He remembered dying.
He wasn't supposed to.
But the memory hit him every time he closed his eyes — vivid, seared into his bones.
The broken battlefield. The smoke. The blood.
And then—
A boot.
Slamming down.
On his head.
The last thing he saw was the sole of a worn leather boot and the cold, uncaring face of the man who ended everything. No flourish. No drama.
Just finality.
He jolted awake.
Not with fear.
But with clarity.
The room was small. Dusty. Dimly lit by a sliver of morning sun filtering through cracked shutters.
The inn mattress was lumpy. The wool blanket itched. A mouse squeaked somewhere under the floorboards.
It should've felt depressing.
It didn't.
It felt real.
And more importantly — he was alive.
Again.
He sat up slowly.
Everything felt smaller than it used to. His body hadn't filled out with muscle yet. His hands were still callused from farming, not from swordplay.
But his mind was decades older.
And it buzzed now with one bright, sharp certainty:
"This time, I'm going to get it right."
He didn't stew in bitterness.
Sure, the gods had used him. The kings praised him when he won and abandoned him when he bled. Friends had died. Villains rose. Hope had cracked.
But he'd made mistakes too.
He'd believed justice was enough.
That if he kept doing the right thing, the world would follow suit.
It hadn't.
That man—no, that monster—Veyr had stepped on his head like he was nothing.
And in that final second, something inside the Hero had clicked.
Not rage. Not sorrow.
Just realization.
Strength decides everything.
And I wasn't strong enough.
He rose to his feet.
His muscles ached. But that was just a reminder — a signal that there was work to do.
He looked into the mirror.
No armor. No glowing blade. No divine aura.
Just a boy.
But in his eyes?
That was a man who'd seen the end of the world.
And wasn't afraid to face it again.
He swiped open the System interface.
It flickered for a moment, then stabilized.
[Quest Available: Save the Flame Maiden.]
[Time Limit: 02:01:34]
[Failure Consequence: Timeline Divergence - Unknown.]
He smiled.
That's how it had started, last time.
He'd found her alone. Angry. Cornered. Her powers dormant. They'd connected. He'd helped her grow.
And she had burned bright.
Before she died in Veyr's flames.
This time?
He was going to save her first.
He threw on his jacket. Fastened the buckles. Tied his boots tighter than usual.
His hands didn't tremble.
His heart didn't pound.
He wasn't scared of failing again.
Because he wasn't the same naïve boy who waited for destiny to guide him.
Now?
He'd drag destiny in chains.
"I'm coming for you, Lira," he whispered.
"And this time… I won't let anyone get to you first."
The streets of Carmine's Rest were as grim as ever. Stone gutters clogged with rot. Oil lamps barely flickering. He kept his hood up, coat pulled tight.
He remembered the way. Back alleys. The slanted roof near the temple ruins. A cracked god-statue no one prayed to anymore.
That's where she'd be.
Alone.
Afraid.
About to ignite.
He quickened his pace.
Turned corners.
Breathed sharp.
And stopped—
Too late.
He saw them.
From the shadows.
Her—Lira. Red hair tangled, cloak torn, eyes wild and hollow.
And him.
Sitting beside her.
Veyr.
His posture was relaxed. His voice low. No weapons. No obvious threat.
But Lira was talking to him.
Eating something from his hand.
Listening.
Trusting.
"No…"
His fists clenched.
The System didn't warn him.
No alerts.
No divine interference.
But his gut knew.
He'd lost the moment.
He wasn't the first anymore.
Veyr looked at her like she wasn't a tool. Not yet. Not a symbol. Just a broken girl.
And she was.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was—this wasn't how it happened. Not in his memories. Not in the way it was supposed to go.
He was supposed to find her. He was supposed to show her kindness first.
And now—
"He changed the story."
He turned away before they could see him.
Walked the long way back. Through the alleys. Past the rats and piss and cracked stones.
One foot after another. Not with despair—
But resolve.
"Then I change too."
"If he wants to play ahead, I'll rewrite everything."
He didn't need to follow the old path anymore.
He'd make a new one.
Stronger.
Sharper.
This time, he wasn't going to just be the Hero.
This time—
He was going to win.