The first thing Connor saw as he woke up was, of course, little paws clawing at the air in front of his nose. Apparently, she thought his breathing was a fun toy. " Come now Jess, I'm sleeping. Stop that. Stop. Damn it. I SAID STOP!" Connor eventually growled, his eyes flickering for a bare moment into something inhuman something primal, thoroughly scaring off the cat. " Well, I guess that's one way to wake up in the morning" He groaned as he struggled loose of his sheets. Standing to his full height of barely 5'6" his well-built physique was revealed. He may not be the most persistent gym-goer but a well-balanced diet and a highly active lifestyle did wonders for keeping fit.

Dressed and fed, Connor and Jess were loading into the car when Connor felt it.

It is coming. It is nearly time. Soon. Soon we will Awaken.

The message wasn't delivered by a voice. There is no way to describe how it felt. It was as if something inside of him was sending out signals that could only be received as words. But make no mistake. Even in the confines of his own mind, there wasn't a single sound. But there it was feeling transformed into language, not the Connor has any idea of the significance of that distinction.

What?? What's this voice in my head? Helloooo? Aliens? Government operatives?? WHO'S MESSING WITH MY MIND?

Wait? There it was again. That voice. When I was ---FUCK!!

At that very moment, it arrived. The tide of magical energies swept across Earth like a cosmic tidal wave. Filling up mana sinks, awakening talents, truly destroying most advanced technology, and many other effects. Deep-sea creatures swelling and bursting as mana began to soak deeper and deeper into the planet. Animals across the world were experiencing rapid growth and new features were appearing on all sorts of beasts. A hawk with 4 wings and a serrated beak, thin venomous tentacles peeking out from underneath it's feathers. A tiger with a ram's horns and roughly twice as big as it should be. These were the creatures that would greet humanity in the new world.

Connor was screaming in agony as something in him was waking up. He felt as his whole body was being turned inside out and burned. It was beyond any pain he had ever felt. His body was well and truly going through the wringer. Bones cracking apart as if they had seams, blood pouring like a river from every orifice, and skin sloughing off like wet paint. His mind was splitting as well. A cacophony of sounds and sensations roared through his mind at unimaginable volumes causing him even more pain than the bodily changes he was undergoing. At the depths of his being there was one piece of himself not in pain. Connor's soul was entirely unaffected by the influx of magical energies. Or more accurately it was relaxed and comfortable as if it had been waiting for the mana to arrive. It almost purred like Jess did when you scratched her just right under the chin. It was in its element, constantly taking in the mana and observing the changes in its fellow Aspects of Being.

System Initialization Complete

Problem discovered...

Host Innate Problem...

Host Truename: Connor Edgar Merrick

Disorder of Truesoul.....

Suggested remedy: Reorder Body and Mind to balance Aspects

Suggested Remedy review......

Reviewing...

Reviewing.....

Completed Review

Solution Possible

Cloning Truemind of Host...

Connor.

Connor.

CONNOR! EDGAR! MERRICK!

I'm... I'm not in pain? What was all of that before? What are these blue boxes? What is going on? The world is greyed out. What is happening to me? What are all these voices in my head? What---

Connor, I am here to explain exactly those questions.

Who are you??? Why can you read my mind?? How do you know my name??

I am you, Connor. Or well, I am an AI cloned from your Truemind and placed here to guide you through the process of fixing your body and mind.

Wait what the FUCK? AN AI??? CLONED FROM MY MIND?? THE FUCK DUDE?? I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR SHIT!! I DON'T WANT SOME CREEPY CLONED AI RUMMAGING ABOUT IN MY BRAIN.

OK. Clearly, you are one of the more combative and resistant Hosts. SYSTEM. Permission to forcefully pacify Host Truename: Connor Edgar Merrick.

Approved. Host pacified... Sending both Host's Truemind and Cloned Assistant into Host's Truesoul-realm

Connor. You have just been put into a state of forceful calm. I need you to understand what I am telling you. Your old world is gone. Technology and comfort can only be happy memories from now on. At least for a short while, but for you probably forever. You are no longer human. You never truly were and never can be again.

Wait. What do you mean? What is happening to me? Please. You said you were here to answer my questions.

Alright, I fully intend to answer every question you have but let me start from the beginning. Trillions of years ago the concept of a Multiverse was born. A superior universe forcefully expanding and absorbing more and more of its peers into itself to become stronger. Nobody knows who started it but eventually, several Multiverses were expanding and absorbing more universes. Mana is the result of the expansion. A power source uniquely produced by Multiverses. A universe simply doesn't have the size or power to create such a resource. Mana is the lifeblood of magic and it is a powerful tool for Multiverses to use. The continued expansion of Multiverses eventually led to your universe and your world being caught in one causing a wave of mana that vastly empowered the landscape and creatures as well as awakening hidden capabilities in humans. This is where you come in. The past 12 of your hours' mana was approaching your world and it hit just a moment ago. You have a rather unique condition. Basically, there are 3 Aspects of everyone that make up what they are. Body, Truemind, and Truesoul are those Aspects of Self. And yours' are out of balance. Your soul is not the soul of a human. Never was and never could've been. Given the situation, the System came to a decision. It is supplying the energy necessary for a full conversion of Mind and Body. Otherwise, your soul would not be able to supply itself with the necessary power to enact the shift into a form more amenable to your Truesoul and you would quite literally implode from the energies at work.

