Ethan's gaze lingered on Fleur for a moment.
She was trembling.
Her hands were clenched at her sides, her shoulders stiff as if bracing for impact. Fear radiated from her in waves, and Ethan could see it clearly—she thought he was going to hit her.
For her, he was not Ethan but Ren Thorne.
His jaw tightened. He didn't need to ask why. He already knew.
"Damn it… Ren."
Taking a deep breath, Ethan forced his voice to be as calm as possible.
"Fleur… can you bring me a warm jacket?"
Fleur's breath hitched in her throat at his words. Her trembling worsened—because Ren had never spoken to her with warmth.
Especially not by her name.
To him, she had always been "filthy maid, Worthless wretch." He had never once addressed her by her real name.
Ethan sighed, watching as she struggled to process his request. Instead of easing her fear, his tone only made it worse.
She began trembling even harder, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
"Fleur—" Ethan tried again, but this time, he made his voice firmer.
"I asked you something."
Fleur flinched violently
"I—I'm sorry, Master… I… I—" She stammered so badly that her words barely made sense.
She darted her gaze downward, her entire body tensing as if preparing for the worst.
She knew Ren hated when she stuttered.
She knew Ren hated when she didn't answer fast enough.
And she knew exactly what came next.
The beatings.
The bruises.
Her mind screamed at her to just answer quickly—but her fear locked her in place.
She closed her eyes, her breathing shallow, waiting for the inevitable slap across her face.
Ethan looked at her and a pang of guilt cross through him.
"Fck… Ren…"
He knew why she did this—why she shrank away, why she trembled. It was her way of avoiding Ren's wrath.
Ethan—now as Ren—stepped closer and gently placed a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Fleur… stop trembling." His voice was softer now, almost gentle. "I just need a jacket. I'm freezing out here."
An electric jolt shot through her body at his words. Her mind struggled to process the situation.
Ren was never like this.
Ren never touched her without hurting her.
Ren never asked for things—he demanded them.
And now… he was smiling?
Fleur stiffened.
No.
This had to be a trap.
Maybe this was his new twisted way of playing with her before punishing her.
She hesitated, but her voice finally came out, though still shaking.
"M-Master Ren… y-your warm clothes are in the carriage."
Ethan (as Ren) nodded, satisfied. "Alright. Then let's go to the carriage."
He turned, heading in the direction she pointed. Fleur, after a moment of hesitation, followed behind him.
But her mind raced with uncertainty.
"Is this some kind of trick?"
The idea of Ren suddenly treating her nicely didn't make sense.
Had he gone insane?
Had he planned something even worse?
Or…
Was this even Ren Thorne at all?
"Is this a new trap to beat me? Or will he torture me even more once we reach Mansion?"
The mere thought sent shivers down her spine.
Fleur watched Ren (Ethan) as he walked purposefully toward the carriage.
"He seems different today. He didn't even hit me like he used to… It feels like… he's not Master Ren but someone else entirely… like a different soul inside his body."
The thought swirled in her mind, unsettling her.
Ethan, meanwhile, remained silent, his expression serious.
He could sense Fleur's unease. And he understood it all too well—this world, Ren's reputation, and the fear he had instilled in others.
Ethan knew Ren's routine all too well—every morning started with Fleur being slapped.
"Fck… this Ren…"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
"I need to adjust… to this world, to this body. My father I mean Ren's father and siblings are surely waiting for… me…"
His mind raced.
"Ren Thorne… judging by the situation, I'm in his 16-year-old body. That means he hasn't joined the academy yet."
"This is my best chance… but his reputation is already in ruins."
His fists clenched.
"Damn it, Ren…"
After a few more minutes of walking, Ethan's gaze landed on a white carriage, pulled by two pristine white horses.
Fleur quickly rushed ahead and opened the door for him.
Ethan raised a brow, but stepped inside without hesitation.
His eyes immediately locked onto a fur-lined coat resting on the seat.
Finally. Warmth.
He grabbed the coat and slipped it on, feeling instant relief as the heat wrapped around his body
"Ren Thorne—the only person who could rival Daniel Willington in looks."
"The author even described him as more handsome than Daniel. He could slap Daniel in the looks department.
Yet, despite his gifts, he chose a dark path and became one of the novel's major antagonists."
