Darkness. Endless, suffocating darkness.
Ethan floated in it, stripped of flesh, of breath, of pain. His soul drifted like ash on a forgotten wind. Time lost meaning; it could have been seconds, or centuries. He wasn't sure if he still was.
Then came the voice.
Your desire is strong. Your hatred burns. Very well… I shall grant you what you seek. Rise again, bearer of vengeance.
A flash.
Light stabbed his vision. He gasped for air, clutching at his chest but the gaping wound from Lily's betrayal was gone. His fingers pressed against smooth, unscarred skin. His armor, his sword, the battlefield—gone.
Instead, he lay on a forest floor beneath a canopy of massive, glowing trees. Their bark shimmered faintly with blue veins of light, and strange luminous insects floated lazily in the air, leaving trails of silver dust behind them. The ground was soft with moss, and the air hummed with an energy he had never felt before.
"What… is this place?" Ethan whispered, his voice shaky.
He pushed himself upright, his body trembling. He expected pain, but instead he felt… different. Lighter. Stronger.
A sharp sound cut through the silence—a guttural growl.
Ethan froze. Slowly, he turned his head.
Not far away, a beast crouched low to the ground, its four legs coiled with muscle. Its eyes glowed crimson, its black fur bristling like knives. Its maw split open to reveal rows of jagged teeth, drool sizzling as it hit the moss.
A wolf. But not like any he had ever seen. This one was larger than a horse, its very presence radiating killing intent.
The beast snarled and lunged.
Instinct screamed at Ethan to dodge, but his body reacted before thought. His vision blurred, and for an instant his chest flared with heat. A faint mark, glowing red, pulsed over his heart.
The world slowed.
The wolf's claws swiped, but Ethan's body shifted on its own. He sidestepped with precision, narrowly avoiding the strike. His arm shot out, grabbing a thick branch from the ground. With a strength that startled even him, he swung.
The branch cracked against the wolf's skull. A normal beast would have crumpled, but this monster only staggered, snarling louder.
Ethan grit his teeth. "Damn it…"
The wolf circled him, growling, saliva dripping from its jaws.
Ethan's mind raced. He had no sword, no armor, only this strange new body. But something about that mark…
It pulsed again. His chest seared with power, filling his veins with fire. His vision sharpened, his muscles tensed, and for a fleeting moment he felt unstoppable.
The wolf lunged a second time.
This time, Ethan didn't dodge. He stepped forward, slamming his makeshift weapon into the beast's throat with unnatural force. The impact echoed like a thunderclap, sending the monster crashing into the glowing roots of a tree.
It writhed, gasping for air, then stilled.
Silence returned to the forest.
Ethan stood frozen, his chest heaving. He looked at the branch in his hand, splintered from the impact, then down at his trembling fingers.
"That… wasn't normal."
The mark over his chest dimmed, fading back into his skin as if it had never been there.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a sound echoed above him. A faint chime, like glass shattering.
[ You have slain a Lesser Duskfang Wolf. ]
[ First Kill bonus awarded. ]
The words didn't come from his mind. They appeared; floating, glowing in the air before his eyes. Lines of text, as if the world itself was speaking to him.
[ Reward: Strength +2. ]
[ Ability Unlocked: Embers of Vengeance. ]
Ethan's breath caught. His hands clenched as warmth surged through his body, filling him with a raw, addictive strength.
"This… This is no ordinary world."
He stumbled backward, pressing his palm against a tree. His mind reeled. Betrayal, death, rebirth… now glowing beasts and strange messages appearing from thin air.
Yet beneath the confusion, a spark burned in his chest.
He had been given a second chance.
A chance to uncover why the voice saved him. A chance to master this world.
And above all, a chance to face Lily again.
This time, he would not be the one betrayed.
He clenched his fist, staring at the glowing forest around him.
"Fine," he muttered, his voice cold. "If this is the world I've been reborn into… then I'll conquer it."
The forest whispered in the wind, as if amused by his vow.
And from the shadows, unseen eyes watched his every move.