It was all beginning to set in, even if he had to crawl for it.
The reality he entered is entirely foreign to his existence. No wonder he can't respond properly.
His senses gathered themselves as he tried to sit up right, glancing upwards.
The grass beneath him felt sharp, yet it bent neatly under his body.
The wind flowing past him felt deliberate, its coolness masking his unease.
The quiet rustling of leaves almost alerted him, but his head was far too gone to pay attention.
In what felt like beeswax in his eyes, he opened his vision upon the reality he was settling in.
The light of above blinded him, looking away elsewhere to see where he was.
"...A forest..?"
Yeah. Of all places, Kayn found himself in a forest.
Needless to say, back in his previous life, he never really went out camping or things like that for him to be familiar with this.
But even though he had no prior experience with this, he felt a creepy feeling about this place.
Despite it being in the middle of what seemed to be a bright afternoon, he couldn't see any further than a few trees into the distance.
He took a breath, steadying himself before he thought about the situation he was in.
"What a place to be right after death."
He sounded almost disappointed, but I don't know what he expected much out of it. Maybe he saw some of those novels that went around reincarnation.
That's right, reincarnation. The phenomenon of a person being reborn again. Either in the same world or, in Kayn's case, another world.
But those were all purely fictional, so this much was enough to surprise him.
He sank onto the forest floor, gazing over the greenery, shocked in awe by the scenery around him.
But despite the quiet calmness and stillness of the environment, he still bore thoughts of the void he was in.
"What was that place? Just a pitch-black abyss of pure nothingness."
He pondered a little bit over that event, still stuck in his head of what really went down inside that abyss.
But he was out of it now, so there wasn't any reason for him to linger on the past anymore.
Yeah, the past.
Shaking his head, Kayn analyzed himself, wondering about his own physical existence here.
Surprisingly, he found himself wearing a weird set of clothes that somehow looked cool.
A thin, colorized vest hugged his frame, its edges fading into a dark reddish gradient that gave it a subtle, worn charm.
Matching slacks, tinted in the same deep hue, bore faint burn marks that came from seemingly nowhere.
And finally, his leather shoes, scuffed and weathered, telling a journey that had already happened before his arrival.
He had no clue as to when and why he was wearing such fashion, especially being amidst a forest, but he couldn't really care all that much.
Being within a place of unfamiliarity, he couldn't help but be out of place from the rest of the forest.
He thought to himself for a moment, of what to do right now.
Only one thought came to his mind.
"Let's have a look around."
He stood up, a little restless to explore a tad bit, to get his mind off of everything.
Looking carefully, every direction he could walk to looked just the same as the last one, a bit directionless in every glance he took.
Might as well make a gamble.
Just as he began to decide where to head, a sudden sting jolted through his body, stopping his breath and freezing him mid-step.
This feeling of question and mystery filled his head, almost as if something was talking to him.
Was it its voice? It can't be. That voice already told him he wouldn't be hearing it anymore. So who is this?
The atmosphere began to darken, it felt painful in his mental state to even stand right now.
But then, he heard a voice.
'You try to hide it, even after everything. But where has that gotten you? Nowhere. You, of all people, understand. So I've decided to give you the power that deserves you. Make this world in your image.'
'Reign Supreme.'
A voice that seemed to come from the heavens themselves spoke to Kayn.
Every single word dripped with authority, yet a hint of pity for Kayn.
It wouldn't be surprising if higher beings like that saw everything that transpired over him, but to think they saw him like this?
I wonder if they had anything to do with his previous life.
But with no clue as to what their motive was, Kayn was on edge.
But inevitably, he smiled.
Smiling at the fact that his life was seen and judged. Leading him to this reincarnation, or so he assumed.
He thought no one would ever be able to understand him or his struggles. He thought that the things he had to deal with in life were all going to be ignored in the end.
And to think that even a being like this had to step in?
And yet... that effort at his death was never in vain.
His soul was probably heard at the depths of where he was, and they listened to him.
No matter the reason, this was beyond anything he ever knew about.
So when Kayn heard about this... power he was going to gifted. Or may I say, earned. He knew things would change forever.
Soon, the voice dissipated out of his head, slowly coming back to his reality.
He was left with his own thoughts for a moment's notice, still trying piece this together.
"Reign Supreme, huh?"
He resounded the words that he could make out at the end and was severely intrigued by it.
"So, let me make a guess. This world. This reality. It holds powers beyond my previous one, and you're willing to give me a power that will help me achieve my goal? To Reign Supreme?"
At this point, Kayn was just talking to himself about this, but he knew enough to know that this world was that type of place.
He'll soon find out more about this world as he goes on about his new life.
And eventually..
He'll find the power that he's been looking for.
At that moment, he couldn't help but smile. Smile at himself and in the situation he was in.
Despite all of the uncharted territory he was yet to uncover, that heavenly voice alone was enough to rid him of some of the pain he had.
And now, he has a new goal finally set in stone.
Reign Supreme.