Gana opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground in a forest.
The forest around him was dense and quiet. Tall trees stretched high above, their thick leaves blocking most of the sunlight. Only thin beams of light pierced through the canopy, casting faint spots on the moss-covered ground.
The air was filled with the soft buzz of insects and the occasional rustle of leaves. The forest felt alive but calm, like a secret world hidden far from everything else.
He felt something light sitting on his chest. Looking down, he saw three little creatures. They were about one foot tall and looked like soft toys.
One was blue and shy, fidgeting nervously. A small water drop floated just above its head. Another was yellow and calm, sitting quietly with a small stone hovering above it. The last one was red, fiery and angry, with a tiny flame flickering above its head.
They looked alive.
Gana closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples. A dull headache throbbed inside his skull.
I felt pain… a burning anger simmered beneath his thoughts.
My last clear memory was the sharp sting of a bullet hitting my head.
Then… nothing.
Now, I'm waking up here, in this strange forest, with these things on my chest.
He opened his eyes slowly, unsure if he was alive, dead, or somewhere in between.
Gana sat up slowly, rubbing his temple. The headache hadn't gone away. He looked at the three small creatures on his chest. They moved and blinked like real living beings.
He asked, "Who… what are you? And where am I?"
The blue one looked away, fidgeting nervously.
"I'm Blue. I'm your system."
The yellow one sat calmly, eyes steady.
"You're in Vyuha — a world far from Earth."
The red one crossed its arms, flames flickering fiercely.
"We don't have time for questions. You need to get moving."
Gana's mind stirred as more memories came back.
I'm the son of a king, he thought. My mother is the queen.
He remembered being called idiotic since birth. People looked down on him.
He had a younger brother and an elder sister.
And… two fiancées.
A dark memory surfaced, making Gana's chest tighten.
I… tried to force myself on one of my fiancées, he recalled with shame and confusion.
He didn't fully understand why he had done it — or how his past self had become so lost.
The dark memory lingered for a moment, clouding his mind.
Then the truth cleared up.
No… it wasn't me. She tried to force herself on me.
The roles reversed in his mind, and a new wave of confusion and anger washed over him.
Gana shook his head slowly, a bitter smile forming.
How charming, he thought. This idiot gets forced on by a woman…
He remembered clearly—I was single until I died.
The contradictions made his head hurt even more.
Just then, a soft "ding" sound came from Yellow.
Yellow looked at Gana calmly and said,
"Ding. You just lost one charm point."
Gana blinked in surprise.
"Charm points? Seriously?"
Red snorted, flames flickering.
"Yeah, welcome to your new life."
Gana looked at the three and asked,
"How did you three become my systems?"
Blue shuffled nervously.
"Well, we're… linked to you. Part of your power now."
Yellow nodded calmly.
"We exist to help you grow and survive in Vyuha."
Red crossed its arms, eyes blazing.
"And we don't plan to let anyone stop you."
Gana frowned and asked,
"But I never agreed. How did you bind with me?"
Red's flames flared angrily.
"We were with you on Earth, but Black was stronger. That's why you died."
Yellow added calmly,
"We're here now. We have to find a way back."
Gana looked at them, surprised.
"So… there's another system? Someone called Black?"
Blue nodded nervously.
"Yes. Black was very powerful."
Red growled softly.
"He was the reason you died back then."
Gana frowned.
"But how? How did Black cause my death?"
Blue looked down, hesitant.
"Black was stronger in battle and used a power you couldn't match."
Yellow spoke calmly.
"He betrayed you when you were weakest."
Red's flames flickered angrily.
"He struck when you were vulnerable. That's why you died."
Blue looked at Gana with a serious expression.
"Black is… death itself."
Yellow nodded slowly.
"But he was not complete."
Red frowned, flames dimming slightly.
"We don't remember the rest. Something blocked our memories."
Gana looked at them and asked,
"If I go back, will I be able to use magic on Earth?"
Red's flames flickered as he answered,
"If you can go back… then maybe."
Suddenly, all three systems froze.
They heard the rustling of leaves nearby.
Gana's eyes narrowed. That sounds like the bullies who dragged me into this forest, he thought.
He got up slowly and started walking toward the sound, careful and alert.
The three systems floated up from his chest and followed him, moving silently through the air.
As Gana moved closer to the sound, he spotted a small white foal standing quietly among the trees.
Yellow's eyes softened.
"That's a lali."
Gana blinked.
"A Lali?"
Yellow nodded calmly.
"Magical beasts of this world. They bond with people from birth."
Gana looked at the foal and then back at Yellow.
"But where is mine? I was born in Vyuha."
Yellow smirked slightly.
"Maybe it's because you were an idiot before."
Gana frowned but couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.
"Hey! That's not fair."
Blue looked away nervously.
"Well… maybe a little."
Gana stepped closer to the white foal and said,
"Help me catch it."
Red's tiny flame flared as he gave a sharp notification,
"Ding! You just lost another charm point."
Yellow shook his head calmly and said,
"You have to think for yourself. We systems only help you improve your abilities and reduce your weaknesses. Catching a lali is up to you."
Gana sighed but nodded.
"Alright, I'll try on my own."
Gana looked at the three systems and asked,
"Can you show me the system panel?"
Blue shuffled nervously, avoiding eye contact.
"Uh… it's not really something we just 'show' like a game screen."
Yellow nodded calmly.
"The system is far too advanced to appear like a simple RPG interface. Instead, you can ask us anything directly, and we'll reply — like an intelligent guide, not just a computer screen."
Gana raised an eyebrow,
"So, you're more like… living helpers than a game interface?"
Red flickered his tiny flame,
"Exactly. We're here to help you, but you have to learn by yourself."
Yellow took a deep breath and tried to explain,
"I should tell you more about our origin and purpose… but honestly, some parts are fuzzy. I can't remember everything right now."
Blue looked at Yellow worriedly.
Yellow continued,
"There was another system — Green. If we find him, maybe he can help us remember everything."
Gana frowned,
"Green? Another system like you?"
Red nodded sharply,
"Yes. But we don't know where he is."
Yellow nodded slowly.
"Green must be somewhere in Vyuha. That's probably why you're here too."
Gana frowned.
"So, I'm in this world because of Green?"
Yellow looked at him seriously.
"Yes. Finding Green might be the key."
Yellow added,
"Finding Green might also help you find a way back to Earth."
Gana's eyes narrowed.
"Back to Earth… If that's possible, I need to try."
Red flickered fiercely.
"We'll help you, but remember—you have to take the steps yourself."
As they were talking, Gana suddenly noticed the white foal was no longer standing still.
Before he could react, the lali bolted, its hooves pounding softly against the forest floor as it darted deeper into the trees.
Gana's eyes widened.
"Wait! It's running away!"
Red flickered impatiently.
"Like I said, you have to catch it yourself."
Yellow sighed calmly.
"Focus, Gana. Think about how you can track it."
Gana's face twisted with fury.
This forest… the lali running away… and those bullies…
He clenched his fists, thinking hard about the other princes who might be involved. Not his brother or sister, but his six stepbrothers—ruthless and scheming.
They've always hated me. This has to be their plot. They want me gone.
His mind raced, planning how to escape this forest and face whatever traps lay ahead.
Suddenly, Gana heard shouting from a distance.
He ran toward the noise, heart beating fast.
When he got closer, he saw the white lali surrounded by a group of hunters.
Gana didn't go to fight. He quietly hid behind a tree.
Above the tree in front of him, an archer was sitting calmly, watching the leader try to catch the foal.