“Where am I…?”

What happened? I died, only to find myself within a bloodied room. Not only that, my body was on the verge of dying—from a pure visual stance, it was far more severe than my old life.

Furthermore, the voice I heard inside that void kept spinning around my head. 

Time short? Every word from that voice was chopped up, and if I tried using what it had told me, time was short. For what? To speak to me? 

Then came the next sentence. Regress. Infinite?

Infinite Regression? 

Regression in what sense? 

What frightened me the most however, was the screeches it gave out in the final moments. It wasn’t comprehensible in the slightest, yet the mere tone sent shivers down my spine.

Nothing made sense! I had hoped for reincarnation, but what was this?! I couldn’t make out anything that had happened! In fact, I could hardly tell if this was still my body!

My eyes scrunched, pulling up some sort of robe and absorbing the details of my arms to compare them to what I knew they were before. Indeed. There were small differences. The tone was slightly lighter, and there was a moderate difference in size; this body looked to be slightly bulkier than my own.

I moved up from my position shaking off the dust that stained my body and looked around. Moss covered every corner of the room I was in, the tears evident. Even stranger than that was the obscene amount of blood splattered on the walls. Dried and now faded, but still there nonetheless.

Was I in any position to question what it was? Looking at my own body, I felt a chill at the thought that it was my own. The entire sequence of occurrences hadn’t made any sense, and I was certain that answers weren’t going to pop out from nowhere. To me, it was vital to understand if I had really gone to another world. 

Everything about my body felt different. There was an agility that I knew my frail body lacked; this height was a few inches taller than what I was used to, as well. Running my fingers through my hair revealed luscious streaks flowing just above my shoulders. 

This was not my body. At least, this wasn’t the body I knew mine to be. 

I stepped out of the ‘room’, something I changed to call a shack, and was greeted by a blinding light pierce into my pupils. Indeed, this wasn’t a room within a building but the building itself. Brown pillars shot up from the ground, overcoming even the skies itself. Not just one, but wherever one laid their eyes on, these pillars were standing. Rays of moonlight fell on myself, beckoning me to look up.

I chose to listen to the will of the world. And there, I saw it. 

Leaves. 

These…were all trees? Trees—something that would limit its height after a certain point indignantly towered over me after reaching the heavens. A sharp breath came into my body. What type of world had I willed myself into?

Bushes were littered all across this forest, ones that resembled the height of a regular tree back on Earth. On them, I found a plethora of different…berries? A dark cerulean coloured sphere was loosely hanging off these agglomeration of green; adjacent to it was pear-shaped fruit tightly guarded inside the bush. 

…What was I supposed to do? Reincarnation, although a great dream of mine, had always remained a dream. Saying I was ready and prepared about what to do would just be false. I desperately wanted to reincarnate, but was it because I enjoyed facing dangers constantly? No. I just wanted to escape the pitiful hand I was played in my old life. 

Maybe it was a mistake. Had I just worked a little harder…pushed myself a bit more…couldn’t I have made something of myself? My life wasn’t the worst relative to others. I knew other people suffered more than me, yet they still managed to achieve something. They succeeded without running away from their problems. 

“How great. These sophistries only come when I fucking crossed the river and burned the damn bridge! So what?! I wasn’t going to accomplish anything in that life anyways!”

Unsettled by my shifting perspective, I decided to wander around the forest in hopes of clearing my mind. Tree after tree, I continued to walk through the endless maze, admiring the different types of berries and fruits I saw that gleamed a lustrous colour. 

It was in the midst of my appreciation that I heard a small rustle from behind me. Nothing was there after checking. Even still, being safe had never hurt anyone—especially in a new world. My vigilance was raised as I continued my exploration in the forest.

There was a phrase back on Earth. ‘Life may end before you even realise you’re dying, so make sure you enjoy every moment.’

The sound of air sizzling. 

A scorching pain wildly spreading from my back.

The sight of a 15 foot wolf spewing fire from his mouth. 

What the fuck was there to enjoy in my last moments?

—

“Arghh! My back, my back!”

My arms flailed around in the dried blood as the pain of being burned alive truly was perceived by my brain. Tears kept welling in my eyes. Even if I closed them, all I saw was 8the apathetic look on the wolf. 

Wolf? What the fuck was I saying?! A monster! A spawn of hell! 

That couldn’t have been from Earth!

“Ah, damn it!” It wasn’t from Earth. A new world—what was I expecting? That a coward who ran away from the adversary in his old life would be blessed with the luck of a protagonist? Death was coming my way. 

But that led me to another question.

If this was some sort of afterlife from another world, why did it look like the shack I had been in when I first arrived in the new world? 

Like before, I dusted my body off, gazing more meaningfully at the blood splattered all throughout the room. Whatever had happened here, it could only be classified as psychotic. The amount of blood was ridiculous. 

There was something else that had taken root in my mind. 

Regression.

Regression. The ability…to go back in time? Was that really what the voice meant? I struggled to differentiate if my thoughts were moving in such an odd direction due to paranoia or logic.

With that fire, there was no option but to have died. So, how had I managed to end up back here? Was it really a regression?

There was nothing I could do to certify my thoughts. For now, I decided to treat this life with the utmost caution. 

Never again! I wouldn't explore that damned forest again at night! I had seen the basic sights; I would have to satiate my curiosity with just that. Instead of risking my life, my new plan was to wait for the night to pass. Would it be safer? I didn’t know. Would I be less scared? Of course. I sincerely prayed that civilisation was close by.

And so, I merely waited. Thoughts and memories from my old life arose, but I tried to suppress them as hard as possible. If they didn’t dare to show up when I was in the midst of my struggles, they had no reason to arrive now.

