Zed's eyes snapped open.
His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, his body drenched in sweat. His heart pounded against his ribs, his mind still reeling from the dream—no, the memory.
For a long moment, he simply lay there, staring at the wooden ceiling, his thoughts spiraling.
"That damn deity... What does he think a human soul is? A plaything?!"
His fingers curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms.
"Couldn't he have just sent me to heaven? I would've been fine with that. But no, instead, he throws me into a dying kid's body, forces me to watch an innocent soul perish, and then just—leaves?! Without a single explanation?! And to top it off, he says, 'Get stronger'? Seriously, who does that?!"
Zed let out a long sigh, dragging a tired hand over his face.
"Man… I swear, if deities had a legal system, I'd sue him for eternity."
But just as frustration threatened to consume him, he felt something warm.
His breath hitched.
Turning his head slightly, he froze.
Aurora.
Her delicate face rested against the wooden table beside his bed, her long, silky black hair cascading over her arms. The faint glow of candlelight flickered against her soft features, highlighting the exhaustion etched into them.
Zed blinked, momentarily stunned.
"What a beauty… If she were in my world, she'd be a top model—hell, maybe even Miss Universe."
But then, his gaze drifted lower.
His eyes locked onto her hands.
His stomach clenched.
Bandages.
Her small, slender fingers were wrapped in cloth, but the burns beneath were still visible, red and raw.
A strange, unfamiliar emotion settled in his chest—something heavy.
Zed's brows furrowed.
"What the hell happened to her?"
Just as Zed was about to sit up, something else caught his eye—
A maid standing near the door, swaying side to side, half awake and half asleep.
Her head bobbed up and down like a broken puppet, her posture tilting dangerously every few seconds. Every time she nearly lost her balance, she jolted awake, straightened like a soldier—only to start dozing off again.
Zed watched her for a few moments, mildly entertained.
"This is either next-level dedication… or a serious lack of sleep."
Clearing his throat, he called out, "Oi."
The maid twitched violently, jerking upright like she'd just been struck by lightning.
"Y-Yes, Master Zed!" she blurted, immediately standing stiff as a board, her eyes wide like a scared cat.
Zed waved her over. "Come here."
She hurried closer, struggling to shake off the sleep from her face.
He nodded toward Aurora's hands, his voice calm but firm. "What happened to my sister's hands?"
The maid's expression softened with sympathy. She hesitated before speaking.
"For the past few days, Lady Aurora has been praying to the Devas."
"Devas?" Zed's brow arched. Must be this world's godly entities.
"So?" he asked, folding his arms.
The maid hesitated before continuing, her tone tinged with pity.
"She… held candles in her bare hands while praying. For hours. She did it for days without a break."
Silence.
Zed slowly turned back to Aurora, who was still fast asleep, completely unaware of the confusion—and frustration—brewing in his mind.
"...Why?" he asked, his voice flat.
The maid blinked, as if the answer was obvious.
"For your recovery, Master Zed."
His fingers twitched.
He pressed a hand to his forehead, exhaling through his nose. "And nobody thought to stop her?"
The maid gave a nervous smile. "Well… she was very determined…"
Zed dragged his hand down his face.
"What a fool... but a kind one."
His gaze softened as he looked at her again. The flickering candlelight traced the contours of her tired face, her breath slow, steady.
Something inside him stirred—a warmth, an ache, something he couldn't quite put into words.
His heart clenched.
Even in his absence, Aurora had never given up on him.
And as the memories of his past life intertwined with this new one, the promise he had made to his dying brother burned in his chest.
"I'll protect her. No matter what."
To protect her now I need to get stronger more powerful and we all know ,Knowledge is power I should get started by collecting info of this worlds. but first I should learn their language
Language
Wait – how am I understanding them. zed now realized that till now he was speaking a different language. how do I know this language this doesn't make scene and why did I not realize it sooner. but quickly discards it as many illogical things have happens to him and this wasn't that big to scratch his brains.
Zed exhaled deeply, then looked at the maid. "Take me to the library."
The maid hesitated. "But, Master Zed, your body—"
"I'm fine," he said firmly.
He carefully shifted, reaching toward Aurora. With surprising ease, he lifted her sleeping form and gently placed her onto the bed.
She stirred slightly, mumbling something incomprehensible, but didn't wake up.
Zed pulled the blanket over her small frame, watching her for a moment.
Then, without another word, he turned to the maid.
"Let's go."
The library doors creaked open, and Zed stepped inside, his fire lamp casting a warm glow over the endless rows of bookshelves.
The scent of old parchment and polished wood filled the air, the towering shelves stacked with books that seemed untouched for years.
