Breath returned before sight.
Han Seo-Jin opened his eyes to the chamber of white stone, smooth and carved with delicate patterns. His body felt perfect, strong yet effortless. Long fingers, flawless posture, powerful yet invisible. Memories surged—not his own. A life in another sky. Aethralis.
The mansion was vast and silent. Wide corridors, empty walls, outward-facing windows. Steward Alric, middle-aged, bowed politely.
"My lord?"
"Yes," Seo-Jin whispered. Observation, analysis—always first.
Alric had served Lady Han decades before Seo-Jin's rebirth. His father had passed, mother disappeared. Records confirmed everything. Seo-Jin nodded.
Deep inside, a black door pulsed with faint golden lines. His blood was awakened, immense potential dormant yet tangible. He did not open it. Not yet.
Outside, Aethralis glimmered. Lights flickered, carriages moved, mana lamps glowed blue. Someone had killed the original Han Seo-Jin—not accident, not illness, but removal. Quiet living would be his strategy. For now.