Inside one of the hospital rooms, a frail body lay among the other patients, surrounded by medical devices. At that moment, Ethan was drowning in his thoughts, wondering how he had ended up in this state.
In the past, he wandered with people who could not be considered friends—they always took advantage of him. Even though he wanted to stand up for himself, they were stronger than him, and he never really had a chance. They took his money, used him for theft, beat him, and humiliated him. All of this was just a part of his miserable life.
Even his father, the drunkard who raised him, was more terrible than those people. Life had not been kind to him after his mother's death, and his father never made things easier.
As for the reason he ended up in this condition, it was an accident—he had been hit by a car while trying to escape from the burdens of life that weighed him down.
"Maybe living as a homeless person would be better than this miserable life..."
His gaze wandered between the suffering patients and the doctors who stayed up to ensure everything was running smoothly. He muttered in a sorrowful voice:
"I wish I had lived like a human..."
A tear fell from his eye, traced down his face, and finally dropped onto the floor.
"I really miss you, Mom... Maybe we'll meet soon enough."
He looked up at the ceiling while the sounds of crying reached his ears—some wept for their lost loved ones, while others shed tears of joy for their safe return. He felt a small warmth seeing families waiting for someone dear to them, but the pain followed quickly when he realized he had no one who cared about him.
Just a person among a crowd of people who didn't matter.
He turned his face toward his roommate, a grown man who rarely spoke to anyone other than his family. Though his stay here had been short, he had gotten used to the man's presence. Ethan tried to close his eyes, hoping his imagination would take him to a world where he was in control of everything.
But suddenly, the man's voice interrupted his thoughts:
"Boy, do you believe in another life?"
Ethan wondered what the man meant, but he simply replied:
"I think I want it to exist because if there were no other life, then ours wouldn't matter... Right?"
Gerald, the man's name, sighed upon hearing these words, and his voice changed slightly.
"I think you're right... It seems life has been cruel to you, just as it was to me."
Ethan smiled at him and said:
"Life doesn't give anyone what they want... But if I had another chance, I just wish I could live it better."
Gerald turned his face away, then got up from his bed and stood beside Ethan. He was very tall, which made Ethan a little nervous.
"If you lived another life, do you think you would live it better? Or... completely differently?"
Sweat began to form on Ethan's forehead, and he hesitated to answer.
"Si... Sir... I think you should go back to your bed."
"Just answer me... Do you believe that, if given another chance, you would live a better life, even just a little?"
Gerald's tone sounded slightly angry, as if he had experienced the same feeling but had been powerless to do anything about it.
At that moment, a nurse entered and saw Gerald standing there, frightening Ethan with his gaze. She tried to get him back to his bed.
She grabbed his hand and ordered, "Go back to bed, or you'll hurt yourself."
He shoved her hand away and said, "Let go of me... I'll go back on my own."
He returned to his bed, then cast one last glance at Ethan and spoke loudly:
"There's nothing easy about changing your life!"
"Please, don't disturb the other patients, Mr. Gerald," the nurse scolded him before taking a syringe to give him his medication.
She then turned to Ethan and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ethan. He's just a little upset."
But Ethan didn't care. A new thought had entered his mind.
Can I really change my life if I get another chance?
He kept thinking about it until sleep weighed down his eyelids, plunging him into a deep slumber, where darkness surrounded him.
At night, while everyone was asleep, Gerald woke up to see Ethan beside him, deep in sleep. His gaze was filled with anger, but no one knew why.
He had a good family, a beautiful wife, a son, and a daughter... but he lost them all at once.
That changed him completely overnight.
He got up, then approached Ethan while no one was paying attention.
"You think that if someone gets a chance, they'll change their life into something grand or happiness that lasts... Fine, I want to see that... in the new world."
He raised the pillow and pressed it against Ethan's sleeping face.
Ethan felt something strange on his face, as if the oxygen had disappeared from his lungs. He tried to breathe, tried to see, tried to resist or scream, but it was useless.
He didn't even hear the words the man muttered before his heartbeat stopped, plunging him into an endless void of darkness.
So... this is my end?
To be killed by some lunatic?
He opened his eyes, but all he saw was endless nothingness. No sky, no ground, just the void.
Then, he heard a voice—one he couldn't tell if it was kind or malicious, as it constantly shifted between different tones.
"It seems you were never lucky in your life... What if I gave you the ability to steal luck itself?"
"Huh?"
He felt something pull him strongly, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Every thought vanished from his mind until he opened his eyes again, waking up in a panic.
"Was that... a dream?"
Ethan smiled, thinking it had all been just a part of his imagination, but then he noticed something...
His hands, the room, the ceiling, the bed...
Nothing was the same as before.
The room was vast, adorned with golden engravings.
The bed was enormous, large enough for five people to sleep on.
But most importantly... the body he occupied was not his own.
He backed away in shock as panic began to take over.
"What is this? Where am I?"
He quickly got up, but nothing made sense to him.
"Maybe... this is a dream? Yes, just a dream, and I'll wake up soon to find myself ready to leave the hospital... Hah... Haha... Hahaha..."
He laughed nervously, but he didn't even believe himself.
What kind of dream lets you be fully aware of everything around you?
"Alright, I'm ready to wake up!"
He waited a moment, but nothing happened.
He opened his eyes wider, and shock spread across his face.
"Why didn't anything happen?"
His voice was more anxious this time.
"What the hell is happening?!"
He screamed loudly and kicked the floor.
But then he noticed something else... he felt pain.
At that moment, he realized the truth.
"I... reincarnated? I got a second chance!"
The next moment, a flood of memories invaded his mind, attacking him one after another.
"AAAAAAAH!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs.
One memory after another kept pouring into his head...
Valerian Lockard, the disgrace of the family with a broken talent.
The noble family that had lost its name, with only scattered families left pursuing their own interests.
Finally, Ethan—
No, Valerian—collapsed onto the floor, when suddenly a blue glow appeared in front of him, displaying a mysterious screen:
[Body synchronized with soul]
[Name: Valerian Lockard]
[Rank: mortal]
[Talent: Broken]
[Skill: Fate Theft – Level 1]
(Allows the host to temporarily steal a skill from another person or steal a future opportunity.)
He gasped heavily, trying to comprehend what was happening.
But before he could think further, he heard hurried footsteps approaching the room.
The door burst open as several servants rushed in, their faces filled with worry and astonishment.
One of them, seemingly the head servant, bowed slightly before speaking formally:
"Lord Valerian! Are you alright? We heard your screams!"
Valerian looked at them, his eyes trembling as he tried to adjust.
But deep inside, something else was stirring…
This was no longer Ethan's life.
This was Valerian Lockard's life.
And this was his second chance.
Thus began Valerian's new life…