Pete's last thought had been a strange one—something about finally losing the weight that had defined so much of his life. Then everything went quiet. He no longer felt pain and could hear no crowds. He couldn't feel the cold tile against his cheek either.
All of those sensations were replaced by a soft, floating darkness that felt peaceful. This lasted for what seemed like hours.
Then a voice cut through it. It was warm and melodic, like someone singing softly, cinematically, near a lake.
"Wake up, child."
Pete's eyes snapped open. He expected hospital lights, considering he had been in an accident. Or maybe the familiar glow of his gaming setup, hoping he had drifted off and seen a vivid dream.
Instead, he was staring at… Nothing. Vast, glassy walls rose in every direction, shimmering like polished crystal, stretching so far they seemed to curve into infinity. The floor beneath him was white, cool, and smooth, but when he shifted, it felt oddly yielding, like memory foam.
Pete sat up, or tried to. He realized he was already sitting, cross-legged, and completely naked. There were no bruises or aches on him, just the same body he had always had, large and familiar. But something was different. He felt light, clear-headed, like he had finally slept for days.
"Where is this?" His voice came out softer than he expected, almost polite. Usually, he sounded whiny and rude.
Another phenomenon was the lack of snack cravings, and no immediate urge to check his phone. Weird.
Pete looked up straight. A woman sat in front of him, smiling gently. She was breathtaking in a way that didn't feel real or tangible.
The beauty had long hair the color of fresh leaves, that cascaded over her shoulders, and her dress… Well, it wasn't exactly a dress.
It looked woven from living plants—vines twisted into elegant patterns, leaves overlapping like scales, and delicate flowers blooming at the edges. The fabric shifted slightly as she breathed, as if it were alive.
She lounged on a throne that resembled the carved head of some ancient creature, half goat, half something more mythical Pete couldn't recall. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, like she knew a secret he didn't. Was she an angel?
"Where am I?" Pete asked again, looking around. There were no doors, no windows, just those endless walls rising into infinity.
The woman tilted her head. "Where isn't important right now, child. What matters is that you understand… That your old life… is over."
Pete blinked. "Over? Like… I failed the level and have to restart? Was the entire setting a prank?"
She laughed softly, which made him feel pleasant for some reason. "Not quite. You died, Peter Harrison."
The words hit him like a lag spike. Died. Well, that made sense. The crowd. The trampling. The game box cracking under someone's shoe. It all rushed back. His chest tightened, even though there was no pain now.
"No way," he whispered. "This is some VR prank, right? My dad's lawyers are gonna—"
"It's no prank," she interrupted gently. "Your body is gone. But your soul cannot be destroyed… That's why you're here with me."
Pete looked down at himself again. He was naked, but unharmed. The flab was still there, but he didn't feel heavy. He poked his stomach experimentally. It jiggled, but distantly, like it belonged to someone else.
"If I'm dead," he said slowly. "Prove it."
The goddess sighed with exaggerated patience. Humans these days. So skeptical." She snapped her fingers.
The crystalline walls shattered like glass, exploding outward in a burst of light. Pete flinched, throwing his arms up. When he lowered them, everything had changed.
A vast blue sky stretched overhead, dotted with fluffy clouds. A warm sun hung high, casting golden light. And beneath him… The floor was now a cloud! An actual cloud, soft and bouncy, like the world's comfiest trampoline.
He scrambled to the edge and peered over. Nothing but endless sky below, fading into misty white. His stomach flipped.
"Holy—" He scooted back quickly. "Okay. Okay, that's… convincing."
The woman smiled wider. "Feeling better now?"
"Who are you?" Pete demanded with a rude tone, though his voice still came out milder than he intended. Maybe death came with a chill pill.
"I am Lady Aisling," she said gracefully, rising from her throne. The living dress shifted with her, the vines rustling softly. "Goddess of Reincarnation. And you, child, have been chosen."
"Chosen for what?" Pete asked, his eyes wide. This was starting to sound like every isekai anime he'd ever binged at 3 a.m.
"For a new beginning," Aisling replied. "A second chance. Your world is done, but others remain. Worlds that need heroes. Legends waiting to be lived."
Pete's heart—or whatever passed for it now—raced. Heroes. Legends. All those stories he had escaped into: Arthur, Achilles, Guan Yu, Robin Hood. In those tales, the heroes weren't lonely. They had purpose. Friends. Respect. Exciting!
He sat back on the cloud, which yielded comfortably beneath him. A flock of birds soared past, their wings brushing the edges of the cloud with soft feathers. Everything felt hyper-real, like UltraHD turned up to eleven.
"So… I get reincarnated?" he asked confidently. "Like, with a new body, into a new world—the whole package?"
Aisling nodded. "Exactly. You will get a fresh start. Rest it up to you. Strength, skills, and destiny are all yours to claim."
Pete couldn't help it. A grin spread across his face. All those games where he had been average at best. All those nights wishing he could be someone important. This was it. The ultimate respawn.
"Okay," he said quickly. "I'm in. Sign me up. Where do I start?"
Aisling's eyebrow arched. "Just like that? No questions?"
