The great hall was unusually quiet.
Golden banners hung still, their edges flickering softly in the dim light. The throne, carved from star-steel and encrusted with ancient symbols, seemed emptier than ever. Upon it sat a man whose presence had once commanded empires—now frail, fading like a dying ember.
The King of the Galeheart Dynasty, a figure whose name alone had made galaxies tremble, was dying.
His breaths were shallow, uneven, each one weaker than the last. The crown on his head flickered faintly, struggling to hold onto the light of his life. He could feel it slipping away—his cultivation, his strength, even the remnants of his soul.
"Is this… the end?" he whispered, voice fragile. No one was there to answer—not his generals, not his children, not the guardians who had once pledged loyalty unto death.
Everything he had built, fought for, protected… all of it was slipping through his fingers.
"If only… another chance…" he breathed. "…another life."
And then darkness took him.
---
He awoke to a sensation unlike anything he had known.
Cold, soft, weightless. A faint warmth swirled around him. The air was thick, yet comforting. Light poured in, washing over him in waves, and for the first time in an eternity, he felt… alive.
Yet, his body felt strange—soft, small, almost useless. Tiny limbs that could barely move. A mind clouded, slow, fragmented.
Where am I?
He awoke to a strange sensation—soft, weightless, and warm.
The world was enormous. Colors smeared together like wet paint. His body felt small, fragile, almost useless. His mind… was sluggish, foggy, fragmented.
Where am I?
Memory shards floated in his mind. He remembered being a king. He remembered power, responsibility, and a throne… but the details were lost. The life he had lived felt like it belonged to someone else.
And now… I am here.
A weak cry escaped him.
"Waaa!"
A warm, trembling voice answered immediately.
"It's a boy! It's a healthy baby boy!"
He was lifted gently, cradled in arms far too large for his tiny body. The scent of the woman holding him softly, comforting wrapped around him like a blanket. Warmth, love, safety.
"Oh, my little one… welcome to the world," she whispered.
He blinked, trying to focus. Everything was blurry, everything overwhelming.
Then, a soft chime echoed directly in his mind.
[NEXUS SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
NAME: Rylen
SOUL: Fragmented
LIFE STAGE: Newborn
Achievement Unlocked: Successfully Born
GAINT VITALITY Effect:Vitality Enhanced; Accelerated Growth.
System Notes: Future achievements will unlock upon completion of first-time important tasks. Minor tasks may grant attribute enhancements.
The newborn froze. System…?
The glowing panel hovered before him, soft and radiant. Words floated clearly in his mind:
[Welcome, User: Your new life has begun.]
He tried to recall more. The throne, the empire, the war… only fragments remained. He remembered authority, command—but the details were gone.
The system pulsed again:
[Achievement "Successfully Born" Granted]
[Reward Applied: Vitality Enhanced; Accelerated Growth Enabled]
Instantly, warmth spread through his tiny body. His heartbeat felt stronger, his senses sharper than a normal newborn. He could feel potential within him—a spark waiting to be kindled.
This… this is the system, he realized, struggling to comprehend.
---
"Let me see him," said a deep voice. Strong hands lifted him toward the light. The man's eyes were sharp, softened only by awe and pride.
"He has your eyes," the man said quietly. "And your stubbornness in his eyes"
"I'm not stubborn," the mother murmured softly.
"You are," the man replied, smiling faintly.
The baby wanted to laugh. Or perhaps, in some hidden corner of his fragmented memory, he did.
Another soft chime resonated through his mind.
He felt warmth as the mother held him close. She whispered, "i hope you will grow strong, little one. Stronger than us… stronger than anyone."
I… will grow? he thought. I… will become something again.
The Nexus System pulsed faintly, reminding him that this was only the beginning. A testament of what he once was and what he shall overcome in this new life of his.
His eyelids grew heavy. The voices, the warmth, the light—all blended into a cocoon of comfort.
Even in his fragmented memory, he felt a quiet resolve.
Even if I cannot remember who I was… I will discover who I am meant to be.
The world was vast, but a beginning had been made.
A new life, a second chance.
And so, wrapped in warmth and soft silence, the journey of Rylen, reborn under the Nexus System, quietly began.