After finishing work at the office, Ethan headed straight to the nearest restaurant to satisfy his raging hunger. As he ate, he muttered curses under his breath.
"Damn bastard! Doesn't he have any shame? Just because I don't say anything, he thinks he can dump all his work—and the team's—on me. And those damn wenches… If they're going out for dinner with him, shouldn't they at least finish their tasks first? And they're all married, for God's sake."
After several rounds of venting his frustration, Ethan made his way home. Thanks to his incompetent team leader, his sleep schedule was completely ruined. Exhausted beyond belief, he trudged through the dimly lit streets, his mind clouded with fatigue.
Just as he stepped onto the road, his sluggish senses failed to register the blaring horn of an oncoming truck. By the time he realized what was happening, blinding headlights consumed his vision. His body froze, and in the next instant—impact.
Ethan never made it home that night.
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A sharp pain throbbed through his skull, like thousands of needles stabbing into his brain all at once. His body felt unbearably heavy, as though chains weighed him down. For a moment, his consciousness wavered between dreams and reality, a chaotic swirl of images and sensations flooding his mind.
'Where am I?'
The last thing he remembered was the deafening roar of a truck's horn, the blinding flash of its headlights, and the violent impact that sent his world into darkness. In that split second before going unconscious, everything had blurred into a singular moment of terror. But as his mind began to stir, memories that weren't his own rushed through his head, merging with his own identity.
A name surfaced—his name. Or rather, the name of the boy whose body he now inhabited.
Kael Veyne.
Panic surged through him as he forced his eyes open. The dim candlelight flickered in the small wooden room, casting shadows across the rough-hewn walls. The air smelled faintly of old wood and fresh linen, unfamiliar yet oddly comforting. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up, only to freeze when his gaze landed on a small, round mirror propped against the wall.
Staring back at him was the reflection of a child. Maybe eight or nine, with messy black hair and eyes of rich saphire color. His skin was pale—but not ghostly so—and stretched over a skinny frame that made him look even smaller. The boy's lips parted in a silent 'what the fuck' as he touched his own face, the reflection mirroring him.
Transmigration. Reincarnation. Whatever.
He'd read the tropes, laughed at the clichés. But this? This was a sucker punch to the gut.
He needed answers, and fast. Closing his eyes, he sorted through the newly acquired memories. Fragmented images and emotions surfaced—the life of the real Kael Veyne. He was the firstborn of Lucas Veyne and Helena Veyne, a humble couple living in a small village named Elmsworth on the Eastern border of the Elarion Empire. Three years ago, they had welcomed another child into their family—a little girl named Emily Veyne, his younger sister.
When he is trying to recollect his memories before waking up in kael's body, The sound of opening door pulled him from his thoughts , and a woman stepped in—soft features, auburn hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Kael! You're awake!"
It took him a moment to process that she was referring to him. "...Mom?" he asked hesitantly, the word feeling foreign on his tongue.
Her face softened with relief as she hurried to his bedside. "Thank the heavens! You were so sick for an entire week—I was so worried about you."
Just as she reached out to touch his forehead, a small figure peeked from behind her, with apple-round cheeks and large hazel eyes blinking curiously.
"Bwig Bwover?"
She lisped, clutching a ragged stuffed rabbit.
Emily. His sister.
The kid toddled forward, her sticky fingers grabbing his blanket. "Bwover sick?"
Helena laughed, but it trembled. "She hasn't left your side. Kept trying to feed you her oatmeal."
Kael's felt something weird—warm and achingin his chest. He awkwardly patted Emily's head.
"I'm… okay now."
Emily beamed at his touch, her small arms wrapping around his waist.
"Kael." A deep, steady voice came from the doorway.
Lucas Veyne, his father, entered the room. He was a tall man with sharp features, his brown hair slightly unkempt. His expression remained stern, but the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.
"How are you feeling, son?"
Kael shifted uncomfortably. "I....I'm feeling better now"
Lucas nodded, his gaze scrutinizing. "You worried your mother sick. If you're feeling better, you should eat."
Kael nodded, feeling awkward under his father's intense stare. The memories told him that Lucas wasn't a particularly affectionate man, but he cared deeply for his family.
For the rest of the evening, Kael remained quiet, observing them. Every glance, every word exchanged felt surreal. It wasn't just a dream—this was his new reality.
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Days bled into nights. Kael played his part—ate stew, Helped with the house chores, let Emily drag him into games of pretend. But his mind raced.A couple of weeks passed before Kael finally felt like he had a grasp on his situation. He wasn't just in another body—he was in another world entirely.
And not just any world.The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. He had recognized the name of the Elarion Empire from the discussions his parents are having, and when he subtly asked about the name of the emperor, their answer confirmed everything. Sigmund Elarion is currently ruling the empire, just as the novel he once read. 'The Chronicles of Astralis', a novel he had read years ago. A sprawling fantasy epic about warring nations and a hero prince.
But Kael Veyne? Nowhere in the text. He was a nobody. Not even a speck.
And that terrified him.His thoughts darkened as he recalled the plot. War, Betrayal, Conspiracy. Countless lives lost in the coming conflict between nations. The empire conscripted every man over the age of fifteen, and many nameless commoners like him are perished like ants in the war.
A shiver ran down his spine. 'If I follow the course of the story… I won't survive.'
Clenching his fists, Kael took a deep breath. He couldn't just accept this fate. He had been given a second chance, and he wasn't about to waste it.
'If I want to live, I need to get stronger quickly.'
After determining himself, He recalled important details in the novel about every major events occured in the story.
He sifted through his knowledge of the novel, recalling every major event before the protagonist's rise.
The current year is 1283.
The protagonist, Alden Elarion will enter the academy in 1294 at age of fourteen. That made Kael five years older than him. While the novel started with the academy arc, a few critical incidents occurred before that.
1. 1289-1290 – First Princess Emilia Elarion and her mother, Queen Lysara Sylvaris, die during an event at Imperial Academy, souring relations between the Sylvaris Kingdom and the Elarion Empire.
2.1292 – A devastating monster wave orchestrated by demons crippling the empire's forces, wiping out nearly 35% of its combat power.
3.1292 (Two months later) – A weakened Elarion Empire is forced into war with the Varkath Nation, drafting any capable commoner into battle.
After sorting the details he thought 'The first event wouldn't effect me or my life in any way ,The problem is that the second and third events would hit everyone, nobles and commoners alike. And I only have Nine years to prepare. I need a plan.'
His future, his survival, depended on what he did next.