“Reincarnate? Assimilate? Another world? Is she giving me the chance to start over?”, I still don't remember who I am or who I was, but one thing is clear — I’ve died, and my soul has been moved to another world. I stood still for several seconds, maybe minutes, while the girl in front of me simply watched, lost in thought.

  A big smile formed on her face — that expression said enough. She could read my emotions, or maybe even my thoughts. Every tiny thought I had was reflected with a slight change in her gestures, and in the end, as I made my decision, she spoke almost immediately.

  “So, you want a second chance. I don’t know what decision this world will make, but let me help with a little introduction.” She began to pace thoughtfully from side to side until she organized her thoughts. Then, with her index finger on her lips, she began her explanation.

  “Reincarnating means being born from a woman, starting as a fetus, and eventually beginning life anew. On the other hand, assimilating is fusing two very weak souls to make a stronger one. The first must be on the verge of death, and the second must have already died. They end up sharing one body.”

  Both options must have pros and cons. At first glance, reincarnating would mean becoming a baby again. That doesn’t appeal to me at all — I’d rather avoid all the embarrassing stuff. On the other hand, assimilation feels like stealing someone else’s body… I’m not sure which is better. But I don’t even have the right to choose — I just have to wait for this world’s decision.

  I heard a soft laugh that interrupted my thoughts. “You’re absolutely right. It must be horrible to be a baby again and have people playing with you, breastfeeding you, and not being able to control your bodily functions.”, She laughed delicately for a few seconds and then continued her explanation. “When souls are merged, you’re not stealing anything — that person was destined to die anyway. And don’t worry about the previous host influencing your decisions — by the end, they’re already gone.”

  She paused briefly before continuing, “One thing that’s both good and bad is that you’ll inherit their memories, feelings, and characteristics. If the person had strong bonds with their family, you’ll feel that too. If they loved a certain type of candy, you might still like it. Their affinity for magic from the day they were born will remain intact. In some recorded cases, we even found that they inherited a special type of magic.”

  Magic? This world has magic? I should’ve guessed after meeting someone who feels nearly omnipotent — and the fact that I can reincarnate.

  Magic… something everyone in my world could only dream of. The idea of bending reality, of creating the impossible — it gave me a new spark, a motivation that erased all my lingering doubts.

  “YES, THERE IS MAGIC IN THIS WORLD!”. Her smile turned angelic, like something straight out of a fairy tale.

  “This world is vast. You’ll find yourself in many dangerous, joyful, or sad situations. You must become strong if you want to survive. In the end, strong people always prevail.”, She sighed, then furrowed her brow, “We don’t have much time. I need to hurry.”

  “First — magic isn’t the only interesting thing in this world. I won’t explain more, find the rest out yourself. Second — become strong if you want to survive, but don’t push away the people who care about you. Don’t repeat my mistakes. Third — you’ll most likely go through assimilation. The soul fusion process is painfully hellish. That’s the price for keeping memories from two short lives. And finally — good luck. If fate allows it, we’ll meet again someday.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  As she spoke her final word, she disappeared as quickly as she had come. Assimilation? That doesn’t sound bad. I’m just worried about the pain. I trained in fencing for countless years, but that’s physical pain. I’ve never experienced mental or spiritual pain before…

  Fencing training? My memories are coming back fast. I started feeling dizzy, like a hammer was pounding inside my skull. The pain from my memories alone was overwhelming. I tried to calm myself, to control my mind, but it was useless.

  I always prided myself on staying calm in battle… but this is killing me. Minutes or maybe hours passed — I couldn’t tell with all the pain. Eventually, it faded into a dull migraine.

  I was about to gather my thoughts when I felt it — someone or something behind me. I tried to move, but I was frozen in place. The world around me started shifting. Suddenly, I saw two bodies: the one I’d used for over 20 years… and another, likely my new one, facing away from me.

  I couldn’t move closer, but I knew what it looked like — brownish-red hair, violet eyes, soft facial features. I was completely certain of the child’s gender — my new body — I’m still a man… That’s good.

  A loud sound rang out, and my soul was instantly pulled into the child’s body. The pain started small but quickly became unbearable…

  “Did I faint?”, Somewhere during the fusion, I lost consciousness. Now I feel this body as if it were mine. There’s no discomfort or sense of foreignness — it feels like I’ve always been this person.

  "Maki Void." That’s my name. I’m 7 years old in this life. With the memories of both lives, I can already sense a promising future. I’ll try to survive, just like the angelic girl told me. I must become strong — very strong.

  In this world, it’s not just magic — weapons and something called fuv are also essential forms of power. I’m starting with a huge advantage: my fencing skills were world-class in my previous life. Hopefully, they’re still effective here. And most importantly — I have the education of a university graduate. I don’t need to start from scratch with math or other subjects. My brain is well-developed; I’ll be able to absorb this world’s knowledge quickly.

  “I’m so excited — I didn’t even feel this nervous before my world championship match.”, I can feel it — it’s close. The starting point is near.

  “Take care of my family.”

  “What the hell was that?”

  “Since when can I talk? No, focus. That voice sounded really familiar…”

  “It’s me — Maki. Or… I was Maki? I don’t know how this works. I’m speaking directly to your mind before I disappear.”

  A small wave of relief surged in me — must be the last moments of the old Maki.

  “I’m sad and happy. I didn’t want to die so young… My parents had so many expectations for me… But it comforts me to know a bit about you in my final moments. You’re not a bad guy.”, I felt both happy and sad — these must be his emotions.

  “Please take care of my family. Protect those dearest to me. That’s my last wish. You can feel it too, right? I’m about to disappear. Be a man I can be proud of, Galon.”, I was stunned. My reactions slowed as I felt Maki’s emotions. Those words are etched deep in my soul.

  “Don’t worry, Maki. I’ll do everything I can to protect and bring happiness to OUR loved ones. I’ll be someone worthy of trust.”

  “Thank you, Galon. Goodbye.”, With those words, I felt a weight lift from my soul, and the old Maki’s consciousness faded away.

  Before I could react, another sharp pain struck my soul and mind.

  “Shit, shit — I’m about to pass out again. I really hope this ends soon…”, My consciousness slowly faded, and everything went black.

  “Young Master Maki is waking up!”

  “Young Master Maki is opening his eyes!”

  I could hear distant shouting. My eyes were barely open, everything was blurry… but it happened — I’m fully integrated into this body, and I’m going to live a new life in another world.

  Maki, I promise — I’ll become someone strong, and I’ll protect all our loved ones.