Quan sat with his eyes closed on his apartment's tiny balcony, legs crossed in a traditional pose on his yoga mat.

Inhale; pure energy of nature into his body.

Exhale; bad energy into the world.

He noticed a light wind that ruffled his hair as he saw the blue reflection of water in the pool at the base of his building. He was full of nervous energy as today was the first day of his new IT job after just graduating with his computer science degree. He had moved into his single-bedroom apartment just two days before, and everything was new and exciting.

Inhale; pure energy of nature into his body.

Exhale; bad energy into the world.

His morning ritual helped him start the day on a positive note. Years ago, he’d been introduced to meditation as a way to reduce his stress.

It amused him to imagine he was reaching out to gather the energy monks and anime comics spoke of while he meditated. He imagined a wide net cast out and pulling energy in. For several minutes he let his mind relax to the mantra. Then, as he was drawing the net in, he felt a wisp of power come with it. It was energizing him like he'd never felt in his meditations before.

Curious, he did it again and again. There was something new, something indescribable that he was pulling into his body. It was giving him a rush even as he struggled not to break his meditative state. The next breath, it felt like the net was cut free, and he was pushed away from the feeling, breaking his meditation.

His eyes sprung open, and he let out a gasp. His body felt energized with just a sliver of that power in him, while the sudden cut-off left him pained. After a moment of confusion, the energized feeling faded. What was that? He wondered. Was it real? Or did I start to fall asleep and dream?

He couldn't let it go. Curious now, he regained his composure and sought the feeling of energy again, thinking it would be like to get back into an excellent dream after waking up. Once again, he breathed stress out, energy in. It took several minutes to calm down and regain the state of mind he held before. He began casting his net again towards that pool of energy he imagined. Once again, he felt a strange energy, but he felt something cutting at his net almost instantly this time. He resisted it this time, imagining a net made of steel wires.

He concentrated on the feeling as he breathed energy in and felt it spread into his body. He tried to understand what he felt as he continued the cycle of breathing when suddenly agony struck. Not from the energy, but something else. He screamed as he felt and somehow saw his soul was being ripped from his body.

He tried to resist, gripping desperately at the tendril that connected him to his body, but whatever force held him ignored his efforts as meaningless. In his last moment, he could see his body collapse as his soul was pulled out of the world.

Light-filled his vision in wild streaks of colour as if he were moving quickly down a tunnel of innumerable lights of every shade imaginable. He didn’t have a body, yet his senses continued to be bombarded by the sound of roaring till he thought he’d explode as his senses were overwhelmed. Then there were long, endless moments of pure unadulterated silence in utter darkness. Followed by relentless assaults of light and sound once again.

He could feel that he was moving, but how and where he couldn’t begin to guess. Time lost meaning as he switched between the void and the lights again and again.

He felt himself pass through a veil or barrier, and the world made sense once again. He floated without control, time still disjointed. He watched as a mother gave the final push of childbirth. A baby boy was delivered into the hands of an older woman, who quickly wrapped the child in a blanket. The boy did not breathe, and the woman tried to rouse it with gentle taps and a spank to no avail.

Quan watched as he saw the soul of the infant leave his body and journey elsewhere. Suddenly the force gripped him again, and he was shoved into the body of the newborn.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

His perception changed, and pain now wracked his entire consciousness. Something was wrong. He had no air, and his heart was silent. His soul took over the new vessel and asserted its dominance over it. Starting the heart, forcing lungs to inhale. Everything sounded like he was underwater, the world a mess of black and white; unable to see clearly as he tried to look around and saw nothing but blurs. Every bit of his body felt pain, and he realized the newborn cries he could hear were his own. Nothing felt right as exhaustion overwhelmed him, and sleep overtook him.

He awoke to a darkened room, a light he could barely perceive. He tried to turn his head and found it took extreme effort to make even the slightest movements. A warm cloth was wrapped around him, holding him tight. Yet, his body didn’t respond. Pain wracked his body, and he started to whimper, but he felt he didn’t even have the strength to cry.

