Laux jolted awake in a dark room. Confused about his location and feeling like he had just woken up from a dream, he stared into the gloom in a vain attempt to figure out where he was. He appeared to have awoken on a small cot of some sort and was missing his armor. The scent of old books and dust wafted through the air along with a faint hint of smoke.

Suddenly his memories flooded back into his head. A howl escaped from his lips as he collapsed to the floor. He was dead. Dead. The only state of life where Laux would never again be able to taste the succulent food from the capital or feel the wind on his skin. Never again would he hear Iria’s breathing as he guarded her tent at night or see the shine of her eyes when they watched the sunrise together. He had failed to keep his promise but at least she was able to escape.

“And what loser dies right after proposing,” Laux moaned. If he were not already dead he would have wanted to be. His mourning was cut short as he realized something. He was able to touch his environment. Laux’s surroundings did not match the descriptions of the wondrous Keya above or the infernal Keyo below. The angels had never mentioned a lightless library in their descriptions of the afterlife.

It was possible that he had been turned into a ghost. That would mean he was attached to a place of importance in his life or at the location where he died. Laux bristled with excitement. If he truly had become a specter then he would definitely find a way to leave the area and go to Iria. He was anxious to start but needed to figure out where he was. It was possible he was not even on the Amexian continent.

Carefully moving around the edge of the room with his hand on the wall Laux searched for a pine lamp or the hearth he had smelled before. There were none of the lamps filled with the magic absorbing stone to be found but he ended up finding a large fireplace. He tried to ignite it with a spell only to find that he was out of magic. The idea that he could run out of magic while not in a deadly conflict was hard to believe. He would need to resolve that quickly if he wanted to break his bond to the area. First came the issue of illumination.

Without any magic he would not have been able to light any pine he had found so he relegated himself to finding some flint and steel along the mantle. A moment later the fireplace roared to life, its flickering flames throwing light across the room.

The room was circular with two small desks in the middle and dusty bookshelves along the edge with two hallways which led to another room filled with books and a small laboratory. The area Laux had come from held two oddly familiar cots next to each other with broken chests at their feet. Everything was the same as Laux had left it years prior.

“It looks like I made it home Master.” Laux walked around the room where he had spent much of his childhood. This was the room where he lived with his master as he was trained to become the ultimate shield for the Princess. It was hidden deep underground and was filled with all the weapons, potions, and magic books he would need to become a Hero. Laux was never the greatest student but he did his best in the areas he excelled at - combat and fire magic - to make his master proud. Master was the closest thing the former Hero had had to a grandfather after being taken from the orphanage for his training.

Laux missed Master Nherda greatly but knew he would not mind waiting a little while longer to meet up. Wait. Won’t he actually be mad at me since I died so young? Although the thought of his master angrily chasing him down sent a chill down Laux’s spine it also brought fond memories and a warm smile. Just as he sat down to think about his next steps the door to the room slammed open with a bang.

An old man stepped through the door and shut it. He was a taller man who had to crouch to get through the door and wore a long red robe sporadically decorated with eight-pointed stars. His face was aged but his eyes pierced through Laux. The man gave off an air of nobility and regality. His voice was gruff as he spoke.

“Welcome home Laux,” said Master Nherda, arms outstretched for a hug.

“Who are you and how are you mimicking the ghost of my master?”

“It is I, your master, Laux. Why do you seem so taken aback? Come, embrace me now that your journey is done.”

Laux grabbed a rusty paperweight from his old desk and prepared to fight whatever it was that was before him. “My master would never offer me a hug. If you were really him, you’d be hitting me with your staff for leaving the Princess alone. Also, you look too young. Master Nherda was old and incredibly wrinkly when he died.”

“Well that’s just plain rude.” With a snap of the master’s finger, the body began to come apart. Some portions of skin cracked and fell away while others slowly melted into a pool on the floor. Hair, eyes, and teeth all tumbled to the ground and spread across the room before liquefying.

Laux was frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth agape as a girl around his age was revealed. Her skin was tanned and she wore a frilly pink dress with short sleeves that led up to unkept straight black hair.

“I apologize for coming in like that but what you said was uncalled f-”

SMACK!

