"Chirp – Chirp"
The soft sound of birds filled the air, carried by a gentle breeze.
A man gasped awake, his breath ragged and uneven. His body trembled as cold air pricked at his skin.
His hands instinctively flew to his stomach and shoulder, frantically searching for wounds.
"I-I think… I-I was dead?" His voice was barely above a whisper, thick with confusion
His eyes darted around, taking in his surroundings.
To his shock, he was sitting in the middle of a snowy forest. White frost covered the trees, and a blanket of untouched snow stretched as far as the eye could see.
The morning light filtered through the branches, making the ice glisten like diamonds. It was breathtaking. Almost unreal.
Yet, panic settled in his chest. He stood up from the ground.
"How… how is this possible? The last thing I remember is… Ava." As soon as her name crossed his mind, he fell silent.
"Ava…" His breath hitched.
Memories surged back like a crashing wave—her holding him, blood pooling beneath them, her tear-filled eyes staring at him as life slipped away from his body.
He clenched his fists.
"I died. I know I did."
Then why was he here?
A sharp gust of wind cut through the air, making him shiver. Only now did he realize how cold he was.
He wrapped his arms around himself, desperate for warmth. His gaze fell to his attire—a black shirt with a golden brooch pinned to the pocket and black trousers. Definitely not the kind of clothing suited for a snow-covered forest.
His eyes scanned the ground. A sword lay just a few feet away, beside an empty glass bottle.
He swallowed hard.
He ran his hands over his body again. No wounds. No pain. No sign that he had ever been fatally injured.
"Is this… the afterlife?" he muttered, pressing a hand to his chest. His heartbeat was steady. His body felt real. Too real.
"Ahh… what the heck is this place? Where am I?" He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple.
"I need to move. I need to find shelter."
The chirping sound of birds grew more and more and the morning cold grew over time.
"I need to go somewhere… to keep me warm…" But his feet refused to budge. His mind was still trapped in the past
"Karnixm… and that damn soul guy… they were both disintegrated… Ava was crying, holding me… and then… then…"
Nothing.
His last memory ended there…
He clenched his hair in frustration. He was supposed to be dead—yet here he was, breathing, alive. His fingers dug into his scalp, his grip tightening as anger surged through him.
Karnixm. And that soul—the one who had taken control of his body before.
His grip loosened, and his hands eventually fell to his sides. He exhaled sharply, glancing around the forest. Silent. Empty. He was alone, standing there with nothing but his frustration.
Lifting a hand, he brushed back a stray lock of hair from his forehead. But as he did, something caught his attention. Strands of hair clung to his fingers.
His breath hitched.
"Red?" The thought echoed in his mind.
Before he could process the revelation, a voice cut through the silence—soft and beautiful.
"MASTER RENN..."
The words rang out from behind him, clear and unwavering.
Ethan turned sharply, searching for the source of the voice. But the morning fog had thickened, obscuring everything beyond a few feet.
A shadowy figure slowly emerged from the mist. As it stepped forward, Ethan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening.
It was a young woman. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, as if she had been running. Ethan tensed, startled by her sudden appearance.
His eyes flickered over her, scanning her from head to toe.
That woman wore a maid uniform – her gown was crafted from deep midnight-blue fabric, subtly embroidered with silver filigree along the hem and cuffs – a mark of the household's wealth.
The bodice was tailored to fit snugly, accentuating a graceful posture, while the long sleeves flared slightly at the wrists, revealing delicate lace trim.
A pristine white apron, embroidered with the house's crest, draped over the front, its silk ribbons tied neatly at the back in a perfect bow.
The high collar, fastened with a small sapphire brooch, gave an air of refinement, while the layered skirts allowed ease of movement without losing their regal silhouette.
Subtle pleats ran down the back, allowing for a graceful flow with every step.
Ethan found himself staring longer than he intended. Her attire was pristine, the fabric smooth and elegant, complementing her pale skin perfectly.
There was an air of refinement about her, as if she didn't belong in the midst of this eerie forest.
The woman flinched under Ethan's lingering gaze, her body tensing.
"M-Master R-Ren… I-I'm sorry if I did anything wrong. P-Please don't hurt me… I – I…" she stammered, her voice trembling with fear.
