In a quiet apartment room, a boy opened his eyes.
Handsome. Strikingly so. Black hair, slightly tousled from sleep, and eyes like living crimson — clear, sharp, and oddly calm for someone who had just woken up in a completely different lifetime.
A faint blue screen floated in front of him, glowing softly in the dim light of dawn.
He didn't panic. He blinked once. Then again.
"Huh. Haven't seen this in a while."
The corners of his lips twitched, just a little. He slowly sat up, stretched his arms over his head, and let out a long yawn. The screen faded away on its own as if knowing its presence wasn't needed anymore.
He scratched his back while lazily walking toward the bathroom.
"Haven't slept this good in a long time,"
He murmured to himself.
"Guess traveling through space-time and merging with my past self took more out of me than I thought."
The apartment room was modest. Neat. Not overly decorated — just the kind of place a young student would live in. The soft hum of a fan echoed through the silence, and the golden hue of morning sunlight seeped through the half-closed curtains.
Westen stopped in front of the mirror.
He tilted his head slightly and stared.
"Whoa. Look at that."
His eyes narrowed, amused. But his face was mostly blank.
"I'm really handsome, aren't I? Didn't realize this before. Actually... I think I look more handsome than before."
He leaned closer.
"Maybe regression really is doing something... or the body reconstruction went smoother than expected."
He stood there for a few seconds, admiring himself with genuine curiosity and zero shame. It wasn't vanity — just honest observation. He looked refreshed. Rebuilt. Sharper than before.
After a few more seconds of self-praise, he started brushing his teeth, humming a random tune. Then came a long, cold shower.
Outside, the city was already awake.
It was mid-summer. Schools were on break. No assignments, no classes. Just long days, warm air, and distant cicadas humming lazily in the distance.
For most, it was a time of peace.
For Westen?
It was the calm before the storm.
***
After cleaning up, Westen changed into a fresh set of clothes—simple, dark, well-fitted. He walked out of the bedroom and into the living room.
It was large. Too large for one person.
But he wasn't technically alone.
This was still his parents' apartment.
They'd gone on vacation.
Left him behind to "watch the place." Again.
They always did this.
Family trips. Friends. Neighbors. Serica's family too—everyone invited, except him.
He stood in the center of the quiet room, hands in his pockets, staring at the subtle dust on the coffee table.
"Why was it again?"
He muttered.
The memory felt like it was there, just behind his eyes—like something he'd once solved but forgotten again. He remembered them saying something. An excuse. Maybe even a reason.
But whatever it was, it had slipped away during the soul merge.
'Whatever. Doesn't matter. They live their life, and I live mine. It's better that way. They won't get in my way.'
He shook his head, the thought already dissolving into the background, and made his way to the kitchen.
There were leftovers in the fridge—but he didn't bother. He wasn't the same boy from before. The one who couldn't even boil rice without supervision.
He'd learned.
He'd survived.
He'd evolved.
Westen pulled out a few vegetables, chopped them with practiced hands, and stirred together a proper meal. The scents of garlic and stir-fried greens filled the apartment with quiet warmth. He plated the food neatly and sat down in front of the TV.
This was 33 years before the time he'd left behind. Everything looked crisper. Colors felt brighter. Time moved slower.
The news was on—politics, small local crimes, a new dungeon survey. All so mundane. So normal.
He ate slowly.
There was a strange peace in him. A stillness.
A lightness in the chest he hadn't felt in decades.
'So many stupid decisions,'
He thought.
"Some that led me to become... Nightmare. And others I could've fixed if I just—"
He stopped the thought midway.
No point looking back. That world was gone.
He just wanted a life. A normal one.
No melodrama.
No family bonds. No emotional chains. Just peace.
And if peace required power, then he would wield it again.
Willingly. Without hesitation.
'Not like any one has the guts to force me.'
He finished his meal.
Washed the dishes slowly, deliberately—almost enjoying the act. The sound of water running, the soft clinking of ceramic.
A small smile touched his lips.
Not bitter. Not sad.
Genuine.
Something he hadn't felt in over two decades.
When he was done, he dried his hands and walked to the living room, dropping onto the sofa. The leather squeaked under his weight. The TV kept playing in the background, but his focus had already shifted.
A blue screen appeared once again.
It hovered calmly in front of him, its text glowing with a faint pulse.
🩵 SYSTEM NOTICE 🩵
Congratulations.
You have awakened.
You have awakened before the age of 18 —
An unprecedented event in modern history.
Your name has been etched into the Hall of Fames.
You have unlocked a hidden function:
— [TITLE] —
Only a few in history have ever accessed this.
---
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Westen Vale
Age: 16
Title: Law Breaker
Rank: F
Element: Destruction
• Strength: F
• Dexterity: F+
• Vitality: E+
• Mana: D-
---
[Title: Law Breaker]
Your being is less affected by the oppressive laws of the world.
Restrictions imposed by natural or artificial means have reduced hold over you.
---
Westen stared at the screen.
Unblinking.
"Huh. Law Breaker, huh?"
A small chuckle left his lips.
"I like that. Hmm, hmm. I like that very much."
He leaned back into the sofa, arms resting behind his head, eyes still on the glowing blue light.
"Let's see what peace looks like... when the laws can't chain me anymore. But wait! Why do I sound like some third rate villain? When laws can't chain me anymore...? Did I... really just say that."
Westen sat straight, eyes wide because of the sheer cringesness of his own words.
"Regression really dropped my IQ level. I believe and hope that in the future, such horrible words doesn't leave my mouth. Amin."
He said as he clasped he hands together in a praying position praying to no one. Than burst out laughing.
"Pfft, Hah,Hahaha."
It wasn't a laugh of someone going crazy or anything but of freedom. The kind he didn't feel he lost it. But now? He felt a sense of freedom that he couldn't describ. He felt more like himself and nobody was going to question his for being like that.
He took a deep breath and shifted in a comfortable position in the sofa and continued to watch TV.
-To Be Continued