"I mean… I've got tons of questions. But yeah. My old life kinda sucked. I had no friends, and my parents were always gone. It was just me and my screens. If what you're proposing is real, I want it."
She studied him for a moment, and her expression softened. "Very well. First, you must choose your path. Name the legend you wish to embody."
"Legend?" Pete echoed. "Like… I get to be one of the heroes I read about?"
The goddess nodded. "Precisely. Name the first legendary hero whose footsteps you'll walk in."
Pete didn't even hesitate. Robin Hood. Definitely Robin Hood."
Aisling smiled as if she had expected the answer. "An interesting choice. The outlaw. The thief who stole from the rich to aid the poor. A man of the people."
"Yeah," Pete said, his excitement building. "Living in the forest, outsmarting the sheriff, having a crew that's got your back. Sounds perfect. Actually, I was going to play a Robin Hood game before I kicked the bucket."
She nodded and abruptly froze in place. Her eyes rolled upward as if consulting some invisible force. Her dress rustled, the vines tightening and loosening. Pete watched, fascinated. The plants seemed to respond to her mood.
Time stretched on. Minutes, maybe longer. Pete fidgeted, bouncing lightly on the cloud. He wandered to the edge again, peering down at the endless drop. Birds circled below, riding the thermal winds.
It was beautiful and relatively peaceful. It was nothing like the crowded store or the empty Harrison mansion.
Eventually, boredom won. He wandered back toward Aisling, who still stood motionless.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked.
There was no response from her. He waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing. "Meditating or something?"
Still nothing. Curiosity got the better of him. He reached out and touched one of the vines near her shoulder. It felt warm and alive, pulsing faintly.
"Cool," he muttered. "Is this whole thing a plant?"
He tugged gently at a tendril. It resisted, then—snap!—came loose in his hand.
The effect was immediate. The entire dress unraveled like pulled yarn, collapsing into a pile of leaves and vines at her feet.
Pete's eyes went wide. "Oh no—"
Aisling's eyes snapped open. She gasped, her arms flying to cover herself. "What have you done?!"
"I'm sorry!" Pete yelped, stumbling backward and nearly falling off the cloud. "It was an accident! I was just—curious! I barely did anything!"
Leaves swirled around the goddess, reforming into the dress with a rustle. Her cheeks were flushed, either from anger or embarrassment, hard to tell.
"You insolent child!" she thundered, though her voice still carried that melodic quality. "Do you have no manners?"
"I said I'm sorry!" Pete babbled, hands up. "It snapped! I didn't mean to. Look, I wasn't trying to peek or anything!"
Deep down, a tiny part of him was mortified. Still, another part—the part that had spent too many hours on lonely forums—was quietly amazed at how real this all felt, but mostly mortified. Definitely mostly that.
Aisling glared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. I'll overlook it this once. You may still have Robin Hood."
Pete exhaled in relief. "Thank you. Seriously."
She waved a hand, and a massive stone tablet rose from the cloud, ancient and carved with glowing symbols. At its center was a keyhole.
"Sign this," she said curtly. "The Roster of Legendary Heroes. It's a standard procedure."
Pete approached the book cautiously. The symbols looked like a mix of runes and ancient script. "What does it say?"
"It binds your soul to the path of heroes," Aisling explained. "Signing the roster ensures your fulfillment of the legend is recorded."
He hesitated. In every isekai story, there was fine print. Things were never so easy and straightforward. There were traps and hidden clauses. But what choice did he have? Should he go back to nothing?
As soon as he decided to sign, a large iron key appeared in his hand. It was heavy and cold.
"Whoa." He turned it over and over. "When did—?"
"Just use it," Aisling said impatiently. "The appearance of the soul key indicates you have reached the decision to become Robin Hood."
Pete nodded and took a deep breath. He inserted the key and turned. Click. The symbols flared blue, then the tablet sank back into the cloud.
"That's it?" he asked.
"We're almost done." Aisling sat back on her throne, her expression cooler and casual now. "There's just one last thing."
She waved her hand, and the cloud parted beneath him. An enormous gate materialized—ancient wood and iron, carved with scenes of battles and heroes. It creaked open slowly, revealing darkness below.
"Step through," she said. "Your new life awaits you."
Pete peered over the edge. The gate yawned like a hungry mouth.
But something in her tone sounded different, making his suspicious instinct kick in. "Wait. You said there's one last thing. What aren't you telling me?"
Aisling's smile turned sharp. "I wanted you to know this: you were not my first choice. Your flaws run deep, child, as proven by how you disrobed the very goddess who rewarded you with reincarnation. I doubt you'll succeed."
Pete's stomach dropped. "What? I thought you forgave me for it. You said—"
"I said you may have Robin Hood. Whether you become him… That's up to you. I am not betting my gold on the likes of you, especially considering where you're going to land."
The gate groaned wider, and wind rushed up, tugging at him.
"Hey, wait!" Pete shouted. "We can talk about this! Hope you're not tweaking my Isekai because you're mad at me."
It was too late. The cloud dissolved beneath his feet, and he fell.
Down, down, through swirling mist and roaring wind, towards whatever waited below.