A flash followed by the opening of a portal through reality came into being. When the opening was fully formed a young woman clothed in all black tight-fitting garments stepped through. By design, she’d placed the portals exit point in her room to avoid any potential interactions with people she didn’t care to interact with.

How long had it been since she had been home? Since time inevitably flowed differently between any two realms it was a nearly impossible question for her to answer. It also didn’t help that she spent as little time there as she could, while still maintain polite appearances. Brushing that aside, she breathed in deeply and used her hands to release the bindings that held her waist-length hair in place. Then she used Talent to part her hair in two and twist the halves into long neat braids. 

Once she left her room she walked until she came to a pair of large ornate double doors. These led to a large spacious room. The room was completely white and empty and devoid of any ornamentation except for a small black table made from an unknown glossy material. On that table sat the reason she entered this room. Four brisk steps brought her before a white cushion that held a cloudy sphere the size of a human head.

The air became heavy when she stretched out her hands towards the sphere and released a surge of concentrated Talent towards it. The soul she'd been holding seeped out of her hands and congealed into an amorphous mist. A casual flick of her wrists caused the mist to flow from her hands. The sphere flashed brightly and the soul flew into like a moth to a flame. 

She waited for several minutes until she was sure the soul was fully integrated into the sphere then she made a tearing gesture with one finger opening a portal in reality and stepped through.

*Soul Integration Complete.*

*Network Interface Activated.*

*Initial Network Interface Activation Complete.*

*Subject Primed for Soul Migration.*

*Warning.*

*Access Denied.*

*Access Through Subjects Psychic Web Is Denied.* 

*Subjects Active Permission Required.*

*Solution. Activate Temporary Consciousness.*

It took a moment for Derek to regain consciousness. Unfortunately, as soon as he did so the final moments of his life flashed through his mind. The memory made him want to throw-up, except he couldn't. He still felt the physical reflex to do so but he instinctively knew he no longer possessed the biological ability.

Instead of focusing on that particular impossibility, he decided to look at his surroundings. The first thing he realized was that he didn't possess a body. His mind instinctively shuddered away from wondering exactly what mechanic was being used to allow him to see without physical eyes. Setting that particular piece of impossibility aside, he looked around but all he saw was swirling white mist.

Where the hell am I! He yelled into the mists.

*You Are Currently Being Held In A Portable Mist Containment Unit (P.M.C.U.),  Also Referred To As A Mist Ball.*

Who’s there? He asked, surprised at the sudden presence speaking in his mind. 

*This Unit Is Referred To As The System Access Interface (S.A.I.)

Yeah, I’ll just call you System. Derek had to stop himself from asking what the System was. The longer his consciousness inhabited the Mists the more he was certain that he was about to embark on the convoluted path of a light novel protagonist. That could be both a positive or a negative. It all depended on whatever hangups the author was working through when they were writing. Can you tell me who put me here and why they did it?

*First Query… Your Soul Was Placed Here So That The Process Of Soul Migration Could Be Implemented.*  

*Second Query… Unable To Answer… Insufficient Information Available To Process A Accurate Response.*

Derek wasn’t surprised that the System couldn’t tell him who put him here. But the mention of something called Soul Migration piqued his interest. He didn’t need the System to explain what it was. Simple deduction combined with his high levels in nerd told him all he needed to know. What he needed to do was get some insight into some details he wasn’t knowledgeable about. 

He rolled non-existent shoulders. All right System, what do you need from me?

*Query…  In Order to Proceed Your Conscious Permission is Required.*

Derek thought about that for several moments. That doesn’t make sense. Whoever put me here had to power to remove me from my world, but moving me to another required my permission. Could this have anything to do with why I’m needed in another world? 

*Insufficient Data Available To Answer Query.*

Derek didn’t think that it was a coincidence that the System’s ability to answer his questions was fairly limited. Whoever brought him was being terribly transparent. Bring me here, fill my mind with questions than insure that the only way I can get the answers I want is to actively consent to travel to this new world.  

Whoever orchestrated these events had a very good understanding of the way Derek’s mind worked, and that fact frightened him a little.

*Do You Wish To Begin The Process Of Soul Migration?*

The System had a limited catalog of interaction protocols so in the absence of direct interacts it was programmed to default back to its primary mission objective. In this case, that meant moving the targeted soul along as quickly as possible.   

It took him several moments before he remembered the question was directed at him. Did he really mind leaving his old world? He found the certainty of his own death surprisingly easy to deal with. In fact he found it liberating. As far as he was concerned his life had sucked so whatever came next had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

So I guess this really means I’m dead.

*Negative.* The voice corrected. 

*Technically Your Soul Was Extracted Before Biological Death Was Achieved.*

Whatever. System lets get this thing started. What did he have to lose?

*Network Access Granted.*

*Step 1. S.A.I. Download Will Begin In (3) Seconds.*

What. Derek cried in alarm. You never said anything about downloading yourself into my mind.

If the System heard him, it paid him no mind. When three seconds passed…

*Begin Download.*

A headache the likes of which he’d never thought was possible ripped through what under normal circumstances would have been his head. His vision blurred and he was on the edge of losing consciousness when the pain suddenly stopped. 

*Step 1. Complete.*

*Step 2. Soul Conversion Will Begin In (5) Seconds. . . . .*

Derek had barely recovered from his headache so he was completely caught off guard when his entire being suddenly felt as if it had just caught fire. Time be.came a thin line that he couldn’t grasp so he had no idea how long he suffered in such a state. When the pain finally subsided he was left wondering how he could hurt so bad without a body. 

*Step 3. Soul Migration Will Commence Immediately.*

Those dry analytical words were the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.