Isekai Connect(Change of Fate)[Unstable]

(First Person P.O.V)

"When dreams and freedom no longer hold any meaning, when everything feels so exhausting, can you still say you're truly alive?" I asked, but there was no answer. In the end, it always remains a "question" lingering in my mind, haunting me in my dilemmas.

People say we are the main characters in our own stories. Maybe that's true, but they never mentioned what kind of character we play. A tragic character? A successful one? A villain? Or perhaps a hero for someone else? Well, in my case, I'm nothing more than a mob or NPC, or maybe a side character. And that was entirely my choice. I'm just someone who lacks the drive to pursue anything. To be honest, I'm simply apathetic toward myself. Whether I live or die, I don't care much anymore. I live because I'm still breathing and because someone needs me.

Maybe this is just teenage hormones at work since I'm only eighteen and nearing my high school graduation. Though I call myself a mob, I don't refuse to interact with others entirely, so don't get the wrong idea. It's just that no matter how hard I try, I can't leave a lasting impression on them, aside from my nickname, "Developer," of course. Oh, what's with that nickname? Hahaha, it's just a silly title they gave me because I can't stay still at school. School is boring, so I'd create new games like board games or pen shooters. And yeah, it was pretty fun, I guess.

Alright, enough of the flashbacks. Right now, I'm riding my motorbike to my graduation ceremony at a hotel. I left a bit late since the roads were packed with office workers this morning. I live in Southeast Asia, so don't be surprised that I'm riding a motorbike—it's quite common here. Setting that aside, I sped up, realizing I was running out of time. I bet the event has already started.

(Third Person P.O.V)

In a hotel hall filled with neatly dressed individuals, most of them appeared to be teenagers. They sat on rows of chairs arranged neatly, facing the stage where a middle-aged man, the principal, stood at the podium.

"Alright, since this is a special day, I won't beat around the bush. I'm sure none of you want to hear a long speech from your principal on your final day, right? Hahaha. Well then, congratulations on making it through your high school years. And I'm proud to say that every single one of you has graduated. Shortly, we'll begin the diploma distribution ceremony."

A teacher stepped onto the stage, pushing a trolley with stacks of diplomas on it. The ceremony began, and one by one, the students' names were called. For those who had reported their inability to attend, their names were skipped. However, for those absent without notice, their names were called three times before moving on to the next student.

"Jonathan Belfagel."

No response.

"Once again, Jonathan Belfagel."

Still no response.

"Final call for Jonathan Belfagel..."

Silence. No answer from Jonathan Belfagel.

"Ton, has Jojo picked up his phone yet?"

A male student, Alex, asked his friend.

"Not yet, Lex. I've called him ten times, but he hasn't answered," Anthony replied, visibly confused and worried. Jonathan usually picked up calls from his friends immediately. The only plausible reasons he wouldn't answer were if his phone was on silent, out of battery, or if he was unreachable for some reason.

"Didn't he say he left 45 minutes ago? Is he stuck in traffic?"

A female student, Cecilia, chimed in after overhearing their conversation.

"No idea, Cil. I just hope nothing's wrong with him. Damn, if he doesn't show up, it'll ruin everything—we've already got plans for the after-party," Anthony said, his voice tinged with frustration but also concern.

The ceremony continued. One by one, names were called, but Jonathan still hadn't arrived by the time the last name was read. His friends kept waiting for him, even until the end of the event. But Jonathan never showed up, not even as the sun set and the ceremony concluded. There was still no word from him.

Later, on a local news broadcast, a report aired about a motorcyclist involved in an accident on a highway bridge. The victim was said to have been struck by a truck whose brakes had failed. It was suspected that the accident was triggered by a black sedan that almost sideswiped the motorcyclist, causing him to swerve into the truck's path unknowingly.

(Jonathan P.O.V)

And... here I am, standing in an endless void of darkness, without clothes—scratch that—without a body at all. Wait, if I don't have a body, how do I even know I'm standing? Hmm... This must be what Ki Joko Royo Bodo meant by the sensation of the soul and body separating. Interesting. Quite a peculiar sensation.

Anyway, I didn't expect to die just before graduation. What a shame. Does this mean I'll become one of those isekai high school MCs? Not that it's a bad thing... maybe?

(A/N: "Ki" is a Javanese honorific title. It's related to "Aki," meaning "man" or "father," and is often used for respected figures, like Ki Hadjar Dewantara or Ki Ageng Pakarahan.)

