Void encompasses my vision. A black expanse stretching on forever as I float in this endless space.
I feel as though I've been here for both eons, and simultaneously, only a second. Time seeming to have no meaning in this place.
'When will this end?' I muse to myself.
Giving a mental sigh, I resume my endless floating. Dreading my seeming continued endless existence.
[Congratulations! You have been selected to reincarnate as a Gamer!]
[Do you accept?]
[Yes/No]
Mentally blinking at the sudden screen popping in front of me, I merely attempt a shrug, willing to accept anything to be done with this place. Though I'm not sure what this Gamer thing is.
[Thank you for accepting! As a first time Gamer, you have been granted the choice of five worlds to be reincarnated into!]
[Frozen]
[Magic the Gathering]
[Berserk]
[Gundam 00]
[Harry Potter]
Well, at least I recognize these worlds. Which one to pick though?
I'm not a fan of Frozen, so thats automatically out. Nothing against the movie in particular, just couldn't ever get into it and didn't understand the hype over it.
Magic, while something I do enjoy playing, isn't something I understand the lore of. And with the various sorts of mind magics they have, I can only imagine how broken and depraved a world based on it would be.
Berserk is outright banned. To much fuckery going on with Griffith and the Godhand. And I'm sure I'd end up in some kind of situation where I'd die almost immediately with no chance of saving myself.
Gundam 00 is an interesting choice. Space combat in giant mechs is everyones dream life at some point, and being able to live that would be awesome. Unfortunately, I highly doubt I'd end up as a pilot there, so probably not a good idea to go there.
That just leaves Harry Potter. A world that starts off pretty slow, but can end up pretty bad as the years go by. Out of these options though, it seems to be the only true option.
Giving a thought towards choosing the Harry Potter option, the screens pop away. Only to be replaced by an additional set of them.
[You have chosen the world of Harry Potter!]
[You will now begin the tutorial as to how the Gamer system works]
[Perks: Special benefits earned through specific requirements]
[Level: Determines the overall ability of the user. Every Level Up grants 1 point to each Stat. Level Ups are granted upon completing various Quests or through items]
[Stats: As a Gamer, you have various Stats detailing how your physical, mental, and magical abilities work. Stats can only be grown through work or specific Quests that become available]
[Strength: Details the physical power of ones body. Increased through exercise and muscle growth]
[Magic: Details the strength, efficiency, and range of magical abilities. Increased through constant use of magic]
[Perception: Details the range and ability to sense anything around you. Increased through focused use on any sense]
[Endurance: Details the ability to withstand hits, as well as pain, poisons and toxins. Increased through enduring various forms of damage]
[Dexterity: Details the speed and ease of use of ones body. Increased through long term physical exhaustion]
[Allure: Details the perception of ones body and voice by others. Increased through smooth talking and taking care of ones body]
[Each Stat will only grow through ones actions throughout ones life. Each Stat will now be modified to match your new life]
[We wish you the best on your new Gamer journey]
Before I even have a chance to respond, in whatever way I have been at least, a bright light erupts from the screens, blinding me for a moment as I feel myself fading away into unconsciousness.
The next moment I'm standing in front of a shop, surrounded by various people in robes and hats as they go about their business.
Blinking away my confusion, I look down at myself, and am greeted by the sight of a female body. Pronounced chest and all.
"What...?"
I hadn't imagines that I'd be brought back as a girl instead of a guy like my previous life. Though I guess it won't matter to much.
"Miss Fraener? Are you alright?" A voice says from ahead of me.
Looking back up, I see an older stern looking woman in robes and glasses waiting for me with the shops door open.
This must be Professor McGonagall. She's the only older stern woman I can think of that would be escorting me around what I can only assume is Diagon Alley.
"Y-yes Professor!" I respond. "I, uh, just got distracted for a second..."
God, my new voice is gonna take some getting used to.
Professor McGonagall purses her lips for a second, but then sighs at me. "Well, lets carry on instead. Do try and not be so easily distracted in the future dear."
And with those words, the two of us enter the shop. Countless small boxes all around the place, with what seems to be wooden blocks and some form of organic materials at different workstations.
Ollivander's Wand Shop.
"Ah... Minerva. 9 inches long, made of fir wood, and had a dragon heartstring core. Stiff and well suited for transfiguration." A voice says from a man behind the counter.
Ollivander himself.
"Yes Ollivander. You mention it every time I come here." McGonagall sighs at his reaction.
