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A Burned Heart - CH 1
🕑 Added 2024-06-29 21:48:03 +0000 UTCChapter One
Point Nemo
Rise of Winter, Week 1, Day 2
It was quick, at least. A single whack with a crowbar straight to her temple. She didn’t have to stick around while she bled out. She was just… out.
It was almost like falling asleep.
Of course, she wasn’t asleep. She was dead.
Around her body, pandemonium continued. The man who’d hit her was already dead, brought down with a bullet through his head. Bystanders were screaming —but so was her bodyguard. He was grasping her and shouting for backup, an ambulance, anything. But that wasn’t her problem. Not anymore.
Her soul was quickly lifted from her body and brought up and up and up. There were no pearly gates here. Around her soul was darkness, void, the abyss. Whatever you called it. The nothingness around her soul continued for an immeasurable time. Stars were born, Suns collapsed, and universes were wiped out. All in the time it took her soul to reach a new plane of existence.
From one universe to another.
She approached the world she would later learn is called Gargantua. It is the only world on its plane. With two suns and an oversized moon.
Her soul arrived straight into the hands of a Goddess.
The Goddess’s hair was a gentle yellow, her eyes entirely white —pupil and all. Her skin was like white silk, so much so that the gentle white robes she wore looked rough compared to her skin.
“Oh, poor child, taken too soon.” The Goddess cooed, “I am here for you. Awake, and call me Frill.”
Her soul stirred, then. It unfurled in the shape of a young girl. Not the woman who died.
“Where am I?” She said, her voice soft but unafraid.
The girls body was a pale white, and when she held up her hand she could see through it.
“You are home now, child.”
The girl looked up at Frill.
“What is my name?”
“I’ll allow you to remember this,” Frill, the Goddess of Compassion, said, “But I will take some things that may hurt you. The edge of grief will be dulled.”
And then the girl's body started to fade.
“Go, Kalina, and become someone new.”
The girl's body dispersed into the aether.
And then, for the first time in a new world, Kalina awoke.
-
It was a gentle morning, and Kalina dreamt of strange things. A world where she was a child of an important house, where she had three younger siblings who adored her, and an extended family so large she was never alone. Kalina dreamt of a girl running through the fields, climbing bones of trees she could find, and hopping, skipping, and jumping around the Moors. She dreamt of words on a screen saying unfamiliar words —words like [System Integrating].
When she opened her eyes, there was a red screen in front of her. It had bright white script on it, and it looked much like an old-school game screen.
[System Integrated]
[Congratulations! You have Awakened! System unlocked.]
“How interesting,” Kalina said, raising her hand up to touch the floating words —only for her fingers to slide right through. More notices appeared. She curiously scrolled through them all.
[Congratulations! You've experienced an otherworldly phenomenon! Experience accumulated.]
[Congratulations! You have memories of another world! You've learned the Skill: Otherworldly.]
[Congratulations! You have shown martial skills any master would be proud of! You’ve learned the Skill: Quick Fight.]
[Congratulations! Due to integrating the memory of your feat’s pre-Awakening, you have received the Skill: Fire Step.]
[Congratulations! Due to integrating the memory of your feat’s pre-Awakening, you have received the Skill: Running.]
[Congratulations! Due to integrating the memory of your feat’s pre-Awakening, you have received the Skill: Bright as a Flickering Flame.]
[Congratulations! You have discovered knowledge forbidden by the Gods! You've learned the skill: Hidden Heart.]
[Congratulations! You have been noticed by the Goddess of Compassion, Frill! You've learned the skill: Regenerate.]
[Congratulations! Due to being directly influenced by a Goddess you have unlocked the Divinity stat! You currently have 12 Divinity.]
[Congratulations! Due to the Goddess of Compassion, Frill, you have received an additional 25 Divinity! You currently have 37 Divinity.]
“Interesting, indeed.”
Kalina looked down at the hand she’d slid through the screen. The red light did not reflect off her. But the morning light coming through her window was enough to see that her skin was much tanner than before, with an ochre undertone. Looking around, the edge of the bed seemed farther away than it should have, but she gently climbed across the mattress and slid off the bed. When she did so, her bare feet met a plush rug, and she looked down. Her legs were much smaller than she thought they should be.
Across the vast room was a mirrored wall. It reflected the deep browns of the bed, the soft blue of the walls, and several other bits of furniture. None of that was noteworthy.
What was noteworthy was that Kalina had soft pink hair that made it to her shoulders and striking orange eyes. Orange, not amber.
Kalina made her way across the room, never breaking eye contact with her reflection. She dodged a coffee table, a footstool, and several dolls scattered about on her way. But as she drew closer to the mirror, a baffled expression crossed her face.
“I’m not me anymore, am I?” She asked to nobody in particular.
Kalina actually knew the answer, so asking the question felt rather silly. The room she was in matched the room in her dream, not to mention she remembered details about the [System].
