My Reincarnation Fantasy Is All Wrong!

Slowly my stinging eyes open. The wet blanket over my body leaks light through the sheets. Throwing it off my body, I lay there in 'my' bed. The sunlight burns my tender flesh as I rot, motionless. 

. . . 

Lying on this lump of cloth will do nothing. My isekai adventure starts today after all! Throwing my body out of bed I thump onto the ground. My nose stings a bit and I use the pain to slowly push myself off the ground, but struggle to do so. 

Pulling my leg forward in a crouch I use then use it to push off the ground and stand up straight. Turning to the left and looking out the large window I can see the school past the tops of trees. Taking a step away from the window I start thinking about what I know.

I have 3 days before school officially starts and I was recommended to get a job. I also have double starting money, but if that's my isekai cheat I think I'm going to have to argue with God for something better. Here's hoping I have a mysterious power that makes me an immortal badass.

Walking towards to door I briefly look back. My roommate seems to be long gone, probably off doing side-character stuff. Or maybe supporting character stuff? Whatever. 

Cracking open the door to the hall I notice it's fairly quiet. Only for the noise to be broken by a yawn coming from down stairs. Making my way over to the stairs I glare down at my fated rival. Clutching the railing in my hand with a death grip I shakily put my first foot down.

Only to slip like an absolute idiot.

This is it. I'm dead.

Tumbling down the stairs I definitely feel a few bruises start to form. But luckily I barely manage to survive. Cracking open my eyes I see the brown haired guy standing over me. Dark bags under his eyes and an annoyed expression on his face, he reaches out a hand.

Damn, even when exhausted he really is a good guy isn't he? Taking the hand he pulls me up, though he almost falls himself. With a sigh bordering a scoff he mutters.

"Dude. Are stairs your mortal enemy? Even though you're a Celladian a fall like this shouldn't rough you up that bad, right?" I'm the comedic relief aren't I? putting my hand over my face, with my left eye in-between my pointer and middle finger I declare.

"I'll never forgive the stairs for what they did to me." I 'glare' back at him.

Running a hand down his face he shakes his head.

"You're such a tool," I think I understood that one. Can't someone appreciate my genius comedy? I must have shown something on my face because he responds after a small grunt.

"The princess locked the door to our room. I don't care if you're an idiot who acts like a faulty gear. Just don't be a part of my machine." walking around the corner I follow him. On the table is a pair of work boots. Looking down at his feet I notice he seems to be lacking something. 

Walking towards the front door right past his shoes I decide now's my time to save the day!

"Don't forget your shoes!" pointing at the table he freezes. Slowly his eyes turn to me, then walking over to the chair he grabs his shoes and slides them on. The bottom of his right shoe has an circular brown symbol on it near the back. Some kind of magic circle? Slowly walking out the door he doesn't even thank me. 

"Alright then," I mutter. A critical error. He swerves around with a moment of vigor. 

"What do you think I was doing all night while I was locked out of my room?" I don't know?

Pacing outside he shuts the door behind him. I'm all alone again. Walking towards the window I see someone I haven't seen before. It's someone who couldn't be older than 20, but was easily over 18. 19, just like how old I used to be. His dark brown hair is short, but unkempt. A bad case of bedhead. Deep purple eyes stare back at me.

Guess this guys late to the party? Bringing up my hand to wave his hand rises as well.

I pause for a moment.

Walking slightly back, he follows.

Looking at the reflection, this bodies eyes stare back at me.

His face contorts in confusion, sweat builds up on his paling face, and his pupils dilate. He loses his footing as his body violently shakes. He falls to his knees as he helplessly stares at the one who stole everything from him.

This isn't my body. 

This isn't my body.

This isn't my body.

I bring his hand up to his mouth, trying to hold back bile. Tears stain the ground as I expel what could have only been his last meal.

I don't deserve to be here. I don't deserve to be here. I don't deserve to be here.

No, it wasn't my fault. I didn't choose this. It wasn't my fault, it wasn't ME. 

. . . 

Yes. That's right. It wasn't my fault at all. 

I'm the victim in all of this. I'll live for him. Fulfill all his dreams. I'll be a great student at this school.

I feeling my stomach swirl again as the guilt rips me apart. 

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

I'm Nothing. I don't deserve to be here.

The floorboards stained in vomit, tears, sweat, and even a few drops of blood stare back at me. 

I can't be 'you' Mercury.

You, who's talent eclipses my own. Who's will far exceeds mine. Who's soul belongs here.

I wish I could get lost in my own head again. I wish I could go back. I wish this pain would end. I didn't ask for this.

But I did, didn't I?

I agreed to that bastard's deal.

I'm sorry. I'll take responsibility. I don't even know you, but I at least owe you that.

My body, now significantly drained manages to rise. 

. . . 

How am I going to clean this up?

Frantically opening doors on the bottom floor all I find is an empty storage room and a bathroom with what appears to be some kind of sink I don't know how to use . . . and a mirror. Staring back at the face I stole my fist shakes. I close my eyes. Opening them again his face still stares back at me, but the fire in his eyes in mine.

I'm in a novel. My favorite novel I can't remember anything about. This face might have belonged to an extra, it might have belonged to a character I treasured, this face might have even belonged to the protagonist. Tears well up in my eyes, and my determination falters for a moment. 

