Alya found a tall and wrinkle-faced old man with a long white beard, wearing a long white robe, floating in the air. He stroked his beard as he slowly descended. Alya was left in a daze. Feeling an oppressive air around him, she took a step back.

"Who are you?" She asked as she took another step back. The old man stroked his beard and smiled.

"No need to be cautious, my name is Xyros, and I don't bite." He paused for a moment then continued.

"As I said before, this is Nyth, not heaven. Most of your kind reside here."

Alya raised her brows in confusion.

"My kind?" She asked, clearly not understanding what he was saying. The old man chuckled with an amused smile on his face.

"You're a nine-tailed fox are you not?" he inquired while he stroked his beard. Alya had indeed read about those creatures, nine tailed foxes have nine tails. She stared at her tail and raised her brows.

'The old man doesn't know how to count,' she thought. With his old age and those wrinkled skin over his eyes, how could he? She sighed softly and corrected him.

"Old man, I have only one tail. Nine-tailed foxes have nine tails."

"They do, after evolving," he answered calmly, still stroking his beard.

'Evolving?'

Alya stared blankly at him, not making sense of anything he said. She was dumbstruck, she was still listening to the old man. Xyros, the tall old man, saw her confused face and sighed.

'Well.... it's my job to explain this.....'

"Let me elucidate. Nine-tailed foxes are born with one tail and need to complete stages to get the others. There are eight stages in a nine-tailed fox's life, he or she must complete each stage to evolve. It will take a long process, though; each stage could take years, even decades, to complete, and evolving could take that much amount of time as well. Each stage is also very difficult to complete, each one more difficult than the last. If not careful, could cost you your life."

Alya could not take in all this weird information at once. Now she was more than confused. Not only did she turn out to be a nine-tailed fox, but she needed to complete stages, which felt like a waste of time. She still wondered how and why she got here in the first place, now she had to do something that could kill her again.

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'He's like those guides on video games.'

"I'm not doing that."

She then changed the subject and asked him the question she needed to know the answer to.

"How did I get here? Aren't I supposed to be dead?"

"Young lady, you did die, but you reincarnated here as a nine-tailed fox."

Alya sighed and stared at the ground blankly.

'That's one question answered.'

"Ok, then why should I do those things you said?" The old man exhaled deeply and looked straight at her.

"It's all about survival here, the weak perish, and the strong live to see another day. Others were ignorant and stayed the way they were...like what you want to do," he pointed straight at her.

'.....'

Some were either killed off or sold as slaves. While others were lucky to live as merchants, or are protected. If you want to live, you must evolve and become strong. I believe the world you came from doesn't have magic.....am I correct?"

"Magic?"

'There's magic here?'

The old man stared intently at her. She wasn't so sure, with all those wrinkles covering his face.

Alya hesitated for a while....then gave her answer.

"Look, sir, I understand your concern..... actually, I don't since we just met, but I can handle myself, I am not planning on dying again.”

"Don't you want to be rich and powerful?"

That question struck a nerve.

"Of course."

"Then I suggest you do what I told you." The old man's lips curved up to form a dangerous smile.

Alya got goosebumps. The air around him felt so dense she could barely breathe.

"So?"

Alya froze on the spot, she stared at the ground and pondered for a while to weigh out the odds. Moments later she looked back at the old man in front of her.

"It's your choice."

With that look, it felt like more of a threat.

Alya thought of her past life, and all the suffering she went through, only to die with no single achievement. There was no hope for her then, but there could be now. Alya sighed and then looked up at him.

"Ok then, I'll do it." She stated with determination. She did not want to suffer a second time or depend on others anymore. She would succeed and live her life to the fullest, something she could only dream of in her last life.

The old man smiled in satisfaction. He clasps his hands together.

"Very well, good luck on your journey to greatness then." He said quickly, then disappeared instantly.

Alya blinked.

'Huh?'

It took her a while to realize what had just happened.

'HUUUUHHH?!!'

'Where did he go?'

"He didn't even tell me where to start from," Alya murmured angrily while she searched for the old man.

'Heartless old man.'

"Why are you yelling?"

A feminine voice drowsily muttered behind Alya suddenly. Alya looked up but found no one.

'Oh.....no floating person....'

She turned around and found a girl, possibly a few years older, poking her head through a large berry bush. Her speech was accompanied by a long yawn.

Her black cat ears led to a greyish hue at the tip, the same pattern as the two cat tails swaying behind her. Her warm honey-toned skin glistened under the bright sun, as she stood there, staring lazily at Alya with misty grey eyes. Her long and curly black hair cascaded down the grey long-sleeve shirt she wore, accompanied by a pair of long black leggings, held firmly by her waist with a silver lace-up belt. Over her black leggings were black laced knee-high boots. Her clothes underlined every curve of her hourglass figure. Her dark glossy lips formed a small frown.

Both girl's brows furrowed at the sight of each other. Alya's glare was more intense.

"Mind your business." Alya retorted.