Before I ended up here… wherever here was, I was just a regular doctor in Frankfurt.

My last memories were a blur, a hectic, awful blur.

I remembered an earthquake, I had only felt one earthquake before it, when I visited the Swabian Alb. But that was nothing compared to what hit the town.

My head hurt thinking about it, the ringing was overwhelming, I think I remember something bursting, or a metal beam crashing… it’s hard to remember, maybe I suffered a concussion?

At first I thought I was dead, I barely remembered being rushed into the ER… and everything before that was a haze. I knew my name, Armin Fischer, I remembered being a doctor, I remembered most of my life…

I remembered my family, my mom, my dad, my elder sister and younger sister.

I remembered working part time at a butchers while I went to college.

I remembered graduating and joining the army, I went on service as a medic.

I remembered being medically discharged after our field camp was attacked that day…

I remembered working at the local hospital.

I remembered meeting the love of my life during that downpour.

I remembered the earthquake.

And I remember… dying.

After that earthquake, I was helping people in the field hospital… so many people died… Jesus…

And when I was heading back to my apartment to rest for the next operation, I passed the new hospital in construction. The site was abandoned at the first signs of the quake, I was amazed it was still standing… and that’s when something fell, it hit me and I blacked out.

Everything was just a daze after that, but… I died. I died right there on the table. The same table where I worked to try and save as many lives as I could, where I had lost so many people barely an hour before.

And now I was here, wherever the hell ‘here’ was, so casually occupying the body of a man who died, just days before!

How did this happen? I don’t know! How the hell would I know!?

I have no answers, only questions! And I’m standing in front of a frenzied lizard person who knows the man whose body I’m possessing and I have no answers for them!

I nearly died three times in the past few hours, and now I have to calm down a rabid sentient creature I didn’t even know existed while questioning my own existence!

What the fuck!? WHY!?

I had zero idea what to do in this situation, it was just too out of this world. I probably couldn’t even process everything emotionally!

So I tried to take a step back, mentally. This was all like some fantasy story, like some cosmic horror dungeons and dragons stuff… so I needed to adapt, and adapt fast.

My first goal was to calm the lizard, however I could, even if I had to make up nonsense.

I don’t know where on earth we are, so I didn’t want to reference any specific place in case this lizard-kin knows more about it than I do, or is so alien to everything I know that they’d only see it as me speaking nonsense.

There’s magic of various types that exist, like magic missile, barriers, conjuration or creation stuff like those daggers.

Soul manipulation is real, possibly the full range of necromancy too.

I am in the body of her friend, who I know died a few days ago, and she probably does too, because she’s deeper in than he was.

Assuming that she’s not some kind of demonic creature, which she might be, the red flashes in her eyes could mean that she’s under an effect, or her magic is running wild.

She’s been here a few days, and she’s probably been trapped in that cage for as long, considering that I was able to find so many useful things that she didn’t.

I didn’t know the anatomy of whatever she was… but she’s clearly injured or likely malnourished. This is also a horrible place for cold-blooded creatures considering the temperature.

Okay, that’s about what I can get without any extra information… ah, and the more ‘lore important’ looking item I have are the pieces of that weird eldritch metal disk.

Honestly, it might just be nothing. Or it could be some necromancy tool that explains why I’m in this body.

I just have to bullshit whatever I can think of and if we find out the truth later, then ‘Oops, guess I got it wrong.’

“Wait!” I said, raising my hands, still holding the sword and the lantern. “My name is Armin, Armin Fischer. I need you to understand, I don’t know what happened to me or your friend either, the last thing I remember is being captured by a necromancer!”

Mivarr snarled at that, crouching slightly as she stared at me, pulling a shoddy looking wand from her bag. It felt like something I should absolutely worry about. I was anti-magic, but was I absolutely anti-magic? I had no idea what that wand could do and that scared me.

“A NECROMANCER!? YOU ROTTEN PRIEST, I KNEW YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A TALKING PILE OF SHIT WHEN YOU LED US HERE! YOU WERE ALWAYS EYEING THAT MONKEY’S SWORD! YOU TRICKED US, KILLED HIM, AND EVEN TOOK HIS BODY AND YOU STILL LIE!? WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!”

