In the vast courtyard of the royal palace, the air was thick with tension.
The sun, which was usually warm, now felt merciless, shining down on the body of a young man bound to a rough wooden pillar.
Akira's body trembled. The ropes that tied him were too tight, cutting into his skin and leaving it raw. His breath came in gasps, cold sweat dripping down his temples. He tried to move his hands, but it was useless.
Heavy footsteps approached. The King...the man Akira once admired above all, walked with unshaken authority. His majestic robes swayed with each step, but behind that grandeur, his eyes carried nothing but piercing hatred.
"Akira…" The King's voice was flat, cold, devoid of any trace of compassion.
The young man slowly lifted his head. His weary eyes, hollow yet filled with unseen wounds, met the King's.
"Your Majesty… what is it that you are truly doing to me?" His voice was hoarse, broken.
A thin smile curved the King's lips. It wasn't a smile of warmth, but one of mockery.
"I only desire one thing… I want you dead."
His voice rang out sharp, like a blade piercing the heart.
"I refuse to let someone without magic exist in my kingdom! You are nothing but a stain that tarnishes this great name."
His words echoed, and the guards and servants who witnessed it all lowered their heads in fear. Not a single one dared to speak.
The King's gaze grew even sharper.
"Akira, you are nothing but a burden. You should never… have been born."
Akira's face turned pale. The words struck like thunder splitting his heart apart. His lips trembled, almost unable to respond.
"A burden…?" he whispered faintly.
Tears welled in his eyes, but he forced them back. His shoulders shook, his heart screamed.
I never asked to be born… he thought bitterly. I only wanted to live… that's all…
But the world remained silent. Only emptiness answered.
The King turned away, his cloak swaying as he raised his hand high, a signal that could not be denied.
"Kill him now! I will not allow such useless filth to stand before me again!"
The guards straightened at once, their blades gleaming under the sunlight.
Akira's eyes followed the King's back as he walked away calmly. His chest burned with rage.
"Damn it…!!" he roared, his voice ragged. "If only I had magic… I WOULD KILL YOU!! DAMN YOU!!"
His cry echoed, making the servants flinch in horror. But the King merely stopped for a moment, turning his head slightly with eyes full of scorn.
"Don't dream, Akira. Even if you were to live again, you would never possess magic. Even the gods have despised you from the beginning."
Those words cut deeper than any sword. Akira froze. His chest felt hollow.
"The gods… despise me?" he thought. Could it be true… that even the divine had rejected him?
The guards drew closer, two stepping forward with blades unsheathed. The clash of steel against the wind signaled his end.
One of them glanced briefly at him, hesitation flashing in his eyes. His lips trembled as he whispered, "Don't hold it against me, Akira."
Akira turned to the voice, his eyes widening.
"…Jack…?" he muttered.
Jack, his closest friend...the one he once called brother, now stood as his executioner.
Akira's heart shattered even more than his restrained body. His vacant gaze twisted with bitter grief. Even you… Jack…?
Jack shut his eyes briefly before steeling himself.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered.
A flash of steel cut through the air.
In an instant, everything ended.
Akira's world dimmed, replaced by a blinding white light. Warm, yet unfamiliar. The whiteness surrounded him, swallowing his rage, his wounds, his despair.
So… my life is over, huh? he whispered in his heart.
But within that light, a radiant silhouette appeared. No face, only a luminous form, majestic and terrifying all at once.
"Wh–where is this!?" Akira cried out, his eyes straining against the brilliance.
There was no reply. Only a shining door slowly opening before him. The light pulsed, as if calling him forward.
His heart wavered, but fate seemed to push him from behind.
"Could this… be a new beginning?" he muttered.
He stepped forward, reaching out to touch the light. Its warmth spread through his body, calming his soul. Akira closed his eyes, and passed through the door.
Suddenly, the cry of a baby echoed.
Akira's eyes snapped open. A new sight greeted him. A ceiling adorned with golden carvings, soft white curtains, and the warm embrace of someone holding him close.
'What… I'm a baby…?' he thought in shock.
A dignified man in lavish royal attire stepped closer, his gentle smile like the morning sun. He lifted the baby into his arms.
"Kairu…" he spoke with tender affection.
The baby...Akira, reborn in a new life...only stared blankly in disbelief. My… new father…?
Not long after, an elegant woman in a golden-white gown approached, her voice playful yet tinged with jealousy.
"Oh, darling~ don't hog him all to yourself. I want to hold him too."
The man chuckled softly. "Elenora… jealous again, aren't you?"
The woman, Queen Elenora Nijima, pouted lightly before taking the baby into her arms. King Alden Nijima only laughed at the sight.
"This child… will one day become a great prince," Alden declared, his eyes shining with hope.
The baby's faint cries echoed, filling the chamber with warmth.
And at that moment, Akira realized,
His old name had died with his body in the previous world.
Now, he was Kairu Nijima, the Third Prince of the Kingdom of Xyroo.
But deep within his heart, a blazing resolve burned.
"This time… I will live with power. With the magic I had always longed for."