Light swallowed everything.
A rush of weightlessness flipped Riley's stomach, like he was plummeting through a star. Static fizzed across his tongue. His ears popped.
And then—
The world exploded into brilliance.
He stood inside a cathedral carved from starlight.
Platforms of glowing glass floated in an endless void, arranged like concentric halos around a towering spiraled crystal at the center. Light drifted through the air in long, slow arcs—like comets trapped in molasses. Every step made ripples shimmer beneath their feet.
The Spirit Hall.
Hundreds—maybe thousands—of hovering Spirit Cores floated on pedestals, each glowing with its own soft heartbeat.
Aria spun in a full circle, arms thrown wide.
"OH MY GOD. THIS IS—THIS IS ACTUALLY ILLEGAL LEVELS OF COOL."
Her voice echoed through the Hall, drawing a few amused looks.
Sofia cupped her hands together, eyes sparkling.
"It's like… a dream. Everything feels alive. Even the light."
Riley didn't answer.
His lungs felt tight.
Because he remembered this place.
Not clearly—not perfectly—but enough to feel the weight of déjà vu squat on his shoulders. Enough to remember mistakes. Enough to remember what he should've picked. What he wished he'd picked.
This hall decided everything.
A deep voice rolled across the cathedral like thunder wrapped in velvet:
WELCOME, WALKERS.
CHOOSE YOUR SPIRIT.
YOUR BOND WILL BE PERMANENT.
Aria jumped.
"Okay—whoever programmed that voice? Give them a raise."
Sofia giggled softly.
Riley didn't laugh.
He started weaving through the platforms with purpose.
"Uh—Riley?" Aria called, jogging to keep up. "Why are you bolt-running like this is a Black Friday sale?"
He kept his tone neutral.
"Just want to check rare starters before they're gone."
"Rare?" Sofia repeated. "Do rare ones exist?"
"Yeah," Riley lied smoothly. "Some guides mentioned them."
(They did not. He knew because he lived it already.)
He pushed through clusters of players bonding with their new Spirits. A fire wolf erupted from a shell in a blaze of sparks. A stone cub head-butted its new owner in excitement. A floating jelly-orb Spirit giggled hysterically as it bounced off a boy's head.
But Riley ignored it all.
He had a target.
Skyrazor Falcon.
Fast. Deadly.
Apex predator of the skies.
He'd never been able to get it before—not in his first life, not even after years—because it was always taken instantly.
But now?
He reached the pedestal.
His breath hitched.
"Come on… please…"
He looked up.
The pedestal was empty.
A faint shimmer hovered above it—ghostly feathers dissolving into the air. Text flickered:
SKYRAZOR FALCON — CLAIMED.
NEXT RESPAWN: 59:13
Aria skidded to a halt beside him.
"Aw man… someone already nabbed it?"
Sofia frowned. "Who's that fast?"
Lightning flashed from across the Hall—bright enough to sting Riley's eyes.
A player stepped forward from the crackling glow.
Tall.
Calm.
Focused.
A lightning fox pup sat on his shoulder, tails sparking gently as if newly awakened.
Aria groaned. "Oh COME ON. Even in a brand-new world he gets something cool? How?"
Sofia whispered, stunned:
"That's… Andy. Andy from the arena."
Riley stared.
Andy didn't even seem proud. He just glanced around once, nodded to himself, and walked on like everything was normal.
Aria cupped her hands around her mouth.
"I bet he didn't even know it was rare! Probably clicked the first glowing thing he saw!"
Riley exhaled slowly.
Fine.
Whatever.
Skyrazor was gone. That was reality.
He had other options—other apex starters, still strong, still viable. He wasn't doomed. He wasn't average.
He wasn't making the mistakes of last time.
"Alright," he said, voice even. "Let's see what else is open."
The sisters followed him deeper into the Hall.
Thunderclaw Cub — taken.
Flameforged Lynx — gone.
Frosthorn Colt — claimed.
Stormbreaker Hatchling — gone.
All the flashy ones evaporated fast.
Aria slapped her cheeks dramatically.
