The realization hit me hard, I couldn't believe that I had regressed 20 years back into the past.
I stood frozen, looking at the calendar as Alice was busying herself in the kitchen. My thoughts spun in circles. I was wondering if this was my second chance or just a curse disguised as a gift.
852... That means the monsters are still weak and hiding in the dungeons. The soldiers I once fought beside are still alive and breathing, laughing somewhere in this timeline. Could I stop the monsters this time? Will able to stop the inevitable? Or was fate just too stubborn to alter?
"Are you okay, Valen?" Alice's voice brought me back to reality. I glanced at her as she held a bowl of hot, steaming soup on a tray.
"Yeah," I replied quickly, hiding the turmoil in my mind. "I'm just... thinking."
She smiled kindly and placed the soup in front of me. "You look like someone who has a lot on their mind, Valen." If only she knew what happened to me.
As I ate, my gaze went to Alice Starwyn. She was not a famous warrior, just a young swordsman who could handle D-Tier Goblin, but would hesitate to face anything hard. Her simple home, banner, or lack of trophies reflect a minor life.
In my past, I must have ignored many soldiers in the chaos of war. Nevertheless, her quiet determination attracted my attention. This made me realize how many people did not go just because they did not fit the hero mold.
This time, I promised myself that I would recognize simple courage, no matter how small it is. Everyone's bravery is worthy of acknowledgment.
"Thank you for everything." I said.
"This is nothing." Alice shrugged.
....There was a slight pause.
"Streets aren't for kids, Valement isn't a safe city, everyone here is full of themself. Nobody cares about each other in this city." Alice said as she broke the silence.
"In the future, I will ensure everyone has a chance, regardless of who they are or where they come from." I told Alice
"How?" Alice replied with a surprising tone
"By getting stronger, of course. I already know how to use a sword from watching duels between the soldiers." I asserted
Alice chuckled a bit with a smile, she said:
"Valen, you are full of surprises. Tomorrow I will teach you how to use a sword."
"Thank you so much, Alice." I said joyfully. Even though I know how to use a sword, I can't let anyone know that I regressed back into the past, because revealing too much could raise many questions, which I can't let that happen.
Later That Night
As I lay down on the bed in the small room prepared for me. My mind started racing with many questions. If this were the past, what else has changed? Were there any differences between this timeline and my other timeline? If there are how long until the monsters come out of hiding?
I need information about key figures, maps, and military records. Were the royal family the same? Are the traitors still loyal or not?
I closed my eyes
Tomorrow my journey will begin again, this time I won't fail.
Next day
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains, too calm for a world that held so much chaos beneath its surface. I woke up to the sound of Alice moving about in the next room, soft footsteps. As I got up from the mattress, I got a dull ache that ran through my body, reminding me that today's training will test my new body. I splashed cold water onto my face from the basin at my bedside. The chill helped me clear my thoughts. Today was the day I would begin learning swordsmanship—yet I couldn't even show a glimpse of the skills that I already possess.
By the time I entered the kitchen, Alice was already pouring a thick porridge into two bowls and putting one in front of me. The steam from the bowl curled upward. carrying the scent of the meal. She smiled as I took the bowl. "Good morning, Valen," she said. "Are you ready for your lessons?"
I nodded, taking a careful spoon. "Yes, thank you so much for the food". The porridge was one of the sweetest things I have ever had. As I ate, Alice joined me at the table, quietly working through her bowl of soup.
As we sat at the table, the silence spread between the spoons. Alice saw me, her head leaned a little in curiosity.
"So.... how old are you, Valen?" She inquired, her tone gentle but laced with curiosity.
"Fourteen," I replied. "Fifteen soon—my birthday falls in the month of Justune"
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You speak like someone twice that."
I gave a small shrug, forcing a faint smile. "I've seen a lot… even if I don't look it."
Alice didn't question it further, but her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, quiet, thoughtful. It was clear she didn't fully believe the surface of my words, but she was kind enough not to dig deeper.
"I've prepared something for you," she said once I'd finished. She reached into a corner and pulled out a polished wooden practice sword—a short blade of dark oak, smooth and balanced. "This is a bokken," she explained. "It won't cut, but it's heavy enough to give you a feel for real steel." She held it out to me. "When you're ready, meet me behind the stable. I've cleared some space."
I stood up and took the bokken with a nod. The weight was familiar in my hands—lighter than a real blade, but reminiscent of a warrior's weapon. "Thank you, Alice. I won't let you down."