I can't just stand here. I need to fix the mess I've made. 

Walking out of the 'bathroom' I look towards the kitchen. Looking through a couple of cupboards I find a single iron pot. Looking at kitchen I find another 'sink'. It has a stone faucet with no spout and two small buttons, red and blue. Pressing on the red one nothing happens, same for the blue. 

Am I supposed to channel magic into them? How do I even do that? Is my secret superpower going to be awakened in front of a kitchen sink? 

Focusing I try to pull upon some kind of energy in my body. 

To my surprise I do find something, though it seems to be extremely small in amount. Slowly pulling it upwards I highlight over the red button with my finger, then I release.

A cracking sound rings out as I fall backwards. I immediately feel a drain on myself. I try to bring myself up to see what happened if anything, but as I rise I come to a terrible conclusion.

The button is cracked and nothing else happened. 

This isekai adventure is an absolute wash already. 

If I can find the source of the sinks power maybe I can just get it from there?

Opening the cabinet under the sink I find a faintly glowing blue crystal with a size of about half a thumb. There! Grabbing the pot and putting it under what I can only assume to be a magic rock I start poking it. 

Come on, do something!

Pushing on it doesn't really do anything so I pull. With a snap it comes loose and starts leaking water from what seems to be nowhere. I just hope my dormmate's will be more mad if I leave throw up all over the floor instead of breaking this thing.

Tossing it into the pot I wait for the pot to fill up. Unfortunately it only makes it halfway before the glow loses its glow and fades into a soft grey. Ok this thing is completely busted. 

Taking the pot over to the front door I open it up. It instantly smells better. 

Alright, Mer-. You know what.

Alright, Mercury! You've only got one shot and getting this right so let's not fuck it up!

I position myself next the pile of liquid and swing my arms to the side, as my arms swing by I angle the pot down.

A gout of water flies out smashes into the disgusting pile of filth. 

Flowing out onto the small stairs it carries most of the disgusting mass into the grass where I hope an animal eats it.

'Try to recover from extreme embarrassment' quest complete!

Putting the pot back where I found it, and slowly closing the cabinet under the sink I make my way towards to front door.

Standing in the door way I look out towards the twisting path. This path is significantly harder to see the other side when you're at the bottom. Probably all the trees. Its cold out, my skin twitches and my body follows.

Walking forward I make my way through the forest despite my exhaustion. My stomach growls with desire, its contents being lost to the earth.

Speaking of earth, what is this world even called?

Going through the sea of trees I smell something odd. A rust like scent fills my nose layered with the forest that suddenly feels a bit less hospitable.

Then I see it.

Warped earthen spikes jutting from the ground in all directions. Some stabbing into trees, while some are cracked and broken. On one of the spires I see the body of a large wolf. Its gray fur drenched in red. With many other wolf corpses scattered about.

My legs shake, and bile tries to rise in my throat, but my body is drained of anything to release. Yet, I've never seen a more gruesome display. Around the spikes are more wolf corpses.

Some large chunks of rock embedded through their head, some seem to have large pieces of their body ripped off by the earth, but all spires come from the ground. Seeming to stem from mostly the same area, with a wall of spikes blocking the path.

This is awful.

Making my way around the side of the wall and back onto the path I see a small object as I make my way around. 

It's a boot. A boot with a symbol inscribed upon it. Making my way around the side I see- 

A sudden phantom pain shoots up my right leg as I find the severed leg of someone else still filling the boot.

It's his leg.

My own right leg crumples under the weight of my own body, my vision gets smaller as I see black dots in the corner of my vision. I throw up nothing but water as my body tries to expel whatever it can to help me regain my senses.

Soft footsteps sound from behind me, I whip my head around hope filling my heart. But the cruelty of this world can not be so easily circumvented.

A large wolf with bloodied black fur approaches me. Its speed rapidly increasing when it spots my gaze. A large rock embedded through its left leg and another drilling into its eye. 

Blood falls from its jaws along with chunks of something. 

Dashing towards me my heart hammers in my chest. I have to fight. I have to do something. I can't just die like this. 

Raising my hand I try to call upon something, anything, but my body can't muster the strength.

A large claw rips towards my head.

A wicked crunch rings in my ears. Then silence followed by black as my vision fades, only a cruel maw slowly closing down on me in my sight.

. . .

. . .

. . .

[But the Story must go on]

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Welcome to Gravitas" the words leave my mouth without warning. My vision swims for a moment as I clutch my head. My right leg wobbles, then my knee hits the ground. My hands clutch my skull as intense vertigo hits me.

*Blurghhhhhh* 

Vomit floods the entrance to the dormitory, bile leaves my mouth as I let out a twisted howl of agony. My screams fill the room and echo out behind me. 

A hand grabs me from behind and pulls me up off the ground from my crippled state.

It's the brown haired man from before. His face filled with worry, and confusion. 

Breath leaves my mouth as fast as it enters. 

Then I heave up a glob of something right into his face.

His eyes close as he thins his lips.

Looking up I see a mix of confused, annoyed, and worried faces from the other four. Six moons gently hanging in the sky behind them in a starry night.

What was that I saw?

What just happened?