'War. Ever since I was a 6 year-old child, war came into my vision. It was a happy parents day moment at the school when a bomb blew beside the building. An immediate evacuation was then announce and that the area will soon become a war zone. That bomb was just a stray bomb from the nearby city. Everyone was on panick while I am crying looking at my mother's face full of shock and devoid of life. Panic and fear strike on everyone as it only took 5 hours after the announcement came true. I was left at the school that is now rubbles on some part due to the bomb. Everyone I see is dead and maybe me due to the blood oozing out of my body and head.'
'To my surprise I was barely alive. Awaken by a loud noise, I check my whole body and it was a mess while my mind is a lot messier. I don't know how much time had pass. All I know is that it is dark outside. A lot of cars are on fire and some people are running and shooting at each other. I crawled trying to get a half filled water bottle in my sight. One thing that I feel right now is how hungry I am. After I drink all of the water I felt a little refresh. My whole body still aches. My mother is dead and she is in front of me out of life. Some of my classmates have evacuated and some are dead. Most of them immediately came out after the bomb except me. I gaze at the dead bodies in my surrounding, adults and children. I check the lying lunch boxes and bag packs on the ground as my hunger growls even stronger. The loud noises of guns can still be heard but not as loud as before. I found plenty of food and ate them as they seem so useless right now to the people lying around but at that time I was so hungry but can't have the stomach to eat so I force my self to eat those food stuffed in my mouth. I was crying while eating with the mess in front of me. All I can do is close my eyes as I chew my food while my tears fall running down in my cheeks.'
'The day after that, I woke up hoping it was a dream but alas the wounds on my body and the blood that become hard prove that it was real. I stood up shaking carrying a bag full of water and chips that I pick on the floor. I tried to crawl out of the room at the hole I saw on the other wall. I squeeze my self out and tried to find my way. I checked every classroom and everywhere I go, I saw corpses. My pace was slow full of fear and sometimes vomiting. I sometimes jump and shuddered in fear as the loud sound of gunshots and bombs go out very often. It was hard as my legs sometimes stop moving. That day it took me all the time to reach at our nurse room. The school only has one building and two floors. I was on the upper floor and the nurse room is only 3 classroom away near the stairs. The room is still ok with only cracks on the walls and a hole on the side. Taking the alcohol gauzes at sight I dressed my wounds and cleaned myself.
'The war kept going after a month pass. I only stick around the school as I believe it was the safest. There was a collapse room where there is a hole enough for me to fit in. Going through that there is a space wide enough for me to rest and hide. I took most of the food and water I can find at the school into this small place. I was restless everyday and was afraid everytime. The smell is very bad if I go out in this small place. I have a medic mask with me and some of the medkit that I took. When I hear some people nearby I dash immediately here. It is my only safe place.'
'Another week has pass and I met a group of soldier. They went inside the school and exchanged fires with the other soldiers. I was peeking on a hole watching two soldier traded fire with one another. I was scared and angry at them at the same time. During these past few days, I see some soldiers at night roaming around the area. It was my first time to try to seek help. I thought they came to help civilians. 5 strangers came to them with their hands raised up asking for help. One of soldier shot one of them dead while the other shouted saying "nobody move". 4 of them kneeled down crying. The other soldier shot another one of their companion, dead. At this time I don't know why the soldiers did it and made the other three take out their clothes and said they will help the three but at that time I saw the three people crying even more while the soldiers have a very satisfying smile on their face.'
After a while a series of shots, two soldiers are wounded heavily as I watch them exchange fire on the other side. Some time later the shooting stopped. One of the soldiers barely alive. I went to check the others carefully and found another one wounded on his leg while all of them are now dead. In that exchange only two survived. One heavily wounded and one who is wounded on his leg. This day marked my first kill on my life. I crawled on a dead soldier and took out a gun, a small pistol in their hands but a heavy big one for a small child. The wounded soldier limp until he was seated on the ruble as he applied alcohol to his wound. Creeping at his back silently I tried to aim at his head. Nervous, afraid and anger is inside me as I take that shot. For my mother. Bam! My hearing was damaged and I was knocked back to the ground by that shot. I hurried and try to run away with fear that I failed but as I look back the soldier fell down motienless on the floor.'