Outside, the air was sharp with morning chill. The stable yard lay still—horses quietly feeding, a few early merchants creaking by with their carts. Alice stood by a low wooden fence, watching the soft, trodden earth inside—a practice ring shaped by repetition and sweat. She wore fitted leather leggings and a short tunic, a wooden sword slung across her back. As I approached, she drew the weapon and gave a single, wordless nod.
"First, stance," she said. She demonstrated a basic guard: feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent slightly, bokken held at chest level with both hands. "Keep your center of gravity low. If you stand too tall, you'll lose balance when I attack."
I matched her stance. My body tensed, half-expecting her to come at me. Instinct pulled me toward the old stance—feet set wide, weight ready to drive forward—but I held back and copied her exactly, awkward shallow knees and all. She started to circle me, eyes sharp, taking in every detail.
"Good," she said. "But your left foot is a bit too far back. Shift it forward half a pace so you can move quicker." I complied, feeling the slight adjustment bring me more comfortably into position.
"Alright," she said, lifting her bokken into a loose guard. "I'm going to start with some basic strikes. You block, then reset your stance right away." Her voice was calm, but there was steel behind it. "Ready?"
I tightened my grip and looked at her blade. "Ready." My heart pounded, bringing back the rhythm of war drums and the taste of sweat and steel. But I pushed the memories aside.
"Good," she murmured.
Then came a horizontal cut—faster this time. I shifted my feet, angled the block, let my hips turn just enough to deflect clean.
Every time I met her strike, I snapped back to guard just as she'd shown me. Smooth. Controlled. Disciplined.
Beneath it all, the old instincts stirred—sharp, precise, drilled into me over years of war and bloodshed. But on the surface, I moved slower than I could've, deliberate in every motion. Just enough to pass for a quick learner… not a seasoned fighter in a younger body.
After a few more passes, we lowered our bokkens, sweat clinging to our skin.
Alice gave me a long, measuring look.
"You're not bad, Valen," she said, circling me with her arms loosely crossed. "You pick up techniques way too fast for someone who's never trained."
I offered a shrug, keeping my expression casual. "I guess I watch carefully. Maybe I've got a good memory."
She raised an eyebrow. "Mm-hmm. Or maybe you're hiding something."
I kept my smile tight, saying nothing.
Still watching me, she tapped the tip of her bokken against my shoulder. "Whatever the case, you've got talent. With the right training, you could go far. Have you thought about applying to the Sevren Academy?"
I blinked. "The academy?"
Alice nodded. "It's not just about swordwork. They teach combat theory, survival, monster behavior, history... everything a serious fighter needs. It's not military-run, either. Just a place where those with potential can grow."
I looked down at my hands, still faintly trembling from the duel.The academy... It wasn't just training. It was connections, records, maps, data—everything I needed to prepare for the coming chaos.
"I'll think about it," I said, keeping my tone careful.
Alice smiled, brushing her braid back over her shoulder. "Well, don't take too long. You keep improving like this, and I'll personally write your recommendation."
Back at Alice's, I splashed cold water over my face, washing away the sweat and grit. My forearms ached—dull and heavy—but I welcomed the burn. It meant I was still here, still moving forward in a world that hadn't given up on itself just yet.
In the kitchen, a small loaf of bread and a few apples sat on the table, still warm from the sun. Alice must've left them before heading out again. Simple, thoughtful. It grounded me more than I cared to admit.
I ate in silence, replaying the morning's lesson. She had not once asked where I'd learned to move so fluidly. She only noted that I absorbed her instruction swiftly. My mask had held. I had to be thankful for that.
I made my way to the little washroom tucked along the side of the house. A wooden tub waited for me, already filled. Steam curled lazily in the beams of sunlight slipping through the wall slats—it looked like she'd drawn it not long before.
I undressed slowly, each movement a quiet reminder of the strain in my muscles. Everything buzzed faintly with the aftershock of training.
As I sank into the warm water, I let out a long breath. The heat seeped into my bones, dulling the ache in my shoulders, loosening the knots behind my ribs. But it couldn't reach the part of me that was still spinning—still back in another life.
I looked down at my hands, resting just above the waterline. They trembled—not from exhaustion, but memory.
These hands had once gripped swords in blood-slick gloves. Signed orders that sent others to die. Held men I couldn't save.
Now they were small again. Unscarred. Still soft in places. The hands of a boy just out of morning drills, pretending to be someone he wasn't.
The academy...
It wasn't just a place to learn how to fight. It was a key—a vault filled with records, names, timelines, history. Everything I'd need to prepare for what was coming.
Getting in wouldn't be the hard part. Blending in would.
I sank deeper into the water, chin just above the surface, and let the quiet fold around me.
This life was a second chance. And I wasn't about to waste it.