She found herself lingering in an endless expanse of darkness.
It was not the quiet void of sleep, nor the oblivion of death. It was something deeper, something consuming.
It felt like there was something there, just out of reach, yet calling to her.
Then—pain. A searing, tearing sensation surged through her mind, as if something was forcing itself into place, rearranging pieces of her very being.
It was a pain that was hard to describe, something she had never felt before and never wanted to feel again.
She gasped, eyes snapping open, her body convulsing as fragmented images and thoughts flooded her consciousness. Two lifetimes, two identities, colliding and merging into one.
She remembered dying.
A life before this, cut short for some unknown reason.
A world of steel and glass, one that thrived on the basis of technology and knowledge. A life she had spent in logic, efficiency—she was someone who used knowledge as power. A scientist? A researcher? The details were hazy, but she had been someone who used information to bend reality to her needs.
But now... she was Morena Ravenscroft.
The name felt foreign yet familiar, like a memory she had forgotten but only recently remembered. She knew this body, the muscles beneath her skin, the steady rhythm of her breath, even the weakness lurking beneath the surface.
She was a noble, one trained as a warrior from childhood, meant to inherit her father's title, a decision that even he was doubting.
Her fingers dug into the silk sheets of her bed, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths as she fought to contain the torrent of memories still flooding in.
And then something rang out.
[INITIALIZING...]
A voice—or rather a thought. A presence. Something cold, precise, that echoed in her mind.
[Cognitive Fusion Complete. User: Morena Ravenscroft. Awakening...]
Her breath hitched. The words appeared not aloud but in her own thoughts.
A system? No—an AI.
She had some understanding of systems; she had seen them in novels and stories in her previous life. In fact, she had even attempted to make one of her own using technology; however, it failed due to outside reasons.
This was different.
Her knowledge from Earth resurfaced instantly, the understanding of complex data interfaces, neural networks, and artificial intelligence. But this was not some simple sterile AI.
This was something integrated into her very being, something that shouldn't exist in this world of swords and warriors according to her memories.
This was a world closer to medieval than it was modern, according to her memories.
As she was lost in thought, her vision pulsed as data streamed across her mind.
[User Status Loading...]
[Scanning Current Condition...]
[Warning: Elemental Core Damage Detected]
She inhaled sharply as she digested the information.
Elemental Core? That was a term that belonged to this world. It referred to the source of power for all warriors. The core was the foundation of a warrior's strength, their ability to channel energy, enhance their body, and unleash the elemental forces.
And hers was damaged?
A wave of frustration flared within her—not because she was surprised, but because she understood. The whispers, the worried looks from her father, the uncertainty of the noble council—it all made sense now.
She had been born flawed.
Her jaw clenched.
Flawed or not, she refused to be weak.
"Who are you?"
She murmured aloud, testing the presence of the AI.
She was not one to be blindly accepting of things, especially not something that shouldn't exist in this world.
The response was instant.
[Designated AI Construct. Function: Optimization, Analysis, and Knowledge Retention.]
[No External Influence Detected. AI Exists Solely for User's Benefit.]
[Command Structure: Absolute Loyalty to User Morena Ravenscroft.]
It was a good response, almost too good, as if the AI knew what she wanted to hear and simply repeated it. But she had nothing she could do, she didn't know what it was or even how to remove it if it was a threat, so for now, she would use it.
It was an extension of her mind—one that could analyze, optimize, and enhance.
A tool. A weapon. An advantage.
And that was exactly what she needed, something that could help her grow in power in this world. But first, she wanted to sort out her memories. There were simply too many; they overlapped and confused her.
She wanted to get a proper grasp of what she knew, what she didn't, and what she had to.
"AI, are you able to sort and store information directly from memory?"