Chapter 2: Time and fate

Qianghua turned to look around and found something above, a bird. It's not just any ordinary bird it's a phoenix and it's bright and gold. This thing is too bright I might go blind.

"Who are you and can you tone that brightness a little bit?" I asked annoyed. The bird laughed and suddenly it grew brighter for just a second and it turned into a sparrow.

"What are you…?" Qianghua was astonished. Is this some kind of magic trick?

"Mortal stop looking at me like that… I know it's too shocking. I can't blame you for I am the God of Fate and Time!" The little bird chirped loudly with a proud look on its face. Qianghua looked at the bird with doubt. "I am telling the truth! Do you not recognize my voice?"

Suddenly it dawned to her. The voice that whispered to her and gave her a second chance. She pointed at the bird and said "You…!" Qianghua grabbed the bird and she almost choked it. "Tell me why did you gave me a second chance? And why are you here? What do you want?"

*chirp* *chirp*

"O-oi! Let go of me first!" Qiangua noticed that the bird was struggling and let go. "Woman you can be accused of killing a God!"

Qianghua had a dark look on her face.

"God? I don't see one all I see is a pitiful bird with an ear piercing chirp…" The bird looked at Qianghua shocked.

"You…" Qianghua stretched her arms toward it.

"Me? What about me? Huh? Just tell me why you're here or I'll choke you to death…" The bird looked at Qianghua and thought 'Is this girl a demon? Why is she looking at me like that?' the bird regained its composure and it looked like it was coughing but all Qianghua could hear was a series of chirping.

This bird…!

"Just tell me what you want to tell me…" Now that I think about it that voice told me something about a price and this one's… wait! "Are you here for the 'order' you said? And did you seriously just gave me immortality? Then that means…"

"That you're one of my servant or what I like to call it… you're my disciple" This bird!

"How can you casually say that?! Disciple? Are you retiring or something? Immortality is nothing to joke about! I get to live for eternity unless I'm killed by an immortal or the god itself!..." The bird thought 'This woman is panicking like the world's about to end, might as well give some time for her to calm down"

While Qianghua…

Immortality is nothing but a gift from the gods to the mortal's in this world. When a God gifts immortality usually it's the royal family but some priests are gifted because of how they devote themselves to one god and they will only follow the god who gifted them immortality for the rest of their lives.

Serving a God means you can't marry or contact with other immortals other than your fellow immortals of the same god. Avoiding contact of different immortal of a different god prevents them from killing each other.

There are types of immortals based on the elements fire, wind, water and fire. There are also the element of light and darkness but the light immortals are considered to be rare and the darkness immortals are basically demons.

If I serve this god of… what did it called itself? God of time and… fate?

"I see that you've calmed down so now let me explain our situation…" is it just 'my' situation? Is this bird really a god?

The bird noticed Qianghua's doubtful look again and coughed.

"You might have noticed how this world resembles your earth but that's because they are the same but this world is a mess. Souls from earth enter this world passing through 'oblivion', 'oblivion' was created by the gods so that no soul from earth can remember their past lives and enter this world without worry. You on the other hand did not pass through 'oblivion' it seems that the god of light made you come here on purpose and helped you pass 'oblivion'…

…There are gods who handle the internal and external affairs of the mortals. Gods who handle the internal affairs are called 'Divine Gods' they are the ones who blessed this world with the elements while the God who handle external affairs are only called 'Gods', such as myself, we handle the progress of the nations and countries in this world by taking in mortals as our servants that's how 'The Immortals' came to be. We sent out Immortals to help the empire flourish with proper guidance that's why most immortals are of Royal blood or priests…

…In your case I'm taking you in as a disciple because the God of light asked me to."

Qianghua looked at the bird and was quiet.

She knew reincarnating in this world was odd although she had heard stories about reincarnation and all she heard was the truck-accident thing that makes humans reincarnate in another world. She couldn't believe such nonsense so never paid attention to it until now...

"Wait you said the God of light asked you to take me as a disciple why is that?" Although the bird explained to her the basics she couldn't understand why?

"Good question! That is because you are chosen to be a collector of souls!" Qianghua coughed up some blood.

"What?!" collector of souls?! What blasphemy is this?

The bird knew of Qianghua's reaction so it pulled out a necklace with a pendant of a phoenix hugging the moon and sun.

"Wear this necklace and shed some blood on it." The bird handed the necklace to Qianghua. Immediately Qianghua bit her finger so hard that blood poured out. She touched the necklace and it glowed. Qianghua admired the necklace for a bit even caressing the phoenix hugging the sun and moon.

She immediately wore it and after she locked it a sudden hard click sounded out. She felt the lock but it was gone she tried taking off the necklace out of her head but seems her face is too big.

She looked at the necklace then at the bird. "This is not gonna choke me right?" The bird feigned to be hurt and shed some tears.

"Do you really think I'm that kind of God?" Qianghua sized up the bird from top to bottom. The bird saw this and was hurt. "This necklace is not dangerous it is actually a communicator between us and the God of light."

Qianghua looked at the necklace and said "So I will be able to talk with both of you anytime I want?" The bird shook its head.

"Although it's a communicator we will be the ones to contact you and you only get to communicate us if you shed some blood to it during a full moon or during sunrise but the time is limited you can only speak to us for an hour." The bird explained while flapping its wings. Qianghua noticed this and was about to stop it.

"Wait! You haven't explained to me why I'm chosen as a soul collector just what kind of job is that?" The bird looked back at Qianghua and said…

"The God of Light will visit you tonight he will explain to you the details of this mission and you can ask him for a wish as long as you accept the mission. Farewell mortal until next time!"

Qianghua looked at the bird and sighed. God of Light…huh… I wonder if he's handsome…