"Hmm, yes." His eyes trail from the Professor over to me instead. "And I take it this is a new student in need of a wand?"
McGonagall nods to him and gently pushes me in closer.
"Yes, this is Rin Fraener. She's going to be starting her first year and is in need of her wand."
Rin Fraener. So thats my new name here.
"Hmm... very well. Your dominant arm then Miss Fraener?" Ollivander asks, reaching his hand out towards me to take my own. A levitating tape measure appearing as well that begins to measure out the rest of me in odd ways.
"Uh, I'm right handed." Raising my right arm and grasping his own, I'm slightly startled as he pulls me in closer, his face leaning down closer to my hand as he inspects my palm.
He says nothing for a moment. A deep and contemplative look on his face.
Suddenly, he looks back up, his eyes meeting mine, and thats when I notice it.
His eyes... they're vacant. Lifeless pale pupils staring directly into mine. Seeming to not see my outer form, but within my very being.
It's unnerving to say the least.
"Hmm, yes. A most confusing customer today..." He mutters.
The famous wand maker begins scouring through the various boxes in his workshop. Grabbing what seems to be random cases containing wands to test on me.
Setting the cases down on a nearby desk, he addresses me once more.
"Your history Miss Fraener, is most odd." He begins. "You seem as if you're a mere babe, one who has just come into existence here before me. And yet... you have a long and rich history when I look closer... an oddity I have never seen before."
I don't know what to say to that. I'd rather not let anyone know that I'm from another world and that I really did just appear just now.
"Well, no matter I suppose. Even with such an oddity about you, I am confident I can find a wand to match with you. Here, try this one. Unicorn hair, holly and 10 inches. Very stiff if I do say so myself."
And with that begins the testing of wands.
Dragon heartstring, blackthorn and 13 1/2 inches.
Unicorn hair, apple and 8 3/4 inches.
Phoenix feather, alder and 10 inches.
After almost a dozen different wands, Ollivander speaks up again.
"A tricky customer indeed." Ollivander muses. "Well, if the conventional doesn't work, let us try the unconventional."
He brings out a different set of boxes from the others. These boxes having more elaborate designs on them.
"These wands are... odd, to say the least Miss Fraener. They contain more unique materials then those of the more common wands wizards and witches use. Here, try this one. Hyppocampy heartstring, yew and 9 inches. Pliable towards the tip."
Grabbing ahold of the wand, I feel what is almost a connection. But it fizzles out before I even have a chance to try it. Ollivander quickly swapping it with another.
"Try this instead. Tsuchigumo web, dogwood and 10 1/2 inches. Very bendy."
On and on this goes. Even more weird materials used in these wands.
Thunderbird feather, cherry and 9 inches.
Cerberus heartstring, yew and 12 1/4 inches.
Sphinx hair, hawthorn and 11 3/4 inches.
"Miss Fraener, you are one of the trickiest customers I have ever seen." Ollivander says with a chuckle.
Professor McGonagall huffs from the doorway, reminding us that she's here. "I do hope you'll get this over with soon Ollivander. We still need to pick up the rest of Miss Fraener's supplies."
The esteemed wandmaker merely looks over at the professor. His eyes seeming to take her in as he speaks. "It takes as long as it takes dear. You should know this after so long."
Without waiting for her response, Ollivander hands me another wand.
"Lets test this one Miss Fraener. Hellhound heartstring, elder and 8 1/2 inches. Quite swishy and tempermental." He says.
The moment the wand touches my fingers, I feel it. A rush of power flowing from the wand into myself with a rush of force, almost knocking the breath out of me.
I stand there in shock as I subconsciously raise the wand and flick it to the side. The action sending the boxes of wands flying off of the desks with magic.
"Well, I do say we have a winner." Ollivander says softly. "Be careful with that wand Miss Fraener. In all my years as a wandmaker, I have only ever seen three other wands be as violent as that one. Two of which have gone on to commit many atrocities."
I can only think of one wand he might be talking about. Voldemort's wand. The others, well, who knows.
"Thank you sir. I'll be sure to be careful with it." I reply warily, still reeling from the feeling of power emanating from the wand.
With one last look at his oddly vacant eyes, I follow McGonagall out of the shop.
"Well. Thats not quite the wand pickup I was expecting today Miss Fraener." McGonagall says once we're put on the street.
I nod to her words absentmindedly, looking at my wand with wonder.
[Wand Acquired!]
