Kenji stood in a vortex of light not born of the real world. Around him was nothing—no floor, no sky, no sound. Only one thing existed: a mirror.
The mirror stood tall, as tall as he was, and gleamed not with reflected light, but with truth. Sannr had brought him here—to a liminal dimension between memory and fate—to confront the one thing he could never defeat with an axe or strategy:
Himself.
"Watch," whispered Sannr in his mind. "Do not look away."
The mirror pulsed, and Kenji's gaze was pulled inward.
First Vision: The Old World
A man with his own face—though more gaunt, hair neatly trimmed, wearing a stained white lab coat—sat before a holographic screen.
Kenji Watanabe, quantum-biological systems scientist, part of the Etherion Project—a classified international research initiative aimed at unlocking higher layers of reality. The world once called him a "genius scientist." But they also called him "too dangerous."
He raised a recording of an experiment: etheric waves resonating between dimensions. His voice carried fear mingled with awe.
"There's a system… that lives… structuring this reality. And we're not the creators. We're just users. Or worse—observers."
The Kenji watching now felt dizzy. He remembered that conversation. He recorded it himself, years ago, back when he was still human. But the world had rejected that truth. His research was buried. His colleagues disappeared, one by one.
And eventually, he… died.
Not from stomach illness as the hospital claimed. But because someone decided he knew too much. On the final holographic screen, a system log appeared: "SUBJECT 07-A TERMINATED NATURALLY. REINCARNATION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED."
Kenji fell silent.
"My reincarnation... was engineered?" he whispered.
Second Vision: The Unseen Hand
Now he saw the moment of his death's transition. In the dark space between life and death, a formless figure—not human, not Orc—greeted him. An entity like the silhouette of a collapsing star, with a voice that carried no words.
"The next experiment… One soul, two vessels. Birth a will that cannot be controlled."
The entity implanted something into Kenji. A code, or perhaps an added consciousness. And as his soul merged into an Orc embryo, invisible hands sealed his memories—so he would grow from zero.
Kenji trembled. He wasn't a random product of reincarnation. He was a project, an experiment, and perhaps… a weapon.
The mirror cracked.
Kenji returned to himself, standing in a white room, breathing heavily, eyes wide. But it wasn't over yet.
The mirror showed another figure. A different Kenji—but still him.
Third Vision: My Other Self
A massive Orc stood on a battlefield. His face was scarred, one horn broken, eyes glowing with violet fire. He held Sannr, now a belt of light. Around him, humans, elves, and dragons bowed. But his expression was blank. No smile. No fury. Just… emptiness.
"Void-Eater," whispered Sannr. "That is you… if you continue down this path. Merging divine power without balancing your two souls."
Kenji's world spun.
He would become a god-killer. Not out of greed, not because of fate. But because his soul would fracture. The cold human mind and the fiery Orc instinct would devour each other—leaving only… void.
"Kenji," Sannr now sounded like a friend. "You cannot go on like this. You must see your full self. Not Orc. Not human. But both."
Sannr glowed. The white space shifted. He now stood in a metaphysical circle. Two figures faced him: Kenji the Human and Kenji the Orc.
The human wore a lab coat, full of logic and scorn. The Orc held a spear, brimming with instinct and rage.
"Kenji Watanabe, the coward," said the Orc. "You build strategies, but never lead them yourself."
"Grak'thu, the beast," the human retorted. "You're strong but stupid. This world can't be conquered with muscle alone."
They both looked at him.
"Choose," they said in unison. "Or vanish."
Kenji closed his eyes.
The battle began.
The Orc struck first. His spear lunged, brutal and swift. The human dodged, using terrain, trapping with reason. But each time one gained the upper hand, the real Kenji felt a loss. His soul split two ways—and both were wrong.
In the chaos, he shouted:
"Enough! I'm not either of you… I AM ME!"
Everything stopped. Kenji stepped forward. He embraced them both. His body absorbed the light from both the human and Orc forms, until the void space began to quake.
"I was born human. But I grew as an Orc. I have reason and instinct. I am not a fragment. I am… synthesis."
Sannr shone blindingly.
Kenji opened his eyes.
He was back in the underground cavern. But now, his soul was whole. His eyes—one red, one violet—glowed in harmony.
Sannr quivered softly.
"Soul Synchronization achieved."
The system inside him chimed:
[Skill Unlocked: Dual Soul Synchronization]
[Permanent Effect: Immunity to illusion manipulation, 2x reaction speed in inter-racial conflicts.]
Kenji stood. His left hand no longer trembled. His breath was steady. But more than that—there was a new feeling in his chest: peace. For the first time since he was reborn, Kenji no longer felt lost.
"If this isn't fate… then from now on, I'm the one writing it."
Far above the earth, the night sky thundered. The gods felt the pulse of Kenji's soul—and they were afraid.
Because now… Kenji was truly alive.