The reflection in the mirror wouldn't stop staring at him. His own eyes, younger than he remembered, gazed back at him in disbelief. He ran his hands over his face, feeling the smoothness of skin yet to bear the scars of time and defeat. His heart pounded forcefully, a relentless hammering that told him this was not a dream.
He staggered backward and collapsed to his knees on the stone floor. His breathing was erratic, his mind a whirlwind. "This is not possible!" he wanted to scream, but his throat was dry. His last memory was of the dagger's blade piercing his heart, the wintry chill of death claiming him.
Slowly, he got up, trying to organize his thoughts. The room around him was the same as he remembered from his youth, the place where he had spent countless sleepless nights tormented by his own ineptitude. But now, now it was different. He had a second chance. The question was: What would he do with it?
The sound of footsteps in the hallway pulled him from his trance. He couldn't afford to lose himself in his thoughts. He shot up and got back into bed just as the door creaked open.
"Young master Darion, the sun has risen. Your father awaits in the training arena," a servant announced with a bow.
Darion shivered upon hearing those words. The training arena. His father. Every session with him had been a humiliation, a reminder of his weakness. But this time would be different. This time he knew the truth. A curse had limited him, preventing him from improving. But if he had been reborn, if he had been granted a new opportunity, then perhaps now there was a way to overcome that obstacle.
He took a deep breath and nodded at the servant. "Thank you. I will prepare at once."
As he dressed, his mind buzzed with ideas. He couldn't show too much change too suddenly, or he would attract attention. He would have to move cautiously, gather information, understand how his curse worked, and find a way to break it. And above all, prove to his father and the empire that he would not be the same failure as before.
When he stepped into the hallway, he felt the weight of destiny on his shoulders. But this time, it wouldn't crush him. This time, he would be the one to take control of his own fate.