Chapter 1: Elenis
"Dead..." That was the only conclusion I could reach after the darkness surrounded me and the absence of emotions. Or even more strikingly, sensations.
"I thought death would be more terrifying. I don't think I deserve hell, but heaven doesn't seem possible either." With no signs of a possible change or light in my surroundings, I concluded that maybe this is where those who believe in nothing end up. If that were the case, it seemed a bit discriminatory, if it were to be something real.
Some music would be the least, maybe some David Bowie; he was a good musician, although being bisexual and spiritual might leave him in a worse position than mine.
[You have been chosen, human. Due to the dharma of your soul, you have been granted a second life in a world of your choice, except your home world.]
"Who are you?"
[The current.]
"Where am I?"
[You are in Origin. I cannot satisfy all your questions unless they relate to the reason why you are here.]
"...what is dharma, something related to karma?"
[Correct, dharma is governed by the goals of life and means behaviors considered in accordance with the order that makes life and the universe possible. It includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues, and a way of living.]
Dharma? Sounds similar to karma. I never had much interest in spirituality and Asian beliefs, but it sounds like a stroke of luck.
"What do you mean by a universe of my choice? I don't know any other world besides Earth that is habitable."
[You will be given information about possible universes of choice along with your chances at birth.]
[Asoiaf]
[Teen wolf]
[Star wars]
[Alien]
[TLOR]
[Marvel]
[Harry Potter]
[Halo]
[The witcher]
[Star trek]
[...]
All fictional worlds, each and every one of them. A universe of a fictional story.
"...what is the reason for this?"
[The dharmic system is different from the karmic one, rewarding chosen worlds with worlds of possible realities created by the "infinity" to reward and adjust the flow of things, however tiny their existence may be.]
"Why create fictional realities?"
[The infinity does not create realities based on human thoughts but, on the contrary, "inspired" them to talk about it. A clear example of this is the different gods in which humanity has believed.]
"Why is it impossible for me to return to Earth?" Not that I had anything that made me want to go back, but the prohibition against such broad choices intrigued me.
[The flow of souls does not allow the reentry of a soul into its home plane once it leaves. Right now, you are in "Origin," the center of everything.]
More questions formed in my mind, but intuition told me that I would only enter a circle of incomprehensible questions and answers where, in the end, it didn't matter to me. I had to focus on what concerned me, knowing more only leads to an early death, well, in my case, another one.
"What will my new life be like? Although the possibilities of worlds are fantastic, being born as a normal person can be a death sentence in many of them." Although the doubt of why the options were fictional worlds was another question that invaded me, surely with a normal life, I wouldn't survive. After a while, I had already made my choice of world the moment I saw it.
[You will be able to choose your birth circumstances and an ability depending on the chosen world where you choose to be born.]
"I will choose the DC universe."
[The abilities according to the universe are]
[Vesperi]
[Solis]
[Noctis]
[Aquarium]
[Dogma]
[Pugnus]
[Etherium]
[Prexos]
[Necrom]
[Electr crio]
[Vacalum]
[...]
Information about the abilities flowed into my soul as it pronounced each of them, powers with too much potential and widely different. From reviving the dead to controlling the oceans. After extensive deliberation and taking into account my all-time favorite hero, I had made my decision.
"I will choose Noctis, the power of night and darkness."
[Your new body has already been assigned according to your dharma and power of choice. Good luck in your new life; from now on, your name will be Elenis]
New York, Queens.
The alarms, sirens, and smoke abruptly woke me up in my new life. Panic-filled voices filled the air, and my senses sharpened with each passing moment. However, a dull pain ran through my body, soon transforming into a sharp feeling of fractures in several of my bones. My head felt heavy, and my thoughts crawled. At that moment, I could only reflect on the brevity of my second chance.
...
When I woke up for the second time in my new life. For a fleeting moment, I thought everything that had happened was just a dream, and I was still in my previous life. However, the unknown location and the passage of time dispelled that illusion. I couldn't ignore the immense pain I had endured.
Once I managed to calm my thoughts, I examined the surroundings around me. I found myself in a warehouse in deplorable conditions, although not completely abandoned, as other tenants occupied their tents. They were vagabonds.
"Hey, the new one has awakened." A middle-aged man was the first to notice my attempts to get up.
"Don't try to get up, stay calm," continued the voice of an older woman, her tone showing concern for my well-being and compassion, and I followed her advice.
"The boy just woke up, why don't you go get Alan to check on him? In the meantime, I'll stay here watching," the woman left with a new purpose in search of a doctor.
Then, my eyes met the man's. They were deep and brimming with life, reflecting serenity and vitality accumulated throughout his many life experiences. Through those eyes, I could sense a rich and vast story, full of adventures and challenges overcome. They were eyes that had contemplated the passage of years with gratitude and acceptance.
"You worried us, boy. For a moment, we thought we had lost you. Many say it's a miracle, but I say it's something about fighters. We never give up, right?" His tone trying to show calmness despite his voice failing him at times.