Her wide eyes darted downward, her hands gripping the edges of her attire as if bracing for punishment.
"Wait… Ren… I've heard that name before… Oh fck. I fcked up…"
Ethan's breath hitched as realization crashed over him. "Ren… She's calling me Ren. That means… I woke up in the body of Ren Thorne. And this world…"
His fingers clenched against his forehead. "Kaelthera. Daniel's home… Fck. Why this place… why Kaelthera… but not others…"
The maid noticed the frustration tightening his features, her voice quivering as she spoke.
"M-Master Ren? Are you alright?"
Ethan glanced at her, nodding slowly, though his mind was racing. As his eyes scanned her features, he noticed a deep scar running across her left cheek. Her eyes, a soft purple, contrasted with the grey of her long hair.
"She's Fleur Laurant… Ren's... personal maid," Ethan thought, a sinking feeling settling in his chest. "This motherfcker Ren, beat her like an animal. Like a punching bag. That scar…"
His gaze lingered on the scar, and a cold realization swept over him. "It was done by me… I mean, Ren – the previous owner of this body… that I possessed now… he did that."
A deep sigh escaped his lips as the weight of it all pressed down on him.
"I know everything about this world," Ethan thought, his mind spinning. "This is Daniel's home. In volume 1 of the novel 'The Monster', Kaelthera was described perfectly. Beautiful lands, ancient creatures, dragons, elves—everything."
His eyes glazed over as he recalled the details from the book. "Roman Schitzwit, the author, added every detail about this world."
He ran through the information in his mind, recalling each of the five continents that made up Kaelthera:
"Kaelthera – The World of Beasts and magic...
The name Kaelthera burned into his mind like a brand. A world filled with ancient power, mythical creatures, and forgotten legends.
There were five known continents, each with its own unique landscape and dangers:
Veydris (South) – The Land of Dragons and Secrets
A continent where ancient dragons, mystical creatures, and forgotten civilizations thrive. Its terrain is a mix of volcanic lands, glowing crystal caverns, and floating ruins that date back to an unknown era.
Xen'dral (North) – The Frozen Expanse
A harsh, snow-covered land ruled by frost titans, iceborne elves, and shadow wolves that blend into blizzards. Ancient glacial citadels hold forbidden magic, sealed away for centuries.
Zerthos (East) – The Shifting Dunes
A continent of endless deserts, scorching sun, and labyrinthine canyons. Home to sand wraiths, serpentkin, and fire elementals. Nomadic tribes called Sunwalkers wield magic drawn from the twin suns that blaze over the land.
Vael'mora (West) – The Enchanted Forests
A land of bioluminescent forests, massive jungles, and sky-high waterfalls. Home to winged sylphs, titanic flora-beasts, and chimeric shapeshifters. The Sylvyan elves protect this land, guarding its ancient secrets.
Orivahn (Middle) – The Heart of Kaelthera
The largest continent—home to humans, vast kingdoms, and towering fortresses. Here, wars are fought for power, and ancient ruins hide secrets of the past.
Hidden Continents:
"Even within Kaelthera, legends speak of lands beyond the known world, places untouched by time and filled with forgotten legends, lost species, and ancient magic."
Ethan's head throbbed as the memories flooded back.
"In Kaelthera, there are many hidden continents too…" "
Ethan's mind swirled in these thoughts, trying to process everything, when Fleur's voice broke through again.
"M-Master? Master?"
Fleur's voice trembled, the fear still lingering as if she could feel the weight of Ren's cruelty in the air. Her trauma was etched into every syllable.
Ethan's mind snapped back from the swirl of thoughts about Kaelthera. His gaze fixed on her, and for the first time, he saw her natural beauty—not just the maid he remembered from the novel, but a person with her own story.
There was a soft glow about her, as if her very presence radiated something untouched by the darkness of the world around them.
A sharp pang of guilt twisted in his chest.
The scar on her face—a permanent mark left by Ren, the previous owner of this body—felt like a weight he could never undo. It was a stain on her, on him, on everything this body had done.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
Fleur was still watching him warily, ready to flinch at the slightest wrong move.
"Damn it, Ren… just how much damage did you do?"