Being Isekai-ed

Mai tracked back from the quiet train station, very late in the evening, so she was keeping to the well lit streets, more for staving off her own tiredness than for her safety, since it was so late that there was absolutely nobody around.

It had been another long and bothersome day, stuck behind a computer screen all day again, with little rest or breaks from the monotonous work she had to continually push though.

At least her old family home was in sight, not that there was any family left to see once she stepped inside. The streetlight flickered as she went for her keys, for just a little added annoyance to the long day, but Mai made in inside the small suburban house, kicking her shoes off in the dark, as her fingers searched for the light switch.

Then the whole entrance room swayed, or was it her - while everything steadily grew brighter, but not from the still off overhead lights.

Everything around her disappeared into an enveloping brilliant white and Mai soon felt like she was calmly floating.

And then her view stayed bright, for a short while, till a figure emerged from the surrounding light before her.

An unknown woman, dressed all in white, smiled at her, with bright pure white eyes.

This is a strange dream...

"This is no dream, my little spirit."

Huh, I didn't say that... wait I can't say anything...!

"Please be calm. You cannot speak as you have no mouth to do so."

Oh, that'd make sense... I must have been so tired that I collapsed...

"I'm afraid you have fared much worse than that, unfortunately."

Wait, what...?!

"For I'm afraid you are now but a spirit - your essence."

I... died?!

"Yes ...well your physical form no longer exists..."

I'm one of those poor people who die from overwork huh...?

"Well actually that might have been my doing too..."

What!?!

"I must apologise my little spirit. It was an error of my doing I'm sorry to tell you."

Error...?

The unknown female figure clapped her hands before her, still smiling sweetly.

"Through no fault of yours, I might have misdirected... uh, cosmic energies... into your dwelling, corrupting the space."

Uh-huh...

"But I managed to save your sprit - entirely, so we have options for compensation."

Are we talking reincarnation or...?

"Precisely. I can send you to a different world..."

Not my own?

"Unfortunately due to the tainted energies..."

She stopped briefly, before continuing on after a little wink.

"The mingled energies are not compatible with your previous reality, sorry. I will send you to a kinder world, free of your previous burdens..."

Are you some kind of second rate god? Because you screwed up, and now you're sweeping me aside?

"I didn't skew up! - Okay maybe I did a little..."

She visibly blushed and looked annoyed.

"And I'm no omnipotent deity - alright!"

Okay, okay... so do I get to bring anything with me to this promised new world?

"Sorry again, everything you had was critically damaged."

All my possessions?

"Yes afraid so..."

Including my computer?

"Thoroughly corrupted..."

Phew!

The white figure tilted her head in slight confusion.

Mai's 'spirit' settled, not bothering to even think that her personal and private files and conversations she'd had would be forever completely irretrievable.

"So back to the matter at hand... I shall gift you whatever abilities you wish for in your new existence."

Do you have a deadline or...?

"No I just need to deal with - get this done promptly."

She fretted and averted her eyes.

Sure...

"Humph - now I assume you'll want a similar body to the one you neglected before..."

Yeah - hey!

"And you'll be blessed with many abilities, so you should be quite capable too."

Hmm, gee thanks...

"So would you want for any particular extra upgrades?"

What am I going to be, a new phone? Uh... nothing fancy or complicated please. I just ask I can have a long peaceful life...

The figure did something with her fingers, and smiled.

"Very well then, now we're all set..."

Oh really? Well...

"Yes."

Can I get a little head's up too?

The all white being looked a little puzzled at her request.

...as in; a brief insight... into what and where you're sending me?

After a moment of thought, she apparently got what Mai had meant.

"If you should wish for it; that would be possible, yes."

Thanks...

"You are quite welcome."

She gave a brilliant smile, before raising her hands above her head.

"Now have a wonderful second chance at a happiness filled and prolonged live!"

Something indescribable happened and the light faded to darkness.

Then Mai felt gravity again, a gentle breeze and her own solid heartbeat.

Opening her eyes, she was greeted by a gentle blue sky, and a small grassy opening, amongst many rustling green trees.

"So I guess I'm not starting over as a baby..."

I sound the same as before, at least I think so...

Sitting up, some black hair flopped into view, so that was the same, but her arms before her seemed a few tones darker than her pale self that she'd been, but she was still a she.

"So..."

Mai looked about, before something important dawned on her.

Wait... that shoddy half-wit didn't tell me a single thing about this place, or how to get about in it either... did I just get a parting diddle from my last world...?

She got to her feet, just a little wobbly, and looked about again.

There were absolutely no clues, messages, tablets, prompts or even a paper letter anywhere to be seen, but something sparkled amongst the trees, and Mai Misaki knew she was certainly no longer standing in Japan, or even on her former planet anymore.

So what do I do with myself now?

Any direction looked like the other, but downhill seemed the easiest, so Mai patted down the simple dress she wore, and set off from there.

Before she stopped after a few steps - to do a more careful pat down of herself again: but still only finding nothing but her current clothes on her. Silently Mai cursed the white being again, for not even giving her a shred of local currency, or any other items to help her out at all.

What half baked being was she anyway...?

Mai sighed and continued off again, towards whatever life she'd be able to manage.