“Who—“ she laughed lightly.”—am I now?”
“[Status]”
[Status Summary]
[Name: Fredericka Nemo]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 8]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 0]
[Vitality: 9 Endurance: 7]
[Strength: 8 Dexterity: 4]
[Perception: 4 Magic: 2]
[Luck: 78 Divinity: 37]
[0th Tier Class: Child of the Gods, Max Level]
[Boon: Not Selected]
[1st Tier Class: Not Selected, 0 Level]
[Skills:
0th Tier: Running Lv. 1
1st Tier: Quick Fight Lv. 1, Bright as a Flickering Flame Lv. 1, Fire Step Lv. 1
2nd Tier: Otherworldly Lv. 1
Untiered: Hidden Heart Lv. 1, Regenerate Lv. 1
[Congratulations! You have opened your Status Summary for the first time! You have unlocked a Boon from the System. You’ve acquired the skill: Inspect.]
[System Notice: As a first time System User, Inspect will be automatically activated for the following items: Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Perception, Magic, Luck, and Divinity.]
[Vitality: Often known as one’s life blood, the Gods decreed “Be Well. Live Long. Thrive.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. The main effects of Vitality are enhanced general health, enhanced recovery, and reduced aging speed past adolescence.]
[Endurance: Often known as one’s physical will, the Gods decreed “Continue to Charge. Stand Firm. Endure.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. The main effects of Endurance are enhanced stamina, enhanced stamina regeneration, and the increased chance to withstand catastrophic injuries.]
[Strength: Often known as one’s capacity for force, the Gods decreed “Enforce. Destroy. Dominate.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. The main effects of Strength are enhanced battle acuity and optimized muscle growth.]
[Dexterity: Often known as one’s ability to maneuver, the Gods decreed “Be Nimble. Be Graceful. Avoid All.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. The main effects of Dexterity include enhanced agility, enhanced fine motor control, and enhanced speed.]
[Perception: Often known as one’s ability to absorb information, the Gods decreed “See All. Hear All. Understand all.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. The main effects of Perception include enhanced attention to detail, enhanced reaction speed, and enhanced mental processing.]
[Magic: The Gods decreed “Bear Your Will, Show Your Intent. Bend Nature As You Please.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. Unlike the five physical attributes, Magic is built off the soul. The main effects of Magic included mana control and mana sight.]
[Luck: The Gods decreed “Good Luck.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. Unlike the five physical attributes, Luck is built off the soul. It is believed the effects of Luck include enhanced probability sense and higher order deduction skills.]
[Divinity: The Gods decreed “Rend the Earth. Steam the Seas. Contort the Very World.” upon bestowing the value to mortals. Unlike the five physical attributes, Divinity is built off the soul. The effects of Divinity depend on the Gods whose will the user embodies, as well as the Will and Intent of the user.]
[Notice: Due to your Divinity level, you are capable of viewing two messages that await you. Would you like to accept them?]
Ignoring the question at the end, Kalina felt a smile settle on her face.
“Fredericka. Freddie Nemo. Granddaughter to the Duke of Nemo.” Kalina mused aloud, then, “I like it.”
She flicked her eyes back to the red screen.
“Yes, I suppose I would like to read those messages now.”
[Acceptance recognized. Messages being pulled for display.]
[Message 1]
[Welcome, Otherworlder! You have awoken on the planet of Gargantua as a noble child within the Kingdom of Maeve. As a precautionary measure, the Goddess who brought you here bestowed both a boon and a restriction. Use them as best you can. The Goddess hopes to see you thrive in your new world.
Congratulations! All abilities from your previous world have carried forward! The [System] will integrate them as your experience from your past life is applied.
May your Eternal Star burn Bright.]
[Message 2]
[Kalina,
I wish you to live your own life. To see this world with beauty and love. And to find your destiny.
You are meant for so much. Pray and I will hear you, but call to me only in a time of great need.
Lady of Compassion,
Frill]
“So that was real, too, then,” Kalina said.
Then she turned her eyes back to the orange in the mirror, and she laughed.
“All right, then. A new life, one that’s my own this time.”
Another red box appeared then.
[System Notice: As a first time System User, Inspect will be automatically activated for all newly acquired skills from the past 24 hours.]
[Otherworldly: After being ripped from your previous plane, your presence here is a rare occurrence —though not unheard of. As an Otherworlder blessed with Divinity, your presence will not go unnoticed. The first to be served, the last to be reprimanded, and the one chosen for destined encounters. Through this Skill, your Aura is passively expanded. With additional Mana infusion, this skill can define your presence further. Range increases per level. Definition increases per level.]
[Quick Fight: Your base knowledge of martial arts has allowed you to surpass a majority of the world. When you are evaluating another being in a martial situation you will be exponentially faster at predicting their movements. Speed is increased per level. Comprehension is increased per level.]
