The world shifted.
One moment, Kael was stepping into light—The next, he hit the ground hard.
Thud.
His body ached. His mind swirled like smoke.But the moment he opened his eyes, he knew this wasn't Earth anymore.
The sky above him was a pale gray dome, stretching forever. Wind blew across fields of dry grass. Jagged black rocks jutted from the soil like bones. And in the distance…
A city. Burnt. Broken. Silent.
Kael sat up slowly, rubbing his shoulder. The dirt beneath him felt too real, too cold.
[SYSTEM]Floor 1: Timeline Detected — "The Orphan Swordsman"Memory Sync: 1%Objective: Resolve the regret of this lifeHint: She died screaming your name.
Kael's breath caught.
"She…?"
He didn't even know who she was.But just reading the words made his chest tighten, like something deep inside him recognized the pain.
[New Skill Acquired: Quick Slash (Lv.1)]A basic sword technique from a forgotten self.– Fast. Sharp. Desperate.
Kael looked down.A sword lay beside him.
Not the rusted knife he carried before—This was old, chipped, worn by years of use…but familiar.
His hand moved before his mind caught up, fingers curling around the grip like muscle memory.
He walked.
The silence was endless.Not a bird. Not a voice.Just the crunch of ash beneath his boots.
He entered the ruined village.
Burnt homes. Cracked stones. Blood, long dried, painting the walls. The air smelled of dust and smoke—like the world had ended here and no one bothered to notice.
In the center of the square, a statue stood. Or what was left of it.
Half-shattered.The face erased.But the base still bore a name:
KAEL.
His pulse spiked.
[Memory Fragment Detected Nearby]
He turned.
Behind the statue, the remains of a small house.Collapsed roof. Splintered walls.And in the middle of it all… a small grave.
No name. No flowers.Just a weathered ribbon, tied to a cracked wooden sword.
His legs moved on their own.
[Memory Fragment Absorbed.]She was your sister. You couldn't save her.Regret Level: HighSync Rate: 3%
Pain bloomed behind his eyes.A flash—A scream.A girl's hand reaching for his as fire closed in.
Then gone.
Kael stumbled back, gasping.
This wasn't a dream.
This wasn't an illusion.
He had lived this life.
And now, he had to finish it.
[New Objective: Confront the Bandit Warlord who destroyed the village.]Estimated Threat Level: DangerousReward: Fate Progression + Skill Unlock
Kael clenched the sword tighter.
No more running. No more forgetting.
If this version of him had died with regret…Then he'd finish what was left behind.
And maybe—just maybe—remember who he was.