Kael's eyes snapped open as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the twisted canopy.
He sat up quickly, the ache in his muscles a sharp reminder of the unforgiving ground he had slept on. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the distance. As he flexed his fingers, he felt the calloused texture of unfamiliar hands.
He smirked.
This body was stronger than his old one. It bore the marks of hard labor—scars, roughened skin, and lean muscle. It wasn't perfect, but it would serve him well.
Kael rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his coarse tunic. His mind was already racing, calculating his next steps. Food, water, shelter—these were the immediate concerns. Everything else could wait.
As he stretched, a strange sensation washed over him. It started as a dull pressure in the back of his skull, then blossomed into a cascade of images and sensations. Memories—vivid and raw—flooded his mind, threatening to overwhelm him.
Kael stumbled, clutching his head as the onslaught intensified. He saw a small village, surrounded by dense forest. He felt the sting of rejection, the bitterness of being overlooked, and the gnawing hunger for something greater.
The name came to him like a whisper.
Roran.
Kael gritted his teeth as the memories sharpened. Roran had been a woodcutter's son, born into a life of mediocrity. But he hadn't accepted it. He had sought adventure, power—something to lift him above the mundane existence of his peers.
The fool had found none of it.
Kael saw Roran's final moments: the forest closing in, the whispers fading, the crushing despair as his strength gave out. The boy had died cold, alone, and broken.
When the memories subsided, Kael straightened, a dark smile playing on his lips.
"So that's what happened," he murmured. "You reached too far, and you paid the price. But your loss… is my gain."
Kael felt no guilt for the body he now inhabited. Roran's life had ended the moment he collapsed in that clearing. If anything, Kael had given it new purpose.
Survival wasn't about fairness. It wasn't about sentiment or morality. It was about strength, adaptability, and the willingness to do whatever it took.
Kael had always understood that.
The memories of his own world were still fresh—hours spent grinding away at a dead-end job, a city that swallowed its inhabitants whole, and a life that offered little more than monotony and frustration.
Now, he had a second chance. A world filled with magic, danger, and opportunity stretched before him. He wasn't about to squander it by dwelling on the past.
Kael began moving, letting Roran's memories guide him. He remembered a stream nearby, its location etched into the boy's mind from years of foraging.
The forest was dense, its towering trees casting long shadows even as the sun rose higher. Kael's steps were cautious but deliberate. He scanned the underbrush for signs of movement, his sharpened senses alert for any danger.
When he reached the stream, he knelt and cupped the cool water in his hands. It was clean and crisp, invigorating him as he drank deeply. For the first time since his arrival, his parched throat no longer burned.
He glanced at his reflection in the water.
The face staring back was unfamiliar: sharp features, dark eyes, and a faint scar tracing his jawline. It was the face of a survivor, someone shaped by hardship and determination.
Kael studied it for a moment, then smirked.
"You'll do," he said, his voice steady.
Roran's memories weren't just a burden; they were a resource.
Kael rifled through them, extracting useful fragments like a hunter skinning prey. He learned which plants were safe to eat, which paths to avoid, and where the nearest settlements might be.
The boy's final days had been pitiful—wandering aimlessly, chasing empty promises—but his instincts weren't entirely useless. Kael could make use of them.
From the leather pouch at his side, he retrieved a small knife and a flint. The tools were crude but serviceable. He spent the afternoon gathering wood and kindling, constructing a makeshift spear from a sturdy branch.
As the sun dipped lower, Kael lit a fire by the stream. The flames cast flickering shadows across the trees, their warmth driving away the evening chill.
Kael leaned back against a rock, his eyes fixed on the firelight.
"Roran wanted power," he mused aloud. "He wanted to escape his mundane little life. And now, thanks to him, I have the chance to do what he couldn't."
His voice hardened.
"I'll survive. I'll thrive. And I'll take whatever this world has to offer—no matter what it costs."
Kael's thoughts turned to the whispers that had lured Roran into the forest. He didn't believe in coincidences. Someone—or something—had guided the boy here.
The memory of the rune from the previous day surfaced. Its light had been unlike anything Kael had ever seen, its power palpable even from a distance.
Magic.
The word sent a shiver of excitement through him. This world was steeped in it, and Kael was determined to master it. But Roran's memories offered no answers. Magic wasn't something learned through brute force or sheer will; it required understanding, discipline, and, most importantly, the right tools.
Kael clenched his fists.
"Fine," he muttered. "If that's what it takes, I'll figure it out. I'll find the power Roran was too weak to claim."
He gazed into the flames, his mind alight with possibilities. The world he had found himself in was dangerous, but danger was simply another obstacle to overcome.
Kael wasn't here to survive. He was here to conquer.
The forest seemed to hum with unseen energy as night fell. The shadows deepened, and the firelight danced like living things. Kael sat in silence, his thoughts sharp and focused.
There was no room for fear or doubt. The boy whose life he had taken was gone, and Kael had no intention of following him.
He stared into the darkness beyond the firelight, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"This world doesn't know it yet," he said softly, "but it just gained a new master."
The forest offered no reply, but Kael didn't need one.
He was ready for whatever came next.