But yeah, I don't see any ROB (Random Omnipotent Being) or system guides here. So... am I just going to float around in this void forever? Honestly, maybe that's not so bad. It's been a long time since I've felt peace like this. Still, it's weird to only see darkness. No offense, but is this what blind people experience? I mean, I feel like I can still see, but it's just... pitch black as far as my eyes can go.

[...]

"Okay, this is bad. Too much peace can drive someone insane. Now I get what they meant by that."

I turn my head left and right, hoping to find some clue, a way out of this place, or at least something to distract me from the creeping darkness that feels like it's slowly consuming me...

"Wait... consuming? Consuming!? Damn it! My soul is fading. Is this the real afterlife? A realm where old souls are recycled into new ones? Is that how it works? Ah, but strangely, I don't feel too bothered. Hmm... Does it even matter if I resist this natural law of the universe? Will fighting my fate make any difference? Heh... Maybe surrendering to this darkness isn't so bad after all."

I slowly close my metaphorical eyes, feeling a sense of acceptance. Whatever happens, happens. After all, I'm already dead, right? It's not like I have any regrets or unresolved desires in life. It's not like I want to go back, either—what are the chances of that happening anyway?

But... is this really okay? I don't have any blood relatives I care about, true, but I do have a family—my orphanage—and friends. Sure, they might grieve for a while, but if this is my destiny, then I should just accept it, right? I'm just an ordinary human, a nobody... just another background character. But still...

"Daga kotowaru! Kono Jonathan Belfagel ga mottono sukina koto no hitotsu wa jibun ga tsuyoi to omotteru yatsu ni 'NO' to kotowatte yaru koto da!"

(But I refuse! One of the things I, Jonathan Belfagel, like the most is finding someone who thinks they're some hot shit, and saying "NO" right to their faces!)

Fuhahahaha! Fate? Screw that. I'll reject it—not because of some sense of injustice or a desire to rewrite my destiny. I'm just a simple guy who says no simply because I want to. And this is my moment. Come forth, my Khodam!

(A/N: Khodam is an Arabic term meaning "servant" or "protector." In Javanese tradition, it's akin to a guardian spirit or "perewangan." Think of it as a Stand from JoJo—just for fun, of course!)

"I will reject it! Haaaaahhhh!"

Okay, maybe I've lost my mind. But hey, if this is my last moment, I might as well go out with a bang! Time to test that anime theory: screaming = power-up. Can sheer willpower break the cycle of life and death? Let's find out! Stay tuned for more on The Bright Side Channel! Oh wait, there's no bright side here. Damn, bruh.

Well, I kind of expected this to fail. At least I entertained myself one last time. Okay, this is getting cringe. And... I guess this is goodbye? I can feel my soul truly fading now. My consciousness feels heavy, and for some reason, I feel... sleepy.

[...]

But I'm kidding… What's this divine light!? So blinding, like a pure, untouched virgin—truly rare. Jokes aside, what is this light? Damn, it's so bright. Should I open my eyes? Open my eyes to a blinding light even though they're already closed? Yeah, brilliant idea for experiencing blindness. But it's not like I have many choices, right? Okay, Jojo, on the count of one... two... three!

"... (Damn)..."

The darkness? Gone. Silence? Gone. Floating in a void? Gone. Air brushing against my face, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, and the crisp chill of the outdoors... Am I in the mountains? I quickly get my answer as I look around and see nothing but trees and leaves in shades of red, orange, and yellow—both on the branches and scattered across the ground. Looks like autumn, and honestly, this is the first time I've seen this kind of scenery firsthand. It's beautiful and calming.

"(But where is this? Teleportation? Illusion? Reincarnation? Hmm... I feel like I can't move… Is this an illusion? Genjutsu? Seems not; I can feel my arms… Barely, though... Huh, that's odd)."

I try to move my hand in front of my face to see it clearly. I can see small, soft hands with chubby fingers. These tiny hands… they look like a baby's… A baby? Wait… Oh! Hmm, ah, yeah, uh? Hmm… Yup, I've hit the worst-case scenario on the reincarnation list. I got reincarnated as a baby in the middle of a forest. Great… So great that it'll probably get worse, I'm sure of it. Sike! Oh crap, don't jinx it, stupid.

Well, at least the "Will Power" theory worked fifty-fifty—I'll take that. Maybe it's some universal balance: reincarnators get a bad start in exchange for retaining their past-life memories. The bad part of this situation is that I have no clue what era I'm in. Am I still on Earth? Or is this a fantasy world with tons of fan service? Maybe a grimdark fantasy? Damn, I need a guide!

