"In the beginning, there was silence. Then, a voice so warm it melted eternity."
The void was vast. It stretched infinitely, beyond stars, galaxies, and the fabric of time. And in that endless darkness, twelve lights flickered into existence—each a soul ripped from a different world, different time, different fate.
Leo floated among them. Or perhaps… existed was a better word. No body. No heart. Just thought. Detached. Still. Cold.
One by one, others appeared beside him—each shaped by memories they could barely grasp.
A booming, ancient thunder cracked the void, and she descended.
A woman of impossible presence, cloaked in stardust and woven galaxies, her golden hair cascading like nebulae. Her eyes were twin moons—soft, watchful, infinite.
"My children…"
Her voice wasn't heard. It was felt—deep, in the soul, vibrating through every shattered memory and moment of fear.
The souls around Leo stirred. Some recoiled, others leaned forward in awe. Leo? He remained still, analytical.
Who is this being? Why summon us? What's the angle?
"I am Elara. You do not know me, but I have known you. Watched you. Cried for you. Loved you before you ever existed."
She raised her hand. The void shimmered. Scenes played like echoes across the dark—glimpses of twelve lives.
A soldier dying in a burning mech.A girl hunted for her magic.A boy who took his own life in silence.A mother who sacrificed everything.A thief caught in a noble's crossfire.A gamer overdosing in VR.A priest betrayed by his church.A child abandoned by fate.A monster yearning to be human.A king who begged for a second chance.A hero who lost his world.
And Leo.
A quiet boy from Earth. Alone. Brilliant. Forgotten.
His scene played last—a gray apartment, cold light, silence. A computer screen filled with unread messages. Leo stared at the screen, unblinking, until his heart stopped from exhaustion, neglect, and apathy.
No drama. No grand death. Just… nothing.
Elara spoke again, softer this time.
"You are my children. Not by birth… but by choice."
The twelve souls pulsed.
"I chose you from across creation—not because I need warriors, or servants, or saviors. I chose you because I wanted… to love. To feel what it means to raise something that is truly mine. Not made from creation… but born of intention."
The silence deepened. Emotions stirred.
One soul, glowing crimson like a phoenix, flared up. A girl's voice, sharp and proud.
"Are we supposed to believe that? That a goddess plucked us out of our lives just to be a… mom?"
Another voice, deep and rumbling like stone:
"This sounds like a test. What's the catch?"
Elara smiled. Not with smugness. With grief.
"There is no catch. Only choice."
She opened her arms. Twelve golden flames ignited above her, each inscribed with glowing runes.
"I will reincarnate each of you into new worlds—worlds of monsters, magic, and survival. You will not begin as heroes or humans… but as beasts. Creatures. Abominations. The lowest of the low."
Gasps rippled through the souls.
Leo's eyes narrowed.
A reset? From zero? Intriguing...
"But within you, I place a gift. A system—alive, evolving, responsive only to you. It will guide you, shape you, and help you reach whatever you desire to become. Warrior. King. Beast. God. Or… something else."
She paused, her gaze scanning all twelve.
"You are siblings now. Not by blood, but by bond. You are the only ones like you in existence. Across the infinite stars, there are only Twelve Born."
She looked toward Leo.
"You… are the Fourth."
Leo blinked. The void trembled. Somehow, that meant something.
One soul floated closer—warm, pulsing. A boy's voice, energetic.
"I'm the First then! Heh, does that make me the big bro?"
Another scoffed. A sharp, feminine laugh.
"You're the most annoying already."
A chuckle. Nervous.
"This is insane. I was supposed to die… now I have a mother?"
Leo finally spoke, voice cool and precise:
"What happens if we refuse?"
Elara's expression didn't change.
"Then you return to death. There is no punishment. No consequence. I will mourn… and still love you."
Her honesty was disarming.
No threats. No manipulation. Just… love?
Leo hated how much that pulled at him.
"Then why monsters?" he asked.
"Because mortals begin their lives too proud. Too privileged. As monsters, you will understand the struggle from the bottom. You will know hunger, pain, fear… and through that, grow stronger. Perhaps you will still become human. Or perhaps… something more."
The souls fell silent.
Leo watched her for a long time.
He thought of Earth. Of that gray room. The silence. The cold.
No one had ever called him "child." Not really.
And this woman… this goddess… wanted to?
He didn't trust it. But he wanted to.
"Alright," he said. "I'll play your game, Mother."
The word Mother echoed with unexpected weight.
Elara's smile trembled. Her eyes glistened.
"Thank you, Leo."
One by one, the others followed.
Some eager, others cautious, some silently weeping. But all chose.
The twelve flames descended, fusing into each soul, wrapping them in radiant light.
"Go, my children. Survive. Grow. Hate me if you must. But know this—no matter what you become, you will always be my children."
The void cracked.
Twelve stars shot through the cosmos, screaming toward their new fates.
Leo fell.
Through realms, through time, through memory.
A name burned into his soul.A System hummed to life inside him.A hunger stirred.
And for the first time in his life…
He wasn't alone.