Hello everyone.
It's been three years since I wrote this fanfic, and after reviewing it, I decided to rewrite it completely due to several errors.
The story will be published with a new chapter every 3 or 4 days.
Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it.
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The void has no sound.
Arthur discovered it floating in absolute nothingness, surrounded by stars that twinkled like distant eyes. He didn't remember his death. Nor did he remember the faces of those he had once loved. Only fragments remained: a voice calling to him, the smell of rain, the sensation of falling.
And then… this.
A presence materialized before him. It had no defined form, only a silhouette that absorbed the light of the nearby stars. When it spoke, its voice resonated directly into Arthur's consciousness.
"A free soul." The entity studied him as a collector would examine a rare piece. "Curious. Every soul is bound to its world of origin, chained to the cycle of life and death. And yet… here you are."
Arthur tried to speak, but the words came against his will, as if torn from him. "Where am I?"
"Nowhere. Everywhere." The entity extended something like a hand, holding the small light that was Arthur. "The space between worlds. Tell me, little spark, how did you escape your cycle?"
"I don't know." The answer was automatic, honest. "I don't remember... almost anything."
He should be terrified. He should be screaming, crying, begging. But there was an artificial calm over him, like a heavy blanket smothering any intense emotion.
"Ah, yes. That's me." The entity seemed amused. "I'm suppressing your existential panic. Souls tend to be... noisy when confronted with death. I prefer civilized conversation."
Arthur processed this with a clarity he shouldn't have had. This thing, this cosmic entity, was manipulating him. And there was nothing he could do about it.
"What do you plan to do with me?"
"At first, I was curious. I thought about dissecting you, so to speak. Seeing what made you special." The entity tilted its form. "But if even you don't know... well, it would be a waste of time. Your memories are damaged; perhaps that was the price of your escape."
A chill ran through what remained of Arthur. This thing spoke of destroying him with the same indifference someone might discard trash.
"Then..." Arthur desperately searched for something, anything. "Reincarnate me."
Silence.
The entity watched him for what seemed like an eternity.
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you're bored." Arthur felt the artificial calm slip slightly, allowing a flicker of despair to seep through. "You found something unusual in the vast emptiness of the universe, and it turns out to be... disappointing. But if you reincarnated me, if you sent me somewhere unknown, you could see what happens. Entertainment."
The entity remained silent. Arthur continued, the words flowing faster.
"We both win. You get something to watch. I continue to exist. Simple."
A laugh. Deep, resonant, like the echo of a collapsing universe.
"Interesting. Very well, little bargaining spark. But there are conditions." The entity's form seemed to lean closer. "You won't choose your world. It will be random, drawn from your own fragmented memories. And you won't have supernatural powers just because. That would be... boring."
"So what—?"
"At the moment of your rebirth, I will use my power only once. You may request an object, an artifact, something from the worlds stored in your damaged memory. Choose wisely."
Arthur felt his consciousness begin to fade. He had no time to think, to plan. Damaged memories flickered through his mind: flying heroes, glittering cities, epic battles...
And something else. Golden spheres. A dragon. Wishes.
"The Dragon Balls," Arthur blurted out. "I want the Dragon Balls."
"The spheres that summon the dragon?" The entity seemed to consider this. "Mmm. Very well. But here's the rub, little spark: your luck will determine their power. They could grant reality-altering wishes... or they could be mere trinkets. I won't know until you use them."
A portal opened beneath Arthur, sucking his consciousness in.
"Goodbye, little spark. Entertain me well."
The last thing Arthur felt was the entity's laughter following him into the darkness.
None of them knew that this chance encounter would send shockwaves through all of reality. Friends would become enemies. Enemies would form unthinkable alliances. And everyone, heroes and villains alike, would have to choose: how far were they willing to go for a single wish?