Chris woke with a gasp. Air rushed into his lungs like he'd been drowning, and for a moment he didn't know where he was. The ceiling above him wasn't the cracked plaster of his old apartment. The sheets weren't the cheap ones he bought on sale. The sunlight streaming through the window was too warm, too gentle, too peaceful.
He sat up slowly, heart pounding.
This wasn't his world.
He remembered the car. The headlights. The impact. The cold.
And then—
Her.
Alisa.
The goddess with the soft voice and the sad eyes. The one who told him he'd died. The one who gave him a second life. The one who touched his chest and whispered, "Live well, Chris Green."
He pressed a hand over his heart. It still felt warm.
A knock came at the door.
"Chris? You're going to be late for class."
A woman's voice. Calm, polite, unfamiliar.
He blinked. "Class?"
"Kuoh Academy," she said through the door. "You transferred in today, remember?"
Right.
Right.
He was in DxD now.
He swung his legs out of bed, stood, and caught sight of himself in the mirror. Same face. Same eyes. Same messy hair. But… sharper. Healthier. Stronger. Like someone had taken the old him and polished away the exhaustion.
He didn't feel like a hero. He didn't feel like someone destined for greatness. He felt like a guy who'd been given a chance he didn't deserve.
And somewhere, far away, he felt a faint warmth—like someone was watching over him.
Alisa.
He didn't know why, but the thought made his chest tighten.
---
Kuoh Academy looked exactly like he remembered from the anime—except real. Students chatted, laughed, complained about homework. Cherry blossoms drifted lazily in the breeze. It should've felt peaceful.
But Chris felt a knot in his stomach.
He wasn't supposed to be here.
He wasn't supposed to get another chance.
He wasn't supposed to be alive.
A group of girls walked past him, whispering.
"Is he the new transfer?"
"He's cute…"
"He looks kind of sad, though."
He forced a smile and kept walking.
He didn't want attention.
He didn't want trouble.
He just wanted to survive.
But fate had other plans.
---
Halfway to the main building, Chris stopped.
A wave of emotion hit him out of nowhere—grief, sharp and sudden. He didn't know why. Maybe it was the sunlight. Maybe it was the laughter around him. Maybe it was the fact that he was alive when he shouldn't be.
He leaned against a tree, breathing hard.
"I shouldn't be here," he whispered.
A breeze brushed his cheek—warm, gentle, almost like a hand.
For a moment, he thought he heard her voice.
"You deserve this life, Chris."
He closed his eyes.
"Alisa… why me?"
No answer.
Just the wind.
Just the ache in his chest.
He wiped his eyes before anyone could see.
---
"Hey! You okay?"
He turned.
Rias Gremory stood a few feet away, red hair glowing in the sunlight, blue eyes full of concern. Not curiosity. Not suspicion.
Concern.
He straightened. "Yeah. Just… first day nerves."
She studied him for a moment, like she could see straight through the lie.
"You don't have to pretend," she said softly. "Everyone struggles sometimes."
Something in her voice—gentle, understanding—hit him harder than he expected.
He swallowed. "Thanks."
She smiled. "Come on. I'll show you to the office."
As she walked beside him, Chris felt that faint warmth again—the same warmth he felt when Alisa touched his heart.
And for the first time since waking up, he wondered if maybe… just maybe… he wasn't as alone as he thought.