The city was alive with evening sun dipping below the horizon, with its last rays casting an orange glow on skyscrapers and streets. Cars honked in frustration while neon lights flickered to life, and pedestrians hurried about their routines. Among them was Li Wei, whose feet moved with the same steadiness as his gaze wandered off into space. At the age of twenty-five years, he was a man trapped by life's routines: an office clerk by day and a martial arts aficionado by night. The very comforts that had been a source of security slowly developed to feel like cuffs that retained him in this life without a higher purpose.
The air was crisp, tinged with the faint aroma of roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. Li Wei tightened his jacket against the evening chill, his muscles sore from hours of practice at the local dojo. The rhythmic clatter of footsteps around him merged into the symphony of the city: muffled conversations, the rumble of buses, the occasional bark of a street dog. It was a world that moved relentlessly, never pausing, never waiting.
The small child was running after a red rubber ball that seemed to bounce under its own power, leading the child on a merry chase, when it skipped through the child's grasp and began to make its way toward the busy road. Li Wei felt his heart clutch. He stopped dead in his tracks as the reality of the moment weighed upon him while he watched this scene.
The child, no older than six, darted into the road without a second thought. The oncoming truck was massive—a hulking beast of steel and momentum, its headlights cutting through the twilight. The driver leaned on the horn, but the child didn't stop. Time slowed for Li Wei as the reality of what was about to happen became painfully clear.
Without hesitation, he moved.
Li Wei's muscles coursed with the strength from years of martial arts training. Every step was an explosive output, his feet pounding against the pavement as he sprinted toward the child. The world around him started to blur, the shouts of the people sounding like a distant echo. There was no cloudiness in his mind; there was no room for fear or doubt. There was only the child and the truck, and the flitting moment between them.
He reached the child just as the truck bore down on them. With one last, desperate lunge, he pushed the child clear. The boy stumbled and fell onto the sidewalk, staring agog and unhurt. For an instant, their eyes met-the child's face was white in a mix of shock, terror, and gratitude. Li Wei felt a curious sense of release, even as the truck's shadow fell across him.
The impact was immediate. A bone-jarring force struck Li Wei, throwing him backward. Pain seared through his body, sharp and overwhelming, giving way to a cold numbing sensation. He hit the ground hard, and the breath got knocked out of his lungs. The world above him spun: faces blurred, voices indistinct, the glow of streetlights smearing together in a kaleidoscope of chaos.
The sounds of the world faded first, replaced by a deep stillness. The pain ebbed away, leaving him with an eerie calmness. He stared up at the sky now-a canvas of deep purples and blacks dotted by the first stars of the evening. His chest heaved, every breath a fight; his mind was curiously clear.
"I saved him," he thought, a faint twitch on his lips. The face of the child alive, grateful-lingered in his mind. "That's enough."
Darkness crept to the edges of his vision and swallowed the world around him. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the void.
When Li Wei came to again, he was no longer lying on cold asphalt. Instead, he floated in a boundless expanse of blackness, an infinity in all directions. There was no ground, no sky, no sense of up or down. He felt weightless, untethered, yet somehow at peace.
A small, golden light flickered far away. It was small, no larger than a distant star, but it grew steadily brighter, pushing the darkness from around it. The light was warm without being blinding, and its presence stirred in him a strange feeling of familiarity. It pulsed rhythmically, almost like a heartbeat, drawing him closer.
Then, from the light, a voice made its presence known. It was neither male nor female, neither young nor old. It was a voice that reverberated deep inside him, as though it spoke not to his ears but to his very soul.
"Brave soul," the voice said, soft but commanding, "your selfless act has not gone unnoticed."
Li Wei frowned, trying to make sense of the words. "Who. are you?" he thought, or maybe he spoke-he did not know. In this place, the boundaries between thought and speech became ambiguous.
"I am but a guide," the voice replied, its voice bearing the weight of ages. "You have left behind the world of your birth, but your actions in your final moments were extraordinary. For the life you saved, you have earned a chance-a chance to begin anew."
Li Wei's mind raced. A chance? To live again? He had no family, no great ambitions, nothing tying him to his old life. And yet, the idea of a second chance filled him with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
"What kind of chance?" he asked, his voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at him.
A chance to grow, to explore a world of endless possibilities, to become something greater than you could have ever imagined. But the path will not be easy, for challenges await and your strength will be tested.
Li Wei considered this. The thought of returning to a monotonous existence was unbearable, but a new world—a new life with purpose and adventure—was something he had only dreamed of while reading novels during long, dull nights.
"I accept," he said finally, his resolve hardening. "I want to live again. I'll face whatever comes."
The golden light flared brighter, bathing him in its warmth. "Very well," the voice said, with a hint of approval. "Then go forth, brave soul, and carve your destiny. May your actions ripple across this new world."
The light became blinding, and Li Wei felt himself being pulled forward faster and faster until he was surrounded by nothing but light and warmth. His consciousness faded once more, not into darkness this time, but into a dreamless, peaceful slumber.
The next time Li Wei awoke, everything was different.
His body felt impossibly small, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Attempting to open his eyes proved that his vision was blurry, too-the world was some indistinct haze of colors and shapes. Sounds came muffled yet soothing-soft voices speaking in a language he didn't recognize, the gentle rustle of fabric, the faint crackle of a fireplace.
It didn't take long for him to piece together the truth. He had been reborn.
It wasn't until his eyes had finally adjusted that he began to glimpse his surroundings. He was in a grand room, high ceilings and intricate tapestries lining the walls. The slight scent of lavender filled the air, intertwining itself with the warmth of the fire. Above him now loomed a face—a woman with gentle features, golden hair cascading like sunlight, and eyes brimming with affection. Smiling down at him, her voice lilting melodic, she cooed softly.
This was his new mother.
He could see others in the room, too. A man in a strong jawline and commanding presence stood not far away, watching with pride and softness. His clothes were regal with fine embroideries, and he carried himself with the poise of someone accustomed to authority. This was his new father.
It was Li Wei who realized that he had been born into a noble family-or rather, Leon Valerian. The ornate surroundings, the obsequiousness of the servants bustling about, and the carriage of his parents all spoke to a life far removed from the one he had known.
As days went by, Leon continued to observe his new surroundings. The language, which at first was unfamiliar, began to grow understandable. His parents' names were Edmund and Amelia Valerian, and they ruled over a place called Valeria County. Servants and guards spoke of them in high regard and respect, and the inhabitants of the estate were content, unlike the unbending societal level extremes of cold disdain shown in his old world.
Leon soon learned that this was a world unlike any other. Magic pervaded everything. He would often see glowing runes etched into walls, servants using simple spells to light lamps or carry heavy loads. It was a world of wonder, a world where strength and knowledge were the shapers of destinies.
For the first time in a long time, Leon felt a flicker of something he hadn't known in his previous life: hope. This was a new beginning, a chance to not only live but to thrive. And with a determined spirit, he vowed to make the most of it, whatever challenges lay ahead.