"Okay, bro, I'm gonna be real—the good ones are GHOSTING you."
Sofia touched his arm softly.
"There are still plenty left. You'll find the right one."
Riley nodded.
But he felt it: that creeping sensation.
The one he'd lived with his whole first life.
Falling behind from the very beginning.
No.
Not again.
He scanned the platforms more aggressively.
Earth bear.
Lightning otter.
Tree-snake thing.
Golem pebble.
Fire squirrel.
All decent.
None right.
Until—
Something flickered at the corner of his eye.
Barely noticeable.
Barely glowing.
He slowed.
"…What's that?"
Hidden behind a wide archway—far away from any crowd—was a tiny pedestal with a Spirit Core so faint it was almost invisible. Dust collected around the base like no one had walked near it.
Aria gazed at it and winced.
"That one looks like it got bullied by the other eggs."
Sofia whispered, "It feels… abandoned."
Riley stepped closer.
The weak light inside the Core fluttered like a dying candle.
Why was it hidden?
Why was it dim?
Why hadn't anyone gone near it?
He felt something tug inside his chest.
He raised his hand.
"Uh—bro—" Aria grabbed his sleeve. "Are we sure? It looks like the runt of the universe."
He didn't answer.
His fingers touched the Core.
Warmth pulsed instantly under his palm.
faint heartbeat…
tump… tump… tump…
The warmth grew stronger.
A crack snaked down the Core.
Aria yelped.
"That is DEFINITELY not supposed to happen!"
"No," Sofia said, voice trembling. "No… it's waking up."
The faint light inside the Core flickered—then flared bright white.
CRACK.
Another split raced across the orb.
Then—
The Spirit hatched.
Light burst outward, soft and warm, like a tiny star being born.
A creature tumbled into Riley's hands.
Riley froze.
It was small.
So small.
Barely bigger than a kitten.
Its fur glowed like moonlit snow.
Its eyes were huge, gentle, and shimmering with stardust.
A tiny budding horn peeked through its hair.
Little motes of light drifted lazily from its back.
It blinked up at him.
Softly chirped.
Riley forgot how to breathe.
"…hi," he whispered.
Sofia gasped. "It's beautiful."
Aria leaned closer, squinting hard.
"Okay… THAT is stupid cute. That's like… ILLEGAL cute. I want twelve."
The little creature nuzzled into Riley's palm, warm and trembling like a newborn sun.
The Hall shook as the voice thundered:
SPIRIT BONDED.
LUMIN WHELP ACQUIRED.
EVOLUTION PATH — UNDEFINED.
Sofia's eyebrows shot up.
"Undefined? Is… that even possible?"
Aria threw her hands up.
"Okay, WHAT does that mean? Is it random? Can it evolve into a dragon? Does it explode? Does it turn into a toaster?! I NEED ANSWERS."
But Riley could barely hear them.
Because the moment he held the Whelp, something inside him clicked.
Like he'd been fumbling in the dark until now.
Like this creature—this small, overlooked Spirit—fit into his hands and his life exactly where it needed to be.
He didn't get an apex predator.
He got something else.
Something unique.
Something hidden.
Something forgotten by everyone else.
Something full of possibility.
He cradled the Whelp gently.
"I guess you're with me now," he whispered.
The Whelp chirped and curled tighter into his chest, glowing brighter.
Sofia smiled softly.
"It… really suits you."
Aria patted his shoulder.
"You're like a soft boy with a pocket-sized lightbulb. It works."
Before Riley could reply, the cathedral floor pulsed.
All the pedestals dimmed.
The air vibrated—
SPIRIT SELECTION COMPLETE.
INITIATING TRANSFER.
WELCOME TO THE STARTING VILLAGE.
Wind whipped around them.
Light shot upward.
The floor dissolved beneath their feet.
Riley hugged the Whelp close as they were pulled downward like falling stars.
Aria readied her new gauntlets.
Sofia gripped her Lumen Rod tighter.
Riley held his tiny glowing companion against him.
Together—
they stepped into their second chance.