Adam Sinclair's consciousness experienced something different, something beyond the usual darkness he had become so accustomed to.

He found himself standing in a vast chamber that seemed to stretch infinitely in every direction. He could see his hands and feet, and as each second passed, the murkiness clouding his vision began to clear.

Adam dropped to his knees, clutching his face in his hands. Tears streamed down, wetting his fingers. It took him a while to gather himself—the overwhelming flood of sensory stimuli was unlike anything he’d experienced before.

When he finally steadied himself, he glanced around, searching for any hint or clue as to his location. In front of him, a massive altar loomed in the distance, and he sensed no other presence nearby. The ground around him was illuminated by soft starlight from three stars hanging high in the sky.

With no other option, Adam began walking toward the altar. He stumbled a few times, and the minutes seemed to stretch into hours, yet he felt no physical fatigue. Despite the long walk, he appeared to have boundless energy. After what felt like hours, he finally reached the altar and noticed two figures standing near it.

One figure was an eight-meter-tall, humanoid gray alien, encased in futuristic armor; the other was a child, appearing no older than twelve, dressed in simple robes.

Approaching them, Adam raised a hand in greeting and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Adam Sinclair. Do you have any idea where we are?”

At first, there was no reply. Both the alien and the child stared at him with intense gazes.

“Can you understand me? I’m asking where we are and what this place is,” Adam pressed, gesturing with his hands to communicate.

The child smirked, seemingly amused by Adam's attempts. Finally, he spoke. “Adam, we thought no one else would show up for a long time after what happened with Apex.”

He continued, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Asura, and the tall guy here is Apex.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Asura and Apex. Do you know what this place is? I don’t quite remember how I got here,” Adam replied.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Asura's tone softened as he explained, “Well, Adam, this place we’re standing in—it’s our graveyard. All three of us are dead.”

Adam felt a shock course through him. The long years he’d spent in a dark limbo suddenly made sense—he had died.

Asura continued, “Although we’re dead, there’s still hope. This place, this altar, has been known to grant people a chance to reincarnate in other worlds—some of which we once thought were fictional.”

“You’re telling me I’m dead and might reincarnate in a fictional world?” Adam asked, trying to grasp the situation.

“Not quite. While each of us did die once, we somehow find ourselves alive in this place. I suspect you’re already reincarnated,” Asura explained. “Do you have any sense of where you are?”

Adam absorbed this new information, carefully considering Asura’s words.

“If I am reincarnated, then why am I here? And why can’t I feel my body?” Adam questioned.

Apex, the tall figure, responded, “I can answer that. You don’t always reincarnate as a human. I, for instance, am partly alien, with the potential of a human combined with the strength of a Martian. I was created to battle the endless forces of Perpetua. I am the apex predator.”

Apex went on, “I’ve been fighting Perpetua’s forces for thousands of years. I was the first to arrive in this place, and it was thousands of years later that Asura joined me. We didn’t expect anyone else for a long time.”

Asura added, “I was reincarnated in Tokyo in the modern world. But before I could live a normal life, I was summoned to another world—specifically, the world of *Tensura*. I had no special abilities and was left to fend for myself. Still, it was better than being enslaved.”

“Asura advised, “It’s highly likely you’ve been reincarnated as well. You might still be unborn or perhaps are now a species with different senses. Every world is unique. For me, it was *Tensura*, while we believe Apex found himself in a past version of the DC Universe.”

After listening to Asura and Apex, Adam began to accept the possibility of his reincarnation. Worry started to creep in. “Do you think I can survive? I’ve never even thrown a punch in my life.”

“You’re not entirely helpless,” Asura reassured him. “This place isn’t just for summoning souls. It allows us to share memories with each other—a feature that has helped us survive. If you’re open to it, Apex and I can share some of our memories with you. In exchange, you can share any memories you’re comfortable with.”

Adam thought for a while. Although the idea of sharing memories felt strange, he realized that gaining combat experience could help him survive in this new life.

“So, how does this work?” he asked. “Don’t tell me it involves some weird ritual, or I’m out.”

Asura and Apex laughed at his reaction.

“No, nothing weird,” they replied in unison. “Just be prepared. Once we touch you, you might be transported back to your body.”

They placed their hands on Adam’s shoulders, and his consciousness was suddenly whisked away. He reappeared within his soul form, currently being possessed by a Mummudrai. An intense influx of memories surged through him as he entered a state of suspended time, returning just as the Mummudrai nearly completed its possession attempt.

A powerful force emerged within him, merging the alien presence with his fragmented soul. In place of his damaged soul, there now stood a vibrant, purple essence with distinctive markings.

He emerged into the real world, tearing free from his mother’s womb, covered in amniotic fluid. He rapidly grew from a small, ape-like creature to a full-grown adult Homo erectus in mere moments.

Standing tall, he muttered his first words in this new life.

“Damn, how did I become such an idiot? Those jerks didn’t tell me they were me.”