"What the hell is that?" Solas wondered at the glowing system before he passed out completely.
***
When Solas next opened his eyes, one thing was immediately clear, he wasn't in his castle. Or any castle, for that matter. Instead, he was lying on a small, hard, and uncomfortable bed in a small hut.
"Where am I?" Solas asked as he sat up slowly.
"Argh." He winced as his entire back ached and felt sore.
"Why am I so sore?" he wondered aloud.
Then he took a look around the room he was in. It was neat and bare. Aside from the bed he was on and a stool, there wasn't any other furniture, just a little basket containing clothes.
Just then, the memories suddenly came flooding back to Solas, making him grab his temple in agony as he relived the moments. His castle had been attacked. He could do nothing. He had jumped in front of the mages, and they had killed him.
"I… am dead," he whispered, feeling unreal. "I was dead… so how am I alive right now?"
He stretched out his hands and examined them. They seemed tangible. He pinched his arm and tugged. The pain that traveled through his body made him sure he was alive, not dreaming, and definitely not a ghost.
"How did I get here?" he asked again.
At that moment, the system blinked to life. Green panels surrounded him.
Solas remembered those words from just before he died. What did it mean, though?
The second panel showed what seemed like a stats screen:
Then another panel appeared:
"I have mana now?" Solas whispered, surprised. Before, he didn't have a single drop of mana.
In his inventory, he found two vials. One was labeled Arousal Elixir. The description said it stimulates the body's desire.
The second vial was named Refresh Elixir, and the system description said it restores energy and clears fatigue.
Solas leaned back to process all he had just seen. His attention then returned to the vials in his inventory. He eyed the Refresh Elixir particularly. He was very tired and sore, if there was ever a moment to test its effects, it was now.
He picked it up and, without a second thought, gulped the contents.
It tasted bland, only its coolness registered as he swallowed.
But the effect was instant. Solas could immediately feel his mind clear, like a thick fog had lifted. His eyes stopped hurting, his vision became sharper, his ears more focused, and his back straightened as the pain disappeared, along with the soreness.
"Wow. Whatever that is, I need more of it," Solas thought to himself and stretched, loving the way his bones cracked.
Now that he was refreshed and clear-headed, it was time to think about his situation.
He looked at his body again, this time, carefully, and noticed some differences. His chest was flatter than before. His arms were longer and thinner. His legs as well.
This wasn't his body.
This was a different one, a taller, leaner, and considerably weaker body.
Solas decided that most probably, he had died. And when Eros chose him, he was brought back to life and reincarnated in this world.
Which meant the previous owner of this body was dead as well.
It felt crazy to think this, but it was the only sensible explanation.
Solas looked at the system again, wondering why he was in this world, what his purpose was.
But after a while of fruitless pondering, he shook off the thoughts. Sitting here and questioning wouldn't help him understand anything better. He had to go out and explore this world if he wanted answers.
He got up from the bed and walked toward the door. But just as he reached out to open it, the door opened on its own.
Standing on the other side was an old, worn-looking woman, maybe in her forties or fifties.
There was a look of anger on her face as she pointed at him.
"You!" she yelled. "You scoundrel!"