[Equipment Menu Unlocked]
The screens popping up suddenly take over my vision. A large screen in the center showing off a visage of myself.
Black, shoulder length hair pooling around my shoulders. Bright crystal blue eyes adorned with a small scar going over my left eyebrow, cutting it in half.
All in all, I look like a fifteen year old girl.
The rest of the screen shows various squares connected to different points of my body.
One on the top of my head, one on each earlobe, another on the neck, one on each arm, a chest piece, one for the pants, and one on each ankle. A total of ten different slots for equipment.
Secondly, theres a weapon slot. Currently it shows my newly acquired wand as my weapon, but I assume I could swap it for others.
Discreetly pressing on the weapon slot, another screen pops up, showing details on the wand's abilities.
[Rin Fraener's Wand]
[Wood: Elder]
[Core: Hellhound Heartstring]
[Length: 8 1/2 inches]
[Attributes: Darkness, Death, Fire]
[Description: A temperamental and wrathful wand. Formed with the wood of an elder tree and the heartstring of an old hellhound, this wand yearns for the death and destruction of all those it faces. Increases the damage and destruction of Dark magic. All Dark magic is easier to learn]
That sounds... ominous. Ollivander wasn't joking when he said that this wand would be a handful to deal with and control.
I can only hope that it won't cause problems in the future.
As if sensing my thoughts, the wand vibrates in my grip. A low growl seeming to echo in my head.
"Miss Fraener?"
The voice of McGonagall snaps me out of my stupor.
"Miss Fraener. I do hope you'll quit with this spacing out when term starts. Now come along, we still need to pick up the rest of your supplies."
With her words said, Professor McGonagall leads me back through Diagon Alley.
I didn't realize it at first, but Diagon Alley is massive in scope. No matter how many times we travel to different shops or past an alleyway, theres only more people and places in sight.
Eventually though we finish with the shopping. Having gotten ahold of my robes, books, various school supplies, and being given a small stipend of 10 galleons curtesy of the Hogwarts orphan fund. Though I understand it is expected to hold a student over for the entire year, so if I use it all up, then I'm out of money for the rest of the year.
With Professor McGonagall showing me around Diagon Alley, we eventually reach a tavern with a sign showing its name. The Dead Man's Respite.
Ominous name aside, McGonagall doesn't seem worried about it as she leads me inside.
The tavern's interior hits me immediately. Low, moody lighting, with an enchanted piano playing over on a small stage in the back. There's a myriad of tables of chairs around the place, but each of them empty, with the only person inside being a man behind the counter reading a newspaper.
I follow after McGonagall as she approaches the man. As we come closer, the man looks up and quirks an eyebrow at us, before putting his newspaper down and addressing us.
"Well, back again Minerva? It feels like just yesterday when you were last here." The man says with a small smile.
The Professor sighs dramatically towards the man before speaking. "Yes Cezar, thats because I was here yesterday. Quit trying to sound so mysterious for the first years."
The barman, Cezar, chuckles at McGonagall's words. "You're right, you're right. Though you can't blame a vampire for trying eh?"
His eyes flick over to me next, sizing me up. Thats when I notice the color of his eyes are a dark red. From the side they appeared brown before, but now that he's looking straight towards me, its become clear their true color.
"Yes... and what is your name dear?" He asks me.
I look at him for a half-second, before answering. "Rin Fraener..."
His face hardens slightly when I say my last name, before settling back after a moment. "I see. Well Miss Fraener, welcome to the Dead Man's Respite. A place to rest from whatever ailments and situations you may be facing any given day."
He caps his words off with a flourish and a wide grin, revealing his pronounced canines poking past his lips.
A true vampire.
McGonagall speaks up after his little introduction, a rolling of her eyes accompanying her words. "Do quit trying to scare the new students Cezar. Gosh, if its not one thing, its another with you."
With a slight chuckle from the two of them, Cezar motions for me to give him my hand.
"Now Miss Fraener, as an aspiring first year, I will answer one question of yours. Ask whatever you wish, and I will answer it to the best of my knowledge and ability. It can concern your future, your Hogwarts journey, or even something about yourself you do not know."
I ponder his words deeply. Eyes glued to his outstretched hand as I contemplate what I could ask of him.
This body's past. What my future could be. What Hogwarts is like. Who I can trust. Untold various questions flick through my head as I wonder.
I reach my conclusion, and take hold of his hand.
"I wish to know..."
