Prologue: Reincarnating in DD

Prologue

(? POV)

Light. It symbolized wisdom, goodness, holiness, knowledge, grace and many more. However, above all, it symbolized hope. Hope gave meaning to life, a reason to keep living, a reason to keep moving forward and a reason to endure difficulties. It was with these ideas in my head that I kept 'wading forward.'

Oh! Where are my manners?! I'm Arjun Raj. I 'was' a 20 year old student studying at one of the best institutes in the country, an IIT. I was a guy determined to make the most of my life, and in the process, make my grandmother proud of me. 

I was well on my way to achieving my ideal life too. I had spent about ten hours a day for two whole years studying to get admitted into the Computer Science Course at an IIT. I was determined, dedicated, hard working and of course, made sure to always uphold the values instilled in me by my grandmother.

However, I died. Having an accident was definitely up there in my top 3 most painful things to experience now that I knew how horrible the event is.

- ### Time Earlier -

(Arjun Raj POV)

After dying, I had found myself in a dark place, unable to perform any bodily function. However, it wasn't like how it was described in most fanfics I had read in my teenage years. It was not some kind of void or limbo. It was disgusting.

It was dark, slimy and suffocating. It felt as though something was corroding me, trying to rob me of something precious, and I wasn't about to let it. I would say I had a stronger will than most people. Working hard for hours on end on things I didn't like, to achieve my goals was something I had done and was confident in doing again.

- ### Time Later -

(Arjun Raj POV)

While I was confident in not getting 'corroded' by the horrible place I found myself in I was afraid of not getting out of the disgusting darkness surrounding me. I had almost cried, not from fear of getting 'corroded', but from the realization that I would never see my grandmother again. That I would never be together with the person closest to me in my life. I couldn't ever again see my relatives and friends too.

I had felt grief, guilt and despondent- only for the slimy darkness to 'encroach' upon me as though it had gained power over the iron like will I had maintained from the start. I felt it was a crazy theory then, only for it to 'step back' as I did my best to push those memories (and the feelings associated with them) to the back of my mind.

It was a strange experience, one I never thought I would have. Indian religions had the concepts of 'Naraka' and 'Moksha,' something to similar to their western counterparts of 'Hell' and 'Heaven' respectively. However, while each of them had a lot of differences, I don't think I had heard anything about a space such as this existing after death, in any of the two.

It was between thoughts such as these, where my inadequacy in the knowledge of mythologies became apparent that I saw a light. It was warm. Inviting, like a mother's embrace. I took after it like my life depended on it... and maybe it really did.

I also came to a horrifying realization as I 'felt' the 'slime' around me 'move' and do it's best to 'pull' me back. It was with great effort that I 'waded through' this 'slime' to get to my goal. I didn't want to die, but it happened. I hadn't much of a choice back then, but I had it now. I didn't want to get trapped in this darkness. I wanted to see my grandma again. I wanted to live. Breathe. Feel. I wanted the Light.

Something Changed.

It felt as though a volcano had exploded inside me, shattering my limits and shaking my very foundations. A current of heat burned me from the inside, it formed a loop- circulating again and again. I felt my 'back' explode and something took it's place as it unfurled behind my back.

The searing current in me stopped as I was suddenly blasted forward from my position. It felt as though I was piercing through the sludge, cutting through it like butter. I was radiating a golden light, which seemingly 'purified' the darkness as it seemed to 'writhe.' I didn't have time to notice any of it, however, as I kept my 'eyes' in front, focusing on reaching the light. I did.

Ironically, once I did reach it, I 'blacked' out. However, I think I heard a definitively feminine voice say, "Take care of him," before I did.

- ### Time Later -

(Arjun Raj POV)

I woke up feeling totally light. Also, I felt oddly empowered. I felt 'Filled.' Pushing that thought to the back of my head, I opened my eyes- and promptly shut them. It probably wasn't the best of ideas to do so right after escaping that 'darkness.' I felt a chill run down my spine, and shuddered as I remembered the memories of my time in there.

I slowly, cautiously, once again opened my eyes. I saw a white and gold ceiling. 

Huh, Flashy. 

I shifted my neck to get a better look around- only to feel an odd sense of incongruency. It felt stiff, unused and utterly foreign. My eyes darted downwards on instinct even if I knew I couldn't get a view of my neck. I was small. My hands and feet were small. My body was small. My skin was fair and looked soft. My skin was a light brown before my 'death.' This couldn't mean...

Oh. Oh S**t.

I felt a reflexive flinch as I heard my grandma yelling at me for cursing somewhere. My Grandma, Relatives and Friends. My Life. It was just getting started. I felt all those emotions I had pushed down bubble up once more and get amplified. Call me a wimp, I don't care, but I cried. Loud.

"Holy Son!"

"He's awake!'

"Xuehua! Check up on the Holy Son!"

"Yes! At once!"

While I was numb, I heard a cacophony of shouts start sounding somewhere behind me as I started crying. They were probably my family or relatives in this world. Even as I was crying, I had the insane and somewhat funny thought of, 'Will I love them?'

It wasn't what most reincarnates (or transmigrators) think of, but it helped lighten up my somber mood. Just then, a rather pretty lady in a white and gold dress came into my tear-filled vision. I gave one look at her dress. 'Just great, now I'm in the medieval ages,' I thought sarcastically.

However, what came next- left me utterly flabbergasted and frozen.

"White Lotus! First Spirit Skill! Heal!"

It felt as though I was watching it in slow motion. Her Aqua-Blue hair swayed and her similarly colored eyes sparkled with a certain brilliance I could not quite place. Her oval-shaped pretty face was wrinkled at her forehead as her eyebrows scrunched in concentration as she looked at me with a white lotus in her hand.

I had always been good at analysis. Looking at everything like problems, defining parameters and finding solutions. I wasn't one to make inane statements to comfort myself and to deny the truth when it was right in front of me, here, literally.

No, it wasn't a white lotus. It was probably her Martial Spirit wasn't it? I'm in Douluo Dalu, aren't I? It couldn't possibly be a coincidence that I was born (transmigrated?) into one of the only few universes I had knowledge on. Even then, I had watched only a few hundred episodes. 

Nowhere enough to finish the whole series. I probably don't remember half of what I had watched too. Oh, I didn't know which timeline I was in too. As far as I knew, there were somewhere around 3 - 4 books before I died.

So, I was in Douluo Dalu, in an unknown timeline. Without any family, relatives and friends. Also, I had just died. Could this get any worse?-

"How is my son? How is Qian Xunji?," spoke the concerned face of the 'Invincible of The Sky,' Qian Daoliu, Elder of Wuhun Hall, or as in the English version - Martial Spirit Hall.

S**t.

I fainted.