I

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Arc I Prologue

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One day, she awoke from her dreams and found herself ...

Well, that was the question.

It was a simple question, just three simple words, where was she? But she didn't have an answer. The universe remained silent and fate was a cruel master indeed. They both ignored her.

She didn't expect that she would end up in a situation like this, but she did. And now she was here, wherever here might be. Whether this was heaven, or hell, she couldn't tell. So far both was possible, and it didn't make much of a difference. This place was terrible either way.

What she knew was that she was most likely deader than dead. And she knew what brought her here, or rather what got her killed.

Not that she would tell, but to make a long story short, she bit more than she could chew. It wasn't the first time. This time, however, the consequences were lethal. Many enemies, much honour. Too many enemies, too much honour.

She had got surrounded and that was the end of the story. Such things happen, even to the best.

But in her defence, the enemy cheated. They used space-time magic shenanigans, which for some reason worked. Usually, they backfire, but not this time. The magic worked much to her displeasure.

And that was how the sly bastards killed her. Now she was here, trapped in a limbo, waiting for something to happen ...

...

...

...

What was this? Some kind of force ... pushed her?

She approached something bright, a blinding light in the darkness of boredom and monotony.

Was this her salvation? Was this the light she had yearned for? Was this the moment she had waited for so long?

It didn't matter. She grasped for the light. She had nothing to lose.

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A new sensation crawled over her unprotected skin. It was a frigid, uncaring and merciless coldness that invaded her weak body.

Her body shivered, and she missed the ever-present warmth she was ripped apart from with brutality.

She longed for the missing warmth, in vain. The warmth would never return.

She felt alone, alone in a hostile, unforgiving, frozen world.

Contrary to her expectations, she was still alive. Apparently, even dying was a surprisingly unreliable affair. She should have died, but she didn't. Instead, she survived.

Life never failed to surprise her.

Fresh air entered her weakened lungs, and she sensed a sudden urge … to cry. Why exactly remained a mystery.

A pair of caring hands covered her in a soft fabric. The fabric was warm. She liked it.

After a small eternity, her sight adjusted and, she gazed at the world around her.

Her eyes opened and a woman greeted her. Her radiant smile was filled with pure motherly love and profound happiness. The woman held her in her arms, caressing her.

The woman looked Asian, and what struck her was her unnaturally pale skin, her long black silken hair, her wonderful red eyes, her petite impeccable face. No scars, no wrinkles, no pores, no imperfections. It was almost scary.

Who was this woman?

Her tired voice overflowed with happiness. "You have the eyes of your father."

The eyes of her father?

"Even when he won't acknowledge you, I will. Your mother will always love you. You will always be my child."

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The woman smiled. "I give you the name Asami. Minami Asami."

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Whhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttttt!?

Asami's eyes widened as realisation dawned. This wasn't possible. This shouldn't be possible. A name, a name, a name. She was given a name.

Her limbs lost their force. A newborn girl cried as her entire world shattered to tiny pieces.

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