The first thing that hit Lucian Vale was the cold, hard floor against his body. His eyes snapped open, and for one fragmentary second, he did not recognize a thing. The meager light outside filtered through the window of the dormitory, shining on the dust particles in the air like fireflies, like small stars. Blinking tried to collect his thoughts, only to feel a foreign, impossible sensation-his body, his very own, yet younger, fresher, more energetic than he remembered.
Lucian's mind reeled. Memories of a life he had long thought well and truly over tore back into his mind with razor-sharp clarity and relentless cruelty. He had been betrayed, crushed beneath the heels of those he had trusted most in this world, and left to die. Every detail, every second of agony, every betrayal stabbed anew into his brain. And yet… he was here. Alive.
He shoved himself up, scanning the familiar yet somehow alien dorm room. Posters of legendary hunters, textbooks piled neatly on the shelves, and a small window with its view of the sprawling grounds of the Royal Hunter Academy greeted him. Everything was precisely as it had been when he'd been here, years ago. This time, though, he knew everything. He had another chance.
"Impossible," he breathed, his lips tasting the bitterness of the word. "This… this can't be real."
Then, a soft knock on the door startled him. His heart leaped-not from fear, but from hope. "Lucian? Are you awake?"
The voice was light, familiar, unwavering. Seraphine Lys.
He flung open the door, and there she stood, bright and vivid, just as he had recalled. The gold of her hair gleamed in the morning sun, while her emerald eyes scanned him with worry and curiosity. For a moment, he just stared, emotions warring inside of him-relief, disbelief, and lingering sorrow he could not let go from his past.
"I… I'm here," he finally managed, his voice low, hoarse from disuse and emotion.
Seraphine's eyes softened. "I was worried. You did not come down to breakfast. Are you alright?"
Lucian swallowed and forced a calm exterior, though his heart drummed in his chest. He'd seen her die once in his past life. He had failed her, failed himself. Now, the opportunity to protect her this time around rested in his hands, and he couldn't afford to waste a single moment in hesitation.
"I'm… fine, he said, though the words sounded not quite worth uttering. He didn't explain; instead, he merely moved aside to let her in. She came in with that easy confidence she had always carried, and he noticed even the little things-the way she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear-pulled warmth from memories.
After she was gone, Lucian sat on the edge of the bed, letting his hands run over the familiar sheets. He closed his eyes, summoning the shadow energy he had unconsciously retained from his past life. A little flicker of darkness coalesced at his fingertips-a whisper of the immense power he once wielded. It was faint, imperfect, but unmistakable. He had carried it across time, through death itself.
A grim, meaningless smile pulled at his lips. So this is real. I can do it again.
He stood and shifted to the window, peering out over the academy grounds. Students milled about, oblivious to the storm brewing in their midst. Teachers passed, blind to the dark power quietly growing within one of their youngest pupils. Lucian clenched his fists. Every misstep from his previous life had been branded into his mind. Every betrayal had taught him exactly what to expect, and he would not make the same mistakes again.
But first… he needed to understand the limits of this second chance.
The day unfolded slowly, and Lucian moved through the academy as if nothing had changed. The classrooms were familiar; the training grounds grueling, just as he remembered. And yet, with every glance, with every conversation, came layered meanings he had not noticed before. A rival would mock him-he remembered the exact words, the exact timing-and he was ready. He would respond differently. Strategically. Calculated. Perfectly.
At lunch, he watched the other students around him more carefully. Some faces stirred memories in his mind, whereas others were new. Across the hall, Lucian's eyes found Seraphine, who smiled at someone else, not knowing his gaze was on her, yet shining in a manner that anchored him. He knew with a quiet certainty that he would defend that smile to the end of the world.
No one will take her from me again, he vowed silently.
As the afternoon sun crept across the grounds, Lucian found a quiet corner in the library. He pored over books on combat theory, magical techniques, and dungeon strategies, absorbing every detail with obsessive focus. In life, he had been sorely ignorant of the wondrous things of the world; it had cost him dearly. He would allow no such mistakes now. The shadows that had once been merely tools of his vengeance would become instruments of his survival and dominance.
Later, in the training yard, he consciously tested his shadow powers in secrecy. Dark tendrils twisted around his arms, small and unrefined, yet responsive to his thoughts and emotions. A shadow creature flickered into being—a small, ephemeral thing that danced across the stone floor before dissolving. Lucian's lips arced into a smile. He was beginning to remember the rhythm, the pulse of the shadows, the way they fed off his willpower and emotion.
But with the shadows came responsibility. He knew he could not reveal them yet—not until he understood their limits, not until he had a plan for his enemies, and not until Seraphine's safety was guaranteed.
When night had fallen over the academy, Lucian made his way back to the dorm. In came Seraphine once again, this time concern creasing her brow. "Lucian… you have been very still all day. Are you sick?"
He shook his head, forcing a casual smile. "Just thinking. About… everything."
Her gaze continued to hold his, piercing, as if beyond the surface calmness, a shifting had silently taken place. "You're different this year," she whispered. "I can feel it."
Lucian's chest constricted. She could sense the shadow stirring within him already, even in these nascent moments. He nodded, a flicker both of pride and apprehension dancing through him. "Different," he repeated. Yes.
This time, he would be stronger. Wiser. And he would not fail. Not her. Not himself. As night fell, Lucian stood once again at the window, with shadows faintly whispering around his fingertips. The Royal Hunter Academy was serene for the moment, but he knew how fragile serenity was. The enemies of his past life, the betrayal he had endured, and the darkness within him were just waiting. He would face them.
He would conquer them. And this time. He would not just survive. He would dominate. For now, though, he allowed himself one moment of quiet reflection: a moment to remember, to feel loss and acknowledge the fire of hope burning brighter than ever; the shadows would obey, the academy would bend, and Seraphine would be safe. That was his vow. His second life had begun, and with it the awakening of the Shadow Monarch.