Issue #1: Chapter 1

Ever since I died, I was lost in the abyss, struggling to get out. I wondered where and how was I able to escape, but still failed to find it...until I was finally able to escape from the eighth day.

The chirping birds interrupted my slumber. Lying near the lake, my hazy vision was readjusting while I sat up and examined my surroundings, rubbing my head.

Trees and bushes were gazing at me everywhere. The sunlight radiated upon the world with thin clouds floating past it. The fresh, spring aroma surrounded me.

Where am I? How did I get here? Was I reincarnated or somethin'?

I remembered one stormy night when the lightning struck me near the rail, making me fall down into the sea. My hair and my clothes were charred. With no one to save me, I drowned into the deep, dark depths.

When I combed my hair down, I was shocked to find out how long it was. Confused at first, I pulled it towards my face and saw that it was long, straight and blond. How strange. I didn't recall having this kind of hair.

I turned to the lake and it reflected my different appearance entirely like a mirror. I widened my big, innocent eyes when I saw myself wearing a low cut, European medieval dress, a gorgeous face with no glasses on it. My dress cramped me into a dress so tightly that I might've spilled it out, or even worse, my upper part of the shirt would've teared if I bended over too far.

Realizing I probably was in a Medieval fantasy, I shivered and frowned at my reflection. My eyes were widened even more with my mouth open, placing my hand in front of my mouth.

I couldn't believe that I was reincarnated as an attractive woman, but having a pretty face wasn't the only one that scared me a bit. My face blushed out of embarrassment when I looked down at my new dress as it made me appear like a slut, which was my worst nightmare. It scared me into thinking about men now having an opportunity to lust after me.

Slapping the water, I slowly stood up from the ground while I held my upper part of the dress tightly to prevent the tear. I then scanned my surroundings, wondering where I was supposed to go. I struggled to decide while I crossed my arms to cover my chest in case I encountered a guy on the way.

While I couldn't wait to get a new dress, I thought about how I should get there. Not knowing where to go, it would be better for me to ask someone for directions, to hopefully not run into a man during my search.

So I began walking around the woods out of caution, in case I spotted something suspicious. I found none so far. I moved my head sideways out while hunting for someone that would lead me to a town, definitely anywhere to get me out of this woods for that matter. After I took a couple of steps, I felt some dirt in between my toes.

I stopped moving and looked down at my feet, finding out that they were barefooted. I sighed with my dejected face, after I saw some grass leaves and dirt on them.

Oh, great. Not only do I have to find a new dress, I'll also have to get myself some shoes.

I stopped looking at my feet and kept searching. Gazing around the place during my search, even when I survived the forest, it brought a smile on my face since I liked to travel. This is the new world that I was reincarnated to. I wanted to know what kind of world this was, how many countries were there in this world, and what the culture was like. I was glad to travel with my parents by the passenger ship for the first time to the Caribbean before that storm.

And once I find that town, I also wanted to find out what kind of language the people spoke there and probably read some books there. Even though I probably wouldn't understand what they were saying, I would at least know what that language sounded like. But right now, all I needed to focus on was surviving this damn forest and finding another town as fast as I could. I couldn't risk thinking about traveling and reading much longer.

Yet the longer I searched, the more I struggled to find someone for directions. With pain dominating my feet, sweat slid down from my forehead while I searched for any resting place. After a while, I spotted a huge rock standing near the tree, grinning at it. I sighed as it was time for me to get a break.

I headed my way towards the rock, sat on the ground and leaned on it, zoning out while watching the lake. My stomach's growl immediately snapped me out of it and made me look down at it, touching it with both hands and a frown. I frowned and sighed at my stomach. I couldn't believe I was hungry after being tired of all that walking. I slanted back on the rock and stared at the lake. My stomach would have to wait for a while.

"Are you hungry there, young lady?" A mysterious woman's voice asked in a cranky voice.

"Huh?" I curiously turned to that voice. I placed my hand in front of my mouth, as I spoke in my vulnerable, little voice. Why I would sounded something that I've never sounded like in my old world was beyond me. It was all strange to me for a moment there.

Now I wondered if she either spoke the same language as I did or I could outright understand her language. It would've been a cool if the latter was the case.

Anyway, there it was an old woman walking towards me with her walking stick, that looked like a shepherd's. The black smoke served as her cloak and her hood covered her eyes.

While she walked towards me, I could barely smell the smoke around her. She pulled out one of the apples from the basket and handed it towards me. "Here, take it."

I raised my eyebrow at her when I darted my eyes towards her face. Although I was happy to encounter a woman, this woman, though, was kind of giving me the old woman from Snow White vibes. I pondered if she was really doing it out of kindness from her own heart. I was reluctant to accept her offer, yet my stomach's growl pressured me to accept it.

"Go on, take it," the old woman said, "I'm not going to harm you."

I looked up at her and the apple back and forth. I tried to reject the apple, but hunger forced me to take it. So I took a bite and tasted the apple's sweetness, determining whether or not I would be dead in seconds. Luckily, I found out that I wasn't harmed nor even dead so far, leading me to take another bite. The apple made me less wary of it and the old lady.

The old woman smiled at me and watched me continue eating. "Yes, that's it. I know you must be hungry, young lady. Keep eating."

After I ate the apple, I threw it into the lake and heard a splash beside me. Changing my mind, I stood up from the ground and turned to her. "Thank you for the food, ma'am."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, young lady," the old woman said, nodding a bit.

"So I'm stuck in this forest, I'm lookin' for a town and I have no idea where it is. Do you know where I should find it?"

"Oh, you poor, child." The old woman tsk-tsked me. "I think I know where it is." She turned around and pointed at a couple trees to her left. "Up there should be a road."

"Uh-huh."

"Once you head there, just go straight. You should be able to head to town."

I raised my eyebrow at first. "That's it? Jus' head straight?"

She turned back to me. "That's right, just head straight once you walk towards those trees."

I nodded and smiled. "Okay, thanks for your help!"

"Why, you're welcome," she said as I walked past her towards those trees with my arms still crossed.

Alright! I'm headin' goin' to town! I'll finally be able to get some new clothes for once!

Once I made it there, I followed the path towards the town like that old woman said. When I left her presence, she smirked and chuckled viciously with the black smoke surrounding her. "He-he-he-he-he-heh."