Darkness. An endless void, stretching beyond comprehension.
Then—a single breath. A shuddering gasp as lungs filled with air for the first time in years.
Raphael Solvance's eyes snapped open. Light flooded his vision, burning into his retinas as if he had never seen it before. His fingers twitched, his body felt stiff, alien. Muscles ached, joints groaned, and the simple act of breathing felt like lifting a mountain. But he was awake. After long years of darkness, he was awake.
Memories rushed into his mind like an overflowing river, some familiar, some foreign. He wasn't just Raphael Solvance, second son of Axel Solvance, King of the Solvance Kingdom. He was someone else before—someone from a world far beyond this one. A life he had lived, a past erased when he was reborn here.
The last thing he remembered before this slumber was... falling.
The cold, unforgiving stone floor. The cries of a desperate nursemaid. The golden cradle, so delicately carved, standing empty. He had been born into nobility, a child of privilege, but fate had played its cruel hand early. On the second day of his birth, he had fallen from his cradle—and never opened his eyes again.
Until now.
A deep breath steadied him. He flexed his fingers, testing the limits of his body. Though weak, he could move. His senses, dulled for years, slowly sharpened. The scent of aged fabric, the warmth of sunlight spilling through a high window, the distant echo of voices outside his room—all of it felt new, yet intimately familiar.
His vision adjusted, revealing the grand chamber around him. Heavy crimson drapes adorned the walls, embroidered with golden sun sigils of the Solvance lineage. A massive bed, fit for royalty, cradled his frail form. Bookshelves lined one side of the room, tomes covered in dust. It was clear—this room had been untouched for years, preserved like a shrine.
His mind reeled. "How long was I in a coma?" He had no way of knowing. Days? Years? The thought unsettled him. "Unlike other reincarnators, what bad luck happened to me? My body... I can't move... the pain..."
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "Reincarnators in novels get blessed by gods, overpowered abilities, cheat skills, or legendary mentors guiding them. They wake up in a world of opportunity, gaining strength beyond imagination. And what do I get? Complete unconsciousness. No blessings, no divine power-ups. Just bad luck."
He tried to sit up, but his body protested. He gritted his teeth and pushed through the weakness, dragging himself upright. The weight of years spent in slumber clung to him, but his will burned brighter than ever.
Then, a sound—footsteps, hurried and frantic. The door burst open.
A woman stood there, her hands trembling, eyes wide with disbelief. An older maid, her face lined with years of sorrow and duty. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "Young Master... You're awake?"
Raphael looked at her, words forming on his tongue, but before he could answer, another memory struck him like lightning. His reincarnation, his fall, the mystery of why he had only awakened now.
Why now? Why after all this time?
One thing was clear—Raphael Solvance was back, and he would uncover the truth of his past, his fate, and the power that had chosen him for this second life.