Adam stood before the principal of the college he'd been aiming for.
The principal rested his chin on his hand and regarded Adam solemnly. Beside him stood twin brothers from an influential, wealthy family, smirking down at Adam. Their easy familiarity with the famous principal told Adam what was happening behind the scenes, but he didn't want to accept it.
The principal said, "I'm afraid we have only two seats remaining for the upcoming academic year. At this point, I can only thank you for taking our examination and wish you success with your second choice."
Adam clenched his fists. "But my scores were much better than theirs!"
"Adam, you know who their father is, don't you?" the principal asked, as if delivering an important life lesson.
The twins laughed sweetly, but to Adam, their laughter sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
He had worked hard his entire life to get into his first-choice schools and pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. How many times had he turned down friends so he could study more? How many times had he rejected girls' advances because he didn't want distractions from his goal? Friends, girls, hobbies—those could wait until after he made it.
But now everything crumbled because he came from a normal family. He'd scored higher, yet the twins took the two spots because their father had donated a lot of money to the college.
It's… so unfair!
Adam fought back tears. He could barely hold it together.
"Haha! Look at him! He's about to cry!"
"Such a loser."
The twins jeered. The principal only closed his eyes. Unable to bear their attitude, Adam hung his head and left the room without another word. He kept his head down and slipped out so none of them would bother him. He still hadn't given up on his dream; he would pursue it even if it meant going to a different college.
Outside the principal's office, he couldn't hold it back anymore and broke down. Passing students and teachers assumed he'd failed the exam and kept walking. He hit the wall, then dragged himself out of the building.
His phone buzzed. It was his mother calling. She must have been nervous all day and desperate to hear from him.
I don't want to talk now, Mom.
Adam closed his eyes and kept walking. Distracted, he stepped into the street without looking. A blaring horn snapped his eyes open. A truck was bearing down on him. The wheels squealed, but the truck couldn't stop in time. Before Adam could process what was happening, it hit him and his vision went black.
I should have… picked up Mom's call…
Adam lay in a pool of his own blood, his limbs slack like a marionette with its strings cut. His last thought, once again, was regret.
And while his story should have ended, it was only the beginning.
Adam's soul crossed worlds and entered the dead body of the third son of Tenaxis—a Dark Warlock household. That young man had died at the same time, but for a very different reason.
—
In his new body, Adam woke to a splitting headache. He remembered the truck and that he should be dead, yet an unfamiliar carpet stretched before him. Countless empty bottles littered the room. Holding his head, he looked up and saw a king-size bed a few feet away. Then someone else's memories flooded in. The third son of the Tenaxis family had celebrated his twenty-first birthday, gotten blackout drunk, failed to make it back to bed… and died.
His name was Han… and I somehow became him.
Adam tried to stand, but his whole body trembled. His stomach grumbled. He felt like vomiting everything he'd drunk that night. The nausea sent him back to the floor.
Lying on the plush carpet, Adam gathered the memories.
I'm Han now… the third son of the Tenaxis family, the Dark Warlocks. I carry the blood of Tenaxis and the Red Dragon—half human, half dragon. But for some reason, none of that ever showed, and I was deemed a failure at a young age.
Because Han lacked what the Tenaxis household valued, he was exiled. His mother, a dragoness, still made sure he had a place to live and enough resources. He lived far from the main house with a few maids and spent most of his allowance on food and booze.
Han's and Adam's regret and hatred fused. One had worked hard from a young age and given up everything; the other blamed his birth and had never worked a day. Their lives were similar yet different, and now Adam was in Han's shoes.
Everyone and everything keeps putting obstacles in my way! It's making me livid!
Knock, knock, knock.
"Young Master Han, your mother has sent you a present for your twenty-first birthday. It will arrive in an hour. Are you up and ready to receive it?" an elderly voice called from the other side of the door.
It was an elderly maid—one of the ten assigned to him, all elderly. Yet another thing that made his life more miserable. None of them were happy to serve him. They were locked in a house with a good-for-nothing half-breed, so their lives were as gloomy as his.
Han's stomach growled, and his body threatened to give out again when he tried to stand and answer.
He managed only a few words. "Gimme food."
"As you wish," the old maid replied.
Fifteen minutes later, she returned with a tray of fresh food.
Han grabbed a slice of bread, dipped it in the soup, and wolfed it down. As strength slowly returned, he reached for a fork and shoveled meat and soup as if it were his last meal.
Full and feeling much better, Han stood. "Thanks."
The maid didn't hide her surprise. It was the first time he'd ever thanked her. "Of course. Is there anything else you need?"
"No. Just let me know when my mother's present arrives," Han replied.
The maid nodded and left, carrying the empty tray and bowls to the kitchen.
Han looked at himself in the mirror. He was a handsome man with dark crimson hair and black eyes: a sharp jawline, a straight nose, perfectly balanced features. He was muscular despite never training, thanks to his mother's dragon bloodline. He looked like someone many women would fawn over, but his lack of real strength would turn them away.
What now? What can I do that Han couldn't?