Kai drifted in a void of absolute darkness, an abyss so deep it seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. It was as if he were suspended in the heart of a black hole, with no light, no sound, and no sense of time.
The darkness pressed against him, thick and heavy, like an ocean of tar threatening to swallow him whole. But just as the void seemed to grow unbearable, a faint blue glow flickered to life in front of him, expanding slowly until it formed the shape of a child—a hologram, hovering in the emptiness.
The child had an otherworldly presence, its body composed of shimmering light, translucent and slightly distorted, as if it were being projected through a rippling pool of water.
His small form radiated a soft luminescence that pushed back the darkness, illuminating Kai's surroundings with an eerie, ethereal glow. The child's face was youthful and cherubic, with wide eyes that sparkled mischievously. He smiled in a way that was almost too playful for the situation, as if the circumstances were a game only he knew the rules to.
Kai stirred, his senses gradually sharpening as he became aware of his own body—or rather, the sense of not having one. He felt weightless, unmoored, as if his consciousness was detached from any physical form. His eyes snapped open, and he stared at the hologram child, his voice raspy and disoriented. "Who are you?"
The child's smile widened, an expression both innocent and unsettling, as if he were in on a cosmic joke that Kai had yet to understand. "There is a message for you," he said, his voice light and melodic, carrying a strange sense of familiarity.
Without another word, the child's eyes glowed brightly, and from them shot a narrow beam of light. The light expanded into a three-dimensional projection, casting the air itself into a swirling array of colors until the image stabilized into a video.
In the holographic recording, a man appeared. He had striking crimson hair, wild and unruly like flames frozen in time, and sharp purple eyes that glinted with a kind of madness. His lab coat hung loosely over a casual shirt, giving him the appearance of an eccentric scholar who had long since abandoned the trivialities of convention.
His lips curved into a smirk, and he tilted his head as if addressing Kai directly.
"I can't believe you died, Kai," he said, his tone a mixture of disbelief and amusement.
A smile tugged at Kai's lips despite himself. There was only one person who would greet him with such nonchalance after his supposed death. "Jugo." he breathed, a sense of relief washing over him even in this strange darkness. "Get me out of here." said Kai.
The video continued playing, Jugo's voice filling the void. "Listen carefully, Kai. The bracelet I sent you is my latest invention. When you die, it uses the life essence and Nexus force inside you to transfer your soul into another body. And not just any body, but a dead one," he explained, as though he were outlining some casual science project.
Jugo's eyes sparkled with the excitement of a child unraveling a new mystery. "The catch, my dear friend, is that it works at random. It could send you anywhere in the vast infinite multiverse." he continued, spreading his hands wide in a dramatic flourish. "With an infinite number of universes, the probability of you landing in the same one is effectively zero. One over infinity equals zero."
He paused for effect, letting the enormity of his words sink in. "So, enjoy your new life. If you get lucky, you might wake up as a king with a harem of beautiful girls."
Jugo chuckled, his voice rising with a hint of madness. "I'm already getting a nosebleed just imagining all the experiments you could try in an entirely different world. I'd even write my own 'Origins of Species' if I had such an opportunity."
Kai's expression darkened as he listened, understanding the implications of what Jugo had done. "You're saying there's no way back." he murmured, his voice laced with frustration.
Jugo seemed to sense Kai's thoughts, his gaze softening slightly. "Locating our universe among the infinite is… well, it's impossible, Kai. But if anyone could find a way, it's you. And if you do, returning is simple—just use the formation I've included in the bracelet's schematics."
His eyes glinted with a hint of sadness, or perhaps admiration. "But don't get your hopes up. Not even I can track you once you're gone."
Before Kai could respond, the world around him began to dissolve. The hologram flickered and dimmed, Jugo's voice fading into a hollow echo as Kai's vision blurred, his consciousness spinning like a leaf caught in a storm. Darkness swallowed him once more.
...
In the Warrior Continent, strength rules above all. But then again, isn't that true everywhere?
When light returned, it was harsh and blinding, the scene had changed drastically. He was no longer in the void but in a world that seemed to hum with life and danger. Thick foliage surrounded him, its deep green leaves glistening with dew.
The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and rotting wood, mingled with the faint aroma of wildflowers. This was a jungle—dense, ancient, and untamed, a place where nature's law reigned supreme and only the strong survived.
