What is this light?
It's blinding. It's burning my retinas.
Where am I? Is this a hospital? It doesn't smell like antiseptic or medicine.
No, I didn't get the plate number of the truck that hit me.
I tried to sit up. I tried to shout, to ask if anyone got the license plate of the truck that flattened me.
But my body refused to listen. It felt heavy. Useless.
I tried to lift my arm to shield my eyes.
What the…
That's not my hand.
That is a chubby, pink, wrinkle-filled dumpling. It's the size of a chick.
"Gwah-gu-gah?"
I tried to curse. I tried to scream, "What the hell is going on?" But all that came out was wet, bubbling nonsense.
As my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I realised two things immediately.
First, this definitely wasn't a hospital. Unless hospitals started decorating with timber beams, stone walls, and expensive-looking tapestries. It looked like the set of a high-budget medieval movie.
Second, there were giants looming over me.
To my right was a woman. She was… breathtaking. She looked to be in her early twenties, with silk-like blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and eyes like crystallised blue sapphires.
And, well, being a healthy male—mentally, at least—I couldn't help but notice those assets.
Oh my God.
"Giggling." (I hate myself).
To her side stood a man. Jet-black hair, eyes like dark obsidian, and a jawline sharp enough to cut steak. He looked like the main character of a romance novel.
Please don't tell me…
The realization hit me harder than the truck did.
The tiny hands. The gibberish voice. The supermodel parents.
I've been reincarnated.
***
My past life wasn't exactly a fairytale. In fact, if life was a game, I was playing on "Hell Mode."
When my brother and I were young, life was a fight. We were very poor and lived with our paternal grandmother after our father died and our mother abandoned us. I was twelve then and my brother was only seven.
Whenever my brother asked about our mother, Grandmother dodged the question. She would always say something like, "She'll come back for us," but I didn't believe it.
I knew the truth: our father died when my brother was four. He tried to rob a small shop with my brother's toy gun. The shop owner didn't appreciate the prank—he had a real gun. One shot to the chest, and my "mentor" was gone.
Me and my dad had run some "missions" together, too. Stealing items from my school and many more. He was my mentor until the day he died.
After that, we had to move. Me, my brother, and my mom.
We used to crash at my mother's boyfriends' houses until she also left us one day on the street, saying she wanted to quickly get something.
We never saw her again.
Since my maternal grandparents were dead, I called my paternal grandmother. We lived with her from then on.
Life with her was better for a while. We went to decent schools, had warm clothes, and ate properly.
All thanks to my kidney. She sold it for a huge amount.
I didn't feel unhappy about it. At least my brother and I were enjoying life for the first time.
But little did I know that nothing lasts forever.
Five years later, I arrived home from school. Both my grandma and brother were gone. Everything in the house was gone. Even the house itself had been sold.
With nowhere to live, I slept under bridges and in unfinished buildings. I had to steal and fight every day just to eat.
But after a thousand days of bad luck, the universe finally threw me a bone.
I got an amazing part-time job. I got my own apartment. I even got my own phone.
But life was not fair for long.
One day, as I was walking on the sideline, a truck came out of nowhere. It hit me right on the sidewalk, ending my life in an instant.
Just after six months of enjoyment.
Six months.
***
The baby—me—reopened his eyes.
"What should we name him?"
The man with black hair asked with an excited expression clearly written on his face.
"His name is Nova," the woman said with a soft tone.
She smiled, calling out my full name.
"Nova Lythe."
Leo... sorry, Nova... might not have understood the language yet. But I understood that.
That was my name.
With this opportunity for a new life, I was determined to live it to the fullest. No matter what.
Because this is a new beginning. And a new journey for me.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
I appreciate every comment, review, and Power Stone, as they truly help this story grow and reach more readers.
Stay tuned for Chapter 2, where the real training begins!