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'The war lasted for three years. There was interval where the two army decided a ceasefire 5 times. At that time of my age all I can think of is to survive. I never trust civilians as my early experience got me nearly killed. Inside the warzone, it thought me how to survive and be vigilant. It thought me how people changes in time of chaos. There are some people that I trust along the way in the end. People that understand my situation that still didn't lose their humanity. I follwed them and help ed each other to survive the war. We are finally able to escape when they start bombing the area again. Some survived but it made us scattered. At the end I was with 2 other survivor when the announcement that the war is finally over. I survived the war and was taken to an orphanage. They investigate all about me and tried to find my father and my 2 sisters. Only to be reported dead 1 year ago. At that time I thought they got unlucky due to war. That was my childhood as Edward Lock.'
*******
After a massive head ache, Ernesh slowly opened his eyes. Memories of another man came flooding into his head which gave him headache.
'Weird, it's as if I experienced it.' Ernesh said as he tried to get up. His vision was met with darkness as he open his eyes. 'What is happening?' He first thought as he inspect his surrounding. 'Mom?' Squinting his eyes as hard as he can amd managed to notice her mother dressed in a white silk robe with red flowered petal decoration.
Noticing the noise Brighid opened her eyes and ignited a candle with a flick of her fingers. She opened her eyes widely as she look at her son with a confused look.
"Ernesh!" She leaped and hug him. "Are you ok? How are you feeling?" She never left Ernesh side since her husband went for investigation. It was now dawn till Ernesh woke up.
"I'm ok mom. Just a little pain in my head." Ernesh said. Brighid smile and explained what happened to him saying how worried they are after he got unconcious. She tried to ask Ernesh what happened but his stomach suddenly growled. "Mom, I'm hungry."
"Mom?" Brighid raised a brow noticing something is off on her son. "Ok dear. I'll go prepare you some food. It will take awhile ok?", she said and left the room. "Thanks mom." Ernesh said in respond.
'What is happening? Am I Edward Lock or am I Ernesh Ungar?' He ask to himself. Confused at his current situation as memories of the man called Edward Lock came in invading his head.
[YOU ARE BOTH.]
A robotic voice came as Ernish jolted in surprise looking around to where the voice came from.
[STOP LOOKING AROUND. I AM A PART OF YOU. NO ONE CAN HEAR ME EXCEPT YOU.]
The robotic voice explained. Ernesh stopped looking around and demanded what is happening. A written words suddenly appeared in front of him like a computer typing, followed by the robotic voice.
[EARTH SOUL.]
[LAST KNOWN AS EDWARD LOCK.]
[SOUL ADMINISTRATOR L SENT YOU TO MID-TIER PLANET 60491 OR PLANET GNOBUL WITH THE REWARD OF HUMAN REINCARNATION ON EARTH.]
[WILL YOU ACCEPT MISSION?]
"WHAT? WHO? WHERE? FUCK!!! This confuse me even more!" Ernesh yelled which made Brighid come running back to the room to look at her son. Ernesh shutted his mouth and gave a convenient lie. After awhile she came back holding a small table and present it on his bed carrying the sweet and spicy meat soup she prepared for him on his 5th day of birth. Unnoticing the food, Ernesh tried to calm his mind and responded to the robotic voice.
'Please explain to me one at a time. Who am I? What do you mean both?'
[YOUR SOUL IS THE SAME ONLY YOUR BODY IS DIFFERENT.]
'That make sense but I still feel conflicted. Not long ago I was just an inoccent child wanting to become a warrior just like my father. Now, now I don't know anymore. Having my memory since I was Edward made me more...'
[MATURE.]
The robotic voice continued what Ernesh was thinking.
[CONFUSION IS UNDERSTANDABLE PLEASE TAKE TIME TO DIGEST IT. REINCARNATION WITH THE MEMORIES GIVEN AT TIME OF BIRTH IS DANGEROUS. INFANT DOESN'T POCESS THE BRAIN CAPACITY AND STRENGTH TO HANDLE DATA. ACQUIRING PAST MEMORIES ONLY CHANGES THE WAY OF THINKING. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE A 5 YEAR OLD CHILD NOT A 60 YEAR OLD EDWARD.]
'I was gonna say Insane.' Ernesh went to a deep thought as the system tried to help him. Meanwhile, his mother stares at her son in confusion. 'He said he was hungry but he has been staring at the food for the entire time.'