章 2: Chapter 2: New World, Same Grief
Crystal felt the darkness and the abyss lulling her to sleep. She felt at ease and her worries leaving her body and soul. However, the feeling of grief and loss didn't diminish at all, in fact, it started to consume the other senses that made her uncontrollably depressed and detached from the outside world. Crystal blinked twice when a shining light came out of nowhere. She heard a faint voice from the light, it was desperate, pleading, and sorrowful.
"Please save them... Please live with them, my babies... please raise them well..."- The voice said before the light dimmed and disperse and she felt herself falling down from somewhere high up. Crystal felt fear and thought that her heart almost stops beating. Suddenly that feeling was gone, and it was replaced with her feeling tired and fatigued that she doesn't pay any attention to her surroundings.
She was not responding to the outside world however, her body was running away from danger on its own. She could faintly hear growls of beasts and yelps of other animals vaguely from her subconsciousness.
'Where am I? Where are my parents? Why am I running away? Where is this place?'- Crystal questioned herself while she rested near the small stream. She slowly got used to her new body, and her priorities are starting to get clearer.
"Earlier, what just happened? I died and went to an abyss and then a bright light talked to me and told me to take care of her babies? What was that phenomenon?"- Crystal was baffled while looking at her dirty hands. Did she cross worlds and need to live for a second time? But what about her parents? Where are they?
"This phenomenon, what did they call this? Transmigration?"- Crystal remembers a vague conversation of her co-workers in the office about novels and such that takes a soul from one world to another to live on someone else's body to fulfill its regrets and live a happy life. She thought it was just a fictional creation, a figment of the author's imagination, however, being in this scenario right now, Crystal can't deny the fact that she was living inside someone else's body.
"Does God want to punish me for my rash actions when I killed myself on my first world? Mom and Dad did tell me that every life could leave the mortal world when their times run out and that taking oneself's life by themselves is a grave sin... Then is this my punishment? I have to live by myself and raise this body's twin?"- Crystal was bewildered as she tried to wrap her head around her own hypothesis while looking around.
"I have no memories of what happened to this body before I came here, what if she's a criminal that is pregnant? or a serial killer? or even worst! I hope she could at least leave me a hint of her identity but I guess that's just impossible to obtain."- Crystal sighed as she clutched at her brown tattered dress.
The moonlight was shining down the place where she was. Crystal moved closer to the stream to see her reflection. The first thing that caught her attention was her unruly, golden hair. Her complexion was incredibly pale and her temperature feels cold as ice. She started to worry if this body is also dying before she came here and possessed it, but that thought was thrown aside as she started to focus and looked closer at her reflection. The blurry image also enlarges and she confirmed that it was really her face and body.
"Who am I? What's this place?"- Crystal flinched back and put her hands to her belly.... why is it bulging so big? The bright light said to save and raise her babies... Does that mean that there two lives living inside of her?!
Crystal was even more confused as she stared into the darkness, however, her train of thought was a mess and she was dazed from the brightness of the night. She can see everything clearly and for miles away from her position. Her sense of smell is also stronger, and everything feels so new to her
"W-what is happening here?"- Crystal perked up and felt her teeth, there were two sharp incisors- like from the vampires.
"Wait, don't assume Crystal, what if it's just natural incisors from this body?" She calmed herself down but it was useless if she keeps moping around and thinking what is her species.
"I have to hunt, then I'll see whether or not I am a vampire or not."- Crystal decided before she stood up and looked for prey. In less than five minutes, she caught two bunnies, three pheasants, and a baby deer. Crystal poked the wound from the baby deer and sucked the blood from her fingertip.
"... Why does it taste like wine?"- Crystal almost collapsed after drinking the animals' blood and liking it. She's a vampire. It's official! She curiously tested out the other myths about being a vampire such as super strength and super speed, the night vision was already tested and proven, as well as fast recovery. So far, everything she knew about vampires looks true so she doesn't need to worry about injuries and running away when in danger.
"I have to set my priorities straight first... I need a place to live and to deliver the babies... how many months are they? Should I also reserve a midwife? Do I have money? What shall I do?"- Crystal, whose only good at cooking and accounting, has zero life-skills and zero survival-skills to live alone. With no roof above her head or money to buy necessities, how will she survive? how will the babies survive?
"I need to look for a town and get help from a family to safely deliver the babies and then get a job after and pay them for their goodwill."- Crystal said and stood up to take action.
She arrived at a hill that overlooks a small town and it was quite peaceful. She estimated that there are only around five hundred humans there, and only a few could kill her if they knew what she was. She looked at her appearance before looking at the night sky.
"I need a believable scenario..."- Crystal turned back to the forest to look for the most dangerous animal in the forest. She busied herself until dawn before laying there in wait.
