"Argh," Ren groaned.
His head stung like someone had shoved two wooden stakes through his temple. Not daring to open his eyes because even in the darkness, he could feel the world spinning around him yet he knew he was stationary, lying on something soft, a bed perhaps. It reminded him of that feeling he once got as a kid when he spun around really fast and forced himself to stand straight and not stagger, the fight between his will that knew he had stopped moving and his brain that still thought it was still spinning—a nauseating situation to say the least.
"Argh" a whimper escaped his lips, barely managing to hold in an agonizing scream.
Stupid truck, why didn't it just kill me so I wouldn't have to go through this pain. He thought, after recollecting a few events. He reckoned he was in a hospital from the accident.
For what felt like an eternity, he held his position, lying like a corpse afraid that any movement could worsen the pain. To distract himself from the agony, he tried to think of something nice, but the darkest memories came natural to him. He felt a tug in his chest.
"There's no place for people like you in this world, your dreams are inconsequential"," You're just a dirty orphan leeching on resources,"
Words that left a profound impact on him. So he climbed his way to the top, to prove all those that scorned him wrong. He wasn't a leech. He was allowed to dream too. From the ground up, he silently built up a business empire. Not too wealthy and but wealthy enough. It was impressive coming from a guy that had nothing, no backing, no funding. And it was only growing, like a virus, it was predicted his businesses would one day he would overshadow some of the most prominent billion-airs.
But just as quick as he rose, he was taken down, betrayed by someone he thought he could trust, his doors in the corporate world forever closed and burned. And that was a regret he would carry with himself till the day he died.
At last, most of the pain, dizziness and nausea subsided. He could afford to peak at his surroundings.
Eye lids heavy, light intense with slightest opening of his eyes, he subconsciously raised his arm above his eyes to block out some of the light at least until his eyes could adjust and that's when he could feel it, the cold touch of something wrapped around his forearm; paired with a distinct sound of metal he recognized came from chains.
"Am I being imprisoned right now?!" voice barely audible, a dark feeling settling in his gut.
Alas, it wasn't as he thought. After fully adjusting to everything, he realized they were just harmless chains donned on his forearms like pieces of jewelry; they didn't restrict his movement at all.
But then;
Wait, this isn't a hospital room! This isn't my room either!
Quickly sitting up to make sense of where he was, he caught sight of his reflection from a mirror across the room.
The face staring back at him wasn't his own! Long black hair, deep blue eyes and a face so perfect it appeared to be sculpted with jade, delicate. He was shocked beyond words, but like a loud reminder he didn't own the face, it stared back at him expressionlessly, dangerously even, betraying his real emotions.
He was bare chest, and he could make out his lean toned muscles. This wasn't his body.
"Heck who am I!?"
Just as he blurted out those words, a masculine voice with no direction, nor origin, nor depth, carrying with it a sense of wisdom and superiority spoke, "Wondering the same thing. I do not know who you were. But I can tell you who are now. You are Ren Vaelrose, a prince in the 4th kingdom, a mortal reaper, and most importantly my avatar…I go by many names, but the most infamous—Soul Devourer. Nemesis of the whole mortal reaper organization and strong detester of human civilization. Nice to meet you."
The words were polite, harmless even. But Ren had enough dealings in a corporate world filled with venomous snakes to recognize the silent threat hanging in the air
Ren had to blink a couple of times. He missed a couple of things but he thought he understood most of it and that was,
I was reincarnated.
Now I'm being possessed by a spirit.
Oh, I'm a prince
Wait. I'm being possessed by a spirit that eats souls. Oh sh*t!
Soul eating spirit!
SOUL devouring SPIRIT!!!!!!!!!!!
His heart skipped a beat.
Summarizing the complexities of the introduction, there was only one word to describe his situation—Unfavorable.
His mind immediately got to work, running in full gear, going through all the implications and possible ways out of it. Or even how to turn the situation in his favor—the kind of acumen that made him a self-made billionaire once.
There isn't enough to work with. But it's evident in the way he spoke, he's bold in his revelations...So I'll ask more questions. He thought seriously. And he knew the first question to ask.
"You said I'm a mortal reaper…. what's that?"
"Where have you been living? Did your parents not tell you bed time stories... As a mortal reaper, you are a remnant of the Grim reaper, existing to fulfill his responsibilities. You cannot die by any physical means unless perhaps your body is destroyed beyond redemption. But you can definitely die as easily as any mortal man if another mortal reaper kills you and devours your soul...."
Ren's heart pounded against his chest the more the voice spoke, eyes widening with every fact he could wrap his mind around.
Silence stretched, the knowledge sunk in.
The ideas were mythical to say the least, defied all logical reasoning and yet the fact that he had just been reincarnated spoke volumes against his common sense.
This was his world now whether he believed it or not. He wondered what other surprises this new world had to offer.
The silence also gave him time to think of how he was going to make use of his new abilities, his lips curled into a faint smile. Oh the possibilities! The limitless possibilities.
Suddenly, like a forgotten dream reignited from the forgotten realm, he remembered exactly how he got here, lips curving into a dangerous smirk.
He thinks he has control over me but I'm not from this world and he doesn't know that.
I didn't get reincarnated, not by him at least…. I was allowed to transmigrate myself!