Pain.
That was the first thing Daniel felt.
Not the sharp, unbearable kind—but something dull. Heavy. Like his entire body didn't belong to him.
Then came the smell.
It hit him instantly.
Rotten wood. Sweat. Something sour lingering in the air, mixed with a damp, suffocating scent that made his chest tighten.
Where… am I?
He tried to open his eyes.
At first, everything was blurred. Shapes moved above him, shadows shifting slowly. Voices echoed faintly—unfamiliar, distant, yet strangely close.
"…he's breathing…"
"…thank the heavens…"
A woman's voice. Weak. Relieved.
Daniel frowned—or at least, he tried to.
His body didn't respond the way he expected.
It felt… small.
Wrong.
Panic flickered inside him.
What is happening?
He tried to move his arm.
Nothing.
No—something moved. Slightly. Weakly. As if his body had no strength at all.
His breathing quickened.
And then—
It hit him.
Memories.
A hospital room.
White walls.
The sound of a machine going flat.
His final thoughts.
If I am reborn…
Daniel's eyes widened.
No way…
Before he could fully process it—
Something appeared.
Right in front of him.
A screen.
Floating.
Silent.
Glowing faintly in the darkness.
Daniel froze.
What… is that?
It didn't look like anything from his old world. Not a phone. Not a screen attached to anything. It simply existed—transparent, yet clear.
Instinctively, he focused on it.
And the moment he did—
The screen flickered.
Then text appeared.
---
[ Freedom System initializing… ]
[ Installation in progress… ]
[ Time remaining: 100 days ]
---
Daniel stared at it.
His mind, despite everything, was suddenly wide awake.
A system…?
The words felt unreal.
And yet—they were right in front of him.
Not imagination.
Not a dream.
Real.
Freedom System…
The name alone made something deep inside him react.
Freedom.
The very thing he had chased.
The very thing that had destroyed him.
His thoughts raced.
Why do I have this?
Is this because I died?
Is this… my second chance?
He tried to move again.
This time harder.
But his body betrayed him completely.
His fingers barely twitched. His arms felt like they weighed a thousand kilograms. Even turning his head felt impossible.
Weak.
Too weak.
Frustration rose in his chest.
No…
After everything…
After everything he had gone through…
He refused to be powerless again.
But reality didn't care about his will.
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him.
Heavy.
Overwhelming.
His eyes began to close on their own.
No—wait…
He tried to stay awake.
Tried to focus on the screen.
On the words.
On anything.
But his body was shutting down.
Before darkness could take him completely, one final thought crossed his mind.
Freedom System…
What… are you?
The screen flickered one last time in his fading vision.
---
[ Installation continues… ]
---
And then—
Everything went dark.
Daniel fell asleep.
In a new world.
In a new body.
With a system that promised something he had failed to achieve in his previous life.
Freedom.