The strange man wore several white cloths covering his body, but when he slowly raised his right hand, I noticed several black tattoos running along his arm.

His hand moved closer to my head, making a deep fear ignite inside me like dry wood catching fire.

Damn it, he's terrifying just by standing in front of me. I said, trying to keep my trembling body still.

As his hand got closer and closer, my instincts screamed at me to run, to get away from him as fast as possible—because if I stayed, I'd meet one of the most terrifying fates I could imagine.

But, ignoring my instincts, I kept watching what the strange man was doing. 

The imposing man gently placed his hand on my head, then moved his thumb to touch my forehead. Huh? 

Instantly, a small light appeared at the tip of his thumb, stunning me on the spot. Wha— 

Before I could even form a single word in my mind, a flood of information overwhelmed me, like a massive wave crashing over me. 

Seeing that I was still conscious, the man smiled and stepped back a little. 

"You should be able to understand me now." He said in the language he had spoken at the beginning. "Huh? I-I mean, yes! I understand you!" I replied in the same language, once I realized what had just happened. 

Before I finished answering, the man had already turned his gaze upward, more precisely, toward the wormhole that looked like a bright little star from here. 

"Did you come from there?" He finally asked, pointing at the crack with his finger. 

"What? But I thought you were the one who brought m—" "Answer." He said, cutting me off. Damn it. This isn't helping at all. 

"... Yeah, I came from there." I said, disappointed as countless possibilities raced through my head. 

I have no other choice but to trust him, because after all, he's the only one who can give me answers right now. Besides, if he taught me a completely new language in just seconds, I believe he can help me somehow. I just have to be careful with what I say. 

"Hmm… So Father sent you." The man said with a slight smile. 

"What? What did you say?" I asked, shocked by his last statement. 

"Listen, human, I have only a few seconds left, so I'll be brief. Understood?" Human…? OK, I think I get where this is going... 

"Fine." I said, gripping firmly as I looked into his eyes. 

"Young human, I want to ask you to find someone." 

What…? Find someone? What the hell is he talk— I thought, confused, as my determination from just moments ago crumbled under his new words. 

"In return, I'll give you a new body so you can live again to fulfill what I'm asking of you." WHAT!? 

My head hurt just trying to process and absorb everything that was happening, and even with all the questions and concerns inside me, a ray of hope emerged, because I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I probably wouldn't get another like it. 

What do I do…? I want to say yes without thinking much, but something about all this feels off. I thought, a bit uneasy. 

"Just tell me one thing." I said, coughing before continuing to clear my tone. "You said you didn't have much time, so I ask you this. Will I ever talk to you again to get answers to the dozens of questions I have?" 

"Looks like Father made a good choice with you…" The man said in a low voice while smiling. 

If I'm going to accept his proposal, I at least need the guarantee that he'll answer my questions someday. I thought, analyzing the consequences I'd face if I agreed. 

"That will be impossible. We'll never meet again." He said, leaving me with no options. Damn it. "But… if you want answers to your doubts, you'll get them if you accept." 

"Huh? What did you say? If that's the case… then I gladly accept!" I said, surprised that he saw through the intent behind my questions. 

--CROCK-- 

Right after giving my answer, I heard something cracking in the distance, making me turn quickly, just in time to see several cracks forming all around us. 

"Alright, little human, you're very wise and foolish at the same time." The man said in a joyful tone. 

What? What happened to him? I thought as I turned and saw how the peculiar white-haired man was now semi-transparent. 

"My time here is up." He said, closing his eyes. 

So this is what he meant when he said he had little time left. I reflected as I watched him slowly vanish. 

"Before you go, could you at least tell me your name?" I asked, a little afraid. 

The man opened his eyes again and looked at me intensely. "My name is Bernal, kid. The Dragon God Bern—" 

Shocked by his answer, I wanted to ask what exactly I had to find, but by the time I opened my mouth, Bernal had already disappeared completely, leaving the questions stuck at the tip of my tongue. I-I didn't expect him to say something like that. 

Snapping back to reality, I realized that the only thing left of Bernal was something like a small golden orb. 

The orb began to shine so brightly it looked like a tiny sun, making it impossible to look at directly. 

"So your name was Bernal…" I whispered to myself, shielding my eyes from the intense light with my hands. 

The orb's intense glow started to flicker until it shut off completely, allowing me to see it again. 

Right after that, the cracks that had appeared throughout the environment widened until we finally heard something break. 

The whole space shattered, returning everything to normal—the color of things, the light above me, and the sound of the wind. I started thinking for a moment until the light above me turned off again, bringing me back to reality. 

I wonder if what Bernal did to stop time is something I'll be able to do in the future. I thought, intrigued, before turning my attention back to the orb in front of me. 

After all that, the small orb slowly approached my chest. Huh? 

"Is this what Bernal promised me?" I asked myself, still surprised by our strange conversation. "I guess the best thing to do is find out." 

I tried to stretch my ethereal hand to grab it, but the orb passed right through it without any resistance. 

What? How's that even possible? Shocked, I tried to grab it again, but failed. 

How am I supposed to use this if I can't even hold it!? I thought, frustrated. 

The gem kept moving until it passed through my chest, right above my heart. Then, almost instantly, I felt a warmth start to spread through every part of my spirit. 

"Co-could it be…." I said, feeling so strange that my Spiritual body started panting uncontrollably. "Could this feeling be…." 