"Ow! (Ouch, damn, my baby brain is overloading from thinking too much... Relax, Jonathan, relax... Everything's under control... Inhale, exhale… Inhale… Exhale… Huff)."

This reality makes sense logically. A baby's brain, still in its developmental stage, wouldn't be able to handle too much thinking. Those isekai MCs who are reborn as babies and can immediately sense mana or inner energy? Bullshit. Unless it's listed as one of their skills, or they at least acknowledge how abnormal it is. Even for me, being able to think this much feels odd. I guess you could call it the Isekai Starter Pack. Or maybe this baby's body is special? Hmm, what did Ki Joko Royo Bodo say again about souls and vessels...?

"Remember this, Jojo: a soul without a vessel can only manifest if it harbors strong regrets. Every soul has regrets when their time is up, but those regrets don't last long. You could call it doubt rather than regret. A soul cannot cross over if it still has ties to the mortal world. That's why summoning spirits only works on souls with unresolved regrets. And once you summon them, they'll haunt you if you don't help them resolve those regrets, because they realize someone is aware of them and can assist. Back to the main topic: a soul placed into a lifeless vessel cannot feel emotions due to the lack of nerves to produce them. But if placed in a living being, such as an animal, the soul won't last long before being consumed by the animal's instincts. If placed in a human body, the two souls will clash if they're of equal strength. A person with a weak soul—or weak willpower, in this case—will easily get pushed out of their own body. However, instincts come into play again. A soul that possesses a body will adapt to the body, like water taking the shape of its container. The soul will absorb traits and habits from its vessel."

Oh yeah, about that… So I guess… Hmm… Since babies don't have fully formed personalities or habits yet, and their souls are more like blank slates… I think my soul merged with this baby's? Then again, maybe this baby had a near-death experience in the cold air, and my soul got drawn in… Hmm, I feel more energetic than usual, so I'll go with the first option.

"Ow… (Damn… I really need to be careful with my thoughts… This is so annoying… It's all so exhausting… Ugh, now I'm feeling sleepy… Will I die if I fall asleep in this cold air? Probably… Damn…)."

It's hard to keep my consciousness and my eyelids from closing. Besides being drained from all this thinking, I'm getting sleepier from the cold air. Am I really going to die again right after reincarnation? I have to admit, that would be pretty ironic… Damn, my consciousness is fading. Ah... The last thing I remember seeing is a giant gray furball before everything went dark again... Wait… A giant gray furball? What's that, brother? And then my consciousness fades away...

[...]

Strange… This is strange. I open my eyes to see a ceiling that is far from familiar. And here lies a poor young man thinking all of this was just a dream… Haah… What a shame, I didn't clear my browser history… And to the lucky guys who find and inherit my cloud collection, I hope you use it wisely. And yeah, I hope no girls find it… But well, you can't blame me. I'm a healthy young teenager; it's perfectly normal to have a 1TB cloud collection, right? Right?… Whatever. Anyway, this ceiling looks like it's made of wood, and for some reason, I feel my body moving up and down, accompanied by… large breathing sounds?

I turn my head and try to look around. It seems I'm still in a wicker basket wrapped in a white blanket. Maybe I could try rolling? No, no, no… That's a bad idea since I don't know my current position. A wooden ceiling? Check. Possibly on top of a living creature? Maybe… Considering the breathing sound is so close, and the floor I'm on is moving up and down, it's likely I'm on top of a stomach. Hmm… I can see this room only has three walls: front, back, and left. The right side is wide open like the entrance of a cave.

Now, what should I do? A few ideas pop into my head, but I'm hesitant to act on them. Moving my body seems nearly impossible. I feel a lack of control right now—probably due to being in a baby's body? Judging from my limited movement, this baby probably hasn't been alive for long… The question now is, how old am I? Or at least, I need to know my date of birth. Based on the autumn I saw earlier, with a few fallen leaves and trees still adorned with red, orange, and yellow leaves, it seems autumn has just begun. Maybe it's around September? I'd say late August is also possible. But since I saw a fair amount of fallen leaves earlier, I'll stick with September for now.

Situation? Check. Next is a bit trickier. Control? I try slowly moving my hand, attempting to clench and unclench it repeatedly. It's a bit challenging but manageable with one hand. How about both? I try the same thing and find it slightly harder to synchronize. My legs can kick alternately, but kicking simultaneously isn't possible yet. Next, let's test vocals.

