Ayo knew things had gone a bit wrong when she started falling from the sky. She was up in the sky, high above an island flush with greenery and all sorts of pointy rocks rushing upwards to draw her to a final embrace. As things went, it was not a particularly calming situation for one to suddenly find themselves and as such Ayo could be forgiven for the unearthly scream that left her mouth at that moment.

Fortunately, before she could truly devolve into a panicked, flailing mess, a voice resounded in her head, calm and upbeat.

"Greetings Traveller, and welcome to the world of Vestige!” it informed her calmly. “Our sensors detect you are currently falling from the sky. This has been determined to be highly dangerous. Begin planetary readaptation process?"

Yes!

"Request acknowledged. Beginning user scan. Please stand by."

Ayo screamed again, this time in sheer disbelief, then let out a surprised grunt when the world around her went monochrome and she came to a sudden and jarring halt. She blinked, twice, at this most unexpected of circumstances, then, tentatively craned her neck to look about her.

Despite how far she’d fallen the island was still some distance away yet dominating everything in sight was a large mountain and a single, odd-looking tower poking out from it. Parts of the landmass were obscured beneath a thick cloud cover and overhead a flock of birds fluttered past, squawking incessantly as though startled by the intruder in their midst. The tower below pulsed once, as if in greeting, and somewhere, deep in the jungle below, something unmistakably nasty let out a chilling roar.

Ayo considered all this with the sort of calmness that only comes out of severe shock, then nodded to herself. There was no doubt about it. She wasn’t on Earth any more.

This realisation shook her much more than she expected and she staggered in the air, hand going to her mouth. All those sleepless nights, all that time spent in the House of Knowledge reading pilfered books and scrolls, all that time going over obscure rituals and spells, wishing with all her might to finally escape her dreadful, miserable life back home.

And she’d done it. She’d transmigrated.

And she was shocked her plan had actually worked.

An electronic whine distracted her from her musing and she stared in mild surprise as a blue screen materialised before her.

[Be welcome once again, Traveller Funmilayo. My designation is the Mediator. I am a thaumaturgic phantasma-mechanical artificial intelligence construct, a subroutine of the Greater Intelligence designated as the Administrator. I am your system assistant, tasked with your well-being as well as serving as your liaison with other System subroutines.]

[Congratulations! You have successfully been Summoned to this world as part of the ancient and respected Starborn Program.]

Ayo blinked in confusion at the message that appeared before her. Starborn Program? What on earth could that be? She wracked her brain, trying to recall if she had ever come across any mention of it during her countless hours of research. But the term remained elusive, hiding in the recesses of her mind.

But just as quickly as the confusion had arrived, Ayo brushed it aside. There were more pressing matters at hand. Sure, she had been taken instead of coming to Vestige under her own power, but dwelling on the details wouldn't change the fact that she was here now, standing in mid-air. The thrill of the unknown, the lure of new beginnings filled her veins, making it impossible for her to focus on anything else.

When she had first discovered information about Vestige, this planet on one of her very illegal infiltrations of the House of Knowledge she had not actually expected her grand plans to one day transmigrate there to actually work. Now that it had though, she had to make sure that she made the most of it. Hopefully, her research would hold true and the System would consider her innate talents as it rebuilt her and integrated her into its matrix.

Not that said talents were anything grand–Ayo had never been much of a fighter–but what she had was certainly better than nothing. And yet, she hesitated. Of course, it was right to hope that she gain access to a Title she was familiar with right from the beginning. Or at least a variant of what she already knew how to use.

But Ayo hated her talent. Hated to even classify it as one. She had been forced to learn to spin clothes because her parents had had this idea that having something to do would keep her from brooding over her far more talented cousin. They’d failed dismally, of course, and discovering that she actually had a knack for the art hadn’t made her feel any better about it. It hadn’t helped that her extended family had agreed and seemed to take a perverse sort of delight in comparing her, the drab, mundane weaver to her reality-bending Wonder of a cousin.

