So this is what the afterlife looks like. Honestly, I didn't imagine it would be like this. Strange, but my memory stayed with me, though somehow one-sided: all information is impersonal, as if my own name and close people never existed at all.
I remember I was a middle-aged man when I ended up here for some unknown reason. My whole life flashed before my eyes, but it no longer evoked the same emotions. I was in kindergarten, blowing bubbles with my nose... In my school memories, only knowledge of subjects and abandoned sports sections remained. The anime I watched and books I read were also well preserved. University days gave even less: bare theory of specialized subjects over four years, relationships with girls, and lots of exams. Then work and daily routine. All of this flashed by in what seemed like mere seconds. Maybe it's for the better. I don't think I could think clearly now if I had all my memory seasoned with emotions.
Looking at myself, I saw only a transparent spherical form with pulsating white lines inside the body's contours. Now I'm definitely not human anymore — more like some incomprehensible spirit from the various anime I watched. Though I can see just as well as if I had eyes. Now it became clear why my thoughts flow so measured and I have no need for human necessities. I feel unusual, but I don't sense any discomfort yet.
The area I ended up in wasn't very different from the ordinary world: the same trees, grass, earth, there's even a light breeze that gently tosses fallen leaves. Not very much like heaven or hell...
Thoughts about being transported to another world keep creeping into my head — the colors are too bright and contrasting compared to my received memories. An analogy with cartoon colors comes to mind. I think I should find local inhabitants, if there are any here at all.
Choosing a direction at random, I walked or rather floated toward the forest. After what seemed like several hours, I didn't meet anyone. The thought that I was alone here was already creeping in when I heard rustling ahead.
A creature emerged from behind a tree, as if molded from clumps of earth. The little leaves on the unknown being's head spun amusingly, as if performing some kind of dance. If I had remained human, I would definitely have been shocked, but as it was, my emotions weren't so strong. I only had time to be surprised before this creature started running around me and jumping, making some incomprehensible sounds. [ image ]

"Pru-ru-ru," he sang, continuing to jump and radiate joy around himself.
Somehow, I understood what he wanted. It was like transmitting thoughts through emotions. The harmless-looking creature wanted me to play with him, and his thoughts were somehow simple — I'd even say impulsive, just like a child who hasn't fully become aware of himself yet.
The idea occurred to try communicating in his "language" — I had accumulated many questions about the surrounding world. And it seemed like something was starting to work, at least he stopped, tilted his head to the side, and began drilling me with an uncomprehending gaze. The question marks above his head could almost be touched. He apparently didn't even ask himself these questions, or they weren't interesting to him. After standing like that for a minute, he started running back and forth again.
I wanted to sigh heavily. One thing was clear — I wouldn't learn anything from this guy. There's still hope that not everyone here is like him. I continued my journey further, now with a new companion who apparently doesn't want to go about his own business yet. At least it became less lonely...
Going deeper, the forest seemed darker and more unfriendly, it even became somehow uncomfortable, as if something was physically pressing down on you. My companion, who had been cheerful just recently, started pulling me back and plaintively lamenting that going there was absolutely forbidden.
I became curious about what was bothering him so much. I still decided to go further — I wanted to see the source of his concern. Pushing my new acquaintance back, I began transmitting my message to him that I would go on alone. Seeing that I had already made my decision, he started walking back, turning around every few steps as if asking: "Are you sure you haven't changed your mind?" After saying goodbye for good, I began going deeper and deeper into the dark and ominous part of the forest.
A few hundred meters later, I began to feel the ground trembling — it was like a rockslide. A little later it became clear what was making the ground shake... In a clearing, two creatures had engaged in fierce battle, changing the forest landscape just in passing. One of them looked like a cluster of tree roots in anthropomorphic form, and the other — a big guy made of a pile of stones. [ Image ]


Being at quite a decent distance from the battle, I still distinctly felt their power. These would definitely crush me without even noticing. The thirst for battle and rage just poured around them. But it became clear that the world isn't populated only by friendly creatures — that would be too good to be true.
I should have listened to my new friend with leaves on his head, since the battle was starting to shift toward where I came from. I'll have to go around them and continue further. It's becoming more and more incomprehensible — I need to find someone who could explain everything and tell me about it.
Having already passed some distance from the battle, I felt a cry of pain full of fear and hopelessness in space. Its source was a large tree-like giant, very similar to an ent from Lord of the Rings. It seems the winner and loser had already been determined, which means I need to get out of here quickly. After all, while they were fighting, they didn't pay much attention to me, but at the edge of my senses I knew I had already been noticed by them, and as soon as the opportunity arose — they would certainly follow me.
At this moment, the ent began to disintegrate into multicolored particles that quickly dissolved right in the air, but some of them managed to "enter" the stone giant. I could immediately see how the giant grew in height, and the pressure radiated by his body noticeably intensified. Great, apparently everything here is the same as in my memories from human life — the strong devours the weak, but here it's all in the literal sense.
Without thinking for another second, I began to float as fast as I could. And having already flown some distance, I began to feel that I could no longer move so quickly. As if a reserve of endurance, which I hadn't felt before, began to make itself known in "speed" mode. Most likely, I have some reserve of strength, and when it runs out, I'll feel severe fatigue. Stopping, only now I noticed that I had become dimmer. Before I could properly get scared, I realized that energy was being replenished little by little, but still replenishing.
Having exhausted my energy, I began to sense something similar in the very background. Apparently, I absorb energy from outside, thereby replenishing my "fuel." And that's right! Analyzing that battle, it became clear that the same energy was felt from those creatures, but with impurities. And however strange it might sound, the stone man "reeked" of earth and stone, and the second one — of tree, water, and earth.
It seems my old acquaintance is too weak, since I didn't feel anything from him. Well, or I'm too bad at this sensing...
I should count the neutrality of my energy as a plus — my strength reserve was replenishing faster and faster. But I think I should still wait somewhere until I'm completely restored. And then with new strength, calmly continue my journey.
Wandering around the area a bit, I saw a large tree. I decided to hide in its roots, thinking I'd try to sleep a little. Perhaps that way I'll recover even faster. After some time, I still couldn't fall asleep — I tossed and turned, thinking. Only when I achieved nothing and calmed down, stopping my movement, did my body begin to lose consciousness on its own. My last thought was the desire not to be killed during my first sleep in this world.
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