(????'s PoV)
'I' was floating in a seemingly endless white space. As far as I could see, there was... nothing. Just pure, blinding emptiness.
[Synchronization progress: 10%... 40%...]
How much time had passed? How did I even get here? More importantly... who am I?Do I even exist?
Questions buzzed through my mind like static. I tried to remember something—anything—but it was all a blur. What was I doing before this? What was so important that I feel like I've lost something irreplaceable?
My thoughts spiraled into chaos. Panic swelled within me. If I had a body, I would've been hyperventilating by now. My mind was unraveling, and my very soul—once bathed in golden light—was cracking apart. Shimmering silver fractures spread across it, widening by the second.
I didn't need anyone to tell me: if I didn't pull myself together, I'd dissolve into this void like I never existed.
[50%... 70%... 100%]
I was terrified. Utterly, bone-deep terrified. No identity. No memories. No body. Nothing. Just me—whatever me was—screaming silently into an indifferent void.
And then, a voice.Cold. Feminine. Commanding.
[Calm down.]
It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order—overwhelming and majestic enough to command the cosmos. The moment it spoke, my thoughts were silenced like snuffing out a candle.
(How embarrassing...)Wait. Was I saying all that out loud?
The silence that followed was almost... peaceful. Almost.
Somehow, miraculously, the cracks on my soul began to disappear.
I hesitated. Should I say something? Staying quiet felt... awkward now.
"Uh... sir? Miss?"
chirpchirp
"Cough Miss... whoever you are, could you at least tell me what's going on?"
[Host, you may refer to me as... System.]
"System?"
[Yes, Host. According to my data, you are currently a disembodied soul. You were floating in the empty expanse of the Void when you accidentally absorbed a fragment of the Divine Essence—Ousia. This essence is immensely dangerous and would have torn you into nonexistence had I not intervened. As of now, your soul has successfully integrated with the Ousia and evolved into that of a Lost One—Race classification: #@$%#@$%@$...]
I tried to ignore the System's high-and-mighty tone. But my focus narrowed on the words torn into nonexistence. A cold sweat trickled down my nonexistent back.
Wait..."Ousia? And what exactly is my race?"
[The Divine Essence, Ousia, is the foundational energy of the cosmos—that which exists by itself and not through another. As for your race... you lack the necessary authority to access that information.]
"Seriously? That didn't explain anything. Can't you simplify it for once?"
[{Sigh... I ended up with a dense Host. What cruel fate awaits this poor System?}]
"..."
"Fine. What about my memories? Why don't I remember anything?"
[Host's memory loss was caused by damage to the soul in your previous battle. Unfortunately, I have no records of it.]
"So... I'll never know who I was?"
[Incorrect. As your power level increases, memory recovery is likely. Estimated probability: 87.2%.]
I frowned. There was something important I was forgetting. Something that tugged at my soul. If I wanted to reclaim my past, I'd have to get stronger.
[{Obviously.}]
"How exactly am I supposed to get stronger? I don't even have a body."
[We are currently on route to an abandoned planet—Lethia, the Forgotten One. There lies the Tower of Evolution. Within it, you will find a vessel—a body compatible with your soul. However, the Tower is near collapse due to... #$%#$%#$...]
"What was that? The last part cut off."
[Host lacks sufficient authority.]
...Again with the authority thing.Calm down. Deep breaths. Huff... huff... wait, can I even breathe?
"Okay, so... do I even have a name?"
[Every living being possesses a True Name. It is the fundamental blueprint of one's existence—encompassing everything from internal structure to the soul. Knowledge of a True Name grants immense power. Be cautious. Only you may realize yours.]
I paused.
"…System. Give me a name."
[Huh?]
"Yes. After some intense self-reflection—like, thirty seconds—I've decided I'm not confident enough to name myself."
I mean, what if I ended up naming myself something ridiculous? Better to let this supposedly all-knowing System do it. Right? Right...?
...Right?
I think I made a mistake. I was sweating buckets now. Or... I would be if I had sweat glands.
Then, for the first time since we met, the System spoke in a voice that almost sounded... human.
[Very well. I grant you the name...]