{2/9} - Two of Nine: A Nine Lives Forum adventure

[Lilium Mortem]

Maybe you're a reincarnate of an undiscovered settlement of people, or something? Who figured out how to eat Aluta safely? Or maybe you aren't a reincarnate at all, I don't know. Maybe...you're something worse.

Maybe I’m from some undiscovered settlem- no. Reincarnation happens instantly between any two points in the world, that wouldn’t make any sense. But nothing makes sense… that was another. Another one of those weird thoughts.

‘Or maybe you aren't a reincarnate at all, I don't know. Maybe...you're something worse.’

SHIT! I flinched and fell back out of my chair. I was vaguely aware of Silversong catching me, but that wasn’t important. I don’t think these weird thoughts are mine. Could I have dissociative identity disorder? No, that wouldn’t give me memories of impossible things, would it?

Try not to overwhelm yourself with these memories, just calm down and think them through, one at a time. Try to see if you can recall not just experiences, but information. What was your name? What was the name of the place you lived? What did you look like?

I took a deep breath. I shouldn’t overwhelm myself with these memories and thoughts. I need to calm down and think things through. See if- see if-

‘you can recall not just experiences, but information. What was your name? What was the name of the place you lived? What did you look like?’

I flinched again as I realized the thought isn’t my own. It’s not bad advice, and I have ignored these thoughts in the past… So I’m probably not being mind controlled? God this is a lot.

Alright. I tried to put things in order. I reviewed my life up until now. I was born here in this village in Ohio. I grew up without any friends. I always loved playing in the sand and mud, making things. My parents didn’t approve of art as a career, so I gave it up. Now we’re struggling to make ends meet, even with Stratus’ help. I dropped out of college, it was too much. I shut myself off from the wo-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!” I screamed, clutching my head.

It hurt. The memories. I can’t tell them apart. It’s a jumbled mess that crashes into itself and makes more and more pain and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t be calm, I couldn’t think through this, It just keept happening.

‘You know both because you're an alien, Scud. Obviously.’

I get it now. It finally clicked into place with that last thought. There’s a planet called earth, people called humans. It was my home. I wasted away there not caring, shut off from the world. But I also grew up here, made friends, and did stupid kid stuff. The memories don’t conflict because I am a reincarnate. I’ve been goddamned Isekai’d.

Things started to settle into place. I realized I was drifting off, Falling asleep. Or unconscious. I couldn’t feel anything anymore and that ain’t good. But I felt the arms of a knight carry me, and decided I’m in good hands. Or paws as it were.

[Now that we're past the tutorial, so to speak, I will use all suggestions. Scud can hear you now. fully and completely.]