Chapter 2: Reincarnated

I feel a surge of heat inside me. It's intense, but it doesn't hurt. Instead, it's oddly relaxing.

I hear a sound. An explosion. A huge one. But I'm not scared. It feels harmless, almost friendly. Like it's a part of me.

How could an explosion be a part of me? I don't know. I'm no genius.

Then, a strange feeling washes over me. It feels like I'm expanding, constantly growing. Imagine being a balloon, being blown up without stopping. That's how it feels. Maybe I'll pop like a balloon too?

The heat moves around inside me, but my body feels different. Like a big, shapeless blob. No limbs, eyes, mouth, or ears. Maybe I've turned into a slime? But that doesn't seem right either. Reincarnation? Science says it's impossible.

I wait a long time. Finally, I can open my eyes! I see something! But it's not Earth.

My siblings used to tell me about the color black, about stars, planets, and space. They said space was nothing and everything at once. Black with white dots. Maybe that's what I'm seeing now? A black sky with white specks. Stars? It's beautiful, much better than the darkness I've known.

What's weird is it feels like everything around me is part of me. Like I'm seeing inside my own body. I sense everything happening within me. Maybe my senses have upgraded?

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I feel chaos, destruction, and creation. I can't describe these feelings, but I know what they are. My body keeps getting stronger without any effort. It's like a cheat in a game, giving me constant boosts. The feeling of expanding is slowing down now.

But what does it matter? I just want to understand what's happening around me. What am I seeing?

Suddenly, something appears in front of me. Words. I've never learned to read, but I understand them.

"The Book on How to Be the Universe."

Is this real? Have I reincarnated as the universe? How is that possible? The universe is 13.7 billion years old! Unless... I've time-traveled?