The deafening blare of horns, the shattering of glass, the bite of steel… It had all happened too fast.
Lying on the cold asphalt, the city lights blurred above him, he felt his body grow heavier. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
He had always thought he would die old, in a bed, surrounded by forgetfulness or indifference. Not like this. Not in this anonymous street, alone, erased in the din of a metropolis that would never stop for him.
A bitter smile curved his lips. So this is how my life ends? If only I had… another chance. If only fate weren't just a cruel farce…
His gaze drifted into the flickering neon lights. Darkness consumed him.
But instead of nothingness, there was a voice. Deep, resonant, almost divine:
"Dyinghereisnotyourend… butyourbeginning."
A light engulfed him, scorching yet gentle. His heart, which had just stopped, beat once more.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer on the frozen asphalt of a modern city. Luxurious draperies surrounded him. His hands, slender and elegant, were no longer his own.
A mirror before him revealed a face he did not recognize. Silver hair, piercing blue eyes. And deep within his mind, a name etched itself as an eternal truth:
Liam von Leywin.