...****************...

...I died saving three kids from a collapsing building....

...Now, I’m a woman....

...And not just any woman. No. I’m the kind of woman who wakes up in a forest with long black hair, light blue eyes, and a body that looks like it was sculpted by some very horny artist with way too much time on his hands. I stared at my reflection in a puddle for a good twenty minutes, screaming internally....

...“WHAT. THE. HELL.”...

...The last thing I remember is concrete crushing my leg. My body pinned beneath a pillar. Kids screaming. Smoke. Fire. And then— nothing....

...And now… I’m in the middle of a forest. Barefoot. Wearing a white silk dress that definitely wasn’t in my police uniform....

...And a voice... A booming, thunderous, "Konua Jung. You have sacrificed your life saving others. You have lived a life of service, but never to yourself. So i give you a second life."...

...“What in the absolute hell?” I whispered. The voice was melodic, feminine, and utterly terrifying....

...“Not hell, Konua. Quite the opposite.”...

...I spun around, wobbling on unfamiliar center of gravity. A figure stood there, shimmering like a heat haze, formless yet exuding an aura of immense, placid power. It wasn’t a man or a woman. It was just… a presence....

...“Who are you? What is this? Is this some kind of coma dream?”...

...The presence seemed to radiate amusement. “You could call it that. I am the curator of souls. The balancer of scales. You can call me… God, for simplicity’s sake. Your scale was heavily tipped, Konua Jung. A life spent in service, a death spent in sacrifice. You never took a moment for yourself. You never lived. You only saved others who were living.”...

...“It was my job,” I said, the new voice grating on my ears with its lack of authority....

...“It was your nature,” the God corrected. “And such a nature deserves a reward. A second chance. A life to experience, not just to preserve. A chance to… enjoy.”...

...I gestured wildly at my new body. “This is enjoyment? I’m a… a girl!”...

...“A woman,” God said patiently. “And a rather beautifully crafted one, if I do say so myself. Consider it part of the experience. A new perspective. Now, there is one rule. The most important rule. You must not, under any circumstances, reveal the nature of the power I have given you. To anyone. You must remain stoic. Impassive. Let them wonder, but never let them know.”...

...“Power? What power? I feel… weird. Light. Floaty.”...

...“Precisely. A body this form would normally be weak. Yours is not. It is a vessel for strength beyond your wildest dreams. Go on. Punch that tree.”...

...I blinked. “Punch a tree? Why?”...

...“Humor me. It’s a classic first step.”...

...Shaking my head, feeling like a complete lunatic, I walked over to a nearby oak. It was a giant, its trunk wider than my new torso. I made a fist. It looked so small, so delicate. I threw a light, experimental jab, pulling the punch at the last second....

...The impact didn’t feel like impact. It felt like pushing through dry sand....

...A web of cracks exploded from the point of contact. With a deafening crack that sent birds screeching into the canopy, the mighty oak splintered, toppled, and crashed down, taking three smaller trees with it in a domino effect of destruction....

...I stared at my hand. It wasn’t even red....

...“You now possess the power of a Goddess.”...

...“What does that mean?”...

...“It means you have a power as same as mine. But! You must never reveal the power you have. You must remain stoic. You must act... normal.”...

...I blinked. “So… I have to pretend to be weak?”...

...“Yes, if necessary. Otherwise, it'll ruin this realm."...

...“That’s insane... aint it?”...

...“I am the god of the universe. I can turn a planet into a jello pudding if i want. Dont question me. Now, this serves it right, remember dear Konua... Act. NORMAL."...

...And with that… poof. He was gone....

...Silence....

...The wind rustled the trees....

...I looked down at my hands....

...Soft. Pale. Perfectly manicured like I’d never done a day of real work in my life....

...And then it hit me....

...“I don’t even know how to be a woman!”...

...I flexed my fingers....

...I had power. Infinite power....

...And I wasn’t allowed to show it....

...Great....

...****************...

...I walked for three days....

...No food. No water. No fatigue. Not even a sniffle....

...My body was indestructible. My stamina? Infinite. My legs glowed with untouched potential. I passed through wild magic storms, stepped over sleeping dragons (genuinely), and even pet a griffin that looked at me with what I swear was romantic interest....

...“You’re too pretty,” it growled, nuzzling my leg....

...“Uh… thanks?” I said, patting it awkwardly. “Please don’t eat me.”...

...It didn’t. It just sighed and walked away, heartbroken....

...Eventually, I saw them... The city lights....

...Not just any lights. Glowing spires. Floating castles. A sky full of flying horses and winged demons doing what looked like sky surfing....

...And a massive sign in golden runes:...

...“Elyndor Academy of Arcane Arts, Open for Spring Enrollment.”...

...“Oh,” I said. “A magic school.”...

...I approached a tall wooden post covered in flyers. One stood out, pinned with a dagger:...

...“MAGIC ACADEMY RECRUITMENT DAY...

...Show your talent! Join the elite!...

...Only the truly gifted shall ascend!”...

...And below it, a list of acceptable species:...

...Elves...

...Demons...

...Dragons...

...Dryads...

...Alien hybrids...

...Celestial beings...

...Divine relatives...

...And at the very bottom, in tiny font:...

