It was then that Alexius turned his gaze to Alex, his eyes locking with the younger version of himself—no, the soul from another world. "That's why I brought you here. That's why I reached out to you, Alexander Von Archaime."
Alex's eyes widened in shock as Alexius continued, his voice grave. "I found you, a soul strong enough to endure the horrors of war, a soul who had already lived and died once. I needed you to take my place. I needed you to be the one who could protect this world… and Leo."
The weight of Alexius' words crashed down on Alex like a tidal wave. He had known that something was off, that he didn't belong in this body, in this world. But now, the truth was laid bare before him. He wasn't just a reincarnation; he was a replacement. Alexius had found him—had chosen him to take over his life and continue his fight.
"You took my place because I was too weak," Alexius said, his voice filled with self-loathing. "I needed someone stronger. Someone who could succeed where I failed."
Alex took a step back, his mind reeling. "You… you brought me here? You forced me into this life?"
Alexius' expression softened, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "I didn't force you. I gave you a chance—a chance to live again. A chance to fight for something bigger than yourself. And in return, you've become part of the plan. You're the one who can break the cycle, Alexander."
But Alex shook his head, disbelief washing over him. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be dragged into your mess!"
"I know," Alexius whispered, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "And for that, I'm sorry. But I had no choice. The world is falling apart, and Leo is my trigger—the reason I kept coming back. But it wasn't enough. I needed you, Alexander. I needed your strength. Your will."
Alex's mind swirled with a whirlwind of emotions. The anger, confusion, and helplessness threatened to overwhelm him. He looked at the older Alexius, the one who had dragged him into this, and he didn't know whether to feel pity or hatred for him.
"What do you expect me to do?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "How am I supposed to fix this?"
Alexius looked at him, his eyes filled with an unspoken plea. "You have the power to change it. You've seen the future—the endless cycle of death and destruction. But now, you can break it. You're not Alexius Harrison… and that's why you're our only hope."
For a long moment, Alex stood there, staring at the graveyard, at Leo mourning over a grave that should have belonged to Alexius. He was a man out of place, a soul from another world forced into a role he never asked for.
But as much as he wanted to reject it, to turn away from the responsibility thrust upon him, he knew deep down that he couldn't.
Because even if he hadn't chosen this life, it was now his to live.
*****
As the vision began to fade, Alex stood in the emptiness of his mind, his body tense and his heart heavy with everything he had just seen and heard. The weight of the world—of Alexius' past, of the endless cycle of death and regret—felt unbearable.
Alexius' faint smile lingered in the back of his mind, but Alex couldn't feel any relief. Instead, a surge of frustration and anger boiled up inside him. His hands clenched into fists, his teeth grinding together as the enormity of it all finally hit him.
"This… this is unfair!" Alex shouted into the void, his voice cracking with emotion. He glared at the space where Alexius had stood, the weight of his words crashing down on him. "Why me? Why did it have to be me?"
His voice echoed through the darkness, but no one answered.
Alex's chest heaved with the intensity of his emotions. His entire life—his death, his reincarnation, everything—had been orchestrated by someone else's desperation. Someone who had failed time and time again, someone who needed him to carry the burden they couldn't.
"I didn't ask for this!" Alex spat out, his voice trembling. "I didn't ask to be dragged into your fight, into your regrets! I was supposed to live my life, not yours!"
The bitterness in his tone grew sharper, and he felt the sting of tears threatening to well up in his eyes, but he forced them down. "You say I'm the only hope, but that's not fair to me. I didn't choose this. I didn't choose to take your place!"
He took a shaky breath, his mind racing. "I've already lived once. I've already fought and died for something… and now I have to do it all over again, just because you couldn't finish the job?"
The silence around him was suffocating, but Alex's thoughts kept spiraling, his anger refusing to subside.
"It's not fair," he whispered, his voice finally breaking. "It's not fair that I have to be the one to fix this."
Alex looked down at his hands, trembling from the raw emotion coursing through him. He didn't want this responsibility, this crushing weight of expectation. He didn't want to carry someone else's burden. But deep down, he knew that he couldn't walk away from it either.
Because even though it wasn't fair, even though he hadn't chosen it, it was now his life.
And no matter how unfair it seemed, it was up to him to live it.
He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing, and when he opened them again, he whispered one final thought into the darkness. "This may not be fair… but I'm going to do it my way."
*****
Alex opened his door to step outside and froze at the sight in front of him. Sitting calmly in the hallway was a sleek, black cat with gleaming green eyes. Before Alex could make sense of the scene, the cat spoke.
"Well, took you long enough," the cat said with a hint of sarcasm in its voice.
Alex blinked, unsure if he was still trapped in some lingering vision. "You… you can talk?" he managed to ask, his voice filled with disbelief.
The cat stood up, its tail flicking casually. "Of course I can. I'm Alexius. Or what's left of him, anyway."
Alex felt his head spin. "No. No way." Without thinking, he reached for the door handle and promptly slammed the door shut in the cat's face. For a brief moment, he hoped this was just another weird dream that would go away if he ignored it.
A soft thud sounded on the other side of the door, followed by a muffled, irritated voice. "Really? That's how you treat the remnants of your soul?"
