1 New Life

Adam Reynolds was 40 years old. His life, if one could even call it that, was full of nothing but misery, with a little bit of normalcy thrown in between tragic events.

Adam was orphaned at a young age. His father killed his mother in front of Adam before taking a gun to his head and blowing his brains and blood on his son. The boy was found covered in his father's blood.

He pushed through hardship after hardship, despite getting bullied, beaten, abused. He managed to get a job and slowly get some semblance of an average human life. His expectations of happiness were soo low that he was only too happy to take on dangerous jobs and have bosses take advantage of him with long nights for low pay.

Adam clawed and scratched his way to being a normal human being. He got married to a beautiful wife who had an amazing soul. She understood him. She accepted his damaged soul and showered him with love. She was his home, the only place he could find a semblance of peace from the world that was actively trying to destroy his humanity.

He had a daughter, and for once, he could close his eyes without reliving his parents' final moments. He could simply just live his dream of an average life. Still, even that didn't last for this miserable soul, who returned home from a day of hard work to find his wife and daughter had been brutally murdered. Their blood sprayed all over the kitchen floor.

The police found him on the floor, crying his eyes out, holding their bodies rocking back and forth. Investigations led nowhere, and once the police saw his history and what his father had done. It didn't take long before he was placed behind bars for a murder he didn't commit. No one wanted to listen to what he had to say, and it was all too easy for them to say like father like son.

Adam was taken to trial, where he watched as his neighbours and co-workers described him as weird and how they always thought he had a murderous glint in his eye.

Somehow every single person had always thought there was something wrong with him. They all saw him as a dredge of society.

It was as if everything he had worked for his whole life was a lie. Everyone was actively working to put him behind bars for the rest of his life, while those who took everything from him were left to continue living.

Adams mind broke in prison, he was always the target, but with his broken mind, he had turned violent. He fought back with everything he had, taking out his anger and hatred on those closest to him. The prisoners began to fear this crazed lunatic. Rumours of him began to circulate. Alas, his pitiful life ended when he was stabbed in his sleep by a security guard.

---

Adam awoke startled, grabbing at his wounds...but there was none to be seen. His abdomen, which had been punctured repeatedly, was fully healed.

He looked around, and his eyes blinked way too many times, as his brain didn't seem to comprehend what his eyes were seeing.

"Where am I?" He tried to figure out where he was exactly, spinning his head left and right.

"It isn't the infirmary, am i....dead?"

"Yes, you are", An ethereal voice sounded in his head.

"Who is it?!" Adam jumped up onto his feet, ready for whatever was to come.

"Such a pitiful soul, you have gone through too many hardships."

This time the voice didn't come from within his head but sounded from behind him.

He turned to face the voice, but a blurry featureless figure floating above was all he could see.

Adam stumbled backwards in shock.

"There is no need to be wary. I mean you no harm."

"Where is this place?"

"You are dead, but this isn't hell, nor is it heaven….think of this as a temporary place before we find a place for your soul to go."

She answered, reading his mind.

"Adam, would you like a second chance at life? A second chance to be happy? Here you can receive that"

"Can….can I see my family?"

"No, your family are not in this place?"

"where are they?"

"I do not know. They might have reincarnated. There are many places similar to this one. They could be anywhere."

"Can you find them?!"

The figure sighed heavily.

"I know you must want to see them, but whatever hope you have, drop it... It is impossible to know if they have been reincarnated, and even if they have, they could be anywhere in thousands of worlds. No one knows which soul will get reincarnated or where they will go. I am merely here to hand out rewards and punishments."

Adam just fell to his knees. His final small bleak ray of hope was snuffed before it even had a chance.

"If I cannot see them, then what's the point of another life?" he asked, broken again.

"Souls do not get a choice. You will be reincarnated. All that is left is for you to choose your gifts."

The blurry figure made a motion, and 100s of bright orbs appeared hovering near Adam.

"These are gifts that have been prepared for you. Every soul has gifts prepared for them based on the actions of their past life. The level of gifts varies for every person."

"You may choose three items."

Adam didn't want to pick anything, but it was as if his body had no choice. He stood up and stared at the orbs.

"They all look the same. Can I know what they are before picking them?"

"No, even I do not know what's in each orb. All I know is that they are meant for you."

"Then I will just pick these ones" Adam raised his arm and pointed at 3 random ones, not even giving it a second thought. To him, none of this mattered.

The first one flew towards him and entered his body. Information flooded his mind.

High Born - Divine beings of their race.

The second orb flew towards him, and just like the first, information flooded his mind.

Seed Of the Life Tree

The third of rob, following the other 2, did the same.

Soul Saint - One closer to the source of being, closer to the well of life.

Adam was in deep thought. He wasn't too focused on any of the gifts. Giving the information a once over, he turned to the faceless figure.

"When I reincarnate or whatever, will I have my memories?"

"Yes, your memories will go with you."

"Can I not have them?"

The figure was silent for a while as if this was some unusual request.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. I do not want to remember anything at all."

"I can give you that, but then you will also forget this conversation happened, meaning you won't know about your abilities when you are born."

Adam didn't need to think about it.

"I don't care! I do not want my memories. Get rid of all of them!!"

The being was surprised by how adamant he was but could sympathise with the man.

"Then that cuts our meeting short. I was going to give you an explanation of your new world, details that one needed, but now none of that matters."

"That is fine. Your memories will be forgotten."

Adam found himself flying high up into the air at incredible speeds. Soon, objects were flying past him or was he flying past them. Either way, he couldn't tell what anything was.

Before he passed out, he heard a voice whispering into his soul.

"Live your life well, Adam Reynolds. Your first life might have been hard, but allow this one to help you soothe those pains, live happy and large, live far and wide...and don't be too scared to be a little selfish."

His eyes closed...

As the first voice vanished, another colder voice made him feel fear he had never felt before sounded. It was like ice-cold water was poured on him on a cold winter night! He was wide awake.

Wan kul Gari, Sulki bodhan rein tag lytham derid

The voice was gravelly, coarse and the words made his skin crawl.

The words came again, this time much louder as if whoever it was; was screaming right into his soul.

Wan kul Gari, Sulki bodhan rein tag lytham derid

Adam tried turning his head backwards, and what he saw scared him even more, if that was even possible.

It was a large dark, humanoid figure. It moved like it was swimming. Its tail could be seen moving behind it, propelling it forward.

It reached its hand out, stretching it towards him, its dark claws which seemed to be made of thick smoke was, soo close to him, when Bang!!!

It was as if it had hit an imaginary wall. It bellowed and screamed, banging its claws onto the invisible wall.

Adam turned forward, and just then...his mind went blank.