The stranger was cut off as Laux lunged forward and hit her over the head with the heaviest book he could find. “What were you thinking?” he yelled at the girl who was now rubbing her head while crouched. She looked up with a quivering lip. “I thought I would ease you into the conversation with someone you knew from when you were alive.”

Laux sighed at the confirmation of his death before continuing. “Do you have any idea how disturbing that was!? The first thing I see after coming back to life is my master melting? What is wrong with you? I don’t know what kind of demon or monster you are to use that kind of magic but never do that again!” He wanted to keep fuming at whatever it was this creature was but considered he may have been too harsh when he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I’m not a monster,” the girl sniffled, “I was doing my best to be considerate but I can see why you are mad. I’m sorry.”

“Fine. I’m sorry too. Tell me then. Who and what are you?”

“My name is Sila. And I am here to help!” All of a sudden she jumped up and beamed at him. She sure bounced back quickly.

Laux was taken aback by her sudden change. I need to deal with this and get out of here. She gave me a name but didn't say what she was- Wait. Sila? He recounted the facts to himself. Laux was dead, this creature knew about his relationship to Nherda, and that very same creature used magic that didn't exist on planet Atera. A realization slowly dawned for the ex-Hero as the answer to who the stranger was came to mind.

Oh my gods. Or, more precisely, oh my god. Laux had just hit and yelled at the Goddess Sila. She was one of the weaker gods but a god nevertheless.

I’m sorry Iria. Looks like I’m not making it back to you. He closed his eyes ready to be disintegrated or struck by lightning or however it was that gods punished foolish humans who hit them with books.

Instead of divine retribution, however, he felt arms wrap around him and a wail pierce his ears. Opening his eyes, Laux saw the goddess bawling and clutching onto him. “Oh what a tragic tale,” she sobbed. “What kind of loser dies right after proposing? How could the Hero Laux Venou be so lame?” Laux twitched as he held back the urge to hit her again. Although he agreed with her, it was a different matter when someone else voiced it.

Could it be? Was this all powerful goddess just a big crybaby? In only a couple minutes she had already cried multiple times. He somewhat remembered Master telling him that the maturity and mental age of the gods did not always match their looks due to their significantly extended lifespans. Maybe he could shift the situation in his favor if he got her to stop crying.

“Excuse me, um, your highness?” What do you even call a Goddess in person? “May I ask what is going on? I have become a ghost, correct?”

The Goddess pulled away. “About three days ago you died in combat with that ugly meanie Decoa while protecting Princess Iria. Ignoring how lame you are, you are truly a hero among Heroes. And no, you’re not a ghost. I pulled your soul aside into my domain so I could tell you what happened after you died. Please allow me to continue.” Laux bowed a bit in silent acknowledgement, his mind torn between hearing a god say “meanie” and hearing about how Iria fared.

“First off, you failed to directly kill Decoa.”

An unbearable weight crashed onto Laux’s shoulders. The most evil force humanity had ever faced was still alive. Laux had left the world to suffer for his incompetence.

“But that meanie did die anyway.” Sila included the extra information after a pause.

“You should have said that right away!” Laux groaned. Is the rest of the conversation going to be like this? “How did it happen? Was it Iria?”

“You see, he ran away back into the bathroom and slipped on his towel, hitting his head. He was surprisingly clumsy despite his plans for world domination.”

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“That’s it? I lost against someone who died like that?”

Sila wiped at her eyes again. “I tried to pull his soul aside to give him a stern talking to but I could not seem to find it. But don’t you worry. I’ll find him eventually and punish him!”

The late Hero was grateful to hear that news but was anxious to hear about someone else.

The Goddess gave Laux an understanding look. “Princess Iria did not die in the castle. You were indeed able to give her a chance to escape. The Princess, however, is no longer living.”

Laux’s throat tightened and his hands trembled. “What did you say?” he managed to whisper. Three days. He had only been dead for three days. Iria was supposed to live on and be happy. “How could she have died?”

