Chapter 0: A Funeral Pyre

They say burning alive is the worst pain imaginable; As my body lies broken on the roadside, I believe it. The wreckage of a sedan lies beside me, the metal of the traffic barrier indistinguishable from the burning mass of oil and metal. I can still make out the remains of a booster seat amidst the blazing mess. I focus on the smoldering cloth to distract myself from the pain, as my skin cracks and blisters. My grip on reality loosens as my mind grasps at fragmented images of the events that left me crippled on the asphalt.

Burning. Screaming. Metal twisted like paper. Shards of glass sting my cheek—blood? A man staggers from the wrecked car. A child's cry pierces through. Flames everywhere. I run. Heat sears my skin. Gas canisters? Explosion. Can't feel my legs. It all burns.

The fire consumes my thoughts as they form, the pain leaving no room for complex thoughts. I start to feel cold even as my blood boils from the heat. My eyes no longer focus. I see a silhouette of a man holding a child. I crack a grin even as the world goes dark.

The world around me is black, not simply the absence of light, but the absence of anything. I can’t see or hear anything around me. I’m scarcely aware of myself anymore. It feels as though I might lose myself to the infinite nothingness. Yet even here, I can feel the flames burning at my flesh. They eat away at me, scorching my very self.

I don’t know how much time has passed. Rather, time itself lost all meaning. All I remember is fire; The fire is all I am. I am gone, the fire remains.

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There’s fire; Its flames are pale blue, softly burning with ethereal beauty. It floats gently amidst the darkness, casting an ephemeral blue glow over its surroundings. A gust of wind blows, carrying the mote like an ember from a blaze.

The feeling of wind upon my form slowly draws me back to reality. I inhale the wind as tongues of flame burn brighter in response. I gaze intently at the captivating pyre, and feel something activate in response. Information floods my mind, organizing itself into a coherent structure...

STATUS:

Name: ???

Species: Minor Spirit (Flame)

Race: Will-O’Wisp

Level: 1

Experience: 0 / 10

Health: 10 / 10

Stamina: 5 / 5

Strength: 1

Agility: 3

Endurance: 2

Magic: 4

Perception: 5

Skills:

* Pyrokinesis (Minor)

Traits:

* Ephemeral Spark

* Spirit Form - Fire

Afflictions:

* None

[...Huh?!]