The sun rose quietly, its light slipping through thin cotton curtains and brushing against the bed.
An alarm rang.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Ethan shot upright on instinct, his feet hitting the floor before his mind fully woke up. His movements were sluggish, his expression dull, like a man already tired of the day before it even began.
"…Already morning?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
But something felt wrong. Very wrong.
The room was unfamiliar.
This wasn't the cramped apartment he'd lived in for over a decade. The walls were wider, the furniture cleaner, the air… different. His breath caught as he raised his hands in front of his face.
They were slimmer. Younger. His heart began to pound. Ethan rushed to the mirror.
The face staring back at him wasn't his.
Sharp features. Clear skin. A handsome, almost unreal appearance, nothing like the tired, worn-out man he remembered. For a moment, his throat tightened, and a scream nearly tore its way out.
But it never came. Instead, memories surfaced.
Not of today, but of before.
Ethan had once gone by another
name on Earth: Mesh.
Thirty-five years old. An ordinary man from Earth.
He had graduated high school at twenty with decent grades, not exceptional, but enough. Shortly after, he joined a paper publishing company and worked there for fifteen long years. Fifteen years of obedience. Of deadlines. Of loyalty that was never questioned.
He never married. Never dated.
While his friends moved on marriage, children, stable lives, Mesh stayed behind, buried in work. His boss praised him endlessly. Trusted him. Exploited him.
"I can't believe I spent my life chasing someone else's dream…"
Mesh remembered carrying a box of files down the hallway, stopping briefly outside his boss's office.
"Hey, my friend!" the man had said cheerfully. "You're doing amazing work. Profits have doubled thanks to you. Don't worry, I'll double your pay this month."
Double my pay…?
Mesh had smiled politely, but inside, something felt hollow.
Money had never been the problem.
Freedom was.
Mesh worked harder than anyone. Too dedicated for his own good. That dedication earned him a few friends and far more enemies. Colleagues whispered behind his back, envied him, despised him.
The only place he ever felt alive… was inside video games.
Worlds where effort was rewarded. Where strength meant something. Where people carved their own legends, destroyed their enemies, leveled up, chose their paths.
I belong there more than I do here…
He returned to his desk, beside his coworker, Lilith. Together, they managed the company's income and expenses. The boss trusted Mesh so completely that he granted him full access to the company's accounts.
And Mesh never abused it. Not once, and that was who he was.
"Hey, Mesh… are you free today?" Lilith asked suddenly.
She was acting strange. Nervous. Her legs rubbed together, her cheeks faintly red.
"I… want to talk about something important."
Mesh didn't think much of it and agreed casually.
That evening, after work, she finally spoke.
"Mesh… can we go on a date?" she said, avoiding his eyes. "I think… I'm in love with you."
The words froze him.
He had never been in a relationship. Not once. His mind went blank.
But Lilith was beautiful, smooth skin, warm brown eyes, a figure that turned heads. Every man in the office desired her.
Why me…?
In the end, he agreed.
And just like that, his life began to change.
They spent weekends together, ice cream, parks, zoos, amusement rides. For the first time, Mesh skipped video games and felt… human.
He laughed more, dreamed more. He even thought about marriage.
Then came the rain....
One Saturday evening, the downpour was heavy, and Lilith suggested he stay over, her place was closer. She lived alone. Few neighbors.
They watched movies late into the night.
Then she asked quietly, "Mesh… isn't there something you want to do?"
It took him a moment to understand.
When he did, his heart raced.
He leaned forward and kissed her.
That night, he believed his lonely life was finally over.
Monday came, and everything collapsed.
The moment Mesh entered the office, he felt it, eyes burning into him. Hostile. Sharp. Full of malice.
"Mesh," the manager barked, "you're needed in my office. Now."
Danger!
That was the only word in his mind.
This is about Lilith, right? he thought bitterly. Is it really that serious?
But.... It was worse.
"Ten million left the company account yesterday morning," the manager said coldly. "The boss wasn't informed. And only one person has access."
Mesh frowned. "Sir, I swear I didn't... check the records. Check everything."
They did. And there it was.
A transfer of ten million. His name. His access. His time stamp.
The manager staggered back.
"You… you've got to be kidding me," Mesh whispered. "I didn't do this. You have to believe me."
Security grabbed him, then he saw them. His boss and Lilith. Standing together, smiling mischievously.
Something shattered inside him.
"My friend," the boss said softly, fake sorrow dripping from his voice. "How could you betray me like this?"
Lilith stood beside him, eyes lowered, innocent as ever.
"Leave him," the boss added. "He's fired anyway."
They didn't send Mesh to jail, instead they took everything instead.
His savings, his future, his name.
That night, he walked home alone.
No money. No food. No job. No one.
So this is how it ends…
Hatred burned in his chest, toward his colleagues, his boss, Lilith… himself.
"If I ever get another life…" he whispered, "I'll make sure my name means something."
Then.....
A scream came from the road.
Mesh turned.
A young boy stood frozen in the middle of the road. Headlights blazed toward him.
"HEY! MOVE!" Mesh shouted.
His body moved before his mind did.
He pushed the boy away.
The impact came next.
Pain, Darkness, Voices fading.
Tears slipped from Mesh's eyes as regret swallowed him whole.
Silence.
Then.... a voice came, cold and mechanical.
DING!
[Reincarnation: Confirmed]
[Body: Generated]
[Gender: Male]
Mesh couldn't move.
[Ability to Use Magic: Confirmed]
[Class: Executioner]
[Skills: None]
The darkness shifted.
[New World Entry: Eriya]
[Language Comprehension: Confirmed]
[New Identity: Ethan Cole]
His eyes opened.
Morning light filled the room.
[Welcome, Ethan Cole, to Eriya. Your New World.]