A blue wisp, about the size of a small dog, floats in a grand library. Shelves brimming with seemingly endless books that have sat untouched by mankind for centuries; A thin layer of dust coating everything, the pages that should have been a pristine white, now an old, dingy yellow.
The wisp's gaze swept around the library, a needlessly long table lay in front of it, with the wisp hovering at its side. The table is shockingly sturdy with how aged it looks.
Just north of the table is something like a stage. Though still adorned with bookcases, the center of it, however, is oddly empty. Instead, a single white door lies alone.
Mesmerized by the door, the wisp can't help but be drawn in, hovering closer. Before its thoughts could be lost any further, the voice of a child breaks the silence. The wisp gazes upon a small girl that appeared opposite it.
With bleached blond hair held aloft by a comically large ribbon. Her hair long enough to comfortably rest on her shoulders; a sky blue sundress with puffed sleeves, bearing the same colour as the bow. A well fitted bodice fixed onto her torso hiding behind a white apron.
"Fufu~ don't you think it's rude to stare so intently at a lady?"
Only then does the wisp see her face. A small face that looks like it can fit into the palm of a hand. Dark, melancholic blue eyes look at the wisp with mock anger. Her voice, although it sounds like it's scolding the wisp, is tinged with mischief.
The wisp, confused as how the girl even knows where it's looking, remains fixated on her face. Why does she look, no, feel so familiar?
"Ahem, I guess I should introduce myself first, seeing your hesitation. My name is Alice. What would your name be, wisp?"
Alice… who is Alice? The girl in front of the wisp? It should be, but… it is? The wisp starts to flicker violently; the pain feels as if its body is being melted down into a puddle of wisp.
Forcefully steadying its thoughts, the pain eases, though a slight burning sensation remains. The wisp, now focusing on the question asked, sifts through its memories.
But it can't remember. Not its name, not anything. Like an all encompassing void engulfed its memories; all of them are gone, as if it didn't exist in the first place.
'My name… I don't have one. Not one that I remember'
The wisp tries to speak but no words are announced, yet Alice simply smiles and responds anyways.
"A missing name? Then will you grant me the honours of giving you one?"
Alice grins mischievously as she suggests a solution. The wisp, hesitant to accept but having no real reason to refuse, agrees.
"A name…" Alice pauses, pretending to think for a few moments, her hand thoughtfully rubbing her chin. "fufu~ what do you think of 'u
Undead'?"
Undead? Named after a rotting corpse? The wisp, vehemently wants to refuse, but seeing Alice's smug grin tugging at the corner of her lips, can't bring itself to refuse.
'Undead…'
The wisp repeated the name to itself, locking it into its memory, certain not to forget it.
With a sudden click of Alice's fingers, the library vanished. In its place is a flat plane. The floor is made of a dense water-like substance. Dense enough that Alice can walk around freely atop it.
Before Undead were three motionless beings. The one on the left wore light armour, a chipped longsword secured firmly to a buckle on their side; a helmet securely fitted to their head.
The one in the middle is garbed in light clothes for swift, deceptive movements. A long scarf wrapped around their face, only leaving the eyes barely visible. A rusted dagger attached to their leg and secured with a belt.
The last figure, robed in scholarly finery, held a wooden staff fixed to their right hand and a pure white mask fitted to their face.
Undead's gaze fixed on the one clad in armour. Why wouldn't it be? Knights stand at the forefront of danger, protecting those standing behind. Alice, seeing Undead's fascination with the beings, begins to proudly explain them
"Ahem, Undead, these beings here are just empty shells currently. But that's what you need right now, a shell to house your soul. The shells that I have specifically chosen for you are the knight, which focuses on strength and defence. The thief, which is the fastest one, good dodging and quick attacks! And it also holds 1000 souls. And the mage, specialising in long-range attacks with magic, having the spell soul arrow already ingrained into it!"
Her grin stretched unnaturally wide, as if to wrap around her head twice, Alice awaits Undead's choice. Obviously really proud with how she explained them.
Without wasting any time, Undead floats over to the knight. As soon as it touches the knight, its body is absorbed into it. A warm sensation spreading from his arms to his legs; like life being breathed into a corpse.
Clenching and unclenching his fists to get a feel, Undead looks over to Alice, seeing her smug grin plastered onto it.
Walking to her with slow, uneven steps, just as he's about to reach her. Her skin starts to bulge — as if countless bugs are writhing beneath. Her body swells to an inhuman degree, yet Alice still grins. A sad, melancholic smile.
Then as if it was all a lie, she returns back to normal. Taking the final step towards Undead, her hand caresses his face.
"Undead… Don't forget. Never forge-"
Boom!
Her skin, blood, clothes and hair splayed across the floor in all its gruesome gore. Blood splats against Undead's helm, the only thing he could do was watch as the stench of metal wriggles its way up his nose, cementing itself in his mind.
Clutching the fragments of now torn clothes, Undead slumps to his knees, the blood running down his helmet. Looking as if a corpse is now crying tears of blood.
An unnatural drowsiness creeps into Undead's mind, his body slumps forward, falling into the pool of Alice's gore. The blood seeping into the cracks. Just like that, the plane collapses.