After a second, several markings like tattoos appeared all over my body, and among all of them, one caught my full attention. Curiously, it was where the gem had entered. 

I-Is that a dragon? I thought, seeing a dragon-shaped tattoo spreading its wings across my chest. This strange dragon was surrounded by a circular line connected to what looked like ten long spines. 

The heat increased drastically, turning the strange feeling into a slightly painful one. 

Then, several thoughts, feelings, and images flooded my mind. On top of that, Bernal's voice echoed in my head. I tried to focus on at least one of them, but the ever-growing pain wouldn't let me. 

"Ah, Ah, Ahh, AHH" I inevitably began to pant from the pain. 

Helpless, the pain kept increasing until it became completely unbearable. 

"AAAAGHH—" My agony was so intense that I twisted and turned, screaming with all my might. 

"—HHHHH!!!" It wasn't just my head that hurt—every fiber of my being burned like fire itself. Honestly, I thought I was going to die right then and there. 

That torture lasted for a few more minutes until it finally began to fade gradually. 

"…" 

I had closed my eyes from the pain, but now that I felt better, I opened them, only to see thousands of tiny orbs of many colors scattered across the desert. Some of the orbs were green, others yellow, red, blue, and many more. 

"I hate you, Bernal..." I said quietly, now that I understood at least part of what had happened. 

Huh? The marks are gone? I thought, realizing that the dragon and everything else were no longer on my bare skin. Looking forward again, I noticed that the most abundant orbs around the environment were purple and black. So, wanting to confirm the flood of information I had just received, I searched for the source of some of the orbs—or more specifically, of the mana particles. 

I looked down and saw how many of the mana particles in the area were coming from the dead bodies on the sand. 

I wanted to stay for a few seconds to rest and analyze the information I'd received, but I couldn't, because deep down I knew I didn't have time for that right now. 

"Ahh, sh*t! I have to move fast." I said, a little desperate at the thought of not making it to my resurrection in time. 

Before I began to move, I quickly looked at the dragon tattoo I had earlier. 

"Yeah, the Fragment fused successfully." I said, noticing how one of the ten spines now emitted a strange golden glow. 

"Alright! To the tents!" I said, looking in the direction of the tents I had seen earlier. 

Okay, in theory I can move with this body if my will aligns with the environment, but nothing's happening. Damn it! 

Even though I had the theory on how to move in this state, it was really hard to put into practice. But thankfully, after several failed attempts, I managed to float slowly. 

Damn it! I thought this would be easier…. When I was halfway there, the mana particles scattered across the desert started to glow faintly and vibrate. After a few seconds, they all rushed toward the tents—just like me. 

"In theory, these mana particles are from different elements, so the red ones are from the fire ele— Dammit! Focus! Think about that later!" I shouted at myself for getting distracted. 

I've got to hurry! I thought as the first colorful orbs caught up and passed me, and after a few minutes, they pierced the roof of one of the tents, staying inside. 

I kept floating until I finally went through the tent roof and saw the situation with my own eyes. 

"You're such a bastard, Bernal… but oh well, you must've had your reasons..." That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw my new body dead on a cradle. 

Why did it have to be a newborn baby? This is just in such bad taste for me…. I thought in disgust. 

The tent I was in had a hexagonal shape, and aside from a few items inside, there was a young man and a boy about eight years old near my new body. Both wore a light brown cloak that completely covered them from shoulders to feet. 

Since the child was the only one wearing a hood, I couldn't see his face clearly, unlike the man who had features similar to Bernal, like the color of his hair, eye shape, and fair skin. 

Wow, he's like a younger version of Bernal. I thought, examining him more closely. That man looked to be about 25 years old, and his face was that of a very handsome person. 

By the time the last colored orbs had finished entering the tent, I finally felt more at ease. 

Phew, at least I made it in time. I thought, sighing in relief as I watched the man raise both hands. 

The mana started vibrating more and more as the man who looked like Bernal brought his hands together. 

When he finally did, all the mana particles went wild. The man closed his eyes, and right after that, an incredible pressure was clearly felt throughout the environment, including my body. 

That man slowly separated the palms of his hands, and immediately, I was pulled along with all the mana into the space between them. Ahhh! Here we go!!

After a few seconds, I could feel the mana beginning to mix with my entire spirit. As time passed, I could feel it becoming a part of me.

The whole process felt very warm, and that made me calm down. I thought this would hurt, but it wasn't as bad as I imagined.

When it was over, I felt more energetic than ever. The young man separated his hands again and, with a motion of his right hand, moved me in front of the baby's body.

I feel bad about taking this baby's body, but… it's necessary to live again. When I grow up, I'll apologize to his parents... I promised myself.

The man moved his lips, saying something I couldn't quite hear. Without thinking much of it, I noticed how I was slowly sinking into the baby's body, making it shine slightly.

As the glow faded, I began to feel my heart twist and sink, and even though that pain was nothing compared to what Bernal made me feel, for some reason, tears wouldn't stop falling from my eyes, and cries from my mouth. I just couldn't calm down, and I didn't know why.

What!? What the hell is wrong with me? WHY CAN'T I CALM DOWN!? I scolded myself over my childish behavior.

Opening my eyes with difficulty because of the crying, I could barely see the ceiling of the tent and the man who looked like Bernal beside me. The man let out a tired sigh and said something that erased all the worries I had about being reborn.

"Phew... It worked."