I didn't know what happened afterward. Everything was just... back. All of it. The world, the pain, the confusion—it all blurred together like a faded memory, too distant to truly grasp. At first, I thought I had simply fallen asleep, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't wake up. I was trapped, not in a dream, but in a void. The abyss of nothingness.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, a cold silence surrounding me. I couldn't feel anything, couldn't move or scream. It was as if the world had forgotten me entirely, leaving me to drift aimlessly in the blackness.
And then, like a flash of light in the dark, I heard a ping. A sound I recognized all too well, a sound that belonged to the world of Daedalus Eternus.
[System]
Host failed Trial of Flare.
Would you like to redo?
Mission:
Slaughter your enemies, may it be the government or the entire world, but make sure to keep your loved ones safe.
[Protect your Sister from harm]
[Y/N]
[End]
For a moment, I was frozen, the words flashing before me like a cruel reminder of everything I had left behind. But then it hit me—the truth I had been denying.
'... I always was Arthas.'
The realization struck me like a hammer, and the weight of it was almost too much to bear. But then, something else followed. A strange sense of relief. I'd spent so much time wondering whether my life on Earth had been a dream or reality, but now I knew—no matter how real it felt, it wasn't my true life. The life I had lived as Arthas was who I truly was.
I let out a mental sigh of relief, though there was a bitterness to it. I could no longer meet my sister, could no longer be the person I had been. But at least I knew that whatever I'd experienced on Earth had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
But... I had no time to dwell on it. The Trial wasn't over. There was still work to be done, a task to finish.
I stared at the prompt, feeling the weight of the mission settle over me. The world of Daedalus Eternus wasn't merciful. It never had been. The history of this world was written in blood, with universal destroyers and existential breakers that could tear apart the very fabric of reality itself. It was a world too ridiculous, too overwhelming, for an ordinary person to survive in.
Yet here I was.
I'm no longer an ordinary human.
The power that coursed through me as Arthas, the strength and magic that I had once taken for granted, was something I needed to embrace. I couldn't afford to waste the opportunity to grow stronger. Not when there were enemies out there, enemies who would stop at nothing to destroy everything I cared about.
The mission ahead wasn't just about survival—it was about power. And I was going to take it. I wasn't just some helpless bystander anymore.
I was Arthas, and the world of Daedalus Eternus would have to deal with me.
__
I pressed the [Y] option, and in an instant, my consciousness began to fade once again. The world around me blurred, and I was consumed by an oppressive darkness.
__
When I woke up, it was as though nothing had changed. Same bed, same room, same everything. The mundane familiarity of it all was suffocating. I knew exactly what would happen next—it was a repeat, a cycle, until I succeeded in this trial. There was no escape from this loop, no way to bypass it.
Knock! Knock!
"Hey, Ethan! Wake up, you lazy piece of shit! It's almost 8! Hurry up and change, or we're gonna be late for school!"
Her voice rang through the door, just as it had before. The same exact words, the same sarcastic tone. It was the confirmation I needed—it wasn't real. This wasn't the life I thought I had returned to. It was another illusion, another fragment of a past I could never go back to.
"Alright! I'll just take a bath!"
The words fell from my mouth without a second thought. There was no hesitation this time. I knew what I had to do. I had to use this world, manipulate it, bend it to my will if I was going to survive the trial.
I walked toward the bathroom with a sense of grim determination. But before I stepped inside, I tested something.
"System," I muttered under my breath.
The familiar blue panel materialized before me. The same one that had appeared during my time as Arthas, the one that guided me through the impossible trials of Daedalus Eternus. It was a reminder that this world was under my control, that I was no longer helpless.
I could feel the magic stirring inside me, my connection to the system more tangible than ever.
"Flare."
A small magic circle flared into existence in the air above my palm, releasing a spark of flame. I watched as it flickered to life, warm and familiar.
"... I can use magic."
The realization settled into me, a sense of power rising from within. This world wasn't just some repeating nightmare—I could shape it. I could bend the very fabric of this illusion to my will. And to succeed in this mission, that was exactly what I would need to do.
The mission was clear. Murder. Slaughter my enemies, and keep my loved ones safe. It wasn't a task I relished, but it was one I had to fulfill. There would be no mercy, no hesitation. I'd already failed once—there was no room for failure now.
__
Everything unfolded exactly as I remembered. My sister left for lunch with her friends, and I was left alone, just like before. My eyes narrowed as I sat in the cafeteria, picking at my food, knowing what was coming. George's face, that smug, vile look he always wore when he knew he was about to torment me—he was coming for me.
Sure enough, the shadow loomed over me, and I knew.
__
"Now, Ethan," George sneered. "Let's cut to the chase, okay? I don't like wasting my time with your babbling."
His words were the same, dripping with disdain. But this time, something inside me snapped. I wasn't the same person anymore. I wasn't the coward who took his punches without a word.
My gaze locked with his, and I felt the anger, the venom, surge through me.
"Cut to the chase?" I repeated, my voice low and dangerously calm. "I don't have time for your shit, George."
The words came out with a coldness I'd never known I was capable of. Each syllable was like a blade, sharp and unyielding. The venom in my voice caught George off guard. His arrogance faltered for a second, and I saw the confusion in his eyes. He didn't expect this.
But then, he smirked. The same predator's grin that had haunted me in every encounter.
"Now you seem to be getting bolder as time goes by," he said, his tone still mocking but tinged with a hint of respect, a glimmer of recognition that I was no longer the same.
I didn't flinch. I didn't show any sign of fear. I was no longer the boy he could push around. I was Arthas, and I was done being a victim.
The tension in the air was thick, like the calm before a storm. George's buddies, the ones who always followed him like a pack of wolves, stood by in silence, waiting for the signal to strike. But this time, I wasn't waiting for anything.
I could feel the magic stirring within me again, but I wasn't going to use it just yet. No, I had something else in mind. This was just the beginning. The battle had only just started, and I was done playing by anyone's rules.