Reincarna

Chapter 1

》To a soul who the Gods foretold, bear the heart of the universe tenfold.《

"Carna? Carna! Time to wake up!"

Sitting up, Carna was hit with a wave of fatigue. Though it was Friday, arguably the best of days, that didn't excuse the fact that Friday was still a school day. And school days meant waking up early.

Carna jumped down from her loft bed, hitting the ground a little harder than she anticipated. She rubbed her sore feet, groaning. 'Cmon, Carna. Just one more day until the weekend. Get going!' Her internal motivation was short-lived, however, as she realized her homework was not longer on the desk under her loft. Her fatigue replaced itself with panic.

"No no no, come on, it has to be here somewhere..." Hurriedly mumbling to herself as she pushed papers aside, Carna quickly sifted through piles of scrap paper and unfinished drawings. She let out a sigh as she reached the bottom. Still nothing.

After getting dressed, Carna entered the kitchen. The sweet aroma of freshly cooked food enveloped her, which reminded Carna of her empty stomach.

"How'd you sleep, kiddo?" Her father inquired. He wore an apron over his shirt, the one with a cat holding a spatula. The cat was saying "Purrfectly cooked!" That's what Carna really liked about her father. He wasn't afraid of being silly, or seen as childish. As long as he was having fun, he was okay.

Carna realized she spaced out. "Oh, good!" She replied quickly.

"I've got bacon, eggs, and some of my special extra-chocolate pancakes!" Her father chuckled. 

"Ooh, yes please."

Her father set down a plate of the homemade breakfast in front of Carna, along with a cup of orange juice. He smiled, and brushed Carna's hair to the side.

"Your hair's getting long again, soon it'll be like you never shaved half of it off!"

"Yeah, I have to get it done again," Carna said in between mouthfuls of food. "My roots are starting to show. I think there's still some black hair dye in the bathroom..."

Her father wrapped his arms around her. "Whatever makes my little girl happy."

"Cmon dad, I'm 16!"

"Still younger than me, still a child!"

"Alright, alright."

Carna suddenly remembered her morning dilemma. "Dad," she began. "Do you know where my homework is?"

"Oh, yes," he replied, bringing her black messenger bag to the table. "I already put it in your bag. I didn't want you worrying about anything but your self care in the morning."

"Thanks," Carna replied. She took her empty dishes to the sink, and rinsed them, scrubbing them with a sponge.

"I'll take over here," her dad said, putting his hand over the sponge. Carna let go. "Go brush your teeth."

Carna walked down the hallway to the bathroom, and opened the cabinet. She retrieved her toothbrush and toothpaste, and looked into the mirror. Only her startling ruby eyes stared back. She opened her mouth the examine her teeth. They weren't perfect; Slightly yellowed and strangely sharp, but she tried not to let it bother her. Perfect pearly whites were for psychopaths and Hollywood models.

After her morning routine, Carna hugged her father and waited outside, swinging on the hanging bench on their porch. She scrolled on her phone, waiting for the bus to arrive. A new notification made itself present.

[Unknown]: Look down!

Carna raised an eyebrow, before shutting off her phone and looking at the ground. A small black animal looked back up. Though, 'looked' probably isn't the right word.

'Bandages over it's eyes? And it's all scrawny and strange. Why are it's ears so long?'

Carna reached down with caution, trying to urge the animal to sniff her hand.

"Oh, you're a funny one, aren't you?"

Carna leapt back. 'So, this thing can talk?!'

"Hello, let's get straight to introductions! I am known as the familiar Mismix, and I would like to propose... A proposal!"

"Uhm... Okay."

"You should help me!"

"...How?"

The animal jumped up to beside Carna on the bench, and tilted it's head. "This world is full of evil. Not a day goes by without crime! However, you can change that. You can become a magical girl!"

Carna untensed, but didn't let her guard down. "A... Magical girl? How do I know this isn't all some scam?"

"Because, silly," Mismix said. "How would I be talking and moving around if it were all a scam?"

"Some kind of robot?" Carna guessed. She picked up Mismix and rotated the familiar around, looking for some sign of robotic parts. She then jerked her hand back, a small stinging pain lining the back of her hand. As she examined it, she noticed a thin red line. Mismix flicked it's tail, revealing a sharp blade at the end, resembling a knife.

"No touching!" Mismix exclaimed. "I'm alive and breathing. Now, do you want to become a magical girl or not?"

Carna hesitated. "What's in it for me?"

"Great rewards!" Mismix exclaimed, throwing it's paws up to the air as it stood on it's hind legs. "Friendship, romance, fame, adventure! Anything you could ever hope for, in your reach!"

Carna stayed silent. This whole thing was suspicious, no doubt, but the more she thought about it, the less it made sense. 

"...I'll do it."

Mismix smiled. "Great! Hold out your hand."

Carna did so, and Mismix put a paw over her hand. Carna's hand tingled, and the feeling spread. Tiny sparkles floated around her, glowly softly. "What is this magic?"

"Familiar magic," Mismix replied. It let go of Carna's hand, before licking it. "The magic is sealed. Welcome to a new life of fabulous fantasy!"

Mismix hopped down, and spun around in a mock-dance. Though, it suddenly stopped. "By the by, I never got your name. Who are you?"

"Carna."

Mismix thought for a second. "Carna, Carna... What a unique name! It reminds me of the word carnage, though. Are you scary?"

Carna stared at the familiar. "No, I don't think so."

"Well, I think I'll stay here a while. This home sure is... Home-y!"

The bus pulled up to Carna's house. She quickly waved to Mismix. "Okay, this is my ride. I have to go!"

Mismix waved back. "I'll explain more once you're home!"

Carna stepped onto the bus, and fell into her seat, letting out a huff of air. 

'This could be great, or an absolute disaster.'

Carna knew her luck. Nothing good could come of this endeavor.