The room was far too silent.
It wasn't the comfortable kind of silence. It was the kind that seemed to weigh on the shoulders, that made time drag as if it were slower.
Lukas was lying on his back on his bed, staring at the white ceiling with an empty expression.
One arm thrown over his eyes, the other resting at his side.
In the corner of the room, the fan spun slowly, producing a low and constant noise.
He sighed. And then he turned his face toward the window.
The curtain was open, letting the late afternoon light enter in golden lines that streaked across the floor.
Outside, the gray buildings of the city looked the same as every other day.
Almost dull and without change.
That was when he noticed.
A pigeon was perched on the ledge of the neighboring building.
But it wasn't just perched, it was actually looking directly at Lukas.
The two stayed like that for a few seconds. Just staring at each other.
Lukas raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?" He muttered to himself.
The pigeon tilted its head slightly, as if it were curious.
Lukas slowly sat up on the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and kept watching the bird.
It looked calm. Free and without worries.
It could simply flap its wings and leave.
Lukas let out a faint smile.
"Maybe, if I were you… I would be free."
The pigeon suddenly opened its wings and then flew away. Just like that.
Lukas followed the bird with his eyes until it disappeared between the buildings.
His smile faded. He got up from the bed, running a hand through his messy hair.
He left the room and walked through his small apartment.
The place was simple. There were two bedrooms and a small living room with an integrated kitchen.
It was far too quiet for someone who once had a house with his parents always laughing there.
But that had been several years ago.
He went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He took a portion of food he had prepared the day before.
With some speed, he placed it in the microwave and pressed the button.
The appliance began to spin while he watched.
As he waited, he heard the distant sound of his television on in the living room. He sometimes left it on just to break the constant silence.
The voice on the television was saying something about high unemployment rates.
Lukas closed his eyes for a moment, waiting.
After the food heated up, he took the plate and went to his living room. He sat on the couch and placed the plate on the small coffee table.
The television showed graphs, people in suits, discussions about the market, universities, and the future.
Future.
Lukas had turned eighteen a few days ago.
Eighteen years old. He had finally become an adult.
He had already finished high school. And his parents had left enough money for him to live for a while without having to worry.
But that time was running out.
He knew that perfectly well. The bank statement didn't lie.
Soon, he would have to look for a job in order to survive.
Not just work, he would have to think about college. Choose a major. Study. Compete. Strive.
Try to become someone in life.
He knew all of that. He knew it better than anyone.
But he hated the idea for some reason.
He hated the idea of waking up early every day to do something he didn't want to do. He hated the invisible pressure that seemed to crush his chest whenever he thought about his own future.
He took a bite and chewed without really tasting it.
"I just wanted to stay quietly in my own…" he muttered.
He wanted to stay at home. Sleep whenever he wanted, wake up whenever he wanted. Not having to prove anything to anyone.
Not having to survive at the pace this world demanded. But he knew that was impossible, perhaps only the truly rich could live like that. And Lukas was not one of those people.
Or at least he believed it was impossible.
He sighed softly. That was when he felt something brush against his leg.
A soft meow caught his attention. Lukas looked down.
Miyo, his cat, was there.
The small, light gray-furred cat rubbed against his leg, purring softly.
Lukas let out a genuine smile this time.
"You always show up at the right time to cheer me up, don't you?"
He set the plate aside and picked up the cat into his lap.
Miyo immediately settled in, curling up against Lukas's chest.
Lukas began to stroke the top of the animal's head, running his fingers behind the ears.
The purring grew louder.
"You definitely have a good life, don't you...?" Lukas murmured.
Miyo blinked lightly.
"You have food whenever you want… you can sleep whenever you want… play whenever you want…"
He sighed, resting his forehead against the cat's head.
"If I could be an animal in my next life…"
His voice grew lower. Almost a whisper.
"… I think I would be much happier."
Miyo simply kept purring, oblivious to the words.
But at that moment, something changed. Not in the apartment, not in the television, not in the air.
It was something invisible.
At the center of Lukas's soul, a small spark shone.
Faint and golden. As if something had heard Lukas's words. And responded internally.
But Lukas did not notice. He had no way to notice.
After finishing eating, Lukas took the plate to the sink. He left it there to wash later.
He turned off the television. The silence then returned.
He walked back to the bedroom. He stopped in front of the window for a moment. The sky was already darkening. No pigeons or birds now.
He closed the curtain.
"Tomorrow I'll start looking for a job." He muttered to himself as he set an alarm to wake up early the next day.
As if saying it would make things easier.
He lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket up to his chest. Miyo jumped beside him, turned twice, and settled next to his leg.
The fan continued spinning. The room was dark. Lukas closed his eyes. The tiredness came quickly.
Perhaps from not having done anything all day. Perhaps from thinking too much. Perhaps from simply being tired of existing that way. His body relaxed.
His breathing then began to slow down suddenly.
Slow.
And slower.
Until… it stopped.
Lukas's breathing simply stopped. And when that happened, something shone at the depth of Lukas's soul.
And then…
'Ding!'
A sound echoed. It was clear and metallic. The sound did not come from the room. It did not come from the world outside. It seemed to have come from within.
Lukas's eyes opened suddenly.
But he was no longer in the room. He found himself in a void… dark. Infinite. Without ground or sky.
His body felt light. Or nonexistent.
A mechanical voice echoed around him.
[The host's wish has been successfully answered!]
Lukas tried to speak, but no sound came out. He tried to move, but he had no body to do so.
[Current Plane of Existence Incompatible with the System.]
The void began to vibrate.
A light appeared in the distance. Far away, but it was approaching rapidly.
[Initiating Soul Transmigration.]
'What…' Lukas thought. Trying to speak.
Then, a strange sensation took hold of him. Not pain. But something is being pulled, detached. As if invisible threads were being cut.
[1%…]
Lukas somehow felt the world disappear.
There was no more room. There was no more bed. There was no more Miyo.
[18%…]
The void began to fragment.
Like glass shattering.
[47%…]
Images began to flicker before him, but it was so fast he could not see anything.
[100%]
[Soul Transmigration successfully completed!]
Everything suddenly turned white.
And then, darkness again.