In a fleeting moment of pure instinct, Alice reacted.The blaring honk of a truck horn cut through the bustling intersection, and the wind from its approach whipped her hair back. The pedestrian light was still a glaring green as the truck barreled through. Without a second thought, she shoved her little brother out of harm's way. She felt the impact—sharp, brutal—before she even had time to process it.
As she lay sprawled in the middle of the street, time seemed to warp—seconds stretching into hours as the world spun around her, sounds blending into a distant echo. The truck had flung her several feet away, and now a blinding white light bore down on her, making it hard to even blink.
The cold seeped into her bones, the asphalt beneath her felt damp. Through the haze, distant cries pierced her awareness—her brother, safe but terrified.
"I'm here," she wanted to reassure him, to tell him not to worry. Yet, her body refused to cooperate; her chest tightened, each breath a monumental struggle.
A surreal sensation of floating enveloped her. Was this what adrenaline felt like? She had always shied away from extreme sports, fearing a hair out of place or a broken nail. Ironically, she now wondered about her appearance, all astray.
Darkness swallowed her thoughts, but she didn’t feel scared. A vague warmth spread through her mind, she hoped her parents would choose a skilled mortician for her. The black designer dress from last week's fashion show, which she hadn't had the chance to wear, flashed through her mind. Perhaps they would dress her in it. She wanted to look her best, one final time.
---
What had happened... to me?
She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision and make sense of her situation.
Looking down, she noticed she was clad in a simple white gown, surrounded by an endless expanse of white mist. The ground was neither solid nor liquid, shifting beneath her feet like something halfway between clouds and glass, while the air itself seemed unnaturally still. "Is this the afterlife?" she murmured to herself.
Almost in response, a mechanical tone chimed inside her head:
Ding!
[Connected with the Host… Initializing basic functions… 2%... 5%... Error!]
She recoiled, taken aback by the unexpected internal announcement.
[Re-establishing signal with host… 4%... 20%... 70%... 100%]
[Connected]
The bizarre messages did little to ease her swirling confusion. An accident—that much was clear. But what came after? An afterlife with dubious tech support?
Before she could ponder further:
[Host, you don’t need to overthink this. You are currently in limbo.]
"What are you? Where is limbo?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly as she scanned the featureless expanse around her.
With a soft pop, a cat materialized in mid-air beside her. It landed on its feet with graceful ease, its fur a shimmering shade of gray.
[You can call me Little Meow. I'm a Guide System from the Teen and YA Department. Limbo is where some souls pass through before they are sorted. I’ve managed to carve out a section for privacy while you wait your turn.]
The cat twirled, its tail flicking with satisfaction, then fixed her with a grin that seemed too knowing.
[I saw you, Host, and immediately knew you were the perfect one! I wanted to make your acquaintance as soon as possible.]
Little Meow's enthusiasm seemed to fill the space, its voice brimming with excitement.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
She stared, speechless, trying to process the absurdity of the situation.
“Is this some sort of joke?” Alice crossed her arms. “Next, you’ll tell me you’re recruiting me for a reality show.”
[No, Host! You are perfect for the Teen and YA Department. Your vibrant spirit is exactly what we need.]
"Really? ‘Vibrant spirit’? Let’s not kid ourselves, Little Meow.”
She sighed dramatically. "So, this is limbo? Looks more like the inside of a washing machine mid-cycle. And you're telling me I got VIP treatment for my ‘vibrant spirit’. Are you sure it’s not just a glitch in your system?"
[No, no, Host! You have a unique potential.]
"Save it for someone else. A talking cat? What's next, a singing lobster?"
Her sarcasm was sharp, but underneath, her mind raced to make sense of the situation.
[You-you know Gary?] The cat looked genuinely taken aback.
“…Do you have a screw loose, or is that a special feature of your system?”
[You can’t say that, Host! That’s a rude word and I am such a cute kat—meow.] The cat blinked slowly.
“I think you meant ‘cat’ with a c.”
