Warning: this story does contain violence, coarse language, suggestive themes, and abuse. If this triggers you, please do not read this story. I don't wish for this story to hurt anyone.

Please skip this chapter for those who want to head straight into the main story. However, for old readers and new readers who are curious about what this is, then please stay. I promise not to make this long. This project has been in the works for a while now. I even had people fight against it, but I wanted/needed to do this. Here's why.

This story is a reboot of an earlier creation of the same name I started in the summer of 2018. As of this chapter, four years have passed since then. I won't say that a part of me didn't find it fun. I always found new ideas. I tried some new strategy, website, or type of content, always seeing what would stick. However, early 2021 was when that started to change.

I think this was always something that I always had inside of me, and I don't know what it was that finally ticked me in. I felt stagnant, more aimless than ever, just when I wanted to make my passion my career. I felt like a house in the middle of a storm, built upon a shoddy foundation. Sure it's holding up now, but how long before I get buried under it? At that point, most of the stories I've written were three years old, which shows as I trudged along with criticism and future projects.

After experiencing this imposter syndrome head-on and developing The Cons, my newest and most recent story, I decided to make the change fully. Brick by brick, word by word, I knew one thing, no matter how long it took. I wanted to start over again and take everything I've learned up till now.

So for you, this is another fun action story with evident roots. This is a reinvention, a chance to fully utilize my past into a new future that I'll open for myself. To its very bones, this will be the same story as before, but with the cleanest execution I can muster. This will be the mother of all retreads for veteran readers, but I'm sure I can make it worthwhile.

Thanks to the people who have and will support me. You've given me the confidence I never had. A voice I've never known could exist and have revealed a pride I can't put down now. I'll put it to good use this time, and I hope to return the favor to you. But I've talked too much already, so I leave with this. The name is Donniedrako15, and this is the reboot of Paladin. I hope you enjoy it.