Sees books zed couldn't resist himself, he went a grabbed a book. and began to turn the pages and smelled it "haaa . I thought I would never smell this scent. everyone says the best smell comes from money but I know for a fact that book scent is better" zed things will making a smug face
Zed turned and sees the maid making a bit confused look . zed comes back to his composure and says " u can leave me here"
The maid hesitated, clearly torn between following his order and ensuring he didn't collapse from exhaustion.
"But, Master Zed—"
"I'll be fine," Zed cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The maid bowed slightly, sighed, and reluctantly left the library.
Now alone, Zed wandered through the aisles, running his fingers along the book spines. The dim firelight flickered, casting long shadows across the vast chamber.
And right now, he needed to understand everything about this world.
After scanning through several shelves, his eyes landed on a massive book.
The title gleamed under the dim firelight.
"Celestia: A Complete History."
Zed's lips quirked up. "This should do."
Gripping the massive tome—easily a thousand pages thick—he hauled it onto the nearest table with a dull thud. The weight of the book alone promised extensive knowledge.
Sliding into the chair, he flipped open the first page.
Then, his eyes widened slightly.
The words—intricate, foreign, yet somehow perfectly understandable—flowed smoothly in his mind.
Zed narrowed his eyes.
"I can read this…?"
Realization dawned on him. The deity hadn't just thrown him into another body; he had also granted him fluency in this world's language, both spoken and written.
A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
"Well, at least that bastard did something useful."
Muttering to himself, he leaned back in his chair, adjusted the lamp's glow, and turned the page.
The book described the world as Celestia, a vast land divided into three great continents, four realms, and six major races.
But out of these six races, two were on the brink of extinction.
The Demon Race and the Dragon Race.
The reason?
The First Cataclysm.
Thousands of years ago, the Dark Lord had waged war against the Aryans. The Demons and Dragons had sided with him, becoming his most powerful allies.
But in the end… they lost.
As punishment, both races were hunted down—slaughtered to near extinction.
The Dragons, once considered the most powerful beings in Celestia, had vanished from history.
And those who had claimed to see them… never lived long enough to tell the tale. Many people don't even remember how they look. More then a race they are now considered a mystical beasts as there Mear existence is a question
The Demons, on the other hand, were still out there.
Hiding.
Despised by all, they were seen as monsters, to be killed on sight.
The Continents & Races
The book detailed the three continents and the races that inhabited them:
Remora – The northernmost continent. Home to the Elves and Giants.
Pandora – The central continent. Dominated by the Human Race. Also, home to Forsaken Woods, where remnants of the Demon Race were rumored to be hiding.
Eldora – The southwestern continent. Home to Demi-Humans—beast men, fairies, and other humanoid creatures.
As for the Dragons?
Their whereabouts were unknown.
Or rather, no one who had found them had ever come back alive.
A deep silence filled the room, broken only by the crackling of the fire lamp.
Here's an enhanced version with improved depth, flow, and emotional weight:
Zed flipped to the section detailing the Human Race.
The book outlined how the human empire was divided into eighteen states, each ruled by one of six powerful noble families.
But these noble houses were not independent.
They all answered to one supreme authority—the King.
Zed's eyes scanned the list of noble families, his breath steady until it suddenly hitched.
At the very top, engraved in bold, elegant script…
"House Ravenhart."
His family.
A strange sensation settled in his chest—part intrigue, part unease.
Yet, the book barely scratched the surface. No detailed history, no record of achievements, no mention of their enemies or political influence.
"Tch. Useless."
If he wanted real information, he'd have to dig deeper.
Restless, Zed stood up and ran his fingers across the aged book spines, his sharp eyes scanning for something more valuable. After a few minutes, his hand brushed against a slim, leather-bound book.
The title read:
"Code of Aristocracy."
Only 50 to 60 pages.
"Not what I was looking for… but still interesting."
Carrying it back to the table, he placed it beside the history book and began flipping through its contents.
The book outlined the rigid structure, rules, and privileges of nobility:
Nobles held absolute authority over commoners within their territories.
Only the King could overrule a noble's decree.
Noble blood was sacred. Insulting or harming a noble, even accidentally, could result in execution.
Dueling was permitted among nobles, but only under strict conditions.
Treason was punished by total extermination of the bloodline.
Zed's fingers tightened around the pages.
"This world… runs on power and politics."
No matter how he looked at it, status meant everything.
After nearly an hour of reading, he shut the book and leaned back, exhaling deeply.
The lamp flickered, casting long, shifting shadows against the towering bookshelves.
Everything was starting to fall into place.
His family was among the strongest noble houses.
The King was the only authority above them.
And most importantly—power dictated everything.
If he wanted to protect Aurora, if he wanted to ensure his family's survival…
He would have to become stronger.
Stronger than anyone else.
With a quiet sigh, Zed stacked the books, preparing to return them to their shelves.
Because this was only the beginning.