"Ren had everything—a noble's status, wealth, and power. His father, James Thorne, was the richest man in Orivahn. And yet, Ren still chose the darkness, leaving a trail of blood in his wake."
What happened to him in the end…?
"Ah, that's right. He suddenly disappeared—vanished without a trace. Even his father never bothered to search for him."
"This happened right after Daniel defeated the Dragon King and obtained that device… meaning they must have been around twenty-two years old at the time."
Ethan (Ren) was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice the carriage had already started moving.
Fleur, on the other hand, stole a glance at him, confusion swirling in her eyes. She had never seen Ren so deep in thought before. This sudden change in him was something she couldn't understand.
"Ren—he had elemental power – 'Fire Manipulation'… and soon, the academy would offer him admission. Maybe in a month or two. There, he would discover a new source of strength—a dark power and then chose darkness."
Ethan (Ren) remained lost in thought.
"I need to earn everyone's trust. Ren's identity is stained with disgrace. This guy became a drunkard at the age of 14…"
A sigh escaped him.
"Ahh, Ren, you've caused such a mess... I'll have to clean it up."
Ren (Ethan)'s face twisted in frustration.
Fleur, watching his reaction, started trembling, fearing he was planning to punish her.
"Okay… this Ren—the real Ren, the previous owner of this body—was a disgrace as a noble, but he still managed to get into the academy. I need to do the same. I need to enter that academy and learn about Aethon magic."
Ethan (Ren) gazed out the carriage window, taking in the lush green scenery as his mind wandered to the details of this world he had read about in the novel:
"This world—Kaelthera—is based on Aethon, a kind of energy that all beings possess in order to survive.
When a person is born, they are born with Aethon energy because it is the foundation of life itself.
Those without Aethon energy cannot live. However, it's rare to see a being without it, as even the smallest creatures, like ants, are born with Aethon energy.
Every being's Aethon energy is different.
Some grant the ability to control elements, others the power of flight, and so on. But not everyone can harness these abilities.
Aethon has five stages, each based on the power and strength level of the energy:
1. Ember Aethon: The weakest and lowest rank. Every being possesses this at birth. Ordinary people, those without magical powers, generally remain in this stage.
2.Veil Aethon: The low-tier Aethon energy. Within seven days, Ember energy naturally converts into Veil. Those who reach this stage can improve their Aethon rank through hard work or by drinking elixirs, though it takes time. Most children by age six begin learning to harness Veil Aethon energy, allowing them to manipulate elements or even fly. This energy is common among students and practitioners of Aethon magic.
3.Arcane Aethon: The mid-tier energy. Those who upgrade from Veil enter this stage, granting them superhuman abilities and a tenfold increase in strength. This level of power is often used to fight dragons and other deadly creatures. It's the highest level that most Kaelthera beings ever reach.
4.Astral Aethon: A high-tier energy capable of bringing destruction to all of Kaelthera. No one in the world has ever reached this level. The power here can shift mountains and destroy entire continents.
5.Primordial Aethon: The most powerful energy—said to be wielded only by gods. However, this power is little more than a legend. No one has ever witnessed it, and many believe it's just a rumour passed down by the elders of Kaelthera.
These are the five levels of Aethon energy. But in Kaelthera, people only recognize the first three. The last two are dismissed, as no one has ever seen such power. Even the strongest beings in Kaelthera are limited to Arcane Aethon energy."
But Ethan knew better.
If this was the world of The Monster, then those levels weren't just myths.
They were real.
And Ethan had just been reborn in the body of one of the most infamous dark mages that was going to make his name in history – but now Ethan possessed him, so everything going to change.
"This world... Kaelthera... is going to be full of surprises for me."
Fleur stole glances at him, suspicion written all over her face.
"Ren never acts like this… what is he planning? Is he really Ren?"
Ethan – on the other hand – staring out the window, clenching his fists.
"I only have one choice left. This world is real, and I've truly woken up in Ren Thorne's body.
I need to gain everyone's trust and get into the academy. I must defeat the Dragon King before Daniel and take the device—so I can return to Earth. But I have time… a total of six years.
Daniel defeated the dragon at 22, and if I'm right, four of those years were spent at the academy.
That means I'll be 20 when I finish the academy, but in Ren's body, I'm 16 right now in Ren's body, even though I was already 20 on Earth."
He let out a sigh.
"I need to fix everything… starting now."