[…]
[I chose you because you looked cool.] Little Meow's energy seemed to deflate; its whiskers drooped in an almost comical, melodramatic fashion. Despite herself, she felt a pang of guilt—it was like scolding a stuffed animal for being too soft.
“Look, how about we start over?” she suggested, her tone softening just a notch.
[I would like that very much—meow!] Its tail flicked back up, the enthusiasm rekindled, and it bounced on its feet.
She bent down and gently scooped up the little grey cat. Its fur was soft and fluffy, and it snuggled against her, radiating warmth.
---
Registration Office:
The cat poofed out of her arms, and the white landscape disappeared with it.
She found herself materializing in an office space in front of a white desk. The office space was sterile, almost unnervingly so. The walls were a blinding white, and the air had a strange lack of scent—like nothing had ever been there before. The woman in her forties, clad in a sharp gray uniform, typed away mechanically, as if she had done this a thousand times before without a single deviation.
“Name and age,” the woman stated.
“Alice, age 21.”
The keyboard clacked loudly in the otherwise silent room.
“Done. You’ve been registered. I have you at 1,004 Karma points. Would you like to redeem them?”
[I would like to offer her a contract of employment.] Little Meow materialized next to Alice.
“Ah, approached by one of our Guide Systems? Hmm, doesn’t look like it has been noted yet in the system, but the servers might be slow.” The woman shot Little Meow a quick glare, as if accustomed to its interruptions. Little Meow seemed entirely unfazed, its whiskers twitching proudly.
“What does this all mean?” Alice asked.
“Due to your low Karma points, you have a choice between reincarnating as a dragonfly in your next life, then a fish or a pig and so on before you have enough Karma to become human again. Alternatively, you can be chosen as a tasker and complete missions given by the respective Department and collect Karma that way. That tends to have a high-risk, high-reward system, where if you fail a mission, you forfeit your soul. But you have more options with how to spend your Karma points.” The woman explained slowly.
[Exactly, Host. If you sign the contract, you become a tasker for the Teen and YA Department. I believe you have the qualities to do well.]
“I’ll have to forfeit my soul if I fail or become a dragonfly if I choose not to be a tasker?” Alice reiterated, weighing her options.
[Yes. Being a tasker comes with multiple benefits. Your actual body will be put in stasis, and you can choose to return to your previous life if you wish. Time runs differently, so you don’t have to worry about the years spent completing tasks affecting your decision.]
Alice sighed, folding her arms. Was she really considering any of this? A talking cat, karma points, missions... Yet, for some reason, she found herself not completely dismissing it. Maybe it was the floating sensation, or maybe deep down, she wanted to believe there was more for her beyond that accident.
She considered the proposition carefully. She still wasn't clear on her ‘unique potential’ or ‘vibrant spirit,’ especially with Karma so low. But she'd rather take a chance than not. She thought of her brother’s face, tears streaming as she pushed him away, and remembered how he used to follow her around, asking a million questions about everything. Seeing him again—seeing them all—would be worth any risk. She couldn't let them down now.
“Before I agree, what sort of task am I expected to do?” There were still some lines even she wouldn't cross.
[You will be sent to various worlds and given missions to complete. The overall mission goal is to enrich the IQ of the female protagonists in Teen and YA works.]
“Enrich the IQ of hormonal teenagers? I guess I’ve always been a role model for the girls,” Alice mused aloud.
The woman shared a meaningful look with Little Meow. "Your Karma points are low because of your poison." She thought.
Little Meow’s whiskers twitched nervously, but it mustered confidence. [Yes, Host. You will also be entitled to a vacation world after every three missions. This will give you a chance to recharge your soul energy and spend points if you wish.]
“You don’t need to sell yourself in this desperate way. I would like to double-check the terms and conditions.” Alice gave a weary smile, her sarcasm beginning to blur with real nerves.
Little Meow produced a holographic contract with clear terms as previously explained:
high risk, but high rewards.
In the end, Alice agreed.
“Fine. Let’s get this over with. If I’m wrong, at least I’ll find out soon enough, right?”
[I will begin the Tutorial Mission.]