Although, on the flip side, wasn't it the perfect revenge? The idea of reaching the very heights of power utilizing the one and only talent she had, the one thing she had been shamed for… it was intoxicating. What would her father's face be like when his magicless, ofeke daughter returned to her world, a force to be reckoned with? The thought brought a mischievous smile to Ayo's face.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

First things first though, she needed some actual magic.

[The readaptation process is complete, Traveller Funmilayo. You have been integrated into the System and are now ready to begin your journey in Vestige.

[In the future, please remember that you can summon your sheet with the simple command: Status.]

[ALERT! Previous skillset detected! Incorporate into current arcane structure?]

“Yes please.”

[Response acknowledged. Processing…]

[ALERT! Acquisition of Unique Title: Master Weaver successful!]

Ayo let out a cheer. Yes!

[Processing… Extreme Compatibility detected! Conditions met. Acquisition of Unique Title: Elder Reborn successful!]

[Awarding affinity… Complete!]

[Awarding Title Starter arts… Complete!]

[ALERT! Synergy between Starter Arts: Thread Manipulation and Moonlight Generation detected!]

[Merging arts… Successful!]

[ALERT! Starter Arts: Thread Manipulation and Moonlight Generation have successfully merged into the Unique Starter Art: Lunar Threads!]

[Determining compatible race for affinity and Arts… Complete!]

[Applying changes…]

[Transformation complete!]

The messages rang through the air rapid fire once she made her choice but Ayo saw and heard none of it at first. A sphere of light completely shrouded her, and the world was blocked out by the sensations of peace, euphoria and bliss.

Then it was gone as quickly as it started and she was left disorientated and blinking, trying to clear the haze from her head.

As her vision cleared, Ayo found herself standing on the ground, just a few steps away from the Tower. Up close, the grand structure towered above her, constructed of an all-white marble stone that gleamed under the sunlight. The runes covering its surface emitted a soft, ethereal glow, casting a mesmerizing rainbow light that danced across Ayo's face.

But as she took in her surroundings, she couldn't help but notice the changes within herself. Her hand instinctively reached up to touch her hair, only to find it cascading down in lustrous waves of bright silvery-white. Her reflection caught her attention then – a nearby puddle rippling with the gentle breeze – and she gasped in awe. Her eyes, once a deep brown, had transformed into a striking silver with delicate specks of blue. And when she touched her ears, she discovered that they had lengthened into elegant points, glistening with an otherworldly grace.

Ayo reached up to touch her face, to confirm what she was seeing but her hands weren't the same either and she jerked them away quickly. Her fingers were smoother, her nails longer, and–she realised with a bit of shock–sharper.

Someone could stab themselves with these things.

Then she noticed her clothing. In the heat of the moment, she had failed to pay attention to the fact that she was no longer wearing the same clothes but rather a silky, long gown of some sort. The same silvery white as her hair, it clung to her like a second skin. It was rather disconcerting.

But there was no time to fluff about over her potentially salacious clothing. The Mediator was speaking again.

[Congratulations, Traveller Ayo, on your successful transformation into a Spiderkin. Please be advised that your transformation may have altered your physical appearance, as well as your innate natural abilities and strengths. Use this newfound power wisely and with caution.]

Ayo nodded absentmindedly, still in shock from the sudden changes she had undergone. The race change hadn’t been entirely unexpected—she’d had a vague expectation of it happening—and while it was not unwanted, it was still a disorientating experience.

Rays of light peeked through the opening in the canopy, bathing her in warmth and birds sang sweetly to one another, punctuated only by the roar of water crashing against a rock.

Huh, she thought. The sea must be nearby.

Ayo took a deep breath of the sea air, letting the sound of crashing waves and the salty scent of the sea fill her senses. It was a welcome distraction from the whirlwind of emotions that she had been experiencing since her arrival in Vestige. She looked around, taking in the lush greenery and the vibrant colours of the flowers that dotted the landscape.

However, she didn't allow herself to be distracted for too long. While the forest was beautiful, it was still a forest, a place sure to hold all sorts of beasts and monsters hungry for a taste of her sweet, tender flesh.

But as she ventured deeper into the undergrowth, she thought, with no small amount of hope, that it might also be a small step to a bright future.