The moment Liam died, there was no light.
No tunnel.
No voices.
No peace.
Only a crushing pressure in his chest—familiar, merciless, inevitable.
His heart stuttered once… twice… and then gave up.
That was how his first life ended.
"Hey—Liam. Wake up."
A sharp nudge struck his shoulder.
"Come on, idiot. Wake up. We're gonna be late for the awakening ceremony."
Liam gasped.
Air rushed violently into his lungs, so sudden it burned. His eyes flew open as his body jolted upright, chair legs scraping loudly against the floor.
Noise.
Light.
Warmth.
Too much of all three.
His hand flew to his chest, fingers digging in as panic surged through him.
This isn't right.
His heart was beating.
Not weakly. Not irregularly. But strong, steady, powerful—each thump echoing through his body like a declaration of existence.
"…I'm alive?"
"Obviously," a voice replied flatly. "You're just embarrassing yourself now."
Liam looked up.
A boy stood beside his desk, leaning casually with a crooked expression somewhere between concern and mockery. Brown hair, sharp eyes, a familiar grin—
Daniel.
The name surfaced instantly, without effort.
That realization scared Liam more than anything else.
He looked around.
Rows of wooden desks. Sunlight pouring through tall arched windows. Strange symbols etched into the walls, faintly glowing. Students in matching uniforms murmured to one another, completely unconcerned with the fact that Liam's entire reality had just shattered.
A classroom…?
His breath slowed as his mind raced.
The hospital room was gone.
The machines.
The beeping.
The death.
Replaced by this.
"How old am I?" Liam whispered.
Daniel frowned. "Okay, now I'm worried. You're sixteen. You really feeling okay?"
Sixteen.
Liam stared down at his hands.
They were younger. Smaller. No IV marks. No scars from needles. No weakness trembling in his fingers.
Teenage hands.
"What year is it?" he asked quietly.
Daniel leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Did you seriously hit your head while sleeping? It's the 317th year of the Arcanum Calendar. Same as always."
Arcanum.
That single word confirmed it.
This wasn't Earth.
Memories—foreign yet intimate—poured into his mind. Years of shared classes with Daniel. Training sessions. Teachers' names. A world governed not by technology, but by magic.
And today—
The awakening ceremony.
Liam's stomach tightened.
At sixteen, every student awakened their Core—the source of magical power. Affinity, rank, and potential were revealed in a single moment, determining status, future, and survival.
Daniel grabbed Liam's sleeve. "Come on. If we're late, Instructor Halvors will murder us with his stare."
Liam stood.
His legs didn't shake.
His body felt… right. Whole. Capable in a way his previous life never allowed.
As they stepped into the hallway, banners shimmered overhead, inscribed with glowing runes. Students rushed past, excitement and fear mixing in the air.
Liam placed a hand over his chest once more.
In my last life, my heart failed me.
It beat again beneath his palm—stronger than ever.
This time… I won't waste it.
The bell rang.
And Liam walked toward a fate he did not yet understand—
one that would shake this world far more than it ever expected.