1 1st Arc: Rebirth of Shen Mu

Rebirth and Reincarnation are, in essence, the same thing, but with a key difference: choice.

In Rebirth, the soul’s next life is determined by its Karma; whereas in reincarnation, the soul can decide where and to whom it will be born. This happens because the more advanced a soul is, the more specific learning experiences it requires so, in a sense, we all go from rebirth to reincarnation over time.

What we sometimes forget is that time is not linear for the universe.

That's what I discovered when I opened my eyes after being killed by a new disease.

Before I died, I remember being unable to breathe for the longest time. I had been plugged into a respirator for almost a week until my body couldn’t take it anymore and gave up. After a moment of nothingness, I began registering new sensations: warmth and then something akin to floating underwater… only that I didn’t need to breathe.

I heard murmurs and voices, but they were too far away and indistinct for me to understand anything.

The water surrounding me was warm and tranquil and I easily lost track of time. After a while of simply being there, there was a bit of movement, followed by a lot of movements; the place where I was at began filling out and I felt pushed in every direction.

I was beginning to panic when a strong yet melodic voice began murmuring sweet nothings. I did not recognize the language, but there was no way to mistake the intention: caring, beckoning. They were expecting me.

The warmth that once surrounded me was replaced by darkness and cold, and the next thing I knew, I was screaming with pain and surprise.

Strong hands covered my back and legs before a cloth was carefully wrapped around my body.

‘What is this? Where am I? What is going on?’

I desperately wanted to open my eyes to find my answers, but as soon as I tried, something distracted me: singing. It was the same melodic voice as before, and its tone was soothing.

From its tone, I knew that whoever was singing was incredibly happy.

‘Ah, this song is so comforting… her voice is marvelous. I wonder who is singing?’

I was so immersed in the beautiful sound, that I completely forgot everything else and just drifted off to sleep.