The canopy above was a tangled mesh of branches and vines, through which rays of sunlight struggled to pierce. It was like an immense, living cathedral, where each tree was a pillar holding up the roof of the world.
The leaves overhead rustled gently, their movements hinting at creatures lurking in the shadows watching, waiting. This place was a labyrinth of life and death, where every sound held the potential for peril.
In the midst of this dangerous land, a figure darted through the trees, leaping from one branch to the next with desperate speed.
It was a young woman, perhaps nineteen years old, her body marred by cuts and bruises. Her long white hair streamed behind her like a banner, catching the occasional shaft of light and shimmering as though made of silk. Her eyes were wide with worry, darting back to check on the boy she carried on her back.
The boy, only seventeen, was in an even worse state. Blood flowed from his wounds, staining his clothes and skin, running down his body like the branches of a river. His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were closed, as though clinging to the last vestiges of life.
Despite his unconscious state, there was a resemblance between the two—similar features that spoke of a shared lineage, a familial bond forged by more than just blood.
The girl's voice was strained, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she pleaded, "Brother, hang in there. We'll reach Cloud City soon, and we'll get you treated." Yet the silence that followed was deafening. It was as if she were speaking to a ghost, the weight of despair pressing down upon her like a shroud.
Slowly, the boy's eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes that had once been lifeless but now gleamed with awareness. He was no longer just Lucian Silverthorne, the name that echoed in his mind, but Kai who had been transported into this new existence. Thoughts flooded his consciousness, the past and present mingling until they were indistinguishable.
'My name is Lucian Silverthorne,' the memories whispered. 'The girl carrying me is my sister, Leora Silverthorne. Our family head servant betrayed us and he conspired with our enemies. Now, we are the last remnants of the Silverthorne family. Our father bought us time to escape, urging us to seek refuge and rebuild our clan in Cloud City. I was gravely wounded during the escape, and now Leora is doing everything she can to keep me alive.'
As these thoughts settled, Kai glanced at Leora, noticing for the first time the strands of white hair that clung to her sweat-streaked forehead.
A memory from his previous life surfaced—of a woman with hair just as white, someone who had meant something profound to him. The memory stirred an old guilt deep within his chest, like a wound that had never fully healed. 'Is this fate mocking me?' he wondered. 'Or is it offering me a chance for redemption?' He laughed mocking himself and thought 'What redemption? I killed her with my own two hands.'
Suddenly, instinct took over, and he noticed the glint of metal—too fast to think, only fast enough to act. A dagger whistled through the air, aimed at their backs. With a quick motion, he seized a nearby branch and deflected the blade, the metal clanging against wood. The impact sent a vibration up his arm, a painful reminder that his new body was still weak.
Leora spun around, her eyes blazing with fury. "Why are they still chasing us?" she shouted at the shadows. "We have nothing left!" Her voice trembled, not just with rage but with the exhaustion of a hunted animal cornered by predators.
From the underbrush, a low chuckle echoed, followed by mocking voices. "Nothing?" one of the pursuers taunted. "You've still got your beauty. That's worth plenty." The men emerged from the shadows, their faces twisted with malevolence, eyes hungry like wolves circling wounded prey.
Lucian's no, Kai's mind burned with a sudden, inexplicable rage. It flared up inside him, hot and intense, like fire surging through dry timber. He was taken aback by the force of it; it was the kind of anger that threatened to consume him from the inside out. Yet it was not simply his own.
It was Lucian's, the boy's deep-seated hatred for those who had torn his family apart. Somehow, their emotions had become intertwined, one feeding off the other.
'She is not just anyone,' Kai thought, forcing himself to calm. 'She is my sister now. My bond to her may be new, but it is real.' He took a deep breath and felt a sense of resolve forming within him, solid as the earth beneath his feet. 'I will live this life to the fullest, as Jugo suggested, but make no mistake I will find my way back home.'
He straightened, meeting the eyes of their pursuers with a cold, unyielding stare. There was no fear there, only the ironclad determination of a man who had died once and was not afraid to face death again.
The forest seemed to grow still around them, as if holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next. The trees loomed like silent sentinels, their branches curling down like gnarled fingers, bearing witness to the unfolding confrontation. Above, the sky remained obscured, hidden by the thick canopy as if the heavens themselves had turned away.
Kai knew that whether or not he found his way back to his original world, this new life was his now. And he would not squander it.
Author: Please write a review and use power stones to help me.