-
It was around seven am when a group of men who will get firewood and hunt animals and a group of females who will pick wild vegetable chance upon the horrendous scene in the heart of the forest. There's blood everywhere, staining the grassy ground, the bark of the trees, and the cave that is twenty steps from where they were standing. Their ages are around twenty-five to thirties, and they are very fit and healthy. They all wore plain brown and green clothes to blend in with the surroundings and do not scare away potential prey.
"You fools don't even try to be adventurous and explore that bloody cave. What if there's still a wild beast that could kill you lots, huh? Be mindful."- One of the wives on the group of women said and dampen the mood of the group of men.
"You really know how to stop our fun, Clarissa. Fine, we'll just cover the blood to not attract other wild beasts here and hopefully won't go to our little town."- Ben, The husband of Clarissa, said and they started to cover the blood with dirt and other stuff.
"Wait a moment everyone, this blood isn't dried up yet, like it's been a few hours since it's here. What if there's a casualty? Did anyone from our town hunt so early in the morning?"- Another man asked and looked at his companions.
"Not that we're aware of... wait, this spot... this is the breeding ground of the brown bears right? Did a fool try to hunt here and died instead?"- Another woman asked looking at the bloodstain and cursing the dead for their idiocy.
"Eclaire, I know what is running in your head, do not curse the poor unfortunate soul."- Her husband, John said and shook his head at the extreme thoughts of his wife.
"I cannot help it, it's not like we'll take our chances here and sell a good price for the bear's fur, meat, and teeth, which reminds me, Did any of you find the bears' carcass?"- As soon as Eclaire said that they all started to look for the dead bears, however, they never saw any carcass at all, not even flesh or bones.
"Who could've killed many bears and take it all without leaving any alive?" They were all perplexed and disappointed at this outcome.
"Cheer up everyone, at least there's one less potential danger that could harm us in the future."- Mary told everyone and they proceeded to go back to their agenda.
After two hours, they headed back to town and met a shabby horse cart on the way. It was carrying something heavy that is covered in large brown cloth and a pregnant lady. Two aged donkeys were helping move the cart towards the town. One of the wives cannot help but get close to the kart and called the pregnant lady's attention.
"Oh my goodness! dear, you're covered in blood!"- Mary's voice was filled with astonishment as others also shown worry and interest to the pregnant lady.
"I-I'm sorry for my unsightly appearance, I-I just buried my husband and moving to another town for safety."- Under the shabby cloak she was wearing, a small face with golden hair was hiding. Mary was amazed at her appearance as the dirt and does not affect her beauty.
"Wait, your husband just died?! And you're going to town on your own?! Aren't you a bit daring to do this or are you that fearless, young lad?"- Eclaire said while looking at her shabby cart and two old donkeys.
"I-I have no one back at our old house, and I need to go to town because the location of our old house is very dangerous, especially for me and my children. My husband just died, I cannot take care or protect myself in the wilderness."- She said and stopped the donkeys to speak with them.
"Well living a woman in the forest alone by herself is not something that anyone will like to experience or even think about. We'll escort you to our town first and have you rest there. What is inside the cart?"- John asked her and looked at the baggage hidden under the cloth.
"Oh, these are bear fur, My husband died from hunting brown bears. He said we need to save up money for our children's future but in the end... I lost him."- she said and used her charm to mess with their memories and successfully implanted herself in their memories.
"Oh, that's so sad Crystal! You should go to the town now, or better yet, we'll escort you there. We have a cozy inn for travelers, and we can talk to the town mayor to look for a piece of land and house for you to own."
"Thank you very much, I really appreciate it, Mary."- She said and they all marched their way to town. Crystal used her powers to alter the townspeople's memories and she succeeded in blending in and selling the bear fur and meat to get a large sum of money.
"That's six adult brown bears and three brown cubs, The furs were not torn or matted and the meat is preserved at their best condition. Ma'am, to honor your dead husband and give you a little more for your babies before childbirth, I can give you fifty silver coins for this." The female receptionist told Crystal and gave her a small bag with fifty silvers inside. From Eclaire's insights before they went inside this small guild building. one silver coin equals one hundred copper coins, and one hundred silver coins equals one gold coin. The properties and house building or buying depend whether or not it can cater Crystal in present and further in future.
With Eclaire and Clarissa helping her around the town, she learned further and became aware of the few things around this world. They were like little bumblebees that were very excited around her and with her every question, they have many answers to tell her.
"This power is convenient, one thing that worries me is for how long will I have this and how will I secure the babies' safety and education here? For how long will I stay here? and what will be the future and path they want to take?"- Crystal wonders about these thoughts while she takes a bath inside the private bathroom of her room inside the inn.
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