If my King were to see me right now he would bend over laughing, either at my absurd amount of luck or the lucky absurd situation I found myself in.
Reincarnation was a concept well know during my previous life, and only the stronger holy men and sages could tap into their previous incarnation knowledge and talents. I had read a few Tablets detailing such process and on a whim tried some of the rituals, one to remember my previous life and another to make it easier for my next life to recall my memories.
The Recall ritual was a failure, so I didn't had much hope for the Inheritance ritual, and after completing it and seeing nothing different I went back to my duties as the King's Cup Bearer without much issue.
Then the Great Flood came in and killed everyone, literally washing out all evidence of our society's existence, our old gods either disappearing or taking in new names for themselves. The loss of humanity raw potential could had been offset if we had access to the previous knowledge, but since those were also lost our race became much easier to manipulate in a way not seen ever since we were lost and scared in the time of the First Man.
Not everything was bad though, at least it stopped the fucking Nephilim from indulging in their murder-rape-cannibalism spree.
Well, enough about thinking about the past, instead let's think of the past!
"Shinji, did you finished your homework?"
"Yes Belle", I told my caretaker as I passed her by, "I'm going outside to enjoy the weather a bit."
"Don't forget to put on a coat", she said kindly, "I will call you for dinner later."
With a smile I nodded, before going outside to my preferred meditation spot. As it is anyplace will do, but as luck have it my house was directly under one of the Veins of Earth so I could benefit more from my sessions in the future, though right now just feeling the pulsing heartbeat of the Earth beneath me was enough improve my meditation.
As I sat, I used the techniques taught to me by the King himself. Though I held no special talent for it compared with the other retainers doing lesser jobs, let alone the soldiers and the elite guard, I was determined proficient enough as a member of the King's house. The current process in finding my Essence was overall slower than during my first life, the overall initial potential I had being much smaller, but it wasn't unheard off for someone as crippled as my current self to raise in the ranks as a soldier, in fact the number three of the elite guard was considered a failure when she was at first initiated, but my King had a good eye for talent, his investment bearing fruit as time passed.
The first step in my training, Awareness of Essence, took longer than I wished, but perhaps that's my youth impatience showing. After three months however, I managed to find my Essence. As stated before the amount I had within me was far smaller than what I had started a lifetime ago, and I wondered what was the cause for such phenomenon since it was considered common knowledge that a sage or holy man awakening to their previous life would have more Essence than others. Was it an error in the ritual? I will probably never know the truth.
The second step is called Awakening the Essence, where I would take hold of this ephemeral, almost insignificant embers of power and breath new life into it. Compared with the previous step it naturally took longer and after nearly six months, a year since I fully awakened my previous life, I was ready to reach a new breakthrough.
Slowly I measure my breathing to beat in the same rhythm as my Essence. Both breathing and heartbeat became one with the symphony of my Essence, and for a moment I simply enjoyed this sensation within myself, before slowly, carefully, nudging my breathing to the direction I wanted. I had to repeat the process several times, until my Essence also started to change it's rhythm in accordance to my stimulus. I increased the beat slowly at first, then faster and faster before turning it back into a slower pace. More strongly I pushed it forwards to reach further than it had before, and I felt like it was slowly escaping from my grips. I kept the hold firm, but not too strong as not to damage this connection and further damage my potential.
I ran and ran and ran, and when my Essence was being held by a literal thread, I felt the threshold between spiritual and material to come closer. With a last spring I came as close as possible within this threshold but felt like I was still coming up short, like many times before. I would have failed once more, which greatly frustrated me making me decide to be a bit unorthodox. As I reached the very last point of my spring, I gathered as much strength as I could and threw the small thread forwards.
It gently went forwards, agonizingly slow and for a moment I thought it would have been another failure, until it touched the threshold. A tiny, minuscule part passed it over.
In an instant I felt my Essence connecting with myself in greater ways, the frail thread growing stronger until it became a larger, firm cord that connected my Essence to my body.
Slowly I opened my eyes, and found myself smiling. Before everything was muted, the colors were dull, the sounds where almost silent, the smells barely present, my touch deadened and the taste unbearably bland. Before I was a sickly child that required tender care to survive the harsher world, but now I had finally stood up on my own legs for the first time.
"Shinji! Your father is on the phone!"
... hm, well, the moment was thoroughly ruined but to be honest poetry was never my strong suit.
"Coming!" I yelled back and soon I was holding the phone. "
Hello father, it's good to hear from you."
"
Hello Shinji", my father answered with a very tired tone, "
I'm sorry to say this, but you will need to come back to Japan."
"
I understand", I said while inwardly wincing at the loss of the Vein of Earth, just when it would actually start to be useful to me! "
Did something happen back at home?"
"
Your uncle is dead", he said as a matter of fact, as if his own brother didn't died, "
and," he hesitated for a moment, "
you have a new sister."
"
That's wonderful news!" I answered excitedly, "
what's her name?"
"
Yes... wonderful news", he said and his tone made me think he was trying not to vomit, "
her name is Sakura. I will make preparations for you to return, you should pack your things and come back in three days time."
"
Of course father, take care."
I put down the phone, and couldn't help but think something was a bit off about this exchange. I wonder what happened back at Japan.
Still I can't help but be excited, after all I'm going to gain a sibling! Will I become a big brother, or a younger brother?
Hmm, Matou Sakura. Better get used to that name.