[Running: You have practiced the the universal method of courier travel. By dedicating time and passion to the craft you will be granted the ability to Run like a legendary Courier. Increased Dexterity while running. Increased speed while running.]
[Fire Step: Through dedicated practice of your craft, you have been rewarded with the ability to turn fire into a platform to run on. This skill requires mana to maintain. Increased fire affinity per level. Increased durability per level. Decreased cost per level.]
[Bright as a Flickering Flame: You are present, good or bad. Your presence produces warmth, like a flame in a cave. This skill allows you to produce a calming aura. So long as you do not instigate a negative reaction, it is harder to be found disconcerting. This skill requires mana to maintain. Ability to push out your aura increased per level. Duration limited. Cooldown applies.]
[Hidden Heart: You have uncovered knowledge forbidden by the Gods of this world. The Goddess who brought you wishes not to take your life from you, so she has instead hidden your memories within you. Your mind cannot be read, but on the opposite side of the coin, should you reveal your past it shall be taken from you. Divine beings are exempt from this Skill. This is a restriction skill.]
[Regenerate: You have attracted the attention of the Goddess of Compassion, Frill. Out of her concern, Frill has gifted you with the ability to heal your wounds. Whenever you are injured in mundane or magical circumstances, this Skill will begin to repair the damage done. Frill often uses this when Morloch’s ever-bleeding wounds re-open before her. Total effectiveness is increased per level. This Skill speed can be enhanced by infusing mana, otherwise you will passively regenerate. This Skill is dependent on your Divinity attribute being above 0.]
“The wonders never cease,” she hummed, processing the slew of information. Once she’d felt sufficiently informed, Kalina —no. Freddie, she decided. Freddie grabbed the door on the far end of the mirror wall and began sifting through her closet.
After a few minutes, she came out in a pale orange shirt with flutter sleeves and a pair of brown shorts adorned with golden chains. A charm hung from around her neck: a four-pointed star made out of a pale pink metal and outlined in gold. She was also wearing a pair of brown slide-on mules.
Without hesitation, she opened the door to her room and took in the Nemo Estate. It was a vast thing, and as she made her way down the halls, she could see the Moors of Hernel through the windows. No vast forests, no swamps, simply hills with low brush. In the distance, Hernel itself rose high into the sky —its towers visible from the top of the Nemoan Hill the Nemo family made their home.
She knew her way, and she was unafraid. Perhaps, if Freddie had much to lose in her last life, this one would have been much different. But as it was, all she had was her reputation. No loving mother coddled her, no father raised her as the apple of his eye, no brother or sisters loved or supported her —she hadn’t even had any siblings who hated her. In her past, when Freddie was Kalina, all she had was her fists and a chip on her shoulder.
But here? She could let it all go. No debt would drag her down. Here, power was what she took for herself. Here, she could do anything.
It was several minutes of making her way through the halls before Freddie came to the grand staircase. It had two stairwells, one going down the left wall and one going down the right, but they converged in the middle into a single staircase that emptied out at the center of the main hall.
Down below, Freddie could hear chatter. She gripped the railing with her hands and began sliding down the banister, a grin on her face. She tilted just so, so that when the curve came at the stairwell’s convergence she wouldn’t fall. She landed in the entryway with a thump of her heels hitting hardwood and a laugh.
It was a remarkably smooth motion for someone who supposedly only just inherited her body.
Then again, Freddie found this life to be her own. No struggle or turmoil, simply acceptance.
Freddie stretched her arms above her head and shook her body out. She felt like she was in prime condition. She continued on her way towards the voices coming from deeper on the first floor.
Within seconds, she was perched in the archway looking into the dining room where a dozen people were talking jovially. It was only a moment before she spoke.
“Guess what?” Freddie said, and the whole group turned to look at her, smiles reaching their eyes.
Comments
Allora Lee
Nope that’s a mistake!! Thank you!!!
Virnor
The system mentions 3 messages pending but she only gets 2 and then it skips straight to the auto-inspect of her skills. Is the 3 a mistake or is there a message missing?
SnappyDragon
Seems like a full, fairly seamless, merger with OG Freddie.
Ben Tilly
What happened to the old Fredericka? What are Frill's motivations here?
LadyLark
Well you definitely went in the exact opposite direction with Nora. Opposites attract is definitely a thing and this should allow us to see your world from different perspectives.🧐
Allora Lee
Not necessarily but they might be able to identify mana and divinity similar to their own. Better question, “are the from the same elsewhere?”
Seto Kazuki
If her and Nora were to ever cross paths would they instinctively know that they come from another world? Also do they come from the same time period in elsewhere or are they from different periods?
Allora Lee
Congruently!
elijah pickett
Also, thank you for the chapter!
elijah pickett
Are these happening congruently? Or at different time periods?
Allora Lee
She’s a fighter first and foremost 🥹
SnappyDragon
Compassionate FIST!!!
