Inside of a small training hall in Cologne.
The air was thick with tension, so dense it could have been cut like butter.
The sharp clash of swords echoed through the usually quiet room, accompanied by the ragged breaths of two men.
They were alone, dueling with unwavering focus, shutting out the entire world around them.
"Faster, come on Felix!"
My coach urged me on but I was already giving it everything I had. Still, I pushed myself past my limits to pick up the pace.
I threw every ounce of my strength into dodging his thrusts and slashes, my reflexes pushed past their absolute limit.
But even that wasn't enough. He scored a point… again.
Frustration surged through me and before I knew it, I ripped my protective helmet off and hurled it to the ground.
"I can't believe this! How many times have I lost already?"
I snapped, my voice tight with irritation, which was follow by deep sigh.
"Sigh."
"That was yet another loss, Felix. If you keep this up, you won't have a place in the tournament—whether you like it or not."
Adrian's voice was firm and unwavering, carrying through the entire room with undeniable weight.
I sank to the floor beside an open window, staring blankly at the ground. A cool breeze drifted in, whispering softly through the quiet space. My jaw clenched so tightly my teeth nearly ground together from the sheer frustration.
I couldn't bring myself to look Adrian in the eyes—because I knew he was right.
No matter how hard I tried, I just wasn't the same after my ankle injury.
And he knew it, too.
"Maybe it's time to give up, Felix. I know this isn't what you want to hear, especially from me as your coach… but you're not the same anymore. And maybe you never will be."
His words cut deep, like thorns piercing straight into my chest.
A moment later, he gently tossed my towel onto my head. The soft cotton absorbed the sweat from my skin, shielding my face and hiding the disappointment written all over it.
"You know I can't give up. This sport… it's all I have left. If I walk away from this too, I'll have nothing."
My voice came out quiet, almost uncertain, laced with the sting of defeat.
Adrian let out a sigh and sat down beside me.
The cold air from the window drifted over us, brushing against our necks—a small, fleeting relief in the heavy silence.
I looked up, my green eyes glowing faintly. The fire in them still burned—but only dimly now. Running a hand through my short blonde hair, I let out a slow sigh.
"I know I'm not the best anymore. But my father would have wanted me to keep going. I can't give up—especially not when I'm this close to the trophy!"
I declared firmly, locking eyes with Adrian. My voice was soft, but beneath it lay a quiet strength, a determination that refused to fade.
"Felix… you are not your father."
His voice was gentle, but the weight of his words were heavy.
"You don't have to follow the path he wanted for you. Your leg won't hold up."
There was something in his tone—regret. He wasn't just talking about my injury. He was mourning all of it. The accident, the struggle, everything I had been through. Even if none of it had been his fault, I could tell he still carried that burden as well.
"Think about it. We'll talk tomorrow. Go home for today."
His voice shifted, growing firm again. And with that, he ended the conversation. No more words, no hesitation in his actions.
He simply stood up and walked out of the training hall, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
For a while, I couldn't even move. I just sat there, staring at the floor like a lifeless zombie, lost in my own thoughts. Then, out of pure frustration, I slammed my fist into the ground beside me.
If anyone had seen me, they'd probably think I was depressed. Or just crazy.
I glanced down at my knuckles—slightly bruised, but nothing serious. No blood, no real damage… just a dull ache.
Leaning against the windowsill, I let the cool night air wash over me, rushing in like a wild river, refreshing yet relentless.
'Tomorrow, I'll show him.'
The thought burned in my mind as I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white.
Slowly, I gathered my things, changed, and left the training hall behind.
On the way home, I did what I always did—listened to music. Because at the end of the day, I was just an average 16-year-old kid.
The volume was cranked up so high it could probably rupture someone's eardrum.
I walked at my own pace, crossing a pedestrian lane like I had done a thousand times before. But halfway across, a blinding light suddenly flared from my right.
My instincts instantly kicked in, and I snapped my head to the side—just in time to see a massive truck barreling straight toward me.
Panic flooded my body. My legs locked in place. I couldn't move. There was no chance—no way I could dodge this thing. The truck tried to brake at the last second, but it was already too late.
"No—"
I didn't even get to finish my sentence.
It all happened in an instant.
My body was flung through the air, weightless and helpless, like a piece of newspaper tossed by the morning postman.
Everything went black.
I couldn't move. I couldn't even feel my body anymore.
But I knew one thing for sure.
I was dead.
It felt like an eternity was passing in the endless darkness.
'Is this seriously all there is after death?'
My thoughts echoed through the empty void like a cannon blast.
'Why can I even think?'
Again, my own voice reverberated in the vast nothingness, and fear began creeping into my mind. The darkness felt infinite, stretching endlessly like a vast ocean with no shore.
[%#$#%# #%$#]
Suddenly, a deafening noise erupted around me. It was overwhelming—like someone was trying to force water into my ears with unbearable pressure.
'Enough!'
I couldn't take it anymore. I screamed in my head, my voice trembling with fear and pain, shaking like a seesaw caught in a storm.
Then, I saw a light.
Blindingly bright—like staring straight into the sun, knowing it could sear my vision away.
The light didn't disappear, but slowly, gradually, it softened.
'What's happening?'
I tried to voice my thoughts, but instead, I heard the sharp, piercing wail of a newborn baby.
"My lady! A boy! You've given birth to a boy!"
A voice spoke beside me, though I could barely comprehend the words. I turned my head as much as possible. I saw several women dressed in flowing robes of white and gold.
Their hair was long, impossibly long, cascading down to their knees, shimmering in the soft glow of the moonlight that bathed the room in an almost ethereal radiance.
My mind was reeling. If I could have, I would have screamed and fled in sheer panic.
And then, I noticed something even more breathtaking—something that nearly shattered any remaining grasp I had on reality.
Their ears… they were long and pointy.
Before I could even process it, a voice boomed inside my head. Loud, commanding, almost triumphant.
[Congratulations on your reincarnation Host!]