…
"...He will recover, but remember to be careful when moving him. He has shown a rapid recovery, but I estimate that there are still about three weeks left. It's a miracle that he's still alive after all the injuries, but I think contusions of this level can have consequences." At some point between my sea of questions, a man arrived who checked my condition. I suspect it was Alan from the previous conversation.
"Thank you, Alan."
"Calm down, Mary, we take care of each other, right, Albert?" Alan replied, nodding as he headed to his tent.
"Are you okay, Elenis? You haven't spoken at all."
"...I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm still a bit confused; my head is spinning as I try to figure out what happened."
"It's okay, kid. Take all the time you need; you just need to rest. You can think about that later. Besides, we've only known each other for a short time, so we can start over."
"Thank you. I'm sorry for worrying you. I still can't remember anything that happened, but it has given me clarity about what I need to do," I said as tendrils of darkness danced between my fingers.
Two weeks had passed since then, and only then was I allowed to leave the warehouse to explore my surroundings; New York, Queens. At least I didn't choose Marvel; otherwise, I would be in the nest of the most annoying villains. I also had to find a way to fend for myself; these days I had depended on the group, but especially on two people.
Albert, a man of distinguished bearing and imposing presence, hid his elegance among ragged clothing. He had a slim figure and dark hair, slightly sprinkled with gray. His blue eyes, sharp and observant, revealed a keen intelligence.
Mary, on the other hand, radiated warmth and generosity. Her smile was welcoming, and her eyes reflected understanding and empathy. Always willing to offer help without expecting anything in return, she showed a genuine interest in the well-being of others. Her tone of voice was kind and encouraging, while her body language conveyed kindness and courtesy.
He and Mary took care of me. As I regained some memories of this body, I discovered that they felt indebted because the previous owner of this body had been very kind to them. The wounds I now carried originated after his disappearance, a result of the constant harassment by a gang to the warehouse group. The previous me, endowed with abilities and strengths that did not match my current appearance, had taken care of the gang but not without serious injury.
Although I couldn't get any privacy, during the nights, I had been discovering more about this body. After a good shower in the public restroom, it also showed its good appearance, which didn't seem to be noticeable due to the injuries and dirt, with gray eyes, a good face, and average height. I was endowed with several advantages, such as greater strength, a more advanced brain, and athletic elasticity.
I practiced with the tendrils of darkness, increasing their size from a marble to a tennis ball. Although they remained weak, this would allow me to defend myself against an armed man, considering the DC world may find it a joke, but time would be my ally. Also, I still felt an anomaly in my body; I knew I was still being limited by dark energy, as my body was still adapting to it.
New York, Forest Hills.
A few weeks later.
In the dimness of a dark alley, a figure patiently waited. Shadows danced at its feet, swiftly ascending the bodies of passersby to reach their pockets and lighten their belongings.
It wasn't the most dignified way to earn money, but the absence of documents and the lack of memories of this body limited the available options. Thanks to Noctis, the process was straightforward, although distinguishing between what was valuable and what was not proved challenging. Therefore, I only discarded what seemed tedious to sell or had no value.
Returning to old habits felt strange, but the current abilities minimized the risks. Although I no longer experienced the same excitement, the pleasure of robbing pretentious rich people still brought me satisfaction.
My nocturnal escapades had several purposes: obtaining money, perfecting and training Noctis, and gathering more information about the world I was in.
So far, I had excelled in my first goal: I had managed to earn two thousand dollars despite contributing a portion to the group. I now had enough to rent a place. However, I still felt indebted to the warehouse group, so I decided to reserve that money for emergencies. Although the lack of privacy was bothersome, the company of the group provided a comforting sense of belonging.
On the other hand, Noctis posed its own challenges. Using it drained my energy, requiring a significant amount of calories to replenish myself. Additionally, I needed perfect control to be able to defend myself. Although I could easily defeat my opponents with sheer strength, I didn't want to be hunted by the heroes and end up on their blacklists.
Considering the variety of universes present in comics where heroes could become extremists, I needed information. I also didn't want to be surprised to find myself in one where psychopaths emerged victorious. According to my research, the Justice League already existed, but information was scarce, with the same founders and some variations like Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter. I couldn't determine which universe I was in with just that, and I hadn't had many opportunities to read many comics or watch their shows.
"Well, I guess it's time to go."
"In other news, our favorite Man of Steel has once again saved the day by intervening in a hostage situation and stopping a bank robbery. Fortunately, Superman was in the area, so he was able to quickly put a stop to it..." As I walked past a TV store, the evening news resonated from a display TV.
The first days were filled with impressive news, but over time, events like these became common for me on a daily basis. Heroes intervened and stopped any crime. It was somewhat admirable on the part of the criminals; committing a serious crime in a world full of heroes seemed like 3 out of 10 major crimes succeeded, so it didn't seem that impossible.
However, that wouldn't be my problem. I couldn't afford to worry about the big leagues while being in the juniors.
...
"Elenis, can I talk to you?"
