Darkness.

Ethan's mind floated, untethered, in an infinite expanse of black. He felt no weight, no air, no sound—just the void. Memories flickered at the edges of his consciousness: a late night in his cluttered workshop, the whir of machinery, and the quiet hum of a life he had grown to resent. Then, the last sensation—a dull ache in his chest—before everything vanished.

And now…this.

A soft vibration hummed beneath him, pulling him from the abyss. He blinked and gasped for air, his lungs burning as if he'd been suffocating. His body convulsed, and he rolled over, coughing violently. When his vision cleared, the first thing he noticed was the alien sky above him—a swirling tapestry of deep purple and streaks of silver, as though someone had torn apart the night and stitched it back together with threads of light.

He pushed himself up, muscles trembling, and froze. His hands—slender and pale, almost translucent—were not his. His fingers ended in sharp black nails, and faint patterns of glowing blue lines ran up his arms, pulsing faintly like veins of liquid light.

"What the…?"

A sharp chime sounded in his mind, startling him.

Void System initializing… Welcome, Void Elf.

"Void Elf?" Ethan's voice cracked. It sounded higher, softer, and distinctly…not human. He raised his hands to his face, brushing against pointed ears that twitched at his touch. A pit formed in his stomach as he scrambled to his feet, taking in his surroundings.

The world around him was an alien jungle. Massive, twisted trees loomed overhead, their bark shimmering with iridescent colors. Thick vines dangled like predatory snakes, and the underbrush crackled with faint bioluminescence. Every sound—a distant growl, the rustling of leaves—felt magnified, as if the jungle itself was alive and watching.

Ethan took a shaky step forward, only to feel something soft squelch beneath his bare foot. Looking down, he realized he was standing in a puddle of viscous black liquid that reeked of decay. His stomach churned as he stepped back, his eyes scanning the clearing for answers. He spotted a nearby pool of water, clear and still, and stumbled toward it.

Kneeling by the edge, he stared into the reflection staring back at him. The face was not his. Large, sharp eyes glowed faintly with a silvery hue, and his skin was eerily smooth, etched with the same glowing blue lines that trailed down his arms. His white hair, long and unkempt, spilled over his shoulders.

"What the hell is this?" he whispered, the panic rising in his chest. "Where am I?"

Void System fully initialized. User: Ethan. Species: Void Elf. Status: Weak.

Ethan jerked his head up at the voice in his mind. It was calm, almost clinical, and entirely unhelpful. "Void System? Explain! What's happening?"

You have been reborn as a Void Elf. Survival is your primary directive.

"Reborn?" Ethan barked a bitter laugh. "So I'm dead? I died, and now I'm…this?"

Affirmative. The Void System will assist your progression.

"Progression? What does that mean?" Ethan demanded, but the system remained silent. Frustrated, he scanned his surroundings again. He couldn't afford to sit here and argue with a disembodied voice. He was alive—or something close to it—and he needed to figure out how to survive.

A faint rustling to his left drew his attention. The underbrush shifted, and a low growl rumbled through the air. Ethan's heart pounded as he backed away, his instincts screaming that whatever was out there wasn't friendly.

The creature emerged from the foliage, and Ethan's breath hitched. It was massive, easily the size of a lion, with jet-black fur that shimmered like oil in the dim light. Its six glowing eyes locked onto him, and its elongated jaws revealed rows of serrated teeth. The beast let out a bone-rattling roar, and Ethan stumbled back, nearly tripping over a root.

"Nope, nope, nope!" he muttered, frantically looking for an escape route. But the jungle closed in around him, offering no clear path. His mind raced. He had no weapons, no tools, and no idea what he was doing.

Combat scenario detected. Initializing survival protocol.

Before Ethan could respond, a surge of energy coursed through his body. The glowing lines on his arms brightened, and a strange sensation—like liquid fire—spread through his veins. Instinctively, he raised his hand, and a small, flickering sphere of dark energy appeared in his palm.

"What—?"

Skill unlocked: Void Shard.

The beast lunged.

Ethan barely had time to think. He thrust his hand forward, and the Void Shard shot from his palm, slamming into the creature's shoulder. The impact sent it skidding back, but it quickly recovered, snarling as black smoke curled from the wound.

"Not enough," Ethan muttered, his breath ragged. The beast charged again, and this time Ethan dove to the side, narrowly avoiding its claws. His mind scrambled for a plan as he clutched his trembling hand, willing another Void Shard to form. It flickered into existence, smaller and weaker than the first.

"Come on, come on…" He focused, trying to stabilize the energy. The beast turned, growling low, and Ethan could see its muscles coiling for another leap. This was it. One wrong move, and he was dead.

The Void System chimed again.

Quest unlocked: Kill the Predator. Reward: Basic Void Magic Knowledge.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Ethan growled. But he had no choice. The beast charged, and Ethan threw the Void Shard with all his strength. This time, it hit the creature's chest, exploding in a burst of dark energy. The beast roared, stumbling, but didn't fall. Desperation took over, and Ethan grabbed a sharp rock from the ground, lunging forward. With a wild scream, he drove the rock into the creature's neck, twisting until warm, viscous blood coated his hands.

The beast let out a final, gurgling growl before collapsing.

Ethan staggered back, panting, his body shaking with adrenaline. His arms were covered in blood and glowing faintly with the aftereffects of the Void energy.

Quest complete. Reward unlocked: Basic Void Magic Knowledge.

A rush of information flooded Ethan's mind—techniques for stabilizing Void energy, forming basic projectiles, and drawing power from his surroundings. It was overwhelming but strangely comforting, like pieces of a puzzle slotting into place.

Ethan dropped to his knees, staring at the dead predator before him. His chest heaved as he tried to process everything that had happened. He was no longer the man he had been, no longer an engineer in a workshop. He was something else entirely—a Void Elf, reborn in a world that wanted to kill him.

But one thought rose above the chaos in his mind.

If this was his new reality, he'd survive. He'd master whatever this "Void System" was and figure out why he was here. And he'd do it the only way he knew how—by tearing apart every mystery, every challenge, piece by piece.

Ethan pushed himself to his feet, glaring into the jungle. The Void System chimed once more.

New quest unlocked: Discover the Void Elf Battleship.

"Good," Ethan muttered, cracking a small, bitter smile. "Let's see where this takes me."