"A… I… U… E… O…"

Hmm, pronunciation is a bit tricky, but not impossible. Saying vowels is easy because it doesn't require lips or tongue movement—just the shape of the mouth. Now I have an idea, but it's going to cost me my dignity as a teenager. I… guess I have to try making sounds… Yeah, baby sounds. Maybe the creature below me will notice?

"A… Auuu!... Oaaa?... (Maybe louder?) AAAAA!!!—"

You ask if I regret it? Waking up a monster while it's sleeping? Yes, I regret it, especially since a large furry hand just grabbed my basket, making everything feel like an earthquake. I feel myself being lifted. You know the feeling when you're in an elevator? Yeah, just like that. Slowly, I feel myself being raised higher and higher until I stop and see a furry gray face—one quite familiar to me. A wide smile, ears or horns that look like bunny ears to me, and whiskers reminiscent of a cat. But no, all of that is wrong. I remember they said this creature was inspired by a tanuki, an owl, and a cat… And I wasn't talking about the whiskers but the ears. Strange, right? Of course, it's strange because this isn't a monster or even an animal. This is the forest spirit guardian of Sayama Hills.

"O-o-uo (Totoro, damn baby tongue.)"

So yeah, another Isekai MC starter pack—a destined encounter? Check. Am I the MC now? Nah, I'll pass! MCs always attract trouble, and I just want to live a peaceful life without unnecessary obligations. Of course, it depends on the place and time. I can adapt well.

And it seems my words caught the attention of our furry friend here. He looks at me with curiosity. Careful, Totoro; you still have cat-like tendencies. And remember, curiosity kills the cat. I stare at him, and he stares back. If only I could know what this furry creature was thinking. Unfortunately, even in its movie "My Neighbor Totoro," this creature never speaks, though I'm sure it has thoughts. What a shame.

(Third Person P.O.V)

In a forest painted in shades of orange, red, and yellow, the trees stood as silent witnesses to the arrival of autumn. Animals prepared for hibernation, and leaves fell, blanketing the ground as nature entered its long slumber. It was the season of harvest and decay, the precursor to the harsh grip of winter. Amidst the changing foliage, a large, furry creature roamed the woods. Its purpose was to ensure the balance of the forest in the Sayama Hills, protecting it not only from natural disruptions but also from human hunters and malevolent energies that threatened its harmony.

Autumn and winter were known as seasons of death, their chill claiming countless lives in times of old. Hunger, cold, and hardship marked these months when humanity struggled against nature's unforgiving grasp. Even now, as civilization progressed, the spiritual world grew restless during these seasons. Yokai, malevolent spirits, and other supernatural entities roamed more freely, causing accidents, spreading sickness, and bringing misfortune to the world of the living.

Totoro, the guardian spirit of the forest, understood this well. His role was not just to shield the forest from harm but also to keep the dark forces at bay. Yet, misfortune was inevitable. In isolated villages where desperation outweighed reason, the ancient practice of abandoning or even sacrificing children still lingered. Poverty, despair, and selfishness consumed the morality of those who saw no other way.

"I have no other choice."

"It's better to sacrifice one for the many."

"I don't care, as long as I survive."

Such were the thoughts of those unworthy of the title of parent. For those abandoned, life began at zero, bereft of a family or even a name. Their futures depended on someone reaching out to help or their own will to rise above their circumstances.

The Yokai of the forest whispered of such a tragedy—a human infant, left to the mercy of the woods. A nameless child, swaddled in a white blanket within a wicker basket, lay under a golden wisteria tree. Hidden in the quiet underbrush, the baby might have gone unnoticed had it not been for the sharp senses of the Yokai. Totoro, upon hearing their murmurs, moved swiftly to investigate.

With deliberate steps, he approached the basket. The baby within slept soundly, their lavender hair glinting faintly in the autumn light. Yet something about the child was peculiar. Their soul felt new and untouched, yet there was a strange familiarity, a latent strength that was unusual for an infant. The Yokai debated amongst themselves, speculating on the circumstances that led to the abandonment.

"Could it be because of their soul?"

"Can humans even sense such a thing?"

"Is the baby possessed?" (in Japanese Toritsukareta/取り憑かれた)

"Hah! Don't be ridiculous. That's impossible… or is it?"

Despite their questions, the Yokai ultimately decided the child could not be left to perish. As the guardian of the forest, Totoro took responsibility, cradling the basket gently. Fate had a way of steering lives in unexpected directions, and this simple meeting might someday lead to something far greater. Only time would reveal the true significance of this encounter.