I was happy. Happier than I had ever been.
Compared to my past life, this new beginning felt like a dream. I had a loving mother who cherished me more than anything, a father who cracked silly jokes and offered strange yet comforting advice, and a brother who always stood by my side. I was in my room at the castle, staring out the window, and for the first time, I truly felt like I belonged in this family.
As I watched them sitting together—laughing, talking, just being there—I was overwhelmed by the same feeling I had when I first met them properly. A deep warmth swelled in my chest.
Then I heard it.
"Ohh, what a beautiful scene... I could cry."
The voice was unfamiliar. I froze.
Panic overtook me. I turned toward the direction it came from, heart pounding. "Mom?" I asked. "Did you hear that?"
But she didn't respond. She was still—frozen in place. So was my father. So was my brother.
"Mom?" I repeated, louder this time, stepping closer. But they remained motionless, as if the world itself had paused.
Then, the room began to change.
The warmth vanished, replaced by cold emptiness. Shadows swallowed the walls until everything was consumed by a black void. At the center of the darkness was a single chair—and someone was sitting in it.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was me. But not me.
He looked just like me, except for his eyes—burning red like dying stars. I moved toward him, confused, afraid. I wanted to ask who he was, but before I could speak, memories flooded my mind.
The night of the explosion. My parents' deaths. The betrayal. The laughter. Their faces—twisted in cruelty and horror. I collapsed to the floor, clutching my head as the pain surged.
Why?
Why did all of this happen?
Then another memory surged forward—something from the novel. The Sixth Kingdom. In the early chapters, it was said to have been destroyed by the Kraken. But later, it was revealed the kingdom was captured by demons—taken, not obliterated. And at the center of it all… Jakes Tully.
He had betrayed humanity. Aligned himself with demons.
"No… why now?" I muttered, trembling. "Why are these memories coming back now?!"
Tears streamed down my cheeks. "If I had remembered earlier… I could've saved them. I could've stopped it!"
From the chair, the boy with red eyes tilted his head. Then came another voice—cold and mocking, as if spoken from the shadows themselves.
"Oh, John… no, Liam. Don't be sad. They weren't your real parents, remember? So why cry for them?"
My blood boiled. I glared into the darkness. The boy in the chair was still staring at me, silent. He hadn't said anything—but somehow, I knew the voice was connected to him.
"Don't even bother asking him anything," the voice continued, mocking. "He never answers. He's always like that."
"Liam… how does it feel to lose everything again?"
The words sliced deep into my soul. My fists clenched. My voice was barely above a whisper. "Are you the one who sent me here? Why… why did you do this to me?"
A pause.
Then the voice replied, calm and cruel.
"If you want answers about your rebirth, reach at least S-Rank. Then I'll consider giving you an answer to your first question. As for your second…"
The voice chuckled. "I was curious. Curious to see how good you were, Liam. In your past world, you were sharp. A survivor. But here? You disappointed me."
"What…?"
"I only blocked a few pages from your memory. You had the instinct, the hunch. But you ignored it. You played happy family. And look what that got you."
My body trembled.
"If only you had focused on gathering information instead of pretending to be someone you're not… maybe your parents would still be alive. You even met Rebecca—the main heroine, remember? But you wasted that opportunity too."
The taunts hit harder than any blade.
I remained on the floor, broken, defeated.
"Now it doesn't matter anymore," I whispered. "I couldn't awaken… I couldn't protect anyone… and now I don't even have a reason to live…"
I stared at the cold floor beneath me.
"I was thinking… maybe I should just kill myself."
Silence.
Then the voice erupted in laughter.
"Suicide? How cowardly, Liam. Isn't that what you used to say back on Earth? And now here you are… ready to give up. Pathetic."
I didn't move. I couldn't.
"And I thought this story would be entertaining. Jon Walkers, the perfect hero. Power of love, power of friendship. Meanwhile, you—alone, broken, and back to your old self."
The voice grew colder. "But even if you can't use mana, it doesn't mean you can't grow stronger. You will understand, Liam. In time."
My head slowly lifted. The boy with red eyes was now staring into the shadows, just like me.
"To understand," the voice continued, "you must become stronger than even the main protagonist. By any means necessary."
My lips parted. "Stronger… but why? What reason…?"
The voice answered slowly. "There is a reason. One that will drive you forward. But to know it… you must first leave this place."
"Leave… this place?"
Before I could finish, the world collapsed again. The void vanished, swallowed by light.
And when I opened my eyes—
I saw him.
The man who stood over my parents' corpses. The one who had watched them die. My heart burned with fury. "YOU—!"
I lunged forward—but my body wouldn't move. I was tied up. Restrained.
"Well, well," the man chuckled. "Finally awake, boy. You've been out for two days. Now… let the fun begin. Ha!"
He turned and pointed.
"See them?"
I followed his gaze—and my stomach twisted in horror.
There were children. Dozens of them. Bound, crying in pain. Their bodies were small—some even younger than me. Their faces twisted in fear.
"There are 29 children," the man said proudly. "All kidnapped. Some unawakened, some newly awakened. Perfect test subjects."
"What… what are you doing to them?" I asked, my voice weak.
The man's eyes lit up with madness. "I'm working on a serum. Aetherblood, I call it. Found it in a dungeon during one of my studies. Just a drop made a Hellkin soldier immensely powerful—without even using mana. Gave another a few more drops… he exploded. Ha! Hilarious, isn't it?"
"You're insane…"
"Oh, I've heard that before." He laughed again. "But listen—my theory is that giving small doses to children, especially those who haven't awakened yet, might yield better results. Less risk of overload. More… evolution."
I clenched my fists, but the restraints held firm.
"There are four stages," he continued. "If a child survives all four, they'll become the ultimate soldier. And then, we can use their blood to replicate the serum—create an army. A beautiful idea, don't you think?"
He turned to me with a grin. "And you, my dear boy… make 30. From now on, that's your name: Subject Thirty."
Tears welled up in my eyes—not from fear, but from helplessness. I couldn't save myself. I couldn't save them.
"Begin stage one."
The moment the needle pierced my skin, the world turned to fire. Heat surged through my veins. I couldn't scream—I couldn't even breathe. Every nerve in my body was set ablaze.
"Yes… yes!" the man cackled. "Feel it! No pain, no gain, right? Show me the results, Subject Thirty! Oh how rude of me not tell you my name my self Nicolas Benjamin"
His laughter echoed as I screamed in agony—my mind, my body, my soul tearing apart.
And so it began.
The descent into darkness.