Moving in front of Laux, the Goddess grabbed his hand to refocus his attention and finished recounting how Iria had died. “The Princess used most of her remaining magic to escape the castle with your body and the last of it to return to the camp with the rest of the army before half an hour had passed. When she arrived they tried to heal her and get her to rest but the injury she obtained when the rubble hit her was too much to heal. She declined further help and said she had to return to the capitol, Latio, to speak with the king. It was an impossible task without magic but a soldier proposed an idea. Every soldier present put all their magic into pine stones which were grounded up and the Princess drank.”

Laux cut in. "But that much external magic entering a body would -"

"Result in magical overload. Correct. An extremely painful condition that cycles more raw energy than a body can handle, ripping it apart from within. Yet she knew she was going to pass on anyway and agreed. You're aware of how stubborn she is. Be glad to know her soldiers wept at the thought of losing their leader.

As her body deteriorated she headed to her father and did the unthinkable. Her highness completed a twenty day march in no more than ten hours. Even those of us above were struck by the sight of her journey. It was as if though a falling star had left the sky and was streaking across the continent. She arrived at the castle and broke into the throne room where the King was in a meeting and demanded he listen to her. Iria bid him to approve your marriage. She begged it as the last request she would make. The King seeing the state she was in but unknowing of the extent of her injury or yours accepted.

Her father rushed over to check on her but in the time he had crossed the few meters she had slipped away whispering her last words, "Anytime and anywhere.""

Upon finishing her story, Sila guided the sobbing Laux into a chair as he choked and his knees gave out. She was sure he was blaming himself for the death of the Princess. It was the path Iria chose and an ending she would have welcomed. Yet Sila was sure she would not be able to convince the former Hero of that.

The thought of not being able to help made her want to cry but she had to be strong. Years ago she had stumbled upon the duo and felt drawn to them. Since then she had watched over them. Never interfering; only watching. Now that they had died she hoped to be able to do one last thing for them. An idea then leapt into her mind. Sila knew what she could do.

"What if I can give you a second chance?"

The question pulled Laux from his stupor. "A second chance? What do you mean?"

Sila clapped her hands gleefully. She knew it would interest him. "While I can't send you back in time to start over, I can give you a second chance at life with the Princess. Iria is currently being talked to by one of my brothers and will be proposed the same idea." Laux bolted upright. "You'll reincarnate me!?"

"No no, of course not. Reincarnation is silly. Why would you want to go through puberty and training all over again? You might be mentally older than your new parents or could be born in some tragic story and die immediately again. Also, you typically lose your memory going that route too so it's just a hassle all around. I honestly have no idea why people pick it over going to Keya."

"Then what are you thinking of instead? Can I talk to Iria?" An excited Laux nearly jumped out of his chair.

Sila chuckled at how quickly he had changed attitude. "My plan is to just stick your soul into something else and let you wake up over time. Unfortunately, I do not know what decision the Princess will make since my brother is being a jerk and is not answering my message. As such I cannot guarantee you will see her again, but there is a slim possibility."

"The odds don't matter to me! So long as there's a chance at meeting up again, I know she'll take it and when I wake up I'll search for her." Laux was raring to go. I'll meet her again. And I'll keep her safe this time. He could not contain his excitement.

The young goddess felt the room tilt slightly and recognized she was running out of time. As a young goddess of a sparsely populated region, maintaining a domain with a human in it was taxing on her powers. She hurriedly placed two fingers on Laux's head. "I'm sorry that this is so sudden but you need to go now. I am unable to maintain this domain for much longer. I wish you luck!"

Laux was caught off guard by her sudden change in demeanor. Before he could ask what was wrong or give his thanks everything disappeared. All aspects of the world vanished. Each of his senses appeared to have been stripped away, leaving him in what he could only perceive as endless blackness. This must be what having your soul being transferred into another body felt like. He settled down in his mind to get ready for the few days he would have to wait before he woke up.

Time passed. As did more time.

Laux had no idea how long he had been in his suspended state. It could have been weeks or even months by now. Nothing in the solitary world ever changed. He found his mind wandering and thinking without end. Everytime he believed he had thought everything possible a new idea would come into his head. He wished he could just remain in silence for all eternity. Yet he would endure as long as he had to. Anything for Iria. The thought of her final words gave him the energy to keep going. Anytime and anywhere.

And more time passed.

I heard something just now.

