Prologue: Entering Purgatory

In this world it is commonly known, or believed that there are three realms: Heaven, the land of Gods and other divine beings; Hell, the world of Demons and Devils; and the Mortal World from which all beings originate and where mortals of all sorts exist. However, unknown to all but a small group within those realms, there exists a fourth realm that seemingly encompasses the others – Purgatory.

It is realm of suffering and solitude where lost, abandoned, and banished souls gather. In it exists everything from the other three realms and yet none of them while also seemingly holding myriad existences from entirely separate worlds. It is to here that a small spark, seemingly non-existent in the gaps between realms, flies after breaking away from the Mortal World.

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In a sterile white hospital room an old man lies on a bed, the monitor connected to him letting out an alarm as its display shows his heart rate plummeting. Two nurses frantically trying to stablize the old man's condition as a doctor rushes into the room,

"What's going on?"

The calmer of the two nurses quickly replies, "His heart's failing, heart rate rapidly dropping. Did they not get the donor heart?"

A sad expression covers the doctor's face at the question, his hand balling into a fist before he can manage to give an answer.

"We had it, but one of the noble families used their quota to buy it for some Elder or another. Such unfairness, able to steal things from others because of their wealth. Noble families be dam-"

His words were cut off as the old man started coughing, his body rattling as waves of pain assaulted him. Regardless of it all he smiled as a voice like gravel came from his moving lips,

"It's fine, I've lived long enough. Thank you, truly, for everything you've done to help an ancient bag of bones pass on in peace. Hah, if only I could write about this passage from life to death. What a thrilling read it would have to be..."

As if the words had taken everything left in him, the old man's eyes closed and the monitor began to sound out an eerie noise. He had passed, it declared.

- - - - - -

Everything was black, a startling void that somehow didn't instill him with fear, but with a deep sense of peace as he floated along. A thought seemed to resound throughout the void,

"So, this is death huh? It is... more peaceful than I expected."

Before the being could enjoy his peaceful afterlife everything began to blur as memories seemed to flash through the void. At first of a blonde haired young boy learning to crawl, walk, speak, and finally to read before changing again. Now it showed the blonde boy turned into a youth, his hands filled with books or back stooped over a desk writing and typing away at a computer. Years seemed to fly by as the number of books the youth read and wrote began to pile up. However, the more he seemed to enjoy his passions the more the toll of time began to ring as his figure grew weathered and stooped. Decades had passed indulging in his two passions and yet the man seemed not to care about the passage of time while taking joy in the words before him. Finally the memories showed the man's decline, the years where his vision began to decay and his hands became to dull to put his words into reality. The entity floating along could feel the despair the man felt as if it was his and yet still a joy came from that decrepit figure at all he had got to experience.

It was the last scene, of the old man passing away before the doctor came to his side and whispered something that seemed to connect everything. His words caused what felt like an explosion in the mind of the entity watching,

"Goodbye, Henry. You truly were one of the greatest authors of your time, find peace in that."

In the next moment that black void shattered giving way to the sight of a ruined plain that appeared to have survived dozens of natural disasters. Fissures dozens of feet deep and wide spread everywhere between scorched craters that could hold entire towns within them. At the heart of it all he could see a figure clad in damaged green armor wielding a spear that had broke off halfway up, the other half embedded in the massive creature before it.

It was that sight that truly bewildered the new arrival for the beast was the size of a mountain and covered in pitch black scales, it's body riddled with wounds and even two of its four limbs missing. It's head a mangled mass of purple fur, a dozen eyes, and a mouth that stretched from one knife like ear to the other. Almost like some kind of hellish mockery of a dog yet despite the dread it caused him to feel it was still slain by the toothpick like spear that had embedded in the center of it's skull.

Maniacal laughter broke the silence as the figure clad in green armor threw back his head before roaring,

"Finally! I've finally obtained my freedom!"

As if in reply a mechanical voice began to speak from the sky,

"Occupant Number 28,967 has earned freedom from Purgatory. Time taken: 4,350,012 Years. Trials endured: 253,965,201. Times Died: 26,001,110. Congratulations on your achievement, Cúchulainn. Soul now being entered into the Cycle of Reincarnation."

With that this Cúchulainn the voice spoke to was revealed to be the green armored figure as his body began to breakup into motes of light. A satisfied smile broke out on his face as his long red hair seemed to be stirred by the wind, his eyes shining as he noticed the new arrival at last.

"You're the one taking my place? Let me give you a piece of advice kid since I'm in such a good mood, the true trial of Purgatory isn't the trials it gives you, but death. Remember that, now go have fun."

He let out one last life before even his head turned into motes of light, this strange figure disappearing completely. Not long after it was only that wandering being left in the ruins, but before he could take action that cold voice once more spoke from the sky.

"Welcome New Occupant, assigned Number is 25,500,125. Existence acknowledged as Henry Mason, Legacy: Prolific Author and Renowned Scholar.

Preparing Beginner's Gift based on Legacy information. Allotting Beginner's Gift. Occupant has been rewarded with Skill: Creation – Writing, Talent: Knowledge is Power, and Items: Bottomless Pen and Infinite Notebook.

Resetting World Instance now. Occupant's First Trial will occur in twelve hours, overcome or suffer.

Welcome to Purgatory."