OK.....I understand I guess. But can I really never be human? My family are humans, my siblings, my parents, my nieces, everyone I love is human. Can't I instead change my Truesoul? Align it with my mind and body, not the other way around? I really would like to be human. Please can I appeal to the System or something?

I am afraid not Connor. The changes to your body and mind would be expensive but an acceptable price for a Host like yourself. While your situation is not entirely unique it is extremely rare and has not been seen in a bipedal primate derivative such as yourself. It is exciting to see the changes you would bring to the established order. After all, order is not conducive to optimal growth. At least, not for a Multiverse like ours. Even despite the System attempting to bring more order to it.

Even in his own soul, Connor forced himself to remain human. He was finally calm enough to look around the interior of his Truesoul. A glance quickly revealed why it was worth a closer look. He was standing in an oasis, multiple dark, red river tributaries meeting in the center of the oasis forming a small natural lake around which were dozens of trees so thick it would be called a forest if they weren't in the middle of a desert. A nearby mountain range made of solid gold split just right to reveal 3 blood-red suns peeking just above the horizon. The desert was a dark, volcanic sand, a blend of greys and blacks that colored the landscape around the oasis. He could see something hidden in the waters nearby. Eyes peering at him causing Connor to be more than just a little unsettled. They were cold but far from emotionless in their bearing. A flat pale sphere of maroon was the eyes base and it's pupil was... a clean vertical slit filled with endless golden light. But the longer he looked the more it changed, the more the pupil began to look less like a clean cut and more like a vicious tear, almost as if something was being restrained behind the eyes.

Who are you? What are you? Why are you inside my soul?

I am you, Connor. We are one-in-the-same. I reside here because for now, I can not exist anywhere else. Right now I am merely a shade. A glimpse or shadow of what we must become. But. To be exact. I am a fragment of your soul and mind.

What? How are we the same person?

I believe the AI already explained it, Connor. You are not human. Neither of us ever have been. I am for lack of better terms the disorder in your soul. I am the Aspect out of balance. I am that which can not be changed, can not be fixed, I am immutable within this space.

Then that makes it your fault! It's your fault I can't stay human! Everything that's wrong is because of you! You're ruining my life!

Connor.

Calm down.

I am not your enemy. I am not a flaw. I am not to blame for your loss of humanity. After all, you can not lose what you never had. Listen to me now and understand. WE WERE NEVER HUMAN! WE WERE NEVER HUMAN, CONNOR! AND WE NEVER WILL BE! Ask the AI if you don't believe me.

It's true Connor. All of it. And believe me, you both are in agony right now. After all, all of his memories and emotions are the same as yours. He is going through the exact same pain. He just hides it better. You are the same person. In the initial mana burst caused by your world's introduction to the Chaos Multiverse, your mind splintered. That's why you can speak to him as if he is a separate entity. You are the same mind merely he is more complete and less restricted than you are. His mind chose Balance amongst the Aspects. You clung to your humanity. Subconsciously, you caused your own psyche to split when confronted with the imbalance amongst Aspects. Speaking of that split. You will need to amend that. A split psyche is beyond unhealthly, one that's at odds with each other over core Aspects is basically suicide.

How?

How can I just give up? I-We I suppose. We were once isolated and ostracized. What do you think will happen now that we're not even human? How soon do you think we will be killed in this new world caused by the System. We'll die without humanity.

No Connor. You'll die with humanity. Having two even slightly contentious psyches is beyond obscenely dangerous. Connor. It is time to take action. You know what must be done. Go ahead---

No. I refuse. We will find another way.

That's the only option you have. There is no " other way". This is it.

Wait what's the AI talking about? Why'd he call you Connor?

Because we are the same. I will not demean myself and claim a separate name. WE are Connor Edgar Merrick. I will have no other name than the one given to us by our family. As for the rest. He wants me to devour you. We each are holding 2 Aspects each. You mind and body; me mind and soul. But the soul is the foundation of Self. If left no other choice, You would be devoured by Me.

That's not right. I am Connor. You're just some fragment that claimed my soul. I'm not giving up. I'm not letting you eat me.

Connor. We must reach an accord. We simply aren't strong enough to survive separately. We must be one being. There is no other option. I refuse to devour you so either we willingly merge, eventually the conflict kills us both, or you wither away without me doing anything and I claim the complete body regardless. We have no other options.

He's correct, Connor. There simply isn't another way. I have access to the complete knowledge of a Multiverse and I can tell you there is no clean and easy solution. You must let go or you will perish regardless.