Oroz felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness—a feeling he'd become intimately acquainted with over the past several years. The world he had known had shattered, again.
When the blade pierced his chest, it wasn't the end. In fact, Oroz didn't think it ever would be. He had died—again. But this time, something felt different. The magic that had once been so clear in his mind seemed to twist and grow muddled as his vision faded. The bond with Aqualis, the Mana Beasts, and all his friends... everything seemed to be slipping through his fingers like water.
Then, as though by instinct, he reached out, grasping for something—anything—to hold onto. He was no stranger to this cycle, to these strange resets. It had happened before, and every time, he had been granted a new chance, a new life.
But unlike the previous times, he didn't wake up in a comforting bed of magic and wonder. This time, the world around him felt... cold. The sterile scent of medicine assaulted his senses, the sounds of mechanical machines and the beeping of heart monitors a stark contrast to the battles, the beasts, the magic he had once known.
Oroz opened his eyes, expecting the warmth of sunlight or the cool touch of water, but instead, his gaze met white walls and flashing lights. A hospital room.
"Not again," he whispered, feeling his chest tighten. This isn't it. This isn't my world anymore.
He could feel something shifting within him, as if his very existence was being yanked between two realities. His memories flooded him, conflicting with the present moment. He could still hear Aqualis' voice in his mind, echoing through the haze, but it was faint, as though they were being separated by some invisible force.
Was this another rebirth? A new world? He had become used to waking up in a new body, new life, each time fate decided it was his turn to reset. But this time, something felt wrong. The events leading up to his death hadn't been a random act—they had been manipulated. A shadowy figure had guided the blade that killed him. And Oroz was certain that this was just another part of the greater game, one he hadn't yet figured out.
As his thoughts spun, a voice called out from the door. It was a familiar voice, but one he hadn't heard in what felt like centuries.
"Oroz, you're awake. You've been through a lot."
Oroz turned to see Thalia, though she looked nothing like the powerful mage who had fought beside him in the magical world. She was in casual clothes, standing by the door of the hospital room as if she belonged in this world. The memories of their adventures, of the battles they had fought, still burned in his mind, though they seemed distant, like fragments of a long-lost dream.
Thalia took a step forward, her eyes filled with concern and an undeniable sense of urgency. "We need to talk. There's something you need to know."
Oroz didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "How? How are you here?" He looked around frantically. "This is impossible. I've died. I should be—"
"Don't ask questions that are too big to answer right now," Thalia interrupted. "Just know that you're not supposed to be here. You weren't meant to come back like this."
Oroz shook his head, trying to piece together the fragmented puzzle that had been his existence. "But I can't go back, can I? I don't even know where this world ends and the other begins."
"Not yet," Thalia said, her voice laced with something Oroz couldn't place—fear, maybe, or frustration. "You're not out of options yet, Oroz. But you're not done either. There's a lot more going on than you realize."
He could feel it then—the cold, subtle presence of something watching, waiting. The threads of fate were tangled, but they were still pulling at him.
"You're in the middle of something big, Oroz," Thalia continued. "The Mana Beasts, the powers you wield—they're real. All of it is real. But the world you were in, the one with magic and destiny—it's shifting. You're caught in the overlap."
Oroz stared at her, his mind spinning. *Is this a new kind of trap?*
Then, Thalia did something that made his blood run cold. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small crystal, glowing faintly. "The magic is slipping, Oroz. The worlds are breaking apart. And you… you are the key."
He could feel it. A surge of power rushed through him, and for a split second, his vision blurred, as if he were being pulled in two directions at once. The hospital room seemed to dissolve, and he saw flashes of his previous life—the battles with the Dark Enclave, the fights with creatures of nightmare, the world of magic that had once been his home.
Thalia's voice cut through the haze. "You're not finished yet. There's still more to come. You've only begun to understand the true nature of your power."