"Hey, hustle up! We're playin' host to an important guest today," barked a worker in a hint of irritation.
"Oh, you mean Mr. Edward, the big shot in charge of the Woller Family?"
"Yeah, him. Heard he's one of the youngest underworld bosses out there. Just 18, but packing a degree from an Ivy League school in sciences. Under his helm, the Woller family's been making serious waves in the underworld, gunnin' for the top spot. Took over when he was a measly 14, after the last boss bit the dust."
"You really got the lowdown on him."
"Well, when you're rubbin' shoulders with the shady crowd like I do, you pick up a thing or two from eavesdroppin' on their chats."
"I heard today's deal is a game-changer. If it pans out, they might just outshine the whole underworld. No wonder they got security on overdrive."
The casual chatter of the restaurant's staff fell silent as Edward Woller, head honcho of the Woller family, sauntered in with a well-dressed companion and a pack of guards tailing them. Seated at a table across from his guest, they launched into a conversation on various fronts.
Out of the blue, Edward motioned for some grub. The dish arrived, delivered by his trusted aide, Teech. Teech placed the meal in front of Edward and his companion, then stepped back, standing at rigid attention.
After a few minutes of exchanging bites, just as Edward was wrapping up the powwow, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. In the blink of an eye, blood trickled from his mouth. Edward realized he'd been poisoned. He locked eyes with Teech, who responded with a chilling grin. The betrayal hit him like a freight train. With his life ebbing away, he managed to croak out, "Why?" before slumping to the ground, the world slipping from his grasp. His guards remained shockingly immobile, failing to come to his aid.
Teech spoke, his words dripping with finality. "Boss, you were somethin' else. That mix of soft touch and cutthroat attitude, it's not an everyday combo. But you ruffled some serious feathers, and now, your grandpa's vision of turning the Woller family into an empire stops cold with you, the last survivor."
As Teech wrapped up, Edward's face twisted with bitterness. He let out a sigh and shut his eyes. His thoughts raced, "Can't say I lived up to the 'great leader' title, huh? Can't even tell when my own crew's out to get me. Funny, me croaking ain't gonna stir up any hearts – no one's left to care. I can bow out without a care."
With the minutes ticking away, his mind drifted. "Woller family's history now. Grandpa's dream of us becomin' underworld kings, it's six feet under with me. No remorse, though. Spent my life clearin' debts to my grandpa, so this crime life was all business. But truth be told, I dreamt of a sweet wife, some quiet life in the countryside. Guess that's kaput too."
Amidst these fleeting thoughts, Edward's chapter closed, his life's tale reaching its end.
Edward's eyes blinked open, and he was met with a soft touch running through his hair. He squinted, trying to figure out what the heck was going on. There, sitting next to him was this drop-dead gorgeous blonde woman. Like, seriously stunning. She was looking at him with this crazy affectionate look that left him scratching his head. I mean, who was she and why was she here?
And then it hit him like a truck – he thought he was toast, but clearly, something else was up. He checked her out again, and her getup was like a blast from the past, medieval style and all. But that wasn't even the weirdest part. The room around him looked like something out of a fantasy story, all decked out in these wild decorations.
He looked at his hands and had to do a double-take. They were smaller, way smaller, and not even remotely familiar. It was like a cosmic joke had been played on him. The throbbing headache he was nursing brought back snippets of memories, and he pieced together that he'd jumped ship into someone else's life. A life in a realm he didn't know existed, where folks were all about cultivating and honing their skills.
His head felt like it was splitting open, and he let out a groan – yeah, not the manliest sound, but whatever. A few memories from the old owner of this body started to flood in. It was like he was getting a crash course in this new gig. Apparently, he'd landed in a place where people were all about levelling up their powers.
The pain had him wincing, and it wasn't going unnoticed. The woman – his mom, he figured – turned her attention to him, worry written all over her face. She went all boss mode and called for a maid to get a doctor. She made it sound like a big deal, announcing that the crown prince had finally decided to wake up from his beauty sleep or whatever. A new chapter in this crazy ride, that's for sure. Apparently, this woman was Edward's mother and his name was Edward in this world too. Edward was a crown prince of this empire due to being a chosen one. He only got few basic memories of his previous owner and was still unfamiliar with the whole situation.
Out of nowhere, a maid appeared, hauling in this old dude in flowing white robes. The guy had a beard that could probably give Santa a run for his money. He gave Edward a once-over like he was some kind of exhibit, then threw out, "Crown Prince seems all good now. If you don't mind, my lady, I'm outta here." The guy practically had his escape planned and everything.
The beautiful woman, who apparently was Edward's mom (again, what a mind-bender!), let out a snort that was almost funny. She waved off the Santa look-alike and turned her attention back to Edward. And boy, did she go full-on interrogation mode, firing questions like there was no tomorrow. "How fare you, my son? Does your head still trouble you? Any lingering discomfort? Should I summon the healer once more?" Concern dripped from her words, a true queen in every sense.
Edward was still wrapping his head around this topsy-turvy world when his mom hit him with the questions. He was just about to muster up some kind of response fit for a future prince when the scene took a sudden U-turn.
In walks this towering dude, a solid six feet of "I'm-in-charge" vibes. He was decked out in full-on regal gear, complete with a crown that probably weighed more than Edward's old backpack. And of course, he brought along his entourage, like he couldn't just stroll in solo.
Edward's jumbled memories were doing their best to keep up, throwing names around like confetti. There were half-siblings in the mix, a big bro, and that crown-topped guy? Yeah, that was the emperor – his dad, apparently. Some other faces were in there too, but his brain was playing hide-and-seek with the details.
The emperor – yeah, dad – decided it was prime time to channel his inner detective and grilled Edward with that classic "Who did it?" tone. Seriously, man, your kid just popped back from the brink, and instead of a "Hey, how you feelin', champ?" it's a full-on interrogation. Kid's just 10, give him a break!