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As she screamed that out, her voice horribly echoing, she aimed the wand at me. I instinctually ducked behind the pillar as it exploded with this orange lightning, or fire! It hit the pillar and it EXPLODED!! Chunks of rock went flying, and I felt my left arm go numb for a moment as I got pushed back a few steps.

Even though the magic didn’t hit me, the rubble ripped a small chunk from my upper arm and forced me to drop my sword from the numbing shock. Then the pain quickly started to follow.

DAMN! That might have killed me if I took it head on, anti-magic be damned! If the rubble hit my head that could’ve been lethal too! Luckily it seemed to be a one use item as the wand itself had burst apart, possibly burning the lizard-person’s hands too.

For a moment, I considered running away. Why do I have to help someone who was actively trying to kill me!? But given everything, she was just scared and confused, she might have even been under some horrible magical effect… Maybe that’s what the shadow dust did to people? Unlike me, she wasn’t immune to magic, so it had fully affected her for the days she’s been trapped in here…

Okay Armin, you can’t give up now!

[POV - Milvarr Prantif]

That PRIEST!!! A curse on this land, DEVIL in holy garbs!

Priest and monk making party, want to dive into ruins, know secrets of traps and treasures THEY SAID!

They needed a good swordsman and a nimble one, approached Milvarr and Monkey, ALL SMILES! Pretty words, evil eyes, Monkey too trusting “It’ll all be fine, he’s a priest of Permissian, the god of law! They’d never let a liar in their number.”

Milvarr no trust, Milvarr no like, but Monkey urged, and Milvarr followed… THEN THEY ATTACKED US!

THEY BLOCK ENTRANCE, THEY TAKE MILVARR’S WEAPON, MAKE IT BURN!

We ran, Monkey ran into room, Milvarr shot, PAIN, blood dripping, RUN RUN RUN.

And now Milvarr in cage, and Monkey standing there, MONKEY’S BODY, DIFFERENT PERSON! MILVARR ISN’T BLIND OR STUPID!

Something wrong with them, magic doesn’t work! THE WORK OF A DEVIL!?

Dagger form from doesn’t work, Dagger from the back doesn’t work, HOW!? Anti-magic is magic, need to be able to flow from body or it breaks, common sense! HOW DOES THIS TRAITOR HAVE ANTI-MAGIC ALL AROUND HIM!? IMPOSSIBLE! EVEN FOR LICH!

He looked just like the Monkey, but his hair went from brown to white! One of his blue eyes was GREEN now! SIGN OF SOME EVIL SPIRIT! MAYBE A PUTRID GREEN DRAGON’S TRICKERY!?

“Wait! I’m not your enemy!” He said in Monkey’s voice! Casually waving MONKEY’S FAMILY SWORD LIKE SOME STICK!!

LIES! MILVARR SEES, MILVARR HEARS, MILVARR KNOWS OF YOUR DECEIT

“Now, now, Milvarr, we can put the weapons down and talk for a bit first, okay?”

HOW YOU KNOW MILVARR’S NAME!? The only one was the priest or the monk. The monk was mute, but the priest was hobbled and feeble, They wanted a new body AND THEY TOOK MONKEY’S!? PAIN, ANGER! I wanted them to suffer, I wanted to take away everything they took! I dug through my bag, I needed something strong to MAKE THEM SUFFER!

“I can help you out of that cage, but I need you to not attack me first.” The LIAR spoke, giving Milvarr a twisted smile, LIKE HE THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY!

“I’ve not even met you before, I only recently found myself here. I haven’t yet and I have no intention to hurt anyone.”

Milvarr couldn’t believe it. The nerve. To just say that to Milvarr’s face so carefreely!?

MORE LIES! DO YOU THINK MILVARR HAS NO EYES! YOU KILLED THAT MONKEY AND TOOK HIS BODY! This rotten fish of a man!! A fraud who lies as easily as they breathe! AND NOW YOU SPEAK LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!? USING HIS LIPS AS CASUALLY AS YOUR OWN TO POUR POISON!

“Wait!” the BODY SNATCHER waved around Monkey’s sword in one hand and a filthy lantern with the other. “My name is Armin, Armin Fischer. I need you to understand, I don’t know what happened to me or your friend either, the last thing I remember is being captured by a necromancer!”