Shut up! You don’t have ears.

It was a bird! Or a woman’s voice. Maybe I can grab them.

It was neither and you have no arms or hands.

OH HO HO. YES I DO. I have millions of hands and hundreds of arms.

Please just stop talking.

But we don’t have a mouth. Or legs for that matter. Thus I’m not speaking. It’s just you and me in your head. Ah. Maybe I should say me and me instead?

Laux argued with the voice in his head; which he knew was his own but seemed to escape his control. What was this torture he had to endure? So much time had passed. It had to have been at least a year by now. He struggled to think properly but managed to hold on with the memories of Iria that floated through his mind. Anytime and anywhere.

Time passed.

Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP.

Please.

His other self had been right. Laux now had millions of fingers and hands and everything. Each one constantly moved and flooded his mind with information. He had no mouth or eyes or legs or ears but could somehow hear his environment. Animals, wind, rain, and occasional voices all crashed into him, stripping away the majority of his ability to think properly.

Why was he doing this? For what? An image of a girl who’s eyes held oceans crept into his mind’s eye. He couldn’t remember who she was. He knew her. He knew her. Something about her made him want to hold on just a little longer. All that came to mind as he descended back into the swells of information was one phrase: Anytime and anywhere.

Time.

The dark world was silent once more. With what fortitude he had remaining Laux forcibly numbed himself to the sensations that constantly bombarded him and locked himself within a room he had crafted deep within his mind. It was empty like the world around it, but it was his. He stayed within its walls, grasping desperately for what little sense he could. If things continued this way he would surely lose himself into the void. That idea was actually a tempting one. Surely being outside the walls would be better than within the confines with nothing but the memory of a girl he could not identify.

Not knowing who she was put more strain on his weak mind. Laux let her image start to fade and began to recede further into himself when suddenly he felt something. It was different from the other things he felt before. It was cold but also warm and so tiny it was barely noticeable. He was surprised that it got through through the walls of his sanctuary yet planned to ignore it until it was accompanied by a quiet voice that said “The Elder is sad.”

Recognition exploded into his mind. That was a human voice and a human hand. Memories of his life and death returned in a confusing cacophony. Laux had entered this state for a chance to reawaken and be with Princess Iria once again. How could he have forgotten something so important? He had no clue as to how long he had been waiting to wake up but he was going to force himself awake no matter the cost.

The hand disappeared, its lingering warmth remaining for just a moment longer. That was the first person Laux had had contact with since the Goddess. He could not let them get away if he wanted to start his new journey. At the very least he had to thank them for pulling him from his despair.

Casting aside any trepidation, he allowed his consciousness to burst past the walls he built and out beyond the room. He let it continue expanding, pushing through the influx of physical sensory information. His awareness shifted and changed as it spiraled outwards, reaching out further than he expected. It seemed to reach incredibly high as well as deep below, into what he assumed was underground from the pressure he felt. After a minute or so, the process ended but Laux was still unable to figure out what he had been turned into. While he had been awakening he felt a small trickle of magic becoming available to him. It felt different than the magic he was used to and circulated endlessly throughout his body helping invigorate him.

He racked his brains trying to think of what to do next. In a hurry to contact whoever had touched him, Laux elected to use a trick he had learned from Master Nherda. He pooled some of the magic that flowed through him and expelled it out of his body in every direction. By keeping track of when the magic dissipated, Laux could create a rough mental map of his surroundings. It had been impossible before due to a lack of magic and not having the mental fortitude to focus on the task.

Laux’s magic washed across the area and returned an incredible sight. He was in the middle of a grassy plain with a dense forest completely circling it. Ruins from some ancient castle were scattered around him. Beneath the ground some tunnels stretched out in every direction although he did not know how far they went since most were caved in. The stranger had already left the area without leaving any trace of any kind.

All these discoveries did not particularly worry Laux. Every journey had to start somewhere, and this was as good place as any to do so. There was, however, one thing that he was confident would end up slowing down his search. It was hard to believe at first but his magic and the senses he got from his new body confirmed it.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Of all the things on the planet to awaken into, why did that crybaby Goddess think he would be able to do anything like this?

What the heck am I supposed to do as a tree!?