“You cannot run from me, little mortal,” He heard a menacing voice in the darkness. Quan tried to focus as a man stepped up to him. He felt his presence as much as he saw it. The man seemed to glow, an aura surrounding him. Somehow he knew this was more than just a man, and by his will, no one would see him that he did not wish, nor would anyone stop him, whatever he was here to do.

“Cheating death isn’t allowed, making poor Manu chase you thus. Now I must bring you back to the eternal river to be reborn properly. And what evil thing have you done? Did you kill this poor baby to take his place?” Manu leaned in to touch the infant's forehead.

Quan felt an energy wash over his being, body and soul. “Oh my, not what I expected at all,” Manu said, his voice relaxing at what he'd discovered. “The soul that was born to this body was fated to die at birth. Born into a broken and feeble body."

"But, You will fare little better in that body than he did. Your soul already knows how a body should work and is forcing the flesh to function, but it is not enough. Why would you put yourself into such a broken body?” The energy washed over him again, but this time it seemed deeper, longer than before. He could see the man’s face turn to a look of confusion as he started to talk again. “You are not what I expected at all, young Quan.”

Help me, save me! Put me back in my body!

He screamed towards the being who seemed to understand what had happened.

“What to do? What to do?” He said as he knelt beside the bed and moved his face closer to the infant. “All the universe knows the great God Manu. I have my role in the Cosmos. I find the cheaters, the rule-breakers, those that rebel against the heavens. I seek those that should have gone to the river of rebirth and bring them back. It isn’t a hard job. Very few have the power to even try what you have done. I find them, and I bring them back. I go back to my garden and my wives. I could do that with you. Maybe I should. That body of yours will not live long even with your old soul. It would be best, perhaps for everyone.”

I don't understand any of this! I didn't do anything. Quan screamed with all the energy his state allowed.

"You broke a great rule when you started to cultivate the energy of the universe in a prime world. It should not have been possible. But you did it, and the world rejected you!

"That should have been the end of your story. But no, something grabbed your soul. They threw you across the universe, so very far! You do not want to know how long I had to chase you."

Oh God, where am I? Quan wondered.

"I was growing quite mad thinking you were running so very hard from me. All the punishments I dreamed of for making me chase you for so many years. My wives will have forgotten who I am! Now I see, that was not it.

"You are nothing, a minor person on a hidden planet. Who would put so much effort into you? This baby, he is nothing, on a mid-level world, in a body that is dying. Yes, that’s right, you travelled half the universe only to die again in a baby’s body.

Manu let out a deep sigh, then whispered, “I sometimes wonder if there is something greater than the gods. Would that explain you? Are you a test for Manu to submit to a greater will?

"Or are you a pawn? Are you a distraction for the real rule breaker? Someone is using you, but who and why?

For a third time, he felt Manu’s energy sweep over him, this time deeper yet, as if it tested every ounce of his being. Manu chuckled and said, “If I do as I should, you will die. If I do nothing, you will die slightly later. But I will have no answers either way. Little pawn, I will make you my pawn as well. I will give you a chance and watch for an answer. And because I am a generous God, it will be a gift to balance the karma of being used to very badly."

Quan felt knowledge fill his mind. Before he had pulled in energy, Ki, but did nothing with it. Now he understood how to direct that Ki to his body parts so it could be used and aid him.

"Use this method, and you will slowly be able to repair that body, and we shall see what the universe has in store for you. If you live, it is a great gift I give you. A cultivation method of the gods, it is nothing special now. The first steps are simple, but as you grow, so will it. Or give up and return to the river. I cannot take that choice away from you.”

Manu stood up and nodded to himself. “I am satisfied. I will leave you here.” He smiled and said, “I will grant you one more gift. I will inspire your parents in this world to use the name you know! I will watch you from time to time to see how this works out.”

Well, Fuck!