A necromancer? Was this someone else who the priest forced into Monkey’s body as a sick joke!? NO NO NO NO! LIES, LIES AND TREACHERY! It was the priest, spilling poison and lying to Milvarr! They wanted me to drop my guard, they wanted SOMETHING! BUT WHAT!?

Milvarr couldn’t hesitate, Milvarr found the wand, Father’s wand, Milvarr would end the ROTTEN PRIEST!!!

A NECROMANCER!? YOU ROTTEN PRIEST, I KNEW YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A TALKING PILE OF SHIT WHEN YOU LED US HERE! YOU WERE ALWAYS EYEING THAT MONKEY’S SWORD! YOU TRICKED US, KILLED HIM, AND EVEN TOOK HIS BODY AND YOU STILL LIE!? WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!

I pointed father’s wand, and it exploded! A beam of fire flew out at the rotten priest, But he hid behind a pillar! WASTED! No wait, it hurt his arm! THE FIRE GOT THROUGH! He dropped Monkey’s sword.

World twists a bit, the shadow devils whisper more, but Milvarr ignores. Milvarr forgot they were there till now… father’s wand broke, it’s gone, another thing taken by the priest of the devil! Milvarr dug through bag again, knows potion of acid is somewhere!

“Listen, I am NOT this priest, whoever the bastard was who hurt you!” the fake Monkey said, stepping out in the open. MILVARR WILL NOT BE TRICKED BY LIES, Wait till Milvarr finds potion, he he he.

“I’m not lying. I have no interest in taking your friend’s body or sword! I just want to go home!” He lied! But, he picked up Monkey’s sword and TOSSED IT!?

Sword clattered across the ground through the bars, stopping at Milvarr’s feet.

But why? Priest have no staff, cannot cast magic with so much anti-magic… did Priest have anti-magic before? Unarmed? Why? Milvarr can just kill with single potion???

WHAT TRICKERY ARE YOU PLAYING AT, ROTTEN PRIEST!?

“I’m not trying to play at anything!” Fake Monkey said, bleeding arm shaking. “I’m serious! I’m a doctor, I was attacked by a necromancer, and then I woke up in this body. I’m as lost as you are! I’m not a fighter, I just want to leave, but I can’t get out!”

No no no, but how!? NO NO NO NO, YOU’RE LYING! A NATURAL LIAR! WHERE’S YOUR PROOF!? After throwing aside some junk, Milvarr found the potion of acid, ready to throw it!

“Proof!? How would I even do that?” He said, HA! I KNEW YOU WERE LYING- “But I do have this device! The necromancer was holding it when they attacked me!” the fake Monkey held up the scraps of a devilish-looking metal disk… a large hollow coin… A SOUL COIN!?

T-THAT THAT THAT! ARE YOU LYING!? IS THAT REALLY HOW YOU WERE PUT IN MONKEY’S BODY!? “Yes! I’m not lying! Do you know what it is!?”

Milvarr hesitated, hand went weak, no, couldn’t be tricked, not again! Holding the potion-

When did the fake Monkey get so close!?

Fake Monkey’s hand grasped my shoulder, THEY TRICKED MILVARR, THEY WERE LIARS LIKE - They were-

What was… As Milvarr looked closely, they were just holding Milvarr’s shoulder, a look of fear and worry on their face. Why did Milvarr think they were so scary before? Their hand was trembling from the pain of his arm. It was bleeding and a small chunk of it was missing. The world was so much clearer, the shadows stopped talking…

Milvarr still couldn’t accept that this was someone else in Monkey’s body, but it was… it wasn’t the priest, they couldn’t be so warm… “Who are you?” Milvarr asked, voice croaking from not having any water to drink, rusty from not talking for days.

“Like I said, My name is Armin Fischer. I’m just a doctor… are you feeling better now?” He asked, with a worried smile. Milvarr couldn’t help but feel fear over the stranger in Monkey’s body. If he wasn’t the priest, who was he? Would the priest really put a random person in Monkey’s body when they could use it themselves if they had that power?

But this person, this doctor has a soul coin. Devils use soul coins to trade souls, a necromancer using a soul coin to move one made sense…

But that meant… that Monkey was really dead. Monkey… no, ‘Millar’ was really dead. Milvarr never even called Millar by their name properly before they died… and now it was too late.

Why? Why did any of this have to happen!?