I lifted my head from today's newspaper about the recent increase in crime (I thought the more I knew about them, the better I could prepare for potential dangers) and looked up to see Jarey standing in front of me, with a subtle smile on his face.
He had been the youngest in the group until they met me when I arrived a month ago, and the member in charge of warehouse repairs. He spent time helping me settle in after they allowed me to stay; my tent was set up around his. He was also the one making the most effort to integrate me with the others, a good person.
This month had been strange. I mean, they allowed me to stay in the warehouse while I trained Noctis, learned more about this world, and studied my possibilities. However, not many people had approached me, which I had noticed was unusual. Although they had all been together for years, they didn't seem like the kind of people who isolated others for being new.
"Sure, what do you want?"
"Warn you. The others in the group often discuss when you're not around whether you're a danger to us or not. They're afraid of what you did with the Scots."
"Thanks, Jarey. I'll try to be careful and not cause problems."
"I'm glad to hear that. I apologize; they're fearful people, always trying to escape violence, but they're not bad people, and there are several who support you."
Bidding farewell to Jarey, I began to look for other information in the newspaper, such as available apartments.
...
I was lazily manipulating shadows around my fingers as I returned from another routine day. Time had passed, and it was still difficult to get used to the world, but honestly, my current life didn't differ much from the past. Plus, now I had a place I wanted to come back to.
Today had been a special holiday celebrated in this universe, commemorating Hero Day, so I had earned more today than in the first week when I started, which meant I wouldn't train after exhausting my energies. Although I had noticed some heroes were busy maintaining order.
"Hey, you're the weirdo who's been hanging around these days, right? Right?"
I turned towards the voice, anticipating danger, manipulating the shadows in my hood to cover my face once I was sure they didn't recognize me. I looked at the group of dubious-looking men staring at me. Their eyes met mine as the rest began to surround me. I thought I had been discreet all these days, now realizing that coming to the same neighborhood for so long was not the best decision because I had become overconfident, eight people.
I knew they were from the Dragon Clan, one of the Asian gang clans, but as far as I knew, this neighborhood was not their territory. I spent most of my time alternating between avoiding the local gangs. After all, I was warned not to cause trouble for the group, but I knew something like this was inevitable in this profession sooner or later, so I spent my free time buried learning everything I could to improve my skills.
"Yeah, that's me. Look, friends, we're nowhere near home, and honestly, it's late. The streets are dangerous at this hour. What do you say we leave it for today and discuss it early tomorrow, huh?" I responded, placing shadows on my hands, taking advantage of the darkness.
"Nah, you're doing very well, even leaving some things lying around. We want a piece of that." He said with a small smile.
"Friend, you won't like this," I replied, raising an eyebrow in annoyance.
"You're very brave, pretty boy, too bad there won't be much left of that face," the one next to him affirmed, the corner of his mouth twisted with a maniacal smile. Apparently, they wanted this even if I gave them the money.
Knowing they didn't expect me to take the initiative, I attacked the one behind me with a precise blow to his jaw, taking advantage of the superiority of my body. It only resulted in his dislocated and possibly broken jaw. The reactions of the others didn't stop, and two attacked despite their fallen comrade, something I solved with a leg sweep that knocked down both attackers with a single blow. Although I wanted to incapacitate them, the other five gathered quickly; at least they wouldn't be able to get up from a kick of that power.
Now aware that they were facing someone out of their league, maybe they were trying to attack as a group. With Noctis channeled to maximum power in my fists, I could easily kill them.
"We can stop here; none of us wants this to get worse, and I don't want to accidentally kill you guys," I preferred no heroes on my back.
"Bitch, you think -"
"Shut up, we'll leave it for today, but don't think it's over, vagabond boy."
I released Noctis from my hands just to see five dark balls shoot out and pierce their skulls, and their brains scattered on the sidewalk.
"...Damn, you should have just accepted the deal and left quietly," I said as I approached those I had left out of the fight to finish the job.
"Come on, friend, I'm sorry. Let me live, please. I won't tell anyone about you."
"I'm sorry; I don't make the same mistake twice."
"You have to leave in the morning, kid," were the first words I heard from Albert as soon as I arrived at the warehouse.
"What?"
"Don't play dumb, kid. Your contributions have only been increasing; you know the rules. We don't want trouble, so we don't commit crimes. You have to leave." It was Clark who spoke, an idiot who apparently had pushed the idea that I was dangerous.
"...I understand. I'll leave early in the morning." It was something I expected them to find out. I wasn't trying to hide the source of my income, and I had already managed to accumulate a sum of five thousand dollars saved despite increasing the fee I gave to the group.
"Kid, you're too young. You shouldn't waste your talents on something as low as stealing. Remember, the lowest in this society are not those who have nothing but those who get things at the expense of the innocent."
"...Thanks, Albert." He was right; I was stupid and overconfident. I was supposed to stop doing it when I had enough money to change course, but I was complacent with the situation and put the people around me in danger without even thinking about them.
No, from the beginning, I chose this world to live the same miserable life as my past life as a petty thief; I had to be better.
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