Bella woke up in a spacious room. It was woody and ancient to her who was used to the cold concrete walls of the orphanage. She was currently in a rather spacious bed and like the walls and ceilings it's complimentary in color with the rest of the room. And curious part of it was that it everything is like that ancient dynasty of certain country she have once seen in the television.
"Hello?" Said Bella as she cautiously observed her surroundings. But she saw no soul and concluded that she is alone after a while.
"Mister or Miss voice?" She called again.
[Opening normal functions....] a familiar mechanical voice rang in her hearing.
[... confirming world....]
[.....protocols complete...]
[....Open communication.....]
[Welcome Host for your first world.]
"Mister or Miss voice?" Bella once again asked after the sound disappears.
[Yes, Bella?] The voice said.
"Where am I?"
[You are in an age of time forgotten. Emperors and Kings and rules over the vast lands with their people living and striving under their regulations.]
"Why am I here?"
[To work with me.]
"Work?" Bella said quite confused, the voice said nothing of sort back then.
[I have yet to say it, but you will be working alongside with me. Worry not, all you have to do is to live well. I will be arranging most tasks with your well being as its priority. You still too young to be subjected to anything heavy so we can only do it this way.]
"Okay. What else should I do?" Bella asked as she took in the fact that her living is equal to working. On how, hopefully the voice in her head can answer that.
[First things first if you still has not noticed, you are no longer who you used to be.]
When the voice have said so, Bella instinctively want to look over her image. Currently she saw not a thing that can reflect her face, so she opted to look at her now feeble hands, which is a definite proof for her. Her real hand is quite rough from playing rough activities and had some little scars here and there. And the most obvious difference will be its size, Bella simple does not remember her hand being this small and this smooth.
[You are now to live in another identity–a new person.] Continued the voice.
[In a while I'll give you the identity that you will be living now. But before that I'll tell you the rules that we must take heed for most of the time, unless proven to be unsafe for the current realm or world we need to follow them.]
[One: Be who you are now. In no presence of people who knew of the "you" you should be, you can revert or act as you like. Which I recommend for you not to lose your sense of existence. If there was a person of that world or realm around you must act as who you should be. Some adjustments or differences is allowed, but not anything drastic.]
[Two: Treat the people you meet as real people. Although in some cases everything is almost too absurd, treat people of how they should be treated. As we proceed in our journey in many world's you might see yourself as superior or a bystander of its story, I hope we'll not go to that route.]
[ Three: Prioritized your life above all. If possible take care of yourself as much as you can. Due to the nature of our jobs where there is almost no permanent death, you need to remember this well for most of the hosts seems to have forgotten about this three rules.]
"If I can't what will happen to me?" Bella asked not minding much the rules. The orphanage has more and the voice only wants these three to be followed, so she'll try her best to follow.
[Nothing much I will do, but you must face the consequences of your actions. Especially so with the rule number two, forgetting that often leads to bad things that I hope you won't be subjected with.]
"Okay." Bella readily agreed.
[So are you ready to know who you are now and what you should do?]
"Can I ask a question?"
[You are already asking. But go ahead.]
"What should I call you?"
She heard a chuckle when the voice heard her question. Bella flushed red upon hearing the amusement of the other. But really she wants to know what to call them for she doesn't want to keep on calling it 'the voice in her head'.
[Call me anything you want.] The voice said as it saw the child's redding cheeks.
"Don't have a name?"
[No I have. But you are still to young to fully remember or understand my name is. Some says that my name is boring and generic that you might as well just name me for convenience.]
"Try me." Bella challenged.
[You said it. No regretting now.] The voice decided to humour her.
[My name is System 1214-A12b. Also known as "Good life System". You can alternately choose any of the two should you want to use them.]
"That's too long." To a child's simple mind, it is simply to long to remember and made no sense. "I'll call you Maddy instead like my teddy bear's name."
[Now that settled, do you want to know what you will be doing now?] Said Maddy as it does not care much of its own name. All its concerns now is concentrated in the being of its host.
Bella nodded as she indicate that she is now ready. Although she is a little confused of what is happening, she just went along. She already experienced being bitten to death by a mad dog, so what else should she be afraid of.
[Brace yourself it might hurt.] Hearing that Bella did as she was told.
A story like thing flow inside the mind of Bella. It was like she was watching a movie or cartoon in a TV, where she is aware of everything it shows her. It kind of hurt and she made a sound of pain. Maddy noticed it and promptly slowed down the process to let her adjust.
From that story, she knew of who she is now.
Her name now is Wu Minglan, a sickly and pretty much neglected child of the prime minister. Her mother was a concubine and who died when she was only two, leaving her in the mercy of the infighting concubines and legal wife of her father. Her "sickness" was a product of this inner fights, which her father have done his best to save her life.
Although her father was a competent man, he just cannot take charge over the matter of his women and children. As much as he wants them the best he could provide to them, it is his wife's decision that will be followed in those said matters. Not to mention, he is busy enough to add more of his plate.
Furthermore Minglan has living seven siblings with her the youngest still. Her father is a sentimental man who values his flesh and blood over the flowers of his home, that every time a child of his dies saddened his being. If it weren't for reputation and his position, he won't mind putting his own hand in the matters of boudoir. At most he can do is to check into them time to time to ensure their well-being. His children is not neglected by him, rather it's his wife that does the neglecting and abusing behind the scenes.
So Minglan have grown up in isolation since she was two with only a little maid to take care of her. Since she was already "sick" and obviously with no backers other than her busy father, she was mostly alone. When one time her "illness" relapsed, she died silently without any one knowing.
"Poor Minglan. Why was she very lonely even in her very end? Her father must have been sad when he then knew of her death."
[Perhaps. But for what happen afterwards I cannot tell you.]
"Can I meet Minglan? I want to talk with her." Bella sympathized with the girl's life. Unfortunate and lonely, she at least wants to be her friend so that she is not as lonely.
[...if you truly wish you can.]
"I want."
[Then forgive me if it hurts.]
Then Bella felt the world became dark after she felt a force upon her head.