing my legs beneath me.
"Well, what do I do now?.."
There are really only two options. At least among those I accept. Because I won't dare possess the kid's body. I've already somehow wormed into his soul and rummaged through his memories. Such an act goes against everything I fought for. Besides, it's hardly necessary if I want a physical form in this world. I just need time for that.
The only question is whether I have it...
In short, my choices are limited—cooperate or stay quiet. I discard the second, as the kid is a magus... Though he doesn't even know it. Judging by his circuits—twenty-seven of them—he hasn't used them yet. First-generation magus? Anyway, that's later. But it would be extremely unpleasant if he one day learns of his housemate and takes me for an enemy, since he didn't know of my existence. Better it happens sooner than later. Especially since I don't believe I ended up here by chance.
A child in the midst of a catastrophe, involvement of a clearly non-simple artifact, gears, and finally, me. No way do I believe my appearance here is mere chance.
So my decision was to contact the kid when he wakes up... No, better at dawn. His parents or someone else might come for him. Then it'd be too hard to talk to him. And in general, I want to be the first one he talks to. Explain his situation and, I don't know... What else can I do? Tell a young child he lost everything, but now I can teach him Magic?..
Hm... That's an idea...
Six a.m.
Waiting... It always made me itch in various places. Soon after surrendering to boredom, my patience couldn't stand the idleness, and I decided to prepare for the conversation with the child. Nothing special, of course. I simply removed my armor and put on my casual clothes.
If I think about it, I hadn't worn them in ages. Not once in my last few decades. Right up to the very end...
Brushing aside unwelcome thoughts and projecting a mirror my height, I quickly inspected my appearance. Short bark-colored hair and dull green eyes. An ordinary face, in my view, without particular flaws, though strong cheekbones and a natural scowl added a few years. I wore a white leather jacket over a blue sweater. Dense but loose gray pants, under which sat heavy-looking black boots with metal inserts, remotely resembling plate greaves. My height was above average—in my world, I was among the "tall caste." My build hadn't changed either—I looked strong, at least until I met people in this world with better outward "form."
Inspection result? Well, I looked... like me. And judging by Shiro's memory fragments and brief observation of the surrounding world, I could even pass for an ordinary person... Or someone like a "tourist."
"I hope I don't scare the kid..."
Fortunately, waking him will be easy—after all, I'm literally inside him, and there's no issue with connection between us. But this time, it's a dialogue ahead.
A dialogue with a child.
A dialogue with a child who lost his memory in a clearly magical catastrophe.
...
I hope he hasn't forgotten my voice and won't panic when he hears me. I wouldn't want to scare him after everything he's been through.
With those thoughts, I sighed and, recalling long-unused—or rather, never-used skills in dealing with children, established a "link" between us.
"Kid, wake up. We need to talk..."
***
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