Alex let out a frustrated sigh, his heart still racing. He opened the door again to find the cat—Alexius—already slipping through the crack and into his room.
"Great," Alex muttered as the cat jumped up onto his bed, settling down as if this were completely normal. "Now I've got a talking cat to deal with."
"You're welcome, by the way," Alexius said, sounding entirely too smug. "I saved your life, remember? The least you can do is let me explain how we're going to make sure you don't die again."
Alex rubbed his temples. "Okay, fine. Explain. How does this even work?"
Alexius stretched, his green eyes glinting with something close to amusement. "You've probably figured out by now that your soul isn't completely bound to this world. That's why the gods couldn't see through you. You're not exactly their version of Alexius. You're… different."
Alex crossed his arms, wary but curious. "So, what does that mean for me?"
"It means," Alexius continued, "that you're not restrained by the usual rules. You can grow beyond the limits of this world because your soul has been through more than most beings here could ever imagine. And that's where this comes in."
A glowing blue screen suddenly appeared in front of Alex's eyes, filled with strange symbols and words. It reminded him of a video game interface, complete with stat bars and leveling options.
"Welcome to your new training system," Alexius said, his voice sounding almost proud. "This will track your progress as you level up, killing aliens and getting stronger. It's all pretty straightforward: stamina, speed, strength, intelligence, and—"
"Divinity?" Alex interrupted, staring at the last stat on the screen.
Alexius nodded. "Exactly. Divinity will allow you to tap into the power of the gods themselves. But that's for later. For now, you'll start with the basics—strength, speed, stamina, and intelligence. You'll gain points for each alien you kill, and with each level up, you'll get stronger and more capable of handling the chaos coming your way."
Alex narrowed his eyes at the cat. "And what exactly are you getting out of this?"
Alexius tilted his head, his tail flicking again. "What do I get? Well, for one, I get the satisfaction of not watching the world collapse again. I also get to make sure you don't end up like the last me—dead and full of regrets."
Alex felt a pang of sympathy as he recalled the countless cycles of death and rebirth that Alexius had endured. "So you're training me to become the strongest being in this world?"
"Precisely," Alexius replied, his tone serious now. "I need you to be ready for what's coming. And trust me, it's worse than anything either of us has faced before."
Alex stared at the glowing screen for a long moment, absorbing the weight of what was being asked of him. He had already been through so much—death, reincarnation, visions of the future—and now he was expected to fight in some cosmic battle for survival.
But something in him stirred a quiet resolve. He may not have asked for this, but if this was his life now, then he was going to do it on his terms.
"Alright," Alex said, determination setting into his voice. "Let's do this."
Alexius gave a small, approving nod. "Good. Now, let's get to work. We've got a lot of training ahead of us."
*****
Alex stared at the glowing blue screen, his eyes scanning the daily quest list:
[Daily Quest]
[50 Push-ups
5 km Run
50 Squats]
He glanced down at the cat—Alexius—who was now comfortably draped around his neck like a fuzzy scarf. The cat's green eyes glinted with amusement as Alex sighed and muttered under his breath.
"Seriously, Alexius? I'm ten years old. This is a lot of work for a kid my age."
Alexius purred softly, his whiskers twitching. "Well, tough luck. The world's a dangerous place, and if you want to survive, you need to be in top shape. Besides, I'm here to make sure you don't slack off."
Alex rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he set his jaw and began his push-ups, his small frame barely making it up and down. Each rep felt like a challenge, his muscles straining under the effort. Alexius clung to his neck, clearly enjoying the ride.
"Fifty push-ups," Alex muttered, breathing heavily. "I can't believe I'm doing this."
As he finished his push-ups, he jumped up and headed for the park, ready to tackle the 5 km run. The sun was shining, and the park was bustling with children playing and people walking their dogs. Alex could feel their curious stares as he ran, his small figure darting through the paths. Alexius stayed firmly attached to his neck, offering the occasional encouraging meow.
"You know," Alex called out to the cat between breaths, "this is not exactly how I imagined my childhood. I thought I'd be doing normal kid stuff, not running 5 kilometers with a talking cat on my shoulders."
Alexius meowed in response, a tone that almost sounded like a chuckle. "Well, things don't always go as planned. But think of it this way: You're building the foundation for a future where you can enjoy that peaceful countryside life."
Alex grinned despite himself. "If I survive this, I'll retire early and live in the countryside, far away from all this madness."
He completed his run and moved on to his squats, feeling the burn in his legs with each repetition. He was exhausted, but he pushed through, motivated by the promise of a future free from chaos.
As he finished his squats and wiped the sweat from his brow, he looked at the sky, lost in thought. The day had been long, and the training was grueling, but Alex remained calm and collected. His resolve was unshakable. After everything was over, he was determined to retire and find peace away from the battlefield.
For now, though, he had to get through these daily quests. With Alexius at his side, offering occasional meows of encouragement, Alex was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Alright, Alexius," he said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "Let's get some rest. Tomorrow's another day, and I need to be ready for it."
Alexius purred contentedly as he settled comfortably around Alex's neck. "You've got this, kid. We'll make sure you're ready for anything."
As Alex headed back home, he felt a sense of quiet resolve. No matter how tough the training was, he was determined to see it through. He had made a promise to himself, and he intended to keep it.