...Humans (rarely accepted)...

...“Well,” I said, “I am human. And technically… I am gifted. Just not in magic.”...

...I could punch a mountain and turn it into a hill, but I couldn’t cast Light a Candle....

...So… I’d have to be careful....

...I walked toward the academy gate....

...And immediately, every male creature in a ten mile radius turned....

...Elves dropped their spellbooks....

...Demons choked on their soul-smoke....

...Dragon shifters stumbled mid-transformation....

...And a floating jellyfish creature exploded....

...I… didn’t realize I was this attractive....

...I looked down. Long black hair swayed in the wind. My light blue eyes sparkled with innocence. My body… well, it was unfairly proportioned. I looked like a fantasy novel cover girl....

...And I was wearing a silk dress....

...“I need pants,” I muttered....

...But before I could protest, hundreds of eyes locked onto me....

...“Who is she?”...

...“Is she a divine being?”...

...“She looks like a goddess!”...

...“A human girl?"...

...I ignored them....

...I walked up to the front desk....

...An old man with a long beard and eight eyes (yes, eight) looked up....

...He gasped....

...“…A human woman?”...

...“Yes,” I said politely. “I’d like to apply.”...

...He squinted. “But… you’re not a mage?”...

...“No.”...

...“You have no elemental affinity?”...

...“No.”...

...“No lineage of power?”...

...“No.”...

...“No magical aura?”...

...“…Not that I know of.”...

...He stared. Then burst out laughing....

...“HA! A human girl with no magic? In Elyndor Academy? Do you know what it takes to get in?!”...

...“I saw a post,” I said....

...He wiped a tear. “That post was for actual magic users. The weak aren’t allowed.”...

...I frowned. “I’m not weak.”...

...He snorted. “Then prove it.”...

...He reached under the desk and pulled out a sword. An obsidian black, glowing with runes....

...“Hold this. Channel your magic into it. If it glows, you’re in.”...

...I took the sword....

...And stared at it....

...Now, I had held swords before. As a cop, I trained with batons, nightsticks, and once, a ceremonial katana during a cultural exchange....

...But I didn’t know how to “channel magic” into a sword....

...So I gripped it… the wrong way....

...And squeezed, just a little....

...SNAP....

...The sword broke in half like a dry twig....

...Silence....

...The old man’s eight eyes bulged....

...The crowd behind me froze....

...I looked at the two pieces in my hand....

...“Uh… oops?”...

...The old man stammered. “T-that… that sword was forged in dragon fire! It can’t be broken by hand!”...

...“I didn’t mean to,” I said, handing back the pieces....

...He stared at me like I’d just slapped the laws of physics....

...Then, slowly, he handed me the application scroll....

...“…J-just fill it out.”...

...I did....

...Name:...

...Yuki Aiko...

...I paused. That was the only female name I could think of. It sounded soft. Pretty. Not like Konua Jung, which meant “Steel Peace” and sounded like a Yakuza boss....

...Age:...

...25 (in my human life anyway)...

...Race:...

...Human...

...Affiliation:...

...None...

...Magic Type:...

...None...

...I dropped the scroll into the box....

...And just like that…...

...I was in....

...****************...

...After the academy, I needed a place to stay....

...I wandered the city streets. Elyndor was alive....

...Goblins sold enchanted popcorn....

...Mermaids rode skateboards....

...A giant floating eyeball gave people psychic readings for candy....

...And everywhere I walked, people stared....

...Not because I was the only human woman, though I was....

...But because I looked like a missing princess from a lost kingdom....

...Eventually, I found an inn. The “Moonlit Petal.” It looked fancy. Expensive....

...I approached the landlady, a plump woman with fox ears and nine tails....

...“Hello,” I said. “Do you have a room available?”...

...She sniffed. “For you? No. This is a high-class establishment. Our cheapest room is 1,000 gold pendants.”...

...I blinked. “How much?”...

...“One thousand. And you don’t look like you have that.”...

...I reached into my pocket....

...And pulled out a bag....

...Not a pouch. Not a coin purse....

...A bag of gold pendants....

...The landlady froze....

...Her nine tails stood straight up....

...“That’s… that’s a bag of Amune,” she whispered....

...I frowned. “Amune?”...

...“One Amune is worth ten million gold pendants,” she said, trembling. “This bag… could buy my entire life. My children’s lives. My grandchildren’s inheritance!”...

...I shrugged. “Take it.”...

...She stared. “You’re… giving it to me?”...

...“I just need a room.”...

...She dropped to her knees. “Please! Let me serve you! I’ll clean your boots! I’ll cook for you! I’ll—”...

...“Just a room. The biggest, quietest one.”...

...She scrambled up. “Y-yes! The Royal Bloom Suite! Reserved for queens and goddesses!”...

...“Perfect.”...

...She led me up a golden staircase to a room with a bed that looked like it was carved from clouds....

...“This is yours,” she said, bowing. “For… as long as you wish.”...

...I smiled. “Thank you.”...

...She left, still trembling....

...I sat on the bed....

...It was so soft. So luxurious....

...And I realized…...

...I was rich....

...I was powerful....

...I was beautiful....

...And I didn’t have the faintest idea what to do......

...****************...