Chapter - 1
"Someone's beginning is someone else's end" - Author
The scent of garbage was the first thing Alex noticed when she gained a little bit of consciousness. Not the sterility of a hospital room, not the cold floor of her house where she had passed out. Garbage. Rotten eggs with a pungent, sulfur-like smell. Leftover food swarmed by pigs and flies.
She opened her eyes to a dark grey sky, pollution in sight, black clouds drifting hastily, gathering as though the world around her was mourning for someone's death.
She sat up slowly, her muscles protesting like they'd never been used before. Her hands—slender, swollen, and all black—trembled as she raised them to inspect her face. Sticky and swollen face, lump of blood hanging from her nose. Her body felt... different? Swollen? Destroyed.
She was confused.
"What just happened to me? I was just in my lab, wasn't I?"
[Beep - beep]
Huh?! What is that sound? She flinched.
[System Initialization...]
A piercing chime echoed in her skull. Like a painful thought that was not entirely hers.
[Welcome, Dr. Alex Aisler.]
[You have been successfully transferred into the World of Alexandria.]
[System Integration: Complete.]
A grin broke across her face, something between disbelief and pure glee. Almost maniacal.
"Aha. So it finally happened. Though, I didn't think I would be brought here like this."
She mustered all of her energy, tried standing up — wobbling, only to fail.
[Beep! You've got a new message.]
Hmm, a new message in my head? Let's see.
An interface started floating in her vision like a faint digital screen.
Alex opened the mail.
{From: S.A.M. (Super AI Model)
Subject: Locate your home
Greetings, Subject A-09.
Due to your exceptional cognitive score and experimental quantum transfer eligibility, you have been reborn in World S-11: Alexandria.
First Task: You are advised to reach a safe place as soon as possible. Locate your home.
Reward : Basic status panel + Starter pack
Good luck, Dr. Aisler.}
Super AI Model, my foot. Isn't it just mocking me? I'm barely able to keep my eyes open and it wants me to LOCATE a home? - screamed Alex in her mind.
Soon after, she hears someone yelling her name from afar -
"ALEX! ALEX - Where are you? ALEEXXX!!!" - someone was yelling at the top of their lungs as if their life depended on finding Alex.
The voice was drawing nearer per second as if the person already knew about Alex's whereabouts.
It seemed highly suspicious to Alex. She had quickly analysed the situation the moment she opened her eyes. Someone must have taken her to a deep, dark alley to murder her. It's a classic setup, found everywhere. So there's a chance that this person could be allied with the murderer and just checking if she's actually dead. Indeed, it was a speculation, just a mere theory, one of the multiple possibilities.
Alex mustered all her strength to take a high risk, a risk that could kill this body again - "HELLO? I'm here"
However, when she heard no reply. She sighed - Guess, I am dead again.
*Rapid footsteps*
"Oh Alex! There you are! " - yelled the person.
They were coming closer to Alex. Alex is confused – what was it? Did the gamble she played work? Or did she simply fail again in protecting herself?
The sun was about to set. The refracting last minute rays shine on the foot of that person who's entering the alleyway.
A girl? A friend? An enemy? An enemy disguised as a friend? What is it?
As the person steps closer to Alex, she takes a better look at them.
Pale face, slim hands, slender fingers, long braided brown hair, hazel eyes, in a royal blue gown complimenting their white skin colour. A girl indeed. And a surreal one at that.
Alex asks her - "Who are you?"
She replies after catching her breath -
"Hello Dr. Aisler, I am Lilia of the house Alexander. I have come here to escort you to our home." - said Lilia
Home, you say? - thought Alex
"Alright. How do you plan to escort me? As you can see I'm unable to lift up my body." - asked Alex
Alex flinches as Lilia sits on the ground near her, and takes out something from her pouch.
A ring, probably.
Alex is observing every single move of that girl with caution. The ring is placed on the ground. Lilia picks up a piece of glass from the ground and pierces her thumb to drop some blood on the ring.
The ring looked plain at first however, as it absorbed some of Lilia's blood, something started to get engraved on its surface,probably a name. "Lilia"—that's what it was. Not even a second had passed, when Alex found herself on a soft cozy bed.
Surprised, Alex thought to herself –- Teleportation. But what's the role of blood in it? Maybe, it's a key to the lock which could only be opened with the owner's DNA. If so, someone could misuse it.
She was lost in thoughts until something wet touched her skin.
It was Lilia's hand with a wet wipe. She was cleaning the wounds and medicating Alex. Alex's body relaxed, however, her mind kept racing. Reincarnation. Fantasy world. System interface. These were no longer tropes she read at 3 AM—they were real. And she, Dr. Alex Aisler, certified high-IQ misfit of the modern world, was finally at the heart of it.
She wasn't panicking anymore. She wasn't as confused either. She was getting ready to set off through this world.
"I'm surprised it all happened without Truck - kun." - mumbled Alex in her sleep.
"Miss? Are you awake?" said Lilia Ah- she's finally asleep - thought Lilia as her expression changed into something…Darker.