Finally, day came. Sunlight beamed all throughout the forest, further enhancing the beauty of the area. Sadly, focusing on the scenery was not my current objective. No, my chance of dying increased for every second longer I was in the forest. Rather than that, I began to lightly jog in a singular direction in hopes of reaching the end of the forest. 

Within minutes, I could no longer continue. Collapsed on the floor, I tried to catch my breath in the shortest amount of time possible but regardless of my efforts, I simply could not find the energy to stand up.

“Damn it, even I wasn’t…ah, I probably was this unathletic. Damn it.” After a few minutes passed, I had finally managed to get up and continue moving, albeit at a significantly slower pace. Nothing changed in my surroundings even after what felt like hours. The trees still seemed endless, and the bushes were dotted generously. 

Hunger was starting to catch up to me. It wasn’t like I could hunt for something—I would be on the grill within a heartbeat if I dared to disturb any of those demons. Could the wolf have been an outlier?...My heart told me not to risk it. 

There was one idea, however. 

The berries. It wasn’t that the idea of them being poisonous hadn’t crossed my mind, but it was that something had nullified that fear.

Infinite Regression.

“No, no. Damn it. Such a lethal idea, I have to get rid of it! I managed to be blessed with an opportunity to correct my regrets only to throw it away just like that!?”

No. My hunger wasn’t that unbearable for me to start taking such risks. If I persevered for a little longer, I was certain I could exit the forest. 

There was another phrase back on Earth. ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’

The chilling sensation of my bones freezing. 

A loud crunch stemming from my right leg.

And the sight of a 9 foot long snake feasting on my leg.

The first time I saw this forest, I thought it to be beautiful. Dying once didn’t prevent me from still holding that belief. I promised myself. Never again would I look for beauty within this hell.

Being able to even look at the forest was a luxury I was unsure I would get. Without any time to lament, I feared that I lost the opportunity within a new world.

—

“Arghhhhh! My leg, my leg!”

I knew where I was this time, but that wasn’t any help in alleviating the blood-curdling pain that enveloped my body. Tears welled up in my eyes. Though I tried closing them, all I saw was two demons taunting me. 

My lower half was freezing to death whilst my upper body was burning to death. Several minutes were spent in this agony, the pain of death truly and fully descending upon me. It didn’t exist. If I had really gone back in time, then none of my injuries would come with me. Yet my mind wouldn't accept that rational reasoning.

However, they were forced to submit under the raging current forming in my mind.

Regression. 

Infinite Regression?

Was my thought process truly correct? 

…How could I ever be certain? Living a life with the expectation of returning back in time at any point of danger was foolish. I made it crucial to suppress that thought process. No more risk taking.

Honestly, it wasn’t much different from my original plan anyways. I would stay here, right in this shack. I didn’t know how long I would have to wait but I saw no other alternative. All I could do was pray someone would notice.

Not being in internal turmoil would’ve been a great help though. 

Feelings fade with time—pain wasn’t an exception. After sufficient time had passed, I had reached the stage of removing myself from the irrational thoughts. All there was now was to let mindless thoughts pass by in the midst of sitting here. 

Like that, the sun rose and descended thrice. 

I was on the verge of insanity. For two days, I had been holed up in this narrow shack that reeked of blood. No, no, that wasn’t the main issue. I had gone without food and water for 3 days in fear of what would happen if I stepped out of this shack.

Promises would also fade with time.

I couldn’t bear it anymore. Even if I died, it would be better than this feeling. I knew…that I couldn’t rely on going back in time. But, I was going to die if I didn’t go out and explore for food anyways!

Observing the entire vicinity, I cautiously took a step outside the shack. The day was still young, allowing me to have a relatively clear view. I didn’t have to do much; just pluck a berry. If it was poisonous and left me to die, I would just have to accept it. 

My hurried steps thankfully were not stopped by some abomination, letting me successfully take back a berry back into the shack. A vibrant golden colour that invited one to take a bite. Small lines were engraved on the surface, taking a slightly darker colour. The size wasn’t to be underestimated—it was slightly larger than the entirety of my palm. 

I gave it a fervent gaze.

This would decide life or death. If even this couldn’t be eaten…I’d die from either hunder and thirst, poison or demons.And, if I took a hypothetical situation, someone who would return upon death would be left in an endless loop of death.

A chill pervaded my body at the thought. To be left no other option but to live an eternity of suffering that even death couldn’t stop; no fate sounded worst. 

“It’s fine. It’s fine. This berry will save me. I’m certain!”

Without any further thoughts, I dug my teeth into it, feeling the juices slide down my throat. Only as I felt moisture in my mouth did I realise—it didn’t matter if I died by the berry it didn’t matter.

The overwhelming pleasure coursing through my body made it worth it. 

A single bite was all it took. The world began to spin, and I found myself on the ground. The entirety of my body kept trembling.

I wasn’t dead yet, so there was one good sign?

Even after seconds passed, I still didn’t feel any closer to death. I simply remained there on the ground, quivering endlessly.  

Minutes passed until they became hours. I presumed that hunger and thirst would reap my soul, but all feeling in my body had vanished. After some time, I felt control flowing back into my body. Slowly, what started as a simple move in my finger became control over my arm. 

“Haaa!” My body had been freed! The berry…it didn’t kill me! There was food in the forest! 

I didn’t hesitate. The feelings of hunger and thirst that had temporarily left my body had come back in full throttle, motivating me to take another chunk. This time, I made sure to get as much of the fruit as possible. 

Again, I fell to the floor.

And after 2 hours passed, I rose again, eager for another bite.